When Deliciously Flawed Met Sinfully Satiable: Launch Party Blog Tour for Making the First Move by Reese Ryan

I am delighted to host the blog tour for Reese Ryan.  When one of our fellow writers publishes his or her first book, we as a community should celebrate for her success and for our hope to achieve the same.  I met Reese on She Writes, and we quickly connected through a tweet about joining the Justin Bieber craze.  Reese is the hardest working woman in the writing world.  She is my role model, for among all of the other hats she wears, she is always writing; she consistently works on and hones her craft.  I asked her the following questions about her writing process and her new release.   Don’t forget to check out the end of this post for an opportunity to win a prize. Congratulations, Reese!

1) How would you describe your writing process?   Where do you find inspiration for your ideas?

I’m a little bit plotter, a little bit pantser. I need a general outline of what’s going to happen. These days I prefer to do that by writing the synopsis before I write the story. Then I begin writing, but I allow my characters to take me on unexpected turns and detours. But having the basic outline in mind serves as blueprints in a remodel. I know which “walls” are load-bearing and which I can tear down. Ideas come from everywhere. Snippets of conversation. A news story. Lately, a secondary character in one story spurs the idea for the next story.

2) What makes MAKING THE FIRST MOVE stand out among other novels in your genre?

Two things that probably make Making the First Move a bit different is my love for flawed characters and the multicultural aspect of this story–two things that are consistent in my stories. As a reader, I want to see a character’s journey. If the heroine is shiny, happy, and perfect in the beginning of the story, where’s the fun in that? So she may not appeal to everyone in the opening pages. The multicultural nature of my story–whether the heroine is black, white, Latina, or Asian–is also very important to me. The world I live in is filled with diverse friends and family, so my novels are, too. Yet, the multiculturalism isn’t a theme or a message. It’s just a fact. Pure and simple.

3) Which scene did you enjoy writing the most? Which scene was the most difficult or less enjoyable?

Some of the scenes that were the most fun for me to write were the ones between Melanie and her work nemesis, Priscilla Cohen. Priscilla’s cunning and evil, and to be honest, it was fun to get inside her head. The most difficult scene for me is the one in which one character makes a devastating confession to the other. It’s a tense, emotional scene. The stakes are high for both of them and I felt both characters’ pain in writing and revising the scene.

4) Why is romance still relevant today?

There is a really fabulous video made by romance author Maya Rodale about why romance was long considered Dangerous Books for Girls: http://youtu.be/vKbYQhWhay0 and why–even today–the genre is often looked down upon by readers and writers of other genres. She states the case far more eloquently than I can. However, I love that romance novels often portray strong heroines who dare to go against what is expected of them and come out victorious. I think it’s an important underlying message that, as women, we can never hear enough.

5) Suppose you have a guy who wants to rekindle the romance in his long-term relationship or marriage. What tips would you give him for bringing the spark back?

Ha! Definitely not claiming any expertise in this area. So I’ll defer to the example of Raine Mason, the hero in Making the First Move. What makes Melanie fall in love with him is the genuine interest he has in her–her thoughts, her interests. He actually listens to her. He surprises her by doing something really sweet and unexpected, based on his knowledge of her. The commercial where a man is rewarded with a Klondike for FIVE seconds of actually listening to his wife talk makes me sad: http://youtu.be/TxC9-PJfyKo. So in essence…don’t be that guy.

6) What advice would you give other aspiring writers?

Don’t give up. If you really want to do this, commit to it. Constantly improve your craft through reading, classes, critique group participation, etc. And understand that growth process will continue throughout your career. Stay attuned to the rapid changes in the industry. Understand all your options and make the choice that works best for you–and for each particular project. Put out the best product you can–whether you work with a publisher or opt to self-publish.

Bio:

Reese Ryan writes sexy, contemporary fiction filled with colorful characters and sinfully-sweet romance. She secretly enjoys torturing her heroines with family and career drama, reformed bad boys, revealed secrets, and the occasional identity crisis, but always rewards them with a happily ever after.

Born and raised in the Midwest, she now resides in Central North Carolina with her husband and young adult son who tolerate her propensity to sing and dance badly. A self-proclaimed Bohemian Southern Belle, she treads the line carefully between being a Northerner and a damned Yankee–despite her insistence on calling soda pop. Reese gauges her progress by the number of “bless your lil’ hearts” she gets each week. She is currently down to two.

Visit Reese online at ReeseRyan.com. Follow her on Twitter @ReeseRyanWrites. Connect with her on Facebook.

Goodreads:  Reese Ryan
Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Reese-Ryan/e/B00CD31WJ0

Title: Making the First Move

Author: Reese Ryan

Release date: July 22, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Price: $3.99

Amazon Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Making-the-First-Move-ebook/dp/B00CC68FMU/

Barnes & Noble Buy Link:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/making-the-first-move-reese-ryan/1115148406

iTunes Buy Link:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/making-the-first-move/id653078144?mt=11

Add to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17800669-making-the-first-move

Summary:

Melanie Gordon has spent the past five years obsessing over her career to dull the pain of a devastating breakup and the loss of her father. Her effort pays off when she receives the promotion that could be her big break. Only it means returning to her hometown to face her past while leaving behind the man who could be her future.

Selfless (and insanely sexy) philanthropist, Raine Mason, is committed to his cause. But his passion for rescuing high-risk young males from the road to disaster is fueled by his own dark and tragic past.

When Raine is ready to take his casual friendship with Melanie to sizzling new heights, her one-way ticket to Cleveland is already booked. But a steamy night of passion leaves them both wanting more, even if Melanie is afraid to admit it. She reluctantly agrees to a long-distance relationship with no promises and no commitments.

Melanie may finally be ready to give Raine her heart…but then she discovers startling news that causes her to question everything she knows about him. Worse, he’s harboring a dark secret from his past that threatens to shatter any hope of a future for them unless he can convince her that their love is worth the risk.

Excerpt:

Thirty minutes later, Raine is standing in my doorway in a camel-colored cashmere sweater and a pair of Levi’s. A white, button-down shirt peeks underneath the collar. Chin-length, caramel-colored locs are pulled back at the crown of his head, with the remaining hair hanging free. He is, in a word, gorgeous.

My eyes trace the curve of his biceps. I lick my lips, cheeks flushed, and hope he hasn’t noticed I’ve spent the past five seconds checking him out from head to toe. Twice.

“I see you’re ready to go.” He nods toward the wrap draped over my arm and my clutch tucked underneath it.

“I am.”

“Then shall we?” Raine extends his hand in the direction of the narrow stairwell leading down to the first floor.

“Let’s.” I offer a nervous smile.

He slips his hand to the small of my back. I try not to notice the heat emanating from his hand. But it’s nearly impossible to ignore the jolt of electricity, which travels through his long, elegant fingers and enters the base of my spine.

I’m sure his hand has been on that exact spot when he’s guided me through a crowd or we’ve danced together at charity functions. His touch seemed incidental then. Tonight, there’s something about the placement and pressure of his hand that feels deliberate, significant. Or maybe I’m transferring my own well-guarded desire to an innocent gesture.

Raine guides me down the stairs, out the front door and into his car, his hand still on my back.

“Thanks for doing this,” I say. “I know it’s short notice.”

“I couldn’t leave you standing there dressed, with no place to go.” He tries to hide a smirk as he turns the ignition.

“How’d you know I was already dressed when I called?”

“You’ve never been ready when I came to pick you up. There’s not a chance in hell you threw this together in thirty minutes. You look…amazing.”

“Very clever,” I say. “And thank you, I think.”

“It’s too bad, actually.”

“What’s too bad?”

“That you were ready. I was hoping to catch you in a towel, just out of the shower,” he says, his eyes straight ahead.

My cheeks grow warm. I’m not offended, just surprised. Our social conversations have been mildly flirtatious, but never anything so easily decipherable. We prefer our flirtation so well-coded that only a world-class hacker has a chance in hell of sorting it all out.

I stifle a giggle. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

He smiles.

We ride in silence for a while. He pays strict attention to the road. I pretend to be fascinated by the houses and apartments that fly by my window. The same ones I’ve seen nearly every day for the past five years.

Making the First Move Blog Tour Grand Prize

• $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card
• Digital copy of Making the First Move by Reese Ryan
• Digital copy of The Winning Season by Alison Packard
• Digital copy of Knowing the Score by Kat Latham
• Digital copy of Personal Assets by Kelsey Browning
• Digital copy of Derby Girl by Tamara Morgan

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