BLOG TOUR, EXCERPT & GUEST POST - Once Loved by Cecy Robson

He’s the campus golden boy. She’s picking up the pieces of her broken past. But in Cecy Robson’s scorching novel of second chances—perfect for readers of Monica Murphy and J. Lynn—their differences only make their connection more explosive.

Every memory Lety Tres Santos has from her childhood comes with a scar—some emotional, some physical. Her father is an abusive drug addict, and her mother enables his destructive behavior. College offers Lety a fresh start . . . until her father finds a way to ruin that, too. Now, after losing her scholarship to kick off junior year, Lety must somehow stay in school, pay tuition, and turn a deaf ear to the whispers that follow her. And she intends to do it all without Brody Quaid’s help.

Brody is a lacrosse star, a 4.0 student—and as a freshman, he fell hard for the beautiful and spirited Lety. But their relationship crashed and burned because he couldn’t break through the walls she’s put up around her heart. With Lety hurting more than ever, Brody strives to win her back and make her believe in real love and true partnership. That will mean opening up secrets locked away in his own past—and trusting someone more than he’s ever dared.

Lety knows how painful it can be to depend on the wrong man. She also knows how much Brody wants to do this the right way. But it takes more than sizzling desire to move on and build a future together.

Brody smiled when he saw me and took a seat beside me. I was relieved he still seemed glad to see me. We hadn’t spoken since yesterday. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey.” I swallowed the remainder of my popsicle before Piper had any more bright ideas.

He swept my hair behind my back. “How’s it going?”

Thanks to Piper’s “what makes penises perky” demo, his brief contact heated my skin. I tried not to react, but I couldn’t hide the smile or blush he caused. “Good. Dean Riley gave me permission to take another job. I went on an interview for a CNA position this afternoon and was offered a part-time gig. Some weekends, some overnights, but I think I can handle it.”

He frowned. “Letz, I don’t like the idea of you spending the night at some stranger’s house.”

“They seem nice. Besides, I need to work.” I motioned to where Piper was flirting with Meathead and tried to change the subject. Patient rights wouldn’t have allowed me to spill any details, but nothing I could have said would have eased his mind. “My girls here were just helping me rearrange my schedule so I’d have my RA duties covered. What are you guys up to?”

Brody shrugged. “Just heading back from the Coopersburg diner. We saw you in the window when we were passing by and wanted to see what you were doing.”

I froze. “You saw us in the window?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Yeah . . . why?”

Piper spoke up. “Oh, we were just ironing out the finer details of giving head.”

And well, didn’t that snag everyone’s attention?

Razor stopped fiddling with the spiked collar around his neck. “No shit. You were seriously talking blow jobs?”

Piper stared at him like it was obvious. “Of course, that’s what girls do in dorm rooms.”

It was only because Meathead was fair-skinned that his blush trumped mine and Alice’s. He crossed his gigantic arms and grinned. “That’s awesome.”

Hey, I’m Cecy, the author of the Shattered Past contemporary series and the Weird Girls urban fantasy romance series. Thank you so much for allowing me to visit today and for being a part of my Once Loved blog tour.

Every traditional or indie writer has advice for new writers. I’m among them. While I don’t consider myself an expert, I’ll offer my advice. Feel free to take it with a spoonful of honey―I’m not one for grains of salts―or not take it. I promise not to be offended. 

1. Finish your novel first. Don’t be in a rush. Take your time to make your work the best it can be before sending it out to the masses. Think about writing a novel with series potential. Stand alone novels tend to be a harder sell if you’re not already well established.
2. Connect with other writers in your genre who you trust to critique your work and offer you feedback. That said, do NOT surround yourself with negative people. A critical eye is one thing, degradation is another.
3. When you’re ready to submit―and after you’ve worked through your plot holes, character inconsistencies, telling not showing issues, etc. ―have at least two people with a strong grasp of grammar review your work. If editors and agents request a full manuscript, they expect a clean novel, not something riddled with run-on sentences, long-winded paragraphs, passive writing, and typos. 
4. If you are indie publishing, hire an editor and a cover artist. No, this is not a joke. Choose those with experience in the field and with good references. A good editor will help your novel shine, and the right cover will help your novel sell strong. When readers search for books on the Internet, a thumb-sized image is all they’ll have to go by. It doesn’t matter how brilliant your work is if your cover fails to draw the reader.
5. You’re a professional. You’ve worked hard. Present yourself as such. Watch your language and what you say on social media. The traditional publishing world is not as big as you envision it to be. If you’re pursuing this route, editors and agents can view your posts, tweets, and blogs―and they will, especially if they’re considering representing you or publishing your work. 
6. More advice on professional attitude: Don’t bash other authors or their work. It kills me when I see someone who is actively seeking publication publically demean another writer who is already published. Trust me, this doesn’t go over well with the author or the publishing house who released his or her work.
7. Write what feels natural and something you have a strong interest in. Make it yours, make it original, but be aware of the market and what’s selling. If epic fantasy adventures ala Tolkien style is something readers can’t get enough of, perhaps now is not the time for your pirate-turns-MMA fighter-space opera romance novel to release.
8. Speaking of pirate-turns-MMA fighter-space opera romance, it may be the greatest work of literature ever written, but if you are a new writer, you have to categorize is somewhere. I know, I know, so not what an artist wants to hear. But think of shelf space and how it’s limited in a bookstore. You want readers to actively search for (and find) your type of novel. Someone who is a die-hard pirate lover won’t necessarily pant over a space opera. Of course, this is an extreme example, but something to consider when you try to market a book. If you’re selling a book, you want your target audience to purchase it, don’t you? So figure out who your target audience is, and create a novel that will please that audience and yourself.
9. Build your platform on social media (Google, Facebook, Twitter, Tsū, etc.) and put together a website. You’re investing in your career. It does take money, and it does take time.
10. Don’t give up. Those break out books you hear about? Well, you hear about them because they are rare occurrences. Think marathon, not sprint. Keep a steady pace, don’t forget to breathe, and keep writing!

CECY ROBSON is the New Adult and Contemporary author of the Shattered Past series, and the award winning author of the Weird Girls Urban Fantasy Romance series. A self-proclaimed professional napper, Cecy counts among her talents a jaw-dropping knowledge of useless trivia, the ability to make her hair big, and a knack for breaking into song, despite her family’s vehement protests. A full-time writer, registered nurse, wife, and mother living in the South, Cecy enjoys spending time with her family and silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | TSU | Google+

a Rafflecopter giveaway