Spotlight & Giveaway: Revolve by Bal Khabra

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Bal Khabra to HJ!

Hi Bal Khabra and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Revolve!

 
Happy to be here!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Olympian skater Sierra Romanova is determined to reclaim her the spotlight after an accident left her battling panic attacks every time she approaches the ice. So, this semester she’s determined to reclaim her life as a skater. Enter Dylan Donovan, a cocky hockey player whose NHL dreams are slipping away after being kicked off his team. Desperate to stay on the rink, Dylan turns to figure skating—and to Sierra. When she needs a new pairs partner, she’s only got one option, and it just so happens to be the cocky hockey player she can’t stand. She’s disciplined, he’s a wildcard, but together, they might just be the perfect match.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

“You can cry, or scream, or break things if you need to. Whatever it is, you’ve got me to do it with. All of it,” he says.
I don’t move. I don’t think I could if I wanted to.
When I don’t speak, he drops his forehead to the back of my head so softly, I wonder if he’s even there. But when his voice rumbles low, warm against the cold bite of the night, goose bumps erupt on my skin.
“Don’t do this,” he whispers, the warmth of his breath stirring the stillness between us. “Don’t go where I can’t follow.”
His words hit me like a dull skate blade cutting too close to my throat.
Is this really who I’ve become? A person trapped inside their own mind, too high up in the tower to escape?
“I don’t do this. It was never like this before. Justin never let me-”
“I’m not him.”
“I know.” With that I pull the door handle and slip into the car, closing the door between us. As I drive away, I avoid looking at him in my rearview.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

I’ve wanted to write this book since before COLLIDE, the first book in the series, was even released. These two characters have always been in the back of my mind, and I’ve even dropped a few Easter eggs for them in Collide and Spiral. I love figure skating. I’ve been on and off with the sport since I was a kid, and it never lost its magic. I still find myself lacing up my skates every so often. So, when it finally came time to write this book, I thought it would flow easily. Turns out, figuring out these two characters took longer than I expected. I wrote over 120,000 words and deleted even more along the way. I even scrapped my first draft and rewrote the story to match the vision I’d been holding for the past two years. But finally, when the final product came together, it felt exactly like the story I needed it to be.

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

Sierra’s instant brush-off catches Dylan completely off guard and, if he’s honest, makes her intriguing. He has never had a woman look right past him before. Usually, winning people over does not take much effort. But Sierra ignores him like it is second nature, and somehow that only pulls him in closer. Then he realizes it is not just the chase. He genuinely loves talking to her. In fact, he has never had a real, soul-deep conversation with anyone he has been with, yet with Sierra it flows effortlessly. And it is the same for her. She finds herself opening up to Dylan in ways she never has before. His easygoing nature quietly gives her permission to speak freely with no walls and no filters.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

There are plenty of moments like this sprinkled through the story, but the one that had me blushing is the porch scene. They’ve both spent years dancing on ice, but this time, they’re doing it just for fun. For Sierra, “fun” hasn’t been in her vocabulary for ages, and somehow, Dylan is the one who coaxes that playful, carefree side back to life.

“Dance for you this time,” he says softly.
It’s a simple sentence, one that shouldn’t have my heart flipping on its side.
I take a tentative step closer. “There’s no music.”
Suddenly, a radio crackles, and “Wondering Why” by The Red Clay Strays plays. The window curtains move, and I spot black hair, and the radio is now by the open window.
The soft strum of the guitar grows steady, and this time instead of staring at his hand, I take it. His smile is unforgettable. The way his warm hand completely engulfs mine, the effortless tug that pulls me flush against the solid planes of his body, and the crisp, intoxicating scent of him wrapping around me like the lyrics. He’s so effortless in his moves, so fluid, I melt into him like butter on hot toast. The song slows, and the lyrics of the chorus do nothing to drown out the way my heart beats against his. Dylan pulls back, and his eyes roam my face with such tenderness that it almost physically hurts to stand here and let him look.
Dylan draws a featherlight path to my jaw, dusting his thumb over my lips.
He looks like he needs this, like I’m giving him something he’s never had before. Then as the music feels louder in my ears, he wraps me in his big arms and leans in so his head is buried in the crook of my neck. The hum of a guitar and a deep voice serenade us while we hold each other like we’re not two complicated people with bad luck. Like we’re just two college kids, dancing on a porch.

Readers should read this book….

It’s the perfect sports romance full of witty banter, emotion, humor and a slow burn that pays off with the perfect amount of spice.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m working on the fourth and final book in the Off the Ice series. It’s a bittersweet goodbye to these characters I’ve created and had so many readers fall in love with. It follows one of the fan favorite characters who finds himself tethered to love in a way he hadn’t realized.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 1 copy of REVOLVE by Bal Khabra, U.S. only

To enter Giveaway, please share this post and leave a comment to this Q: What kind of stories do you find yourself falling for again and again?

This giveaway closes 3 days from the date of this post.

Book Info:

The road to redemption is far from smooth as ice in this sweeping romance between a figure skater and hockey player from the USA Today bestselling author of Collide.

Sierra Romanova was an Olympian figure skater before a life-altering accident on the ice left her with panic attacks every time she enters the rink. Now, back for her final year at Dalton University, she’s ready to reclaim the spotlight, with all eyes on her…including those of hockey player Dylan Donovan, whose audacious words goad her back into her skates to prove him wrong.

After getting kicked off his hockey team for his reckless behavior, Dylan is left with slim chances of making it to the NHL draft. But Dylan’s whole world revolves around the ice, and if hockey is forbidden, well at least there’s figure skating. Even better, it means more time at the rink with Sierra. Sure, he’s helping her rebuild her confidence, but pushing her buttons along the way? That’s just a bonus.

As the figure skating world awaits Sierra’s comeback, she finds herself in need for a new pairs partner. The only person she knows who can match her skill on the ice is none other than the cocky hockey player who refuses to cut her any slack. Dylan’s a wildcard, Sierra’s a seasoned pro, but together, they might just be the perfect match on the ice.
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Meet the Author:

Bal Khabra is a Canadian writer and book lover. Before she decided to jump into the romance pool, she spent her time gushing about books on social media. When inspiration strikes, she is found filling her notes app with ideas for romance novels. She loves reading about love, watching movies about love, and now, writing about it herself. There really isn’t much else that gets her heart fluttering the way HEAs do. She fell in love with writing and hopes to continue living out her romance author dreams.
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