Today I am so pleased to welcome Tere Michaels to Joyfully Jay. Tere has come to talk to us about her latest release, Who Knows the Storm. She has also brought along a great giveaway! Please join me in giving Tere a big welcome!
The Lure of the Superhero
My earliest television memory is Adam West’s iconic “Batman” series.
I find some amusement in the fact that that particular flavor of hero was campy and ridiculous, particularly because as I grew older, my interest in the darker side of things won out.
Batman in all his many incarnations has always been a favorite. No powers save his own driving anger and single-minded pursuit – not to mention the self-destructive brooding! In many ways he created his own tragedy, a curse he could never quite shake. And as a romantic, I was always hoping someone would prove to him that life wasn’t entirely dark and desperate and hopeless… And since we know the comic book world won’t give us happiness for long, it was clearly up to me to write a superhero love story with a HEA.
Important Promise: I solemnly swear Nox and Cade won’t accidently trip over an alien pod, which resets their lives and reality and they never really met. No alternative universes where I take all the happiness and make it go away!
The angsty urges in my soul are drawn to superheroes – their tragic beginnings, their inner torment, their sacrifices and mistakes they can never quite let go of. They lead double lives, they keep love at arm’s length and doubt a happy ending will ever be theirs, even as they try to give everyone else their salvation, drawn to those who need saving, but are never quite saved themselves.
That became a challenge to me
So I set about creating Nox, the Vigilante, born out of sacrifice and sadness and paranoia and have him be the one doing the saving while introducing Cade – his equal, who walks into the darkness with a candle and gives him an alternate to being alone.
This book is a love letter, to all the romantics out there who shake their heads at every self-sacrificing moment, when the hero tells his love that they would be better off apart. This book is wish fulfillment, because sometimes even superheroes need to be saved.
Blurb
In a dystopian near future, New York City has become the epicenter of decadence – gambling, the flesh trade, a playground for the wealthy. And underneath? Crime, fueled by “Dead Bolt” a destructive designer drug. This New City is where Nox Boyet leads a double life. At night, he is the Vigilante, struggling to keep the streets safe for citizens abandoned by the corrupt government and police. During the day, he works in construction and does his best to raise his adopted teenaged son, Sam.
A mysterious letter addressed to Sam brings Nox in direct contact with “model” Cade Creel, a high-end prostitute working at the Iron Butterfly Casino. Suspicion gives way to an intense attraction as dark figures from Nox’s past and the mysterious peddlers of Dead Bolt begin to descend – and put all their lives in danger. When things spin out of control, Cade is the only person Nox can trust to help him save Sam.
Bio
Tere Michaels unofficially began her writing career at the age of four when she learned that people got paid to write stories. It seemed the most perfect and logical job in the world and after that, her path was never in question. (The romance writer part was written in the stars—she was born on Valentine’s Day.)
It took thirty-six years of “research” and “life experience” and well… life… before her first book was published but there are no regrets (she doesn’t believe in them). Along the way, she had some interesting jobs in television, animation, arts education, PR and a national magazine—but she never stopped believing she would eventually earn her living writing stories about love.
She is a member of RWA, Rainbow Romance Writers, and Liberty States Fiction Writers. Her home base is a small town in New Jersey, very near NYC, a city she dearly loves. She shares her life with her husband, her teenaged son—who will just not stop growing—and three exceedingly spoiled cats. Her spare time is spent watching way too much sports programming, going to the movies and for long walks/runs in the park, reading her book club’s current selection, and volunteering.
Nothing makes her happier than knowing she made a reader laugh or smile or cry. It’s the purpose of sharing her work with people. She loves hearing from fans and fellow writers, and is always available for speaking engagements, visits and workshops. Find her at http://www.teremichaels.com and on Twitter (@TereMichaels), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tere.michaels).
Giveaway
Tere has brought a tour wide giveaway for a copy of Who Knows the Storm and a $25 gift certificate to your online book retailer of choice. .
Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment WITH contact email address on each day’s blog tour stop. Every comment is 1 entry into the giveaway. Winner will be chosen at random from all comments and announced on Monday, October 27th.
- By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
- Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
- If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
- Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
- Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
- By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
- Readers may only enter once for each contest. Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
- Void where prohibited by law.
I enjoyed reading the excerpt the book sounds really good please count me in for the Giveaway …..Thank you
ShirleyAnn(at)speakman40(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk
I’d love to read Who Knows the Storm. Thanks for the giveaway. ardent(dot)ereader(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you for the great post and giveaway chance!
jczlapin(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds really good. Thanks for the great post and the giveaway! amaquilante(at)gmail(dot)com
Very interested in entering for giveaway. Thanks.
I’d love to win this prize!!! The book sounds awesome.
Email: thomas(dot)gengel(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thomas.Gengel@yahoo.com
Sounds intriguing. I look forward to reading. Adding to tbr list. Thanks for a chance to win
redmd@juno.com
This sounds really good. I’ve been watching the new series Gotham which is all about the darker side of things. I am definitely a fan. 🙂 Can’t wait to read Who Knows the Storm. Thanks for the great giveaway!
lkbherring64(at)gmail(dot)com
Please, count me in.
Can’t wait to read this. I love Tere Michaels writing stlyle so much! Please count me in.
emilye_14 (at) hotmail (dot) com
I didn’t think of Batman when I read the blurb for the first time, but now I can really see Nox as a Dark Knight 😉 I’m looking forward to reading the story.
Thank you for the give away.
Please throw my name in the hat. I hope this gives us MCs as lovable as Matt & Evan. I truly loved that series.
Thanks for the giveaway.
KimAndPete at me dot com
thanks for the give away looking forward to reading it
Superheroes are so fascinating, and the darker the better. 🙂
This looks terrific! I’m adding it to my wish list. Thanks for a shot at winning a copy.
lgrant1@san.rr.com
Sounds great, thank you!!! mevalem258 AT gmail DOT com
Thanks for the giveaway! I can’t wait to read this one.
christina (dot) mcaul (at) gmail (dot) com
i love learning how things are created and how the books came about – i also can’t wait to read this one 😀
thanks for the chance
Beeheeley(@)gmail(>)com
Thank you for this awesome giveaway. applenote.Jamie(@)gmail.(.com)
Congratulations on the new release. Your books are new to me, but I looking forward to reading this one. This is going into my TBR list nc.skyie at gmail dot com
I’m not a big fan of the darker Batman films, more for the story lines and actors than the fact that they are dark. I, too spent much of my youth watching Adam West as Batman and sorry, Michael Caine doesn’t compare to the original Alfred.
acm05atjuno.com
Oh thank you for not using the standard superhero trope for a superhero not being able to be with the one they love without some disaster happening if they did! As I remember when Superman turned back time so that he regained his powers and never had his love affair with Louis as Clark Kent, it was heartbreaking to watch the longing and love in his eyes and Louis carrying on without ever knowing….
Thank you for a great giveaway and a chance to win this book 🙂 slholland30 {at} outlook {dot} com
This sounds intriguing.
Thanks for the giveaway.
alishead1@yahoo.com
Well said… I’d say that sometimes each of us needs to be saved 🙂
alinutza4u2004[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk
Loved the post and excerpt. The book sounds intriguing. Please include me. Thank you for the giveaway.
marsh10(at)netzero(dot)com
I really love the premise!
vitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com
Congrats on your latest release!