Spotlight & Giveaway: Wed Like Wildfire by Lauren Helms

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Lauren Helms to HJ!

Hi Lauren and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Wed Like Wildfire!

 
Hi! Thanks for having me!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Cassie Winters, a wedding planner searching for her own epic love story meets a grumpy CEO, Theo Abbot, who has sworn off love. Cassie knows he’s unavailable and off-limits mostly because he’s her new client’s brother plus, he’s clearly not into her, but she can’t resist him even though she tries.

Theo is set in his feelings about love and hates weddings. But there is something about Cassie’s brightness that keeps him intrigued. Because of the pull between them, it takes just one drink to derail his plan to never fall in love again.

Eventually, they both have to look at what they always thought they wanted and compare it to what they think they want now. Are they able to decide to take the leap or do they let their spark burn out?
 

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

“I want to wrap her up and tell her I’ll marry her tomorrow if that means I could see her smile for the rest of my life.
But I won’t.
I can’t.
Not for Cassie, not for anyone.”

Gah! That line gives me all the feels for poor, grumpy Theo.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• I based my character inspiration for Theo on Sebastian Stan.
• I first came up with the Happily Ever After, Inc. series because I wanted to write about a matchmaker. When I started plotting, the character of Cassie, a wedding planner, popped up and her story was very clear, quickly, so I wrote her book first.
• This book features a character that’s going to star in his own book in a brand new series coming next year. I’m excited to see if readers can figure out who and what the series will be about.
• My middle daughter (she’s 8) is 100% a sunshine character. She has been told she is her own vibe and she could make the grumpiest person smile. It’s just who she is. So when I was writing Cassie, I couldn’t help but see all the similarities between my fictional leading lady and my daughter. I wouldn’t be surprised if my daughter grows up to be a wedding planner someday. She just “loves love so much.”

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

Oh man, I’m gonna have to say that just about everything has Theo stressed out in regards to Cassie. He first hears her voice. Then he lays eyes on her. Then, when he takes her in, we know that she 100% turns him on. But it isn’t until they have a battle of wits that I think he’s a goner for her. But honestly, it’s her smile that keeps him coming back.

For Cassie, the pure grumpiness of Theo totally turns her on. He irritates the hell out of her, but she’s also insanely attracted to him. Then when they keep getting stuck working on wedding details, his irritation for weddings but his deep love for his little sister just has her all up in arms about how she feels about him.

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

I rarely get emotional when I write. I don’t know, maybe I’m broken. But when I was reading the breakup scene, my heart was in my throat and I fighting back tears. My beta reader sent me back notes and was like “that scene gutted me!”

Anger is easier to harness than sadness.
Fuck sadness. Rage can take you places. Sadness gets you nowhere.
I know she’s still crying. I can hear her sniffling. But I force myself to keep going. I’m not even halfway down the stairs when she steadies her voice. “I’m not a cheater. I’m not someone who makes rash decisions. I know what I want in life and I know that’s a committed relationship and a family. I was willing to give up marriage if that meant I could still be with the man I love. I didn’t need the wedding. I thought we were on the same page. But you just… you just obliterated our future.”
Facing the door, I take a deep breath. Peering over my shoulder, I say, “Turns out we weren’t even in the same fucking book, Cassie.”
Taking one last look at the women who would have made me change my stance on love and marriage, her tear-stained cheeks nearly gut me, but I’m a man with complete control, so I wrench open her front door, step out into the night, and close the door to what could have been my future.
When one door shuts, you make sure it fucking stays shut.

Readers should read this book….

If they love any of the following:
– grumpy heroes that aren’t alphaholes
– leading ladies who you want to be your best friend
– romance & weddings and happily ever afters
– sexy billionaires & kick ass boss babes
– some spice to go with the plot

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

I just finished book two for this Happily Ever After, Inc. series. It’s called Twist of Date and it features my matchmaker and a charming restaurant owner. It’s a twist on forbidden as the hero is a client and my HEA, Inc, ladies are bossbabes who don’t enjoy mixing business with pleasure, but the heart wants what the heart wants, am I right?
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: One month of KindleUnlimited on me! (US Only)

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Let’s talk about dream weddings for a minute.
For those who have already had a wedding, what was that one, favorite thing about your wedding?
For those who have NOT had a wedding, what is that one thing that you have to have when it comes to your wedding?

 
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Excerpt from Wed Like Wildfire:

I come to a stop behind the three of them, my attendance going unnoticed. I resist the urge to clap for her performance, but interrupt her words with my own instead.
“Well done, sounds like you could sell religion to the damn Pope.” Harsh, but I don’t like when people think they can take advantage of us just because we have money.
Both my sister and the woman startle. Mateo snorts. I glance at Nora and the glare I’m getting could cut ice, but I’ve survived the look before. I nod a hello at Mateo before sliding my gaze to the best damn saleswoman in the world.
Taking in the woman standing in front of me, no goddamn joke, my heart skips a fucking beat. I draw my hand out of my pocket and slowly rub my chest absentmindedly.
The woman is utterly exquisite. Her soft blond hair is braided in a way that is messy but perfectly styled and falls over her shoulder with strands of soft gold framing her face. A face that at first glance looks flawless. I’m unable to continue my perusal as I’m stopped in my tracks by two sparkling blue eyes staring back at me. Taking in all of her, I see that the smirk she wears tells me she’s not about to let me get away with what I’ve just said.
“No doubt you are correct, Mr. Abbot. However, I wouldn’t attempt something so outrageous.” Her eyes gleam. “I was just telling Nora and Mateo some very well-known facts about this beautiful cathedral.” She glances up and waves her hand around as if to encompass the whole space.
“Theo, this is Cassie Winters, our wedding planner. It’s nice of you to join us,” Nora bites out in a pleasantly terse tone. She walks up to me and kisses my cheek. As she pulls away, she whispers, “Be nice.”
I ignore her and focus on the wedding planner. Cassie.
“Well, I’m just confused as to why we are even here, Ms. Winters. Or is it Mrs.?” I ask.
She doesn’t miss a beat. “Ms. Thank you. And we are here because the couple getting married”—she gestures to Nora and Mateo—“wanted a tour.” Her tone straddles the line of condescending and courteous. And it’s sexy as fuck.
Nora punches me lightly in the side, typical sister shit. “Yes, I asked if we could check out the cathedral as well as some other places. We’ve already ruled some out due to availability, but this place has an opening twelve months from now,” she informs me as she walks back over to Mateo, lacing her fingers through his. His eyes flash as he looks down at her.
“I thought you didn’t want to wait a year,” I say, my eyes darting back at Cassie. She stands there, smiling with fucking stars in her eyes at Nora and Mateo.
“True, but places book up quickly, and I wasted too much time floundering before hiring Cassie,” Nora says.
I nod. Makes sense. I take a second to look around this place. I want to vomit, it’s so extra. We may have grown up with silver spoons in our mouths, but we didn’t grow up around such fancy-ass stuff such as weddings in the Scottish Rite Cathedral.
“Why the grumpy face?” Cassie’s beautiful voice breaks me out of my stupor.
“Oh, no, that’s his normal face,” Nora tells her.
“I don’t understand why you picked this place. It’s a church…”
“Are you not religious, Mr. Abbot?” Cassie interrupts.
“I’m not sure why that matters to you,” I snap.
Her eyes widen a tad at the venom in my tone. “You said it’s a church.”
“You didn’t let me finish, Ms. Winters. I was saying, it’s a church that was built in the ’20s and this place fits, like what? Twelve hundred people? Do you even know that many people, Nora?” I stuff my hands in my pockets out of frustration.
“No,” Nora offers shakily.
“Mr. Abbot, the theater space is only one of the locations available for a ceremony. This was our first stop. I wanted them to get the full tour,” Cassie says and I so badly want to ask her to call me Theo, but I don’t know if I’ll like the way she says my name more than the way she calls me Mr. Abbot.
I grunt, not having time for this argument. “Okay, then let’s look at a more accommodating space.”
“You know what, I think this place has lost its magic for me,” Nora grumbles. “Let’s check out that last place on my list. I know Theo has a busy schedule.”
“If you are sure, we can head over to INDUSTRY then,” Cassie says as she follows Nora and Mateo toward the exit.
I’m not into games. I’m not going to ask Nora if she’s sure or apologize for raining on her parade with this place. It’s not a good fit for her. She knows it. I know it. And this ridiculous wedding planner needs to learn it if she wants to keep my sister as a client.
Cassie walks by me, her shoulder nearly brushing mine, and my senses are immediately taken over by a soft smell of amber and vanilla.
“I’m so happy that you were able to join us today,” she says softly. I look down at her. She’s a few inches shorter, and the sparkle in her eyes is mischievous.
Clenching my jaw, I don’t reply as she walks on by, but the urge to wrap my hand around her arm and pull her back to me is strong.
I think what gets under my skin the most is that she has yet to drop the smile this whole time. Is it stuck on her face? Is this a Botox gone wrong? She doesn’t look like the type of woman to be obsessed with Botox, but what the fuck do I know?
I close my eyes for a minute to gain my wits.
One, two, three…

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Once upon a time, there was a grumpy CEO who met a wedding planner who never stopped smiling…

Cassie
You could say that I live and breathe weddings and love, and as a wedding planner, a happily ever after is the main event. So when I learn that Theo Abbot absolutely hates weddings, that should be my clue to run for the hills as fast as my sexy little black stilettos will take me.

But I digress.

I’m on the hunt for my own epic love story, one T-Swift herself could write a song about. Which means unavailable and seemingly uninterested CEOs are off limits. Even if the man oozes sex appeal and his grumpiness turns me to mush.

A little flirting never hurt anyone.

Theo
Cassie Winters shines so bright I need a pair of Ray-bans to look directly at her. Problem is, once I’ve set my eyes on her, I can’t seem to look away. The woman is a walking, talking promotion for all things love and happiness.

Hand me an antacid.

Counting, on one hand, the amount of times I’ve failed in my life, leaves me knowing I won’t ever do “love” again. I’m set in my ways and not even this sexy little spitfire could sweet talk me out of my decision to never get married.

Yet it only took one drink to derail that plan.

But, things aren’t always as they seem and when real life gets in the way of this fairy tale, we’re both forced to take a hard look at what we truly want.

Are we both ready to wed or is this a wildfire that’s about to burn out?
Book Links:  Amazon |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Lauren Helms is a romance author who combines her love of books and video games in her writing. After starting a book review website, she realized something was missing and decided to write her first novel, Level Me Up. Now with several published novels under her belt, Lauren has also created a PR company, Indie Pen PR, to help other authors promote their work. She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with her Gamer Boy husband and three young kid nerds
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