Spotlight & Giveaway: Spiral by Bal Khabra

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

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

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

We get to follow Elias Westbrook as he navigates his tough rookie year in Toronto. Of course, a bubbly, kind of chaotic, and unfiltered ballerina just so happens to be the only one who can help him out. They begin a fake-dating rouse to help Elias keep out of the spotlight as Toronto Thunder’s golden boy turned playboy, and Sage gets the attention she needs to gain a following and book her first big audition. They toe the line between reality and pretense, but when things spiral out of control, they have to decide whether they’ll take the leap or walk away forever.
 

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

“You have this twisted idea that keeping your expectations low and not being excited about good things in your life will save you from disappointment, but you’re wrong. Good things need to be celebrated, because bad things will find a way to be acknowledged regardless.”

I think this was something I really needed to hear, and in a weird way reading it from these characters made it hit home a little harder.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

This book has to have one of my favourite playlists so far. I listened to each song at least a hundred times and the lyrics really resonated with the theme of this book. My top three that I think encompass the book have to be Take Care by Beach House, Ryder by Madison Beer and Foldin Clothes by J.Cole.

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

The hero, Elias, is drawn to her confidence and her outspoken nature intrigues him, especially since he’s more reserved. He loves listening to her thoughts and the way her mind works, I think it lets him be quiet while still listening to her talk.
Sage is captivated by the way he cares for others, noticing all the small things he does. His quiet kindness and attention to everything she says really draws her in.

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

There’s a scene where she wants him to open up to her, like she has and he’s doing his best. I think it encompasses their growth in the relationship quite well.

I pull her onto my lap, holding her face in my hands as ragged breaths puff past her lips.
“I feel more myself around you than anyone else. You make me feel like I don’t need to hold back, and—fuck, Sage, you have no idea how much I want to let go when I’m with you.”
“Then why don’t you?” Her hands move to my shoulders. “You carry so much weight on your shoulders, Elias.” Her gaze settles on mine with a sort of heavy determination. “I want you to give some of it to me.”
Her words do the opposite of what she intends, and I feel gutted. This girl who carries everyone’s pain and problems is earnestly asking me to give her more. To give her my problems because she would rather carry them than see me crumple under the weight. Sage is beautiful and strong, a ray of light in a field of darkness.

Readers should read this book….

If you’re la fan of fake-dating mixed with the high-intensity of sports, and a little bit of drama, this one’s for you!

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

Right now, I’m working on book three, and I have to say, these characters have really captured my heart. I love all of them, but the two at the center of this next story feel like soulmates to me. It’s taken me the longest to truly understand them, and that’s when I know they’re something special. I have many more stories on the horizon, but we’ll be in the hockey universe I love for a while longer.
 
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 1 giveaway print copy of SPIRAL by by Bal Khabra, U.S. only

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Book Info:

He’s on edge while she’s en pointe in this fake-dating sports romance from the author of the smash hit Collide.

Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.

Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.

Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they’ll call it quits.
 
 

Meet the Author:

Bal Khabra is a Canadian writer and booklover. 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.