Stressing the Heroine,  Suspense

Stressing Gillian from Dark Energy by Addison Brae @AddisonBrae1 #RLFblog #romanticsuspense

Stressing Gillian from Dark Energy by Addison Brae @AddisonBrae1 #RLFblog #romanticsuspenseLet’s meet Gillian from Dark Energy, a romantic suspense, by Addison Brae. Welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about your latest book.

Dark Energy by Addison Brae

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

Cybercrime doesn’t talk. It creeps in and destroys lives right under Gillian’s nose when a cryptojacking scheme lands her boss, Pinkie, in jail. Gillian had just started over with a new career, boyfriend, and confidence after escaping a vicious murder investigation that shattered her ability to trust. Then Pinkie’s arrest leaves her struggling to run his two bars while also unraveling the conspiracy.

Gillian will not let her mentor and friend go down for something he didn’t do. Neither will Jon, the most talented musician on the bar’s stage and the perfect boyfriend…until his good fortune sends her reeling. Gillian forces herself to trust the cops, people who hurt her, and known criminals. Will it be enough to free Pinkie and save her life?

Stressing Gillian

Every heroine has a story. She has a background, a history, and a past. This interview allows us to meet a heroine and get to know her better, by focusing on how she handles being relaxed, as well as how she handles stress.

Please tell me about your heroine.

Age: 21

Gender: female

Birthplace: Sugar Creek, Missouri

Profession: bar manager and CPA

Ethnicity: Greek American

What does your heroine look like?

Gillian doesn’t have much time to spend on her looks, so she depends on a few well-selected clothes and the rest is what she was born with. She has an olive complexion with auburn hair, just below the shoulder, and soft curls. She’s a little on the short side at about 5’4″. She runs often since she moved to Dallas, so she’s pretty toned. Gillian appreciates good food but forgets to eat when she’s busy, and she’s lost a few pounds from stress dieting that she desperately tries to end soon.

Who is the significant other in his life?

After escaping an abusive college relationship and making a few romantic mistakes since moving to Dallas, Gillian meets Jon. They’re thrown together in extremely stressful situations. He listens, is there for her, and has her back when things get really bad, all things she’s not used to from men in her life. Even better, he’s a good cook, makes his own money, and writes and performs with his band a song for Gillian called Dark Energy.

The Heroine’s Relaxed Side

This heroine is at a party. Considering her story, describe the party.

Since Gillian manages a bar, she prefers a chill house party when she’s not working–maybe grilling by the pool. She enjoys talking to and getting to know people over a glass of wine, and has little patience for overused bar lines and BS.

How much drink is her usual?

Gillian knows her limits, so she sticks to no more than a couple of drinks. She is well aware she gets into trouble when she drinks too much–especially tequila shots.

Is he likely to latch onto a friend and stay with him/her and ignore others, or is she the friend that others latch onto?

Gillian is used to her independence. She adores every moment with Jon, but they’re not a Velcro couple.

Is the heroine the one most likely to get tossed out of the party, or the one who does the tossing?

Gillian learns the bar business from men who are far stronger and tougher than she is. Have you ever seen a tiny dog that has the confidence to make noise and take control like a large one? This is Gillian, and she’s good at it.

The Heroine’s Stressed Out Side

How does the heroine handle it if the cops or some other authority figure pulls her aside when she was blameless in a situation?

The cops yank her friend, mentor, and boss out of the bar on opening weekend. She tries to stop them, but they’re FBI and don’t listen. She keeps her cool better than most and contacts the one cop friend she can trust.

How does the heroine react to hearing a scream?

Gillian would call for help and investigate before jumping in to help.

If she sees someone being assaulted, what is the FIRST thing she does?

If a patron starts a fight or gets rowdy in the bar, Gillian jumps in the middle to stop it. Where she’s lacking in size, she makes up in skill and badassery.

This heroine attempts to rescue someone and realizes that she is in over her head. The odds are against her and there is no way out. She is going to get her butt handed to her. What does she do?

Since moving to Dallas, Gillian has been in over her head so many times she’s used to it. She completed training and earned her license to carry a handgun, and she often does. When she’s overpowered, she’s clever enough to think her way out of it. If lethal force is her last option, she’s not afraid to act. “Am I an accountant, bar manager, or crime fighter?” ~Gillian.

The heroine runs into the one person from her past she wanted to avoid. She can’t get out of the situation and must interact in some way. What does she do?

When a customer comes into her bar, no matter what may have occurred before, Gillian has to be professional. This happens with someone who hurt her in the past. He tells her he went through rehab and stopped drinking for good. She gives him a chance and he repays her by saving her life in a pretty exciting scene in Dark Energy.

The heroine is in physical pain but must bear up under it and keep going. What does she tell herself in order to get through the situation?

“No one will ever control me again!” are the words that keep Gillian fighting. Considering what she faces, Gillian’s fed up with begin controlled and adds rule twelve to her list of rules of her new life–no one can mess with me.

What mentor’s words come to mind in a bad situation?

Pinkie, Gillian’s boss, mentor, and friend’s best advice that she often recalls in her frustrating bar manager moments is, “There’s one thing you’ll learn after being in the service industry for a while, you’ll never please everyone.”

What one thing would you like readers to know about your heroine?

Gillian always keeps her word, no matter what. “Damn promises. Why do I make promises that always get in the way of my happiness?” ~Gillian Rule eighteen of her new life is–Never make a promise I can’t keep.

Where to buy Dark Energy

Amazon https://amzn.to/2YSkP6H (99c through June 14)
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-energy-addison-brae/1137002173
iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9780463686379
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1021319

Addison Brae Social Media

Addison Brae lives in Dallas, Texas on the edge of downtown. As a child, she was constantly in trouble for hiding under the bed to read when she was supposed to be napping. She has been writing since childhood starting with diaries, letters and short stories. She continues today with articles, video scripts and other content as an independent marketing consultant.
Addison writes new adult and adult romantic suspense and young adult contemporary fiction. When she’s not writing, Addison spends her time traveling the world, collecting interesting cocktail recipes and hosting parties. She’s still addicted to reading and enjoys jogging in her neighborhood park, sipping red wine, binge-watching TV series, vintage clothing and hanging out with her artistic other half and their neurotic cat Lucy.
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