Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Feature Author Ahren Sanders

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Hello loves today we our ecstatic to have Ahren Sanders for our Author Feature Friday!! If you dont know her get to know her cause you will love her as much as we do.. Welcome Ahren Sanders and Thank you for Rocking our page today with this amazing book!!! ~Raquel
 
 
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Ravenel Hayes is a perfect daughter, a loving sister, a loyal friend, and an excellent student. Returning home to complete her MBA and be closer to her family, she has her future all mapped out. That is until her path leads her straight into Declan Collins. The dark haired, tattooed singer with a sinful body is a distraction, one that’s way out of her league. He wasn’t part of her plan. But now that he’s literally knocking on her door, how can she avoid him?
Declan Collins lives life to the edge. His only emotional attachments are to his family and his band. He’s your typical bad-boy, lead singer who lives with no regrets. “Hook-up and head-out” is his motto. His ultimate goal is to take his band all the way to the top, or so it was. When he runs into Raven, she stirs up emotions in him that he had never thought possible. From their very first meeting, there’s no denying the chemistry between them. He’s not a relationship guy, but can she change his playboy ways?
Jealousy, anger, stalkers, and fame and fortune threaten to tear these two apart. Will surrendering to their love get them through the challenges that await them? Or will it tear them apart?
*Due to graphic language and explicit sexual situations, this book is recommended for readers 18+.

 Review
4.5 stars of pure rock god! Ahhhhh Started this book and could not put it down talk about Holy Hotness!!! Loved this book what more can you ask for then a hot bad boy oh ya hes a rock star also talk about swoon worthy!! Declan has it all his career and family all the girls he can want or so he thought till he meets Raven. Raven is sweet, loving and just perfect and knows what she wants in life or so she thought. Declan and Raven have this attraction right at the begin that pulls them together but have so many things pulling them apart. Declan and Raven have this hot roller coaster relationship and it had me all over the place but left me wanting more!! This book had everything you could want and more Ahren nailed the rock god love story cant wait to see what else she has in store for us. Will definetly be adding Ahren to one of my faves!!!
~Raquel~ 



Author Bio:
Ahren spent her formative years living in an active volcano. There her family made collectible lava art. She studied rock collecting at the Sorbonne in France. There she met the love of her life-her pet pig Sybil. She returned to the states and started writing. She is happily married to a guy who used to live under a bridge and she met while pole-dancing. They have one amazing daughter.
Now, meet the real me. I’m a wife, mother, and full-time Human Resource Specialist. Living on the Florida coast, my family spends a lot time at the beach which is my favorite place to get lost in books. I started writing my first novel, Surrendering, in the spring of 2013 and have received incredible support from the Indie community. I’m so excited to share my story and hope you enjoy reading the story of Raven, Declan and their crazy flock of friends.
 
 
Author Links:
 
Author Interview:
What inspired you to write your first book?
·      I’m actually a serial reader. At the beginning of this year, a story started forming in my head and I couldn’t let it go. I reached out to many indie authors asking for advice. I was trying to talk myself out of writing it because I knew I couldn’t compete with the talented writers and stories being released weekly. Then I finally realized I didn’t want to compete- I wanted to tell my own story my way. That’s what eventually won out.

What is your favorite scene from the book?
***Spoiler Alert***
·      I have several but the first one that comes to mind is when Raven returns home after her migraine. When Declan is waiting for her and then all that follows.

·      I also get emotional at both Finn and Declan’s reaction to Raven in the hospital.

How did you come up with the title?

·      That’s actually a funny story. Surrendering is not the original name I planned when I wrote this book. My original title became VERY popular and was being used at least once a month on a new release. I had to scramble to decide on a new title and the cover was already in process. But in the end I think Surrendering completely encompasses this story of new love and the challenges these two face.

Who was your favorite character to write about?
·      All of them!! I’m completely serious. When I created this crazy bunch in my head, I had a ball with each of them.

How much of the book is realistic?
·      Well, I think the friendships and family dynamics are completely realistic. I created these characters specifically for this book. I added some personal influences in my own life, but the rest is complete fiction. There are several times in this book I was incredible jealous of Raven.
 
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
·       Some of them yes. I do personally have strong ties with our US military with two members actively serving. I also used some of my personal experiences in Nashville to shape the storyline.
 
What books have most influenced your life most?
·      To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The social injustice, the racial tension, the innocence of a child and the courage of one man really gets to me. I still cry when I read it. To me, it is one of the best books in the world.



What is your favorite book?
·      Once again, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Even though I write and read primarily Contemporary Romance, no other book has ever affected me as that one.

What book are you reading now?
·      Outside of a few ARCS, I just recently finished Travis by Nicole Edwards. It was great!

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
·      Yes, I’m not sure if they are necessarily new, but they are new to me. I recently reached out to JB Salsbury and gushed over Fighting for Flight. I loved the book and fell in love with Jonah. There are several authors that I follow every book they write as well. I also was recently introduced to an author that will release her book later this month. Her name is Leigh Ann Lunsford and I loved her book. I actually called her when I was done and said “I can’t believe you did that!”
 
What are your current projects?
·      I am working on book two in the Surrender Series. It’s called Surviving and it’s the companion to Surrendering.

Is there an odd thing you do while writing?
·      Not at all, I listen to the Hit List station through my cable and go under lock down.

What do you do for fun?
·      My family loves the beach!  We spend every chance we get relaxing by the ocean. Luckily we live on coast, so it’s easy for us. My little girl won’t get near a pool, but will play in the ocean water until we drag her away!
We also have a great group of friends and we do a lot of entertaining. Then of course, I read- a lot!

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
·      No, I am very pleased the way it turned out. There’s a lot that happens and a few of my reviews have mentioned maybe saving certain scenes and situations for book two, but I feel like I set up the vibe well.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
·      Yes, the more I read in the CR genre, the more my story grew in my mind. One day I just sat down and put my thoughts to paper.  

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

·      Sure. Surviving is the conclusion of Surrendering. Declan’s POV takes up about 50% of the book. I hope the writing style stays consistent, but I felt like I HAD to show the readers more of Declan. I am trying to show the emotional turmoil everyone goes through and the decisions the main characters make. I don’t want to give away spoilers but when you finish Surrendering, you will know what I meanJ

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

·      Yes, my thoughts can be too detailed and repetitive. Thank God for my beta’s and editor. They reel me in and help ‘red-line’ the over detailed sections.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
·      I have a lot that I admire and respect. I can’t pinpoint just one but I have read everything that Kim Karr, Vi Keeland, and Katy Evan’s has released. Outside of the CR genre, I love Michael Connelly and James Patterson’s work.

What is your most embarrassing moment??
·      There’s too many to list. I really am a dork.

What is your favorite holiday and why?

·      I want to say Christmas, but let’s be honest- Christmas is stressful!  I have a special place in my heart for the Fourth of July.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

·      Opening myself up to the world of readers. What some people may not know is the writing is the easy part. Once your story is on paper, you’ve done your job. Then you have to share your story with others and open yourself up to criticism. That criticism stings, but it is necessary to improve your overall book.  The edits, revisions, cover design, marketing and release is a lot of work. I finished the unedited version of Surrendering in June. The book was not released until November 21st. That’s a huge amount of time but I felt it was critical to take so many steps and make sure my work was the best it could be. I actually made changes to the manuscript one hour before I hit Publish!  That’s how OCD I was.

What is your favorite late night snack?

·      Chocolate!

Do you have any advice for other writers?

·      I’m not sure if I am the best person to advise anyone, but I would say – Don’t give up!  Not everyone is going to like every book, but write your story in your own way and believe in yourself. This is the most emotional roller coaster I have ever been on. It takes courage to release your story to the public and open yourself up to the lovers and haters of your work. Be proud of yourself!

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
·       Yes, I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for the reviews, the words of encouragement, the praises and even the critics. I love getting the emails and private messages. I enjoy being connected to the fans out there!
 
 

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