VALENTINE'S PROMO - FUN, FLIRTY FACTS (THE MEN OF IN NEED OF THERAPY)

More #ChickLitLove fun as the hotties from In Need of Therapy share some juicy tidbits about themselves. I think even people who've already read the book will be surprised by a few of the revelations here . . .


BACHELOR #1:  

Name:  Ford

Occupation:  Psychiatrist 

Celebrity you've been told you look like: I sometimes get mistaken for that guy who was on the dinosaur show a few years back, Jason Something. We're both tall and have brown hair and blue eyes.  

<Blogger's note: Jason O'Mara who was on Terra Nova.>

Naughty food you like to indulge in:  Up until recently, seasoned cheese fries, but a friend just introduced me to polenta fries, which may become my new favorite naughty food. They're amazing! 

What you wear to bed: Boxers and a t-shirt from one of my New York sports teams (Giants, Mets, Knicks)

Favorite body part of the opposite sex:  The eyes. I like to know what a woman is feeling, and you can always tell that through the eyes.

How many people you've said "I love you" to:  Twice. I only say it when I mean it.

Relationship deal-breaker: I don't like women who are manipulative. I'm a shrink; I see right through mind games. 

Your first kiss - How old were you? Did you instigate it?: I had a summer romance with a girl named Shelly when I was ten. She and I met at Coney Island and hung out every day after that, playing games on the boardwalk, building sandcastles on the beach, sharing hot dogs and ice cream cones, until school started back after Labor Day. I kissed her on our last night together. It was very sweet.

Do you have any tattoos or piercings? If so, describe:  I let my roommate in college try to pierce my ear. That did not go well.


Favorite alcoholic drink:  I'm not much of a drinker, but I'll have a Jack and Coke if I'm at a party. 

Describe your dream girl:  Smart, self-aware, independent, kindhearted, and funny. I adore a woman with a sense of humor. 

BACHELOR #2:  

Name:  Mitch

Occupation:  Lifeguard

Celebrity you've been told you look like: I used to get Josh Holloway a lot when Lost was a big deal. Not so much now that his hair's short.

Naughty food you like to indulge in:  I don't really consider any foods "naughty." As long as I work out, I can eat whatever I want. I am a fan of chocolate syrup, especially when it's drizzled on a beautiful woman.

What you wear to bed:  A smile.

Favorite body part of the opposite sex:  I'm not gonna lie; I'm a breast man. Big, small, real, fake - doesn't matter; it's all good.

How many people you've said "I love you" to:  Who can keep track? I'm sure I say it at least once a day to some girl.

Relationship deal-breaker:  Clinginess. Yuck. Possessive women drive me nuts. I need to be free do to what I want, when I want, so I don't need some chick hounding me to spend time with her. She'll see me when she sees me.

Your first kiss - How old were you? Did you instigate it?:  I was young, maybe 7 or 8, and I had a crush on this older girl who lived across the street from me. One day, when we were waiting at the bus stop with a bunch of other kids, I just grabbed her and planted one on her. She loved it!

Do you have any tattoos or piercings? If so, describe:  I have a "Carpe Diem" tat on my left shoulder blade. That's my motto in life - "Seize the day!"

Favorite alcoholic drink:  Beer, man. Doesn't have to be anything fancy. Heineken, Corona, Bud, whatever. 

 

Describe your dream girl:  Hot, fun to be with, spontaneous, doesn't care about monogamy. 

BACHELOR #3:  

Name:  Victor

Occupation:  Tapas restaurant owner

Celebrity you've been told you look like:  Antonio Banderas, of course. I'm the spitting image of Antonio when he was in his prime.

Naughty food you like to indulge in:  Fried sweet plantains - sweet, a little greasy, so delicious. 

What you wear to bed:  Black silk pajama pants. I like to keep it classy, as well as sexy.

Favorite body part of the opposite sex:  I'm a Latino, and we love our women to have curves. So, my eye is always drawn to a woman's backside. Kim Kardashian's is perfect. 

How many people you've said "I love you" to:  I am very  passionate and have no trouble expressing my feelings, so I've probably said those words many times. Off the top of my head, I can remember telling 8, no . . . 9, maybe 10 women I loved them.


Relationship deal-breaker:  If I see my woman flirting with other guys, we're done. I want her undivided attention and I want to know she's completely devoted to me.

Your first kiss - How old were you? Did you instigate it?:  My first kiss happened at my First Communion, so I hit two milestones at the tender age of 8! I did not instigate the kiss because I would never do such a thing in a place of worship, but I must have been too handsome in my white suit and tie for Lola Gonzalez to resist! She kissed me on the mouth, in front of God and everybody, when all of the communicants were standing at the altar getting a group photo taken. The poor girl was confused and thought we were married for a few weeks after that. I've always had that disorienting effect on women.

Do you have any tattoos or piercings? If so, describe:  Never! I wouldn't want to mar my skin.

Favorite alcoholic drink: The mojito, which is the best-selling drink at my bar. You can never go wrong with rum!

Describe your dream girl:  Beautiful, spirited, family-oriented, sociable.  

Read more about about Ford, Mitch, and Victor in In Need of Therapy and check out Fun, Flirty Facts about other hot Chick Lit bachelors by following the #ChickLitLove hashtag on Twitter.

Book Blurb:  Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a good therapist should be: warm, compassionate, supportive. She listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own life starts to fall apart?

While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.

When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart. 


Buy In Need of Therapy:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble 
 

VALENTINE'S PROMO - ROMANTIC EXCERPT FROM "IN NEED OF THERAPY"

The #ChickLitLove-fest continues today with participating authors sharing romantic excerpts from their books. In this snippet from my novel, In Need of Therapy, heroine Pilar Alvarez is trying to close the door on an old relationship (Her ex, Victor, just won't take the hint!), and in the process she might be opening a new window . . .

*  *  *

Humming the tune to some Nicki Minaj song I didn't know the name of, I headed down the stairs.  Just as I reached the landing that divided the steps before they veered to the left, I heard the muffled sound of my cell phone ringing.  I stopped and unzipped my purse.  Extracting the phone, I checked the Caller ID.  Victor.  UGH!  There went my good mood.  I could have just let the call go to voice mail, but I was annoyed that my ex was once again intruding on my life and I suddenly felt confrontational.  So, I answered it.

"What do you want?" was my curt greeting. 

"To take you out for a romantic dinner at Tantra, mi amor."  Tantra was a Miami Beach hot spot that was known for its sensual environment.  Its exotic smells, decor, and cuisine were all designed to enhance and arouse the senses, and there were, in fact, several aphrodisiacs on the menu.  When a man took a date to Tantra, it was with one goal in mind.
 

"That's not going to happen.  Ever," I said firmly.

"But you love Tantra!  Don't you remember we went there for our one-month anniversary?  I hand fed you lobster dipped in bleeding heart truffle vinaigrette and grilled quail with fresh figs."  Mmmmmmm, he was making my mouth water.  "Then, we went back to my place and spent hours experimenting with Kama Su--"

 

"Victor!" I interrupted him before his walk down memory lane became X-rated. 

"Okay, you don't like Tantra anymore.  I'll take you to B.E.D."  Where patrons ate their meals while sitting on large mattresses.  A theme seemed to be developing with Victor's restaurant choices.

"I don't want to go to B.E.D. with you."  It sounded like I was turning down a proposition much more salacious than dinner. 

"Alright, you'd rather not commit to sharing a meal with me.  I understand.  We can just take a walk on the beach and talk."

"We are not a couple anymore, Victor."  In my agitated state, I began to pace back and forth on the landing.  Three steps towards the wall, pivot, then three steps back to the top of the stairs.  "We broke up.  And people who are broken up do not spend time with each other."

"But you said we could still be friends, and friends spend time with each other."

"Friends give each other space when they ask for it."

      

"I've given you plenty of space."

     

"Then, why do I feel so claustrophobic?" I questioned irritably.  "You've got to back off."

 

"If I do that, you'll find somebody new, and I can't bear the thought of you with another man."
 

In that moment, I actually felt a pang of sympathy for my former lover.  Maybe his campaign to win me back wasn't all about his over-inflated ego?  Maybe he did have real feelings for me?

Softening towards him, I said, "Don't worry, Victor.  It's not like I'm going to walk out the door tomorrow and run into my soul ma--" I bumped face-first into a hard, flat surface, let out a startled yelp, and staggered back against the wall.  My cell phone clattered to the stone floor and I watched dazedly as a leafy green plant toppled off a large cardboard box being carried by a tall man with a square jaw and thick brown hair that was attractively disheveled.

"Damn," he cursed and dropped the box down on the pile of potting soil that now covered the landing.  It hit the ground with a loud thump.  "Sorry.  The plant blocked my view and I didn't see you.  I shouldn't have tried to carry so much in one trip.  Are you okay?"

He had a brusque way of speaking that immediately outed him as a New Yorker.  There were plenty of retirees in South Florida who hailed from that part of the country, so I knew the accent well.

I blinked hard a few times, trying to reorient myself.  "I-I think so."

"What about your head?  Did you bang it when you hit the wall?"  There was concern in his eyes, eyes that were the most brilliant shade of blue I'd ever seen.  Gazing into them was almost like staring directly into the sun;  I felt dazed, woozy, like the back of my head was going to split open and my brain would fall out . . . okay, so it wasn't the color of this man’s irises that was having such a strange effect on me, I'd obviously suffered a serious cranial injury.

 

*  *  *

Wanna find out who Mr. Square Jaw is? Pick up a copy of In Need of Therapy today; the e-book is only $1.99!

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb:  Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a good therapist should be: warm, compassionate, supportive. She listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own life starts to fall apart?

While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.

When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart. 

Read romantic excerpts from other Chick Lit authors by following the #ChickLitLove hashtag on Twitter.

VALENTINE'S PROMO - Q&A WITH IN NEED OF THERAPY'S HEROINE

In honor of Cupid's favorite holiday, some talented author friends and I are teaming up to celebrate our female-centric genres. The #ChickLitLove party kicks off today with us shining a spotlight on the heroines of our fun, romantic reads. We're asking these ladies some probing (sometimes cheeky) questions about love and men, and I think you'll find their answers quite revealing. Read on to get a peek inside the head of psychologist Pilar Alvarez, the protagonist of my novel In Need of Therapy.

1) What three qualities do you find most attractive in a partner?

Honesty, loyalty, and a good sense of humor.

2) What’s your idea of romance?

Candlelit dinners, flowers, and pricey gifts are all well and good, but for me romance is spending quality time with the man I love and having really deep, meaningful conversations where we share our most intimate thoughts and secrets.

3) Who's your favorite on-screen couple (Film or TV)?

It's no secret that I'm a bit obsessed with The Notebook. I've seen that movie more times than I care to admit, and with every viewing, I am more entranced by Noah and Allie's beautiful love story. I hope to find a man as wonderful as Noah one day (They do exist outside of fiction, right?) and grow old with him.  

4) What's been your most embarrassing moment in regards to the opposite sex?

Something happened recently involving a drunken confession of love and Twisted Pleasure condoms, and that's all I'm saying because I'm too mortified to relive the whole experience again. If you want to know all the embarrassing details, you'll have to read In Need of Therapy.
 

5) What was your first impression of your partner or crush? How accurate was it?

When I first met my ex, Victor, I thought he was a "catch" because he was charming, successful, and knew how to treat a woman. Unfortunately, he ended up being an old rubber boot kind of catch, instead of a marlin, and his charm quickly turned into smarm. I should have looked past his glossy exterior to the insincere, annoyingly possessive jerk underneath. 

6) How have you coped with break-ups in the past?

I don't recall ever being really devastated over a break-up. Of course, being dumped is never fun. In those cases, I usually just vent to my best friend, Sara, over a pepperoni pizza and she tells me how unworthy the guy was and gives me a long list of all his shortcomings, then congratulates me on my lucky escape. I always feel much better after that.


7) Which hot actor would you want to be stranded on a deserted island with and why? 

Since I've already expressed my fondness for him, the obvious answer here is Ryan Gosling. I'd never get bored on the island if I had his abs to look at all day and night. 

8) What is the craziest thing you've ever done for love?

I treat crazy, so I don't normally do crazy. But there was this one time in college when I'd done a few too many Jell-O shots and let Sara talk me into doing karaoke. I sang a horribly pitchy version of The Beatles' "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and dedicated it to this boy I was crushing on. The object of my affection did ask me out afterwards, so at least I didn't embarrass myself for nothing.


9) PDA: How much is acceptable? 

Well, I'm a Latina, so I'm pretty touchy-feely, but I do think there's a line you shouldn't cross in public. Hand-holding, shoulder rubs, a PG-rated kiss, a little sensuous dancing - all okay. Groping butts and boobs, playing tonsil hockey, or doing anything else that makes bystanders uncomfortable - not cool. Also, it's overcompensation and tells me that the couple may have serious issues they're not dealing with that's making them feel like they have to prove their couplehood to the world.

10) What is the best relationship advice you've ever gotten?

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think the best relationship advice I ever got was from my mamá. She usually advises ridiculous things, like "try not to act too smart" and "tell him how much you love babies," but once in a while she'll says something surprisingly sage that I'll take to heart. Just recently, she told me, "There are no guarantees in life. Sometimes, you just have to take the risk and hope for the best."

Read more Chick Lit heroine Q&As by following the #ChickLitLove hashtag on Twitter.

Book Blurb:  Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a good therapist should be: warm, compassionate, supportive. She listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own life starts to fall apart?

While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.

When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart. 

Treat yourself to a fun read this Valentine's. Buy In Need of Therapy:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble