Blog Tour: Joint Review, Author Interview, GIVEAWAY - CONSEQUENCES by Aleatha Romig

SYNOPSIS

Besieged by memories of a brutal abduction, Claire Nichols wakes in an unfamiliar bedroom, within a luxurious mansion. Her recollections have one common denominator, the man she just met, Anthony Rawlings.
Unbeknownst to Claire, for a very long time, she has been within Anthony’s sights. Many of the pivotal events in her life occurred, due to his sinister manipulation. Every action has a consequence, and his actions result in their chance meeting.

More than a psychological thriller, Consequences is a vivid story of one woman’s struggle to survive incomprehensible circumstances. Every aspect of her being suddenly depends upon the tall, wealthy, dark haired, dark eyed businessman. Anthony Rawlings is known to the world as prosperous, benevolent, and kind. Claire quickly learns that he can also be a menacing controlling captor.

With few options but concession, Claire attempts to earn her freedom, while enduring a hellish existence that truly appears perfect. Persevering tests and trials, she struggles to retain her pure Midwest values and beliefs. Encouraged by memories of a loving upbringing, she gains strength in the simplest of joys: solitude in nature and good in the face of evil.

His goal in sight, Anthony’s calculated agenda encounters an unforeseen detour. He becomes captivated by Claire’s beauty, resilience, and determination. The interaction of these two compelling characters instigates strong emotions: fear, anger, love, and lust. Claire and Anthony’s tumultuous journey flows into uncharted waters of intrigue and passion.

Utilizing vivid detail, this 167,000-word novel unfolds like a movie, before the eyes of its readers. From the opening criminal abduction, through twists and turns, to the unlikely romantic thrills, the suspense climaxes as Anthony’s motivation becomes evident.

Anthony and Claire must decide if they will stay true to one another, or allow preceding actions to result in justifiable Consequences.

PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON / B&N

PEPPER & MICHELLE’S JOINT REVIEW

MICHELLE: Gah! Where do I even start?? So you know this is like one of my favorite series of all time and I have a total lady crush on Aleatha and think shes an amazing writer.

For me- I could not put Consequences down. Literally I read it in one sitting and started Truth right after. I just couldnt even believe what I was reading!!!

PEPPER: OK, so 1st I have to say that I LOVE Aleatha as well. Amazing amazing writing. Like unreal. But I had a way different reaction to the book at first. Like, I got 18% and was like - what. the. fuck. is going on.

And I stopped reading. And then you - my bestie - convinced me to just continue. So, because you are amazing and ALWAYS right, I tried again. And I am so glad I did. Holy shit!

MICHELLE: Yay! I am so glad you did too!! I mean as soon as the book was done I was like- what the hell just happened? And why do I need to call my therapist?

PEPPER: I have never highlighted and noted so much in a book. One second I am like, swooning, and literally a page later I am calling Tony a mother fucker. It’s insane-pure insanity. I felt like:

MICHELLE: I know. I have never felt so confused about a character. I hated him so much and then I was in love with him and then I was like- I HATE YOU. I love you…. I feel crazy…

PEPPER: YES! I know it is literally like I am having a personality disorder the whole time I am reading this book.

MICHELLE: I know. Tony is pure evil. And yet when something inside him changes I soften towards him. It’s like I am going through the same emotions as Claire but I also dont want to give in to those positive feelings. Its like:

PEPPER: Seriously!!! I don’t want to give anything away but the end just shocked the shit out me. Which was crazy considering everything that had happened. And then it just ended - GAH!!

So let’s talk Tony- aka David Gandy? Or someone else?

MICHELLE: So a lot of people picture John Hamm as Tony but I love Joe Manganiello or Joe Mandingo as I like to call him…

PEPPER: Yea no to John Hamm - except for his gigantic penis but i also liked Joe Manganiello
…or mandingo (who ALSO has a gigantic penis, BTW)
hahahaha

MICHELLE: I just think he has that intensity thing going. Plus i cant picture DG being that mean.

PEPPER: So true.

MICHELLE: I mean lets be honest. Aleatha is giving you the worst kind of stuff- sexual and physical abuse- and she still does it in a way that you can handle reading it. That takes both guts and talent!

PEPPER: I know, its unreal.

MICHELLE: And yet this monster that she creates in Tony eventually doesnt seem that bad. And of course that is just a total cluster in my mind.
I want Claire to be able to look at Tony and be like:

BUT - I don’t blame her for falling for him. Stockholm Syndrome is real people!!!

PEPPER: How could you not? I mean you can’t really leave. And he makes it so that he is like the only human being to interact with. And he is sometimes amazing. I can see it. This is what was hard for me at first though. I was like, bitch just run out of there. But, after I read for a while, I was convinced that she just had to adapt and compartmentalize.

MICHELLE: I know. It’s amazing really. And Claire. I think she is amazing. I have to admit that I LOVED her in Truth. But even in Consequences. I thought she was so strong given her circumstances and I mean she just did what she had to do to survive. Even after losing so much. I was like:

PEPPER: YES! Claire ends up being a total bad ass for me. Especially in Truth. But by the end of Consequences, I was like, girl you got this: Just thinking back, she transformed so much for me. She starts off as this happy go lucky bartender just doing her thing. And by the end she was like - fuck this shit, I am taking my life and doing something with it: I wanted to scream like this:

MICHELLE: Yes! Love you girl!!

So switching gears a little but there’s something that is important to me. I know that Aleatha doesn’t really put the hardcore sex stuff in here and some people might miss that but i thought she was the master of sexual tension. And when they did have sex it was perfect for me. I really felt like I was going through the actual emotions with them- more than just needing to reach for my vibe.

PEPPER: I agree. I was not disappointed at all that the sex was not the reason for the book being written. You know, we all love the book porn, but that is why I loved this so much. It wasn’t VIBEactive, but so effing good.

MICHELLE: Totes. The other thing I loved is that Tony and Claire are enough on their own. I mean its already a lot. But Aleatha works in so many other character flawlessly and they are all important and they are all written well. Its like watching a super intense mini series or movie.

PEPPER: It really is amazing how she does it. Because a lot of the time I find supporting characters more intriguing than the main characters. But this wasn’t the case. There were so many levels to the both of them AND their dynamics together, that the other characters were an added bonus - not show stealers. It is all just so good that I feel like doing this:

MICHELLE: Exactly!! So dear blog readers- as you can see- we cannot say enough about how much we love this book. It is not a warm and fuzzy romance but it is full of suspense and intrigue and we think you will love it. There are parts that are difficult to read but Aleatha is a master at what she does and it works out in a way that is just mind blowing. Pick up your copy of Consequences today and while you’re at it, grab Truth because you won’t be able to stop!!

TEASER

The music resonated soulfully, rhythmical and lively. The lights of the tent dimmed and the dance floor glittered with intensified brilliance. Tony led Claire onto the dance floor hand in hand. His eyes, soft as crushed velvet, beheld his beautiful new wife. She was lost in his gaze of complete love and adoration. Swiftly, her doubts and fears faded away. He had the most amazing ability to dissolve her heart and soul. Gallantly he took her hand, encircled her small waist with his strong, powerful, yet tender embrace. Her body immediately molded to his. They moved in sync. He turned, twirled, and spun her around the floor. The bustled wedding gown swayed to his slightest inclination. They had only danced together a few times, but their bodies moved together on numerous occasions. She became lost in his stare, and without thought or consciousness he had complete control and dominance over every aspect of her being and every movement of her body. With each crescendo of the music, Claire’s heartbeat accelerated. The guests surrounded the dance floor to watch the newlyweds waltz. Tony tall and dark, Claire petite and light, their contrast intensified the beauty and sensuality of the moment. Claire didn’t notice the gathered crowd until the music reached its final fermata. Up until that moment, her brilliant emerald green eyes could only see her husband. When the music stilled, he gently kissed his bride and the guests applauded. Claire blushed and smiled.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

What inspired you to write Consequences?

I’d always wanted to write a book. It was a bucket list type thing. In 2008 my husband lost his job, it was in construction materials and the economy tanked! He began working a third shift job. Our two oldest children were off in college. Our youngest was going to bed about 8:30. That left a lot of alone time.
I had this idea of a woman in a room… I decided to sit down and see where the story would take me. I didn’t write Consequences to publish. I wrote Consequences as therapy or escape from my life. I could totally manipulate and control the lives of these characters. It was more than I could do for myself.
What inspired you to write Consequences?

I’d always wanted to write a book. It was a bucket list type thing. In 2008 my husband lost his job, it was in construction materials and the economy tanked! He began working a third shift job. Our two oldest children were off in college. Our youngest was going to bed about 8:30. That left a lot of alone time.
I had this idea of a woman in a room… I decided to sit down and see where the story would take me. I didn’t write Consequences to publish. I wrote Consequences as therapy or escape from my life. I could totally manipulate and control the lives of these characters. It was more than I could do for myself.

What author has influenced you the most?

I belong to the Indiana Romance Writers Association. In our local chapter there are many talented writers, and I’ve learned and been influenced by these woman in many ways. Most of them have much more experience than I. Their willingness to share and encourage has been invaluable.
In a long distance, no direct influence kind of way, I will say E.L. James. Not because I found Fifty Shades amazing… it was good. But, she opened the door to “different books” hitting the mainstream. Consequences Series isn’t erotic; however, it is dark. I breach subjects that previously were taboo. I’m not sure that my series would have received the acceptance it has, pre Fifty Shades.

What current project are you working on?

I’m writing Convicted, the third and final of my Consequences Series. I’m over 2/3’s through. Although it isn’t done I do know how it ends.

What were the challenges in bringing Consequences to life?

I was and am so inexperienced. Consequences was published in August of 2011 by a self-publishing publisher. In October 2012 I rereleased Consequences completely Indie. Just last week I entered an agreement with a copy editor. I’d had Consequences and Truth line-edited… and as many have pointed out, there are still mistakes. Being self-published I’m not accustomed to having someone tell me “consider deleting” or “consider re-wording” or anything else… I’m excited and scared.
The truth is, I believe I have wonderful stories and want to do anything and everything to bring the best version to the world. To date Consequences has sold almost 50,000 copies! That amazes me!

What can readers look forward to in the future?

After Convicted, I plan to do a “novella” called, Behind His Eyes. It will be The Consequences Series Reading Companion. It will have various Tony POV’s. I’m not rewriting the entire series, only specific scenes. I had one blogger ask for Tony’s POV before Consequences begins… while he’s watching Claire. Do you think anyone would be interested in that?
Once the Consequences Series is complete, I have ideas for other stories. I guess we’ll need to see what the future brings! All I can say is, I’ve already experienced more through my writing than I EVER imagined. Not only have I received more recognition than I ever dreamed, I’ve met wonderful people! It’s true, sometimes Life is stranger than fiction!

Do you expect your readers to view Tony as a villain or a hero?

I have NO expectations. I love receiving messages or reading reviews where people say he is both! When a reader says they HATED him, usually threatening some sort of bodily harm, and then turns around and says, they LOVE him, despite their better judgment, I believe I’ve done something special.

AUTHOR INFO

Aleatha Romig voted #1 “New Author to Read” on Goodreads, July 2012 through now! She is a “Published Author’s Network” member of the Romance Writer’s of America. She has lived most of her life in Indiana, growing-up in Mishawaka, graduating from Indiana University, and currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her husband of twenty six years, they’ve raised three children. She works days as a dental hygienist and enjoys spending her nights writing. She also likes to spend time with her family, friends and patients. Her pastimes include exercising, reading and writing.

Aleatha enjoys traveling, especially when there is a beach involved. In 2011 she had the opportunity to visit Sydney, Australia to visit her daughter studying at the University of Wollongong. Her dream is to travel to places in her novels and around the world. CONSEQUENCES, her first novel was released in August 2011 and has sold over 20,000 copies. TRUTH, the sequel was released October 2012 and has surpassed 10,000 copies in less than 3 months!

Aleatha originally published through self publisher Xlibris a subsidiarity of Author’s Solution/ Penguin Publishing. In October of 2012 she re-published on her own, a true Indie Author. Later that month she published Truth through Romig Works. Aleatha is happy to be represented by Danielle Egan-Miller of Browne & Miller Literary Associates.

CONTACT ALEATHA: GOODREADS / WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER

GIVEAWAY

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