I am super happy and excited to have Annabella Michaels here as the Saturday Author Spotlight. Not only is she an amazing author of the incredible series Souls Of Chicago, but she's a dear friend. I'm thoroughly proud of her and it's so exciting to be able to interview her today. We will also take a look at her series, and there's a fabulous giveaway for two people at the end. Enjoy!
Giovanni Romero had been dealt his fair share of heartbreak throughout his thirty years, including losing his beloved parents in a horrible car accident. After suffering yet another devastating loss, he decided to chase his dream of opening his own restaurant and was soon the proud owner of Romero’s, a hugely successful and critically acclaimed Italian restaurant, nestled in the heart of Chicago.
Knowing that one more blow to his heart could destroy him, Giovanni had built walls up around his heart to protect himself. He has created strict rules for himself about the men he sleeps with, which include never exchanging names and absolutely no repeat performances. That is until he meets a young man who he finds impossible to forget.
After spending the last few years travelling throughout Europe and The Mediterranean, working as an apprentice to some of the world’s top chefs, 23-year-old Caleb Greene was finally moving back home. While he had enjoyed his studies, he couldn’t wait to reunite with his big, crazy, loving family; especially his twin brother, Carter. Most importantly, he hoped to finally begin his career working as the head chef for Chicago’s most prestigious Italian restaurant, Romero’s.
After a night of celebration with Carter, Caleb finds himself in a rare position, going home with a tall, dark and sexy stranger. Caleb had never had a one night stand before, but there was something about the man that drew him in. Unfortunately, the man insisted they could only be together for one night.
Unable to get the intriguing young man off his mind, but resolved to let him go, Giovanni is shocked to find that Caleb has been hired as his new head chef. Working in such close proximity to each other, could he keep his carefully erect walls in place and protect his heart or would Caleb have the strength to tear those walls down, setting Giovanni free?
Besides his family, music had always been the most important thing in Carter Greene’s life. Having a career in music was everything he had ever dreamed of. That was until the terrible night when he nearly lost everything.
Carter can’t get the image of one particular man out of his mind; the man who found him in his darkest moment. The one who risked everything to save him and the same person who most likely never wants to speak to him again.
Ryan Marshall had led a pretty solitary existence ever since his grandfather had passed away. He spent most of his free time renovating the property he had inherited while avoiding the dating scene. Lately, he found himself longing for someone special; a man he could share his life with.
One fateful night, an emergency call placed Carter in Ryan’s life and the two felt an immediate connection. Unable to stop thinking about him, Ryan decided to reach out, but was disappointed when Carter was not at all what he expected.
Ryan is determined to move on and forget all about the beautiful man he rescued, but he soon realizes that sometimes fate has other plans.
Music of the Soul is book 2 in the Souls of Chicago series and can be read alone or as part of the series. This book contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adults 18 and older
For Landon Greene, managing the band Carter’s Creed is more than just a job. It also means being there to keep his brother safe. When someone begins sending threatening letters to Carter, Landon feels overwhelmed with the need to protect him. He’s relieved when new security is added, until he finds out that the person hired to protect his brother is the same man Landon has spent months trying to forget.
Micah Hamilton recently moved back to Chicago to start his own security firm and to be closer to his best friend, Giovanni. He’s ready to leave his past as a Navy SEAL behind and settle into his new life, but his plans change when a friend calls and asks him for a favor. There’s no way Micah can refuse the request, even though he knows it will require him to face the one man he’s vowed to stay away from.
Can Landon and Micah put their differences aside in time to save Carter or will their pride leave him at the mercy of a madman? Will they continue to resist the undeniable chemistry between them or will they take a chance and possibly find the greatest love they’ve ever known?
Rocko earned and loved his reputation as the wild child of the rock band, Carter’s Creed. His bandmates dubbed him Animal, not only for his skills on the drums, but because he was always looking for the next thrill. Sex, drugs and rock and roll were what he lived for. That was until one night when his wild ways nearly cost him his life.
As the owner of Golden Entertainment Studios, Lachlan Edwards had a vested interest in his newest clients, the members of the band, Carter’s Creed. He wasn’t surprised when they quickly rose to the top of the music charts, given their talent, but he was concerned with how their drummer, Rocko, seemed to be spiraling out of control. When Rocko seemingly hits rock bottom, Lachlan decides to step in and offer him a chance to recover.
Will Rocko accept Lachlan’s offer even if it means facing the past he’s tried so hard to run away from, or will it all prove to be too much and send him spinning out of control once again?
Interview
Hello sweet, Annabella, it’s so wonderful to have you here. I think what’s awesome about this is that I’m not just a fan of your work but I’m a friend. And that always makes the interview part fun because I can tease you a little extra. Let’s get this whole thing started.
Hi, Meredith! Thanks for inviting me. I always have fun with you so I’m looking forward to this.
Souls of Chicago is your series. You have four books in that series. Is that a so far or is it complete?
There are definitely more books to come. For now, I plan on having six novels in the series, but I never know when a character will start speaking to me, wanting their story told. I’ll let my guys tell me when the series is complete.
Out of your characters, who’s your favorite couple?
Ugh! How could you do this to me? LOL. Okay, my answer…After spending so much time with each couple, I love them all for their own individual reasons, but if I had a very mean friend who liked to “Sophie’s Choice me” then I would have to pick Carter and Ryan. They were so much fun to write; very sexy, adventurous and completely crazy about each other.
Which book would you say was the hardest and most emotional to write?
The hardest for me to write so far was Protecting the Soul. Landon and Micah each had so much pain they were carrying around that it was difficult to go through that experience with them. To be honest, though, the most emotional part for me and the one that had me crying ugly tears, was the talk between Landon and his brother, Carter after Landon told him what had happened in his past. Their relationship reminded me of my relationship with my siblings and it hit me very hard.
That being said, I know that the very last book will be the hardest to write overall. I will be inconsolable when I reach the end of this series. It is my heart and soul.
What is after this series? Will you be venturing on to new and awesome things?
I have a lot of ideas for new books, both stand alone and series. Whichever one speaks the loudest will get their story told first.
Is your family like the Greene’s?
My family is definitely like the Greene’s. My brother and sister and I treat each other very much like the Greene siblings do, lots of joking and picking on each other, but always with a ton of love behind it.
Rick and Kathy Greene are based on me and my husband. If you’ve read the series, you’ll understand what I’m saying here. Haha!
You seem to love to save men with no families and marry them off to the Greene family... Why is that?
The Greene family members have fun, they laugh, they tease and they love HARD! They are the definition of unconditional love and I wish every family could be like that. The men they fall in love with have known loss, heartbreak, and rejection. It’s wonderful for me to see them experiencing that kind of love for the first time and to know that once you become a member of the Greene family, you’re a member for life.
Are all your character’s coffee drinkers?
Great question! No, my characters are very intelligent men and they have excellent taste. They prefer hot chocolate over coffee. *side note from interviewer* Annabella's characters are clearly unstable.
You’re going to RT and GRL this year correct? What are you looking forward to the most?
Yes, I’m going to both and I’m very excited! It’s my first time for either one of these events and I’m really looking forward to FINALLY meeting a lot of the friends I’ve made online, both authors and readers alike. (I wish so badly that you were going, but I have made it my mission to meet you one day!)
How can your readers follow your work: FB, Twitter, Website...
If you could collaborate with any author who would it be?
Aimee Nicole Walker and I have already been plotting a collaboration. We just need our schedules to align, but we WILL make this a reality someday. I’m in awe of Charlie Cochet so that would be amazing if I got to collaborate with her. Although, I think it would end up with her doing the writing and me fangirling in the corner as I watch her work. Haha!
Fast Fire Questions:
Favorite color? Blue
Cat or dog? Cat
Day or night? Night
Favorite alcoholic drink? Whiskey sour
Best smell? Clean laundry
Favorite flower? Fire and Ice roses
Best comfort food? Lasagna
Coffee or coffee? HOT CHOCOLATE FOREVER!!!!! *another side note from interviewer: question your friendship with this crazy lady.
Favorite song? I have 2. John Lennon- Imagine & Louis Armstrong-What a Wonderful World
Okay, Annabella, thank you so much for being here today! I adore you
Thank you for having me. I love you so hard! 😊
Giveaway
Have you wished you could read this whole series? Well, Annabella is going to make
2 people's dreams come true.
Two people will win ALL FOUR books in this series.
Enter the rafflecopter below.
Contest will end on May 5th.
Thank you to the wild and crazy Annabella for being here today!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.
