Intensity by CC Koen Promo Blitz
Title: Intensity
Author: CC Koen
Genre: NA, Contemporary Romance
Release Day: October 20, 2014
Synopsis:
What would you do to improve your
life?
Twenty-one-year-old Serena Thomas is
faced with a tough decision. Unable to get ahead of debt and loneliness
since her grandmother’s death she finds a new job, placing the sheltered virgin
in an underground escort business. She tells herself it’s just a temporary life
choice, but destiny has a different plan. She meets a
mysterious and gorgeous man, who happens to be her new boss.
Will Serena fit in or will she be left all alone again?
Lincoln (aka: Linc) Jefferson has an
unusual life. He established The Lounge, an exclusive escort club for very
personal reasons. A place where the women say who, when, and what type of sex
they’re willing to have. The escorts possess all the power and the money. It’s
a business Linc guards at all costs. Trying to maintain the secrecy is a
constant challenge and one that’s tested when he enters into a relationship
with Serena. She tempts him unlike any woman, even though he’s surrounded by
beauty on a daily basis. The more time they spend together the harder it is for
him to keep his secrets. Will Serena stand by his side or will she abandon him?
Sparks and passion fly, taking these
two on a journey neither could have expected.
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Excerpt
I turned toward the frameless picture
windows lining the entire exterior wall and was presented with a breathtaking,
unobstructed view of the harbor. Smack dab in the middle, behind an antique
mahogany desk, stood the tallest, most impressive man I’d ever seen. The black
suit he wore matched the surroundings, professional and sleek. The top three
buttons on his white shirt undone, dark sprigs of hair peeked through and
begged for my attention.
As I got closer, his eyes scanned me
from head, to chest, to hips and up and down my long legs at least three times,
resting on my ruby-red tiptoes.
Ha! Two could play at that game. Using
the exact pace he did, I snapped mental pictures of every God given, Mr.
Universe muscle. A wavy black ponytail, pulled tight at the nape, crested his
wide shoulders and dipped to mid-chest, bringing my journey to a momentary
pause. A taut dress shirt molded to his pecs became an instant favorite and
preference I didn’t know I had. As I gravitated lower, the desk impeded my
view, coming to rest at his waist and a nondescript silver belt buckle. My eyes
drifted back up, wishing I could see more, but his tailored jacket without a
hint of lint on it kept him hidden. Still, from what I could take in, the man
had sin engraved all over him.
I stopped in front of his desk and
realized my earlier assessment of him had been right. My six five in heels,
shrunk to five feet the way he towered over me by several inches. “Linc?” The
wispiness of my voice made me cringe. Way to go, Serena.
His answer, one sharp nod. In the
corners around each eye, little wrinkles appeared as he took another long
journey over my body. Knees locked together, I tried hard not to fidget. “I’m
Serena. Mylaynee said my interview was at twelve thirty. I’m a little early. I
didn’t mean to interrupt if you were in the middle of something.” Damn, there I
went, rambling. Yeah, that would have him eating out of my hands.
Linc rounded the desk, coming toe to
toe.
“You’re a virgin.”
What
inspired you to write Intensity?
Intensity
came to me as a fantasy as I was driving to work one day. Driving can be boring
and my mind often wanders. Therefore, the story developed purely by accident. I
have to admit the original story was very different from the finished tale. I
wrote an article about the experience at Savvy Authors, titled: Take Your Time,
but Hurry Up! A Newbie Author Selfie.
Top 5 things you didn’t know
about becoming a published author:
1. How hard it would be to
choose each word and make sure descriptions and actions weren’t repetitive.
2. Editing
3. Formatting
4. Finding professionals in the
field that wouldn’t rip you off.
5. Marketing
5 Reasons to
love my main characters:
1. They are
both strong and will demonstrate that the past doesn’t have to dictate the future.
2. They are
burying painful events in their lives. Through their individual journeys, they
will discover the joy of living and loving each other.
3. They are
both good people that others can relate to, even though the story takes place
in a sex club. The story is about their journey to heal, not sex.
4. They are not
perfect.
5. They struggle
to make it through each day like many people do.
5 facts about Intensity:
1. It takes place in NYC.
2. The title is a representation
of Linc’s personality, not used in reference to sex.
3. The story is continued in the
sequel, Serenity, which will be released fall 2015.
4. Linc is a good guy who
started an escort business for personal reasons.
5. Serena isn’t interested in
romance. She wants to attain her goals.
How do you make your
characters believable
Life
experience and an inquisitive mind. I’m fascinated by people’s lives, so I ask
lots of questions, particularly about how couples meet and romantic
relationships.
Authors you admire:
1. Roxanne St. Claire
2. Nora Roberts
3. Harlan Coben
4. Kristen Ashley
5. Rachel Robinson
Five things you wouldn’t know
about CC Koen
1.
I’m
a skeptic.
2.
I
like to skydive.
3.
I’m
a teacher.
4.
I’d
like to experience an HEA before I leave this world.
5.
I’d
like to travel in an RV randomly across the US, meeting a bunch of people along
the way.
Describe Serena in
one sentence.
A hard worker determined to achieve her goal.
Describe Linc in one
sentence.
A mysterious, reserved individual that has a past that
controls his future.
Favorite and least
favorite scene to write in Intensity?
Favorite- The day Serena met Linc.
Least favorite- It isn’t necessarily my least favorite, but
the most challenging for me to write. About three-quarters of the way into the
story, Linc reveals his secret and why he runs the escort business. Since it is
a painful matter, the challenge to write it along with what happens right after
it, was difficult to write. I don’t want to give away a lot of details, so I’ll
limit my response to that.
What’s your guilty
pleasure?
Reading really is my guilty pleasure. With 1200+ books on my
Nook and close to 500 on my Kindle PC, I’ve spent a lot of money on my passion
and mental release, reading romance, mystery, and suspense novels.
What do you consider
your greatest achievement?
Personally: my daughter. I really feel one of our greatest impacts
and legacies is our children, and what they will do and how they will impact
others’ lives.
Professionally: I have a doctorate degree. That was the most
challenging professional accomplishment for me, since I worked 60+ hours a week
and had a young child during the process.
If you could meet
anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
This is a difficult question for me, because I am not the
type of person who would hero worship anyone. With that said, I’d probably just
want to go back in time, to various points in history and meet a bunch of
interesting individuals who impacted our country and influenced history.
Do you have any
special holiday traditions?
I used to when my mother was alive. Her Russian and Macedonian
heritage and religion provided two Christmas celebrations, the US holiday and
the Greek Orthodox Christmas.
Favorite Word and
Least Favorite Word?
Favorite word- happiness
Least favorite- hate
Biggest fear?
I have two: fire and drowning
Deepest regret?
Several years ago I developed a live life list, determined
to live my life rather than go through the motions. Therefore, I’m hoping I
won’t have any regrets. I don’t like to hang on to the past and most regrets
come from things we didn’t do or couldn’t control. Since my sights are on the
future, and hopefully, having a productive, rewarding life, my response would
be: NO REGRETS.
Favorite memory?
Time with my mom.
Worst flaw?
Haha, boy this is dangerous. Hmm…I interrupt when people are
talking. Not to be rude, I don’t mean to, but my compulsive side, the one that
forgets in two seconds what I wanted to say, compels me to.
Most annoying pet
peeve?
Wow, okay, to pick just one is tough. I’d say slow drivers.
If you could change
one thing about yourself…what would it be?
Goodness! Physically, I’d like to have a larger chest (36B’s
are not that great when you have huge hips). I’m the epitome of pear-shaped.
Otherwise, not much else. I like myself just the way I am. Ha!
Either/Or Questions:
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Since I’m allergic to chocolate, I’d say vanilla.
Serena or Linc?
OMG! Seriously, how do I choose? Okay, since I am an
empowered woman and so is she, I’ll pick Serena.
Warm or Cold?
WARM! The warmer the better.
Early Bird or Night
Owl?
Early bird. My alarm goes off every day at 6am and 7am on
the weekends.
Pain or Pleasure?
Definitely pleasure. I’d like an HEA with lots and lots of
pleasure.
Outdoor or Indoor?
Outdoors, even though I spend a lot of time indoors.
Blondes or Brunettes?
Brunettes, the darker the better.
Ketchup or Mustard?
Ketchup. Heinz all the way!
Coffee or Cocktail?
COFFEE! Can’t live without it.
Texting or Calling?
Texting for brief messages, calling for longer.
About the Author:
C.C. Koen writes contemporary
romance with a twist. An avid reader who enjoys mystery and suspense, her
stories will never be what you expect. Determined to find adventure in her
dreams and life, she enjoys skydiving, sailing and any activity that challenges
her. Teacher by day, romance writer at night produce an active imagination that
comes to life in her writing. Intensity is her debut novel.
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