Amazeballs Book Addicts: Featured Author: Sophie Lira

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Featured Author: Sophie Lira

Welcome Today's Featured Author

Sophie Lira!!!

Safe With You by Sophie Lira

Olivia Simon is starting over in the Big Easy. Her new job as a yoga instructor means she gets to pursue her passion, while giving her the motivation she needs to get back on track. But she’s scared. Really scared. Scared her abusive ex-boyfriend will find her. Scared of all things that go bump in the night… and day. She knows her ex will have a claim on her future happiness unless she can find her own peace. Which starts with Kyle.

Kyle Avery, a former college baseball player on the brink of going pro, is also starting over. His dream since Little League was shattered when a jealous rival went too far in a pre-season game. After a few surgeries, all Kyle is left with are a few rods in his leg, a rebuilt knee, and no idea who he is without baseball. But when he trades center field for a yoga mat, he finds solace in a way he never imagined. Kyle knows there’s something about Olivia. Something he needs to move forward.

But Olivia loves to run, and it’s too soon for her to be playing house. Olivia and Kyle want to invest in each other, but the secrets they’ve kept take a dangerous turn when Olivia’s past returns with a vengeance. Devastated and helpless, Olivia wonders who she can really trust, and Kyle questions if he was ever able to keep her safe.

Buy Links:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DL04538

Excerpt (Olivia, Chapter Five):

By the time I’m done straightening my hair, I think I hold the world record for the longest this won’t be horrible, you’ll be fine pep talk. I’m nervous. I think I’d rather be back in the studio during my disastrous yoga audition than go through this. It’s not even a date, but I feel horrible to the twelfth degree about how absurdly I acted.

My palms are coated in a half-inch of sweat as I walk downstairs to meet him. I wipe my hands on the back of my jean shorts and continue outside. Kyle is leaning against a white pillar under the awning in his total, perfectly dressed glory. Gray khaki shorts are slung low on hips and a crisp white T-shirt pulls against his toned chest. Pieces of his messy hair stick out from under his backward baseball hat. His tattoo peeks out the bottom of his sleeve and I really want to see it up close, but I’d look like an idiot if I stared at his arm like a Monet painting.

Kyle smiles. I put on my big-girl pants and smile in return. “Ready?” he asks, nodding behind him. “I had to park down the street.”

“Yeah, let’s go. Have you been there yet?” I ask as I slip on my sunglasses.

“No, but I’ve been waiting for a good reason to go.” He places his hand on the small of my back and switches from walking on my right side to my left, so he is closest to the curb.

Instead of recoiling twenty feet from his touch, I concentrate on wondering what kind of deep Southern upbringing he’s had. I’m sure he’s floated down a staircase with some belle named Trixie at a debutante ball or two. We walk the short distance from my apartment building and around the corner. A white Range Rover beeps and lights up, causing me to stop short.

Oh my God, it’s like a white stallion. This has to be a joke.

About Sophie Lira:

Sophie Lira hails from the east coast, with the accent to prove it. As a self-proclaimed sports junkie she can usually be found rooting for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Ravens, and especially her Alma Mater, Rutgers University. She's also a seasoned beer snob with a preference for crisp pilsners, pumpkin anything, and chocolatey stouts. Her number one passion outside of writing is her never-ending wanderlust. Sophie is always looking for her next batch of frequent flier miles, passport stamps, and the perfect clouds to post on Instagram. She resides in Central New Jersey and spends her days working at a local brewery. Favorite things include: Dunkin' Donuts coconut iced coffee, the Olympics, Crossfit, all-you-can-eat sushi, and Siberian Huskies.

She will be signing SAFE WITH YOU at BookCon in Chicago on May 14th, 2016 from 1:30-2:15pm at the Georgia McBride Media Group (GMMG) Booth #1975.

Interview With Sophie Lira:

Can you tell us a little about your book?
It’s about a girl named Olivia who moves to New Orleans to start her life over. But she never really sealed off her past. No matter how hard she tries to run and cut it off, it catches up with her after awhile. Kyle is a great help in her confidence and safety, but even he can’t make everything right for her. Once she get’s a handle on ending things the way they should be, her confidence blossoms. But, of course, not without a few bumps in the road.
What challenges did you face getting your first book published?
Finding the right flow of the plot. At first I was constantly getting “the writing voice is there, but the story didn’t pull me in”. Fortunately, I did have a pretty huge revise and resubmit to a different publisher. They ultimately turned me down, but their notes and help was a blessing in disguise to make it the story it is today.
What inspires you to write?
Giving characters the voice to overcome obstacles. Obstacles that I, and so many others, can relate to. I also want to break molds and cliché’s of what people think NA or Romance might be—especially for my male characters and parents in general.
Do you have a favorite spot to write?
Anywhere quiet with a plug and wi-fi. I’m so not picky!
Do you have any “odd” writing habits?
I never, ever plot, really. I have started to write a super-basic chapter outline for my newest WIP. But that’s as far as I go- I pants-ed my first two manuscripts!
Do you listen to music while you write?
Yes! Anything from Ellie Goulding to Classical to Rock. Depends on the scene.
What's one random fact about yourself that you can share?
I do Crossfit! I’m not that great, but I prefer it 20x over running and normal gyms. Give me some barbells, weights, screaming music, and I’m good.
What are writing projects are you currently working on?
A unreleated WIP to this series. I’ve been toying with it for years. It has a brewery and smart as hell girl who is recovering from a brain injury. Hopefully, I’ll actually write it soon.