Spotlight & Giveaway: The Revenge Game by Alice Gaines

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Alice Gaines to HJ!

Hi Alice and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Revenge Game!

 
Thanks for dropping by and checking out The Revenge Game.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

More than anything else, The Revenge Game is about the triumph of first love. When we first fall in love, we feel sure the feelings will last forever and, despite any obstacles, we’ll have our happily ever after. That doesn’t often happen in real life, but it does in Adam and Nicole’s story.
Rich, innocent Nicole Westmore and wrong-side-of-the-tracks Adam Morrow meet when Adam is working for Nicole’s father as his chauffeur. Nicole’s father manages to break them up, and both come away scarred from the loss. Years later, Adam moves to take revenge, but now that Nicole’s father is dead, Adam is working to sink Nicole’s company. The two meet again, and the old sparks burst back into flame. There are old hurts to heal and a conniving stepmother to overcome. Love wins out, and Nicole and Adam find their happy ending.
 

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

He tossed the phone on the bed and went back outside. “You know you’ve kidnapped me, right?”
She lifted her chin and met his gaze. “Are you going to turn me in?”
Damn. Of course he wasn’t. “I’m not going to get you arrested.”
“Then sit and have some coffee.”
He took the chair across from her and filled the empty mug from the carafe. Then he sat, sipping it, and let his mind run through what she might be planning with this stunt. There’d be no more sex, if that was what she was thinking. He didn’t do command performances. And if she thought this was some way to restart their former love affair, that ship had sailed a long time ago.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• It’s the first of three stories about friends who call themselves The Players’ Pact. They’ve all vowed never to give their hearts, but that doesn’t mean they won’t indulge their senses with willing partners who feel the same way.
• Much of the story takes place at a luxurious island resort Adam and Nicole have to themselves. Haven’t you ever been somewhere beautiful and wished you were all alone there or with one person you loved?
• It has a super-happy ending. I’m a sucker for those.

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

They meet when they’re very young. She’s innocent, and she seems to worship him—something he’s never had before. She’s attracted to him because he’s incredibly handsome. Also, she’s been isolated on her father’s estate. She finally has someone her own age to have fun with. And all the kisses and intimate touches are new to her.

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

An intense love scene where Nicole ties Adam to the bed had me blushing. I think it’s a great fantasy, but I’ve never tried it. Here’s a tiny bit of it.

“Once I’ve tied you up, I can do anything I want to you, right?” she said.
“Except hurt me.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Aww, and I so wanted to cut you to ribbons.”
“Funny.”
“Should we have a safe word?” she asked.
Not a bad idea. She might drive him past his endurance. Lord knew she could do that even when he wasn’t tied up. “How about Savvy?”
“Agreed,” she said. “Now get on the bed.”
He did and stretched out with his hands and feet near the posts. Fully distended, his sex lay against his belly. It had begun to throb, and they hadn’t started yet. Slowly, she tied a scarf around his wrist and secured it to the bedpost. After she repeated the process with his other arm, she went to the foot of the bed. “I should have done this from the start.”
What would he have done if she’d tried it that night on her yacht? He’d thought himself so under his own control then. Stupid. He never had control around this woman.
She repeated the tying process first with one of his ankles, then the other. Now she had him stretched out and helpless with very little freedom of movement.
“What’ll I do to you first?” she said. “I know.”
She climbed onto the bed and grasped his erection in her fist. Bending, she took the tip into her mouth and sucked.

Readers should read this book….

If they like sexy stories about good people who get a happily-ever-after at the end.

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

I’m working on books for Adam’s two friends. One is a professional football player, and the other is a sports doctor with his own television show. They’re both sexy, uplifting stories.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A hand-knitted scarf. Giveaway is open internationally.

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Excerpt from The Revenge Game:

The meeting was not going well, but then, Nicole hadn’t expected it to. The financials didn’t look good; the profit and loss sheet was even worse. Westmore Hotels had been struggling for years. Everyone knew it, and she couldn’t hide it. Her only hope in defeating the vote of no confidence motion lay in impressing the group with her presentation on Savvy.
Vivian St. James sat in the back, hardly speaking a word. She didn’t have to say anything—she’d already done her damage. She only needed to remain here and watch the rest of Nicole’s world implode. Peter Baxter sat on a chair at the front of the room near where Nicole stood at the podium. Only his support kept her from collapsing into a heap. Even so, her knees trembled—luckily where no one would see.
One of the stockholders—a short man in his sixties with sparse gray hair—approached the audience microphone. “What has the company done to minimize labor costs?”
Peter had prepared her for that question because it always arose in regard to her hotels. “Labor costs have to be high if you want to provide the customer with a truly luxurious experience. If a guest wants something, you have to have sufficient staff to deliver it promptly.”
“You can find cheaper workers,” the man said.
“Not to provide the same service,” she said. “Many of our guests see the same servers and other staff year after year. You can’t beat personal loyalty.”
A murmur rose up in the crowd. They all knew she was talking Westmore’s old model, which hadn’t worked for almost a decade. Customers who liked that kind of service were dying off. She’d have to get past these sorts of objections and into her presentation on Savvy to show them she had a plan for the future of the company.
“You need to get the unions out of there,” someone called out from the rear.
“Please, if you have a question, bring it to the microphone,” she said.
That only earned her grumbling. Peter rose and joined her at the podium. “For now, can we hold our questions until the end? Ms. Westmore has some exciting news she hasn’t shared yet.”
Her heart sank. She shouldn’t have had to rely on anyone else to get her through this meeting. She’d just demonstrated her inadequacy. If she couldn’t keep her shareholders in order, how could she run a company? She had to get back in control of this situation.
“We’re thrilled to announce a new resort with a unique concept in luxury hospitality.” She pressed the button on the podium, and the large screen behind her lit up with an image of the facade of Savvy. The crowd let out a soft gasp, and no wonder. Her baby was, indeed, impressive.
“Savvy,” she announced. “On a pirate island off the coast of South Carolina.”
Just then, the door in the back of the room opened, and a man stepped in. If her knees had been shaky before, they almost buckled now. Adam Morrow glanced at her briefly and then walked down the center aisle in her direction.
Holy crap, this was not happening. He’d come to finalize his plan with Vivian to take her down. And he was going to do it in front of the stockholders, some of them her father’s friends. Not satisfied he’d broken her heart—twice—he now was going to take the very last thing she could call her own away from her. Her company, her name, the last gift she’d have from her father.
How could he hate her enough to do that? She’d given him her body, her heart, and even a piece of her soul. And now, he’d even rob her of that.
She clutched the podium, willing herself to stand upright and not crumple to the floor in front of the people she had to convince to put their confidence in her. What a laugh. She didn’t belong here. She wasn’t up to this job, and Adam had come here to prove that.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Adam Morrow is a self-made millionaire. But one night with her could ruin everything…
I’ve worked my ass off for what I have, and I’m damn proud of it. I started off with nothing and now I’m filthy rich. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like revenge to help you get your ass in gear. And that’s what I’m taking, with every exclusive resort I open—sweet, sweet revenge…on her.
Nicole Westmore was my first love. The poor little rich girl stole my heart with her sweet smile, hot body, and irresistible innocence. The summer I worked for her father was the best time of my life…until he drove me away. Even then, I thought Nicole would wait for me. She didn’t.
And so, I decided to get even, opening rival hotels, slowly driving them out of business. The old man is gone now, but Nicole is still running the company that’s about to collapse. All my hard work will soon pay off.
And then I catch sight of her at a wedding, and all those feelings come rushing back–for both of us. Still, she doesn’t know what I’ve done—yet—and she seems more than willing. What will one night in her bed hurt?
The sex is hotter than ever, and I can’t help wondering if I’ve made a mistake. Until I get up the next morning…and realize I’ve been kidnapped!
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Meet the Author:

USA Today bestselling author, Alice Gaines is the author of several full-length books and dozens of shorter works. She lives in Oakland, California with her pet corn snake, Casper. While Alice isn’t writing or reading, you’ll find her pottering in her garden or cooking something in her kitchen. She’s passionate about her church and funky soul band, Tower of Power, not necessarily in that order. Alice loves to hear from readers. E-mail her at [email protected]. If you visit her website and sign up for her newsletter, you’ll be entered to win her hand-knitted and crocheted projects.
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