Spotlight: Fire Down Below by Andrea Simonne [+giveaway]

Fire Down Below

by Andrea Simonne

BLURB:

Choosing between two hot guys? Not a bad way to turn thirty-five….

Running into an old boyfriend is bad enough, but why does it always happen when you look your worst? Kate Alexander is wearing gray sweats, no makeup, and feels as glamorous as a pile of dirty laundry when she runs into her hunky ex, Ben Mathews. Ben is the only man who’s ever asked her to marry him. And now still single, and closing in on her thirty-fifth birthday, Kate suspects her shelf life is nearing its expiration date. Though Ben once broke her heart she’s convinced fate has brought them together for a second chance at love.

The problem is Declan O’Connor, a sexy Irishman. Kate considers him a friend—except she’s been having some very un-friend like thoughts about him. They shared a hot kiss one night, before Ben reentered her life, and now she can’t stop thinking about it. Despite the attraction with Ben, Kate is remembering her old resentments all too well. But then Ben asks her to marry him again, and her second chance has finally arrived. Is this what she really wants though?

From Seattle to Dublin, from the old to the new, Kate is caught between playing it safe or playing with fire.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23213130-fire-down-below?ac=1

You can buy Fire Down Below at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MZD34IU

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-down-below-andrea-simonne/1120448422?ean=2940046312713

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/fire-down-below-2

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id925356414

Hi :) Glad to have you here.

Thank you, I’m really glad to be here.

Now, to start, what inspired you to write Fire Down Below?

I’m motivated by themes when I write. The “big idea” usually comes to me first and then I start thinking about the characters. The “big idea” for Fire Down Below was a love triangle, but I wanted to mix things up. I asked myself, what if the wrong guy is this handsome hunk who has great sexual chemistry with the heroine, while the right guy is more unusual and not your typical hero?

How would you describe the story to someone who hasn't read it yet?

Fire Down Below is a steamy and fun contemporary romance about letting go of the past. (Very short one sentence description!)

Here’s a short blurb:

Kate Alexander is apprehensive about her upcoming thirty-fifth birthday. She is still single and figures she only has so many good years left to find the right guy. When she runs into Ben, her hunky ex-boyfriend, the only man who has ever asked her to marry him, she decides it must be fate. The trouble is Declan, a reformed Irish bad boy. She’s convinced they aren’t right for each other and wants to just remain friends, but then there was the scorching kiss they shared one night…

What scene did you have the most fun writing? Why?

There are a lot of scenes I enjoyed. There’s some funny dialogue, but I especially enjoyed writing the scenes which show how intimacy grows between two people when they are falling in love. That theme is always at the heart of what motivates me as a writer

Why do you write?

I saw a quote by J.K. Rowling recently where she said (paraphrasing here) that she writes totally for herself, she writes what amuses her. That struck a chord in me when I read it. I feel exactly the same way.

Do you listen to music while you write?

Definitely. I listen to music a lot when I’m writing. I’m basically an alternative rock kind of girl. In particular I like listening to male singers when writing romance. If I’m editing though, or going over edits, I don’t listen to any music at all.

Did you always want to be an author?

No, not really. I was a voracious reader from a young age, but the idea of creating a book seemed almost magical to me. I wrote for myself, but it was private. I let my husband read my writing and he was really supportive of it, which gave me more confidence. As a result, I took a writing class at the University and the teacher was also really encouraging. It was a short story class and she told me I should be submitting my stories—that they were good enough to publish. I was in a daze after that. What’s funny is I didn’t really pursue it even then. I edited an online literary journal for a while, but mostly I just continued writing for myself. After I finished Fire Down Below, a friend of mine demanded to read it, so I gave it to her and she convinced me to publish it.   

Does your family read your books?

My husband reads them, and he’s probably my biggest fan. My books are so steamy I don’t want my parents to read them!

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on the second book in my series Sweet Life in Seattle. The first book Year of Living Blonde is coming out at the end of this month. I’m really excited about the whole series and I’m in love with the characters. It’s called Sweet Life because the heroine in each book has a connection with a Seattle bakery named La Dolce Vita.

A few short answer questions:
Tea or coffee? Iced latte no matter how cold it is outside. I don’t care if we’re having arctic conditions. I don’t care if there’s a blizzard and my fingers are stuck frozen to my coffee cup. It better be iced coffee!
Do you prefer the sea side or the mountains? That’s tough. Sea, I think.
Sweet or salty? Sweet. (Of course.)
Print or ebook? Ebook. I have to have my Kindle packed with books and in my purse at all times. Just in case.
Movies or TV shows? Movies, though we also binge-watch TV shows on Netflix or Amazon. (I’m too impatient to wait for a new show every week. I want them all now! LOL.)

EXCERPT

“The tour is finished?” I ask.

           

“Yeah, it’s finished.”

           

“What about the rest? I know there’s more.”

           

Declan frowns. “You don’t want to see the rest. Trust me.”

           

“I do. I want to see it all.”

           

“No, you don’t.”

           

I can hear the edge in his voice, but I press on anyway. “So that’s it then? I thought we were always honest with each other. Why did you invite me to Ireland?”

           

“You don’t think I’m honest with you?” He turns away from me. “Should I show you all the houses I used to rob, all the alleyways I had fights in? Is that the kind of tour you’re talking about? I’m more honest with you than anyone, but that’s a past I don’t plan to revisit. Ever.”

             

I’m stunned into silence. Embarrassed too, for being so thoughtless about what I said. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

           

Declan shakes his head. “No, I’m sorry. Don’t push me on this though. I couldn’t bare that—especially not from you, Kate.” He starts the car up again. “And if you’re really wondering why I invited you here, let me tell you, so there’s no confusion.” He turns to me, his blue eyes flashing. “I invited you here because I want you. I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life.” He gives me a wry smile. “So now you know.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Andrea Simonne grew up as an army brat and discovered she had a talent for creating personas at each new school. The most memorable was a surfer chick named "Ace" who never touched a surf board in her life, but had an impressive collection of puka shell necklaces. Eventually she turned her imagination towards writing. Andrea still enjoys creating personas, though these days they occupy her books. She currently makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons.

You can find Andrea at:

Website: http://www.andreasimonne.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AndreaSimonne

FB: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.simonne.author