Book Tour for Tarnished Gold by Brita Addams (Promo Post & GIVEAWAY)

To celebrate the release of my old Hollywood era novel, Tarnished Gold, I have embarked on a virtual book tour.

When I first started reading romance novels, I found myself attracted to the broken, emotionally tortured heroes—characters like Sydnam Butler in Mary Balogh's Simply Love, and Lisa Kleypas's Lord Westcliff in It Happened in Autumn. They were strong men, outwardly self-assured. However, when alone, they held pain so deeply ingrained.

So goes the broken heroes. There are many ways for a character to end up broken, and usuallythat journey isn't the focus of the story, save for flashbacks. We understand that external forces have dealt them apparent insurmountable blows, leaving them unsure, melancholy, and in some cases, on the verge of suicide. Though they might be wealthy, of noble birth, and of extraordinary masculine beauty, only they see the glaring flaws. Flaws they want fixed, but they don't have the fortitude to tackle the problem on their own. Enter that special person who has all the proper tools and the will to get the job done.

In romance novels, broken heroes can and should be fixed. If not, the misery lives on and makes for a very unsatisfying read. I have always believed that there is one person on this earth for each of us. Someone who is meant to fix the wrongs others have done to our lives, and in turn, we must do the same. That has been my personal experience anyway. While we'd all like to thinkthat we can live for ourselves and don't need anyone to "fix" things, that simply isn't my experience. If that were true, we wouldn't need psychiatrists, would we?

Yes, I love romance. I suppose loving broken heroes play to my need to fix things. As a mom, I hate seeing my children in need and will do anything to help, if I can. For me, it is a basic human need—to do no harm and to fix harm that has been done.

In Tarnished Gold, our hero, Jack Abadie, struggles with many problems, some due to his upbringing and others learned behavior. Isn't that the way it goes sometimes? Bad advice from friends or relatives, or circumstances that take a toll on a person, sometimes without us ever being aware it's happening.

With patience and a great deal of love, Wyatt learns who Jack truly is and in doing so, teaches Jack something about himself. I found writing these two characters very interesting, as we negotiated the various stages of their lives.

I invite you to follow Jack's journey of awareness. As he matures, he is better able to determine what he wants and what makes the most sense.

In 1915, starstruck Jack Abadie strikes out for the gilded streets of the most sinful town in the country—Hollywood. With him, he takes a secret that his country hometown would never understand. 

After years of hard work and a chance invitation to a gay gentlemen's club, Jack is discovered. Soon, his talent, matinee idol good looks, and affable personality propel him to the height of stardom. But fame breeds distrust. 

Meeting Wyatt Maitland turns Jack’s life upside down. He wants to be worthy of his good fortune, but old demons haunt him. Only through Wyatt's strength can Jack face that which keeps him from being the man he wants to be. Love without trust is empty. 

As the 1920s roar, scandals rock the movie industry. Public tolerance of Hollywood's decadence has reached its limit. Under pressure to clean up its act, Jack’s studio issues an ultimatum. Either forsake the man he loves and remain a box office darling, or follow his heart and let his shining star fade to tarnished gold.

***Read an excerpt and purchase the Tarnished Gold ebook or print, signed by the author (if one of the first twenty sold.)

The most broken heroes I've ever written are found in For Men Like Us. Benedict Wilmot wants to right the wrong he'd done to Preston and nothing will stop him from his self-appointed duty. During the Napoleonic Wars, a superior discovered Ben and a fellow soldier in the throes of passion. As a result, Ben was tormented by the superior and was forced to commit an act so heinous, he still can't face himself years later.

Ben is unable to dismiss it as an act of war and it haunts him, throwing his own life into insufficiency. It is Ben's decency and his human need to fix the wrong that he inflicted, that brings him face to face with Preston. Though he can't repair that which he destroyed, he wants to make things right, to fix Preston's life. In doing so, he finds his own pain reflected in Preston, forcing him to examine his methods, and ultimately, to allow Preston to fix him.
In real life, fixing broken souls often entails letting go of old grudges, old relationships, old ways. It's scary, because we are such creatures of habit. Sometimes even the bad in our lives is "safer" than seeking something different. When you do it, it feels a bit like being set adrift in unfamiliar waters, but sometimes the bad old isn't as good as the new unsure.

My two characters, Ben and Preston, are very real to me, as I've known men like them. No, not in their exact circumstances, but a damaged soul is a damaged soul, no matter the cause.
Ah, the broken hero. For me, it's the idea that strong, self-assured men can succumb to weakness without it causing complete destruction. When they tear themselves wide open, bare their souls, especially to themselves, is when I love them the most. Then, when the right person comes alongand works their magic at filling the empty spaces in the character's soul, I'm hooked. That's what makes Sydnam Butler and Lord Westcliff live on in my literary memory.

After Preston Meacham’s lover dies trying to lend him aid at Salamanca, hopelessness becomes his only way of life. Despite his best efforts at starting again, he has no pride left, which leads him to sell himself for a pittance at a molly house. The mindless sex affords him his only respite from the horrors he witnessed. 

The Napoleonic War left Benedict Wilmot haunted by the acts he was forced to commit and the torture he endured at the hands of a superior, a man who used the threat of a gruesome death to force Ben to do his bidding. Even sleep gives Ben no reprieve, for he can’t escape the destruction he caused. 

When their paths cross, Ben feels an overwhelming need to protect Preston from his dangerous profession. As he explains, “The streets are dangerous for men like us.” 

***You can find For Men Like Us at Dreamspinner Press

AUTHOR INFO:

Born in Upstate New York, Brita Addams has made her home in the sultry south for many years. Brita's home is a happy place, where she lives with her real-life hero, her husband, and a fat cat named Stormee.

She writes, for the most part, erotic historical romance, both het and m/m, which is an ideal fit, given her love of British and American history. Setting the tone for each historical is important. Research plays an indispensible part in the writing of any historical work, romance or otherwise. A great deal of reading and study goes into each work, to give the story the authenticity it deserves.

As a reader, Brita prefers historical works, romances and otherwise. She believes herself born in the wrong century, though she says she would find it difficult to live without air conditioning.

Brita and her husband love to travel, particularly cruises and long road trips. They completed a Civil War battlefield tour a couple of years ago, and have visited many places involved in the American Revolutionary War.

In May, 2013, they are going to England for two weeks, to visit the places Brita writes about in her books, including the estate that inspired the setting for her Sapphire Club series. Not the activities, just the floor plan. J

A bit of trivia – Brita pronounces her name, Bree-ta, like the woman's name, and oddly, not like the famous water filter.

Website  |  Blog  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Fan Page  |  Goodreads  |  Bookshelf  |  Amazon Author Page  |  Pinterest

**********GIVEAWAY**********

-Ebook giveaways at each stop. Random commenter's choice from my backlist (Tarnished Gold excluded)

-Signed 8x10 glossies of Jack Abadie.

****Grand Prize is a Kindle, along with the winner's choice of five (5) of my backlist titles, sent to them by email.

Easy. Leave a comment at one or all the stops. At each stop, a random commenter will be selected to win their choice of backlist book (Tarnished Gold excluded.) This selection will be made daily throughout the tour, except where blog owners wish to extend the eligibility. Be sure to leave an email address in your comment. 

All names of commenters and their email addresses will be put into the drawing for the Kindle, even if they have won the daily drawing. The more comments you make the more chances you have to win.

Other prizes include five (5) 8x10 glossies of Jack Abadie, signed. The winners will be selected on April 10, from all the commenters at all the stops, and notified by email.

The Grand Prize winner will be selected on April 10th and notified by email. Once I have heard from the winner and obtained a shipping address, I will order the Kindle and have it shipped directly to the winner. They will also be eligible to select five (5) of my backlist titles and I will email them to the winner.

Contest valid in the United States.

****Full schedule for the Tarnished Gold Virtual Book Tour