Friday, December 20, 2013

Venice Nights is Available!


When most people make their romantic relationship official, they update their Facebook. When billionaire Jacob Whitmore announces to the world that Leila Montgomery is his girlfriend, all hell breaks loose.

Leila is thrown headfirst into Jacob's affluent, paparazzi-filled world. She has no doubt that she loves him, but can their relationship survive when everyone wants a piece of the billionaire's new girlfriend?

~Venice Nights is a prequel to The Billionaire's Girlfriend (Part Five of the His Submissive Series), chronicling Jacob and Leila's time in Italy before they return to the United States.~

Venice Nights is available at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iBooks (processing)
Smashwords


Thursday, December 19, 2013

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Venice Nights Soundtrack

"True Affection" by The Blow


"Starstruck" by Santigold


"Fade Into You" from Nashville Soundtrack


"Cold" by Aqualung and Lucy Schwartz


"99 Problems" by Hugo


"Fire in the Water" by Feist


"Roll Away Your Stone" by Mumford and Sons


"Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon


"Fix You" by Coldplay


"Love Story" by Taylor Swift



2 more days!
Venice Nights cover reveal tomorrow at Sammie's Book Blog!!! <3

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

An Interview With Leila Montgomery

If you read the excerpt from yesterday, you saw that Leila's first run-in with the press after Jacob announced that they were dating didn't go so well. :(

Before heading back to the US, Leila decides to give a gossip site an exclusive interview. Read below to find out if she fares any better with celebgoss.com!

****
I lowered myself into the patio chair, pushing aside my last minute reservations. Jade Simone, a blogger with celebgloss.com, would be calling any minute for an exclusive interview--my first since the train wreck in front of Rachel Laraby’s hotel a few weeks ago. Jacob had his reservations about it, but I knew I needed to do something to warm me up for what was waiting after the Whitmore jet touched down in the States.
My cell hummed in my palm, the vibration amplifying the rattle of my nerves. It was her. 
I brought it to my ear, gulping. "Hello?"
"Hi Leila!" Jade’s voice sounded like cotton candy, sticky and sweet. It matched the picture on the website: bleach blond hair, deep brown tan, and freakishly white teeth. "Is it okay if I call you Leila?"
I nodded, forgetting that she could not see the confirmation. "Yeah, Leila is fine."
"Awesome," I heard rustling on her end, like she was pulling up, ready to get to work. "Thanks for responding to my email. Ever since Jacob announced that you were a couple, everyone's been dying to sit down with you. I'm so glad you picked us for your first interview." She took a breath. "So--who is Leila Montgomery?"
I shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I grew up in Douglas Heights--"
"Douglas Heights?" she interrupted. "That...quaint neighborhood outside the city?”
She said ‘quaint’ like she really meant ‘poor’. I grit my teeth. “Yes, that one.”
“Wow,” she whistled. “I guess there's hope for us little people after all then, huh?"
A slight warning bell rang in my head but I ignored it. I’d met people like her before. Absolutely zero tact. Completely oblivious of the power of their words. You should get used to it...at least she didn’t ask if Jacob was as great a lay as he seems.
"I graduated with a degree in public relations,” I said after taking a breath. “I’m the assistant to the CEO of Whitmore and Creighton."
"An assistant to the CEO?” She parroted back, a frown running beneath the words. “You work for your boyfriend, right?” She didn’t wait for me to confirm the obvious. “That must be really awkward. Especially with all the rumors about you sleeping your way into the job."
Our interview had taken a turn down a road I had wanted to avoid, but I kept my voice measured. "Well, I'm here to put those rumors to rest, once and for all. My professional life and personal life are separate."
"But how is that possible?” she probed. “Your boyfriend is your boss. Isn't that kind of a conflict of interest?"
My nostrils flared indignantly. "Ask me anything you want about my professional life, Jade. But my personal life is just that--personal."
She chuckled, a haughty thing with an edge that made my stomach drop.  
It had been a mistake to answer her email. 
I had expected fluffy, easy questions about my hobbies or if Jacob was a good kisser. The front page of Celeb Goss was filled with stories about the latest Kim Kardashian sighting and red carpet triumphs and failures; celebrity gossip and fashion. I was not looking for hard hitting journalism. The fact that Jacob’s attraction played a role in me going from a research aide to personal assistant still made me feel guilty.
I clutched the phone, pulling my knees to my chest. Just drill the talking point home. "I'm not going to talk about my personal life. Period."
There was a long, gut wrenching silence. It was so quiet that I made out the notes of the wind rippling across the pool. I felt the creak of the house behind me, like it was leaning in, waiting with bated breath. Blood screamed in my ears as my pulse raced.
"Well," Jade said finally, all cordiality gone from her voice. "I can assure you that no one cares about anything except why Jacob Whitmore is dating someone like you. Some people may call you Cinderella, but I'm not into fairytales. I think you're an opportunist."
My hand trembled as the word hit me like a blow to the face. She got her soundbite. 
Leila Montgomery, the Opportunist. 
"This interview is over." I ended the call, slamming the phone onto the table beside me. 
How could I have been so stupid? 
The patio door swung open, solid steps moving toward me. I cast a look over my shoulder, locking eyes with Jacob and shaking my head.
His voice was warm, stroking me as gently as a caress. "That bad, huh?"
I slowly rose to my feet. "Can't we just stay here?" I groaned. "The local press seems to have found something more interesting than us." I roped my arms around his neck. "We can live off the land."
He smirked, blue eyes sparkling. "As appealing as that thought is, we can't run from them forever." He leaned down and pressed a kiss against my lips. A kiss that almost erased all the worry in my heart. 
As delicious as his lips were, there was still no denying the fact that the Italian press were only a fraction of what I had to look forward to back in the U.S.
He read me like an open book. "Just give it time. Once they see what I see, they'll love you." 
I melted into his arms, wanting to believe that so badly. As long as I had him--everything would be okay. 
It had to be.
"Alright, love birds," Isabella's sharp voice sounded behind us. She cocked her head toward the door, dark locks flapping in the breeze. "Your car is here."
I moved back to the scene of my second press failure, picking up my phone from the table. The screen was illuminated with a text.

Jade Simone

Your story will be live just in time for your return to US. Good luck, Mrs. Montgomery...you'll need it.

****

Stay tuned tomorrow for the Venice Nights soundtrack and Thursday, the cover reveal is being hosted by Sammie's Book Club. Be sure to like their page so you don't miss the first look at the steamy new cover! :)

3 more days!!! <33

Monday, December 16, 2013

Venice Nights: Excerpt

5 more days until the release of Venice Nights! :)

Here's an excerpt from Venice Nights...enjoy! <3

****
In a celebrity soaked world, I was no stranger to the tight grins of stars nor their bowed heads and glares as cameras documented every movement. The camera's flash was how I got to gush over an actress glittering on the red carpet; smirk at the drunken antics of some party-loving actor as they left a bar. 
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be on the receiving end of those bright lights.
Slack-jawed. 
Exposed.
“Leila! Over here!”
“I need a window!”
“How long have you and Jacob been dating, Leila?”
“Who are you wearing?”
I stood before the throng of photographers, rendered speechless. 
Who was I wearing? I was just in a pair of skinny jeans and a blouse. I had no idea who I was wearing. 
You have to tread very carefully. If a designer recognizes an item you’re wearing and you flub your response, you could be blacklisted. None of the big names will touch you.
I blinked into the blinding lights, a conversation I’d overheard popping in my head. One of the publicists at Whitmore and Creighton had been prepping a budding actress before a premiere, schooling her on red carpet etiquette.
How did I get here? How did that conversation become relevant to me
“I...” My chest tightened as a question sliced through softball ones about fashion.
“How’s Jacob in bed, Leila?”
My body went rigid. The obnoxious leer on the face of the man who asked the question turned my stomach. 
I knew the game the photographer was playing. He was probably one of the world-class jerks who screamed inappropriate questions at the children of celebrities. Questions about broken marriages and rumors too old for their young ears. He wanted a reaction.
I knew better than to feed the monster but I ignored my better judgment, moving dangerously close to the wall of cameras. I locked eyes on the offensive paparazzo. 
“That is none of your goddamn business!” I snapped, letting the anger take over. It raised my temperature until I felt like I could breathe fire. “How dare you ask me that? You're an ass--”
“Not here.” Jacob’s voice cut through my tirade. His grip on my arm was firm. Undebatable. 
But it was too late. The creep had struck a nerve--and they all saw it. 
There was blood in the water. Who was I wearing? Please. The new questions they hurled had teeth.
“What do you say to the rumors that you slept your way into Jacob’s heart?”
“What did you have to do to go from an entry level position to assistant to the CEO?”
I balled my hands into fists at my side, wanting to punch every single one of them. I saw Rachel Laraby, Jacob’s conniving ex, in every question. In every smirk I saw a mirrored image of the lingering worries in my heart. 
You did cheat. 
You slept your way to a promotion.
You don't deserve any of this. 
You don't deserve him.
I gripped Jacob’s hand like a lifeline as the crush of bodies and insulting questions about sexual favors whipped around us. The car was only a few feet away but it was the longest five strides of my life. 
The driver sprung into action, pulling open the back door. Jacob was a shield between me and the photographers, helping me into the car before pulling the door shut behind us. The photographers were unrelenting, light streaming through the glass windows. 
My throat closed as an irrefutable truth rang in my head. You just bombed your first interaction with the press. 
If I could breathe, it would have been ironic. Amusing even. I had a degree in public relations and I knew all the tools one was supposed to use in a hostile press environment. I knew you had to keep your composure or they’d eat you alive. 
When it came down to it, all it took was one rude question and I crumbled.
The driver fought through the crowd and the car rocked into motion. I dropped my head in my hands, tears spilling between my fingers.
Jacob’s arms circled me, neither of us taking the time for seat belts. Safety was the last thing on my mind.
I just wanted him to hold me.
****

Stay tuned--tomorrow is an interview with Leila! Hopefully it'll turn out better than her first run-in with the press. :/


Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Venice Nights Giveaway

Have you missed Leila and Jacob??? :)

Here's the description for Venice Nights, a prequel to The Billionaire's Girlfriend (His Submissive Series, Part Five):

When most people make their romantic relationships official it's along the lines of updating their Facebook. When billionaire Jacob Whitmore announces to the world that Leila Montgomery is his girlfriend, all hell breaks loose. 

Leila is thrown headfirst into Jacob's affluent, paparazzi-filled world. She has no doubt that she loves him, but can their new relationship survive when the whole world wants a piece of the billionaire's new girlfriend?

To celebrate it's release on December 20, I'm doing a giveaway--and I have lots of fun things planned for release week!


Goodreads Book Giveaway

Venice Nights by Ava Claire

Venice Nights

by Ava Claire

Giveaway ends December 22, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

Release Week!:

Monday December 16: Excerpt from Venice Nights
Tuesday December 17: Interview with Leila
Wednesday December 18: Soundtrack for Venice Nights
Thursday December 19: Cover Reveal
Friday December 20: Release Day!!!!
Saturday December 21: End of Goodreads Book Giveaway

I can't wait to share more Leila and Jacob with you guys <3 Thanks for your patience and support!!!!