Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for That Guy and That Girl by Natalia Albrite. This tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have an excerpt for you and Natalia Albrite tells all about her most swoon worthy movie in a guest post! There's also a tour wide giveaway. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more excerpts, guest posts, interviews, reviews, and more. Enjoy!
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Title: That Guy and That Girl
Author: Natalia Albrite
Publication Date: April 2nd 2019
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
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Olivia Meadows is excited to finish her senior year of college as a volleyball national champion beside her teammates and best friends. A complication arrives in the form of John Hunter, that guy, her brother’s best friend whom she has had a secret crush on since she was eleven years old. Effortlessly charming and handsome, with a body honed by years of playing football, John initiates his charm offensive and Olivia finds herself unable to resist him.
John Hunter is pumped to finish his senior year of college as a football national champion beside his teammate and best friend. The only thing missing is that girl, Olivia Meadows, his best friend’s little sister. He needed to sow some wild oats before settling down with Olivia but now he is ready for something serious with the girl he has always admired.
Be careful what you wish for. John and Olivia find themselves dealing with adult consequences very quickly and wondering if their young love can endure the pressures of adulthood. Will they find deeper love or implode from the pressures of their own making?
**The eBook will be $0.99 during this tour!**
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EXCERPT:
It feels like a secret magical place. No one else is around and I can’t even hear the usual sounds of campus from here. I jump in, “Can I go first?”
I’m really proud of what I’ve written and knowing how great Olivia is with words, I don’t want to follow her. “Of course,” she answers. I face her, take out my folded paper, and grab one of her hands. I take a moment to look at her. No rush. Everything else has been so fast that I’ve barely gotten to take it in. This, I want to remember and feel.
She squeezes my hand which reassures me that I’m not alone here. We are in this together. I take a deep breath and begin. “Olivia Meadows, I didn’t know it at the time but I’ve loved you since I was sixteen years old. You generously helped me with an English paper about The Age of Innocence and that was it for me.”
She jumps in, “I remember that.” I smile back.
“My turn here,” I remind her with a grin. She holds up her hands in surrender. We hold one hand again and I return to my paper, “As I was saying…what that study session did was create a need in me that could only be filled by you. I saw the book’s world through your eyes and realized that I had been missing so much. It also showed me that, through your eyes, everything is brighter, deeper, and more. I was a little too wild then to want to slow down but I’m not now.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Natalia is a lifelong reader and lover of romance novels. Before finally tapping away at her keyboard to create her own stories, she tried all sorts of professions: elementary school teacher, barista, seller of make-up, baker, and the list goes on. When she isn't pursuing the arts, she's hanging out with her husband, two wacky children, and full-figured Corgi.
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GUEST POST:
GUEST POST:
Top Gun Gave Me All the Tingles
by Natalia Albrite
Darkened theater. Nonstop action on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Driving music from a soundtrack that recurs throughout. Y’all. What a treat!! Recently, I was taken back to twelve-year-old me, in 1986 when I rewatched Top Gun. I do not exaggerate when I say I could remember all the thrills it gave me back then. They are still alive and well. Ladies, this was my first, most memorable crush and of course it would be on a group of men, rather than just one.
I saw Top Gun in the theater seven times and I genuinely got something out of it every time. The first viewing I was probably open-mouthed the whole time simply trying to take in the whole experience. Let’s see if I can break down all the goodies that Top Gun offered to my almost-teenage self.
Volleyball scene: Holy cow! It’s still a favorite to see those gorgeous hunks playing volleyball and I know everyone remembers when Slider does a side-pose muscle flex. I promise you, it never disappoints. If you do anything for yourself, fast forward to that scene and allow yourself a moment of appreciation.
Goose & Maverick’s friendship: I loved the yin and yang quality to their friendship. Yes, Maverick was an egotistical show-off at times and he was perfectly balanced by Goose who was goofy and ideally suited to be Maverick’s literal and figurative wingman. I love how they loved each other and my investment in their friendship was humongous!
Tender love scenes: They did a really good job of being sensual versus sexual. As a tween, I was uncomfortable but in the best way. I was old enough to understand what was going on between Maverick and Charlotte but it wasn’t explicit or gratuitous. Their love scenes originated in their genuine feelings for one another.
Goose and his wife, Carole: This was early in Meg Ryan’s career and she shines so bright in this! Goose and Carole were so playful and loving with each other and their stability was the perfect antidote to Maverick’s loner style. They made for an amazing couple!
Amazing one-liners:
“You can be my wingman anytime.”
“Where’d whooooo go?”
“I feel the need. The need for speed!”
“She’s lost that lovin’ feeling.”
“Take me to bed or love me forever.”
There were many stops along my road to loving romance and Top Gun in 1986 was an important one. It had all the ingredients I’ve come to treasure in the best books: hot boyfriend(s), fantastic writing with lines that stick with me, loving relationships that are flawed and fun, sensuality that’s based in relationships, and that magical secret ingredient that just makes the thing work!
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GIVEAWAY:
Natalia Albrite will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter after the tour. Be sure to follow the tour and leave a comment at a different stop every day to increase your chance of winning. Good luck!
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to share your terrific book with us. I enjoyed reading about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for having me! I thoroughly enjoyed writing this post and stepping back in time to such a fun time!
DeleteThank you for hosting me today! I had such a blast getting the opportunity to look back!
ReplyDeleteI really like the sound of this book. I'm looking forward to adding it to my reading list.
ReplyDeleteAwesome, Kim! I appreciate that! It'll stay on sale for $.99 through 6/10. Also, I wrote some free bonus content that goes with it that you can get access to by signing up for my newsletter (www.nataliaalbrite.com) that you might want to check out to see if it appeals to you!
DeleteSounds like my kind of book!
ReplyDeleteYou must be a new adult fan? If so, then it's your kind of book! ;-)
DeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteI like to think it is! I can definitely assure you that I worked hard on it and I will always have a special place in my heart for John and Olivia!
DeleteThis sounds amazing!!! I can't wait to read this..
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mya! Well, I hope you do read it! It's a bargain for $.99 right now!
ReplyDeleteWhat shook you as a writer?
ReplyDeleteOh, wow. Hmm. I suppose I'd have to say the insane power of resistance at times. I would have these moments where I just would NOT want to write even though I had no doubt that I loved the project and I really wanted to see it through. I found that usually it meant I just needed a break but I always made sure to come back quickly. It's so weird to know how much you want something and sometimes feeling like it's impossible to do it. It can be a really bizarre, powerful mind game.
ReplyDeleteWhat authors do you enjoy reading?
ReplyDeleteI definitely have those easy one-click authors: Elle Kennedy, Penny Reid, Amy Harmon, Christina Lauren, Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan, Sherry Thomas, Tammara Webber, Kristin Callihan and I suspect there are more but these are who come to mind quickly. I've hesitated if I read the blurb and think it might not be for me admittedly. And you?
ReplyDeleteSounds awesome can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks! I can't wait for you to read it ;-)
DeleteFabulous cover
ReplyDeleteThanks so much--I can't make them but I can sure pick out what I like. Surely, that's a valuable skill too!
DeleteThank you for sharing an excerpt
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I know that not every author's style is for everyone so I'd certainly rather give you a taste before purchase than wind up with a DNF. I've done that plenty of times and it's not the worst but I know I'd rather avoid it.
DeleteAh, youth, it's all fun and games until someone loses their irresponsibility.
ReplyDeleteRight?! There's so much about it that's great and so much about it that's tough. I remember my 8th grade history teacher telling us that the one thing our parents have that we don't: wisdom. I've never forgotten Mr. Tarrants's prophetic words!
DeleteThat was me (Natalia) up there. Clearly I forgot to press some buttons along the way. Oops!
DeleteThanks so much, all the ups and downs! It's been a blast today! Thanks for the exposure, I really appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a cute read!
ReplyDeleteSounds very good! Great cover! Thank you for a great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteSounds really great.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTHE book looks and sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the love scenes are sensual rather than overtly sexual makes me give this book a thumbs up....on my TBR list to give as a gift....best of luck and thank you....
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteWhat was your biggest error writing?
ReplyDeleteStill need to see TOP GUN, I'm sorry to say. (As an m/m fan, I was amused by one writer's essay on the movie being the story of Goose and Maverick's romance...she made a convincing argument, but I can't remember who it is right now!)
ReplyDelete--Trix
Sounds good can't wait to read this book.
ReplyDeleteHow have you progressed in your career this year?
ReplyDeleteI love the cover. But the Top Gun quote is "Take me to bed or lose me forever."
ReplyDeleteLove the cover!
ReplyDeleteWhat was the most exciting moment of your life?
ReplyDeleteI love Top Gun too :D
ReplyDeleteWhen were you the most proud?
ReplyDeleteWhen did you start calling yourself a writer?
ReplyDeleteDo you enjoy hiking?
ReplyDeleteDo you enjoy storms?
ReplyDeleteIf you were a made scientist, what sort of experiments would you do?
ReplyDeleteAnother great read to add to the list - hoping to win - thank you author.
ReplyDeleteabrennan09@hotmail.com
sounds like a fun one
ReplyDeleteLooks like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.
This looks awesome--what inspired you to write this book?
ReplyDeleteDo you listen to music when you write?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat did you do this weekend?
ReplyDelete