Alex Rosa's Blog - Posts Tagged "emotionally-compromised"

It's such an exciting thing being a new author! I scoured my own website this morning and was shocked to witness my own countdown! haha. I can't believe my first novel Emotionally Compromised will be released in less than 44 day! *eek*. This is what had me running over to Goodreads to check out how the book was doing in its pre-release state. To say I was ecstatic would not be close to good enough. As of today so many people have already added it to their "to-read" list and my jaw just dropped! Also my Goodreads giveaway has begun TODAY too! And will run until the release date scheduled for November 15th, 2013! Enter now to win a signed copy of the book! So many people have entered that already too! *eek-x2*

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

I just wanted to thank everyone who has added it to their library, and entered the giveaway. I am so excited to get this book out! You're all so wonderful! <3

-A. Rosa

I can't believe it has finally happened, but my debut novel has been officially released. *faints* You can now get your wonderful, grubby paws on the paperback or ebook! Thank you to all who made this happen, and supported me every step of the way. A BIG thank you to all of you amazing readers out there who have made this journey more than worth it. Without my friends, readers, and fellow authors I would be lost.

To get the scoop on my next novel to be published don't forget to sign up for the mailing list. Hope the current subscribers enjoy that $2.00 off discount on the paperback ;)

Also, if you have read, or are planning on reading my book, please do not forget to write a review or rate the book on Goodreads and Amazon. It is always the best way to support indie authors! Spread the word! <3

Now, without further ado... the Emotionally Compromised book release...



~Excerpt/Teaser~
I try the distraction technique. I press my lips against his, and though he is shocked by the move, he accepts them willingly. His lips devour mine in need.

He slams my body hard into the wall, and pins me with his hips. His hands drag down my torso, gripping my behind roughly, and his fingers dig into my skin.

This is Jeremy Hunt. Commanding and demanding. Another favorite. With this version, I don't need to think.

He pulls away from me, out of breath. "I need to know we are OK." I realize this is our way of doing things. Sometimes I suck at talking, and this might be my only way of showing him that we are fine.

His mouth covers mine again, and I can't help but whimper. He pulls away once more. "That's better."
The bastard knows that talking like this isn't my thing, and he seems aware of his power over me. I return his heated crystal glare with a wry look. Obviously, he's aware I let him control me. "Fine. Let's not talk, then."

He scoops me up, bridal style. "Jeremy, what are you doing?" I yelp in surprise.
"You don't want to talk. Fine! But I will at least make this more comfortable for both of us." He beelines for my bedroom.

"I am no good at talking," I blurt out.

He raises an eyebrow at me, starting up the steps. "Oh really? I think you are good at it when you are scolding me."

Before I can respond with something sarcastic, he throws me onto the bed. "Jeremy!"

"Oh, are you angry at me now?"

His grin is infectious as I watch his Viking form, in only his boxer briefs, crawl over the bed toward me. My previous anger vanishes, and I smile. How does he do that?

Before I can finish my thought, his lips come down on mine hard, he presses his hips into me, and he grabs my hands, pinning them above my head. His tongue dips into my mouth for a brief moment, teasing me, eliciting an involuntary moan to slip from my lips.

He pulls away looking triumphant. "Now that I've got you calmed down, and right where I want you"—his eyes glitter mischievously—"you need to know that I am glad I am everything to you."

My eyes widen, and the previous panic seeps back into my core. My arms jolt, trying to get free of his grasp, but his grip is firm. I try to speak, but he cuts me off with an authoritative voice. "I am not finished yet." He places a chaste kiss on my lips to soften the conversation. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, and I have to admit that would frustrate the hell out of me, but for now I will let it go. I just want to say a few things. Maybe we don't know what everything means to us, but those feelings are mutual. You don't need to be scared, or embarrassed by your emotions. I can tell this is something you don't know how to handle, and in a way, it's kind of"—he tilts his head to the side as if pondering it for a moment—"cute."

I furrow my eyebrows at the word cute. Teddy bears are cute, not trained federal agents.

He laughs at my look and kisses the soft skin between my wrinkled brows. "You are so much cuter than you let on, but that is beside the point. You are a lot to handle, you know that?"
My lips twitch playfully, hiding my own secrets.. "Oh, you have no idea."

We both let out a belt of laughter, and things feel back to normal. Whatever normal means to us.

~BUY LINKS~
eBook:
http://www.amazon.com/Emotionally-Com...

Amazon Paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/Emotionally-Com...


(International)Paperback:
https://www.createspace.com/4225788

~FREEBIE!!~
It's the last day (for a long while) that you'll be able to download my book EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED for free (at time of this posting)!! Get your hands on it! Links below! And please share it!

[Amazon US]
http://www.amazon.com/Emotionally-Com...

[Amazon UK]
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Emotionally-C...

Don't forget the most awesome thing you could do for us indie authors is write a review on Amazon or Goodreads! It's seriously the biggest help ever!

Thanks everyone who has read, or is reading, or will be reading this book in the future

A few months back my editor, Dani, had tweeted me a link about the Annual Local Authors Exhibit that happens at the downtown (New Central) San Diego Public Library. Signing up was free and you get to have your book on display for the whole month of February. Then the day before the exhibits debut a private reception for the author’s being displayed. To say I was jazzed by the opportunity and invite is an understatement.

As thrilled as I was to go, it wasn’t what I expected, but an impressive gathering none the less. The San Diego Public Library is shiny, bright, and brand new. A large dome sits atop the building, looming over you, and it was dazzling to look at in the evening. I made a note to myself as I walked to check-in to put coming back here on my do-it-as-soon-as-possible list.

I knew the invitee list had over 300+ attendees, but when I strolled precariously in my black heels, it in fact did look like a lot of people, and my social butterfly wings fluttered nervously, seeing as I went by myself. I had to nervously remind myself why I was there, among other things. Networking, Networking, uuuhhh, how do I do that again?

I trekked on to the semi-outdoor auditorium where there was some opening comments and speeches from Library Director, Deborah Barrow, and the keynote speaker, Mel Katz of the Library Foundation. I had to stand in the back because it was a packed house, which I had no problem with. My favorite part was when Mel Katz highlighted some major recognition/awards received by local authors. I wish I could have remembered their names. I should have brought a pen and paper, really.

After the speeches were done all authors gathered in the reception area where food and drinks were served. The line was fairly long, so I didn’t get any food. I was anxious being by myself, and the idea of sitting in a corner like a loner eating was not appealing, but I regret not munching on the divine cheeses they had. I instead ogled tables where people chatted.

Also, there was an awesome live band playing in the food/schmooze area that offered a really wonderful ambiance.

For being somewhat of a networking event, it seemed for the most part people kept to who they knew, and also who they brought.

The exhibit was awesome. Glass display cases lined the center of the room, and along the perimeter, containing all of the books. It was delightful to see what genres were displayed. I thought I would see a fair amount of romance, seeing as that is one of the most popular genres in the literary market, but no. I actually saw only a handful. I noticed a lot of young adult, maybe some woman’s general fiction, and memoirs.

My favorite section was the children’s books. Only because majority of the books were actually written by kids! Ages from 9-14 gathered around tall glass cases with their parents, capturing their precious moment on camera. It was awesome. I thought I was a big shot publishing at 25, Hell, that kid published at 8!

They had a travel book section too, which was pretty fantastic. Most were about local areas around town, but others were vast. I personally appreciated quite a few on desert regions like Borrego Springs. Ok, I’m a bio nerd at heart, and I gotta rep my deserts. You don’t work for a conservation organization for 5 years and not come out a bit hippie.

So, being that this was my first time ever attending this event I can tell you that there are some things I would do very differently in hindsight, and also things I would do the same, for sure. Next year I will own this event. Here are the things I would try to avoid, or look into your self if you run into the same type of event, and take note:

1. Maybe I will be alone in this, but don’t go alone. It felt like a brilliant idea at the time. I had friend I originally invited, and when I explained the event they were less than enthused to go. This is when I thought maybe going by myself would be best considering if you aren’t involved in the writing world, you won’t understand or enjoy being around it, especially in a networking event. I mean, I thought my friend would hate to hang out while I schmoozed and tried to find another writing partner in crime. Alas, I was wrong. I was nervous, and having someone there would have eased my nerves, and they most likely (or hopefully) would motivate me to be social. I am a naturally bubbly, outgoing person, and I still bombed. Not to mention, also the average age of the attendees were over 40. So, even if I might have day-dreamed of arriving solo, and meeting a cute 20-something writer taking selfies next to his epic dystopian novel, it was far from ever happening. Le sigh.

2. Send in your actual paperback. Confused? Right, I should explain. When I registered for the event they requested my cover image, and an eBook copy first of the book, and offered a paperback as an optional element to mail in. Being a self-published author, we deal in eBook currency it feels, I e-mailed my eBook. This was a mistake. When I arrived to the event, all these authors gathered around their books, taking pictures, and I couldn’t because I had no book to visit. This is what really affected my ability to be social. How was I supposed to interact with authors when I had nothing to physically show being an author. I was super bummed. Don’t get me wrong, I met a few people, and they were nice, but mostly they were all in very different genres than me. Long story short, it also would have been super cool to take pictures with my book among other local authors, but I guess it was nice to see my name in the program, too. Seriously. At least I got that.

3. Get to the event early. I work in a north, costal beach town up the 5 freeway. I knew there was going to be a lot traffic on a Friday night heading into downtown, but I did not anticipate it taking me almost an hour and a half to get there. I was embarrassed that I was almost 30 minutes late, but lucky for me, a lot of people were arriving then too. However, I don’t think I’d want be part of that crowd by choice.

4. Bring a business card. I did. Ok, how many times have I admitted that my bubbly self is incredibly embarrassed by her “fight or flight” reaction to social interaction? You get the picture. But I did have a stack of business cards in my purse with my author info/links, while also listing/advertising my book touring company “WanderLust Book Tours”. This may be cowardly to admit, and (I guess) I am a bit shamed by the following confession, but among the glass cases and towering displays, a few authors would leave bookmarks or business cards. So … *sigh* I did the same, plopping mini stacks of my cards among others, hoping in a perfect world, an author might snag it and use me in the future. –Not so far fetched, I think. Regardless, I still appreciated the ability to leave my cards.

Overall, it was a fantastic event. It was wonderful to see all the talent coming out of San Diego. I might not have been extremely social, or even a little bit, but I most definitely did my fair share of people watching and eavesdropping, and I’d like to say that there is such a wonderfully dynamic pool of authors coming out of this city, and I am proud to be one of them.

Side note, did I mention the epic purchase I made as a sad gift to myself for being awesome? The SD Public Library had a gift store with the coolest, hipster-esque, book/writer paraphernalia I had ever physically witnessed, and not on an online store. Ya know what I found? The actual Etsy literary scarf from Storiarts! I had dreamed of owning the Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice scarf I had seen on their online store, but unfortunately my options were limited. My choices were: Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (white), Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (white), Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (white), and The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. It was tough to choose actually, but I knew my dark heart was set on Poe. (Which one would you have chose?) So I purchased it! For a pretty penny too, at $52, which was a $10 mark-up from what I would have paid if I bought it online, but I guess I didn’t have to wait for it to be mailed to me. Regardless, I am in love with it. I also consider it a bit of a memento of the evening.

Are you a writer? You should check to see if your major cities public library has a local author event! Normally, the reasons these occasions exist is to highlight an authors hard work, and your city taking pride in it. These events are normally free for you, and registration fairly simple. Don’t miss an excellent opportunity to meet more of your kind, we are a rare breed.

Laters<3


Sincerely with the biggest, nerd-girl grin on my face,

Hello Lovelies,

I've been getting a lot of questions about the sequel to Emotionally Compromised, which is just fantastic! I am eager that you're eager, and I think it has helped reignite my love of these chatacters. I must admit my focus has been shifted on other novels lately. However, THAT ALL CHANGES STARTING TODAY! I have begun writing to Separation Anxiety (Book #2)!

You just hit that moment where you miss your bad-ass, snarky heroine, ya know?

If you finished Emotionally Compromised, and the teaser chapter to book #2 at the end of your eBook/Paperback has been frustrating you, there is good news on all fronts:
​
[*] Separation Anxiety is currently being written, and my goal is a January 2015 publication.
​
[*]Separation Anxiety is now on Goodreads!
--- [ADD IT ON GOODEADS, CLICK HERE]

[*] You can read the very unedited version of the sequel as it is written on Wattpad.
---- Please remember that until publication the story posted online is subject to changes when it comes to plot, dialogue, ect.
---- [CLICK HERE TO READ IT]
​Because I haven't written to in a (long) while, I have a teaser to show you! YAY!

Thanks for joining me on my blog for all these epic announcements. If you need a refresher on the plot to book #2, check out the synopsis posted on Goodreads.

With all that good news and more, here is the first teaser to Separation Anxiety:

###############

ALEX TURNER

“Secretary?” Jeremy asks pointedly, not looking up from his laptop at the end of the table, commanding the room without eye contact.

I lift my eyes from my corner of the room with Derek and Ryan, watching four goons and Cynthia Freedman both turn to look at Jeremy on the opposite side of an oddly large contemporary conference table, set in a room that could have come straight out of the French Revolution, ornate wall carvings and all.

Watching curiously, I am always somewhat taken a back when I witness Jeremy Hunt’s ruthless side. It always comes in bouts of purpose, and only used when entirely necessary. Though, Jeremy might lose his patience with me, he is always on the opposite side of ruthless, even though his tone might try to imply otherwise. Regardless, I can’t help but like it.

The effortless disregard of what’s to follow after he opens his mouth is my favorite part. This side of Jeremy doesn’t care, and doesn’t accept failure. However, maybe with this experience particularly he has had enough of being told what to do for the past twenty-fours hours. His temper is now a short circuit.

Jeremy lifts his icy stare carelessly from his computer, leveling his eyes with the hard-headed woman and her entourage, completely unfazed by their attempt at intimidation. “This first weekend I will not be working. I’ll be going out for personal reasons into the city.”

Secretary Freedman’s pink, perfect collagen lips bob for a moment in silence as if having a hard time gathering a response.

“T-That’s fine, Mr. Hunt,” she huffs while wiping anxiously at the corners of her mouth before going on. “The only request I have is we continue to have our meeting scheduled for Sunday evening, in prep for the beginning of the conference, of course.”

My nose wrinkles. Her tone is too smooth for my liking, giving me the sinking feeling she may actually enjoy these confrontations with Jeremy, and that’s never a good sign. Damn her thirst for power-trips. Jeremy is too charming for his own good. I don’t know whether to hate her or him at the moment. I'm aware how irrational that sounds.

I pretend not to pay attention as I try to focus on Derek, who is dragging his long, determined finger over the blue prints on his laptop screen.

“Turner,” Derek grumbles quietly, causing me to bring my eyes back to his, but I keep an open ear as he continues to point at all exit points around the perimeter of the building.

“Excellent,” Jeremy replies coolly. “This will also require me to commandeer one person from your security team.”

I don’t budge as I stare at Derek, gritting my teeth as my cheeks burn with embarrassment, and I can’t figure out why.

What am I? A pirate ship, or your girlfriend, Jeremy?

I can practically hear Secretary Freedman batting her eyelashes in cooperation as she replies, “Why that’s fine, Mr. Hunt, and I consider it a highly appropriate request in reference to our situation. I’ll assign you Ryan McKa—“

Jeremy waves her off into instant silence. “No, I am taking Miss Turner, and Miss Turner only. I think we can both agree that she will be enough security.”

This time my eyes jump to Jeremy, who’s mouth is puckered into the most adorable smirk, and although his eyes aren’t on me, I know that wry look is meant for me. I bet you he is only too tempted to slyly add, “I am sure she wouldn’t let anything happen to me …” and he’d be right.

The corners of my lips squirm involuntarily as I wrap my head around what he means.

Among the chaos and the insane, is he hinting at what I think he his? A date night in Paris?

I feel like the bad-ass federal agent in me should be rolling her eyes, and laughing at how ridiculous it all sounds. Yet, my heart flutters with the same giddiness that I can only imagine a girl infatuated with a man in the city of love would have.

I steal another glance at Jeremy’s perfect profile, cursing it, and adoring it. Wasn’t I annoyed at him two seconds ago?

How can I focus on guns and ammo when I have something like that to look forward to?

It isn’t until I hear Derek’s disgruntled sigh that has me realizing I have to find a way to balance this whole business and pleasure thing as I bounce my eyes apologetically to his.

“Sorry,” I whisper. I strum my fingers on the table, frustrated with Derek’s bossy eyes on me. “It’s kinda hard to pay attention,” I whisper again haughtily.

Ryan McKay chimes in this time, which I know will annoy Derek more than me.

“Turner is just excited to be treated like lady, which probably doesn’t happen too often.”

The arrogant sound of his voice flips the switch in my body that causes my right arm to leap out and punch something. My fist makes contact with his arm.

“Ow,” he grumbles through his shit-eating grin, that tells me regardless of earning a bruise in the process, he has still somehow won this petty interaction. Why am I smirking, too?

“Can-it, McKay,” barks Derek.

As if even being caught like three kids in a playground scuffle, the voice of Cynthia Freedman sounds from behind us. “Is there a problem, Captain Matthews?”

Gosh, I’ll never get used to hearing that.

He swivels around to face her, back straight and rigid as he replies, “No, Secretary. No problem.”

The moment she turns around and begins her departure, Derek’s elbow comes in playful contact with my gut before he says, “Would you please stop making us look like the three stooges, Turner?”

I twist my lips, overwhelmed by the insult, and before I can reply with something as equally rude, Jeremy’s hearty laughter echoes into the room, meaning he's been watching the entire scene unfold.

I picture the situation from the outside, and know I can assume the dumb-ass smirk Ryan has behind me, which only puts the cherry on top of this over the top situation.

This is not at all how I imagined this assignment to go, and I have only been in this city a day.

Uncomfortable in my own skin for a moment, I shake out my shoulders wondering if within the limits of Paris there might be a shooting range somewhere to help me regain my sense of balance.

###############

So, what did you think? Have you read what has been posted online, or just your puchased/ARC copy?

Are you excited to see the shenanigans unfold? What will Agent Turner be up against in this book? How will the romance with Jeremy Hunt go? Are you eager for their night out in Paris? Do you think Jeremy will let her bring her gun? ;)

Thanks so much for reading. I would love to hear any and all thoughts when it comes to the coming sequel.

To stay up to date on the progression of the story and read new chapters as they are written, check up on my Wattpad profile, or join my mailing [here], or like me on facebook.

You're all stellar <3

With a giddy smirk, yous truly,
A. Rosa

EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED is 99¢ on Amazon right now!
Get at this sexy, kick ass Romantic Suspense novel on sale now for a limited time!

Amazon US: http://goo.gl/bi8uyM

"I love romantic suspense, and this book succeeds in perfectly combining the romance and the suspense elements, resulting in a story that is all at once sexy, intense, exciting, and even funny."
-Gillian Pemberton, Amazon Review

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