Spotlight & Giveaway: Wylde by Sawyer Bennett

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Sawyer Bennett to HJ!

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

 
Hey, Junkies!
 

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

Aaron Wylde is the team playboy, and wears it like a badge of honor. Until the day he jogs past a bookstore and catches a glimpse of Clarke Webber, the gorgeous store owner who wants nothing to do with Wylde or his celebrity status. If he wants to win her heart, he’s going to be a lot less Wylde, and a lot more Aaron. WYLDE is a standalone, opposites attract, hockey romance.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

I love living in downtown Phoenix. My condo is on the fringe of the social scene, which is filled with trendy cafes, fine dining, and upscale shopping. At night, I merely have to step out of my building and walk one block west to be in the thick of it all. Five blocks south, and I’m at the arena where the Vengeance plays. My truck mostly stays parked in the underground garage unless I need to use it to drive to the airport for away games, but I’ll often just Uber it.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• WYLDE is the most fun I’ve had writing a book in a little bit. There is something so special about the connection these two share.
• It’s the summer of weddings for the Arizona Vengeance! We’ll see one, two, THREE weddings as these hockey hunks meet their matches.
• The Vengeance is quickly becoming one big happy family! The guys have the bond of being teammates, but the ladies of the Vengeance have bonded into their own little team as well. I almost feel like those ladies need a book of their own! Haha!!
• The hotel where the team stays for Bishop and Brooke’s destination wedding is real–I’ve stayed there and it was magnificent!

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

Aaron was originally drawn to Clarke’s beauty. He was jogging by her store and went in just to get a better glimpse. Clarke found him attractive, but pegged him for a dumb jock. Aaron quickly proved her wrong, and while it took her a while to warm up to him, she recognized there was much more to him than meets the eye.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?

Sloooooooooowburn. (Yep, I totally cheated and made that one word!)
Sweet.
Sexy.
Honest.
Adorable.
 

The First Kiss…

A little backstory–Clarke shot down Aaron’s invitation to be his date to Erik and Blue’s wedding, so he presented her a friendly wager. After she lost, he offered her double or nothing and she ended up owing him two dates. This is the end of date #1:

“Still intend to honor our date next weekend?” he asks.
“Of course,” I reply, but there’s enough aloofness in my tone he knows it will be our last date.
“Hmmm,” he muses and before I know it, he’s leaning into me. “Then I’m not going to regret doing this at all.”
It’s completely unexpected and given my reticence about Aaron and all he represents, it’s shocking how quickly I respond to his warm mouth on mine. It’s not a goodbye peck thanking me for a wonderful evening.
It’s a penetrating kiss that tells me he could show me oh so much more if I’d give him a chance past next weekend.
It’s over as soon as it starts, but the tingling of my lips leaves me a pointed reminder left by a sinful man I want to despise, but I really just can’t.
As Aaron turns to walk back toward the house, I watch his retreating back, knowing he’s going to be on my mind for quite some time.

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

GAH! These two are just adorable. He’s not used to dating (he’s more of a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy), and she’s not sure about dating HIM. But they know they’re attracted to one another, even if it makes them *just* a little awkward.

“I had a great time tonight. Thank you.”
Aaron’s smile seems sly and a little predatory, which makes my blood start to race. He crowds into my personal space, curling one hand around the nape of my neck while bending to deliver a scorching kiss that wordlessly tells me he had a great time, too, with the additional message that we could have an even better time not so subtly hinted at.
But he pulls his mouth away from mine, moving his lips to my ear to murmur, “I had a great time, too. Call you tomorrow,” with absolutely no pressure for more in his tone.
I’m stunned when he starts to turn away from me. Hating my opportunity has passed, I shift toward my door, key in hand.
Then I whip back around. “Would you…”
Aaron pauses, twisting to see me over his shoulder.
“Um… never mind,” I whisper. He smiles—his expression conveying understanding, slight amusement, and patience. He gets halfway down the steps before I finally make up my mind and blurt out, “Wait… would you like to come in for a bit?”
Aaron pivots to face me, his head tilted up slightly.
“You know,” I prattle on. “We could, um… talk. Or even play Scrabble.”
His eyes lock on me, filling with a purpose I don’t understand but which causes my tummy to flutter, as Aaron saunters back my way. He takes the porch steps two at a time. Not stopping, he walks right into me. I take a step backward, the door bringing me up short, and Aaron presses in against me, his legs tangling with mine as my breasts mash into his broad chest.
Dipping his head, he puts his mouth near my ear and whispers, “Let’s play some Scrabble.”

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

Clarke has baggage as the result of a previous relationship, so she’s not sure she can trust Wylde. Or that she even wants to try. Here’s a snippet from him trying to convince her to give him a chance, and I think it shows a good range of emotion between them.

“Aaron,” she murmurs, her eyes finally lifting to meet mine. They are filled with fear.
I dip my face closer to hers. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret, okay?”
Clarke nods mutely.
“I’m usually not a prince,” I admit bluntly. “I’ve never dated the same woman more than once or twice. You ask any member on my team, and they’ll say I’m a player.”
Clarke narrows her eyes. “Why would you even admit that?”
“Because I want you to know I’m being as honest with you as I can,” I say. “You have baggage, and I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. This is probably fated for disaster. But I like you, Clarke. I want to get to know you better. It’s a first for me, and well… if you give me a chance, it will be like a first for you, too. At least the first in a few years. We can stumble through this together. A joint effort. What do you say?”
She stares, her entire body almost vibrating with skepticism. I can actually feel the tension within her, like a rabbit ready to bolt.
But I’ve said my part. If she doesn’t have it in her to take the chance, I can’t hold it against her.

Readers should read this book …

For a fun, sweet, sexy summer escape.

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

More Vengeance! More Jameson Force Security! And…*looks around* a secret project for 2021! Shhhh, don’t tell. I’ll (hopefully) have more info soon. 😉

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Signed paperback of Dominik. (US only)

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Excerpt from Wylde:

I don’t just fall into bed with men. I have to go out with them a few times, start to feel comfortable with them. I have to actually like and respect them to get naked. It’s just an integrity thing with me. So all that being said, sex with Aaron is not happening tonight. It’s too soon.
“Did you shave?” Veronica asks.
“Nope,” I say with a grin into the mirror. I’ve already done my makeup, and, I have to say, I look pretty good. I don’t wear it a lot… usually only if I go out at night, much preferring not to mess with it at all. But I did a dark gray on my eyes, smoky underneath, and my lashes are so long they’ll rub against my glasses.
Hmmm.
I set the wand down, then grab my glasses off the sink. They’re only needed for reading—progressive bifocals, actually. I put them on and, sure enough, my lashes with my extra-thick formula mascara rub irritatingly against the lenses.
“Crap,” I mutter, taking them off.
“What?” Veronica asks.
“I’m going to have to put my contacts in and I haven’t worn them in so long they’re probably going to irritate my eyes all night.”
“But Aaron will be able to see your lovely eyes up close. They’re by far your best feature.”
“Gee, thanks,” I reply dryly, curling the last lock of hair that needs a spiral. “I thought it was my keen intellect and humor.”
“Yeah, maybe if you were sixty years old, widowed, and looking to score a new man at that age.”
She has a point.
I remove the wand, turn it off, and set it down, giving myself a comprehensive look in the mirror. “Okay… on a scale of one to ten, I think I’m a solid eight tonight.”
“You take off a point for hairy legs?” Veronica asks.
My voice is sullen. “No.”
“Then you’re a seven,” she says confidently, and I can’t help but let my laughter fill my small bathroom. “But seriously… here’s my pep talk. Have a great time, okay? We both know sex isn’t happening with hairy legs and pits, but you better come out of it with at least a hot kiss or two to tell me about, okay?”
“Got it,” I reply, snapping off a salute she can’t see. “Call you when I get home?”
“I’ll be waiting,” she says, then blows a kiss into the phone before disconnecting.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

There’s a reason they call me Wylde and it’s not just because it’s my last name.

I might be one of the newest players on the Arizona Vengeance team, but I’m no stranger to the celebrity that goes along with being a professional hockey player. Whether it’s a fan seeking an autograph or a puck bunny looking for more, I’ve grown used to the attention. I not only thrive on it; I use it to my advantage. Let’s just say my bed is rarely empty.

When a quirky redhead at the local bookstore stops me dead in my tracks, I decide to pop in and turn on the trusty Wylde magic. As smart and strong-willed as she is beautiful, Clarke Webber isn’t swayed by my witty banter or charming good looks. And when she realizes who I am and the fame that comes along with it, she likes me even less. Thankfully, I’m always up for a challenge. The more I get to know about her, the more I know my playboy days are behind me.

If I’m going to capture Clarke’s heart, it’s time to be a lot less Wylde, and a lot more Aaron.
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Since the release of her debut contemporary romance novel, Off Sides, in January 2013, Sawyer Bennett has released multiple books, many of which have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.

A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

Sawyer likes her Bloody Marys strong, her martinis dirty, and her heroes a combination of the two. When not bringing fictional romance to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to a very active daughter, as well as full-time servant to her adorably naughty dogs. She believes in the good of others, and that a bad day can be cured with a great work-out, cake, or even better, both.

Sawyer also writes general and women’s fiction under the pen name S. Bennett and sweet romance under the name Juliette Poe.
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