Title: Break Me
Author: Autumn Stark
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Erotic Romance)
Release Date: January 6, 2014
Cover by: Books With Benefits Press
Publisher: Books With Benefits Press
“On the verge of tears at certain points, only to have that chased away by excitement bubbling in my throat and a squeal threatening to break free of my control. The author took me on a journey I never expected. While most romance novels have the usual plot points, this one will surprise you.I started reading this book, not expecting anything spectacular. Just a run of the mill romance novel. I don’t think I’ve ever been more surprised by what I found. I love the way the author captured the emotions of the characters and laid their hearts bare to the readers. Break Me is bound to shine in the romance genre, with a new take on love and relationships.” -Night Owl Reviews, March 2014
Abigail Stevens, an efficient and no-nonsense editor for one of the biggest names in the romance novel industry, has a big problem. She’s been desperately in love with Anthony Tate, Mr. Romance-Writer himself, for the last four years. She’s settled for friendship and professional success for the last four years, but now the sexy writer needs something more from her and she can’t find a reason to refuse.
Tony Tate has built a career centered on his identity as America’s most romantic writer. That identity does not include a debauched temper tantrum in the aftermath of his very public break-up with his on-again, off-again girlfriend. Tony has known that Abby has had the hots for him since the moment they met, but when his Plain Jane best friend and controlling editor ends up being his only option to exorcise his demons and pent-up sexual frustration, he can’t wait to break her prim and proper shell.
As Tony and Abby push each other farther than they’ve ever gone before, the question becomes, who will break whom?
The Love Interest: Why I Love to Hate Tony
What do you think makes the best love interest? This is one of the hardest questions to answer for me. Why, you ask? Well, I like real characters. That means that who they are and what they look like can be vastly different from one book to the next. And I love them all. But, okay, I’ll admit it: There are some things I look for.
Anthony Tate, or Tony, is the main character of my novel, Break Me. For me, he’s the perfect example of what I look for in a hero. The original idea for Tony, physically, was inspired by my never-ending adoration for Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey, Jr., Sakurai Sho, and Darren Criss. Clearly Tony was meant to be dark and handsome. As far as physical characteristics go, I like my love interests to be as vibrant as their personalities. It’s not that I have a thing for dark-haired guys (full disclosure: I so do), it’s just that I like their physical characteristics to manifest their personalities. Hey, that’s a benny of being a writer!
The biggest requirement for me, though, is that my characters have to struggle with a major life issue. I think it’s a generally accepted truth that people show their true colors, and reveal their deepest desires and motivations, when they’re under pressure. For me, the love interest needs to be in that pressure cooker. I want the good, the bad, and the ugly to come out.
It’s easy enough to call the love interests in the romance genre “fairy tales;” I’m more interested writing about, and showing, real men and women dealing with honest and true reactions. Tony is far from a fairy tale, but he is a fantastic love interest. Love and War are pretty much the same coin, right?
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Excerpt
“Tony,” Abby was so tired she could barely breathe, “what do you want from me?”
“I want you to explain how you disappeared without a word after four years. I thought we were more to each other than that. At least friends.”
“Did you? Did you really?” Abby’s voice rose to a furious whisper, her shoulders tense. “Well, I didn’t disappear. I left. There’s a difference.”
“Really? I must have missed the memo you sent out saying sayonara.” Tony was glaring at her, reclined on the couch.
“What right do you have to be mad? I’m the one–” Abby snapped her lips together.
“You were the one who what?” Tony eased up on one arm and waited.
“I’m the one who got swept aside like a piece of trash! I’m the one who…who…was an absolute idiot for thinking we were ever anything at all!” Abby felt like venom was seething painfully out of her body making it impossible for her to stop. “I’m the one who fell in love with a man I couldn’t have! I’m the one who was used!”
“That’s bullshit, Abby.” Tony said it calmly. “You ran away. You didn’t give me a chance to talk about any of this. You are not a piece of trash and if you call yourself that again, you’ll regret it.”
“What’s the point of this Tony? Please, just leave me alone. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I ever…ever thought,” Abby started crying, the sobs pressing the air from her lungs.
“Abby.” Tony was there, pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her. She was surrounded by him and she couldn’t make herself break free. His warmth seeped into her and his scent enveloped her. It felt like the safest and most dangerous place she could ever be. She cried for what felt like forever. “Abby, the point is that I don’t want to leave you alone. I made a mistake. I know that. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to make you think you were trash. Can you believe that?”
About the Author
Autumn Stark writes Erotic Romance with a sense of humor and a whole lotta steamy fun. Doesn’t mean there aren’t a few whips every now and then, but she’s a sucker for a happy ending. Autumn has been writing in one capacity or another her entire life, but Break Me is her debut novel.
Six Words to Describe Break Me
Sexy: Tony and Abby push the limits of their relationship and, often, our comfort zone.
Despite that, Tony exudes sexuality and Abby struggles to fit sex into the same frame
with love. What starts as an erotic interlude between two consenting adults, turns into a
game of love neither of them are sure they can play.
Emotional: Abby can’t pin hers down. Despite her very logical decision (not) to
simply be with Tony and be what he needs, she can’t control that aspect of herself. No
matter what he thinks, neither can Tony. It’s a win-win-holy-crap-is-this-losing situation.
What Tony wants is anything but emotion–or so he thinks. Tony doesn’t know what he
wants. Abby does and that’s part of the problem. We ride the waves of her emotions
right into Tony’s downfall.
Complicated: Nothing is easy in Break Me. The lines are blurred–for the characters
and for the readers. What is just sex and what is just love? Can they coexist? When
is consensual sex just using? How does it turn from steamy to cold? Abby is stuck in
an incredibly complicated web of choices and emotions while Tony has no idea what
it is he’s supposed to be feeling. He’s all kinds of mixed-up which only makes him and
his life more difficult. In trying to be who he thinks he’s supposed to be, Tony ends
up becoming exactly who he didn’t want to become. It’s all about consequences and
choice.
Romantic: Despite being an extremely sexy and edgy ride, Break Me is also
romantic. There are realistic moments in the rocky waves of their relationship where
romance does blossom. Tony’s attempt to become a better man is born out of love and
awkwardness. Abby’s desperation to make things work (and then to free herself) are
the groundwork for the sexiness to slide into the romance of the story. While the story is
based in sex, it ultimately begs the question: what does love look like?
Satisfying: Abby gets it. Body and soul. Despite the struggles Abby goes through
with Tony ( oh boy, is there a struggle between her mind and her body), she ultimately
achieves satisfaction in getting exactly what she wants when she least expects it. The
story starts off complicated and uncomfortable–for all involved–, but by the end, all is
well. The lessons are learned, the love is there, and the hope has blossomed.
Spicy: The sex is. This is not your ordinary love scene…well, slew of love scenes.
Tony and Abby are sensual and edgy in their sexuality. While Tony makes no apologies
for it, Abby is willing to discover what this means for her. What results is a no-holds-
barred look into the battle between sex, love, control, and saving grace.
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