In case you're wondering Madness or Love is doing great! Four wonderful customers reviews, and #12,382 paid in Kindle Store. One could always crave more, but I am a genuinely happy person and appreciate even the smallest victories. For an unknown author like me Madness or Love is a success. Probably there were million other things I should have done to organize a better book launch, but on a tight budget I did pretty great.
Today is day three of the Book Blitz hosted by Lola's Blog Tours, and I'll update you on the wonderful blogs who are participating.
Books Need TLC
Fandemonium Network
BeanieBrain Reader
I will come back later to add more, because they all deserve a bow for the hard work and the constant support they give authors like me.
Don't forget to enter the giveaway and win $5 Amazon gift voucher and one of ten e-copies of Madness or Love. You would find the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the Home Page.
Here is a tiny excerpt to prick your curiosity and make you want more!
Victoria hesitated for a fraction before speaking. “I actually dreamed about it once,” she said, slightly embarrassed. “I saw my hotel, a grand white house, the staircase with ornate wooden railings, the big French windows on the ground floor, the gardens surrounding the place. I can even recall the smell of the roses.” She looked down, not sure why she had told him all that.
“It sounds like a beautiful and peaceful place,” he said softly.
She looked up, expecting him to mock her, but his eyes disproved her.
“Do you think you’ll be able to pull this off?”
“Not without help from a bank,” she answered, “a business credit, I hope, mortgage if I have to. But it’s too soon. I need some solid ground under my feet before I can run and beg for money.” She stated the reality of the situation without a hint of desperation. Victoria had accepted the truth and had refused to be downhearted.
He fell silent for a few seconds. “I think I can help you. I know some people into recycling materials, energy-saving lighting, that kind of stuff.” He smiled, amused by her wide eyes; the green brightened up and transformed into molten turquoise. Bewitched, he briefly closed his eyes and continued. “I’m sure they’ll be happy to help you when you’re ready. And sometimes it’s all about knowing the right people.”
She looked at him in disbelief. “You’ll do that for me?”
“Of course, I will.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but the truth was he would do almost anything for her and those mesmerizing eyes. “Just give me a call when you have the property or whenever you need advice.” He casually continued with his meal.
There was slight confusion in her eyes. “Give you a call?”
“Yes, you have my number.”
“You gave me your real, private number?”
It was his turn to look confused. “Of course,” he said slowly, like talking to a child. “What other number would I give you?”
She studied him and desperately tried to figure out if he was stupid or completely naïve. “You don’t know me.”
“You gave me your number,” Ian said nonchalantly with an impish smile.
“It’s not the same,” she insisted.
“Why?” He leaned back and waited for the answer. The pull was too strong, and he could barely resist. The face of the woman in front of him displayed an array of emotions—from confusion and disbelief to respect, admiration, and maybe, just maybe, buried deep behind those green eyes, the first sparks of passion.
“How can you possibly know you can trust me?” she insisted. “I could sell the number to some tabloid. I’m pretty sure they are desperate for every bit and scrap of celebrity gossip.”
“Are you trying to convince me that I can’t trust you?” he asked, amused. “Because I do,” he paused, “no matter how crazy that sounds.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but the words failed her.
“Listen,” he started seriously, “I’m not naïve; I know people can be cruel, calculating, manipulative, unscrupulous. Where I live, you can’t always tell who your true friends are. So you try to be conscious, and you second-guess everything. You hide in your shell, and you end up being alone, sitting on the couch on your weekend off.” He stopped suddenly, his mind somewhere back in time.
He has been hurt, she thought, by a woman or a very close friend. But that didn’t give her an explanation of his actions, though.
He took a deep breath and looked straight into her astounded green eyes. “But there is one thing I’ve learned in life—to trust my gut, unconditionally. How do I know you’re to be trusted?” He shrugged. “I can’t explain; I just do.”
Victoria blinked and tried to stay focused and calm through the haze of her emotions.
“It’s more of a feeling,” he continued. “The first time I saw you behind that desk, I knew I had found a special person, one who could be a true friend.” His eyes burned her, pierced her soul. “But you’re right,” he said in a lighter tone, “I need to be more careful with my private number.”
He waited for her, an answer, reaction, anything. She wasn’t sure how to feel about all that. The truth surfaced in her eyes—she felt the same. “I understand,” she said simply. The silence gave her a moment to pull herself back together. A smile lit up her face. “I have a proposal for you.”
His curiosity was piqued.
“Next time you end up alone on the couch in need of a friend to talk to, call me!”
He searched her eyes for a hint of fakeness, but they sparkled in the dim light, full of genuine concern. “I just might take you up on that offer.”
“I hope you will. Now,” she paused, “can we have a dessert?”
His eyes widened in shock. “You eat sweets?”
“You make it sound like something outrageous. Wait! Do you think I don’t need to eat sugar because I’m fat?”
She was clearly teasing him, but he decided to play along. “No, no, you look . . .” He trailed off. “You surprised me. Most of the women I know are either vegan or on some crazy diet. It’s tiresome. I adore people who know how to enjoy food.”
“Why the hesitation in your eyes, then? Don’t tell me your trainer is going to kill you!”
Ian laughed. “Always right on the spot.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell even if he tries to wring it out of me,” she vowed.
Ian couldn’t help but smile. Victoria made him feel at ease, at peace with the world, understood, appreciated, and respected. A permanent grin settled on his face.
“Come on, we can share one,” she pleaded.
“How can I say no to that lovely face?”
She felt her cheeks turn red.
He ignored her reaction. “You choose!”
“Chocolate melt,” she said instantly.
The waiter brought the dessert a few minutes later.
Victoria frowned. “It’s so small.”
“You can have it. Please, don’t cry!”
She looked up at him with a devilish gleam in her eyes. “You’re ready to sacrifice this chocolate heaven for me?”
“Are you mocking me?” He leaned forward, and his lively deep-blue eyes made her dizzy.
She swallowed hard and tried to clear her mind. The man in front of her was everything a woman could ever dream of—gorgeous, charming, gentle, humorous, respectful. But he was out of reach, at least to her.
“We had a deal. We’ll share!” she said finally. In fact, any other woman would want to share a lot more with him than a chocolate melt at that moment, but Victoria knew he would be out of her life in a day."
