1)
What is your writing routine? Fitting it in wherever and whenever I
can. I own a microbrewery and do all the marketing for it and my Tap Room, plus
handle human resources for the place.
I have no routine other than to snatch a few hours here and there. But I
am a marathon writer—when Hans the Muse gets hold of me I tend to sneak off as
much as possible to finish a project.
2)
Which is your favorite romance
subgenre to read? To write? The only romance I read is erotic, but not paranormal.
It is also what I write.
3)
What do you expect from an
editor? Honesty and the ability to “get” my voice, while pushing me to make a
good story great.
4)
What are you working on right
now? Mutual Release has just come out and so I’m working on the final novel of
the Stewart Realty series: Good Faith as well as some of the soccer series
books from the Black Jack Gentlemen series.
5)
Your biggest piece of advice to
aspiring novelists? Get edited. A
lot. Don’t ever submit anything that has not been read by someone who knows how
to edit. Don’t consider your besties or your mom your editor unless they are
professional editors to start with.
It wastes your time and the person reading your submission otherwise.
Also, grow a very (very) thick skin.
6)
What was your favorite subject
in school and why? English because
I got to read a lot!
7)
What is your favorite
dessert? Bourbon (seriously, I
don’t eat sweets. I save all my empty calories for alcohol).
8)
High heels, sneakers or flip
flops? Heels on a date. Sneakers in the brewery. Flip flops before yoga.
10)
Where can readers find you?
MUTUAL RELEASE
By
Liz Crowe
BLURB:
Disclaimer:
This is an 18+ book with erotic BDSM scenes and explicit language.
Can two dark souls ever make a light?
As president of her own distribution company, Julie Dawson
has all she ever wanted -- money, power, and respect. But her carefully crafted
façade conceals a torment of abuse and helplessness. After years
remaining emotionally aloof, she is finally independent, but alone. Because she
refuses to rely on anyone but herself ever again.
Evan Adams is no stranger to success, or personal demons.
The horrific trauma that destroyed his twin sister, and tore his family apart,
forced him to craft a new life from the ashes of the old. He's content enough,
focusing ahead and not dwelling on his murky past. But something important is
missing. He knows what that thing is but refuses to acknowledge it.
When a chance encounter brings these two strong-willed but
damaged people together , what seems like a long, erotic journey through hell
could lead them to a match made in heaven.
MUTUAL RELEASE
A coming of age novel about trust...on the long road
to love.
Monday dawned bright, clear, and cold, even for an October morning. Evan
ran his usual route around the west side of his newly adopted town, relishing
how strong he felt and looking forward to his workday – the one where he had a
tight grip on his own destiny for a change. After a long hot shower, two huge
cups of coffee, and an apple, he grabbed his presentation thumb drive and
laptop and headed out.
One of the things he’d inherited from his father was a love of classic
English cars. He had sold two of the three Jags, kept his favorite and bought
an MG Spyder, not giving a shit at how much it cost to keep the damn thing
running properly. As he sped in his sports car across Interstate 96 on his way
to the far-flung Northern Detroit suburbs to sweet talk, finagle, and wow the
big-time distributor, he was on top of his own personal mountain. Nothing would
spoil the day. He refused to allow it.
He pulled into a visitor’s parking spot, tucked his Ray-Bans over the
visor, and smoothed his hair before jumping out and striding to the glass front
doors. “Dawson” was etched in the glass, nothing more or less, as if it were a
boutique law firm or ad agency. Nothing out front indicated that it was one of
the most successful craft beer and domestic wine distribution companies in the
Midwest.
Tucking away a shiver of intimidation, he pushed the door open and saw a
small shrine to Michigan craft beer. The front receiving area was full of faux
six packs, cases, kegs, and displays representing every brand, including some
that were nationally known. A single desk sat near another set of doors.
Through its clear glass he could see a bustling group of people, men and women,
all dressed in top-notch suits, getting ready to go out on their sales day. The
place oozed professionalism, even a bit of snootiness that surprised him.
But he shook it off, walked up to the stunningly attractive blond woman at
the front desk. She sat frowning at a large computer screen. He stood for a few
seconds, thinking she would acknowledge him. Finally he had to clear his throat
to make her look away from whatever had her mesmerized.
“Oh, hello. Sorry about that.” Her smile made her already gorgeous face
light up and left him slightly breathless. Looking back, he figured he must
have looked like a complete ass as he stood there, unable to form coherent
words, his brain awash in sensations he had not allowed himself to experience
in a damn long time. She arched one perfect eyebrow. He gulped, knowing he
should say something.
“Uh, so, I have an appointment?” He winced at the upturning of his sentence
as if he were asking her a question. Clearing his throat, he started over,
pasted on his best “Evan Adams, Charmer” smile and held out a hand. “Evan Adams,
owner of Big House Brewing in Ann Arbor, here to see Mr. Dawson. I’m a little
early.”
She tilted her head, then shook his hand matter-of-factly. But he had to
stop himself from stumbling backwards at the thoughts coiling up in his lizard
brain at her touch. His mouth dried out and an odd yet familiar roaring sound
fired up between his ears. She frowned. “You okay, there, Evan?” Her lips
caressed his name, making him repress a shiver.
“Yeah, sorry. So, anyway, I’ll just sit… over here… until Mr. Dawson is
ready. You know, since I’m, uh, early.” He winced, marveling at the depth of
his dorkiness. She put her elbows on the desk, eyeing him closely. He observed
that she seemed a little overdressed for a receptionist but figured this place
must have a strict dress code.
“Sit here,” she said, patting the seat nearest her desk. “Keep me company
for a while.”
“Um, sure,” he said, flushing red to the tips of his ears, then moving
closer to her while trying to look cool, casual, not ready to jump up and
escape.
She smiled. “So, tell me about your company. You know, while we wait for
Mr. Dawson.”
He relaxed and launched into the tale, thankful to have a reason to talk
and not sound like the world’s oldest high school geek trying to flirt with the
prom queen. She asked a lot of questions, kept him talking. And after about a
half hour, he was laughing with her at his tale of trying to empty a brewing
vessel full of wet grains and dumping about ten pounds of the stuff all over
himself.
At one point she brushed her hair back, and his breath caught in his throat
at the glimpse of her long neck and the small indent between her collarbones.
He had no idea what that was, that soft spot that seemed to pulse with her
heartbeat. But he wanted to put his tongue there very, very badly. Allowing his
eyes to flicker over her profile, the striking angles of her face, he gulped,
looked away.
Getting a grip, he pulled a business card from his portfolio and handed it
to her. “I’d love to talk with you more,” he said, trying to ease his voice
down from its high-pitched nervous whine to a sexier, more natural tone. “But
since I don’t even know your name…” He looked at the nameplate on the desk. It
was blank.
She leaned back, propped her high heels on the desk in a strange move that
had him instantly on edge and practically panting with horniness.
“Uh, so,” he glanced at his watch, his nerves dancing up and down his spine
once more, “if you are interested, maybe we could, you know, go out. Have a
beer? Keep chatting?” He closed his eyes, unable to bear his own flop sweat
another minute. “Never mind.” He slumped back in his seat. Where the
"Master Dom" Evan Adams had hidden he did not know, but damned if the
guy was staying there and leaving this ridiculous, stuttering loser in his
place.
The silence spun out about a minute longer than was truly polite. He
finally looked up at her. She was staring at him over the tops of her shoes,
her head tilted to the side as if wondering why the hell he was even cluttering
up her space. Finally, the doors to his left opened and a tall, good-looking
guy in a suit stood there, surprise clear on his face. “Julie,” he said. “We’ve
been looking all over for you. Your nine o’clock appointment isn’t here yet
but…”
The woman held up a hand, silencing the man but keeping her eyes pinned on
Evan’s. His heart sped up and that familiar, yet nearly forgotten, roaring
sound started up in his ears once more.
Julie Dawson. J. Dawson. The person he’d been communicating with through
his… or her… secretary.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
He stood, furious that she’d sat there and let him babble on like a bloody
idiot for nearly forty-five minutes. “Well, that was fun,” he said, staring her
down, or attempting to. But his skin was both on fire and cold at once.
Something about the woman made him have to hang on to his laptop case tight,
just to keep from stepping close and kissing those full red lips so hard she
would be his in an instant. “Or not. Thanks for your time.”
“No, no, don’t go,” she said, getting to her feet in one fluid, sexy move.
She was over six feet tall in her shoes, curvy, womanly, and sending out the
sort of signals he had not intercepted in a long time – too long, if the way he
was overreacting was any indication. “Really, I want to know why you think my
company would be in any way interested in yours.”
He processed her barb, clenched his jaw, and poured out the reasons behind
why Dawson would benefit from jumping on his bandwagon now, in the early days,
so they could grow the brand in a key market together. She listened, standing
behind the stupid receptionist’s desk, her assistant wildly typing notes on his
tablet.
Finally, she held up a hand again. “How very… creative.” She walked around
to the front of the desk, giving him an eye-popping full view of her. She was
like sex on two perfect female legs, the exact body type he craved – full
breasts and hips, cinched in but not obnoxiously small waist, long hair, and
legs that went on and on… and on. “And, um, Evan?”
He jumped back, hearing his name again.
“Yeah, my eyes are up here. But never mind. I’m used to being ogled, and by
way more successful brewery owners than you.” She held his business card
between thumb and forefinger, as if it were made of dog shit. “Tell you what,
why don’t you let me ponder your… proposal. And assume that your eye-fucking
session won’t happen again.”
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Microbrewery owner, best-selling author,
beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives
in the great Midwest, in a major college town. Years of experience in sales and
fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse, plus
making her way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry), has prepped her for
life as erotic romance author.
When she isn't
sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, she can be found writing,
editing or sweating promotional efforts for her latest publications.
Her groundbreaking
romance subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” has gained thousands of fans and
followers who are interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What
Happens After?”)
Her beer blog
a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for its insider yet outsider views on
the craft beer industry. Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds of
breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered real estate offices. Don’t
ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.
Liz will be giving away:
Grand
Prize: Paperwhite Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GEKXUO/ref=fs_cl)
1st
Prize: Signed set of first 6 books (Includes all books in the series *except
for* Mutual Release)
2nd
Prize: boxed set of first 3 Stewart Realty ebooks (Floor Time,
Sweat Equity, Closing Costs)
3rd
Prize: Zazzle store Stewart swag pack (including canvas tote bag, mug,
t-shirt, keychain)
Follow the tour and
comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour
dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/02/virtual-tour-mutual-release-by-liz-crowe.html
thanks for having me.
ReplyDeleteI still am amazed at the time you find for your writing. Your drive makes me jealous! I've got to do better. I was thinking of you this morning about reviews. What a tricky game they can be.
ReplyDeletethis book sounds really good, great interview!!! Thanks for the giveaway!! :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI freaking love your dessert choice...alcohol! Thats funny but I so can relate! What can I say except I cant wait for everyone to read this story. I loved it and Evan is amazing! Continued success on everything Liz!
ReplyDeletejenjen363@yahoo.com
Thanks for hosting Liz today on your blog!!
ReplyDelete