Shallow Blog Tour!!!

Ok, I'm going to be straight with you guys, if you don't know who Georgia Cates is by now, you NEED to remember her name.  She's the next big thing, I can safely promise you this.  For those of you who are just being introduced to Georgia, her newest release Shallow is book two in the Going Under series which is a contemporary new adult romance.  Seriously, I cannot get over how much I loved this book.  We met one main character, Payton, in book one, and I literally could not love her character more in that book; and getting to spend a couple hundred pages in her head was so awesome, I cannot even tell you.  Now for those of you who are not yet convinced that this series is worth a read, let me have you think on that again.  I admit that when I saw Going Under traveling around the Amazon recommended for you circuit, I bought it thinking "light beach reading" and then somehow it got lost in my kindle (happens, I forget what I buy when I do mass purchases).  But, seriously I am KICKING myself for not being with it and realizing that Georgia Cates kicks some major romance ass sooner.  But, all is well now.  Georgia, if you're reading this, please know... I love you... in a non creepy way... and that is all ;).

So for my review of this book, the words awesome and time sucking come to mind.  When I sit down to read books, I can usually pull myself out of them for a chat with a roommate or a family member that calls, (yes mom, you) but this book made me a shut in.  I was seriously not in this world for about six hours (I had to read it twice back to back because I could not get enough). I've got to give a writer mad props for when the make me forget that time exists, and this book for some reason time literally was non-existent.  When it comes right down to it the main character Payton is a girl after my own heart.  She is sassy, says what is on her mind, has a tough girl exterior, and never backs down from a challenge.  I feel like I am Payton at points in this novel, and I love that she doesn't take any of Nick's crap.  And, oh, Nick Hawke, he is cocky,  a player, and an undercover great guy. The story gets started when Payton rear ends a really cocky guy's car on the way to a race.  Well who else would it be, but Nick Hawke.  A crazy bet later and the story gets deep.  I really began to be invested in not only Payton's life, but Nick's life and pain as well.  There are some major curve balls thrown at these two, and it was interesting and heart wrenching (at times) to see them work through it.  It also made it all the better for me how intensely and deeply both of the characters fall for one another, the love story is a hot one, I'm not going to lie here.

Something else I really liked in this book was the secondary characters we got to meet and see more of.  I loved getting to meet Nick's family, namely his sister Dallas and his grandmother.  Plus, we also got to see more of Dane who we met in the last book, and who I am really hoping we see more of in the future!
This story took me on an emotional roller coaster.  Needless to say, my heart was definitely invested in these characters, and I don't think there is any way this story could have been better.  It's a DEFINITE recommend in my book, and if you're a time waster like I am sometimes, you will regret it once you read these wonderful stories!
-Jw

Thanks so much for stopping by on your book blog tour!! I’m so excited to get the chance to interview you and pick your brain about your awesome book!

I’m really excited about this tour and all the wonderful stops. Thank you for having me as a guest.

Oh hey I got to interview the awesome Georgia Cates!!!  

BITB:  I fell completely in love with Payton in this book. Is she modeled after anyone you know or maybe even you?

GC:  Payton has been my favorite character to write so far. Maybe it’s because she is modeled after myself, yet on a much tamer level. I might not say the things she says, but I most certainly think them and often wish I had the guts to come on out and say it. Every once in a while, I get a wild hair and let it rip. But...then I feel like Claire and regret that I didn’t act perfectly so I’m a mix of the two girls.

BITB:  Where did you get your inspiration for Nick Hawke, and what celebrity would you have portray him?

GC:  You’re so gonna laugh about this one. I couldn’t get John Travolta (when he played in Grease) out of my head when I was writing about Nick. Weird, right? I certainly didn’t picture Nick looking anything like John. Thank goodness. I know the age difference is off, but I could totally see William Levi portray Nick. He’s such a hotty.

BITB:  Were there any scenes that were really difficult for you to write in the book?

GC:  Hell, yeah! The hotel room scene was rough. I wanted to tell it like it was, but I knew I had to keep it tame for the younger readers. I even felt a little guilty about how far I took it. That’s why I classified it as New Adult instead of Young Adult.

BITB:  Will we be visiting any more of the characters we met in these books? *hint hint- Nick’s sister Dallas????*

GC:  I’ve had a lot of requests for Dallas and Dane’s story. I have decided to write it, but I can’t say when it will be. I have at least 2 projects to complete before I can tackle it.

BITB:  What is your favorite book in the whole wide world?

GC:  I used to say The Scarlet Letter because I thought it sounded good, but the truth is I prefer smut and trash. I’m just saying...

BITB:  Do you have any guilty pleasure television shows?

GC:  I’m not really a TV person. I prefer reading and music over television although I do watch The Vampire Diaries and Beauty and the Beast.

BITB:  What was your very first story about and how old were you when you wrote it?

GC:  The truth? I have no friggin’ idea. #truestory

BITB:   And finally, what are you working on right now!?

GC:  Yay! I’m so glad you asked this. But...and it’s a big but...I’m keeping it under my hat until it’s almost finished. Why? I have this terrible habit I’m trying to avoid. I always publish the cover art, blurb and release date and then I want to make changes while I’m writing it. I get myself backed into a corner and I’m not doing it again. The only info I’m releasing about it is that it’s Adult Contemporary and I hope to have it out around Christmas. I did make a post about my main character today. His name is Lachlan and he’s Australian. That’s all I’ve got for you.

Thanks so much Georgia! I loved, loved, loooooved Shallow! You have found a forever reader in me!!

I’m so happy to hear that. Again, thank you for having me as guest.

XOXO

Georgia

Blurb

Nick Hawke likes his car fast and his girls even faster. He blows through females quicker than his muscle car races down the drag strip in Collinsville and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Determined to avoid the devastation he has watched his father endure in the aftermath of his mother leaving, he believes there is no room in his life or his heart for a relationship lasting more than one night. He seeks happiness in things that won’t let him down...fast cars, parties and one night stands. To his absolute dismay, all of that changes when he unexpectedly runs into an old friend and is introduced to Payton Archer, the first girl he ever wanted for more than one night. There’s only one catch...she is completely immune to him and his smooth talking ways. 



Payton Archer is looking for what Claire has with Jessie, but she has given up on finding it...at least until she leaves for college in the Fall because she is certain that is where she will find the perfect guy to fit into her perfect world. She plans on Summer being nothing but three uneventful months of fun, but it turns out to be anything but ordinary when Payton is introduced to Nick Hawke, one of Jessie’s old Collinsville friends. She is shocked by her immediate and intense attraction for “Hawke” because nothing about him is what Payton is looking for. Sure, he’s hot and sexy but he comes from Collinsville and that is definitely not on her list of prerequisites. Everything about him makes Payton’s heart speed because he is exciting and dangerous, but his fast car and the dangerous chances he takes isn’t what scares Payton the most...it’s the way Nick Hawke makes her feel every time he looks at her. Can Payton find that moment of total fearlessness and make the decision to leave the safe, shallow end of love to risk going under completely?

Author Bio

Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent thirteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an author. 

Blood of Anteros, Book One in The Vampire Agápe Series, was her first novel and it was released in September 2011. She decided to briefly step away from the paranormal genre to try her hand at a young adult contemporary romance when she wrote Going Under, but returned to the paranormal romance platform to complete the second book in The Vampire Agápe Series, Blood Jewel.

Her current works in progress are Shallow (A Going Under Novel) which will release on September 27th and Blood Doll (The Vampire Agápe Series #3), to be released in January 2013.