Thursday, April 4, 2013

Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley ~ Blog Tour, Excerpt, and Giveaway






Blurb

For Abby Renard, the plan was supposed to be simple—join her brothers’ band on the last leg of their summer tour and decide if she’s finally ready for the limelight by becoming its fourth member. Of course, she never imagined stumbling onto the wrong tour bus at Rock Nation would accidentally land her in the bed of Jake Slater, the notorious womanizing lead singer of Runaway Train. When he mistakes her for one of his groupie’s, Abby quickly lets him know she sure as hell isn't in his bed on purpose.

Jake Slater never imagined the angel who fell into his bed would resist his charms by promptly kneeing him in the balls. Of course, the fact she seems like a prissy choir girl makes her anything but his type. So he is more than surprised when after betting Abby she wouldn’t last a week on their tour bus, she is more than willing to prove him wrong. But as Jake’s personal life begins to implode around him, he finds an unlikely ally in Abby. He’s never met a woman he can talk to, joke with, or most importantly make music with.

As the week starts comes to a close, neither Abby nor Jake is ready to let go. Can a sweetheart Country songstress and a bad boy of Rock N Roll actually have a future together?



Excerpt

The RV shuddering to a halt jolted me awake. My eye-lids fluttered open. As I took in my darkened surroundings, panic crept over me. Wait, where the hell was I? Gazing around the blackened room, I tried getting my bearings. “Ugh,” I muttered when all the events of the day raced through my mind.

When the lamp on the bedside table came on, I jumped out of my skin. Jake perched on the side of the bed, practically on top of me. “W-What the hell are you doing?” I cried, jerking the sheet against me.

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, Angel. I’m not here for a repeat performance of this morning.” With a wave of a shoe, he added, “I’m sorry to have disrupted your beauty sleep, but all my shit’s in here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I murmured.

“Besides that, we’re stopping for dinner, so I figured I’d better wake you up.”

“Thanks.”

He cocked his pierced brow at me. “Did you know that you snore?”

My eyes widened in horror. “I do not!”

“Yeah, you do.”

Covering my mouth, I muttered, “Oh God, I do?”

Jake grinned as he bobbed his head. “It’s kinda cute though. Nothing like the loud-as-fuck snores me and the guys do.”

“How mortifying.”

“You embarrass too easily, Angel. How are you going to make it a week with us if a little snoring gets you so riled up?”

“I’ll be just fine thank you.”

AJ peeked his head in. “Hey, I need to get my stuff.”

“Go right ahead.” I threw the sheet back. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get my things and go to the bathroom so I can get dressed for dinner.”

Jake opened his arms wide before collapsing onto his back on the bed. “Be my guest.”

When he didn’t move, I grunted in frustration. Just as I started to climb over Jake, AJ flung the closet door open to get out his clothes. Since we were in such close quarters with the bus’s bedroom, I couldn’t move. To my utter horror, I’d gotten stuck straddling Jake.

When I caught his eye, he grinned and winked at me. My face flushed. “AJ, would you hurry up with the freakin’ door!” I snapped.

He peeked around the side and snorted back his laughter. “Whoops, my bad.”

I sighed with exasperation. “Any day now, AJ!” The moment I said it, I knew he’d take his own sweet ass time—anything to keep me in the precarious situation of riding Jake.

“You don’t have to go, Angel. I’m sure this could be a win-win situation for both of us,” Jake teased.

I stared at him for a moment before flopping back on the other side of the bed. I shook my head at him. “Why do you have to do that?”

“Do what?”

“Act like a constant manwhore who only sees women as sex objects.”

Jake arched an eyebrow at me. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I just objectify you?”

“Yes,” I hissed before narrowing my eyes at him. “Is it too much to ask that we carry on a civil conversation without you always having to make everything between us about getting off?”

Jake’s brows creased. “And there’s something wrong with that?”

“For me there is.” I gave him a pointed stare. “And for our bet.”

He turned over on his side to where we were face to face. “I’m not losing this bet, Angel.”

“Then start playing by the rules.” With the sweetest smile I could muster, I then batted my eyelashes at him. “Or I’m going to start walking around here in my underwear.”

His mouth gaped open. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Try me, big boy. Sporting my bra and panties is basically a bikini, so why not?”

Staring at me dumbfounded, Jake drew in a ragged breath. “I’m never going to intimidate you, am I?”

I shrugged. “Nope.”

“Damn. I don’t know how the hell to take you, Angel.”

“Why do you have to ‘take me’ period? Can’t you just talk to me like you would any girl?”

With a sneer, he replied, “If I do that, it won’t help us.”

I propped my head on my elbow. “When was the last time you actually had a conversation with a female, besides your mother, that didn’t involve dirty talk?”

“Hell if I know,” he replied.

“I thought as much.”

“Wait a sec…” He snapped his fingers. “Actually, it was Tuesday. I talked to my baby sister on the phone.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You have a sister?”

“Well, she’s my half-sister. My dad and step-mom each had a kid when they got married. Then they had Allison. She’s fifteen and spoiled rotten.”

I smiled at the sincerity in his voice when he talked about his sister. “I bet she idolizes her big brother.”

Flipping on his back, Jake slid his hands under his head and grinned. “Yeah, she does. I mean, she’s always thought I was pretty cool, but even more since I hit it big.” His expression slowly darkened. “Some shitheads give her grief about it—like trying to be her friend just to see what they can get from her. I hate that.”

“Poor thing. It must be hard sometimes having a famous brother.”

Jake frowned at me. “I try making it up to her all the time by giving her shit.”

I laughed. “Thus why she’s the spoiled baby sister?”

“I guess. Hell, the guys and I are even playing her Sweet Sixteen in a few weeks.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet of you.” I nudged him playfully. “Who knew there was a good guy buried deep, deep down inside.”

AJ closed the closet door. “Okay, done.”

“Finally,” Jake muttered as he got off the bed.

Gesturing to his jeans and polo shirt, AJ said, “Hey, give me some credit. It’s not easy changing behind a closet door to protect Miss Innocent Eyes over there.”

I laughed as I rose up to a sitting position. “One minute you’re trying to get me to see you naked and the next you’re protecting me.”

AJ winked at me. “Just know I would do anything, and I do mean anything for you, mi amor.”

I grabbed my dress and cowboy boots off the dresser. “Thanks so much.”

Review

I love Katie Ashley's books and was super excited to read MOTH. The start of this story was great and although I felt like parts were rushed especially the ending, I still enjoyed this cute, touching, heart warming story. 3.5 - 4 stars

This is Jake and Abby's story. Jake is a sexy bad boy rocker who is used to getting what he wants, women included. Jake is really just an emotional mess. He is surprised to find that when he meets Abby, he finds himself falling for her because she is not his typical type of girl. Abby keeps him on his toes and can dish it out just as quick as he can. I'm not gonna lie, there where a couple of times when Jake really infuriated me and Abby was way to quick to forgive him. Jake quickly learned the error in his ways and deep down has a good heart and although he doesn't show it to others, he cares deeply for his bandmates and his mother.  Abby is a fiesty little firecracker who is a good girl.  She cares about people, goes to church, and wants to be a nurse. When she first meets Jake she gives him a run for his money.  She is surprised at how fast she falls for Jake and even though he screws up time and time again and tries to constantly push her away, Abby sees Jake for the man he truly is. Can Jake see the error in his ways and be the man that Abby deserves before it's really too late? Can Abby save Jake's trouble soul?

This book had me laughing at times and crying at times, I loved it. I also loved Jake's band members and how accepting and caring they were of Abby.  Katie did a wonderful job of portraying the connection that Jake and Abby had. I'm excited to hear that AJ will be getting his own book next....hmmmm Mr. Latin lover gonna be trouble ;) I would def recommend you read this book.

Author Bio

Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.

She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.


Author Links

Website: http://katieashleybooks.blogspot.com
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/katieashleybooks
Twitter: @ katieashleyluv
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6546441.Katie_Ashley

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1 comment:

  1. There's something about the good girl meets bad ass rocker that draws me in like a moth to a flame and Jake is no different. He won my heart at; "So you're telling me you didn't sneak into my bed on purpose?"

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