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Friday, January 30, 2015

Blog Tour: Review and Interview: Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon


We are excited to have author Jessica Lemmon with us for an interview today.  She is promoting her new book, Bring Home the Bad Boy.  Enjoy it after my thoughtson the book.


Publisher: Forever
Date of publication:  January 2015


Creativity is his drug, painting is his escape, but she'll be the addiction that brings him to his knees. 

Evan Downey buried a part of his soul when put the love of his life in the ground. He knows he needs to get his shit together for the sake of their son, but escaping into his art is the only way he can begin to cope with Rae's death. When the chance to move back to Evergreen Cove, one of the few places that has ever felt right to him, he knows it's a chance he has to take. For his sake, and his sons. Charlotte Harris would give anything to have her best friend back. But if she can't have Rae, then she vows she'll at least be there to support the family Rae left behind. So when she learns that Evan is looking to move home, she does everything she can to help him and Lyon re-build their lives at the Cove. But when sparks start to fly between Charlotte and Evan it's the first glimpse of something bright and beautiful either of them has seen in far too long. And they start to wonder if fate has offered them a second chance at happiness-- if only their brave enough to take the risk and let love back into their lives. 

My thoughts:

Bringing Home the Bad Boy was such a heart warming story.  It's a story about moving through the grieving process and knowing when you are ready to move on with your life.  Evan and his son Lyon have been grieving the loss of wife and mother Rae for four years.  Evan is ready to move on and is hoping that his move back to Evergreen Cove will be the first step.  Charlie (Charlotte) was Rae's best friend.  Now that Evan is in town, they both realize that they have a mutual attraction.  The problem is that Charlie has incredible guilt because she still see Evan as her best friend's husband.

I thought this was a very realistic story about two people who who are ready to move on, but are so afraid to take that step.  I liked how the author dealt with the subject, especially the feelings that Charlie struggles with over wanting to love Evan.  I loved Evan and Charlie together.  Their chemistry was very hot!  I don't think I'll ever look at finger paint the same way again!

I highly recommend this story!  I can't wait for Rescuing the Bad Boy coming out later this year!



Kari& Autumn: What inspired you to become a writer?

Jessica: I have always loved two things: to write, and to draw. After obtaining a degree in graphic design, I wasn't so sure about doing art for a living. (It’s mostly logo and website design.) Then in the summer of 2009 I read a little book called Twilight and I was inspired. One woman woke up from a dream and wrote down her idea. One idea that changed the landscape of the world. I decided I wanted publish a book.

Kari& Autumn Where do you come up with the ideas for your books?

Jessica: The honest answer is EVERYWHERE. I know that's not a very interesting answer, but it is the truth. It can be a show I saw on television, an experience I had personally, or something a friend says. I have a scene in an upcoming book sparked from an evening my husband and I shared Thai takeout on the couch. Once the idea is in my head, the characters play out the rest. I just write it down.

Kari& Autumn: What exciting projects are waiting in the wings?

Jessica: Bad Boys and more Bad Boys! Book 2 is an enemies-to-lovers reunion story titled Rescuing the Bad Boy (May 2015), and book 3, A Bad Boy for Christmas (September 2015), features an ex-military landscaper pursuing and protecting a woman who is reclaiming her independence.

Kari& Autumn: Who is your favorite literary character and why?

Jessica: Oh, that is a tough one. I'm so bad at favorites, because I love so many things! I’m going to go with Charley Davidson from Darynda Jones's fantastic series. Charley is spunky, she's sassy, and she's the Grim Reaper. So far there are seven books in the series, and I am one behind. My plan is to finish my reading/judging for the RITA award, then treat myself to reading it.

Kari& Autumn Just for fun, if you could be any animal, what would it be and why?

Jessica: That's an interesting question. I'm going to have to go with the bird. To be that lightweight, be able to go anywhere--Yeah, that would be really cool.

Excerpt:

“Know why I moved here?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
She wrenched her eyes from his and focused on a spot over his shoulder.
“Because you didn’t want to live in Columbus anymore.” That’s what he’d told her. That he wanted a change. That he and Lyon had outgrown the house. And, she imagined it’d be hard to live in the house where Rae had passed.
“But why here?”
“Um…”
His fingers grazed her jaw and turned her head, his palm moving to her neck where he cupped her nape and forced her eyes to his.
Reluctantly, she met them.
“Rae’s more alive when you’re around, Ace.”
Her heart, oh her heart. Kicking against her chest in a confusing, hectic rhythm.
“You bring her to life for Lyon—more than anyone else. I need him to remember her because he can’t remember her alive.” His hold stayed, his palm warming her neck, his gaze unwavering.
She tried to separate the two feelings she was having—one that she was now talking about Rae with Evan and two, that he was touching her while talking about Rae.
Before she could, his lips closed over hers.
Her thoughts short-circuited.
This wasn’t anything like a soft peck hello. This was his lips moving over hers, slanting over hers, warm and firm and then his mouth opened and—
Oh my gosh!
His wet, warm tongue slid along the seam of her lips and she stopped being passive and started kissing him back. When she would have touched her tongue to his, he relocated it, running along her bottom lip instead and tugging with his teeth.
If she’d been standing, her knees would have given out and dropped her right on her butt.
And then there was the palm on her neck, now spearing up through her hair and clutching onto a handful of it. He held her captive, his hand fisting her hair as he angled his mouth again. In response to the soft whimper escaping her throat, he swept his tongue into her mouth. He tangled his tongue with hers once, twice, and released her.
When he pulled his mouth away, a long, satisfied sigh escaped her lips. Because that was a kiss. A kiss to rival all other kisses.
She opened her eyes to realize A) she’d closed her eyes and B) she’d at some point wrapped both hands around his forearms where she was holding tight and C) Evan looked as please as she felt.
“God damn, Ace. Your mouth.” His eyes flicked to her lips. Lips still tingling from the rough scrape from the stubble surrounding his.
She concurred with that sentiment. Not that she said anything. She’d gone dumb; completely mute.
He backed away, but held onto her chin and tweaked it lightly with the rough pad of one thumb. “That’s the way this is gonna go from now on.”



About Jessica Lemmon:


Jessica Lemmon has always been a dreamer. At some point, she decided head-in-the-clouds thinking was childish, went out, and got herself a job . . . and then she got another one because that one was lousy. And when that one stopped being fulfilling, she went out and got another . . . and another. Soon it became apparent she'd only be truly happy doing what she loved. And since "eating potato chips" isn't a viable career, she opted to become a writer. With fire in her heart, she dusted off a book she'd started years prior, finished it, and submitted it. It may have been the worst book ever, but it didn't stop her from writing another one. Now she has several books finished, several more started, and even more marinating in her brain (which currently resides in the clouds, thankyouverymuch), and she couldn't be happier. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want. (While eating potato chips.)

Jessica's SM:
@lemmony

Buy Links:
IndieBound - http://bit.ly/14X3zO5 
GooglePlay - http://bit.ly/1svdVzo 

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