Semper Fitz by Aurora Russell
Please welcome Aurora Russell author of Semper Fitz
Aurora Russell will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Semper Fitz
byAurora Russell
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GENRE: Romance (Billionaire, Men in Uniform, Contemporary)
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INTERVIEW:
- What or who inspired you to start writing?
First, thank you so much to Christine Young for having me! My parents always encouraged me to be or do whatever I wanted, and especially my dad and my stepmother have been my biggest writing fans. I had a long and (sometimes) rocky road to becoming a published romance author, so their unfailing support and inspiration has meant the world to me!
- How did you come up with ideas for your books?
I love to explore and learn…it’s actually a bit of a compulsion. If I haven’t gone to some sort of museum for a month, I practically get twitchy! So I just tend to get a lot of ideas as I drive, or learn obscure facts, or watch people in downtown Boston (or wherever I am!). The ideas that I keep returning to again and again in my mind are the ones that I end up writing!
- If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?
Such a great question! I am going to preface my answer by saying that I would love to be any of the heroines from my novels, but I have a particular soft spot for Annelise from Falling for the Tycoon, Book 1 in the Anywhere and Alwaysseries. Annelise overcomes a painful romantic past to become successful on her own, and she meets and falls in love with Remy Gaspard, a ridiculously handsome and powerful French-Canadian billionaire who openly adores her. Plus, she gets to travel and speak French every day. What’s not to love? Since she and Remy were the main characters of my first contemporary non-paranormal romance, I think they’ll always hold a special place in my heart.
- If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your leading roles?
Oooh…love this one! I think that Fitz might be played by Jake Gyllenhaal or Christian Bale (a girl can dream, right?), since they are both simultaneously capable of being tough and dominant, tortured by their pasts, but tender and protective with their leading ladies. For Clara, in spite of the increasing diversity in body types, there really still aren’t many petite, curvy actresses in Hollywood. That being said, to reflect her kind but feisty personality, I would picture someone like Isla Fisher or Amy Adams. Netflix, call me!
- Do you outline your books or just start writing?
In NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) terms, I would describe myself as a modified pantser. I like to have a loose outline, but I also like to get a really good feel for my characters and then see where the story takes me. It actually mimics my approach to most things in life!
- Do you have any hobbies and does the knowledge you’ve gained from these carry over into your characters or the plot of your books?
I have a huge variety of interests, and I’m surprised by how often I draw on them for the plots of my books. That being said, since I am the mother of two young sons, my primary hobby is going places with them…so lately I have seen a lot more zoos, aquariums, parks, and children’s museums, and I put those into my stories whenever I can. Certainly, in Semper Fitz, I drew on my own experiences as a pregnant woman and the mother of a newborn to really bring Clara’s experiences to life.
- Do you have an all time favorite book?
Such a tough question, since I love so many! I am going to cheat and say that the book series that probably influenced me the most when I was younger (especially since I read it more times than I can count) was Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little Houseseries. I just loved them, and wished to someday marry a man named Almanzo.
However, my all-time favorite book as an adult is (at least as of this moment) J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories. Funny, witty, poignant, timeless…I think about it regularly.
- Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book?
I am actively finishing Mac of All Trades, Book 2 in the Minne-sorta Falling in Loveseries, which features Lana, Fitz’s sister, and Mac, his best friend, who is a Navy pilot. It’s scheduled to come out in September.
However, even before that, my next release will be Guarded by a Hero, Book 3 in the Anywhere and Alwaysseries, which is the story of Clothilde Gaspard, the only sister of the wealthy and powerful Gaspard siblings, and Marc, who is stationed undercover as a bodyguard with her family while he tries to capture an international criminal mastermind. It is scheduled to come out in August!
- Who is your favorite actor and actress?
Right now, my favorite actor is Sam Heughan who plays Jamie Fraser on the Outlander TV series. His depth and range are just astonishing…and his voice! I’m swooning just thinking about it!
My favorite actress at the moment is probably Alexandra Breckenridge, who plays Mel Monroe on Virgin River. I just think she does a great job keeping the spirit of a character who I grew to love so much through Robyn Carr’s Virgin Riverbooks!
- Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your book?
There are a couple difficult moments, but the lowest might be when Clara has a medical emergency with her pregnancy and has to be rushed to the hospital. Fitz calls on the resources of his family, something he swore never to do again, for her safety, but she feels a deep sense of betrayal that he hid his true identity from her. On top of that, she is terrified because she and her baby are both in very real danger of dying. Fitz stays at her side through all of it, though.
- What is your favorite reality show?
The Great British Baking Show! They are just so talented, and also so lovely to each other. I have never been so riveted by the process of rolling out sponges, or the bakers carrying their masterpieces up to be judged. I can’t get enough (although I do miss Mary Berry being a judge!).
- Anything else you might want to add?
Thank you, again! And a huge THANK YOU to all of my fans, for buying and reading my books, writing reviews, following my social media, website, and blog appearances, and everything else that you do. I can never express how much I appreciate you!
BLURB:
He’s always strong, always faithful…but will he be always hers?
Pregnant, alone and temporarily staying at her family’s cabin in northern Minnesota, Clara Olafson is determined to overcome the hurt of her recent past and build a good life for herself and her child. The last thing she expects to find on her morning walk through the state forest nearby is an unconscious and injured former Marine.
Colin ‘Fitz’ Fitzhugh might have initially joined the Corps to prove that he was more than just a wealthy playboy, but he grew to love the brotherhood and purpose he found there—until his last mission in Afghanistan cost the life of one of his men and left him badly scarred in body and mind. Hoping to shed some of his pain and guilt alone in the wilderness, instead he finds a feisty, pregnant angel.
Sparks fly as sassy Clara nurses the gruff and mysterious Fitz back to health, but the happiness and peace they both begin to find in the little cabin is shattered when Clara faces a health emergency. When Fitz reluctantly chooses to return to the wealth and privilege of his family in order to save her and the baby, he plunges them all into a glittering society that Clara doesn’t know if she likes. But Fitz might just prove to her that, whether he’s being a billionaire philanthropist or a sudden stand-in dad, he’s always hers.
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EXCERPT:
“I know it’s not my place, and maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I believe a man ought to be there for his woman, not just stop by because he’s so busy.” Fitz heard his voice deepening and roughening as he spoke, but he was really pissed.
Clara looked confused at first, but then understanding crept into her eyes. “You’re right that it isn’t any of your business, but I’ll explain anyway. Lars is my brother. He’s excited to be an uncle but worried about his baby sister. I’m lucky he can make time every day to see me, since there are only two doctors in this half of the county.”
And doesn’t that just put me in my place? Fitz thought wryly.
“Before you ask, Major Nosy-pants, I’m on my own—no husband or boyfriend waiting to meet his son or daughter. No wife or girlfriend either, for that matter.” Clara’s eyes dared him to question her, but even as her expression challenged him, he could hear a deep hurt in her voice, well-hidden. He recognized it because he was intimately familiar with burying pain.
He wouldn’t hurt her by asking. Still, “Major Nosy-pants?” he asked, unable to keep the shocked laughter out of his voice.
“Oh, is it General Nosy-pants?” she challenged, and he was glad to hear some of the raw hurt had receded.
“I’m guessing that you don’t know much about the Corps, ma’am,” he drawled, surprised to find that he wanted to flirt with her.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Aurora is originally from the frozen tundra of the upper-Midwest (ok, not frozen all the time!) but now loves living in New England with her real-life hero/husband, two wonderfully silly sons, and one of the most extraordinary cats she has ever had the pleasure to meet. But she still goes back to the Midwest to visit, just never in January. She doesn’t remember a time that she didn’t love to read, and has been writing stories since she learned how to hold a pencil. She has always liked the romantic scenes best in every book, story, and movie, so one day she decided to try her hand at writing her own romantic fiction, which changed her life in all the best ways.
Find out more about Aurora, upcoming releases, and news at https://aurorarussellauthor.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arussellromance/
Twitter: @arussellromance
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LVH89TG/
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/semper-fitz-aurora-russell/1140570733?ean=9781839435645
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/semper-fitz-1
First for Romance: https://www.firstforromance.com/book/semper-fitz
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:
Aurora Russell will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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