Interview & Giveaway ~ SING FOR ME by Tam DeRudder Jackson

Sing For Me (Balefire, #2)
by: Tam DeRudder Jackson
Series: Balefire
Genre: Contemporary New Adult Romance
Release Date: August 26, 2021
Publisher: Warrior Romance Press
Amazon Kindle Link Coming Soon | Paperback | Goodreads

Blu
My entire life is my music—and all the trappings that come with it. Sex, booze, and rock ’n’ roll is all I ever wanted. Touring the world as the lead singer of Balefire, I have it all. Until on hiatus, I meet the girl next door.

Ashleigh Baker is nothing like the groupies and celebrities who usually have all my attention. In her cute floppy hat with her knees stained with dirt, she spends her days creating a flowering show piece from her rented yard. She’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met, and she acts like she doesn’t want a damn thing to do with me. But from the moment I laid eyes on her, she’s all I can think about.

Ashleigh
Growing up the only child of an Air Force Colonel, all I wanted was to stay in one place for more than a minute. When I score a pretty little house with a long-term lease, I just want to grow my flowers and my freelancing gig as a music reviewer. Then a loud Harley wakes me from a sound sleep and I discover my neighbor is Blu Connolly. Yeah, that Blu Connolly, lead singer for my favorite band Balefire. With his killer good looks and panty-melting voice, he’s a walking temptation to sin. Though I do my best to avoid him, it seems Blu has other ideas. He’s on a mission to wear me down, let him in, but what happens when he stops wanting to sing for me?

Hi Tam. Welcome to Read Your Writes Book Reviews.
Thanks for interviewing me. I appreciate the chance to connect with you and your readers.

You’re welcome. You are a new to me author. Please tell me about your Balefire series. Also, is the series a standalone series?
The Balefire Series follows the four players in the mega-rock band Balefire. Play For Me, Book One, (which released in May) is the drummer’s story. Sing For Me, Book Two, is the lead singer’s story. The lead guitarist’s book, Wild For Me, is set to release in November, and the bassist’s book, Hot For Me, will be out in January (hopefully). Each book in the series is a standalone.

Blu and Ashleigh are the hero and heroine of Sing for Me. What can you tell me about the book and the characters?
Blu is a player in every sense of the word. He loves the rock ’n’ roll life and all its trappings: music, parties, travel, girls—all the girls. 😉

Though her dream job is to be a fulltime music reviewer, at heart, Ashleigh is a homebody. Her hobby is gardening, and her side-hustle is substitute teaching.

I LOVE rock music, so writing a series about the lives and loves of the players in a rock band has been a blast. Plus, I get to attend rock shows for research. Win. Win. Win.

What do you love about them individually and together?
Blu is such an adorable flirt. Having been raised by a single mom, he genuinely loves and admires women. Teasing and having a good time are his main goals in life, but he’s super-protective of the people he loves.

Ashleigh cares deeply for others and is always ready to help the people in her life. She has a sassy streak that makes me happy.

The push and pull between these two is what I love. The way Ashleigh inspires Blu to grow up and Blu inspires Ash to loosen up is fun. The sparks that fly between them are hot.

What makes them perfect for each other?
Ashleigh brings out Blu’s deep-seated decency and caring. Blu brings out Ashleigh’s playfulness. They balance each other.

What’s your favorite part of a book to write?
Call me a sadist, but I enjoy writing the “black moment.” Hitting that climactic place where the outcome teeters on the edge just does it for me. In this case, the Theory of a Deadman song “What Was I Thinking?” inspired the black moment, and I wrote the rest of the book backward and forward from there.

That’s a good song. I can definitely see how it inspired a dark moment. Tell me about one of your favorite scenes from the book, and why is it a favorite? Maybe, give a little preview?
The first time they make love is one of my favorite scenes. Blu’s been patiently working his way into Ashleigh’s bed in spite of her belief that once she lets him in, all she’ll be is another one-night stand. She believes this so completely that she’s the one who leaves him sleeping alone in her bed afterward. When he wakes up to discover she’s gone, he doesn’t know what to do to make her see that she’s special. But he’s a rock ’n’ roller, so he writes a song, which she hears him playing on her patio in the dark when she returns home late the next night.

The reason I like this scene so much is that it’s the beginning of the change that comes over Blu because of Ashleigh. This is where he starts to see that being in a relationship with someone means proving to her that she can trust him with her heart. Of course, he’s going to screw it up later, but the foundation for that trust begins with this scene.

That does sound like a good scene. You mentioned that you liked writing the dark moment. How do you handle it as a writer? Are you giddy to put the characters through the wringer or are you an emotional basket case?
I’m pretty excited to put my characters through the wringer. When I make myself cry while I’m doing it tells me I’ve done it right.

Can you tell me a fun fact or two about Sing for Me?
The genesis of the book comes from the Theory of a Deadman song “What Was I Thinking?” If you listen to the song after you read the black moment, you’ll see why the song inspired me. 😀

Avogadro’s Number is a real venue in Fort Collins. If you’re in the area and you want to listen to some great music, stop by there. (I’m not getting a darn thing for this little plug. I just like the place.)

Tam, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for me.
Thank you for inviting me to share a little about Sing For Me. I hope your readers and you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 😀

Purchase Sing For Me from:

Amazon Kindle Link Coming Soon | Paperback | Goodreads

The Balefire Series:

Tam DeRudder Jackson is the author of the paranormal romance Talisman Series and the contemporary romance Balefire Series. Her favorite “room” in her house is her back patio where she dreams up stories of romance and risk. When she’s not writing her latest paranormal or contemporary romance, you can usually find her driving around with the top down in her convertible or carving turns on the slopes of the local ski hill. The mom of two grown sons, Tam likes to travel, attend rock concerts, watch football and soccer, and visit old car shows with her husband. She lives in the mountains of northwest Wyoming where she spends most of her free time trying to read all the books. Her TBR piles are threatening to take over her office, and she’s fine with that.

Places to find Tam DeRudder Jackson:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon Author Page

You can follow the Sing For Me Blog Tour here.

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