Blog Tour: Launch of “One Shade of Red”, by Scott Bury!

LAUNCH DAY!

Don’t you get excited when one of your favourite authors launch a new book? And, if you are an author, don’t you get extremely nervous on launch day? I really think that it helps to control your anxiousness if you see that other people love your book even before it is officially released. That’s what I do on this blog. I help other authors to get the good news of their new releases to the world. This time, I am honoured to host amazing author, good friend, and fellow author for Independent Authors International (iAi) Scott Bury. He has written a really interesting book that… no, enough from me. Let’s see what Scott has to say about his book and don’t miss the gorgeous cover!

Thank you, Cinta, for hosting the blog tour today — the day One Shade of Red officially launches into the publishing world!

To spread the word, professional writers around the world have generously donated space to tell the world about my new book, the sexy spoof of Fifty Shades. Today’s excerpt is the most romantic part, where the clueless protagonist, Damian, tries to take the sophisticated lady of his dreams, Alexis, to a nice restaurant. And he finds himself in the situation every young man has found himself in at some point.

One Shade of Red is available TODAY on Amazon and Smashwords. Links appear at the bottom of this post.

The previous stop on the tour was April 1 on David Cassidy’s blog, Because Life is a Really Good Story [link: http://davidccassidy.com/]

The next stop, April 3, is Doug Dorow, Thriller Author’s blog, [link: http://www.douglasdorow.com/blog.html%5D

 

BLURB:

Women want the perfect man, so they can change him. But when university student Damian Serr discovers a rich, beautiful woman who’s voracious about sex, he doesn’t try to improve on perfection. It’s all that he can do to hold on for the ride.

Damian has always followed the rules, always tried to please others. At 20, he still dates the girl next door because his parents like her parents. When Nick, his university roommate, asks Damian to take over his pool-cleaning business so he can take an internship in London, Damian can’t say no — especially to Nick’s first and only client, a rich widow.

But widow Alexis Rosse is far from helpless or lonely. This beautiful financial genius is busy turning the markets upside-down, and she revels in sex wherever, whenever and with whomever she wants.

Over the summer, Alexis gives Damian an intense education. Day after day, she pushes him to his sexual limits. The only question he has is: will she break them?

“So well-written that it flows easily, hooking the reader right from the beginning. I had real problems to stop reading it.” — Cinta Garcia de la Rosa, author of A Foreigner in London and reviewer of Indie Authors You Want to Read.

“How nice it is to see a dude lit-style book! And well-written at that!” Lisa Jey Davis, “Ms. Cheevious”

“So hot, you’ll want your own pool boy.” — Charity Parkerson, author of The Society of Sinners

 

EXCERPT:

The Thai restaurant was different from any I had ever seen, with elephants and exotic musical instruments on the walls. The menu was heavily laminated in plastic, something I associated with down-market calorie dumpsters rather than finer restaurants, but the prices were closer to the latter. I started calculating: did I have enough cash to cover this?

“I have no idea what to order,” I confessed.

“Don’t worry,” Alexis smiled. “I’ve had Thai before.”

That was obvious: the staff all knew her, smiling and asking how she was, why she had stayed away so long?

“Oh, you know how it is. You get busy with all sorts of things,” she answered.

At which point, the waiters and waitresses would look at me, as if to say: yes, we see how you get busy.

Alexis ordered for both of us: big platters with names I had never heard before. I loved the Pad Thai, and surprised myself by how much I loved the red curry chicken. Alexis ordered a Singha beer for me and a glass of white wine for herself. Again, I tried to calculate whether I could cover this.

I made a big show of taking the bill. “I asked you out on a date,” I insisted. “I’ll pay.”

I felt so stupid. I had enough cash for the tab, but not a tip. I would have to convince the waitress to let me put some on debit and pay the rest in cash.

I was rehearsing my explanation in my head when Alexis put her purse on the table. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I can cover it.”

“No, no, I asked you out! I’ll pay the dinner bill.”

Alexis leaned closer. “You know, if you don’t tip at least 25 percent here, you’ll never get a reservation again.”

“What! That’s ridiculous! Their prices are high enough that a standard tip is already generous! I mean, thirty bucks for a plate of noodles —”

“Not so loud!” Alexis hissed. “Don’t embarrass me!”

I shut up, feeling my cheeks burn in a combination of outrage and shame. I mean, really, they expected a twenty-five percent tip?

Life in the big city, said my brain.

I calculated some more. “Alexis, I can cover this, but I won’t be able to come back here.” Fuck ’em, I thought. No way am I going to give in to their elitist social blackmail. I put cash down on the little plastic tray with the bill and stood up, holding out a hand. “Let’s get out of here before the waiters see how I stiffed ’em on the tip.”

Alexis smiled her wicked smile. She jumped up, grabbed her purse and stood close by me. I kissed her quickly. “Ready to run?” I said in my best James Bond voice.

“Ready,” she answered, and I thought I detected a slight British twinge.

The waiter came closer, looking concerned. I looked at the door, then at the cash on the table: barely enough to cover the food. No tip.

Hand in hand, we ran for the door. Like a true gentleman, I held it open for Alexis and she skipped through like a schoolgirl. My mouth went dry.

“Hey!” the waiter called from beside our table.

I tried my best to sound like James Bond again “Sorry to eat, not tip and run,” I said as I stepped out the door. “But that’s how the pad thai crumbles.”

Okay, that was bad.

Hand in hand again, Alexis and I ran down the steps and around the corner. I hit the remote’s unlock button as soon as I could see the car, and still trying to act like a gentleman, opened the passenger door for Alexis. I looked up the street, but there was no sign of the waiter coming after us.

I slammed the door shut and revved the engine. The car jolted as I shifted into first and cranked the wheel hard to the left to pull out of the parking spot.

“Careful!” Alexis squealed at the same pitch as the tires. “You don’t want to attract the police’s attention.” Her hand was on my thigh already.

 

Links: One Shade of Red is available TODAY at

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/One-Shade-of-Red-ebook/dp/B00C28NLJA/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/300085

 

Scott Bury is a journalist, editor and novelist based in Ottawa, Canada. His articles have appeared in magazines in Canada, the US, the UK and Australia, including Macworld, the Financial Post, Applied Arts, the Globe and Mail and Graphic Arts Monthly.

One Shade of Red is his second novel to be published.

 His first published novel is The Bones of the Earth, a fantasy set in the real time and place of eastern Europe of the sixth century. He has also published a short story, Sam, the Strawb Part (proceeds of which are donated to an autism charity), and a paranormal story, Dark Clouds. His work in progress is tentatively titled Walking from the Soviet Union, and tells the true story of a Canadian drafted into the Red Army during the Second World War, his escape from a German POW camp and his journey home.

Scott Bury lives in Ottawa with his lovely, supportive and long-suffering wife, two mighty sons and the orangest cat in history.

He can be found online at www.writtenword.ca, on his blog, Written Words, on Twitter @ScottTheWriter, and on Facebook.