Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Mariah Ankenman to HJ!
Hi Mariah and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Backstage Night With The Billionaire!
Hello readers!
Please summarize the book for the readers here:
Opposites do more than attract when a struggling aerialist with romantic notions crosses paths with a cynical billionaire who thinks he’s cursed by love.
Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:
He frowned. “Romeo and Juliet isn’t a romance. Don’t seven people die in that play?”
She waved away his denial. “Six actually, but that’s not the point. It‘s a story of passion and how far a person is willing to go for true love.”
“It’s a cautionary tale about teenage hormones and impulsiveness.”
Please share a few Fun facts about this book…
- Piper is an aerialist. I used my own experience with aerials for her character.
- Piper has Autism (like me) and Kell has ADHD. This book is releasing during April which is Autism Acceptance month which I think is so wonderful!
- The theater Piper rents is based on the one my aerial school performs at in Denver.
What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?
Kell loves Piper’s strength, humor, and ability to be herself no matter the situation. Piper love’s Kell’s hot lumberjack look, but also appreciates that he listens to her and doesn’t dismiss her concerns simply because she’s a woman.
Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?
The scene after her show where they share a passionate night right on the stage:
“Your turn,” his deep voice commanded.
A command she was only happy to oblige. Sitting up, Piper made quick work of her shirt and pants. Tossing them off to who-cared-where and leaving her in nothing but her new black bra and panty set. Had she specifically bought it with Kell in mind? Yes. Had it been smart to spend money on frivolous lingerie when she had other bills to worry about? No. Was the hungry look in Kell’s eyes worth it? Absolutely yes!
“You are the most beautiful goddess I have ever seen,” he growled, climbing back on the mat and coming over to her.
She giggled, the sound turning into a moan when he latched his mouth onto that sweet spot on her neck just below her ear.
Readers should read this book….
If you’re looking for a read that will have you kicking your feet and sighing in happiness.
What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?
I’m currently working on the second book in the Love Under Construction series…Cash’s book!
Thanks for blogging at HJ!
Giveaway: $20 Amazon e-gift card
To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Have you ever wanted to take an aerial class?
Excerpt from Backstage Night With The Billionaire:
As the man kept his back to her, she silently crept up behind him. He was tall, at least a foot taller than her, but she was strong from her aerial training. Lifting the bat high above her head, she brought it down on his back with as much force as possible as she screamed, “Get out of my theater!”
The man let out a startled yelp and turned.
Fear paused for a split second as Piper took in her intruder’s face. Holy handsome, Batman!
Her jaw dropped open as the most beautifully piercing blue eyes she’d ever seen stared back at her with confusion and shock. Said eyes glanced at the bat and back to her. One hand reached up to rub the shoulder she’d hit as he opened his mouth and a deep, rich voice emerged.
“Did you just hit me with a Wiffle Ball bat?”
Her eyes darted to the bat and back to him. “Yes.”
“Why?”
She scoffed. He broke into her place and had the audacity to question her defense tactics?
“Why are you in my theater?” she countered. “There’s nothing here to steal. Haven’t you heard the term starving artist? We got nothing, Jack.”
“Kellen.”
She frowned. “Huh?”
“My name. It’s Kellen. Not Jack. But my friends call me Kell.”
Weirdest. Robber. Ever.
“Okay…Kellen. I’ll ask again. Why are you in my theater?” She lifted the bat again, preparing to strike once more.
“Woah.” He raised his hands in surrender. “Put the bat down, ma’am. I’m not here to steal anything, I promise you. I’m here to do repairs.”
She frowned, lowering the bat…slightly. “Repairs?”
He nodded. “Mr. Donald Noll hired me to complete repairs at the Star-Crossed Theater. This is the place, correct?”
Her brain started firing, catching up as his words sunk in. Donald had finally hired someone to fix all the issues she’d been complaining about. Or so he says…
She lifted the bat again, grip tightening. “Prove it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Prove that my landlord hired you to do repairs. Because I’ve been asking for months and not a single contractor has reached out. Then suddenly here you are in the wee hours of the morning, somehow in my theater which was locked, claiming to be the repairman.”
A small smile ticked up the corner of his mouth. A mouth she refused to think of as sexy…even if it was.
“I apologize for scaring you,” he said, lifting a clipboard. “Here is the paperwork Mr. Noll sent me. He also gave me a key to the place, which is how I got in. He told me no one would be here this morning. Otherwise, I would have announced my presence.”
Right. Of course Donald thought no one would be here. He didn’t know Piper was squatting.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Book Info:
Once upon a fixer-upper…
A handsome handyman arriving without warning to renovate down-on-her-luck aerialist Piper’s rented theater throws her into a spin—she can’t afford anyone finding out she’s living backstage. Only Kellen is no ordinary contractor: He’s a billion-dollar tycoon with a tool belt! Thanks to a lifetime of letdowns, he doesn’t believe in happily-ever-after…but Piper’s idealistic charm makes him wish he did. And as their chemistry erupts right under the stage lights, can he really keep his well-built walls up?
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo | Google |
Meet the Author:
Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her. Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. She loves to write about queer, disabled, neurodivergent characters falling in love (someone told her write what you know and she went with it). To learn more about Mariah and her books, visit her website or follow her on social media, or sign up for her newsletter.
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