High Point
by Susan Zoe Bella
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
BLURB:
It’s
only rock and roll but I hate it. Groupies, parties, a cheating ex,
and a dark night spawned a wake-up call. I’d shifted my focus to
work and avoiding social media. Singing lead for a famous band had
become nothing more than a steppingstone to my true dream of racing
Pro Motocross. I hadn’t dated in years. Then ‘she’ showed up
and everything in me longed to be with her. I was stoked she’d
agreed to join me at High Point Raceway for the weekend, even if it
meant putting up with Mack. Better still, Mia wasn’t a groupie, not
even close. She wasn’t even a fan of our music. If love at first
sight had a name, it would be Mia Fringe and I had to make her mine.
~ Jett
I’d
seen him in passing over the years. He was the neighbor of my best
friend. But we’d never officially been introduced until the night
Mackie badgered me into meeting him after attending his band’s
concert. I tried not to look awestruck, stunned that someone this
gorgeous had been within my scope for years but had not caught my
attention. He had success written all over him. Girls like me didn’t
end up with guys like him. Recently unemployed, still living on the
family farm, and recovering from a nervous breakdown, I was a mess.
But Jett saw something in me that nobody else ever had…worth. ~
Mia
Action,
drama, and chaos kick off right from the start at High Point Raceway
when Mackie has second thoughts about playing matchmaker between Mia
and Jett. However, when the week of bliss comes to an end, Mia is
heartbroken and confused as to why Jett doesn’t keep his promise.
She accepts a job as a reporter three thousand miles away to escape
the pain.
Ten
years later, Mia and Jett cross paths in the most startling way.
She’s about to discover the truth of what really happened so long
ago. Will she be able to trust Jett again when he pleads for a second
chance? Can love and forgiveness conquer a decade of hurt? It all
goes down in the dirt during the last race of the season.
Purchase High Point on Universal, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and Apple
Excerpt:
“Seems you settled down,” Kat noted. “Are we cool?”
I lifted my cup in a casual toast. “One of us is.”
Jett laughed and tapped his cup to mine. “Sweet burn.”
Kat surprised me with an impressive poker face, not revealing a hint of the daggers in her eyes I’d seen earlier. She was calculatingly wicked, a dangerous force to antagonize. However, Kat, in all her puffed-up narcissism and devious tactics had never met Fringe.
“I’m glad we worked it out,” she added.
“Mm-hm,” I muttered then directed my attention to the sexy guy with his arm around my waist.
“This is the first chance I got to check out your car. Seventy Gran Sport, right?”
“Yeah. You know cars?” He sounded surprised.
“I’ve always loved American Muscle.” I let my free hand glide up his bare arm to caress his huge bicep. “In more ways than one.”
He cocked one brow and grinned. “Would you like a closer look?”
“At the car?” I winked.
Fascination in his eyes deepened. “Both.”
“Mm-yes,” I purred.
We chugged our beer then set the empty cups aside. He eased me off his lap and escorted me to the beautiful Mediterranean Blue car parked several feet away. I moseyed around it, taking my time to admire the high-polished chrome wheels, trim, and bumpers in addition to flawless metallic paint on the body.
“Magnificent machine,” I gushed. “Four-fifty-five Stage One?”
“Yeah…” Something between awe and astonishment shimmered in his eyes as he gazed at me.
He popped the hood. “Check it out.”
“Wow…” I peered down at the engine. “Immaculate. You could eat off that. Impressive detailing. Lots of ponies under your hood.”
He slid both arms around me from behind and leaned in close. “You’re turning me on.”
I pivoted within his embrace and gazed up into heart-melting eyes that glistened in the light cast by a spectacular full moon. He lowered his head and kissed me again. This time the kiss was deeper, more intense and laced with longing.
My body relaxed against his as my arms wound around his neck. His hands slid up my back as he pulled me closer. We kissed passionately, locked in a tight embrace. He was an amazing kisser. His scent swirled around me. Arousal mounted. I hadn’t felt desire for a man, ever.
Men in my life had taken what they wanted without my consent.The sensations Jett invoked were both alarming and thrilling.
When we eased from the kiss, he hugged me close and held me like nobody ever had. “This feels good. You feel so good…” he murmured against my neck. “So real and right and good.”
“I agree.” I rested my head against his chest and sighed dreamily.
We stood next to his car, kissing and holding each other on the most enchanting night of my life, following a rollercoaster of a day. We couldn’t seem to get close enough. Desperate longing emanated between us. Nobody existed except the two of us in that unforgettable moment.
A campfire crackled nearby. Stars reigned overhead.
The most perfect night. Perfect moment. Perfect kiss.
After a while, he pulled back and stared down into my eyes, tenderly brushing mussed hair off my face with one hand. “I’m glad you’re here, darlin, and that you stayed. You must be exhausted. I know I am. Ready to crash for the night?”
“Where?”
“I sleep in my backseat. That offer to hold you all night long is still on the table if you’re interested,” he said softly, gently.
“That’s an offer I won’t refuse. I’m gonna grab my purse, be right back.”
He cupped my chin with a tender albeit sensual touch. “I’ll be waiting.”
Mercy. The way he made me feel. Flutters and shivers raced through me, over me. I prayed to get through the night without losing self-control. I sauntered back to my chair and snagged my purse off the ground.
“Where are you going?” Mackie asked in a boozy slur, sloppy drunk as usual.
I took a quick look around. Kat and Bob had retreated to the back of their truck for the night.
“Going to bed…with Jett,” I replied, adding a snarky eyebrow shrug.
She glowered through heavy eyes. “Tick, tick, tick. You’re dancing with the devil on borrowed time.”
I gave her the finger then twirled away. A wonderful night awaited, and nobody was stealing it. The car door was open when I returned, and the front seat folded forward.
He lay sprawled across the seat, shirtless, the fly of his jeans unsnapped, and both arms casually folded behind his head. He looked alarmingly suggestive.
Interview with Susan Zoe Bella
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I just finished my eightieth novel in September. My favorite novel of all is High Point. This is the first time I’ve put myself out there for promo. I’m doing it because of this book 😊
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
I would like to do a sequel because these characters are wonderful. I’d like to expand on Mia and Jett’s new life together with the new friends they have made.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I almost always write each book to stand on its own, unless I actually plan a series, in which I purposefully write shorter books. I don’t like cliffhangers, so I try to avoid series books. I do write spinoffs, which are fun.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
High Point Raceway is a special place with a fond memory. It’s where I shared my first kiss with the love of my life, May 23, 1986, a beautiful Friday night by a campfire. Wonderfully romantic!
How long did it take you to write this book?
About a year. I scrapped it at least three times before I got it right.
What does the title mean?
The title can be taken two ways, one, it’s an actual place where we had our first kiss, and the love story began. Two, it’s a High Point in our memories.
What did you learn when writing the book?
That I still love him as much as I ever did, maybe more, and that Mackie never changed after thirty-seven years.
What surprised you the most?
All the twists and turns and how much I love Motocross.
Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
I’ve only killed off villains so I’m not sure.
What do you do to get inside your character’s heads?
Think about them, write notes about them. Wait for them to talk to me. Watch for songs that capture their aura.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
"I am a fan of happily ever after. My novels are too!"
Susan Zoe enjoys creating contemporary, paranormal, fantasy and romantic suspense stories with a gritty flair. Her stories are her own, and she typically writes outside the box. She’s always been a leader not a follower. Writing is her mental filter and how she processes the world around her, a fictional place where she can control the outcome at her comfort level with justice and happy endings. Her imagination is her greatest strength as it carries her away from daily stress.
As a survivor of hardship and chronic disease, she takes one day at a time and treasures the simple things in life. Susan Zoe is a Christian, loves animals, and practices being kind and generous every day. When not immersed in new stories, she enjoys watching movies, Motocross and Supercross, playing Yahtzee with her fiancé, and hanging out with her loyal 24/7 companion and trained service dog. She’s not a fan of sitcoms as they don’t offer enough mental stimulation. Losing herself in an intense story gives her brain the workout it needs to manage OCD, anxiety, depression, and stress.
Her achievements thus far include The Golden Wings Award for her debut novel The Satellite, the UK Nobel Pin and Editor’s Choice Award for her poem The Lonely Man, numerous 5 Star Reviews from Fallen Angels Reviews, Coffee Time Romance, InD’tale Magazine, Goodreads and more for current and retired novels. She was also a RONE Awards Finalist in 2017.
She loves to hear from readers and chat!
In her words, “Writing is the only time I’m truly free.” She’s happiest when her intriguing characters come to life and steal her away into their worlds where anything is possible.
Connect with Susan Zoe Bella
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ LinkedIn
8 comments:
Thank you for hosting my High Point tour. The interview was fun :)
High Point is free until November 30th to celebrate the tour :)
Thank you so much for hosting today and featuring the author's interview.
The blurb and excerpt sound good.
How do you define success?
This sounds like a good book.
Hello Everyone,
I cannot find a way to reply to comments on this blog, and some tour stops have been glitchy as far as me being able to comment. Not sure why. Probably my lack of experience blogging LOL.
Anyway, I want to thank everyone for following my tour, and a special thanks to those who have grabbed their free copy, and a heartfelt thank you to those who actually read the book! :)
Tracie, success is finding happiness. Doesn't matter what you do, if you're rich or poor, popular or an outcast, if you have happiness inside, then you're miles ahead of most of the world. My mom taught me one good lesson, "learn to be happy with your own company" because we lived on a farm, both parents worked, and I was an only child, so I spent 99% of my time with animals when not in school or working. I learned how to entertain myself at an extremely young age and that gift is still with me because I'm still an outcast. But I am happy! I love my time alone playing with dolls, writing, shopping, and being with my dog. Okay I'm not truly alone. I was alone until the age of 25. I now have a fiancé. But when he's busy, or watching football, or when he was working doubles seven days a week, I found my happiness within.
I'll post another thank you with a question on my next stop which is Monday! Have a great weekend, everyone! Love Susan Zoe Bella
looks like a fun one
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