Fool for You by Rina Gray
Release: July 18, 2016
Romance Subgenre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Crush on You #1
Sports journalist Melanie Foster has achieved most of her goals: Bomb.com job—check. Tomboy-to- smoking-hottie makeover—check. Convince her best friend, Damien Richards, to slide a ring on her finger and father her two-point- five kids—not so much. When she activates Operation: I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, she never imagines her BFF already has plans to stroll down the wedding aisle with another woman.
Damien is in the middle of crisis mode. The non-profit for young athletes at which he volunteers is in financial trouble. He’ll pull out all the stops to rescue the organization that saved his life after his career-ending injury—even if it means sacrificing his personal happiness.
But when he finally wakes up to love and the very non-friendly feelings he’s long held for Mel, it might just be too late. Damien must convince her that he’s worth the risk and turn the tables to show her he’s the one ready to be a fool for love.
Romance Subgenre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Crush on You #1
Sports journalist Melanie Foster has achieved most of her goals: Bomb.com job—check. Tomboy-to- smoking-hottie makeover—check. Convince her best friend, Damien Richards, to slide a ring on her finger and father her two-point- five kids—not so much. When she activates Operation: I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, she never imagines her BFF already has plans to stroll down the wedding aisle with another woman.
Damien is in the middle of crisis mode. The non-profit for young athletes at which he volunteers is in financial trouble. He’ll pull out all the stops to rescue the organization that saved his life after his career-ending injury—even if it means sacrificing his personal happiness.
But when he finally wakes up to love and the very non-friendly feelings he’s long held for Mel, it might just be too late. Damien must convince her that he’s worth the risk and turn the tables to show her he’s the one ready to be a fool for love.
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Author Guest Post and Playlist
I'm excited to have author Rina Gray on the blog today to discuss her debut novel, Fool for You. Thanks for sharing, Rina!
Music is a huge part of my inspiration and writing process. The only time I don’t listen to music is when I’m in the last stages of edits. Each book in the Crush on You series has a soundtrack. I created the soundtrack prior to drafting the book, but of course, as time goes by, I will find a few songs that are perfect for a character or scene I have rolling around in my head. For those moments, I use my Shazam app to make sure I make note of the song, and then add it to the Spotify playlist.
For my debut novel, Fool for You, I wanted to create a vibe of childhood crush, friends-to-lovers, the 90s and an unrequited love that spanned over a decade. The soundtrack has over 150 songs so I can’t list them all, but here are my top 5 songs.
1. “Rush, Rush” Paul Abdul – This song is so perfectly 90’s and it’s just a big ole ball of visceral responses for someone you are falling for.
2. “Linger” Cranberries - I love the emotional angst of this song. She feels like a fool for the person she loves, but she’s in too deep to stop herself.
3. “Damn Good Friends” Elle Varner – This song is the true theme of the story. The heroine knows they could be great together, but the hero is hesitant because they are such good friends.
4. “Boys & Girls” Alabama Shakes – I think this song is perfect for the hero Damien who struggled with his feelings and maintaining friendship with the heroine.
5. “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations – In the story, the heroine activates “Operation: I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” to convince her best friend that she is the woman for him.
For my debut novel, Fool for You, I wanted to create a vibe of childhood crush, friends-to-lovers, the 90s and an unrequited love that spanned over a decade. The soundtrack has over 150 songs so I can’t list them all, but here are my top 5 songs.
1. “Rush, Rush” Paul Abdul – This song is so perfectly 90’s and it’s just a big ole ball of visceral responses for someone you are falling for.
2. “Linger” Cranberries - I love the emotional angst of this song. She feels like a fool for the person she loves, but she’s in too deep to stop herself.
3. “Damn Good Friends” Elle Varner – This song is the true theme of the story. The heroine knows they could be great together, but the hero is hesitant because they are such good friends.
4. “Boys & Girls” Alabama Shakes – I think this song is perfect for the hero Damien who struggled with his feelings and maintaining friendship with the heroine.
5. “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations – In the story, the heroine activates “Operation: I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” to convince her best friend that she is the woman for him.
Rina Gray is one of the newest African American romance writers on the rise. She is also a digital marketing professional who discovered her love of writing in 2012. Writing has always been Rina’s passion, though initially, she tried to deny it. In college she served as the copy editor for the entertainment magazine and newspaper. During her tenure, she had the opportunity to interview various talented entertainers including Chris Rock and the cast from Reno-911.
Rina has always been an avid reader, sneaking to read her mother’s books she had no business reading i.e. Stephen King’s The Stand, It, and Anne Rice’s various vampire series. As a pre-teen, she received a load of romance novels from a family friend and from that point on, she devoured any book related to romance or horror. When she’s not writing, she can be found with her head stuck in a book, kickboxing, or dominating game night with friends and family. Rina resides in Atlanta with her husband.
Rina has always been an avid reader, sneaking to read her mother’s books she had no business reading i.e. Stephen King’s The Stand, It, and Anne Rice’s various vampire series. As a pre-teen, she received a load of romance novels from a family friend and from that point on, she devoured any book related to romance or horror. When she’s not writing, she can be found with her head stuck in a book, kickboxing, or dominating game night with friends and family. Rina resides in Atlanta with her husband.
Thank you for having me. This interview was so much fun!
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