Spotlight & Giveaway: Broken by Evelyn Sola

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Evelyn Sola to HJ!

Hi Evelyn and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Broken!

 
Hello
 

Tell us about the book with this fun little challenge using the title of the book:

Broken is a second chance romance. It’s about two people who fell in love but were ripped apart by circumstances.

What’s your favorite line(s) from the book?:

“He’s back.” Two words I hadn’t let myself voice until just now. Acknowledging them fuel my anxiety, and I end up downing my wine in two large gulps.

How do you come back after three years to get back the only woman you’ve ever loved? The only one you will ever love.

Please tell us a little about the characters in your book. What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

The Hero and Heroine are in school when they meet. She’s a senior in college, and he’s in graduate school. They live in the same apartment complex off-campus. He sees her first and is immediately attracted to her. He’s attracted to her looks, of course.

When you sat down to start this book, what was the biggest challenge you faced? What were you most excited about?

I love reading second chance romances. It’s my favorite trope after enemies to lovers. My biggest challenge was making the breakup convincing after showing (through flashbacks) how in love they were. I didn’t want it to be a misunderstanding that could have been resolved with a five-minute conversation. And after showing their love and breaking them up, I want readers to root for them to get back together.

I’m so excited to share this book with the world. I want readers to go on the journey with me.

What, in your mind, makes this book stand out?

The characters are both flawed. Their pain and heartbreak are felt throughout the pages. They’ve both made mistakes, and they both own it. My heroine has worked so hard to put herself back together. Even though when the book starts, they’ve been apart for three years, she didn’t spend the entire time pining for him. She worked on herself and did her best to move on from this horrible heartbreak.

The First Kiss…

He slowly lowers his lips and brushes them against mine. The sound of the wind absorbs my soft whimper. He kisses me again, just as slowly. Unable to stop myself, I wrap my arms around his neck and press my body into his. For the first time in my life, I need to get on my toes to kiss a man. I don’t know if it’s that, his smell or his hard body pressed on mine, but I deepen the kiss and lose myself in Noah Weston.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

All the neighbors stare, waiting to see what we do next. Anger fuels my next steps as I stomp my way back to my house, but Noah and Greg are right behind me. A few of the neighbors have now stepped off their porch to stand on the sidewalk.
“You guys want a show?” I shout.
“Bring it, girl,” someone answers back.
“This is what I’m going to do with your anniversary flowers, you lying, selfish jerk.” I open the door and grab the arrangement. I walk to the middle of the street, lift it above my head, and slam it to the ground with all the strength I possess. The vase shatters in the middle of the street, the two dozen roses bounce on the pavement, and the water from the vase rolls down the concrete. “Happy fucking anniversary, you liar! Go to hell or go back to your racist parents. I don’t care which, just stay the fuck away from me, or I swear to God, that limp will be the least of your problems!”

If your hero had a sexy-times play list, what song(s) would have to be on it?

He’d probably have nothing but sad ballads about broken hearts.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

That forgiveness is possible.

What are you currently working on? What are your up-coming releases?

I’m working on another contemporary romance. It’s my favorite trope – enemies to lovers. The Hero is a single father, and he’s the CEO of the country’s biggest discount retailer. His company buys the heroine’s father’s business, and sparks fly when they meet.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: One ebook giveaway of Broken by Evelyn Sola

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Would you have been able to forgive the Hero for the way he ended things?

What do you think of Claudine and her actions throughout the book?

Do you feel that Noah’s parents were properly redeemed?

Do you think the events that led to Julia giving Noah a chance to explain were believable?

 
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Excerpt from Broken:

“Oh my God,” I say, savoring another bite of my brownie. I bite into just the right amount of chocolate and walnuts, making me moan again. Thankfully, I’m at the quad on the college campus on what’s probably the last nice day before the fall weather turns cold. The campus is loud and brimming with activity, drowning out any sound coming out of me.
One more class and then I can go back home to my tiny studio apartment about three miles from campus. After living in the dorm for the first three years, my parents agreed to cover the rent of a small apartment, giving me the privacy that I crave.
I take another bite of the brownie and then lay flat on the grass, letting the October sun kiss my brown skin while I enjoy the chocolatey goodness.
“Ahh,” I say to myself, “after this, I can die happy.” I put both hands behind my head and squint at the sun beaming down on me.
“I hope not,” I hear a deep voice say.
I sit up and look at the figure, but the bright sun shields his face. I block the sun by putting a hand on my forehead and look into a pair of familiar eyes, the clearest green I’ve ever seen. The sun dips behind a cloud, giving me a clear view of his face.
It’s the ginger hottie with the bun. He’s either a transfer or a graduate student because, in all my years here, I’ve never seen him until recently. But whatever the circumstances, he’s certainly noticeable. And I never turn down an opportunity to ogle good eye candy.
First, he’s head and shoulders taller than everyone on campus. He walks around, his shoulders broad, as if he owns the place. Unlike most of the people at this school, I’ve never seen him with an entourage. The few times I’ve seen him, he’s been alone.
His bun is messier than usual today. Half of it has fallen out of the elastic and hangs on his very broad shoulders. The wind blows, making his hair messier, and my fingers itch to put it back in place.
I’ve never been this close to him, and when I look into his face again, I notice a small scar above his left eyebrow. I envision running a finger over that scar fifty different ways.
“Well, if you ever had this brownie, you’d die a happy death too,” I finally say.
Normally, I’d be tongue-tied around someone as good looking as him, but knowing that he must be making small talk between classes and that someone like him would never be interested in me, I decide to just be myself.
“Are you going to share, then? I want to judge this brownie for myself.” His eyes twinkle when he smiles, and the smile reveals a dimple in each cheek. When he sticks his hand out, I stare at it, dumbfounded. “Noah Weston,” he says, and I finally shake his hand.
I’m a tall woman, only an inch shy of six feet. My hands have always been considered large, but now it’s totally engulfed in his. He wraps his hand around mine, holding it firmly, showing the contrast between my brown hand and his much lighter one. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he doesn’t want to let go, but he does after I give it a little tug.
“Julia Blake.” I rub my hand on my jeans, trying to erase the electrical charge from his brief touch.
Reaching inside my backpack, I pulled out the white bag with the pink bakery logo. I break my second brownie in half and hand it to him but pull my hand away before he can take it. “This is my favorite brownie, and I don’t normally share with strangers. Consider yourself very lucky, Noah Weston.” I try to look serious, but when he smiles, I can’t help but smile back.
“Trust me,” he says, taking the brownie. “I know how lucky I am right now, and the brownie is just a bonus.” He smiles again, showing off both dimples, and I think I whimper as I got lost in his eyes for a moment. I clear my throat and look away. He breaks his piece of the brownie in half and shoves the first piece in his mouth. Without saying a word, he devours the second piece. “You were right, Julia Blake. Best brownie I’ve ever had. We can both die a happy death together.” Just like I did before, he lies down dramatically on the grass.
Together? I doubt we will ever do anything together. Unsure of what to do next, I pull my phone from my pocket when I feel it vibrate and start flipping through the dating app. After a few minutes, I feel his chin on my shoulder while he looks at my phone. Taken aback by his boldness, I freeze. His scent fills my nostrils. It’s a mix of cologne and something else. I inhale his smell a few times before sliding a few inches away.
“What are we looking at?” he asks. He moves closer to me, eliminating the space I just put between us.
“This dating app. My best friend has a boyfriend now, and she’s been after me to find someone so we can double date. The last blind date she set me up on was a disaster.” I stop speaking long enough to read a profile and I reluctantly hit like. “Unfortunately, there aren’t that many guys at this school I can date. I counted.”
I put the phone away and look back at him. He’s adorable as he scratches his head, looking a little bit confused.
“There are about fifty men in this quad alone. Fifty-one if you include me,” he says.
“Black guys, Noah Weston,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Oh, right. Of course.”
“They’re either in relationships, gay, or—” I leave the sentence unfinished.
“Or what?” he asks, putting his chin back on my shoulder.
“Or I’m taller than they are. And this big hair makes me look even taller.” I point at my hair. “It’s hard being a tall woman. Tall men get all the breaks,” I say wistfully.
He stands, offers me his hand, and helps pull me to my feet. Now that we’re standing only a few inches apart, I realize he’s taller than I initially thought. It’s a rare occasion for me to have to look up to look at someone. He smiles down at me as a cool wind blows and pushes a piece of his hair across his forehead. He brushes it back while never breaking our gaze. I look away, unsure of what to do or say. I grab my backpack and throw it over my shoulder.
“It was nice to meet you, Noah Weston. I have to get to class.” I start to walk away only to find him walking with me.
“Hey, you live in the Murphy apartment complex, right?” I stop walking abruptly and he stops right along with me.
“How do you know that?” I ask, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
“We’re neighbors. I live on the first floor.”
“Oh? I’ve never seen you there before.”
“Yeah, I know. Listen, would you mind giving me a ride home after your next class? My car wouldn’t start this morning. I’ll wait for you right over there?” He points to a nearby bench.
“I don’t let guys I don’t know in my car.”
He pulls his wallet out of his back pocket, opens it, and hands me his driver’s license and his student ID. “That’s my info. Take pictures of them and text them to your best friend or whoever.”
After I take pictures of both IDs, he takes my phone and starts typing. Then, he pulls out his phone and shows me my number flashing on his screen.
“Now we have each other’s phone number. And I promise I’m not a serial killer. I’m finishing up a master’s in Education.” He smiles again, putting me at ease.
I stare at him longer than I should, and he holds my stare the entire time, his smile not wavering for a second. I take an involuntary step closer and study the brown flecks around his green eyes.
“Okay,” I finally say, clearing my throat as I run a shaky hand through my hair. His smile deepens, and my heart flutters. “I’ll be back for you after my class.”

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

JULIA
I never saw Noah Weston coming. He swept into my life like an unexpected storm, but soon, he was everything to me.
Until tragedy struck.
One day I was planning the rest of my life with my soulmate, and the next I was picking up the pieces of a love so strong, it broke me apart.
It took three years to put myself back together.
Three years until I was ready to move on.
I’ll never forget it. The day he came back.
Can lightning strike twice? Maybe, but when I look into his eyes, all I remember are the last words he ever spoke to me.
The words that left me broken.

NOAH
I loved her before I knew her name. She was more than just my heartbeat. Julia Blake was a dream too good to be true.
When real life invaded the bubble we had created, I was left a broken man.
I survived, but I was dead inside. Half the man I used to be.
The half I needed had a new life without me.
Three years later, I’m back to reclaim what I’ve lost.
I’m back for her, only she wants nothing to do with me.
Book Links: Amazon |
 
 

Meet the Author:

A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.
Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion and humor.
She currently lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters.
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