VIP (Rock & Release, Act #1) by Riley Edgewood
Publisher: Not Available
Release Date: November 17th 2014
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Covers for act 2 & 3
Synopsis:
VIP is the first act of Rock & Release, Riley Edgewood's three-part new adult romance serial!
When Cassidy Evans scores VIP tickets to a concert, she decides to use them for one carefree night before beginning a summer internship at her father’s Fortune 500 company. But one carefree night turns into a few too many martinis—with two unexpected twists: A steamy encounter with Gage Logan, sexy singer and guitarist, and a tempting job offer from Gage's boss to work at the concert venue she now knows quite intimately.
She definitely can't take the job. Her internship is an opportunity any business major would kill for. But the thought of working with her father, a man furious with grief over a family tragedy that struck six months ago, fills her with dread.
Then there's Gage. Working with him all summer could be hot. Cassidy can't stop flashing back to their night together. Molten kisses. His hands smoothing across the skin of her belly. The weight of his body above her own…
And suddenly the decision about how to spend her summer is much, much harder to make.
*********************
VIP (Rock & Release, Act I) is out now!! The final two acts of the Rock & Release serial, Starstruck and Show Stopper, launch on December 1 and December 15, respectively.
Excerpt 1:
I sit opposite him on the bed, leaning against the headboard. I clutch a pillow against my lap. "Last night was…" I stop for a moment as it hits me. Last night was the first night I've had in ages where I didn't feel sad. Or anxious. Or tense. Though it's all flowing back now. I do my best to stem it and force myself to keep eye contact with Gage. "I don't regret last night—not a single part of it."
"Maybe not right now, but—"
"I wouldn't regret it even if you hadn't stopped us from going further." I rub the fabric of the pillowcase between my fingers. So much for not talking about it. But he feels so bad, I can't let him think he made any sort of mistake. But I also can't look at him with my next words. "I wanted you to…touch me. Long before I got so drunk."
The sharp tug in my belly—cutting through the nausea of my hangover and blossoming hunger—makes me realize just how much I'd like him to touch me again.
"Really?" He sounds relieved, and I risk a glance at his face. Worry in his expression's been replaced with a wicked little glint. "Does that mean I can see you again?"
"I think I'd like that." I know I would.
"We can try sober next time, with dinner instead of drinks."
"Oh, I see. Somewhere public then? You don't want me back in bed?" The happiness flushing through me brings out my flirty side. He wants to see me again. This wasn't just a one-night stand. Or whatever a non-sex one-nighter is called. Even if I can have one more night with him—one more night like last, where all I have to care about is having fun and the way Gage's lips feel, the way his mouth tastes. His gorgeous, nimble fingers… Sign me right on up.
"It didn't seem to me that public places really stop you." He's grinning now, and my lips curve up to mirror his expression.
"Then we'll definitely need drinks with that dinner."
"No. If I'm going to take advantage of your ridiculous body, I want those pretty green eyes clear while you watch." He stands, holding a hand out. "And, in case that didn't spell it out enough, I want you back in bed."
I lace my fingers in his, hesitating a moment to enjoy the glow blooming between my ribs. "If I wasn't so hungover—and if I wasn't so mortified that we stole Vera's bed—I'd pull you back in here and give you your chance right now."
"If I hadn't heard your stomach rumbling for the past five minutes, I might have taken it."
Oh damn. Stupid hunger noises.
He yanks me up and leans in close, whispering, "And if you keep talking that way, you'll force me to sit through a very uncomfortable breakfast."
Q & A With Author:
What inspired you to write VIP (Rock & Release, Act I)?
My (awesome) friends gave my husband and me VIP tickets to a concert (Steve Miller Band & Journey—fantastic show, by the way), and at the pre-concert VIP bar, I sat there watching the college-aged staff working their shifts and realized it could be really fun setting for a story. Drinks, musicians, that "new adult" period of life… I let my imagination run away and it came back with Cassidy.
This is a serial, right? Why did you serialize Rock & Release into three acts?
Well…I do call it a serial because the plot arc reaches across all three acts of Rock & Release. Each act is between 30 & 40k words and each releases two weeks after the last. (In order: VIP, Starstruck, & Show Stopper). At first I planned to put it out as a novel all at once, but a writing friend suggested it worked well in three parts. PLUS, this way, since I'm a debut author, readers can pick up the first act (VIP) for cheap (only $0.99) and decide if they want to keep going from there. I thought it might be a better way to allow readers to take a chance on a debut without forcing them to spend the full cost of a novel the first time.
Tell us something you love about your main characters that we can't tell from the blurb?
Hmmm. Let's see… Cassidy loves whiskey. Not that it plays a huge part in the story, but it's always been interesting to me because I couldn't STAND whiskey when I was in my young twenties. (Don't love it now, either.) But there's a reason for it, and it's something she shares with her father, which is cool. Gage is sexy and sweet (that's in the blurb!) but he has some serious stuff going on with his family. And then there's Luca James, who's not in VIP but plays a very prominent role in Starstruck and Show Stopper. He's got a few dark secrets…and that's really all I can say about that.
Obviously, authors love their main characters—but who are your favorite secondaries?
This is too hard to answer! I love so many of my secondary characters—and even the tertiaries, too. Let's see… There's Vera, who doesn't necessarily have the best taste in guys, but is super team girls supporting other girls, which is a trait I adore. Teagan, Cassidy's oldest friend who has some issues and can come across a little rough, but came to me so fully formed she'll be getting her own book in the future. Clark, who's more of a tertiary character so I couldn't push more of his story into this one, but he's funny and a flirt and I just love him on and off the pages. Zach. Zoey. Katy… I could go on and on—I really do love all my characters! Even most of the bad ones.
Tell us three things about yourself we can’t discover by reading your author profile.
Ummmm… I went skydiving on my 21st birthday, and it was amazing. (Not sure I have the guts to do it again though!) I competed as a gymnast while growing up. (I even competed at the same competition as Dominique Dawes once! #amazing. I also was on an Olympic training team for a while.) I have four tattoos, including a little star on the inside of my middle finger, and I love it.
What are your favorite new adult titles by other authors?
I *loved* All Lined Up by Cora Carmack. (I have the second book of that series lined up (pun = totally unintentional at first) and waiting on my kindle as my prize for finishing my next book). Easy by Tammara Webber. All of Chelsea Fine's NA, too. And More than Exes, Elizabeth Briggs' new adult rock star novella that just came out.
What's next from Riley Edgewood?
Well, Starstruck (Rock & Release, Act II) comes out on December 1, and I'm really excited about it! In this act, international rock star Luca James sweeps into town, and he's just…yummy. Show Stopper (Act III) releases December 15 as the final part of Cassidy's story. And the next book in this series, a companion novel (full-length, this time) is coming soon! This one's a sexy lil beach romance! (New Adult, of course.)
Excerpt 2:
I wonder if he's going to kiss me.
I hope he's going to kiss me.
I try to convey the message with my eyes, but he's a little blurred around the edges and I'm not sure I'm even focusing exactly where I should be, much less able to send any sort of meaning through a glance.
He keeps talking, talking, talking. Something about bands. Something about where he's from. Something, something, something, but I keep forgetting his words the moment they breeze through his mouth.
He's asking me questions. I'm giving him answers, though I can't be certain of their accuracy. We're laughing a lot, so I must be keeping him entertained. Or maybe it's the other way around.
It's quiet for a beat too long—he's waiting for me to say something else, to answer a question, but I've lost track of all our words again.
And he's meeting my eyes and then gazing lower toward my mouth. I realize I'm biting my lip, but it's got his attention so I keep it between my teeth, tugging a little.
"There you go distracting me again." His mouth parts into a wolfish grin. "But this time you're doing it on purpose, aren't you?"
Maybe, I almost tell him, but Demi Jade's first chords strike through the air, interrupting the word before it has a chance to come out.
"So much for making the concert," I say instead.
"So much for it," he agrees.
We stare at each other for a moment that yawns out into eons. One second we're listening to Demi Jade sing about her lost lover and the next the world goes silent around me. There's an electric pause—like that moment after a violent thunderclap, when everything else is sucked away—and then my mouth is on his, or his is on mine, and he's teasing my lips with his tongue. I let him in, and he tastes like beer and like salt and like mint.
Jesus, he's talented with his tongue.
His hands wrap around my waist and he yanks me toward him and my hands are in his hair and I want to eat his fucking mouth, he tastes so good.
Author Bio:
Riley lives in the DC area and spends most of her time with her characters, playing with her toddler and husband, and pretending she knows how to be an adult. Former dancer. Current writer. Lifelong lover of accessories, books, and the beach. And cats. Can't forget the kitties. Of which she has two.
Sign up for Riley's newsletter and never miss out on new book releases and other fun things: http://eepurl.com/5iSKn
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Giveaway
Individual giveaway
one (1) ebook copy of VIP (International). Leave a comment below with a number starting from 1 and I'll be picking randomly using Random.org giveaway ENDS December 16th 2014
"Maybe not right now, but—"
"I wouldn't regret it even if you hadn't stopped us from going further." I rub the fabric of the pillowcase between my fingers. So much for not talking about it. But he feels so bad, I can't let him think he made any sort of mistake. But I also can't look at him with my next words. "I wanted you to…touch me. Long before I got so drunk."
The sharp tug in my belly—cutting through the nausea of my hangover and blossoming hunger—makes me realize just how much I'd like him to touch me again.
"Really?" He sounds relieved, and I risk a glance at his face. Worry in his expression's been replaced with a wicked little glint. "Does that mean I can see you again?"
"I think I'd like that." I know I would.
"We can try sober next time, with dinner instead of drinks."
"Oh, I see. Somewhere public then? You don't want me back in bed?" The happiness flushing through me brings out my flirty side. He wants to see me again. This wasn't just a one-night stand. Or whatever a non-sex one-nighter is called. Even if I can have one more night with him—one more night like last, where all I have to care about is having fun and the way Gage's lips feel, the way his mouth tastes. His gorgeous, nimble fingers… Sign me right on up.
"It didn't seem to me that public places really stop you." He's grinning now, and my lips curve up to mirror his expression.
"Then we'll definitely need drinks with that dinner."
"No. If I'm going to take advantage of your ridiculous body, I want those pretty green eyes clear while you watch." He stands, holding a hand out. "And, in case that didn't spell it out enough, I want you back in bed."
I lace my fingers in his, hesitating a moment to enjoy the glow blooming between my ribs. "If I wasn't so hungover—and if I wasn't so mortified that we stole Vera's bed—I'd pull you back in here and give you your chance right now."
"If I hadn't heard your stomach rumbling for the past five minutes, I might have taken it."
Oh damn. Stupid hunger noises.
He yanks me up and leans in close, whispering, "And if you keep talking that way, you'll force me to sit through a very uncomfortable breakfast."
Q & A With Author:
What inspired you to write VIP (Rock & Release, Act I)?
My (awesome) friends gave my husband and me VIP tickets to a concert (Steve Miller Band & Journey—fantastic show, by the way), and at the pre-concert VIP bar, I sat there watching the college-aged staff working their shifts and realized it could be really fun setting for a story. Drinks, musicians, that "new adult" period of life… I let my imagination run away and it came back with Cassidy.
This is a serial, right? Why did you serialize Rock & Release into three acts?
Well…I do call it a serial because the plot arc reaches across all three acts of Rock & Release. Each act is between 30 & 40k words and each releases two weeks after the last. (In order: VIP, Starstruck, & Show Stopper). At first I planned to put it out as a novel all at once, but a writing friend suggested it worked well in three parts. PLUS, this way, since I'm a debut author, readers can pick up the first act (VIP) for cheap (only $0.99) and decide if they want to keep going from there. I thought it might be a better way to allow readers to take a chance on a debut without forcing them to spend the full cost of a novel the first time.
Tell us something you love about your main characters that we can't tell from the blurb?
Hmmm. Let's see… Cassidy loves whiskey. Not that it plays a huge part in the story, but it's always been interesting to me because I couldn't STAND whiskey when I was in my young twenties. (Don't love it now, either.) But there's a reason for it, and it's something she shares with her father, which is cool. Gage is sexy and sweet (that's in the blurb!) but he has some serious stuff going on with his family. And then there's Luca James, who's not in VIP but plays a very prominent role in Starstruck and Show Stopper. He's got a few dark secrets…and that's really all I can say about that.
Obviously, authors love their main characters—but who are your favorite secondaries?
This is too hard to answer! I love so many of my secondary characters—and even the tertiaries, too. Let's see… There's Vera, who doesn't necessarily have the best taste in guys, but is super team girls supporting other girls, which is a trait I adore. Teagan, Cassidy's oldest friend who has some issues and can come across a little rough, but came to me so fully formed she'll be getting her own book in the future. Clark, who's more of a tertiary character so I couldn't push more of his story into this one, but he's funny and a flirt and I just love him on and off the pages. Zach. Zoey. Katy… I could go on and on—I really do love all my characters! Even most of the bad ones.
Tell us three things about yourself we can’t discover by reading your author profile.
Ummmm… I went skydiving on my 21st birthday, and it was amazing. (Not sure I have the guts to do it again though!) I competed as a gymnast while growing up. (I even competed at the same competition as Dominique Dawes once! #amazing. I also was on an Olympic training team for a while.) I have four tattoos, including a little star on the inside of my middle finger, and I love it.
What are your favorite new adult titles by other authors?
I *loved* All Lined Up by Cora Carmack. (I have the second book of that series lined up (pun = totally unintentional at first) and waiting on my kindle as my prize for finishing my next book). Easy by Tammara Webber. All of Chelsea Fine's NA, too. And More than Exes, Elizabeth Briggs' new adult rock star novella that just came out.
What's next from Riley Edgewood?
Well, Starstruck (Rock & Release, Act II) comes out on December 1, and I'm really excited about it! In this act, international rock star Luca James sweeps into town, and he's just…yummy. Show Stopper (Act III) releases December 15 as the final part of Cassidy's story. And the next book in this series, a companion novel (full-length, this time) is coming soon! This one's a sexy lil beach romance! (New Adult, of course.)
Excerpt 2:
I wonder if he's going to kiss me.
I hope he's going to kiss me.
I try to convey the message with my eyes, but he's a little blurred around the edges and I'm not sure I'm even focusing exactly where I should be, much less able to send any sort of meaning through a glance.
He keeps talking, talking, talking. Something about bands. Something about where he's from. Something, something, something, but I keep forgetting his words the moment they breeze through his mouth.
He's asking me questions. I'm giving him answers, though I can't be certain of their accuracy. We're laughing a lot, so I must be keeping him entertained. Or maybe it's the other way around.
It's quiet for a beat too long—he's waiting for me to say something else, to answer a question, but I've lost track of all our words again.
And he's meeting my eyes and then gazing lower toward my mouth. I realize I'm biting my lip, but it's got his attention so I keep it between my teeth, tugging a little.
"There you go distracting me again." His mouth parts into a wolfish grin. "But this time you're doing it on purpose, aren't you?"
Maybe, I almost tell him, but Demi Jade's first chords strike through the air, interrupting the word before it has a chance to come out.
"So much for making the concert," I say instead.
"So much for it," he agrees.
We stare at each other for a moment that yawns out into eons. One second we're listening to Demi Jade sing about her lost lover and the next the world goes silent around me. There's an electric pause—like that moment after a violent thunderclap, when everything else is sucked away—and then my mouth is on his, or his is on mine, and he's teasing my lips with his tongue. I let him in, and he tastes like beer and like salt and like mint.
Jesus, he's talented with his tongue.
His hands wrap around my waist and he yanks me toward him and my hands are in his hair and I want to eat his fucking mouth, he tastes so good.
Author Bio:
Sign up for Riley's newsletter and never miss out on new book releases and other fun things: http://eepurl.com/5iSKn
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Giveaway
Individual giveaway
one (1) ebook copy of VIP (International). Leave a comment below with a number starting from 1 and I'll be picking randomly using Random.org giveaway ENDS December 16th 2014
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