For today's tour stop, I'm so happy to present to you a character interview with Easy and my review of Hard To Hold On To! ~Grace
Let's begin...
G: Hi Easy, I’m
so excited for your visit today!
E: Hey, Grace. *rubs hand over head* Thanks for having me.
G: Can you tell
us a little about yourself? Where did your nickname came from?
E: Um, I’m not sure if there’s a lot to tell. I used to be in
the Army. Spent a lot of years in Afghanistan with some very good men. That’s
where I got my nickname. One of my teammates, Shane McCallan, combined the E
and the C from my real name, Edward Cantrell, to come up with Easy. Fits me
better, I think. Anyway, this past year, I’ve been working for my family’s
business up in Philadelphia, and a few weeks ago, I caught up with some of my
old teammates to figure out the bullshit related to why we were forced out of
the Army. Oh. *smiles, just a little* And I met an awesome girl named Jenna.
*smiles a little more* That was the best of it all.
G: Being in the
military has changed you so much. Do you have any regrets? If you could talk to
your younger self, what would you tell him?
E: Regrets? Hell, yes. Seven good men lost their lives on a
dirt road in Afghanistan. Seven men who were as much like family as my flesh
and blood. That I couldn’t save them, especially my best friend, Marcus Rimes,
will always be a regret I carry
inside. But carrying it is as much a privilege as it is a burden, because
they’re not here anymore. And I will remember them every damn day I might have
left. Being in the military changes everyone. It’s a given. It’s a culture as
much as it is a job. So I wouldn’t change going on. It was one of the best
things I ever did. Certainly, the
place where I felt like I fit in the best. I would just tell my younger self
that you have to hold on to and appreciate the things you care about as hard as
you can, because they don’t always last, no matter how sure you are that they
will.
G: You met Jenna
under somewhat unusual circumstances.
She’s pretty special to you. What would you tell her if she were sitting
here with us right now?
E: *rubs hand over lips, shaping into a small smile* Yeah, it
was a little unusual. But I also think it happened at exactly the right time.
Wouldn’t change it for the world. I would tell her that I got her back. That I
will protect her with everything that I have. And that she is very special to me. I’d also say thank
you, because since I met her she’s had my back, too.
G: Describe your
perfect date night.
E: Guys do not sit around thinking about perfect date nights.
But as long as it was me and Jen together, it would be about as good as it
could get.
G: A few quickie questions...
Who inspires you the most?
E: This is a hard one because I
can’t say I’ve felt inspired in a long time. But meeting Jenna and reuniting
with the guys have definitely made me want to be a better man, so I could say
them.
G: Favorite hobby?
E: I’m a big fan of Eddie Murphy movies.
G: You got any ink you can tell us about?
E: I have a cross and chain that hangs around my
neck and on my chest and the Special Forces knife and arrows on my arm. And I
have three newer pieces on my ribs – a quote, my fallen teammates’ initials,
and a little something from Jenna to help me remember to hold on no matter
what.
G: Thank you so much, Easy, for stopping by Sweet Spot Book Blog!
It was such a pleasure to chat with you!
E: Welcome.
Feel
free to ask Easy or his author lady anything!
Did you
know Laura is donating all of her proceeds of the sales from the first two
weeks to a national non-profit that helps wounded veterans?
About Hard
to Hold On To:
Edward "Easy" Cantrell knows better than most the
pain of not being able to save those he loves—which is why he is not going
to let Jenna Dean out of his sight. He may have just met her, but
Jenna's the first person to make him feel alive since that devastating day
in the desert more than a year ago.
Jenna has never met anyone like Easy. She can't
describe how he makes her feel--and not just because he saved her life.
No, the stirrings inside her reach far beyond gratitude.
As the pair are thrust together while chaos
reigns around them, they both know one thing: the things in life most
worth having are the hardest to hold on to.
Buy at
Five Stars
I
love reading novellas. I’ve read my fair share of novellas that leave you so
unsatisfied and wondering what the whole point was, a tease perhaps? Not with
this one! First, if you’ve been following along with the Hard Ink series, then reading Hard
To Hold On To is a no-brainer! Second, Edward “Easy” Cantrell is counting
on you to read what he’s all about. He’s finally speaking up and letting
everything that he’s going through all flow out…it’s raw, it’s painful, and it
all unfolds into a story with a very powerful message.
The
timelines for the books of this series so far have run close together. This
story begins immediately after where book 2 ended. I LOVE how Laura Kaye wrote
the chemistry between Jenna and Easy. Jenna had just gone through something so
traumatic. The way they’re written, you can feel that her pain is his pain at
this moment in time. Easy totally gets her, and in return feisty and sweet Jenna
is there for him when he needs her the most.
I
loved that the other characters play a huge role in this story, too. What the
others do just brought tears to my eyes! On the other end of the spectrum,
Jeremy’s shirts continue to inject a bit of humor! I can’t wait to see what
shirt he wears next. The romance and steam? This is Laura Kaye we’re talking
about. She knows how to describe the emotions of when a man makes your belly
flip-flop. Jenna is so freakin’ lucky! Remember, this novella is only the
beginning for these two. I have a feeling we’ll see more of them in the next
books.
Finally,
Ms. Kaye covers a very serious and real issue in this story, one that veterans
and those currently serving in the military deal with every day. I can tell
that Easy was a very challenging character for her to write. I truly appreciate
how genuine and realistic she wrote him. If anything, read this to be
enlightened, to be touched, and to know that there will always be someone,
somewhere willing to listen. Hard To Hold
On To is absolutely worth reading!
*ARC received from publisher. This is my honest review.
Other Books in the Hard
Ink Series:
Hard to Be Good (3/10/15)
Untitled (7/28/15)
Praise
for the Hard Ink Series:
For
Hard As You Can:
"TOP
PICK! There is a sinister and desperate edge to this tale that will keep
readers glued to their seats. Kaye has dark romantic suspense nailed!" ~
RT Book Reviews Magazine
"Hard As You Can is another five star read. The characters Ms. Kaye
has created are wonderfully broken and the drama is gritty, but the burgeoning
romance and the tight-knitted relationship of the team leaves you with a sense
of redemption. A must read series!" ~San Francisco Book Review
For
Hard As It Gets:
"Edgy, sexy and full of suspense! A great read
from a great new author!" ~ #1 NYT Bestselling Author J.R. Ward
"Sizzling
romance... The intriguing tattoo parlor and military background will appeal to
fans of Suzanne Brockmann and Lindsay McKenna." ~Publishers Weekly Review
"Kaye's
depiction of sexual tension and her sex scenes are masterful and this will
appeal to fans of Maya Banks' KGI and Julia Ann Walker's Black Knight's
series." ~Booklist
About Laura Kaye:
Laura is
the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly twenty books in
contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family
believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and
evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and
all things paranormal. She
lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and
appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
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