Interview with contemporary romance author D. L. Croisette

Contemporary romance author D. L. Croisette joins me today to talk about Ruby Red: A Romance.

During her virtual book tour, D. L. will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
D.L. Croisette is a storyteller. She had characters in her head before she had words in her mouth. Now she spins them into romantic stories full of drama and heart. Collector of international friends, avid traveller and always up for a new adventure, she snaps photos to remember each escapade, and peppers the best experiences into her stories. Ruby Red is her debut romance novel, and she’s probably at an outdoor café right now, dreaming up a bold new heroine to stir up trouble. (Fun!)

Welcome, D.L. Please tell us about your current release.
Ruby Red is a riches-to-rags, hidden identity, slow burn contemporary romance high on emotion and drama. Published with Champagne Book Group, this steamy love story promises dollops of drama, a few laughs and plenty of passion.

24-year-old Ali Stinson is living the high life now she is no longer under the thumb of her cheating ex-husband. But behind her red lipstick, designer clothes and gala-lifestyle hides a damaged, lonely heart. Influenced by her married rich friend and pressured to keep up with the “in” crowd, Ali attempts to fill a void with frivolous distractions and emotionless one-night stands.

Sam Freemont has recently arrived in town seeking a fresh start and trying to eek out a living in his new circumstances. A chance encounter with a red-lipped, raven-haired beauty at his place of work turns Sam’s world upside down and threatens to expose the secret he is desperately trying to hide.

When Ali discovers her money gone, she has two choices, admit defeat or accept the help of the one man she might just lose her heart to. Defeat is not in Ali’s DNA. Will Sam’s secret destroy the delicate trust she has placed in him or will love conquer all?

Blurb:
Sometimes you find love only after you lose everything else.

One night stands only need apply.

Ali Stinson is having a bad day. Her afternoon tryst has been interrupted (before they got to the good part) to discover her investment manager has run away with all her money. Now she has to keep up appearances with her high society friends, find a dress for an upcoming charity event and not fall in love with Sam, the cute bartender, who insists on helping her. Thing is she’s 90% sure she doesn’t want help. Adulting is hard.

Looking for work, not love.

Sam Freemont is having a strange day. He was in the middle of the best kiss of his life when his boss walked in and halted the fun. Not helping with the low profile he’s trying to maintain. Now he can’t get Ali off his mind or out of his dreams. Good thing she’s a regular at the swanky resort he just started working at. Gives him time to find a way back to her lips. Or better yet, into her heart.

What inspired you to write this book?
Life throws us curve balls every now and again. Sometimes those curve balls turn into home runs. Okay, enough with the sports analogies. They are not really my thing. Storytelling is my thing. I wrote Ruby Red – A Romance on a dare. At lunch, a group of my friends were discussing a recent romance story and their disappointment in yet another alpha lead male character who falls for a nice girl in a conventional love story. My friend Mina turned to me and said I could write a better hero and a more romantic story. I laughed—I don’t write romance. She dared me too. The idea of switching the tables, having a nice male lead character and a bold, feisty female character seeded in my soul. I went home that night and wrote the first three chapters of Ruby Red. Two months later, I had a complete first draft of Ali and Sam’s love story. And I was officially a romance writer. I love it. (Pardon the pun.)

 

Excerpt from Ruby Red – A Romance:
She hadn’t really wanted another martini, but she’d decided to force Mr. Friendly Bartender to talk to her. She nursed her drink until Sarah left him alone, then drained the glass. Now there was a reason to lure him in.

“I’ll have another.” The now empty glass tilted in her hand. “Please. A⸻”

“A vodka martini with a slice of lemon,” he finished for her.

Though surprised he was aware of her drink order, she reminded herself this was his job. “Yes, that’s right.”

Ali sat at the resort bar, ogling the pool boy—or was he a bartender? She was confused—as he vigorously brandished the martini shaker. His muscles flexed with the to-and-fro of the exercise. The blur of fine fingers made her wonder exactly how much one could consume before they got alcohol poisoning.

The shaker paused. “Bartender.”

She raised her gaze from the silver cylinder and met his glittering eyes. Had she said that out loud?

As he placed the cocktail in front of her, he leaned on the bar, his gaze boring into hers. Wavy golden locks framed a handsome face with eyes that stared into her soul—if that was possible. “You asked what my job was here. Officially bartender, but I help where I can.” A flash of him striding across the pool deck swam before her. “I’ve only been here a week.” He offered her his hand. “I’m Sam, by the way. Sam Fremont.”

With as much grace and concentration as she could muster, she wrapped her hand in his. “Ali Stinson.” Their skin made contact, and the little tingle hit her again, making the hairs on her arms stand up.

Sam smiled like he’d won the grand prize in a game show. He moved closer to her. “Nice to meet you, Ali Stinson.” He smelled faintly of lemons, fresh and clean.

She sucked in a breath, blinked a few times, and tried to focus. To avoid leaning in and doing something foolish like kissing him, she veered back and almost fell off the bar stool. He jumped to attention and caught Ali’s arms, steadying her.

“Hey, you okay?” Sam questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Fine.” For some reason, she had an urge to be honest with him. “Maybe…a little tipsy.”

“Mmmm.” He nodded in agreement. With Ali more firmly planted on her seat, his fingers released her one at a time as if testing her ability to survive without him. His hands lingered until he seemed satisfied she was able to sit on her own. “Do you think you’ve maybe had enough tonight?”

Of you? No.

This time, Ali was sure she didn’t say the words aloud. Sam waited for an answer. This man was asking her what she wanted, unlike her ex, who would have told her what to do. To rid her head of memories of Jack, she gave it a shake.

He must have mistaken the gesture as a denial. “How about some water for this next round then?” he offered, changing tactics.

She nodded in agreement, causing the room to waver a little.

Was he trying to take care of her? Would she enjoy that?

Yes, please.

As he walked away to get her water, doubt crept in. He was probably simply doing his job by attending to the VIP. She’d noticed Brenda had stopped by the bar earlier and was pretty sure they’d been discussing her. Was he only following orders?

Sam returned with a tall, slim glass full of crystal-clear liquid and a bowl of the fancy pretzels. “I wondered if you might like some food to go with your drink?”

Ali eyed the contents of the bowl. She hadn’t eaten much at dinner due to the ever-present anxiety that she would say something to alert Brenda to her situation. Plus, her dress was so tight, she could barely breathe, never mind eat. Those pretzels were tempting.

As if to prove they weren’t poisonous, he picked up a few and began tossing them into his mouth, one by one. She giggled like a schoolgirl. In shock, she raised her hand to her lips. Ali Stinson did not giggle.

She expected him to laugh at her. Instead, he removed her hand from her mouth, turned it palm-side up, and placed a few pretzels in the center. His hand was warm beneath hers, with long, strong fingers and neatly-trimmed nails. Soft strokes of his thumb against her wrist sent little waves of bliss through her. He plucked one of the pretzels from her palm and was offering it to her when they were interrupted.

 

What exciting story are you working on next?
While Ruby Red—A Romance has a happy-for-now ending, some fans have requested more from Ali and Sam. Okay, let’s be honest. They want more Sam. I can’t blame them. I created him and I’m in love. Apparently, there is a place in this world for Beta Heroes, Nice Guys and Supportive Men like Emily Henry’s Charlie Lastra from Book Lovers. Christina Lauren’s Elliot Petropoulos in Love and Other Words and my Sam Freemont from Ruby Red – A Romance. Hip Hip Hurray! So a sequel is in the works. If you’ve read my romance, I’d love to know what aspects of their new lives you’d like to read about.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always been a storyteller. My mom likes to joke that I was telling stories in one form or another before I could even talk. Once I could talk, there was no stopping me. I’d regale anyone who would listen (and a few who were probably sleeping) with the tales of the characters that talk to me in my mind. When my family would tune out, I told my stories to my invisible friend Jackson. He always listened.

Eventually, I created a career where I could at least work with words, if not the way I really wanted to. Things got serious when I lost my corporate role last year. The day after I left the company, I decided to put myself first and follow my passions. Best move ever! That day I became an author. I also submitted the manuscript of Ruby Red – A Romance to Champagne Book Group the same day. A month later we were negotiating a publishing contract.

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’m all in on writing. I live and breathe it 24 hours a day. Who needs sleep right? I’m a night owl so my mornings are usually full of living life related things; coffee, exercise, social media, stocking my fridge with pre-made meals so I remember to eat at some point. Unless I wake up with a good idea. Then all that prep stuff goes out the window and I’m at my computer at the crack of dawn typing like a fiend. That happens a lot. So you see why I need to coordinate pre-made meals. Sometimes I look up and its 4pm and I still haven’t eaten anything. But I have a delicious scene full of drama to sink my teeth into.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I write the ending first. Followed by all the juicy bits. The drama! The romance! The intrigue! It’s a bit like finding the pieces for the sun and Jupiter in a jigsaw puzzle of the solar system. I get the big stuff out of the way, then the good scenes. Lastly, I sit down and pull the scenes or pieces together to create, fill in the black holes to create the bigger picture.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Much like Sam, in my book, I wanted to make a difference in the world, help create a better place for everyone to live in. My original plan was to be a lawyer. Fight injustice with the letter of the law. I toyed with becoming journalist when I realized how much schooling was involved in becoming a lawyer. Exposing truth was just as good right?

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
First and foremost, a heartfelt thanks for taking an interest in my story. Shout out to all the slow burn romance readers who appreciate bold, and sexy stories focusing on courageous, confident female characters in healthy relationships with intrepid, loyal men wrapped around dollops of drama, passion and emotional connections. Glad we found each other. Got a beta hero to recommend I read? DM me. I’m always looking for recommendations to add to my TBR.

If you decide to give Ali and Sam’s love story a try, I hope you find a new book boyfriend, experience all the feels and/or get inspired to help make the world a better place.

Links:
Website | Universal Link for Ruby Red | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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