Title: In a Gilded Cage
Author: Mia Kerick
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: October 21, 2016
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Lucci Grimley is indeed alluring—crowned with a mane of long blond hair, and blessed with an enchanting musical talent that draws a brave rescuer to a high tower hidden in the forest.
However, this modern-day Rapunzel is a young man, sold as a child to the wealthy and childless Damien Gotham for the price of a fast car and a pile of cash. And Lucci’s heroic prince is William “Prin” Prinzing, a handsome college student and star soccer player, hired to care for the grounds of the lavish Tower Estate. Prin climbs an extension ladder rather than a long golden braid to gain access to Lucci’s second floor bedroom window, ultimately penetrating the secrecy surrounding the cloistered young man.
Friendship, and soon romance, blooms. The tower captive eagerly gives his loving innocence to his brave rescuer, which sends the strict and reclusive Gotham into a frenzy of jealous rage. With Prin, Lucci gets a taste of real life, and he wants more. Together, the young men must face Gotham’s ruthlessness and pay the price of liberating Lucci.
Readers buy books because of the cover, the blurb, as well as other reasons.
Let’s start with the book cover.
Mia, what attracts you about a book cover?
First of all, I pretty much strictly read romance, which greatly narrows the field. And an awesome book cover definitely attracts me, I won’t deny that fact. The first thing I look for on a cover is a face. I know that the trend seems to be moving away from using a face and instead using simply written words or a picture, but I still like the humanity of a face. In fact, I used to want the faces of both main characters so I could better picture them together, but if the single face is expressive enough, I’m fine with that. Here are some covers with faces that strike me:
I often go for black and white, sometimes with just a bit of color, as I find it dramatic. Here are a few more book covers I find appealing:
How much importance do you put on a book blurb?
I will not buy a book until I have read the blurb. And what makes an effective blurb? Believe me, as an author I suffer over this question all the time, as I want my own books to sell well. I will say that I like it to start with something a little bit catchy, and then tell me exactly what I am going to get without spoilers. I also like it when a blurb ends with a question. It makes me think.
Do reviews factor in to your decision to purchase a book?
I look at reviews, too. Usually I start with the Amazon reviews because they are so convenient to where I shop. If I still want more information, I sometimes go to Goodreads. And when I really like a book, I will look on Amazon at the list below on the book’s page that says people who read this book also purchased… Very often these book recommendations work well for me.
Are there other reasons you buy and read a book?
Finally, although I am pressed for time because I write so much, I try to read a book by my various author friends. Believe me, my intentions to read the books of all the authors I know are good, but time is a constraint.
This is no scientific method to choose books, but it is what I do, and it works!! I have literally thousands of books I love on my Kindle and in all corners of my house!
I hope you add this book to your collection!
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.
Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.
