Just For You - Release Tour and Giveaway

​No matter how much he wants her, he knows he can't have her.

Just For You
A Cerasino Family Novella #5
by Abbie Zanders
Genre: Sweet, Small Town Contemporary Romance

Gina

With my shiny new master’s degree in hand, I’m ready to break free and take the world by storm. No one understands my desire to flee the comfort and safety of my modest town and large Italian family except him. Viper. The lead guitarist for my favorite band and my number one crush since he first smiled at me backstage years ago.

He’s tatted and pierced in all the right places with a creative soul and a dark energy I can’t get enough of. And now that I’ve gotten to know the man behind the performer, I’m more drawn to him than ever.
But it’s not meant to be. Our crossing of paths is just a temporary thing, and despite my best efforts, he’s determined to keep me solidly in the friend zone.


Gray

When my tour is unexpectedly cut short, I’m not as disappointed as I should be. I’m beyond weary, and worse, I don’t hear the music in my head like I used to. What I need is time away from the craziness. Time to stop being Viper, lead guitarist for Bad Influence, and go back to being Grayson Mitchell. I’m not even sure who that guy is anymore, but if anyone can help me remember him, it’s my twin brother.

When I head to Grant’s for much-needed rest, relaxation, and long overdue bro time, I didn’t expect to find him smitten with a beautiful young doc. Nor did I expect to find myself equally drawn to said gorgeous doc’s younger sister. Gina is … amazing. She’s vibrant and beautiful and so unjaded it makes my dark heart ache. When I’m with her, I hear the music again.

She’s into me, I can see it in her eyes. But no matter how much I want her, I can’t. I won’t. I … shouldn’t.


Just For You is the 5th book in the Cerasino Family Novella series, a short, sweet, mildly suspenseful love story featuring an ebullient heroine ready to take on the world and a jaded hero who already did and has the scars to prove it. No graphic sex or violence. Minimal adult language.


Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

​

​Gina

Grant Mitchell’s twin brother is freaking Viper.
That was the thought that kept popping into my mind every time I looked at him over the course of the afternoon.
I’d never been starstruck before. Well, not since my first time backstage when I was thirteen. My uncle Vito was a concert tour promoter, which meant my siblings and I had gotten to get up close and personal with a lot of bands over the years. There were few household names I hadn’t met at one time or another.
None of them had ever affected me as much as Gray Mitchell.
Yes, I’d met him before. And, yes, I’d had the same reaction then too. Total deer in headlights. The difference this time was, I wasn’t a pubescent teenager anymore. I was a fully grown, adult woman. And Gray? He was even sexier now than he had been then. More chiseled man. Less droolworthy F-boy.
He didn’t remember me—that was obvious. And why would he? I was one of thousands—probably hundreds of thousands—of girls who’d stared at him adoringly and fantasized about him while letting his unique, deep, purring voice soak into my soul. There was a reason the band Bad Influence was as popular as it was, and I was looking at him. Lyricist. Lead guitarist. Voice of sin and salvation.
He looked different from the last time I’d seen him. His body had filled out. His features were sharper and more defined. Back then, he’d had gloss in his streaked hair and guyliner accentuating his gorgeous hazel eyes. He’d been shirtless, his lean, ripped torso covered in tattoos and slicked with sweat.
My eyes dropped to his chest, where I knew that, beneath that perfectly respectable button-down, both nipples were pierced.
Is he wearing hoops or bars today? I wondered before setting that thought aside to ponder later in private.
Instead of skintight leather pants that left nothing to the imagination, he had on faded, well-washed blue jeans, like a normal, regular guy.
There was absolutely nothing regular about Gray Mitchell. He oozed charisma and sex appeal, no matter what he was wearing.
My female cousins Valentina, Corina, Lucia, and Ramona were falling all over themselves, and he was treating them like they were the most fascinating creatures on earth. I wasn’t jealous. Not at all. It was an act, an integral part of the consummate performer he was. I would just have to remember that if he ever turned his attention my way.
I tried not to gawk and focused on other things. I chatted with my brothers’ other halves briefly. They asked how my schoolwork was going, and I, in turn, inquired about their lives.
Eventually, Gray and my brother Dom started talking music, comparing live bands, and that was when I got pulled into the conversation. Dom and I were the diehard rock fans of the famiglia and had attended a lot of concerts over the years. Now that we were older, the torch had been passed to us as chaperones for the younger generation—something we had both heartily embraced because it gave us a good excuse to keep going.
I had no problems entering the discussion. I spoke like I knew what I was talking about, because I did. I didn’t say Bad Influence was my favorite live band of all time even though it was. That would sound too much like I was sucking up. I didn’t even rank them in my top three when I was ticking them off on my fingers. Dom, who knew my music preferences as well as he knew his own, didn’t call me out. His smirk told me he knew exactly what I was doing. If Viper—uh, Gray—took offense to the blatant omission, he hid it well.
Grant took Sofia back to her place at some point, which was disappointing. Sofia was recovering from surgery after a car accident, and I’d been planning to use her as an excuse to not only scoot out of there early, but to also justify my absence for the rest of the day.
I had a ton of work to do on my final presentation, and I was behind. I was about to graduate with a master’s in graphic design and illustrative arts. My thesis and my final project would be the pièces de resistance to my portfolio. If I nailed it, I would be that much closer to getting a coveted position at Kensington Graphic Creative with the Andrea Collins. If I got that, I could write my own ticket.
“I need to go too,” I said shortly after Grant and Sofia left.
Since Sofia’s apartment was off-limits for a couple of hours, I’d have to go to either the library or the graphics lab, where I had a small office. I tried to avoid those places when possible, especially during times when security was at a minimum and there weren’t a lot of other people around, like late nights and weekends.
“It’s Sunday,” my mother said, shooting me a disapproving look.
Sundays were for family time, but I’d had about as much of my cousins’ fawning as I could handle. Plus, having my loud, boisterous famiglia around was not conducive to getting my project done.
I stood to go, then kissed both my parents and my grandparents, resigned to do what I must. I’d be okay as long as I didn’t get too wrapped up in my work and I stayed aware of my surroundings. Plus, I kept my pepper spray close by. “I’ll be at the studio late tonight. Don’t wait up.”
To my surprise, Gray also pushed back his chair and stood. “I should be going too. Do you mind if I catch a ride?”
I blinked at him. “A ride?”
He gave me a hopeful, almost-shy smile. “I came with Grant.”
I tamped down the thrill that zinged through me. This wasn’t about me as much as it was a silent plea to help him escape. Honestly, I didn’t blame him. My cousins were relentless. However, the thought of sharing such a confined space with Gray sent a wave of something through me. Anticipation? Anxiety?
What I said was, “Uh, sure.”
His smile did funny things to my insides.  “Great.”
I didn’t have to look to know that my cousins were shooting poison-tipped daggers of envy in my direction or that my brothers were setting down their napkins and pushing back their chairs.
“I can take him,” my brother Dom said with that protective big-brother look in his eye. The same one Nick, Vinnie, Paulie, and my father currently sported. The only male who seemed unconcerned was Nonno.
“You sit,” Nonno told Dom, waving his hand. “He-a go with Gina.”
Everyone turned to Nonno. His eyes were glittering, and he was looking directly at me. I heard several sharp intakes of breath and murmured curses in Italian. My nonno was a notorious matchmaker, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think Nonno had just matched Gray and me.
Oh no.

**Don't miss the rest of the series!**

Cerasino Family series page on Amazon

Cerasino Family series page on website

**Get the Collection of Books 1-3 for only .99cents until Aug 10th!!**
https://smarturl.it/azrCerasinoSet1

Abbie Zanders is a USA Today Bestselling Author with more than 65 published romance novels to date. Her stories range from contemporary to paranormal and everything in between. She promises her readers two things: happily ever afters, always, and no cliffhangers, ever.

Born and raised in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, where she sets most of her stories, she’s known for small town romance featuring golden-hearted alpha heroes and strong, relatable heroines. Besides being an avid reader and writer, she loves animals (especially big dogs), American muscle cars, and 80's hair bands.

​
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

​What inspired you to write this book?
I grew up in a neighborhood with a large Italian population. Many of my friends had these big, boisterous, amazing families who treated me as one of their own. That inspired me to write the Cerasino Family series.

What can we expect from you in the future?
Hopefully, more of everything I’ve already done – which is, a little bit of everything. I have several ongoing series to continue/finish up, as well as some new ones I’d love to start. Plus I still have a ton of “old” stories I’d like to dust off, clean up, and put out there too someday.

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
Hundreds of them. Nearly every one of my characters has been inspired by real life people, even if it’s only a tiny quirk.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in (Just For You)?
Absolutely! In the Cerasino Family series, each book focuses on a different sibling, 6 in total. Just For You, is the story of Gina Cerasino – the youngest in the family – and Gray Mitchell. Gina is just completing her master’s degree and cannot wait to start her life somewhere else. She loves her family, but after so many years of being the baby with five overachieving older brothers and sister, she has a deep-seated need to prove herself.

Gray Mitchell, aka Viper, is a few years older and is as worldly as Gina is not. He’s been there, done that, more times than he can count, and finds Gina’s small town naivete refreshing and attractive. But, as Gina just so happens to be the younger sister of his twin brother’s love interest, he does his best to suppress his interest. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
Funny story. Several years ago, I challenged myself to write a story on the fly for my newsletter subscribers. One chapter a day, emailed to them. They didn’t know what was going to happen next – and neither did I. That story was Just For Me. It went over so well, and people liked the characters so much, I decided to make it a series. It was all on the fly, based in part on families I knew and grew up with.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?
For the Cerasino family members, a mix of personal experience, personal preference, and some Googling of the most popular Italian names. For the significant others and secondary characters, I usually pick names that “feel right” and fit the character’s personality.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
In an established series like this, it feels like coming home and visiting old friends.

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
In Just For You, Gina is driven by a need to prove herself, away from her close, sometimes suffocating, overprotective family. Gray is drawn to Gina initially because she treats him like a regular guy, but then realizes their connection is something much more than just friendship. The fact that he’s been there, done that, and has never felt that kind of rightness with anyone else is playing havoc with his determination to do the right thing.

In general, I like to make my characters flawed and relatable, whether they’re former military, vampires, bear shifters, or rock legends. They’re capable of functioning just fine on their own, but everything changes when they meet the right one.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
My first published novel was Five Minute Man (Covendale series), and that was based on the underlying premise of the story: a cynical romance writer’s belief that in real life, there was no such thing as soul mates or man skilled enough to be able to give a woman an orgasm within five minutes, like in the novels she reads (and writes).

Who designed your book covers?
The Cerasino Family covers were designed by Autum at CosmicLetterz. Didn’t she do an amazing job?

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
I’d make all the books in the series longer, full novel length.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I learn something new with every book I write. Sometimes it’s craft related; sometimes it’s something I learned through research. In writing Just For You, I learned a lot about housing options for people who work in the city, and what’s required to commute between North Jersey and Manhattan on a daily basis.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
I haven’t really thought about it. In my mind, though, I picture Gray Mitchell along the lines of a young Jon Bon Jovi or Kip Winger.

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
I love them. Every day, I’m thankful, grateful, and amazed they allow me to continue to write stories for them.

How did you come up with name of this book?
Every book in the Cerasino series begins with “Just For.” It was simply a matter of picking the best person pronoun for each one. I chose “You” for this latest story because both Gina and Gray did things for one another that they wouldn’t do for anyone else.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?
I love when Gray decides he’s done doing what he thinks he should do and starts listening to his heart. I’m also a sucker for a good knight in shining armor story – even if the hero is pierced and tatted and the heroine can take care of herself. I saw a meme or a quote once that said something like, a hero doesn’t protect woman because she’s weak, but because she’s precious to him. That’s the kind of philosophy my heroes have.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Trick question. In writing their stories, I spend time with all of my characters. I need to, to get to know them, their personalities, the way they talk and think. If we’re talking about outside the story, and specifically, Just For You, I’d like to go on tour with Jace and visit some the of places I’ve only dreamed of seeing while he and the rest of the band are busy with the shows.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
A hearty mix of both, but probably 75% my imagination and 25% a collage of real people.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
The characters always control what happens. If I try to take the reins, I end up stuck until I figure out what they want me to do. Sometimes they’re very upfront about the way they want things to go. Other times, they haven’t let me see who they really are beneath the surface and it’s more difficult.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
It’s a feel-good story, with some universal fantasies that we can all relate to, like the thirst to prove ourselves, the desire to make it, and a deep-seated need to not only get the happily ever after, but to be someone else’s happily ever after as well. Plus it’s got the small town family element, and a touch of mystery and suspense to keep it interesting. Oh, and if you like this story, isn’t it nice to know that there are others in the series you can read too?

Have you written any other books that are not published?
Oh, yes. Before I “officially” became an author, I wrote dozens and dozens of stories. I’ve only published a fraction of them.

If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Something fresh and clean, like laundry that’s been line-dried on a breezy early summer day, with notes of pine, sandalwood, and sweet citrus.

What did you edit out of this book?
Nothing significant. Extraneous dialogue. Boring things that didn’t really add to the story. Because it’s a long-novella length, everything has to have a purpose.

Is there a writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
That’s a tough question. I love talking books with fellow authors. I think we can all learn something from everyone.

Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?'-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.

• I drew upon my love of headbanging hair bands and heavy metal to create a character outline for my rock legend hero, Viper.
• One of my daughters graduated with degrees in graphic design and integrative arts, and I used some of her undergrad and graduate experiences to make Gina’s character more authentic.
• Easter eggs! I pulled characters from some of my other books and series into the story.
• Books 4 and 5 in the series take place concurrently, which means I had to rewrite some scenes from different perspectives and add in things that were relevant to each story while keeping them consistent. This was more challenging than writing from scratch.
• I’m 100% a pantser, which means, the story unfolds as I write it. That means readers don’t see twists and turns coming, because I didn’t seem them either until they happened. Those aha! moments bring me great joy. Kinda like putting on a jacket you haven’t worn for a while and finding money in the pocket.

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
​
Aug 8
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
Bedazzled By Books
Craving Lovely Books
Midnight Book Reader
Painting With Words

Aug 9
I'm Into Books
A Writer's Life
Naughty Nightie Book Blog
Word Processor, Romance, Cats, Kids and Creed
The Sexy Nerd 'Revue'
Kenyan Poet

Aug 10
Lady Hawkeye
Readers Roost – GUEST POST
All Things Dark & Dirty
❧Defining Ways❧
Lisa Everyday Reads
C.A.Milson
My beauty my books

Aug 11
Anna del C. Dye official page
4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼
Celticlady's Reviews
Country Mamas With Kids
eBook Addicts
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read

Aug 12
Books all things paranormal and romance
Girl with Pen
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'

Aug 13
Insane Books
Twisted Book Ramblings
Royally Insane Books

Aug 14
A Wonderful World of Words – GUEST POST
Book Crazy
Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree
Inside the Insanity
Sylv.net
The Scratching Post

Aug 15
ⒾⓃⓉⓇⓄⓈⓅⒺⒸⓉⒾⓋⒺ ⓅⓇⒺⓈⓈ
Scrupulous Dreams
The Book Dragon
The Bookshelf Fairy
Trixie Reports Books

​

a Rafflecopter giveaway