Monday, November 23, 2015

Sinful (Undone #2) by Jennifer Dawson - Blog Tour, Excerpt, Interview, Review & Giveaway


SINFUL_JD_EBOOK_COVER_FINAL

Book Title: Sinful (Undone #2) 
Author: Jennifer Dawson 
Genre: Contemporary Romance Heat Level 4

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I’ve wanted my brother’s best friend, Leo Santoro, for too many years to count.

No matter what I do, he won’t confront the attraction that burns between us.

It’s time to put him behind me once and for all.

I have no choice but to call his bluff.

And then I will walk away.


The last woman I should want is my best friend’s baby sister, Jillian Banks.

No matter what I do, she won’t ignore the attraction that burns between us.

It’s time she learns the real me.

The only promise I can make is that her fantasies are no match for reality.

And then I’ll watch her walk away. 



Hot, hot, hot! Leo and Jillian are the classic best friend's little sister couple, but with a BDSM twist. Just like in the first book of the series, the hero is a dominant, but I like that in this series it doesn't involve scenes or the usual props. Jillian was not aware of this side of Leo, but once she discovers it and he agrees to teach her the ropes, she realizes that she loves it. Along with the really hot sex, they also have a strong emotional connection. Leo does have to fight some personal demons along the way to their HEA, which adds some tension to story. 

I received an ARC via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own.

 


I don’t look back, even though I want to.

It’s done. I can’t back out now. It’s a risky move and deep in my heart I don’t think it will work, but I’ve run out of options and it’s time to move on with my life.

If he doesn’t come after me, I have my answer.

If he does, I have my answer too.

Either way I’ll know and be able to move forward in a concrete direction.

I make my way back to the bar and Gwen, who’s still chatting it up with the cute guy from before. When I stand in front of her she picks up a shot off the bar she’s clearly had waiting for me. “How’d it go?”

I down the drink with a hiss and slam the shot glass far too hard onto the bar.

She raises a brow. “That good, huh?”

I suck on the lime before tossing it into the glass. “Is he looking?”

She peers around me. “Yep.”

I blow out a deep breath. “What’s his expression?”

Gwen narrows her gaze. “Hmmm…I’m going to go with not happy.”

Good. At least I made an exit. I turn to the guy hitting on Gwen. “Hey, do you work at the station?”

“Yeah,” he says, his brow furrowing. “You’re Michael’s sister, right?”

“That I am.” I beam at him and scan over the crowded bar. “So tell me, who’s the biggest player here?”

“Um…” His expression turns a touch nervous.

“Oh no,” Gwen says, shaking her head.

“Oh yes.” I shift my attention back to who I’m now referring to as the guy. “So?”

He holds up his hands in surrender. “I’m not looking to get on Michael’s bad side.”

I sigh. Having a high-ranking detective for a brother is such a pain in the ass. And god, when had guys turn into such pussies? “Suit yourself.”

It’s not like players are hard to find. Toss a few seductive glances their way and they move right in, after all, they’re all about the easy. I wink at Gwen. “I’ll be back.”


How disciplined are you when it comes to writing?
I am very disciplined when it comes to writing. I have to be. Currently, I have a full-time job, two children, and conflicting writing deadlines. Needless to say, my days are extremely busy, and if I’m not organized and keep to a strict daily writing schedule it would be impossible to get everything done.  I find writing a lot like exercise. The more you do it, the better you feel.

Do you have any strange writing habits?
Ha. No, not really. I’m fairly boring and non-eccentric.  Well, unless you include not being able to write at my desk. It’s just too hard for me to get into the creative space there, where I do my day-to-day administrative task.  Does that count as weird?

Who is your favorite character you’ve written?
Yikes, that’s a hard one.  My favorite tends to be whomever I’m writing at the time.  I also pick them as characters because something about them resonates with me, and when I’m deep in their point of view I’m living in their world and think they are the best.  But, if I were forced to pick—like at gunpoint—I’d probably have to go with my hero, Professor James Donovan in The Name of the Game, book 3 of my Something New Series. He was just so quiet and reserved, I had no idea how he’d possibly handle Gracie.  And, well, I’m slightly sadistic, I LOVED watching him fall and turn into a complete mess.

Are there certain scenes that are harder/easier for you to write? 
I’d say writing tension is the easiest and most fun for me to write.  I love all the push/ pull.  The wanting, angst and mental lusting.  The anticipation. The heat.  The—no I shouldn’t but I can’t help myself—back and forth between the hero and heroine. To me, that’s where the real meat of the story, where those high emotions force the characters to change and grow.

The hardest (and I hate, hate, hate to say it) is probably endings.  The wrap up, where it’s all sunshine and roses, their conflict is over, and they are committed is the hardest to write. I really want to pack a punch for the reader and the new couple, to write them a send off they deserve. Finding that perfect ending that gives the reader that big happy sigh is often a struggle for me.    

What are you working on now? What is your next project?  
I am currently working on three separate novellas that are all due at the exact same time!

I’m just finishing up an Undone, Valentine’s Day Novella that will be a bridge between the 1st and 2nd book and the 3rd book.

I’m working on a Something New Christmas themed Novella that will feature a brand new couple and bring us back to the small town of Revival to gear up for the 5th Something New book.

And lastly, I’m finishing up edits on a Halloween Anthology for Kensington that I’m not quite ready to discuss the details on. 

It’s been a fun and exciting time.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Snickers bars and campy TV. My current favorite is The Originals. I have an ongoing love affair with Klaus. I love how protecting his family always ends up with them getting staked in the heart.   A close second is a new find, a Network Original called Hemlock Grove. It so bad and weird how can I not love it?    

Can you tie a cherry stem in a knot in your mouth?
Sadly, no. Maybe I should put this one on my to-do list.

Do you sing in the shower?
Even the acoustics of the shower can’t save my voice. 

What was your first alcoholic drink and how old were you?
Dear my children, if you are reading mom didn’t have her first drink until she was well over the legal drinking age of 21 and she thought it was icky. 

For all you readers out there I was a freshman in High School and it was none other than Bartles & James Wine Coolers. I mean, is there any other 1st girly drink back in the 80’s?

How old were you when you had your first crush/first love and are you still in contact?
My first crush was at the tender age of six.  His mom used to baby-sit me after school.  He was eighteen, he took me for a ride on his Harley, and I was instantly in love. I was positive we were going to get married.  Sadly, we lost touch when I moved to Chicago but I still think of him fondly. J




Jennifer Dawson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from DePaul University with a degree in psychology. She met her husband at the public library while they were studying. To this day she still maintains she was NOT checking him out. Now, over twenty years later, they’re married and living in a suburb right outside of Chicago with two awesome kids and a crazy dog.

Despite going through a light FM, poem writing phase in high school, Jennifer never grew up wanting to be a writer (she had more practical aspirations of being an international super spy). Then one day, suffering from boredom and disgruntled with a book she’d been reading, she decided to put pen to paper. The rest, as they say, is history.

These days Jennifer can be found sitting behind her computer, writing her next novel, chasing after her kids, keeping an ever watchful eye on her ever growing to-do list, and NOT checking out her husband.

On sale for $1.99 until November 30th


I vow. I crave. I give in.

I used to be a nice, normal girl.  I had dreams.  Good, happy dreams of white picket fences, 2.5 kids, and a fairytale love that lasts forever.  Nobody warned me the prince dies three weeks before the wedding. 

Like any addict, I swear this time is the last….

Now, I go through my days, a shadow of my former self. I pretend I’m okay, and the people in my life pretend to believe me.  But, sometimes, when I can no longer stand the craving my dead fiancée left behind, I roam an underground sex club looking for my next hit.  It’s dirty and wrong, but I can’t stop, and my only line of defense between them and me, is the rules I’ve designed to keep me safe. With free, no-strings attached sex; men always abide by my rules. Until I meet him. 

And, like any addict, I’m wrong.

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