NBTM + #Giveaway: Hanami by V.C. Buckley @vccbuckley @GoddessFish

Hanami

by V.C. Buckley

GENRE: New Adult romantic suspense

BLURB:

SAKURA SHINTANI is the Dragon Clan heir-Japan's most notorious crime dynasty. But can she keep this fact a secret from the prying brats of Oniyuri Academy?
She tries to stay out of their radar while mastering her demons and keeping her murderous temper under control, but having the face of an angel only attracts everyone's attention... including the arrogant heir to Asia's most powerful tycoon, KENJIN KIYOHARA.
He senses the danger, but Sakura is too interesting to be left alone.

Excerpt:

Jin rolled his eyes, settling his gaze back on the girl. He wasn’t surprised with their reaction.

The new girl was hot, but so what? It took more than a pretty face to get his attention. He wasn’t that easy to impress, and he was certain she’d be throwing herself at him anyway. Just like everybody else. He was sure this girl wasn’t any different from the love-crazed hyenas that stalked him.

Jin pushed back his shoulders, seeing her start towards him with her eyes still trailing on the ground.

Already? Jin thought, suppressing a laugh. He crossed his arms, waiting for her to get closer, and sure enough she stopped right in front of him. She was even prettier up close. Asian but with a hint of Caucasian mixed in.

“What?” he asked, smirking. He already knew what she might say: whether he was Kenjin Kiyohara, the sole heir to Kiyohara Industries? The questions were all the same. He thought she would have at least waited until class was over like the rest of them.

“Move your feet. You’re blocking my way,” the girl said in a sharp tone.  She shifted her gaze up at him like a threatening knife. Her topaz-colored eyes darkened, sending icy tremors down his back. He felt as if he’d been hit by a curse as his mind turned blank.

When she finally looked away, Jin was able to regain his senses. He tucked his legs out of her way, and she passed, leaving goosebumps in her wake. His eyes followed her, waiting to see if she’d look back, but she never did. Jin’s hands were trembling. His thoughts became jumbled while he struggled not to look anymore.

What was that? What just happened? This was a first for him. He couldn’t contain himself. His presence had no impact whatsoever. Instead she looked like she wanted to kill him!

Jin took a deep breath, replaying the moment in his head. Who was this girl? She sure got his attention, all right—and it left him in pieces. He fought the urge to look back again.

This girl…Jin thought. There was something about her. He couldn’t shake off the feeling. She seemed dangerous.

Book Trailer:

Interview with V.C. Buckley

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in HANAMI?

Gladly! Sakura Shintani and Kenjin Kiyohara are the main characters of the story. Both come from extreme backgrounds, and had it not been for the mandatory Heirs program of the Zenith Society, they would have never met. Sakura is the next heir to the Dragon Clan, notoriously known as the Shintani Yakuza—a powerful crime family in Japan, while Kenjin Kiyohara is the heir to Asia’s most influential tycoon.

Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?

The sequel to HANAMI is coming together nicely and is schedule for a 2018 release. Aside from that, I have several romances in the works as well as a Middle grade book.

How long would you say it takes you to write a book?

The raw writing doesn’t take very long; it’s the editing and fine-tuning that takes time. I am usually finished with a 60,000-word raw manuscript in two to three weeks. This includes procrastination time, because let’s face it…we all have our days when motivation decides to take a vacation, especially after a burn out.

Editing, on the other hand, takes another few weeks to a month, depending on the project. So all in all, I’d say it takes about two months to write a book.

What is your favorite childhood book?

I love all the classics, like Black Beauty and Moby Dick, but I also loved the contemporary series of Goosebumps and Sweet Valley. They were a go-to read for when I didn’t want to think and just wanted to unwind and enjoy some quiet time.

If you could spend the day with one of the characters from HANAMI, who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do?

Hmmm…. This is a hard question, because I want to spend the day with all of them. It’s like asking me which of my children would I rather spend time with! Haha! So I guess it goes depending on my mood. If I want to fire some rounds in a shooting range, I’d love to spend it with Sakura because she is amazing with a gun. If I want to go to an amusement park, I’d like to go with Jason because he is hilarious and I won’t have to worry about getting mobbed by his adoring fans. If I’m in trouble though, I’d like for Kenjin to be there because he always knows what to do.

What was the hardest scene to write in HANAMI?

The kendo scenes were hard to write at first. I recognized kendo as a Japanese art of sword fighting, but I didn’t know the details behind it, like the fighting forms or even the rules of how they do it. I watched several videos and read a number of blogs but nothing quite made me fully understand it. So I decided to enroll into a class to get a better understanding. I was glad that I did, because all the Kendo scenes I wrote was wrong. So I went back and fixed it, and I also got more input from the new friends I made there and an authentic glimpse into Japanese custom and practices. I continue to practice Kendo and am still fascinated by it until now.

What made you want to become a writer?

I think it has always been in me. It was more of a matter of WHEN. My father was a big influence in this part of my life, and I owe my imagination to him, because he was a very unorthodox storyteller. He would take a story and make it his own version spontaneously during bedtime. So I heard several renditions of Snow White and Cinderella. He even told me the story of Rumplestiltskin from the perspective of the leprechaun. I started to daydream about my own stories, especially when the class was boring. I got caught a few times scribbling a chapter instead of listening to the teacher.

Just for fun

(a Favorite song: Somewhere Over the Rainbow

(b Favorite book: The Art of War by Sun Tzu

(c Favorite movie: Erin Brockovich

(d Favorite tv show: Skin Wars

(e Favorite Food: Sushi

(f Favorite drink: Ginger Tea

(g Favorite website: www.vcbuckley.com

Thanks so much for visiting with us today!

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

V.C. Buckley was born in an isolated government facility and shipped off to an Island in Southeast Asia where she grew up braving tropical thunderstorms and warding off evil villains. At sixteen she was discovered by an agent and jetted off all over the world. Her stories come from gritty moments of her childhood to the glitz of her travels. She now lives in Manila with her husband, two kids and an herb garden that has hijacked her balcony.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Buy Links:

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Giveaway:

$10 Amazon or B/N GC

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