*Virtual Book Tour Giveaway & Author Interview* Cheryl Douglas *Goddess Tour*

Ladies and Gents, I am very pleased to have a wonderful author in the Lair today...

Please put together a warm welcome for...

Ms. Cheryl Douglas  

 
Since you are a new to me author, I am hoping to bring you to the light of others! So let’s share!

Why don't you tell us a little about yourself.... Something that we cannot Google about you, lol!
I spend way too much time on a fishing boat! My husband and son are devoted anglers and they often drag me along, hoping I’ll be their good luck charm. I rarely am, but it allows me to spend some quality time with them, and since I love being on the water, I can’t complain. 

Tell us a little about your book?
Shameless is the story my muse had been nagging me to write for years. It’s about a country music superstar, Trey Turner, who feels as though he’s lost everything. He’s on a self-destructive path when his sister brings his ex-wife, Sierra, back into his life to help him get back on the right track. There’s a lot of shared pain in their past, they parted on bad terms, but his family believes she may be the only one who can reach him.

Sierra agrees to help him because of her love and affection for his family, but she’s moved on, and built a new life with another man. She isn’t interested in re-visiting the past, but Trey is still in love with her and believes the only way he can begin to heal is if she gives him another chance to make up for the mistakes he’s made. It’s a huge risk, but she has to decide if it’s one worth taking.

How much emotion does it take from you to write?
Writing can be an emotionally exhausting experience. I’ve tackled everything from accidents to terminal illness, miscarriage, child abandonment, and death in my books. Of course, there’s also a lot of fun sprinkled in to lighten the mood. There have been times when my books have made me cry because there’s a part of my own story woven into a character’s trials. At other times I laugh out loud because I could imagine a friend saying or doing something my character has. My readers can be sure of one thing, when they read one of my books, they’re getting a little piece of me in each one because I’m not afraid to put it all out there, so to speak.

What is your favorite part of the book?
In ShameIess, I love going back to the beginning of their relationship so readers get some insight into where it all began for Trey and Sierra. Hopefully readers will get a sense that this was a relationship built on a strong foundation of trust, mutual respect, and love, before a tragic, life-changing event ultimately tore them apart.
You can only pick 3 words for your main characters..what would they be? *to describe your main characters*
Trey – Determined, opinionated, steadfast.
Sierra – Strong, compassionate, loyal. 
Which was the easiest character to write and the hardest ~ and why??
Trey was the hardest character to write. He’d made so many mistakes, and many of them would typically make him a character readers may want to write off, but I wasn’t willing to soften his hard edges, so I had to figure out a way to make the reader want to root for him in spite of his colorful past.
 
Sierra was the easiest character to write because I found it easy to relate to her. In many situations, I found myself questioning how I would react in certain situations, and I wrote her character accordingly.
How many books are you shooting for in this series??
There are a total of sixteen books and one short story. There are eight books in the Nashville Nights series, all of which have been released, and eight books plus one short story in the spin-off series, Nashville Nights Next Generation.

What are you currently working on?
As we speak, I am working on book three in the Next Generation series, Game On.
Do you have anything due to release soon?
I try to release a book every month. The first three books in the series were finished six months before I published the first one, so that’s allowed me to maintain a very regular release schedule ever since.
What's one thing that you enjoy about writing?
I love escaping to the world I’ve created. By the time you’ve spent endless hours for months on end with these characters, you feel like you know them, and can’t wait to get back to the keyboard to find out what they’ll do or say next. I honestly don’t know most of the time. I just trust my muse to guide me.
Since we're cover hussies....what was your first impression of your cover?
I love the Next Generation covers, which are quite different from the covers for the first part of the series. The original covers have a blue overlay that I’m told makes it a little more difficult to see the couple. My cover designer has re-worked the covers to make the couple more prominent, but many of the retail sites are still displaying the original blue covers.

What do you prefer ebooks or paperbacks?
I love the convenience of ebooks. I used to have shelves and shelves of paperbooks, since I read so many books. Now I can just read, delete, and repeat!

Is there a genre you would like to write but are a little apprehensive to try?
I like where some of the traditional romance authors like Fern Michaels and Barbara Delinsky have gone with their careers. Their books fall into the women’s fiction or family categories now I believe, and I love that type of story. If I ever tire of writing romance, which I can’t imagine, I may try my hand at mainstream or women’s fiction.

Okay.... personal time!!!! Oh yeah, I go there... Hahah...
If you thought you were safe... Nah... Forgot it... Not a chance! We will start off slow and easy, I promise!

What is on your night stand/dresser?
A gratitude rock. I read a book that suggested keeping one on your nightstand to remind you to be grateful for your blessings. I keep it right beside my alarm clock, and it’s the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I see before I go to bed at night. It serves as a daily reminder to be thankful for my blessings.

What are you listening to you right now?
Toby Keith’s latest CD, Hope on the Rocks. Hey, I wrote the Nashville Nights series because I love country music!

What are you reading right now?
Ruth Caradello’s Legacy series. I’m currently on book three and loving it!  

What is your favorite season? Holiday?
My favorite season is fall, and my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.

And what has been your best b-day present ever??
My husband gave me a diamond necklace one year for my birthday. That was pretty special.

Hard and Quick Time! Don't think... Just answer! Okay, before we go this route, I will get us a refill on our drinks... I will be right back...

You know you do... Quickie time... Think fast....

Are you a quickie kind girl? Sometimes
Dark or Milk Chocolate? Milk Chocolate
Whipped or Melted? Whipped
Straight up or with a twist - sex? With a twist
What's ur fave drink - in a glass or on him? Strawberry Daquiri
Spank or Flogger? Lol! Never tried a flogger
Junk or Health Food? Depends on the day
Ties or Chains? Um, not chains
Leather or Lace? Lace
Soft or Hard... Bed, where was your mind? Soft
Control or Be Controlled? I’m blushing
Hot Wax or Whip Cream? Whip Cream
Vampire or Werewolf? Neither
Twitter and/or Facebook? Facebook
Pinterest or not? Not


Shameless
by Cheryl Douglas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:
Trey Turner may be topping the country music charts, but his life has been going downhill since his wife left him five years ago. He's desperate to make amends for the mistakes he's made and convince Sierra their love deserves a second chance.

Sierra Brooks is happy for the first time since her divorce. She has a career she loves, and a man who loves her. Unfortunately, the man she intends to marry isn't the only one professing his love for her. He may be able to offer her safety and security, but will she decide to risk everything for another chance with the man who broke her heart?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:
Prologue
Five Years Earlier

The sexy little waitress stretched to offer her neck as Trey Turner prepared to do another body shot at the urging of his inebriated friends. He licked the salt off her neck as he felt a small hand grip his shoulder.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

He turned to see his wife, Sierra, staring up at him, disgust darkening her bright blue eyes. He heard a few of his friends mutter curses as the crowd broke up and went back to drinking and dancing.

“Baby, I was just havin’ a little fun.” His words slurred and he wondered how many body shots he’d had before Sierra intervened. 

The waitress slid her hand down his chest, hooking a finger through his belt loop. “That was fun. How ‘bout we pick up where we left off later?”

Sierra turned away, not waiting for his answer as she began weaving her way through the crowd.

“Sierra, baby, wait,” he called, trying to push his way through the throngs of people before she reached the door. He grabbed her wrist just as she was about to cross the threshold. “Wait. Please, don’t go.”

“It’s over, I’m done with this shit,” she said, trying to shake loose of his grip.

He had more than a foot and a hundred pounds on her. She wasn’t going anywhere until he decided he was ready to let her go, which wouldn’t happen in this lifetime. “What’s that supposed to mean? Where the hell do you think you’re going?” 

“Home to pack.”

He felt the room begin to spin out of control. “What did you say?”

“I’m leaving you. Our marriage is over.”

His grip on her wrist tightened. “No, you can’t leave me.”

She pressed a hand to his chest. “It’s been over for a long time. I’m just making it official.”

“We’re not having this conversation out here in front of a hundred people,” he said, pulling her through the horde of friends he’d invited to his private party. He opened the door to the small dressing room usually occupied by the nightly entertainment that performed at Jimmy’s bar. “We’ll have some privacy in here.”

She was finally able to shake free of his tight grip. “I’ve already said everything I have to say to you.”

He gripped her waist. “Don’t do this, Sierra.” He bent to kiss her neck. “I love you, baby. God, I love you so much. I can’t live without you.” He backed her toward the couch as he lowered himself down on top of her.

“You’ve been living without me for the past year, Trey. You’ve spent your days on a tour bus and your nights in a stadium or bar.” Her voice broke. “We lost our baby girl and you don’t seem to care.”

“Don’t say that,” he whispered furiously. “Don’t ever say that I didn’t care about Callie. I loved her, Sierra. It damn near killed me when we lost her.”

She glared at him. “Really? Is that why you boarded that goddamn tour bus a week after her funeral?”

“I’m a musician; it’s what I do.” He knew the excuse was weak. Sierra was right. He’d been trying to run away from his grief and sadness instead of staying at home where he belonged, supporting his wife.

She shook her head, looking defeated. “It’s what you do—it’s who you are. Trey Turner, country music’s award-winning, platinum-selling mega-star. What about my husband? Callie’s father? Where is he?”

He closed his eyes, feeling disgusted with himself for letting her down again. “Baby, I’m sorry. Look, I know I’ve made mistakes, but let me make it up to you, okay?” His hand eased up her shirt to cup her breast.

Her head rolled back and she closed her eyes. “No, we can’t do this. It won’t fix the problem.” Making love to her may not solve all of their problems, but it would buy him some time to figure out a way to convince her to give him and their marriage another chance. “Just relax,” he whispered, licking her neck.

“Hmm, that feels so good.” She wrapped her denim-clad leg around his. “But then you had lots of practice with your girlfriend right before I got here, didn’t you?”

He cursed himself for indulging in the adolescent drinking game and giving his wife reason to question his fidelity yet again. “Sweetheart,” he whispered, flipping the button on her jeans. “You’re the only one I want; you know that.”

She squeezed her eyes shut as she shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

He hated that he had given her reason to doubt herself, to doubt them. “Let me prove it to you, then.”

His tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips until she finally parted for him. He groaned, taking her mouth with a savage intensity. His mind raced; fear warring with panic as he realized this may be the last time they made love, the last time he had the right to touch her.

“I can’t. Please try to understand.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Cheryl began her professional career as a nutritionist, but her love of books started at an early age. She studied writing for many years before she decided to pursue her passion as a full-time career. After receiving constructive criticism from several well-known authors, Cheryl finally had the confidence to write her first romance novel.

The first book in the Nashville Nights series, Shameless, was a book that had been dwelling in Cheryl’s subconscious for years. For her, the surprise came when the manuscript began taking on a life of it’s own. Characters came to life, secondary characters became more prominent, outlines were forgotten, and a single title evolved into an eight book series, and another eight book spin-off series entitled Nashville Nights, Next Generation.

One word would aptly describe Cheryl: workaholic. She lives and breathes her writing, when she’s sleeping, watching TV, driving, reading… it’s always in the periphery of her mind. Her imagination rarely takes a holiday, even when she escapes to a sandy beach with her husband and son, she’s planning, plotting, outlining, and daydreaming.

Cheryl feels blessed to be able to get up every day and do something she loves. The thousands of fans who have embraced the Nashville Nights have made that possible. She writes for the readers who ask for more, she writes to satisfy the muse residing inside of her, but most of all, she writes because she couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life. It took her thirty-seven years to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, but now that she knows, she’s convinced she’s found her purpose.

Book Information:
Book Title: Shameless (Book One, Nashville Nights)
Book Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book Publisher: Self published (Douglas Publishing)
Release Date: Currently Available

Buy Links:
Amazon Buy Link for Shameless:
http://www.amazon.com/Shameless-Nashville-Nights-Book-ebook/dp/B007IO7C6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348953276&sr=8-1&keywords=Cheryl+Douglas

Barnes and Noble Buy Link for Shameless:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shameless-cheryl-douglas/1109801559?ean=2940033098941

All Romance Ebooks Buy Link for Shameless:
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-shameless-749624-149.html

Other Links:
Website: http://www.cheryldouglasbooks.com
Facebook: http://www.cheryldouglasbooks.com

****Tour Wide Giveaway Details****

These are the wonderful pressies Ms. Cheryl will be handing out!!!

Cheryl will be awarding: two(2) - 

$20 Amazon Gift Cards to randomly drawn commenters during the tour

 Also, Cheryl will be awarding ten (10) trading card/cover flat packs to randomly drawn commenters during the tour (US/Canada)

Ten (10) digital books from the Nashville Nights series (winner's choice) to randomly drawn commenters during the tour

&

Two (2) Swarovski crystal necklaces to randomly drawn commenters during the tour (US/Canada).

I encourage you to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/10/virtual-book-tour-shameless-by-cheryl.html

And remember... Always keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!