BLURB:
Talented
young ballplayer Clay Love has just been called up from the minors to play
major league baseball. Freelance writer and divorcée Rose Lasting, the world's
biggest baseball fan, wasn't expecting to fall in love when she fell into
Clay's arms, but fall in love she did. Now they are caught up in a whirlwind
romance complicated by the paparazzi, Clay's ex-girlfriend, Rose's ex-husband,
and a stalker who puts Rose's life in grave danger. Saving her life and
catching her attacker takes you on a roller coaster of emotion and intrigue
that you won't soon forget.
Rookie Season is the first book in the Love
in the Ballpark Series, by V.K. Robbins. This adult erotic romance tale sizzles
with romantic and sexual chemistry, emotion, and suspense. Once you start
reading, you won't be able to put it down.
INTERVIEW:
Where did you get the idea for the
novel?
I knew I wanted to write a steamy romance novel, but it was my love for
baseball that led me to give the book a baseball setting. And as Rose, the main
character in Rookie Season says,
"Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more romantic than baseball."
Is there a message in your novel that you want your readers to grasp?
I suppose I hope that readers come away with an understanding that age
is simply a number, and that being a decade or more apart in age doesn't mean
that two people don't have anything in common.
I also enjoy the fact that my main character is a successful woman in
her own right when she meets the young ballplayer with whom she falls in love.
She doesn't need his money or his validation, but she does need love. That's all
she wants from him.
Why did you pick this genre? What do you like about it?
What's not to love about the romantic suspense genre?! It has it all -
love, intrigue, nail-biting suspense, and a smattering of steamy sex. To be
honest, I told myself when I started that I was going to write an erotic novel,
but the story rose to the top and wouldn't be ignored. I still enjoy writing
erotica, but I also love the freedom to walk the reader through a story and a
cascade of emotions.
Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?
I've been a writer for a long, long time, but I've only been a real
fiction writer recently. The most exciting thing that has happened to me is
that I finally made the decision to stop writing things I hated writing about
simply because they paid well. I gave myself permission to follow my own heart,
and that has made all the difference.
What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?
I'm currently reading Red Hot
Shorts, by Camille Towe. It's a collection of erotic short stories. I've been pleasantly surprised by the
creativity. I'll finish the collection
shortly, and then I'll post a review. I
strongly recommend that readers write positive reviews of books they enjoy.
Most readers don't write reviews, of course, but that's the best way to ensure
that authors write more of the kind of books you like. I also think it's
important to support indie authors and new authors who don't have the power of
billion dollar publishing houses behind them. Some of the best stories I've
read have been by indie authors who published their own work. One of these is Kill the King, by Jim Heskett.
Try it.
At a book signing, do you just sign your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say?
I always write a short message. With my non-fiction grant writing book, 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers, it
was easy. I could wish the reader
success in a wide variety of ways. With a novel, it's a little more difficult,
but I like to wish the reader love, a life of adventure, or a life of great
romance. Who doesn't want those things? The wish should tie to a theme in the
book.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I started learning to play the violin just two months ago. This may
shock you, but I'm not very good yet. It's something I've wanted to do for most
of my life, but I never thought I'd be very good, so I just didn't do it. A couple of months ago, I decided that I
didn't care if it would be difficult or if I'd ever be able to play at Carnegie
Hall. I wanted to do it just for me. So I did.
9) How do you react to a bad review?
My first reaction is pain. It strikes me in the heart. I want everyone to love everything about
every book I write, but I know that's not reasonable. My second reaction is to
step back and try to determine if their comments are really about the book
itself or their personal preferences. If
it's something about the book that I can improve, I take note of it, and let it
go. If it's about a personal preference,
I do the same. My third reaction is gratitude.
I'm grateful that someone took the time to read and review my book! To a
certain point, less than stellar reviews lend some credibility to the review system,
and that inspires new readers to give the book a try.
10) How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?
I sold my first book in 2010 and I took my family out to dinner that
night. It was fun and exciting!
Thank you so much for spreading the word about Rookie Season and giving me the chance to get to know your readers
a little better. I'm very grateful!
EXCERPT:
He shared about missing his
mother's last days because he had been out on the road with his AA team, and
how he regretted it. I thought about telling him about my grandfather, but I
didn't. I knew I would cry and there was no way I wanted to cry right then. I
did tell him, though, about how my dad left when I was six, and I was raised by
my mother and her father, my grandfather.
And we talked about baseball -
how it was my first love, how he only really felt comfortable and at home out
on the field, how I hadn't missed a Giants home game in 10 years, how excited
he was to finally be playing in the majors.
There was a pause again and we
were silently looking at each other. I was thinking how comfortable it was just
to be quiet with him, how I didn't feel like I needed to entertain him...when
he leaned forward and kissed me.
It was gentle and tentative at
first, then it became more aggressive and forceful. My mind went blank for a
moment. I leaned toward him and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me
closer. His kiss just pulled me in. Any
hesitance I'd had about him evaporated, and I knew I'd never be the same.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Veronica Robbins is a published author of both fiction and nonfiction
who has been writing professionally for the last 20 years. In addition to
writing fiction and poetry (her first love), she is also an expert grant writer
and copy writer. When she's not writing,
she's watching baseball, enjoying her children, reading, and trying to train
her dog, Handsome, who so far has been very successful at training her. You can
follow Veronica on Facebook or through her blog, A Writer's Journey.
Blog/website: http://veronicarobbins.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/veronica.robbins
Twitter: http://twitter.com/veronicarobbins
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/veronicarobbins
Instagram: http://instagram.com/grantgoddess/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/veronicarobbins/
Google +: http://google.com/+VeronicaRobbins50
Buy links:
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/502725
The author will be awarding $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.
The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really good book. I liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving how the promos I've looked at on your blog all seem to have something to make them a little more personal. It's nice to actually think about the person writing the book instead of just seeing a name and being indifferent to it even appearing. That sounds harsh, and I don't mean it that way, but I can't think of how to put it. It's like putting a name with a face.
ReplyDeleteHer comments on bad reviews were interesting. I don't typically leave bad reviews, and when I do, I try my hardest to make things have a positive spin. It probably doesn't make much of a difference, though - the criticism still hurts. But when you want to see someone do well, you have to give that feedback. It doesn't help to hold their hand or say a cover's pretty/excerpt is nice when there's something glaringly off. It's started to get on my nerves lately, seeing people comment who don't seem to have looked at the content at all and didn't really read what the "leave a comment" entries are in raffles. And then, that makes it so authors don't really pay much attention, because why waste time visiting all these sites when it's just a long string of "it's pretty" or "nice excerpt" with no feedback/commentary? I think I've pointed out some valid things on these types of posts, where a synopsis and cover seem to conflict or where the excerpt makes zero sense. Just a shame that it's not likely to even be looked at most of the time.
I also like the point she made about age just being a number, because it's so true. I haven't dated anyone with a big age difference from me (okay, one date, but I don't even know the guy's last name or age...know him through a group of friends), but my group of closest friends range in ages from 21 to 50s or 60s. I know them because we're a group for people with social anxiety to go do things - it's more comfortable and enjoyable than it sounds :-P My very first event involved going to watch the most recent Star Trek movie, and as we ate lunch afterwards, this group of people up to 30-40 years older than me had the greatest nerdy conversation going on. Maybe others won't get it, but who cares if they do? It's important to have fun and be happy. When the author mentions her character not needing money or validation, just love, I think it's more important to make it known that she's happy on her own. Lots of people seem to look at success in life as a function of how well off financially a person is, but I believe it's all about happiness. Lots of people aren't happy with their situations. Maybe they hate their job or a decision's ramifications. Being happy with your life and not needing someone else to be that way is something really lucky.
Again, I really enjoyed the interview! Thank you!
ReplyDelete