Coming Apart at the Seams
Riley O'Brien & Co., #2
Jenna Sutton
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Date of Publication: December 1, 2015
Number of pages: 318
Love can take some time to break in...
Teagan O’Brien, heiress to the Riley O’Brien & Co. denim empire, is anything but a spoiled rich girl. She’s worked hard to secure her place in the family business and can hold her own, in and out of the office. Only one man has ever been able to get under her skin—sexy football star Nick Priest. Years ago they crossed the line from friends to lovers, but he left her heartbroken. Since then, she’s been determined to keep him at arm’s length—no matter how tempting he looks in his jeans...
Nick has fortune, fame, and looks that make most women hot and bothered. But he doesn't have the woman he really wants. He knows he screwed up when he walked away from Teagan, and now that he has a second chance, he’ll do whatever it takes to win her over—no matter how tongue-tied he gets...
Excerpt:
He let his gaze wander the ballroom of the Westin St. Francis in downtown San Francisco. With its lavish holiday decorations, it could have been any company party. But the huge photo banners hanging from the ceiling made this one unique.
Every black-and-white image showed a different view of Riley O’Brien & Co.’s signature blue jeans. He was pretty sure the jean-clad ass in the photos was his own.
He chuckled wryly. The banners proved what he’d always known: he was nothing but a giant ass. He had no doubt Teagan would wholeheartedly agree with that assessment.
Teagan’s date touched a curl that had fallen to her shoulder, and Nick growled under his breath when the fucker stroked the smooth skin of her upper chest. He would rather take a direct hit from a 350-pound linebacker than watch that loser put his hands on her. Hell, he’d rather be buried under the entire defensive line than suffer the torture of watching another man paw the woman he wanted for himself.
Moving his gaze from her body, he focused on her face. Her full lips were painted a deep scarlet that matched her dress, and he took a moment to remember the taste of her mouth, addictive in its sweetness.
Her wavy dark hair was pulled into an elaborate updo, emphasizing her graceful neck and smooth shoulders, which were bared by her strapless dress. Years ago, he’d had his mouth on that supple skin before he had trailed his tongue down into her creamy cleavage.
“Priest.”
Jerking his head toward the voice, he was surprised to find Quinn standing next to him. Nick mustered a smile for his old friend, clasping the hand he offered and slapping him on the back.
“It’s good to see you,” Quinn said. “I’m glad you could make it.”
Nick hadn’t been sure if he would be able to attend the party. His schedule had depended on whether his team made the playoffs. But they’d lost their last three games, dashing those hopes.
Although it didn’t reflect well on him, he hadn’t cared much that his team wasn’t heading to the playoffs. He was ready to move on, and although he had yet to announce it publically, he’d decided to retire. He had given enough of his life to the game, and it had given him what he had needed in return. Now he needed something else.
He needed Teagan.
Interview:
Today, we welcome Jenna Sutton to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give a big Geeky welcome!
Thank you so much for inviting me to visit!
Let's start with some writer specific questions before moving into the fun stuff. That way everyone can really get to know the person behind the writer. We will finish things off with a round of Think Fast. Ready for the interrogation to begin?
I’m ready. Go for it!
Writing Specific
Is your writing style more plotter or pantser?
I’m a plotter all the way. I know a lot authors feel that outlining their stories stymies their creativity, but I outline extensively before I start writing. The outline for my current work in progress is 70-plus pages. I know how my books are going to end before I sit down to write the first sentence. I also fill out a character questionnaire so I have strong understanding of what’s important to my characters and what motivates them. If I find that something isn’t working with the book as I’m following my outline, I will re-evaluate it and revise it. I’m not so devoted to an outline that I can’t deviate from it, but I do think outlines help me write more effectively and efficiently.
How do you deal with Writer's Block?
I define writer’s block as lacking ideas or not knowing where to take the story, and the process of outlining pretty much eliminates that problem for me. But I get something worse than Writer’s Block. I haven’t come up with a name for it, but it involves avoiding my laptop, drinking alcoholic beverages, and binge watching TV shows.
How involved are you with Social Media and self-promotion?
I try to be active with both Facebook and Twitter, and I send out a monthly newsletter (you can sign up on my website at jennasutton.com). I would not say that I am one of the most active authors on social media, but I’m not invisible either. I just feel like there’s a lot of “noise” out there – all of us are being bombarded with messages. Do this! Don’t do this! Try this! Buy this! It can be overwhelming, and I don’t want to be an author who overwhelms my readers (unless they’re overwhelmed by my books, in a good way, of course). I love to hear from my readers, whether it’s a post on my Facebook page or an email. Trust me when I say that there’s nothing an author likes more than hearing from readers who love her books. A nice note from a reader can take my day from so-so to fabulous.
What one thing do you wish someone had told you before you started writing?
I wish someone had told me how important it was to define what success means to me and to celebrate each achievement. I’m a goal-oriented person, and without defined goals, I tend to drift like an unanchored boat. When I started writing, I set goals, but even when I achieved those goals, I didn’t feel the warm glow of success. I didn’t celebrate the wins, and that’s something everyone should do, not just authors.
Is there any particular author or book that has influenced you or your writing?
Lisa Kleypas has been the biggest influence on me as a writer. I haven’t had the opportunity to meet her in person, but I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for her. When I read one of her books, I always learn something new… a new concept, a new word, a new way of doing something. Put simply, her books are smart, and I feel smarter after I read them. And I admire her longevity as a romance author – the ability to generate ideas and write books that continue to appeal to readers, not to mention the ability to navigate the ups and downs of the publishing industry.
Fun Stuff
What was the last movie/concert/show that you saw?
BURNT with Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller. Cooper is one of my favorite actors, and in this movie, he plays a chef named Adam Jones who burned all his bridges and ruined his life with substance abuse problems. He’s clean now and determined to get a third star from the Michelin Guide, which is the pinnacle of success for chefs. Adam is such a complex, fascinating character—one whom we rarely see in movies that don’t end in horrible tragedies. He’s so flawed, yet he has this magnetism that is undeniable. I really liked it, and so did my husband, but you really can’t trust his judgment because he can find something to like about every movie.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
The ability to travel through space and time. I would travel a lot more if the whole process of getting somewhere wasn’t so unpleasant and annoying and just plain yucky (yes, I am talking about airplane restrooms). I briefly considered saying that I wanted the superpower ability to read minds, but then I decided that would be a curse. Don’t you think it would be a curse to know what people were thinking about you? It’s bad enough when my husband says, “Wow, you look really tired. The skin under your eyes is so puffy and dark.” Can you imagine knowing exactly what he’s thinking? Yikes.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Escalators, and no, I am not talking about the machines that move people from one level of a building to another, although I have occasionally had a mishap when stepping on and off an escalator because I am not the most graceful person. For the purposes of this question, however, escalators are people who make bad situations worse. In the south, these people are often known as “pot stirrers”. And now that I think about it, both versions of escalators can trip you up. I don’t like escalators. They annoy me. If I can, I avoid them. I want to be around people who make bad situations better. I want to surround myself with people who are problem solvers, not problem creators. I remember when my husband and I were interviewing wedding photographers many years ago, and we had narrowed down it down to two people. My husband-to-be said, “I think we should choose the one who, if your wedding dress caught on fire, would douse the flames, and then just shoot the pictures from a different angle.” And when he put it like that, we knew immediately which photographer we wanted.
You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?
This is a trick question! Everyone has a different idea of what “luxury” is. For some people in this world, having air conditioning and running water is a luxury. I am lucky enough that those things are not luxuries to me. And neither is deodorant; it’s a necessity. So is a bed. And toothbrush and toothpaste. With that said, and assuming antibiotics are not considered a luxury on this deserted island, I would bring: 1) an unlimited supply of mosquito repellant 2) a huge crate of my favorite books and 3) a barrel of bourbon, which could also be used to disinfect wounds if necessary. See, there’s my pragmatism shining through. What would you bring?
If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
Insatiably Curious
Think Fast
Elvis or Sinatra? Elvis. I prefer men who can swivel their hips.
AM or PM? It depends on how late I stayed up the night before
Mountains or Sea? Sea
Meat or Veggies? Veggies
Italian or Chinese? Italian
Summer or Winter? Winter (when it’s hot you can only take off so many clothes before you’re naked and possibly charged with indecent exposure)
Coffee or Tea? Coffee (but flavored and with lots of cream)
Cake or Pie? Pie. And speaking of pie, there’s a very naughty scene in Coming Apart at the Seams involving pie, lemon icebox pie, to be specific. Yum.
Car or Truck? Car
Dead Tree or Electronic? Electronic, but only for portability and selection. I actually prefer the reading experience offered by a dead tree.
Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?
Thank you again for having me! It’s been a lot of fun, and I appreciate the opportunity to meet new readers. If you’re looking for a new contemporary romance series to enjoy, I hope you’ll give Riley O’Brien & Co. a shot. And if you’re already a fan and looking forward to Nick and Teagan’s story, I hope you love Coming Apart at the Seams as much as I do. You can reach me at jenna@jennasutton.com or connect with me on Facebook at facebook.com/jennasuttonauthor or @jsuttonauthor on Twitter.
Giveaway:
Author Bio:
Jenna Sutton spent most of her career as an award-winning journalist covering business-related topics including healthcare, commercial real estate, retail, and technology. Nowadays she writes about hot, lovable guys and the smart, sexy women who make them crazy. It’s the culmination of a lifelong dream, and she feels so lucky to be able to do it.
Jenna has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.
Jenna and her husband live in a 103-year-old house in Texas.
To connect with the author online:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
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