Always the rebel in her ultra-conservative family, Quinn Sakata dreams of quitting her dad's real-estate business and restoring the old Mountain Ridge Bed and Breakfast in her hometown of Hope Springs. Except that Quinn's not the only person bidding on it. Worse still, her competitor is her high school crush, Heath Brantley, who is all kinds of ripped, tattooed hotness...
So much for her "nice, conservative boys" rule.
Heath has his own reasons for bidding on Mountain Ridge, and he won't give in without a fight - even to the red-lipped hottie with a sailor's mouth. But when their rivalry shifts into an unexpected zing of chemistry, Heath realizes he's in deep trouble. Because it's inevitable that emotions will get involved, and he needs to keep his eyes on the prize before they both get hurt.
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Two large rocks caught her eye. Quinn wiggled them from their half-embedded spots in the dirt and gripped one in each hand. Maybe this will work. At least they’ve got a farther-distance-away-from-the-snake-reach than a stick.
She hoped she wouldn’t need them, but fortune didn’t seem to be on her side today, so backup was a good idea. She rounded the house and crept closer to her car, still keeping a generous amount of space between her and where she’d last seen Mister Fangs. No rattling seemed like a good sign, but as she hesitantly moved closer, she saw the fat snake coiled in the same place, happily soaking up the sun, the bastard.
Quinn launched one of the rough, coconut-size rocks at the disgusting reptile. It landed about a foot in front of it, not even getting a reaction. Guess I should’ve paid more attention in PE.
Come on, you can do it. Then you can get in your car and reward yourself with a large burger and fries, followed by a banana split at the Dairy Freeze.
This time, she put more oomph into her throw. The rock pelted the side of her car with a loud smack, denting the door. It then bounced close enough to the snake to send it rattling and doing the wavy head dance while poking out its tongue—she swore it was mocking her.
“Argh! Just move already!”
The sound of an engine droned in the distance, growing louder by the second. She squinted at the road, and in between the trees and cloud of dust, she spotted a familiar black truck. Oh, Sadie, what have you done?
Hi Cindi. Welcome back to Read Your Writes Book Reviews. I’m SO excited you could stop by today.
Yay! I’m so excited to be here. Thanks for having me.
Anytime. Tell me about Crazy for the Competition in five words or less.
B&B, sparks, humor, motorcycles, kissing
I really loved the characters of Quinn Sakata and Heath Brantley. They seem so different from each other. How did you decide to put them together?
It was really because they were so different that I decided they were perfect for each other. I love that they’re so opposite in so many ways, yet they both understand complicated family issues, and when it comes down to it, they bring out the best in each other.
Heath is this tattooed motorcycle riding guy, who at first glance isn't someone I would fall for. But he has this surprisingly soft side to him. I know it's hard, but what's one thing you love about him?
I love that he is unapologetically who he is. It’s especially good for Quinn, who always feels like she has to apologize for who she is.
Quinn is this repressed free spirit. Was she a challenge for you to write? If so why or why not?
I actually relate to Quinn quite a bit, so not much of a challenge that way. There was a time period when I felt like I needed to repress who I was to fall in line. Where I felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere. It’s taken me a lot of years to feel comfortable being me, even if it occasionally gets me into trouble or disappoints people. The real challenge with her was weaving in her Japanese culture, because it was so very important to me to get it right. I talked with a lot of people and sent a lot of messages back and forth with awesome people who talked culture and helped me with the Japanese in the book.
Can you tell me one of your favorite scenes from the book? I'll offer up one of mine....I don't know if this was my favorite, but the snake scene was funny. Only because it wasn't me.
That was one of my favorite scenes to write! It was also one of the first scenes that came to me when I sat down to write the book. I really love the make-out scene in Quinn’s townhouse. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the way they communicate & the pull…I think it just shows their dynamic and the challenges to it, and plus there’s kissing.
What's next for Hope Springs?
We’re going to meet Cam, Heath’s brother.
What's next for you?
I’m working on that book and the sequel to my NA novel Getting Lucky Number Seven, and I have a few other things in the works, because I’m crazy like that. LOL
Thank you so much Cindi for taking the time to talk with. Hey, come a little closer. I think Heath is giving Wes a run for his money as one of my favorite Bliss characters.
Squee!!! That makes me so happy. I really love him and it makes me happy when other people do too. Thank you so much for having me, Kim!
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Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.
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Thank you for hosting Cindi today!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. It's totally my pleasure!!!
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