Spotlight & Giveaway: THE SWEETHEART CRUSH by Miranda Liasson

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Miranda Liasson to HJ!

Hi Miranda and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, THE SWEETHEART CRUSH!

 
Thanks for having me! I’m thrilled to be here to talk about THE SWEETHEART CRUSH.
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

He made her the villain of his novel…and she’s about to read all about it.

What if your former best friend, who was angry and hurt at something that involved the both of you, wrote you into his first novel? A novel that eventually led to his great success? One that portrayed you in a very unflattering light? THE SWEETHEART CRUSH is a fun friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance that explores the cautionary tale of “Be careful, or you’ll end up in my novel!”
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

(12 years ago) Dear Diary,
Today, Logan and I went to the Blossom Festival like we’ve done every single year since we both could walk. We checked out all the fun stuff, and then we shared a famous elephant ear. Logan pointed at me and said, “You’ve got sugar on your face.” He reached over and brushed it off—so simple—barely grazing my cheek, his touch as light as the wisp of a feather, but then suddenly everything got still. My heart stopped dead in my chest.I could hear kids yelling and people laughing all around us, the scents of frying dough and sausage and peppers and tacos and French fries, all of it suddenly fading away as if someone had paused and muted the whole festival.My best friend since we were in diapers was looking at me like—well, like I was that sugary, warm, irresistible elephant ear. Looking at me in a way that he never had before.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The idea for this book started by me thinking of the T-shirt you might’ve seen that says “Be careful, or you’ll end up in my novel.”
• I got the name Blossom Glen off a billboard in Indiana and I loved the name.
• A giant destination Christmas store really does exist in Michigan. I have heard that it is fabulous!
• Bullying is a real problem and I felt compelled to address it in some way, making it go down a little more lighthearted than in real life but nonetheless wanting to shine a light on it.
• It was fun to write a gluten-free heroine! I love how Logan never forgot this and went of his way to stock up on all kinds of GF items for Viv.

What first attracts your main characters to each other?

They were best friends through childhood but haven’t seen each other for a decade. Viv immediately notices that Logan has gotten H-O-T! But the same I-get-you chemistry they’ve always had is still there – and unexpectedly, something more!
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe your main characters”love affair?

Sweet, wonderful intimate, deep, revealing
 

The First Kiss…

Logan turned and took a couple of
steps but then swung back around. “One more question.”
Viv pretended to tap a fake wristwatch. “You do know
you’re past your limit, right?”
He ignored that. “Should I be offended that you prefer
being alone out here to being with me?”
Busted. “What makes you think that?”
“You just admitted that you had a date with your
mother’s dog, Viv.”
“Don’t take it personally. I can’t think clearly when
you’re around.” Oh no, where did that come from? She
resisted the urge to slap her hand over her big, unruly mouth.
He leaned in. He was so close, she could see his dark,
dark irises. Well, at least they looked dark because his pupils
were dilated in the dim light. His gaze seemed to pierce the
part of her mind where all her thoughts about him were as
jumbled up as unsorted laundry.
“I’m glad you can’t think clearly when I’m around.” His
voice was low and gravelly.
A shiver went through her. He was close enough to
touch. To kiss. She felt a flush travel up her neck and into her
face. She cleared her suddenly dry throat. “Why is that?”
He attempted to suppress a smile. As if he was secretly
reveling in her discombobulation. She suddenly realized
she’d been staring at his lips, which were full and very nice,
indeed. She forced her gaze upward, but he had mischief
in his eyes. Mischief and something else that was melting
her from the inside out, and it had nothing to do with the
temperature of the water.
And then, just like that, he leaned over and kissed her.
His mouth landed gently on her lips, slow and purposeful.
Self-assured. A direct hit, leaving her thoughts scattered
and her body trembling, hot and cold and dizzy all at once.
He took his time, gently exploring her mouth, dropping
feather-light kisses, as if her lips were braille and he was
reading them, one letter at a time.
Without thinking, she brought her hands up to his face
and pulled him closer to the steamy water, closer to her,
as she kissed him back. He tasted wonderful, his kisses
drugging her with their sweetness, their soft and unrushed
intensity. Her fingers tangled in his thick hair, silky and
coarse at the same time. He leaned over the hot tub, his
arms flexing as he grasped the rim for purchase. She felt him
shudder as their lips collided.
The kisses deepened and quickened. Their tongues met,
and someone let out a groan. Maybe her. She angled her
head and tried to lift herself out of the water to get to more
of him.
He felt so good. Warm and familiar and yet not at all.
He broke the kiss suddenly and pulled back, panting a
little. His shirt—actually, the entire front of him—was wet.
“Logan, I—” She had so much to say. She felt so much,
but she couldn’t think of where to begin. She couldn’t think
at all. And she wanted more kisses, but why wasn’t he
kissing her?
He found words first. “I’m glad you can’t think clearly
because that means we have unfinished business to discuss.”
He pushed back off the hot tub. “Enjoy your quiet time.”
Like that was even possible.
Because he’d completely wrecked her.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

The hot tub!

Through Viv’s almost-closed eyes, she saw again his dark
curls, now tamed by the wonders of a good haircut. Those
expressive eyes she’d never really noticed because they’d
always been hidden by thick glasses. Yep, Logan Matthews
had transformed into a real hottie. Was the Logan she’d
loved still lurking beneath that new hunky facade?
In the hot tub, Viv looked up at the spring sky, dark as velvet with
bright pinpricks of starlight. The air was cool but earthy
smelling, with the promise of warm, sunny days ahead. For
one minute, she simply went weightless, letting the water lift
her body and clear her mind.
Her Zen moment was interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Still like a midnight dip, I see,” Logan said from the deck.
She stifled a groan. “This one’s legal,” she shot back,
knowing that he was referring to when they used to go
skinny dipping in a lake just outside of town.
“Might not be if you’re walking around our
neighborhood naked.” She heard the suppressed laughter
in his voice. “I mean, there are young children and pets
around, you know?”
She didn’t grace that with an answer, just rolled her
eyes. She’d never expected him to casually drop by like the
old days. Not to mention the fact that before today, they
hadn’t had a conversation longer than a string of words in
a decade.
Wearing a wicked grin along with a T-shirt and shorts,
he pulled off his tennis shoes.
Wait. Pulled off his shoes?
She sat up so fast the water slapped over the edges of the
hot tub. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Joining you,” he said matter-of-factly.
What the… She was struggling to find the words to set
him straight when he peeled off his shirt and tossed it down.
All coherent thought fled at the sight of his tanned, bare
chest, broad and ripped and…well, perfect in every way.
“I—um…” As she struggled, he stood there, still
grinning, his teeth white in the darkness. A man who
exuded confidence, who was completely comfortable in his
own skin.
“Lost your words?”
“You’re not coming in here,” she managed. If he’d
stunned her into silence, she’d never admit it.
He moved to take off his shorts.
“You’re definitely not coming in here.” When he slipped
his fingers under the waistband, she got panicky. Throwing
her arms out, she said, “For God’s sake, keep those on.”
“Do you have your shorts on?” He sounded very
amused.
“That’s irrelevant,” she shot back. “It’s my hot tub.”
He cocked a brow in question. “Well, I really don’t care
either way.”
“Yes, I have something on,” she said. She felt distraught,
and not just because a sports bra and granny panties might
be okay in private but…yeah. Not the best choice for right
now.
Logan walked over to stand near her on the outside
of the tub. She wasn’t naked but the way he was looking
at her made her feel like she was. “I just want to talk,” he
said innocently. “And I’m sure you’ve seen men in their
underwear.” He glanced up. “You have, haven’t you?”
For that, she splashed him. As she gave an exasperated
sigh, he, unfazed, stripped down to his briefs—navy blue
boxer briefs, to be precise—and climbed in.
She absolutely didn’t notice his muscular thighs or his
lean legs or his ripped abs or his bare chest. Or anything
else that was barely being contained in those boxer briefs.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

Viv is working as an elf in Blossom Glen’s tourist-destination Christmas store when Logan walks in and their discussion gets heated…
“You call a kiss on the cheek when we were eighteen crossing a line?” Logan tried to whisper but it came out an octave higher than usual. He took a big breath to get himself in check. This was ancient history. Why was he letting her get under his skin?
Viv was up in his grill. “You were aiming for my lips, but you missed.” She paused. “But then, that’s what teenage boys do.”
Okaaay, if she wanted to spar, he was going to give it right back. But her elf hat was a little bit crooked, which took her threat level down a notch or two. “I kissed you on the cheek because you turned away.” There, the truth. He saw from her alarmed expression that he scored a direct hit. But somehow it didn’t give him any satisfaction. He crossed his arms. “Trust me, I wouldn’t miss now.”

Readers should read this book …

…if you enjoy heartwarming and humorous closed-door romance and enjoy seeing two people meet their challenges and come into their own and also discover love with someone who not only gets them but who has ALWAYS gotten them.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I am working on a book for next year and starting a new project that is in its beginning stages.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: $10 Amazon Giftcard

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Excerpt from The Sweetheart Crush:

It dawned on Logan that Viv was helping him. Rescuing him
was more like it.
Playing to the crowd, she made a dismissive gesture
with her arm. “I’ve known Logie since he was in diapers.
Our moms used to put us in the same playpen. And we’re
used to teasing each other, aren’t we, Logan?”
“Why, are you the girl next door?” asked a woman.
For a second, Logan’s heart shuddered. Because The
Girl Next Door happened to be the name of that ill-fated
first book.
Good thing he’d written it under a pen name, and it’d
had a very, very small print run. Over the years, a few people
had recognized his photo on the back. But so far, no one in
town knew about that first awful book.
Except soon the whole world would know. His agent
had recently told him that first publisher was planning a new
print run using his real name.
A wave of guilt ran through him now that he was face-to-
face with the woman who’d broken his heart a long time
ago and never even known it.
“Yes. Yes, I am the girl next door,” Viv said with an
amiable laugh. “Well, here you go, Logan.” She held up
the ball for the ladies. On closer inspection, he saw that it
said Auld Lang Syne across the sparkly surface. “That’s a
Scottish saying, did you know that?” Viv spoke in a sincere
voice that kept the crowd spellbound. “It means times gone
by. What it really means is that we are utterly useless if we
don’t cherish the relationships from the past and remain in
touch with the people who made us who we are today.”
Then she reached over and kissed his cheek.
It stung. It tingled. It throbbed. He fought all of it by
clenching his jaw and his fists. Nothing could stop the wave
of feeling that bowled him over.
How ironic that they were starting right where they left
off twelve years ago.
Her quick thinking got to him. But her kindness got to
him even more.
Even after barely talking for more than a decade, she
still had his back.
Cameras flashed. The bus ladies oohed and aahed.
Viv passed him a knowing look and a slight nod, then
turned and left, leaving him in the middle of the Santa aisle
literally holding the ball.
With his cheek tingling, the entire side of his face numb,
and a certain other vital body part responding in a whole
other way.
On top of it all, his heart filled with dread. How could
he ever explain to her what he’d done?

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Photographer Viv Montgomery’s dreams were bigger than her small hometown of Blossom Glen. Following them meant leaving everything and everyone behind—including her sweet and funny best friend, Logan Matthews. Now, twelve years later, the town’s “sweetheart” is back, broke, and…well, working in the town’s famous Christmas store until she figures out her next move.

Enter her former best friend who she hasn’t seen or talked to in years. Only the cute, funny guy she remembers is gone—replaced by a famous, bestselling author who seems aloof, jaded, and is much, much hotter than any book nerd she’s ever seen. Seeing him in the news is one thing, but up close and person? Whewf, it’s warm in here.

Now he’s offered her a job she desperately needs (blissfully free of Santas), and suddenly it’s like no time has passed at all. Their friendship is just like it was…with one very unexpected difference. Because somewhere between the blossom festival and snuggling in front of a crackling fire, their friendship is definitely turning into some more. Only, Logan’s been hiding the secret of his enormous success…and the sweetheart of Blossom Glen is about to read all about it.

Each book in the Blossom Glen series is STANDALONE:
* The Sweetheart Deal
* The Sweetheart Fix
* The Sweetheart Crush
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Miranda Liasson is a bestselling author who writes about the important relationships in women’s lives. Her heartwarming and humorous romances have won numerous accolades and have been praised by Entertainment Weekly for the way she “deals with so much of what makes life hard . . . without ever losing the warmth and heart that characterize her writing.”

A proud native of Northeast Ohio, she lives in a neighborhood of old homes that serve as inspiration for her books.

Miranda loves to hear from readers!
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