Spotlight & Giveaway: Make Me 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, Make Me!

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

M – mom (single)
A – alpha male
K – killer body
E – ecstacy

M – macho
E – exciting
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

The keys drop for the second time. I take a cleansing breath, but small hands grab the keys and pass them to me before I have a chance to pick them up myself.
“Thanks, Ivy girl,” I say.

Please tell us a little about the characters in your book.

Laci has been through a lot in her short life. She’s been hurt, and she has baggage, but she’s kind, sweet and resilient.

Cooper is darn near perfect. He’s sweet, patient and understanding. He does whatever it takes to get the girl.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• This is part of a series of small-town romances, each taking place in the same fictional town.
• There is a very fun, hyperactive German Shephard named Sam.
• I had a hard time keeping this book at the required word limit!

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

They knew each other in high school. Even though he was a senior when she was a freshman, there was always an underlying attraction. They always had this pull for each other.

When Laci moves back to the small town, she rents the house next door to Cooper, and the attraction is still there, only stronger.

The First Kiss…

“Shh. I’ve thought of you over the years, and then one day, you show up. Right next door to me.” He reaches for a piece of hair and pulls on it. “With your colorful hair and matching fingernails.” He grabs a hand and kisses it. His warm lips are like a shock to my system. “You said you have scars. I’ll make them disappear.”
I stare into his eyes while my heart thumps inside my chest. Even if I wanted to speak, I could not. He strokes my cheek, and I let out a whimper. He runs a finger along my bottom lip, and I freeze, unable to speak or breathe. I follow the path of his finger and run my tongue on my lip. This time, it’s him who whimpers.
He slowly closes the space between us. His lips hover above mine. It’s as if he’s waiting for me to move away, but what he doesn’t realize is that I’m rooted to my spot.
His lips are a soft caress against mine. A gentle touch. My brain finally realizes what’s happening, and I kiss him back just as gently. It’s been years since I’ve been kissed. Even before Brian died, it had been over a year since he’d kissed me. I think the last time we kissed was at our wedding. Our sex life was almost non-existent, but when it did happen, there was never any affection.
I step closer to him, standing on my tippy toes to wrap my arms around his neck. I open my mouth and welcome him in. He tastes of the peppermints he keeps in his truck, and I can’t get enough. I move closer and deepen the kiss even more. His large, calloused hands glide down my back and land on my ass. He squeezes, and instead of being self-conscious about its size, I kiss him harder and stroke the satiny skin at the nape of his neck.

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

“It doesn’t matter, Cooper, because I am not available.”
“Where is Ivy’s father?” he asks, his arms tightening around me.
“He’s dead,” I tell him. His eyes widen at my admission, and he gives me that look that I hate. He swallows twice and slowly nods his head. Then, he puts a hand on my shoulder and slowly caresses me. I’m so lost in the feel and smell of him that I don’t feel that same hand leaving my shoulder. It’s only when he cups my cheek that I exhale. He pulls me closer and wraps both arms around me, engulfing me in his embrace.
“I’m so sorry,” he says. I push against his chest and disentangle myself from his arms. He lets me go, and even though I’m the one who pushed him away, I miss him immediately.
“Stop,” I say. “Just stop. I hate when people get that look and start feeling sorry for me. I’m not unavailable because I’m mourning him. He made my life hell during our short marriage. I’m unavailable because the idea of getting involved with someone else makes me want to step inside my house and never come back out. But I don’t have that luxury because I have a baby who needs me. I only have room in my life for her.”
I turn from him and step inside the house. I lock the door and lean against it for what seems like hours. When I finally find the courage to look through the peep hole, he’s gone.

If you could have given your characters one piece of advice before the opening pages of the book, what – would it be and why?

I would tell Laci to keep an open mind and to let the past be the past.

I would tell Cooper that patience and understanding go a long way.

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

I have another release in October. It’s the second standalone to the book I released last May. It’s an accidental marriage and quite the rollercoaster ride. It comes out on 10/29!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An ebook giveaway of Make Me to 2 lucky winners.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Do you think Laci’s reservations were understandable? Did you agree with how Cooper went about getting her to fall for him? Who is your favorite side character and why?

 
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Excerpt from Make Me:

“Finally,” I pant while I take the three stairs to my deck in one step and sit on one of my chairs. I grab the bottle of water I left under the seat and down it in a few gulps. I put my hands on my thighs and do my best to calm my racing heart. It’s always like this after a run, especially after sprinting the last quarter mile. I look at my small yard, relieved not to have to mow it today. I hate that shit, especially after painting and mowing the yard right next door for the new tenant.
I have no idea who the new renter is. The house might belong to me, but my sister Margie deals with all new tenants. I’m only here to mow lawns and fix whatever goes wrong inside. The last tenant was a landlord’s dream. He was a single guy who worked from home and spent his free time playing Dungeons and Dragons. He moved to Detroit to be closer to a fellow gamer, and the house was empty for about six months.
Oak Bend is not exactly a booming metropolis, and I was happy when Margie found a tenant. I even lowered the rent when my sister gave me a sob story about her being a single mother. That’s Margie. She’s always there to help others, but as long as the new tenant pays the rent on time and is not needy, I don’t care.
Sam starts to scratch at the door, so I open it and she comes out. She’s a German Shepard I rescued from a shelter. She comes and sits next to me, her tail bouncing on the deck. She’s about the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen, with several scars on her face, but her attitude is the opposite of her looks. She rubs herself on my leg, signaling for me to pet her. She’s also the neediest female I’ve ever been around, and I’ve dated my fair share. I reach under my chair and pull out my joint, not caring that it’s early in the morning. I only allow myself to do this on my days off, and I plan on taking full advantage this weekend.
“You’re such a needy girl aren’t you, Sam?” She throws her head back, closes her eyes, and sticks out her tongue. “Your breath is horrible, by the way.” She ignores me but doesn’t move away from my hand. “I can’t do this all day, Sam. I need a shower.” Sam quietly whimpers, and when I move my hand away, she rubs her head on my leg again.
My dog finally walks to her water dish and leaves me alone. I sit back in my chair, light my joint, and take my first inhale. Even better is the fact that Candace is in Chicago for her sister’s bachelorette party, saving me from pretending we’re still a couple, even though I ended things with her almost a month ago. I thought I was done with her, but since we’re both in her sister’s wedding, we decided to keep the breakup to ourselves. But just before she left for Chicago, she told me she wanted to try again.
While I ponder how I’m going to spend my weekend, I hear the giggle of a small child and rapid footsteps. I leave my joint on the side of my mouth and stand up, ready to hold Sam back. Sam often scares children. Not because she’s a mean dog, but because she likes to play and doesn’t know her own strength.
“Hi,” a little voice says to me. She’s a tiny little thing. She looks to be about two, but she’s short and stands on chubby legs. She’s in a Mickey Mouse robe with a matching nightgown and slippers.
“Hey,” I say, looking around for a parent. She puts her legs together, sticks her feet in opposite directions, raises her hands, and squats, bending her knees. She giggles and does it again. I have an eight-year-old niece, and I’m pretty sure this little girl is trying to do ballet.
“You do it,” she says, pointing her chubby index finger at me. I snort at the bossy little thing and do the best plié I can. A laugh escapes, and I almost drop my joint. Sam comes walking beside me and starts to vigorously shake her tail at the sight of our intruder.
“Doggie!” she squeals. She straightens up, and before I can stop her, she runs up the stairs and grabs Sam’s tail. Sam turns around and bumps her nose into the little girl’s face. She falls on her butt, but instead of crying and running away in fear, she laughs. “Doggie,” she squeals again. For a chubby little thing, she’s fast. She jumps to her feet and wraps her arms around Sam’s neck. “My doggie,” she says.
“I’m pretty sure Sam’s my doggie, kid,” I say with a laugh. I take another long drag of my joint.
“Mine!” Her little voice fills my yard. The little girl starts to run around me, and Sam follows.
“Ivy!” a throaty but panicked voice says. I hear running footsteps, and a figure in black yoga pants and a grey tee shirt comes to a complete stop in front of my deck. She puts both hands to her chest and exhales in relief when her eyes land on the toddler playing with my dog. She ignores me and runs up the steps. She grabs the child and puts her on her hip. “Don’t do that, Ivy. You scared Mama half to death. I think I have gray hairs now,” she says. She squeezes the child and plants kisses on her neck.
I don’t see any gray in her hair. What I see is a head of tight curls with light brown highlights. The sun kisses her golden-brown skin, and the tiny stud in her nose sparkles. Both intruders are cute, but the newest one has big eyes that are so dark, they almost look black. It’s been ten years, but I still remember those eyes.
She’s about the same height as she was when we were in high school, and she barely reaches my chin. Still curvy, and I can’t help but admire her wide hips and full breasts. Even with only the view of her profile, I can tell she has a round ass. So round and thick, even my big hands won’t be able to cup it fully. I take the joint out of my mouth and lick my lips while I admire her body.
“Look, Mama. My doggie,” she says, pointing at my dog. Sam, always hungry for attention, rubs herself on the leg of the second person to interrupt my morning so far. Lucky dog.
“I’m sorry she bothered you. We just moved in.” Her voice is as sultry as I remember. I take a step closer to her, and she doesn’t back away. She looks up and locks eyes with me. Laci Williams.
Her eyes widen in recognition, and she steps back. She misjudges her steps and trips, falling backwards. Sam’s barks fill the yard, and I reach over and grab Laci and Ivy. I pull harder than I should, and I end up losing my footing and fall back on the chair. They fall right along with me. My intruders end up on my lap with my arms wrapped around them. Ivy starts to laugh, and when Sam comes closer, she rubs her fur and Sam licks her face.
Laci’s eyes widen in shock, and as if I have no control over my own limbs, my hand ends up on her ass. I was right about my hands not being big enough to cup it fully, but I was unprepared for how firm it feels.
Unable to stop myself, I give both cheeks a squeeze.
“Hands off,” she says, her eyes locked with mine. Instead of simply dropping my hands, I slide them down her ass until they fall off and hang on the side. Her nostrils flare, and her eyes shoot fire at me right before she jumps off my lap and runs across the yard with the child in her arms.
I watch them until she runs through the sliding glass door of the house and shuts it. She pulls the blinds, and I imagine she makes sure she locks the door before the pervert next door follows her inside.
Now that my visitors are gone, I run inside for my phone. When I return to my deck, I light my joint again and scroll through the lease. Laci Hogan. She used to be Laci Williams, and I never even thought that the two names might refer to the same person.
I still remember the day I laid eyes on her.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

From author Evelyn Sola comes a single parent romance packed with steam, romance and an emotional and happily ever after.

Laci Hogan isn’t looking for love when she moves back to Oak Bend. Coming home is all about Laci gaining the independence she once lost. Besides, getting over a rocky past and losing her husband is more than enough for her to juggle while raising her two-year-old daughter but old acquaintance – Cooper Stevens can be persistent when it comes to getting what he wants.

No stranger to hard work, he’s willing to do all it takes to prove to his new neighbor Laci that she doesn’t have to do life alone and that with the right person, a relationship makes life better – oh so much better.

Will Cooper make her see that this could be all the happiness she never knew she was looking for?

Welcome to Oak Bend where blue-collar hotties work hard and love even harder, especially when it comes to landing their happily ever after.
Book Links: Amazon | B& N | iTunes | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find her 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, IL with her husband and two daughters.
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