Spotlight & Giveaway: The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Etta Easton to HJ!

Hi Etta and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Kiss Countdown!

Howdy!

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Event planner Amerie is at rock bottom, so when she runs into her ex with his new beautiful girlfriend, she does what any logical person would do–tells them the hot astronaut she spilled coffee all over is her boyfriend. What she doesn’t expect is for the astronaut, Vincent, to also need a fake partner to keep his family off his back while he prepares for a moon expedition. When the two strike a deal to fake date for three months and begin falling into each other’s orbit, they must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after.
 

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

When coming up with the plot for The Kiss Countdown, I knew there was going to be a scene where Amerie and Vincent were stargazing, and I knew it would happen when they’re both beginning to accept there is more to their whole ‘fake dating’ deal than they originally bargained for. This scene brought me so much joy to write!

“Generally speaking, the distance between most stars is so inconceivably vast that it’s unlikely any two will ever collide. However, there are clumps of stars called globular clusters where this is not the case. Like there.” He lifts our joined hands, pointing to an area in the sky. “Those are part of the Hercules constellation. They’re crowded together much more tightly, so the chance of impact is increased.”
“What happens if they crash into each other?” Not that I care. I just want to hear him talk. I’m enjoying the timbre of his deep voice and the easy cadence of his words.
I sway to the side, seeking his heat, pleased when he lets go of my hand to wrap his arms around my waist and continues speaking. “If the stars are going too fast when they collide, it’s a big explosion, and in the end, all that’s left are star bits. But if they move relatively slowly, they’ll merge.” His voice drops an octave and goose bumps race down my spine. “They’ll create something much bigger and brighter than what they were on their own.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• When researching NASA, I took a trip to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The exhibits were amazing and informative, and the rockets are absolutely humongous! An astronaut also spent an hour talking to attendees. They really are some of the best people humanity has to offer.
• Some of the book takes place in the Texas Hill Country and I write about some of the very real (and very scary) roads I’ve driven to get there.
• Some songs on my playlist included:
• Like I’m Gonna Lose You by Meghan Trainor and John Legend
• Never Knew I Needed by Ne-yo
• I Want You by Luke James

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

Right away Vincent taken by Amerie’s beauty, but he’s really attracted to her drive push herself back up after life has thrown her for a loop. Amerie is attracted to Vincent’s caring and dependable nature…and the fact that he’s sexier than should be allowed.

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

Scenes where Vincent is giving Amerie a hard time always had me laughing. Such as below, where he starts off so sweet, then just *has* to tease her.

Vincent raises my right hand and lays a soft kiss against my knuckles. He mirrors the action on my left hand, letting his lips linger over the ring I have yet to put away for safekeeping, and I feel the icicles around my heart melting. Then, pushing my curls from my face, he cups the back of my neck and murmurs over my mouth, “If you missed me, just say that.”

Readers should read this book….

• If they love fake dating
• love a good splash of chaos when opposites attract
• are enamored with cinnamon roll heroes who know their way around a telescope
• enjoy fun family dynamics

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

I’m working on book 2. It’s a lot of fun and set to release in 2025!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 1 Print book giveaway of THE KISS COUNTDOWN by Etta Easton, US only!

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Given the chance, would you fly to the moon?

 
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Book Info:

A struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after, in this starry debut.

Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. With no choice but to gamble on her shaky start-up, the last thing she needed was to run into her smug ex and his new, less complicated girlfriend at Amerie’s favorite coffee shop. Panicked, she pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met by spilling Americano all over his abs. He plays along—for a price.

Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play Vincent’s doting partner in front of his loving but overly invested family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house and can put every penny toward her struggling business.
 
 

Meet the Author:

Etta Easton is a certified hopeless romantic who now writes contemporary romance. Her stories are full of humor, relatable heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, and Black joy. She lives in Central Texas with her husband and two young kids.