Review with Author Interview and Giveaway: Truce? Hating Elijah Monroe by Amelia Kingston

Truce? Hating Elijah Monroe by Amelia Kingston
on October 1, 2019
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 161
Source: Purchased
Format: eBook
My Rating:
Goodreads
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A small town enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy.
Harper Delaney is a newly certified elementary school teacher with the mountain of student loan debt to prove it. Moving back to her claustrophobically small hometown is about as tempting as two week old sushi, but the allure of free rent and a guaranteed summer teaching job are undeniable.
On the hunt for her dream job in San Francisco, Harper just needs to survive the summer without murdering Elijah Monroe. He may have grown into a scorchingly hot fireman, but he’s still her nemesis. Harper gave Elijah her heart when she was sixteen, and never forgave the jerk for not wanting it. Probably for the best, since he's also her stepbrother.
Elijah still makes Harper’s blood boil and heart race. And he knows it. She’ll wipe that smug smirk off his gorgeous face before leaving town. The only question is if she wants to do it with a kiss or a slap.

My Review:

I adored this book. The story was so funny, and even though at times I might have been a little frustrated with Harper for not figuring out that she was the one Elijah was in love with, it played out perfectly. I mean the way he acted when they were younger totally would not have given off to me any type of interest. And then there were all the other things that were confusing for her. The girl who he went upstairs with at a party one night. Dating his friend in high school, only to have that be a huge surprise when she got back to town and saw what he was up to.

The banter in this one was so good, I’ve found that I love the way this author writes dialogue. And the characters are great as well. I like the way the author also brings in pop culture type of references, for instance the Bridget Jones moment in the firehouse with the pole.

Now, I know that I have to have read this one at some point because the whole story was so familiar to me! But I hadn’t marked it read on Goodreads, so who knows!

Anyway, I’ve found another author that I intend to read anything and everything by her that I can get my grubby little hands on. I also was lucky enough to be a beta reader for her on a more recent title, So, That Got Weird. Which is also going to be eternally one of my favorites! Because I loved this one so much, and I feel like maybe this author needs a bit of extra publicity to get the word out there, I’m going to give away two copies of the e-book from Amazon. If you are able to accept Amazon Kindle books, please enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post.

Author Interview:

1.  What does your writing process look like? Do you know the whole story when you start?  Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)?  If you plan it out, how do you do that?  Outline, notecards, post-it-notes, etc.?  

This all depends on the story and the characters themselves, which is just the worst answer I guess! I usually picture a scene. It’s never the same. Sometimes it’s the meet-cute. Sometimes is the first “I love you”. Sometimes it’s the heart wrenching fight. In any case, I’ll usually write that scene first. It frames the characters in a way. Then I’ll usually do half pants-ing, and half planning. Planning consists pretty much just of a list of scenes I want to have and the order they’ll go in (but this changes…like…A LOT.) I like to have an overall idea of where a scene will end up or the main point of it, but let the dialogue and characters take me wherever they see fit. 

2. Do you edit as you go, or wait till you’re finished before you edit?  How many times would you say you go over it yourself before having another set of eyes look it over? 

I try not to edit as I go. It’s painful to force yourself to keep writing, but I’d rather have a crap finished first draft than an epic three chapters to a book I’ll never finish. Editing never ends. I’ll pick up my books every couple months (even after they are published) and re-read them only to find errors or things I’d tweek. IF you get caught up in perfection you’ll never publish anything. I’d say I read my manuscript 3-4 or so times all the way through, a couple times for story arcs and character development and a couple times looking for errors or repetitive wording. Then, I’ll toss it at a beta reader and see what sticks. 🙂 

3.  Are you part of a writers group that gets together and helps each other with their writing?

I wish I was part of a writer’s group. I’m traveling all the time for work and it just makes it too hard to keep up with regular meetings. Maybe someday I’ll get there. In the mean time, I rely on a few awesome people I’ve managed to connect with through various writer forums and websites. 

4.  What tips do you have for aspiring writers?

 WRITE!!! Seriously, it sounds easy, but it is the hardest and most important part of being a writer. Commit to writing and making yourself a better writer. Shakespeare didn’t write Hamlet his first try. You get better, but only if you keep going!

5.   What are your favorite:

Books/authors/genres-– Jane Austen. Cliche answer, but so true. I adore her wit and humor. I love romances, but I’m a fan of sci-fi and war novels too. The Red Badge of Courage is one of my favorites. Love and war have a way of peeling back the facade and letting us explore who people really are. 

Movies/TV Shows— I love The Good Place. Pretty much anything Joss Whedon has ever done. I aim to misbehave. 

Music— The only way to describe my music choice is eclectic as hell. I’ve got some country (banjos and all), some pop, some salsa, some classical, just about everything. I’ll pick a playlist to go with whatever character I’m trying to get into. 

Food/Writing snack— All of them. I’ve been known to have something sweet, something salty, and something spicy within arm’s reach at all times. I’ll circle through them to keep it interesting. 

About the Author:

Amelia Kingston is many things, the most interesting of which are probably California girl, writer, traveler, and dog mom. She survives on chocolate, coffee, wine, and sarcasm. Not necessarily in that order.

She’s been blessed with a patient husband who’s embraced her nomad ways and traveled with her to over 30 countries across 5 continents (I’m coming for you next, Antarctica!). She’s also been cursed with an impatient (although admittedly adorable) terrier who pouts when her dinner is 5 minutes late.

She writes about strong, stubborn, flawed women and the men who can’t help but love them. Her irreverent books aim to be silly and fun with the occasional storm cloud to remind us to appreciate the sunny days. As a hopeless romantic, her favorite stories are the ones that remind us all that while love is rarely perfect, it’s always worth chasing.

Website: https://www.authorameliakingston.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AKingstonBooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amelia.kingston.3910

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akingstonbooks/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ameliakingstonbooks/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amelia-kingston

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17652604.Amelia_Kingston

Giveaway:

Update: Guess what! I just found out after posting this that the book is free on Amazon all weekend, so I will let you pick either of the other two books by Amelia Kingston for your prize: So, That Got Weird or Her Lucky Charm. But go grab your copy of Truce for free NOW!
http://bit.ly/Truce_Amazon⠀

a Rafflecopter giveaway