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Saturday, May 2, 2015

Release Day Blitz: Just Caspian by Briana Gaitan

Title: Just Caspian

Author: Briana Gaitan

Series: Norwood Brothers

Genre: New Adult/ Inspirational Romance

Release Date: May 2, 2015

Click here to join the Facebook Release Party on May 2 & 3

Summary:
Our love was epic. Our pain was inevitable.

We shared demons, but his were always darker than mine.
We always fought them head on.
Until tragedy changed him, and he lost his way.
I’ll do anything to help him find his way back home.
Things won’t be the same until he’s just Caspian again…

Ginger and Caspian's relationship has always had its ups and downs. Now their greatest loss might bring them their greatest gift. As they work out their grief, accept their loss, and figure out how to move forward, they'll discover if their love can stand the test of time.

*This is a standalone novella and a spin-off series from the Hollywood Timelines series featuring Caspian Norwood and Ginger Teague, characters introduced in The One Thing*

Every piece of clothing I own is completely out of season. I throw a pair of red heels behind me and continue digging through the piles of shoes on my closet floor.

“Babe, have you seen my tan Gucci sandals?” I could have sworn I saw them just last week. If my closet weren’t such a huge mess, I’d probably find them with no problem.

I poke my head out from behind the mirror doors and stare at Caspian who is immersed in a video game. He’s ignoring me, a usual when the Xbox is on. I snap my fingers a few times.

“Uh, Babe? Gucci? Sandals?”

He pulls off one of his headphones and looks at the growing mess behind me. “I don’t know what a Gucci is, but there are like a million pairs of shoes behind you. Wear one of those.”

Sounds of gunfight and yelling start back up. He’s playing with his friends, and I hate to interrupt, but this is an emergency. And not just any emergency. A fashion emergency.

I stand up and finish stuffing my suitcase with all the important necessities. Dress for premiere, suits for interviews, and a good book for the down time. Because that’s what I do now. I read a book. I don’t go out and party. I continue talking to Caspian as I try desperately to zip the bag up.

“This isn’t just any premiere. This is the Sundance Film Festival. This is the premiere of my first film. This is the crème de la crème of independent film festivals. This is my dream. This is—”

“Alright, Ginger. I get it. Two Gucci shoes, on the double.” He stands up, turns off the game, and stretches his hands over his head so that the smallest amount of skin peeks out under the bottom of his shirt. He runs his hands through his dirty blonde hair. It’s amazing that a guy so nice would want to be with me. Me, of all people. I don’t deserve him. I can’t pry my eyes off every inch of him as he sorts through my monster of a closet. It’s the sexiest thing a guy could ever do. Helping me without complaining, but he knows how important this trip is to me. It’s bad enough that he has to miss it due to a recording deadline.

“You’re meeting me in Nashville on Monday, right?” I move to my vanity and take out my diamond studs followed by my makeup.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He gives me a goofy grin before going back to his searching.

Next week is our one-year anniversary. Not the anniversary of when we began dating because that was only months ago, but the anniversary of when we first met on the streets of Nashville. I was on my way to an audition, and he was outside smoking before a sound check. It began as a flirtatious friendship, but developed into something more. It sounds silly to celebrate both dates, but that place will always hold a special place in each of our hearts.

“The paparazzi were sneaking around outside of the house again when I came home. So don’t forget to be careful when you’re out on the balcony. Do you— ”

“Ah, ha.” He holds up two brown high-heeled sandals and presents them to me. “Are these the shoes you want to wear?”

I give a slight squeal before grabbing them and throwing my arms around him. “Thank you, thank you, and thank you. These are gonna look perfect with my new white dress.”

“You owe me one.” He gives me a devilish smirk and grabs the shoes from my hand. They fly through the air before landing on the floor beside my bags. “And seeing that we will be apart for the next four days, I really think I should cash in that favor.”

“Oh, really now?” I press my body up to his, making him back up until he hits the wall.

“Let’s waste some time.”

Wasting time, it’s an inside joke of ours. We don’t waste time for the hell of it, we waste time together. Him and I. He grabs my chin, and we lock eyes. He’s beautiful, irresistible, and finally mine. After wasting my whole life dating scumbag jerks, I now have something even better. A great guy.

“Waste away,” I whisper onto this smooth skin as I trail kisses down his neck.

Author Bio:
Briana Gaitan is the bestselling author of the Hollywood Timelines series (The Last Thing and The One Thing) and coauthor of the Ethereal Underground series.

Briana is a southern native and self proclaimed geek. She has never wanted anything but to create whether it be composing music, decorating her house, or giving voices to the characters inside her head.Her days are spent obsessing over a good read, raising her three kids, and watching anything on the SyFy channel. Through her writing, she hopes to inspire others to believe in the impossible.

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Sunday, January 25, 2015

The One Thing by Briana Gaitan

Title: The One Thing

Series: Hollywood Timelines Book Two

Author: Briana Gaitan

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Day: January 16th 2015

***Warning: Intended for ages 18 and up***

Summary:

When everything falls apart, he's the one thing that holds me together.

Ginger Teague may seem like your typical Hollywood actress with the famous boyfriend, designer clothes, money, and hit TV show, but constantly being in the public eye has its downside.

People seem more interested in her chaotic relationship with her on again/ off again boyfriend than her acting career,and Ginger isn't dealing with her new found fame in a way she always envisioned. She masks her unhappiness with too many parties and an unhealthy habit of binge drinking. As much as she wants love, men find her as a pretty amusement, not the type of girl you take home to mom and dad.

When she meets Caspian Norwood, they quickly begin a regimen of flirty emails.

He's a struggling musician that doesn't quite fit her idea of the perfect boyfriend.

He's older, mysterious, cultured, knows exactly what to say and do in all the right situations, and Ginger can't help falling for him. But the world is against them, pushing them apart, and it's beginning to feel as if they're only meant to be friends.

The One Thing is a standalone novel and book two in the Hollywood Timelines series. You met Ginger in The Last Thing, now hear her love story.

I lean back against a brick wall to catch my breath and regain my composure. I slide down against the brick until my I can lean my face into my knees and take a few deep breaths.

“What’s a pretty young thing like you doing wandering the streets all alone?” a voice says from beside me. Looking up, I blink against the bright sun to try and find the source. I stand up.

“Over here.”

I follow the sound of the voice and spin around to see a lanky guy, a little older than me, sitting on the stoop of an old brick auditorium. My eyes graze his shaggy, dirty blond hair that falls in his eyes and his strong, square jaw. When he smiles, there’s a cute dimple in his left cheek. His eyes are kind, clear blue engulfed with dark lashes. My eyes move downward against his lean chest and tight skinny jeans. As if on instinct, I flashed him a flirty grin. Man, this guy is beautiful…in a grungy skateboarder kinda way.

“Just taking a leisurely stroll,” I comment. I examine the cigarette in his hand and wrinkle my nose a bit. He notices my displeasure and smashes the butt under his old converse. Converse? No, no, no. I talk myself down. He takes a swig of water from a plastic bottle and sets it down on the ground. This guy isn’t cute, he’s shabby. He’s an emo. He’s—and I’m—he isn’t my style at all. Oh, gross. How could I have stooped so low as to even for the briefest moment consider him attractive? I tend to go for more classic, metro-sexual men. Armani suits, expensive cars, slicked back hair and Rolex watches. That’s what turns me on; not smokers with tattoos. Though from what I can see of his, they look quite impressive. A flash of something large on his right bicep, but I can’t make it out. Not wanting to get caught staring, I look up at the bright sky instead. The urge to walk away consumes me, but I need another moment to catch my breath and rest my aching feet. He stands up and walks closer, making my heart pound against my chest. Oh, shit. I stare straight ahead at his old gray tee shirt and black jeans that hug his body. He stops right in front of me and rests an arm on the wall behind me to support himself.

“You look really lost. Need some help?”

God, that sexy voice. Heat begins to pool between my legs. No, this isn’t a safe position. He’s a stranger! I straighten up and look into his face, that beautiful face. Focus, Ginger!

“I’m not lost. Would you kindly back off?” I snap.

Men don’t randomly offer to help women. They always have ulterior motives. They always expect something in return. He backs up with his hands out in front of him in surrender. His face is sincere, honest. Like I even know what that looks like.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m only trying to offer you some local hospitality.”

I sigh in exasperation and pull my phone out to check the time.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m late to an audition, like it even matters now. I won’t get the job anyway, and your little distraction.” I dangle my fingers in the air at him. “It isn’t helping either.”

“Their loss.” He shrugs while giving me a wide smirk that makes my body tingle.

He has perfectly straight white teeth. It’s amazing. It’s the kind of teeth that only dentist’s kids have. I lean in to get a closer look at his mouth. Stop that! Just look at him. He will use you and throw you away with a broken heart. He isn’t a safe choice. My word, how does he keep them so white with all the smoking? Stop it, Ginger!

“Are you okay?”

I realize I’m scowling at him, and staring at his teeth like a gawking monkey. I’m tempted to smile, but refuse to. Attraction or no attraction, I’m not about to let him know how affected I am by his presence.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking. You can go back to…whatever it is you were doing.” I wave my hand as if he’s a minion out to do my bidding.

He laughs, but doesn’t take the hint. “I’m just taking a smoke break between sets. We’re doing a sound check for a show tonight. Hey, you should come check us out.” He motions toward the building beside us, an ancient looking place. Great, he’s a musician. They’re even worse than actors. I raise an uninterested slim brow at him, but don’t say a word.

“Doesn’t like music, duly noted.” He laughs again. It’s so intoxicating. He articulates all of his syllables, but I can’t pinpoint the accent. His voice isn’t suave or deep, he definitely sings with a wide range, kind of like Ben Gibbard. That’s right; I like music. In fact, I love music and Death Cab for Cutie is one of my favorite bands. I just don’t like the reputation that precedes musicians. I open my mouth to protest, but stop. I don’t need to explain myself to this guy.

“Thanks for the neighborly concern.” I roll my eyes and wait for him to go back inside, but instead we both anxiously stand there daring the other to walk away first. With a crooked grin plastered upon his devilishly handsome face, he digs into his back pocket to pull out another cigarette. He lights up, but blows the smoke away from me. My nostrils flare, and I have to keep from kneeing him in the balls. How dare he trap me in a corner while he puffs on those death sticks. Such a disgusting habit, if you ask me. After a minute, I give up, push myself off from the wall, and turn my back to him.

“Have a good one!” he calls out from behind me. “Fuck you,” I mumble to myself as I strut away. I throw my purse over my shoulder and curse myself when a smile appears on my lips. He is an interesting character. It’s not every day I get to meet someone who isn’t a stuck up social climber.

My feet scream in agony with each step, but I refuse to turn around. Well, that is until I make it about two blocks down the road. Only then do I allow myself to stop and peek over my shoulder. He’s still standing in the same spot on the sidewalk. His eyes are locked on me, I think. From far away, his hair appears darker, making him seem more mysterious. When he raises his hand to wave, I quickly turn around. My pale skin heats in excitement. I haven’t been this worked up over a man in a long time, not since I first began dating Barrett. I should feel bad for getting so turned on by another guy when I just broke up with my fiancé, but I’m not. Barrett screwed it up. Ergo, I don’t care.

The crosswalk flashes green for me to go, but before I step across the street, I take one last look behind me. Disappointment fills me as I gaze at the empty sidewalk. He must have gone inside. Nashville is a big city, and I’m only visiting for a few more days before I return to LA. It’s unlikely that I’ll ever see him again.

Ginger’s Songs

Someday You will be Loved by Death Cab for Cutie

Circles by States

Hope You Stay Gone by States

Such Great Heights by The Postal Service

Girls Like You by The Naked and Famous

Punchline by The Cinema

Please by Staind

Oblivion by Bastille

Reverse by Somekindawonderful

Now The One You Once Loved Is Leaving by Lydia

Stay Awake by Lydia

Once Upon Another Time by Sarah Bareilles

Bright lights and Cityscapes by Sarah Bareilles

Caspian’s Songs

A Lack of Color by Death Cab for Cutie

Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional

Crooked Teeth by Death Cab for Cutie

Holidays by Lydia

Knee Deep by Lydia

The Man Who Can’t be Moved by The Script

Ghost by The Cinema

Call it in the Air by The Cinema

Brothers on a Hotel Bed by Death Cab for Cutie

Brighter Lights by States

5 FACTS ABOUT THE ONE THING

1. Ginger’s name came from a bratz doll that my daughter was playing with I was writing.

2. Caspian’s character is hugely influenced by a crush of mine, but I won’t tell you who.

3. The very first scene I wrote was the meeting between Ginger and Caspian in Nashville, and it was inspired by my own lost adventure in Music City.

4. The Norwood brothers are all named after characters in different C.S Lewis novels. Caspian, Peter, Edmund, and Tirian.

5. Ginger cracks me up sometimes, and she reminds me of Gretchen Wieners from Mean Girls.

5 FUN FACTS ABOUT BRIANA GAITAN

1. I have three kids, a cat named Starbuck, and a Royal Python named Bert “Voldemort” Reynolds.

2. My mom and I were pregnant twice together.

3. I also write for fanboysanonamous.com. It’s pretty fun because I can write about anything I want that’s not book related, plus go to awesome comic conventions and call it work.

4. I’m a typical southern gal, but have also lived in California.

5. My son and I wrote a children’s book together. He created the story, and I was the first line editor. It was a major bonding experience.

5 FACTS ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD TIMESLINES SERIES

1. There was never supposed to be a series, but as I wrote, the characters came to life and begged for more.

2. Just about all the characters are named after real friends, family, and acquaintances.

3. I did a lot of research for the books. Including watching celebrity reality TV, obsessing over tabloids, and Internet stalking. Kinda fun, but consuming.

4. The Last Thing is meant to be more of a fairytale romance, while The One Thing is meant to be more realistic.

5. I’m not sure if I will write anymore full-length books in the series, but have plans for short stories and novella. Up next will be Aly and Booker’s story.

Author Bio:

Briana Gaitan grew up in the South, but calls herself a geek at heart. She is a blogger,author,and fangirl who loves Star Wars, Star Trek, and Jewelry (bet you never thought you'd hear those three things in a sentence together) For fun, she loves watching any show on the SyFy channel, relaxing with her family, reading, and listening to indie music (sometimes all at the same time). Briana loves to write stories where there are no limits to the imagination. She is also the co-author of the fantasy Ethereal Underground series.

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Sunday, January 4, 2015

Sales Blitz: The Last Thing by Briana Gaitan

Title: The Last Thing

Author: Briana Gaitan

Series: Hollywood Timeless #1

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Summary:
Plagued by past mistakes in both love and life, Quinn Bardot is in a bad place. With nowhere else to turn, she escapes to LA clinging to the promise of a fresh start.

Chase Crowley is known for being selfish and unbelievably persistent. All he's ever wanted is to become a successful actor. But now that he is about to have it all, he finds that something is still missing. Money and fame isn't what he expected.

After a fervent encounter, the two of them are thrown into a situation that neither is prepared for. Can Quinn extinguish her fears and let Chase in? Can Chase learn to put someone else's needs before his own?

The Last Thing is a novel all about love, Hollywood, and accepting what life throws at you even if it is the last thing you want.

(This is a New Adult Romance novel & contains language & adult situations. Not recommended for readers younger than 17)

***The Last Thing is a standalone book with NO cliff hanger ending. It is book one in the series. ***

“Nice shoes,” a deep voice said from beside me. I almost spit my drink out in surprise. Only two inches away from my face stood a man with chocolate colored eyes and short brown hair that stuck up all over his head as if he had just rolled out of bed. I detected some sort of Hispanic descent in his good looks. He wore a pair of khakis and a tight long-sleeved black t-shirt. He actually seemed normal compared to all the Barbie and Ken dolls around me, and it made me feel at ease. I took a step back so that our faces weren’t so close. “Yeah, I reckon heels aren’t really my thing,” I replied and took another sip from my cup. He chuckled and folded his hands across his chest, one hand stroking his chin as if he were studying me.

“Whiskey...high tops...no French manicure...”

He picked up one of my hands and studied it. Shocked by the way my heart sped when he touched me, I pulled it out of his grasp. I could feel my face turning red, but I willed my breathing to slow down and hoped that he couldn’t see me blush under all of the makeup. He was quite literally the most striking man I’d ever laid eyes on. The reaction from my body was pure agony. I wanted him, needed him. My loneliness was getting the best of me. No. You don’t need him as a distraction. You need a job, a hobby. He is the last thing you need. You’re having a whiskey reaction.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said. I forced myself to look away from his smirk, and finished off the drink in my hand. I turned around and asked the bartender to fill me up again. The drink had already started to affect me, make me loosen up, but I needed a little more to help me with the anxiety.

Say something. Don’t just stand there!

“Don’t worry about it,” I mumbled and picked up my filled glass. I was surprised that he was still standing there; I allowed myself to sneak another peek from the corner of my eye. From the way he carried himself he was a bit older than me, maybe in his mid-twenties. The way he laughed and his body language told me that he was charismatic, a charmer. This guy was persistent!

“I’m Chase,” he said, holding out his hand. I reluctantly took it, afraid that he could see how unnerved I was.

“Quinn, nice to meet you.” He didn’t seem to notice my hand trembling as he lifted it up to his lips to place a light kiss on it. He gave me a slight wink that made me go weak in the knees. I was glad that I had high tops on my feet to steady me. Toughen up, Quinn. You can talk to a guy. But only talk. I took another big gulp of my liquid courage.

“So Quinn, how do you know Gillian?” He reached out to pick a piece of lint off my shoulder. I narrowed my eyes in on him. Why was he touching me?

“Oh, I don’t know her. I’m here with a friend.” I forced myself to look into his eyes, to show him that I wasn’t intimidated.

“Who?” he asked

“Ginger Teague,” I told him. He continued with his inquisition, to which I gave short answers.

“You a party crasher?”

I raised an eyebrow and answered, “No, I was invited.”

“An actress?”

“No.”

“Model?”

I scoffed at his question; as if I had the looks to be a model. “Uh, no...” I shook my head in disbelief.

“Who are you then? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. I wouldn’t forget your face.”

I didn’t know what to say. It had been so long since I’d had any male attention. He probably wouldn’t give me the time of day if he found out who I was or how much baggage I carried.

“Interesting, huh?”

“What?” I asked

“This party. I bet you have never been so star struck.”

Was this guy for real?

“I don’t know who any of these people are.”

“Well then, it’s high time you found out.” He leaned in close and motioned toward the three blonde girls Ginger had introduced me to earlier.

“Those three bimbos are twiddle dee, dumb, and twit.”

I spit my drink back out into my cup, almost choking from laughter.

“Did you call her a twit?”

“Damn straight. Though I’m not sure if it is from her lack of common sense or her twitter addiction.”

This was kind of fun. My eyes scanned the room for our next victim

“What about him?” I pointed toward an older balding man with a twenty-something on his arm.

“Ah, yes. That is Jordan one of our writers. The girl on his arm just screwed her way up to a leading character.”

“Isn’t that a bit… unethical?”

“Everyone in Hollywood is unethical, my dear.”

That was my cue to leave. I didn’t need guys like him.

“As much as I want to continue on with this flirty banter, I really must get going.” I boldly stuck my drink in his empty hand and spun around on my heels.