Wednesday 27 June 2012

Interview and Giveaway ($10 Amazon GC, $50 B&N GC and romance swag pack): Giving It Up by Amber Lin

Original Title: Giving It Up
Author: Amber Lin
Publisher: Loose Id
Release Date: June 18th 2012
Genre: Erotic Romance


Allie prowls the club for a man who will use her hard and then ditch her. Hey, it's not rape if she wants it. Instead she finds Colin, who looks tough but treats her tenderly, despite her protests.

He tempts her, but kindness and a few mindblowing orgasms aren't enough to put her back together again. Allie has no hope for a real relationship. Two years ago her best friend betrayed her in the worst possible way – she’d be stupid to trust a man again. Besides, she has her daughter to think of, the only good thing to have come from that dark night.

But when her rapist returns, threatening her sanity and custody of her daughter, Allie turns to Colin. Under his protection and patient touch, Allie begins to heal and learns to hope. Colin’s no saint, though, and his criminal past draws danger of its own. Allie must fight to protect her child and the man she loves, hoping her newfound power will be enough to save them all.

"A ballsy departure from romantic conventions. At once gritty and tender, stark and hopeful."
—Cara McKenna, author of Willing Victim

"Giving It Up is an erotic, compelling story that takes us to the shadowy, lonely places but doesn't leave us there. Amber Lin shows us that romance isn't just for the rich and shiny. Love can find its way even into the dark corners of the most damaged hearts."
—Tiffany Reisz, author of The Siren


BOOK TRAILER



INTERVIEW WITH AMBER LIN

Thanks so much to Vidya for hosting me on Books Are Magic!

  1. Tell us something about your book that is not part of the book description (blurb). 
Giving It Up follows Allie in her journey through healing … and scorching hot sex. What the blurb doesn’t mention is that her best friend, Shelly, is a prostitute. Well, okay, she’s an escort, but she also tells it like it is. In the first chapter, Shelly even asks Allie to work with her, but Allie refuses. They both have their reasons for doing what they do… but you’ll have to read to find out what they are :-)

  1. Who is your book cover designer and what do YOU think about the cover? 
My cover artist was Fiona Jayde, working through Loose Id, and she did a fabulous job capturing the dark, gritty atmosphere of the book. The colors are gorgeous and evocative.

I told her that my heroine has a “girl next door” face, but in the scene I wanted to capture on the cover, she has done up her make-up and hair in an attempt to be slutty. But the most important thing was, despite her harsh appearance, she is submissive at her core. I think the cover model captures that tangle of contradictions perfectly!

  1. What are your current literary works?  Any sneak peeks? 
I mentioned Shelly above, Allie’s best friend in Giving It Up. I am working on Shelly’s book right now, which is shaping up wonderfully. It’s breaking my heart actually… which is a good thing.

  1. What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year? 
Let’s see… I’m rather dying to read Elizabeth Hoyt’s Thief of Shadows. Aren’t we all? Actually I have quite the massive to-be-read list built up, some that I already have on my kindle and some that I don’t. There are also a few that I am really looking forward to where I’m holding off because the themes are too similar to what I’m writing, like Cara McKenna’s Curio and Charlotte Stein’s Power Play.

  1. If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose? 
Hmmm…. Wow. I’m going to say the five writers from the group blog I participate in, Wonkomance. That would be: Ruthie Knox, Cara McKenna, Delphine Dryden, Edie Harris, Charlotte Stein and Serena Bell. Crap, that’s six people. Oh well, I just won’t eat! The blog is dedicated to “wonky” romances, or ones that are off the beaten track, so I’m sure we’d have a fab time swapping stories and discussing zany romance.

  1. What's the craziest writing idea you've had? 
Oh, certainly it’s Giving It Up. A promiscuous heroine whose best friend is a prostitute and a mildly criminal hero? Yeah, it’s crazy.

  1. Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.  
If you want something to push your boundaries.

  1. Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. 
Getting to know some of amazing authors. These authors that I know, mostly from twitter but occasionally from other places, are so smart and funny. That would be enough right there, but they’re also incredibly helpful with advice and promo. Being a brand new author is pretty scary but when an experienced author lends a hand or even just an encouraging word… it’s all worth it.

  1. What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Write the book you want to read. Okay, that’s a bit trite, but it’s not because that book will necessarily sell. The truth is, you WILL have to read your book, oh, about a million times before it is published. You’ll read it and know it and breathe it… so you’d better love it!

  1. If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?
Control from Charlotte Stein, where booksellers get banged by super-hot guys, both alpha and submissive. Yeah, it’s like that.

  1. If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
 The More Things Stay The Same

  1. What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?
Wait, we’re talking about Giving It Up, right? Not the book of my life? Haha, okay, just checking.

There are three big moments in the book that stand out to me and (surprise, surprise) they are sex scenes. There’s one right at the very beginning, one near the middle and one at the end. They are not the ONLY sex scenes, but they are the major plot points. Together they are my favorite scenes in the book. If I had to pick one… the first one. That is the point at which the rest was inevitable.

  1. What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you'd be embarrassed to admit?
I used to watch The Real Housewives of Orange County. Yeah, I was a bit embarrassed about that. I stopped watching when that series ended and they moved on to other cities, but I just didn’t get into the other ones as much. I should maybe check if they are doing another season of Orange County… or maybe not. These days TV watching takes away from my reading time.

  1. What is one book everyone should read (apart from yours)?
Broken by Megan Hart. It will shake what you know about love and constancy, at least it did for me.

  1. What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day?
Reading, of course!

QUICK ANSWERS

Favorite place?
Home

Best Christmas present?
Can my son be called a Christmas Present? He was born in January. Oh, and before that, I was married in December. Good things happen to me around Christmas-time J

Favorite book?
Comfort Object by Annabel Joseph

Favorite author?
Charlotte Stein

Favorite smell?
Lavender

Favorite series?
Lisa Kleypas’ Travis Family

Nickname?
Uh, does “blockhead” count?

Favorite writing spot?
The closet (don’t ask)

Favorite movie?
Jane Eyre (the one with Fassbender… yeah)

Favorite dish?
Our family’s recipe for pirogies

Favorite color?
Orange….I went to the University of Texas, shut up ;-)

Favorite quote?
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” -  Ernest Hemingway

A bunch of small gifts or one big expensive one?
Small. If it’s the thought that counts, I’d like lots of thoughts!

Your best trait?
I know these are supposed to be fast, but I was stuck. I asked my husband what my best trait was and he said: “You care. Loyalty. Compassion. All wrapped into one.” Which I think proves my best trait is my awesome husband.

Your worst trait?
I do snark it up on occasion… *ahem*


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amber Lin loves to read angsty romance with plenty of sex, so it was no surprise that her debut book turned out to be erotic romance set against a dark urban landscape. She writes with one rule in mind: it has to get worse before it can get better. She lives with her husband, son and passel of puppy dogs in the great state of Texas.

GIVEAWAY
  • One randomly drawn winner from each blog will receive a Giving It Up Swag Pack, which includes romance trading cards, a signed cover flat, a signature soap bar for showers together handcrafted by AnaBanana Creations and a $10 Amazon gift card.
  • One randomly drawn commenter on the tour will win an erotic romance prize pack, including paperback copies of Bared to You by Sylvia Day, Simply Carnal by Kate Pearce, Lessons in Letting Go by Cara McKenna (print combo of Willing Victim and Curio), Comfort Object by Annabel Joseph, a collection of signed Giving It Up swag AND a $50 Amazon Gift Card (BN.com or All Romance may be substituted)
  • The blog host with the most comments will also receive the erotic romance prize pack detailed above.



To enter this amazing giveaway, all you have to do is comment in this post WITH your e-mail ID.  Anonymous and Name/URL comments without e-mail ID will not be considered for the giveaway.  So, please leave your e-mail ID everyone!

Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL!  Ends July 20th, 2012!



37 comments:

  1. The blurb for the book looks like a promising read. Can't wait to check it out.

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  2. Sorry, wasn't sure if my email id showed up. My email is knotty1tink@yahoo.com

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  3. This book looks so good. Great interview and thanks for the giveaway!

    ~Pam
    pam@moonlightreader.com

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  4. Sounds like an awesome book! My email is kandes_takushk@yahoo.com

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  5. I would love to read the book. Great interview interesting questions and answers. Thanks Pam busytennesseemom at charter dot net

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  6. Book looks fabulous seems like a great read to me, Great giveaway
    liquiddemize@gmail.com

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  7. @erlessard Thanks! I hope you like it.

    @Pam Thanks, hon!

    @Mini Tiger Thank you!

    @Busy Tennessee Mom Thanks!

    @Grace Thanks, dear :) And cute dog as your avatar!

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  8. Congrats on the new release. Thanks for the great interview and excerpt. This book sounds like a winner. Can't wait to read it.

    e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

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  9. Congrats on the new release!!! This book looks fantastic and I've already added it to my wishlist :)

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  10. @Joanne Thanks! I sure hope so ;-)

    @erin Awesome! Thank you!

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  11. Thanks for the giveaway

    darkmotive@hotmail.com

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  12. I love the cover, too! It really shows the book has a darker edge to it.
    Thank you for the giveaway.

    claudigc at msn dot com

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  13. This book looks really good! Another one on my to read shelf. Thank you for the giveaway!

    speck.sw@gmail.com

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  14. This may be erotic, but it would appear that it has a lot of tenderness in it also. sounds really good.

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  15. The book sounds intriguing! I added it to my TBR list. Thanks for the giveaway!
    laceyblossom1(at)gmail(dot)com

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  16. Sounds good!
    missymyt (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  17. The book sounds beautifully done! I'm curious, do you think you'll ever write about a domme? That side of the coin doesn't seem to draw as many scenarios in print, for some reason...

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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  18. This looks great! Can't wait to read it.
    hojotoho8@gmail.com

    -Maria

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  19. Nice interview. That would be a fun group of people to have dinner with.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  20. It's a gorgeous cover. I love how you don't seem to be pulling any punches with GIVING IT UP.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  21. "... erotic romance set against a dark urban landscape."

    How can dark urbania provide a setting for erotic romance? Just sayin'. When I think of an urban setting I think of crime. I am not sure I can get into this B & D romance culture, although I am sure your novel is very well written and I do want to read it.

    annfesATyahooDOTcom

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  22. @Claire Thanks!

    @ClaudiaGC So true! I love it.

    @Susan Peck Thanks, hon!

    @MomJane Yup, I love that emotional intensity, regardless of whether it's erotic. Especially when it's erotic ;-)

    @laceyblossom Thank you!

    @missymyt Thanks!

    @Anomyous Great question! I would absolutely write a Domme; however for me she wouldn't be the sort of stereotypical, wearing-leather and wielding-a-whip type of Domme. She'd be a character who likes being in control, at least in the bedroom, and she'd be paired with a hero who is turned on by that.

    @Anonymous Thanks!

    @bn100 Thank you!

    @marybelle Aww, thanks!

    @Soft Fuzzy Sweater Hey, that's a good point! My view of erotic romance is different than some people's. That is, I want my book to be good, compelling fiction first, and then fulfill that sexual fantasy aspect as a secondary goal. So you will find very real, occasionally painful, topics handled in my books, including crime. That's real life and I'm not kind enough to give erotic romance a pass in handling them ;-)

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  23. thank you for the giveaway. my email is jaspersjunk08[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  24. Thanks for sharing this book with me, going to add it to my book giveaway linkup!

    chitownchicas at gmail dot com

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  25. @Anonymous Thanks!

    @Sophie Thank you :)

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  26. Great interview. I loved your answer to your greatest strength. Sometimes it is much easier to find/list our faults than our strengths, even though we notice the strengths in others much easier.
    This book is on my must read list.
    manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

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  27. Wow, this was a really, really great interview! I love getting to know authors like this!

    justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  28. I loved this post. The interview was awesome. And I know you said not to ask but I am still wondering how one's favorite place to write would be in a closet. ;)
    LadyVampire2u AT gmail DOT com

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  29. Love the interview and the book sound really good

    thx for an amazing giveaway

    karlaihdez@gmail.com

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  30. Looks interesting :)

    youngreadersathomeATgmailDOTcom

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  31. I am definitely ready to break the boundaries...need a break from historical and contemporary romance novel. Amber's gritty dark urban settings and scorching sensuality fit the bill.
    minadecaro@hotmail.com

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  32. Playing catch up here...That's what I get for being away from the computer!!
    I love that I am seeing so many good things about Giving it up. I will have to impress upon my husband that I NEED this book. Maybe I will find it on my ereader.

    Mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

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  33. Looks fantastic and Iove your answers in the interview and to the reader's questions! Keep it up. This sounds fantastic :) Good luck!

    Leona.bushman at gmail dot com

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  34. Sounds like a good read!
    madelinebrubaker {at} gmail (dot) com

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  35. Another great review and interview, thanks for the chance to win.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

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  36. I love the fact that your characters aren't traditional,
    Blackhippiechick@rocketmail.com

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  37. Great interview and I love your book!!!

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