Thursday, October 31, 2013

Blitz Post!- Layers (Stark #1) by Sigal Ehrlich

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Title:  Layers (Stark #1)
Author:  Sigal Ehrlich
Publication Date: October 10th 2013
Goodreads URL: HERE
Plot:  According to Hayley love is a subject of ridicule, a myth created by hopeless romantics.

When Hayley makes a resolution to declare her loose lifestyle era R.I.P, it’s all good in theory…

That is until she meets Daniel Stark, a well-respected, mid-thirties business man who is known for his short temper, lack of steady relationships as well as his strict preserve of his private life.

Opinionated, sharp tongued Hayley accidently steps into his office leaving Daniel resolved to put Hayley in her place and have her in his bed.

Both Hayley and Daniel can’t avoid the immediate instigation of the attraction between them.

In a unanimously agreed upon verdict by Hayley and her two best friends, Ian the gay self-absorb, aspiring model and Natasha the witty, borderline neurotic soul mate, Daniel Stark is to be Hayley’s pure physical attraction, emotions aside era closure.

Will it indeed be a closure, or a beginning to something neither Hayley nor Daniel ever bargained for…

EXCERPT:

There's a high-end coffee machine calling my name on the countertop across the room. A quick little coffee and I am out of here.
I press the green small-cup button and the machine awakens with the noise of evaporating steam. The oh-so-aromatic, roasted scent wafts toward me as the machine fills the cup with a rich chocolate-colored liquid. I'm thrilled, already anticipating the taste. When the machine signals that the cycle is complete, I grab the cup too hastily, and some of the coffee manages to spill on my white blouse.
Observing the damage with irritation, I murmur, “Fuck me,” under my breath.
Is that a request?”
Shifting my stare back to see who has just spoken; I find myself holding on to the counter from a momentary loss of balance, as I take in the sight of the orator.
Heat spreads from the center of my skull through my throat, to the top of my cleavage. And I don’t do blushing. What the hell?
Standing there is the very picture of hot, tall and sinful. White tee, jeans, and the most alluring bad boy stance. Something in his crooked smile inexplicably leaves me dumbfounded. For the space of a moment, I am lost in him.
His eyes roam over me with a wicked glee, stripping off every layer of clothing I have on. The air escapes my lungs at the intensity of that gaze.
I gape back at him, my jaw slightly dropped. “Mmm… just made some coffee.” I mumble my lame excuse and follow it with a thin smile.
So I assume it wasn’t a request, then?” His teasing eyes are on me, that sexy grin is still plastered on his face, and his expression insinuates pure sin.
Too bad,” he murmurs, and I have to swallow hard.
Is that your thing?” I ask, recovering.
He cocks an eyebrow. Sneaking behind people and trying to engage them in salacious activities?” A low laugh, deep and hoarse, comes as a reply.
No.” He scratches his amused lips with his thumb, looking at me with a slightly tilted head. “And just for the record, I believe it was you who started with the indecent proposals.”

I open my mouth, looking frantically for some clever comeback that doesn’t appear to come, and instead feel my face heat up. Again. Damn.


GIVEAWAY!:
Prizes (open internationally):
--50$ Amazon gift card

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AUTHOR BIO:
By teen age, Sigal already lived in three different continents where she had the luck to experience and visit varied places, meet unique people, which only helped fuel her overly developed imagination. Currently, Sigal calls Estonia home where she lives with her husband and three kids.

Not exactly sure where they will end up next…

When she is not hiding in her office, writing, she enjoys music, reading and taking care of her little clan.

With a great believe in "don’t wait for things to happen - make them happen," she enjoys anything exciting life has to offer.


Links:


Interview with Sigal Ehrlich!:  
Tell us a bit about Layers
Hayley makes a resolution to declare her loose lifestyle over, a resolution that doesn’t stand a chance when sparks of attraction fly as soon as she meets the Daniel Stark.
When she decides to give in to attraction for the very last time with the blessing of her two best friends, Ian the gay self-absorbed, aspiring model and Natasha the witty, borderline neurotic soul mate, they all agree she should not make it more than it is, not with him.
But life has its own course and what you plan is not always what you get.
Both Hayley and Daniel who don’t exactly believe in love or relationships for that matter, find themselves battling inner struggles, trying to stay true to their beliefs while irresistibly being pulled toward each other.   There you go, Layers in a nutshell…
What inspired you to write Layers?
To begin with, the characters of Daniel and Hayley have resided in my mind for a very long time, combine that with a love for surfing, tattoos and humor, and it was just likely that the mixture will end up as a book.
Do you have any traits in common with Hayley the protagonist?
There are a few similarities, we both lack a mind to mouth filter. Deep inside we both are what you may call a “good girl.” And both of us care dearly for our friends. But I guess there’s where it ends. Hayley is much more brazen and outspoken, and the entire “loose lifestyle” thing she had going on, definitely not my scene.

Name 5 things that people don’t know about you and about the book.
About me:
  1. I am a non-romantic... that writes romantic books.
  2. I’ve lived in five different countries and travelled to more than a few dozen.
  3. I am a words nerd, I skim through dictionaries for fun and try to learn a new word a day. Pathetic but true.
  4. I add cinnamon to almost everything I cook.
  5. I named my new baby Daniel as I fell in love with the name while writing Layers.

About Layers:
  1. I actually got a publishing contract but decided to decline it and self-publish, still hoping I will not have to drown this decision in many intakes of alcohol.
  2. Ian’s character is based on a real person.
  3. For the first half of the book both Hayley and Tasha had different looks.
  4. One of the most intense scenes was written on 4 sick bags as my Laptop’s battery died in the middle of a flight.
  5. Snow Patrol’s best songs were played in a loop throughout the writing of the book

Do you write full-time or part-time?
Unfortunately, with a five month old baby aka my new boss, I can’t write full-time. I’d love to though, and hope it will become possible for me in the future.
Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block? Take a break. Disconnect for a while, don’t think about it, do something that distracts you and then return to your work. Don’t fight it...
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
First and foremost with English being my second language and one of a few that I speak, from time to time, I need to make sure that for example a certain idiom I’m using is actually taken from English and not my translation from one of the other languages that I speak.
Another thing, I try to make my stories believable, stay true to real situations and people. As a writer you sometimes tend to take imagination to the next level. I find myself occasionally reassessing the validity of a situation, asking, if I were this character would I really act a certain way, speak in that way.
Do you read much and if so what are your favorite books?
Oh, I read, a lot! I think that if you check my kindle for the amount of books I’ve purchased so far, it will imply that I read about a book and a half a week.  I have many favorite books from a variety of genres. The first three that pop to my mind are:
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, The ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series by George R. R. Martin, The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski.
How do you relax?
Sparkling, a bottle or two … just kidding, no drinking problem here, yet… anyway.
Two things that set me at ease are aimlessly driving by myself with very loud music as company and cooking. If you find 2-3 freshly baked cakes on my kitchen counter, you can without any doubt assume I was a mess not long before.
What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?
Who says writers are sane?  Overall, I guess, it’s the ability to write, knowing when to come back to the real world, and mostly, having a very thick skin.
Any more books on the horizon?
Yes, actually there are two. First, there’s Inner Core, Layers’ sequel which will examine whether a relationship is strong enough to overcome too many mistakes, differences and… life. The lightness and fun will follow this book as well and there’s much to be expected in terms of character development.
The second project is Leaving Me Behind.  Leaving Me Behind is about a thirty-something successful business woman who leaves her stressful life to pursue serenity and break her too many strict rules in a coastal city in Spain.
When are these books coming?
Inner Core is planned to be released at the beginning of 2014. Leaving Me Behind is expected Mid- 2014.
Quickies:
Coffee or Tea?
Coffee and a lot!
Drama or humor?
Humor, and the crazier the better.
Day or night?
Night.
Sooner or Later?
Sooner, always.
Reading or writing?
Writing.
Favorite part of writing?
Dialogs.
Least favorite part of writing?
Editing. And the dreadful synopsis.
Something we don’t know about your writing?
I make myself laugh, geeky and pathetic as it may sound, I do.
What would you take to a deserted Island?
My kindle!
Best invention of the 21st century?
Coffee to go.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
Yep, first, thank you for having me here. Second, I want to thank everyone who read Layers, a big, fat thank you! 


Where to get your copy!:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

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