Just For You: A Cerasino Family Novella :a sweet, mildly suspenseful love story by Abbie Zanders Book Tour with Guest Post & Giveaway
No matter how much he wants her, he knows he can't have her.
Just For You
A Cerasino Family Novella #5
by Abbie Zanders
Genre: Sweet, Small Town Contemporary Romance
Gina
With my shiny new master’s degree in hand, I’m ready to break free and take the world by storm. No one understands my desire to flee the comfort and safety of my modest town and large Italian family except him. Viper. The lead guitarist for my favorite band and my number one crush since he first smiled at me backstage years ago.
He’s tatted and pierced in all the right places with a creative soul and a dark energy I can’t get enough of. And now that I’ve gotten to know the man behind the performer, I’m more drawn to him than ever.
But it’s not meant to be. Our crossing of paths is just a temporary thing, and despite my best efforts, he’s determined to keep me solidly in the friend zone.
Gray
When my tour is unexpectedly cut short, I’m not as disappointed as I should be. I’m beyond weary, and worse, I don’t hear the music in my head like I used to. What I need is time away from the craziness. Time to stop being Viper, lead guitarist for Bad Influence, and go back to being Grayson Mitchell. I’m not even sure who that guy is anymore, but if anyone can help me remember him, it’s my twin brother.
When I head to Grant’s for much-needed rest, relaxation, and long overdue bro time, I didn’t expect to find him smitten with a beautiful young doc. Nor did I expect to find myself equally drawn to said gorgeous doc’s younger sister. Gina is … amazing. She’s vibrant and beautiful and so unjaded it makes my dark heart ache. When I’m with her, I hear the music again.
She’s into me, I can see it in her eyes. But no matter how much I want her, I can’t. I won’t. I … shouldn’t.
Just
For You is the 5th book in the Cerasino Family Novella
series, a short, sweet, mildly suspenseful love story featuring an
ebullient heroine ready to take on the world and a jaded hero who
already did and has the scars to prove it. No graphic sex or
violence. Minimal adult language.
**Don't miss the rest of the series!**
Cerasino Family series page on Amazon
Cerasino Family series page on website
**Get the Collection of Books 1-3 for only .99cents until Aug 10th!!**
https://smarturl.it/azrCerasinoSet1
Excerpt
from Just For You
Cerasino
Family Novellas, Book 5
By Abbie Zanders
Gina
Grant Mitchell’s twin brother is freaking Viper.
That was the thought that kept popping into my mind
every time I looked at him over the course of the afternoon.
I’d never been starstruck before. Well, not since my
first time backstage when I was thirteen. My uncle Vito was a concert tour
promoter, which meant my siblings and I had gotten to get up close and personal
with a lot of bands over the years. There were few household names I hadn’t met
at one time or another.
None of them had ever affected me as much as Gray
Mitchell.
Yes, I’d met him before. And, yes, I’d had the same
reaction then too. Total deer in headlights. The difference this time was, I
wasn’t a pubescent teenager anymore. I was a fully grown, adult woman. And
Gray? He was even sexier now than he had been then. More chiseled man. Less
droolworthy F-boy.
He didn’t remember me—that was obvious. And why
would he? I was one of thousands—probably hundreds of thousands—of girls who’d
stared at him adoringly and fantasized about him while letting his unique,
deep, purring voice soak into my soul. There was a reason the band Bad
Influence was as popular as it was, and I was looking at him. Lyricist. Lead guitarist.
Voice of sin and salvation.
He looked different from the last time I’d seen him.
His body had filled out. His features were sharper and more defined. Back then,
he’d had gloss in his streaked hair and guyliner accentuating his gorgeous
hazel eyes. He’d been shirtless, his lean, ripped torso covered in tattoos and
slicked with sweat.
My eyes dropped to his chest, where I knew that,
beneath that perfectly respectable button-down, both nipples were pierced.
Is he wearing hoops or bars today? I wondered before setting that thought aside
to ponder later in private.
Instead of skintight leather pants that left nothing
to the imagination, he had on faded, well-washed blue jeans, like a normal,
regular guy.
There was absolutely nothing regular about
Gray Mitchell. He oozed charisma and sex appeal, no matter what he was wearing.
My female cousins Valentina, Corina, Lucia, and
Ramona were falling all over themselves, and he was treating them like they
were the most fascinating creatures on earth. I wasn’t jealous. Not at all. It
was an act, an integral part of the consummate performer he was. I would just
have to remember that if he ever turned his attention my way.
I tried not to gawk and focused on other things. I
chatted with my brothers’ other halves briefly. They asked how my schoolwork
was going, and I, in turn, inquired about their lives.
Eventually, Gray and my brother Dom started talking
music, comparing live bands, and that was when I got pulled into the
conversation. Dom and I were the diehard rock fans of the famiglia and
had attended a lot of concerts over the years. Now that we were older, the
torch had been passed to us as chaperones for the younger generation—something
we had both heartily embraced because it gave us a good excuse to keep going.
I had no problems entering the discussion. I spoke
like I knew what I was talking about, because I did. I didn’t say Bad Influence
was my favorite live band of all time even though it was. That would sound too
much like I was sucking up. I didn’t even rank them in my top three when I was
ticking them off on my fingers. Dom, who knew my music preferences as well as
he knew his own, didn’t call me out. His smirk told me he knew exactly what I
was doing. If Viper—uh, Gray—took offense to the blatant omission, he hid it
well.
Grant took Sofia back to her place at some point,
which was disappointing. Sofia was recovering from surgery after a car
accident, and I’d been planning to use her as an excuse to not only scoot out
of there early, but to also justify my absence for the rest of the day.
I had a ton of work to do on my final presentation,
and I was behind. I was about to graduate with a master’s in graphic design and
illustrative arts. My thesis and my final project would be the pièces de resistance to
my portfolio. If I nailed it, I would be that much closer to getting a coveted
position at Kensington Graphic Creative with the Andrea
Collins. If I got that, I could write my own ticket.
“I need to go too,” I said shortly after Grant and
Sofia left.
Since Sofia’s apartment was off-limits for a couple
of hours, I’d have to go to either the library or the graphics lab, where I had
a small office. I tried to avoid those places when possible, especially during
times when security was at a minimum and there weren’t a lot of other people
around, like late nights and weekends.
“It’s Sunday,” my mother said, shooting me a
disapproving look.
Sundays were for family time, but I’d had about as
much of my cousins’ fawning as I could handle. Plus, having my loud,
boisterous famiglia around
was not conducive to getting my project done.
I stood to go, then kissed both my parents and my
grandparents, resigned to do what I must. I’d be okay as long as I didn’t get
too wrapped up in my work and I stayed aware of my surroundings. Plus, I kept
my pepper spray close by. “I’ll be at the studio late tonight. Don’t wait up.”
To my surprise, Gray also pushed back his chair and
stood. “I should be going too. Do you mind if I catch a ride?”
I blinked at him. “A ride?”
He gave me a hopeful, almost-shy smile. “I came with
Grant.”
I tamped down the thrill that zinged through me.
This wasn’t about me as much as it was a silent plea to help him escape.
Honestly, I didn’t blame him. My cousins were relentless. However, the thought
of sharing such a confined space with Gray sent a wave of something through me.
Anticipation? Anxiety?
What I said was, “Uh, sure.”
His smile did funny things to my insides.
“Great.”
I didn’t have to look to know that my cousins were
shooting poison-tipped daggers of envy in my direction or that my brothers were
setting down their napkins and pushing back their chairs.
“I can take him,” my brother Dom said with that
protective big-brother look in his eye. The same one Nick, Vinnie, Paulie, and
my father currently sported. The only male who seemed unconcerned was Nonno.
“You sit,” Nonno told Dom, waving his hand. “He-a go with
Gina.”
Everyone turned to Nonno. His eyes
were glittering, and he was looking directly at me. I heard several sharp
intakes of breath and murmured curses in Italian. My nonno was a
notorious matchmaker, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think Nonno had just
matched Gray and me.
Oh no.
Copyright © 2023 Abbie Zanders.
Written by Abbie Zanders.
All rights reserved.
Guest Post Topics for Silver Dagger Book Tours – Part III
Stuff about Writing/ Reading:
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
I have so many; it’s impossible to do them all justice. Off
the top of my head, and in no particular order:
· Karen
Marie Moning, the Highlander series (time travel / paranormal / medieval)
· Nalini
Singh, the Guild Hunter series (especially book 1, Archangel’s Blood – one of
my favorite re-reads)
· Jeaniene
Frost – Night Huntress series
· Sherrilyn
Kenyon – Dark Hunters, Dream Hunters series
· G.A.
Aiken – DragonKin series
· Penny
Reid – Knitting in the City series
· Lynsay
Sands – Argeneau Vampires
· Lora
Leigh – Elite Ops
· Kresley
Cole – Immortals After Dark
· Julie
Ann Walker – Black Knights
What book do you think everyone should read?
Reading is such a personal, subjective thing. I’d need to
narrow it down by genre and subgenre, tone, heat level, etc, before I’d even
consider making a recommendation.
How long have you been writing?
Since I was a kid. I started by writing stories for some of
my favorite books when I finished a series and wanted more (like Trixie Beldon
and Nancy Drew). I also wrote storylines for some of my favorite shows at the
time (Emergency!, Love Boat, etc). Eventually I just starting creating my own
fictional worlds.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do
some of them come to you as you write?
Some characters develop and make themselves known over the
course of a series. Others are pretty up front about who they are from the
get-go. More often than not, my characters end up being a lot different at the
end of a book/series than how I first envisioned them.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a
book?
I pull a lot from life, both mine and those of people around
me. If it’s not something with which I’m personally familiar, I do a lot of
online searches to get a basic knowledge, than ask in-depth questions of people
who do have personal experience. If it’s a location I can reasonable travel to,
the ideal is to go there and see for myself what it’s like.
Do you see writing as a career?
I do now. I was a software engineer for more than 25 years,
and during that time, writing was purely for fun.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s not enough to write a
good story. You have to be a savvy businessperson too. You have to do all the
things, from craft to marketing to social. It’s hard.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite
genre?
Yes. Consistently, my true love is paranormal, though lately
I’ve been enjoying mafia and dark romance as a change of pace.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Silence, or with white noise. I’m easily distracted, and when
there’s noise and activity going on around me, I can’t fully immerse myself in
my fictional worlds.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several
going at a time?
Mostly, I try to focus on my next release, but there are
exceptions. Sometimes, I’m just not feeling it. Sometimes, I get an idea and
need to jot it down and maybe flesh it out a little while it’s fresh in my
head. Occasionally, a scene or dialogue from another current or future work in
progress pops into my thoughts and I need run with it before I forget.
If you could have been the author of any book ever
written, which book would you choose?
I honestly don’t have an answer to that. There are so many
wonderful books out there, and the things that make them wonderful vary. My
favorite book at any given time varies based on my mood and where I am
mentally.
Tell us about a favorite character from a book.
From one of mine, or from someone else’s?
I love all of my characters. I know that sounds cliché, but
every one has a piece of me in them. Plus, there are times when I’m fonder of
one than another, based on what emotional headspace I’m in. One of my perpetual
favorites though is Clarissa Sullivan, the heroine in my book, The Realist.
She’s just so done with everyone that she retreats to a cabin in the mountains.
She’s strong and damaged and has a quiet strength I adore.
If we’re talking about someone else’s book, I have to pick
Ozzie, from Julie Ann Walker’s Wild Ride (Black Knight’s Inc). One of my
favorite characters EVER and his story gave me a book hangover for days. I’m
also a big fan of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden (Dresden Files series)
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it
was the right decision?
I’ve always wanted to be an author. I just never thought I’d
be able to make a living doing it. I spent two and a half decades as a software
engineer in the corporate healthcare world. Not too long after self-publishing
became a thing, my company was taken over and the new owners offered us
old-timers a fantastic severance package. I saw it as an opportunity to pursue
my dream of writing full time, and I haven’t regretted it for a single moment.
A day In the life of the author?
I don’t really have a set schedule. I check my emails,
socials, etc, over coffee. Write or edit for a few hours in the morning, which
is when the words seem to flow best. Spend the afternoons and evenings on the
business, marketing, and administrative side of things. I generally put in
between 8 and 12 hours a day on my author career, 7 days a week.
Advice they would give new authors?
Leave your ego at the door and listen to constructive
criticism with an open heart and mind. Doesn’t mean you have to follow it, but
there are a lot of people out there who’ve been where you are, have made the
same mistakes you’re going to, and know a lot more than you do.
Join newbie author groups. There’s a lot of information out
there.
READ. A LOT. Try to hone in on what grabs you and why.
Make a note of what bugs you or takes you out of the story and avoid those
things.
Describe your writing style.
“Let’s see what happens.” I’m a full-on pantser.
What makes a good story?
Tapping into the emotion of the reader. Keeping them
interested.
What are they currently reading?
My reading tastes are very eclectic, especially when it comes
to romance. At the moment, I’m listen to J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood
Prison Camp on audio, making my way through the Jack Reacher series in
paperback, and reading a lot of mafia and dark romance on Kindle.
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an
outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I have no process. No outline. I sit down and start typing.
Then the next day I re-read what I wrote the day before, adjust, and sketch out
the next section. Repeat this over and over, adding layers as the story unfolds
and the characters make themselves known. That’s my first draft. Then I read it
over, beginning to end, twice more to smooth out holes and look for
inconsistencies. Then I send it to my editor. Then go through it again twice
more when she sends it back in a couple of weeks, once reading through and once
listening.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Believing they have to spend a lot of money on things they
don’t need. There are so many people out there preying on aspiring writers,
wanting to take advantage. Also, believing that what works for one author will
work for them. Everyone’s journey is different.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Deadlines. Writing to market / demand. Distractions.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers
what they want?
More original, definitely. It’s so much more satisfying that
way. Plus it keeps me from getting bored.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what
would it be?
Never stop writing. Never stop learning. Check your ego. Not
everyone will like your story, but if you do, someone else will too – you just
have to find them. Write what you love. Be true to yourself.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters
from the opposite sex?
Not having the personal insight. It’s hard straddling the
line between believable realism and romantic fantasy. But I write fiction and
have a primarily female audience, so I get to create male characters who embody
my ideals of what they should be, how they should act, what they should do.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
3-6 months. I start with a basic story, then add layer upon
layer as my characters reveal themselves until it has depth and feels complete.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Depends on what your definition of writer’s block is. There
are some days when the ideas just don’t flow. Is that writer’s block? Or just
my subconscious (my characters) telling me something’s not working and I need
to take a step back and rethink?
Abbie Zanders is a USA Today Bestselling Author with more than 65 published romance novels to date. Her stories range from contemporary to paranormal and everything in between. She promises her readers two things: happily ever afters, always, and no cliffhangers, ever.
Born and raised in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, where she sets most of her stories, she’s known for small town romance featuring golden-hearted alpha heroes and strong, relatable heroines. Besides being an avid reader and writer, she loves animals (especially big dogs), American muscle cars, and 80's hair bands.
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This story sounds really good. Thanks for sharing.
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