Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: Semper Fitz by Aurora Russell @arussellromance @GoddessFish

Semper Fitz

by Aurora Russell

GENRE: Romance (Billionaire, Men in Uniform, Contemporary)

BLURB:

He’s always strong, always faithful…but will he be always hers?

Pregnant, alone and temporarily staying at her family’s cabin in northern Minnesota, Clara Olafson is determined to overcome the hurt of her recent past and build a good life for herself and her child. The last thing she expects to find on her morning walk through the state forest nearby is an unconscious and injured former Marine.

Colin ‘Fitz’ Fitzhugh might have initially joined the Corps to prove that he was more than just a wealthy playboy, but he grew to love the brotherhood and purpose he found there—until his last mission in Afghanistan cost the life of one of his men and left him badly scarred in body and mind. Hoping to shed some of his pain and guilt alone in the wilderness, instead he finds a feisty, pregnant angel.

Sparks fly as sassy Clara nurses the gruff and mysterious Fitz back to health, but the happiness and peace they both begin to find in the little cabin is shattered when Clara faces a health emergency. When Fitz reluctantly chooses to return to the wealth and privilege of his family in order to save her and the baby, he plunges them all into a glittering society that Clara doesn’t know if she likes. But Fitz might just prove to her that, whether he’s being a billionaire philanthropist or a sudden stand-in dad, he’s always hers.

Buy Links:

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Excerpt:

Even though the sandwich must still be practically molten, and she could hear how crisply burned it was from the sound of his chewing, he choked down one large piece with every sign of enjoyment. A few crumbs formed a black, dusty mustache on his upper lip.

“Delicious,” he pronounced, and put the remainder of the half he’d managed to pry off the pan into his mouth. Something thawed then melted in the region of her heart when he swallowed that, too, and reached for the rest. It stuck there stubbornly, glued to the pan, in spite of Fitz’s valiant efforts.

Their eyes met, and his were determined and kind as he tried to work the piece free to no avail.

“I, ah, think I need a spatula,” he finally admitted.

Like a wave rising up and breaking on the shore, amusement filled her from her toes to her chest, finally spilling out as a peal of laughter, continuing into a wheezing laugh. Fitz laughed as well, the sound rusty as though he were out of practice.

“They’re horrible,” she gasped between laughs. “Admit it. They’re like charcoal.”

“I will never say that,” he answered diplomatically, setting her laughter off harder.

“Okay, you don’t have to say it,” she panted out. “But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Now, I’m going to put the remains of these truly sad sandwiches out of their misery and set this pan to soak. We’ll eat something else.”

When she went to scrape the charred remains off the pan into the trash can, the hard, callused surface of Fitz’s hand over hers stopped her.

Interview with Aurora Russell

How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

First of all, I want to say thank you to The Avid Reader for having me! I am a long-time romance lover and reader and this is my fourth book with Totally Bound Publishing, and the first in a new series, Minne-sorta Falling in Love. The inspiration for the story all started with the title, which had been rattling around in my head. For Semper Fitz, at first, I only knew that I wanted the lead character to be a retired Marine named Fitz. When I started writing the first scene, where Clara finds an injured Fitz lying on the forest floor on her morning walk, their personalities just sort of flew off the page, and everything evolved from there.

What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

Well, I finished the story, so that’s a good start! My goal was to create a compelling story around Colin ‘Fitz’ Fitzhugh, who is both a recently-retired Marine and the black-sheep-son of the Fitzhugh family, a wealthy and powerful manufacturing family from St. Paul, Minnesota. I certainly feel as though I succeeded, giving Fitz and Clara a dramatic and romantic journey from their first surprise meeting through their happy ending!

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Great question! I actually reworked portions of this book, which is something that I seldom do, but I wanted to be absolutely certain that every action and every word spoken by Fitz and Clara were in-character, true to their personalities. That was definitely the hardest part because Clara and Fitz both have these internal dichotomies, with Fitz both former military and a billionaire, and then with Clara as an expectant mother and as her own independent woman. I’m really happy with the balance that I ended up finding within the final story.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

While I didn’t set out to do this, with Semper Fitz, I ended up writing a love letter to my home state, Minnesota. I loved immersing myself again in all of my favorite parts of that wonderful place, and creating a fictional version of it that is simultaneously rooted in reality and the genuine kindness that is found all over Minnesota, but also has really fantastic fictional elements.

Getting to know the Fitzhugh family, as well as Fitz’s best friend, Mac, was awesome too…so much so that I had to make this a series with Book 2, Mac of All Trades, tentatively scheduled to come out in September!

Were there alternate endings you considered?

Well, I always knew that Fitz and Clara would have a happy ending…they are perfect for each other! I don’t want to give away too much, but I did originally have the timing of the ending different, and I played around with multiple potential locations, but having a dramatic sequence of events at a huge veteran’s benefit gala just ended up feeling right.

Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?

I drew heavily on some personal knowledge of my family and friends for this book, and as always, came away impressed with their depth of insight on everything! I am immensely lucky to have friends and family in the medical field, aviation field, and in the military. I’m also deeply honored to have their support and encouragement! I pulled from some deeply personal experiences for this book as well.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

All of them! But seriously, while I do enjoy reading all genres of books, mostly I read any type of sub-genre of romance. Bring on all the werewolves, vampires, aliens, cowboys, dukes, billionaires, FBI agents, and everything in between!

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Aurora is originally from the frozen tundra of the upper-Midwest (ok, not frozen all the time!) but now loves living in New England with her real-life hero/husband, two wonderfully silly sons, and one of the most extraordinary cats she has ever had the pleasure to meet. But she still goes back to the Midwest to visit, just never in January. She doesn't remember a time that she didn't love to read, and has been writing stories since she learned how to hold a pencil. She has always liked the romantic scenes best in every book, story, and movie, so one day she decided to try her hand at writing her own romantic fiction, which changed her life in all the best ways.

Find out more about Aurora, upcoming releases, and news on her

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Giveaway:

$25 Amazon/BN GC

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