SPOTLIGHT! GIVING IT UP! & GIVEAWAY!

Worth a Thousand Words

 Or worth 95,000 words, in the case of my book, Giving It Up. 

 Oh, imagery. Writing is about painting pictures with words. There’s a certain magic to that; the way an author’s writes what they see and a reader uses their imagination to bring it to life. There’s also a certain mystique, because we never really know how close readers get. 

 For that matter, I never really know how close I get to the real world. I’m not one of those writers who starts from a picture or a celebrity as inspiration. My characters come fully formed, both their stories and their appearances, in my head. So it’s not necessarily a simple matter to find someone who looks like them.

 The first and possibly most important piece of imagery for my book is the cover. I described my characters and setting to my cover artist. Allie, the girl next door who’s all dolled up like a slut. Colin, a little mean, a little cold. And both of them against a dark urban backdrop. 

 I think she nailed it, and I particularly love the colors in the cover!

 The second piece of imagery was the book trailer. For that, I selected the image and footage myself, including the woman getting dressed up, the club scene with strobing lights, the sex… well. I’ll let you take a look yourself:

   

And lastly I have a Pinterest board for Giving It Up here. 

Take a look, as I will continue adding pictures as I find them, but here are a few highlights.

 Again we have Allie. She has a troubled past and has learned not to trust anyone, least of all men. Like any woman she longs for male companionship and touch, but she doesn’t know how to go about it an healthy way. Instead, she trolls the club looking for a rough one night stand. 

 Description: 

Pinned Image Instead she finds Colin, who refuses to use her that way.

Despite his tough demeanor, he treats her gently. Colin wants more from her, to see her again. Allie is too wary, too afraid, and so she refuses.

 Description: 

Colin from Giving It Up But danger lurks in the city. Enemies from Allies past encroach on her present. She turns to Colin for help and they grow closer. Together, they are stronger. But it’s the secrets that Colin keeps buried that may destroy them both.

 Description:

 Giving It Up is set in Chicago Take a look at the Pinterest board to see all the pics I have on there. Or better yet, check out the book itself so that you can draw them in your own mind. When you see inspiration pictures or book boards, how do they match up with what’s in your head?

Giving it Up

by Amber Lin

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BLURB:

Allie prowls the club for a man who will use her hard and then ditch her. Hey, it's not rape if she wants it. Instead she finds Colin, who looks tough but treats her tenderly, despite her protests.

He tempts her, but kindness and a few mindblowing orgasms aren't enough to put her back together again. Allie has no hope for a real relationship. Two years ago her best friend betrayed her in the worst possible way – she’d be stupid to trust a man again. Besides, she has her daughter to think of, the only good thing to have come from that dark night.

But when her rapist returns, threatening her sanity and custody of her daughter, Allie turns to Colin. Under his protection and patient touch, Allie begins to heal and learns to hope. Colin’s no saint, though, and his criminal past draws danger of its own. Allie must fight to protect her child and the man she loves, hoping her newfound power will be enough to save them all.

"A ballsy departure from romantic conventions. At once gritty and tender, stark and hopeful." —Cara McKenna, author of Willing Victim

"Giving It Up is an erotic, compelling story that takes us to the shadowy, lonely places but doesn't leave us there. Amber Lin shows us that romance isn't just for the rich and shiny. Love can find its way even into the dark corners of the most damaged hearts." —Tiffany Reisz, author of The Siren

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 Amber Lin loves to read angsty romance with plenty of sex, so it was no surprise that her debut book turned out to be erotic romance set against a dark urban landscape. She writes with one rule in mind: it has to get worse before it can get better. She lives with her husband, son and passel of puppy dogs in the great state of Texas. 

 Website: http://authoramberlin.com/ 

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authoramberlin 

 Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5827158

.Amber_Lin Book Video link: http://youtu.be/5NQ7NTuzFFI Book Video Embed Code:  

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·         One randomly drawn winner from each blog will receive a Giving It Up Swag Pack, which includes romance trading cards, a signed cover flat, a signature soap bar for showers together handcrafted by AnaBanana Creations and a $10 Amazon gift card.

·         One randomly drawn commenter on the tour will win an erotic romance prize pack, including paperback copies of Bared to You by Sylvia Day, Simply Carnal by Kate Pearce, Lessons in Letting Go by Cara McKenna (print combo of Willing Victim and Curio), Comfort Object by Annabel Joseph, a collection of signed Giving It Up swag AND a $50 Amazon Gift Card (BN.com or All Romance may be substituted)

·         The blog host with the most comments will also receive the erotic romance prize pack detailed above.

Follow the tour and comment; the more everyone comments, the better the chance of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/05/virtual-book-tour-giving-it-up-by-amber.html