Floor Time by Liz Crowe Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway

Floor Time

The Stewart Realty Series

Book 1

Liz Crowe

Genre:  Romance / Family Saga

Publisher:  Tri Destiny Publishing

Book Description:

Jack Gordon is Ann Arbor's most delectable bachelor. At age thirty-five, he's made millions as a top-selling Ann Arbor real estate broker and has the right connections to close a deal by any means necessary. With his rugged good looks and compelling personality, he has a virtual black book most men would kill for and he uses it often, never settling for one woman for very long.

While his D/s past remains buried, exactly where he wants it, an undercurrent of boredom and dissatisfaction runs through his life now. A disastrous experience years earlier made him swear off the whole scene, but the more Jack suppresses his natural Dom, the more his frustration grows.

Sara Thornton, a rookie in the real estate game, has fast-tracked herself to the top of the Ann Arbor market. Her life reflects a disciplined and focused routine, exactly the way she wants it. However, as her career takes off, the fulfillment she seeks remains inexplicably out of reach. The one thing she knows for sure, she will not join the Jack Gordon groupies in her company, no matter how tempting that might seem.

A chance encounter and a difficult transaction throw Jack and Sara together and the sparks fly high and hot and often. Forced to confront the compulsions that gain momentum with each sizzling hookup, their relationship seems to spiral out of control until Jack finally admits what he needs, and shows Sara what she's been missing.

Available for Free at  Amazon   BN   iTunes   Smashwords   Kobo

Floor Time Excerpt:

Two o’clock became two forty-five with no guests. No big surprise. She made it through half of her water and a few chapters of the latest hot vampire novel she’d brought with her to pass the time. Bored, she got up to walk around when she saw a car pull into the long gravel drive.

She watched as Jack unfolded his tall frame out of the Corvette and walked around to reach into the passenger’s seat. It struck her that she had never seen him in anything but a suit, or at least dress pants, shirt, and tie, as she admired his ass in the dark jeans. He looked good enough to eat. But panic replaced her blooming desire.

What was he doing at her open house? Was there a problem with their deal?

She glimpsed a shopping bag from the local organic chain grocery in one hand. He grinned at her, lighting up his arresting eyes. Her breath caught in her throat.

Sweat Equity

The Stewart Realty Series

Book 2

Liz Crowe

Genre:  Romance / Family Saga

Publisher:  Tri Destiny Publishing

Book Description:

Jack Gordon thought he’d finally made it. He had a wildly successful career, money in the bank and even returned to his life as Dom, putting an end to a string of unfulfilling sexual encounters. Now that he's made the ultimate commitment to Sara Thornton, he believes all is right in their world. However, a series of misunderstandings and a dose of self-fulfilling prophesy bring his perfectly crafted house of cards tumbling down around him, forcing him to confront lingering misgivings about marriage and trust. Could those be the only two things he can never achieve?

Sara struggles with her intense need for Jack and her desire for less volatility in her busy life, two goals which appear to be mutually exclusive. Although willing to put in the time and emotional effort to make their relationship work, she finds it futile and frustrating, littered with clashes thanks to near-identical personalities and temperaments. Given Sara’s history, easing back into the comfortable status quo becomes easier than fighting a war with the one person who should be her safe haven. But will the easier choice satisfy her the way only Jack can? Is her "war" one that comes from without or within?

Buffeted by circumstance, temptation and distraction, Jack and Sara’s tenuous relationship crumbles, sparking a continuous quest for the ever elusive: trust, love and acceptance. By the time they rebuild a foundation for renewal, fate has other plans. This leaves them both reeling, once again questioning their destiny.

Available at Amazon   BN   iTunes   Smashwords    Kobo

Sweat Equity Excerpt:

“Hey, Jack, what’s up?”

“I need to talk.”

“Where are you?” The noise of her beer bar receded, so he assumed she must have walked into the brewery.

“Home. But I’m coming over. You gonna be there?”

“Well, I wasn’t, but I’ll stick around.” Silence spun out between them before she spoke again. “You did it, didn’t you?”

Jack dragged a hand through his hair. He knew exactly what she meant. “Yeah. I did.”

 

Closing Costs

The Stewart Realty Series

Book 3

Liz Crowe

Genre:  Romance / Family Saga

Publisher:  Tri Destiny Publishing

Book Description:

Love conquers all? Not likely, according to Sara Thornton. She's spent eight years coming to terms with the new parameters of her life while resigning herself to the idea that “happily ever afters” are best left to fairytales. Sales manager for her successful real estate office and juggling an added element of responsibility she never thought she'd face, Sara continues to struggle with the men in her life. Love, for her, has only meant hurt, broken trust and anger; all of which she’s completely banished from her life, so she claims.

Jack Gordon has come a long way since his early days of obsession with Sara. As the general manager of Stewart Realty, his own level of responsibility for the well-being of others has ramped up. He’s even honed his caretaking skills, now that he has someone who loves him unconditionally.

Continuing to invest effort and rebuild their relationship, he and Sara grow close as friends. Despite this, his ultimate question remains unanswered; the one he keeps asking, no matter how many times she says no. Sara isn't prepared for the keen focus of his need--to have her back, once and for all. Her stubborn resistance nearly rips both lives apart

The epic conclusion to The Realtors series, Closing Costs brings Jack and Sara truly full circle. Proving that the heat of lust and obsession; the need for control and to be mastered in many areas of life can lead to love —surprising you when you least expect it – if you will only allow it.

Available at   Amazon    BN    iTunes   Smashwords   Kobo

Excerpt:

Once Jack and Sara had eased back into a wary friendship, the entire Stewart Real Estate Company rejoiced because it meant fewer fraught upper management meetings. Jack Gordon was a hard-ass leader, tough, firm, driven and with high expectations of everyone around him. He had turned the brokerage around. But for almost a year he’d been impossible to work with – antsy, quick tempered, never seeming to leave the office even to sleep or eat except on Tuesdays and Thursdays – the days he had Kate at his house.

Their conversations lasted long into the night nearly three or four times a week and between sorting through work issues and discussing theories of raising a successful future woman, they’d drifted into more personal details.

“So…” she’d asked at one point, needing to know but dreading the answer at the same time. “Have you, um, moved on, like I told you to?”

“Since when do I do what you tell me?”

She’d shivered at the sound of his voice. It had compelled her in so many ways, for good and bad. She needed to hear it, like she needed to drink water.

“Never mind.”

“And you? Find a new boyfriend yet?”

“Yeah, in all my spare time, I’m out clubbing, picking up guys.”

“Well, there is the internet.”

“That’s sick. You gonna answer me?”

He sighed. “I’ve been down at the club again. Playing.” Sara shut her eyes.

About the Author:

Amazon best-selling author, mom of three, Realtor, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse.

Her early forays into the publishing world led to a groundbreaking fiction subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” which has gained thousands of fans and followers interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”). More recently she is garnering even more fans across genres with her latest novels, which are more character-driven fiction, while remaining very much “real life.”

With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury.

Website       Beer, Books & More Blog    Facebook Fan Page

Facebook Fan Group     Twitter Feed

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads Page

Beer Blog         Sign Up for Liz Newz

PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL STEWART REALTY TRILOGY

“The sizzling power of attraction and the sexiness of a take charge Alpha male attitude is incredibly written by this talented author.”-- Romancing The Book

“The chemistry felt between the characters is nothing short of electrifying.  I was struck by a range of emotions while reading this novel, I love a read that can toy with my emotions but not leave me feeling emotionally devastated!”-- Flirty and Dirty Book Blog

“This series, especially Sweat Equity, is emotional, hot and realistic. There are lots of break-ups and A LOT of make-ups. I urge readers to pick this book up, but only after reading the first book, Floor Times, in this amazing series. The cliffhanger in this book will make you want to throw your Kindle or paperback. But you will immediately rush to get the third book in this series.”-- Cocktails and Books

“Once again, kudos to Liz Crowe's writing on CLOSING COSTS for the happily ever after that was long coming for Jack and Sara. I found myself frustrated, anger and also teary-eyed because I just wanted to see them together and start living their life as a happy family. I truly loved this book even with all the complications of the lives of the characters but that is the beauty of it: It is so realistic that you can see it happening, unfolding right in front of your eyes.”-- The Romance Reviews

“Crowe's writing is so realistic and enjoyable, I found myself alternating between extreme frustration, tears and happiness. I literally could not put the book down and read it all in one sitting. This is a book I will read more than once.”— *Most Helpful Amazon Rated Review by Amazon User My Book Addiction and More

“I positively enjoyed this book, especially the characters, which were appealing and well-developed–and the writing which impressed me from the first page.”-- Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

“What Worked

Just. About. Everything. That’s not to say life was beautiful all the time, but there wasn’t a single moment where I was upset with this read.”-- All Romance Reviews

“Be prepared to read non-stop as the adventure continues and leaves your jaw dropping for more. I 100% recommend this book that has left me anxiously waiting for the next installment. The characters are so amazing and well developed and the situations they experience evoke so much emotion. I could not stop reading this book because it was that addicting!!!”-- *Most Helpful Amazon Rated Review by Amazon User A_Carve

Read the rest of the series Available on Amazon -including an anthology that has Floor Time/Sweat Equity/Closing Costs all in one PLUS “House Rules” the Jack Gordon prequel.

ESSENCE OF TIME (Stand alone novel or book 4)

CONDITIONAL OFFER (book 5)

ESCALATION CLAUSE (book 6)

MUTUAL RELEASE (Stand alone novel or book 7)

GOOD FAITH (Stand alone “final” novel or book 8)

HOUSE RULES (The Jack Gordon Prequel)

***BONUS NEW COVER LOVE!***

Conditional Offer

The Craig & Suzanne Story

It is highly recommended that you read book 4 (Essence of Time) before this one.

Book Description:

Craig Robinson and Suzanne Baxter had no reason to meet, no real excuse to be friends. But when heart calls to heart...blood to blood...should two people who seem destined to be together heed the spin of Fate's wheel?

Craig spent years floating through life on cruise control, using directionless jobs, his rock band, swimming, and a string of older women in his bed to smother feelings of loneliness and loss. He finally thought he had found his true love in one Sara Thornton -- A sexy, beautiful, fellow real estate agent and mentor. But his self-doubt and innate sense of failure is only reinforced when he realizes her heart belongs to another man.

When Sara introduces him to Suzanne, a woman fighting her own demons from an abusive marriage and subsequent feelings of inadequacy and deep unhappiness, that simple, chance moment snaps Craig's hazy existence into crystal-clear focus. A bond of instant physical attraction, nurtured by time and shared experience, and plenty of erotic energy, is born.

As Suzanne's past continues to haunt her, making her push Craig away just as he thinks he’s getting closer, each of them must come to terms with their true selves and face their ultimate realities.

Excerpt Conditional Offer:

"Hey," Suzanne said, looking up from her laptop. "What's up?"

Craig gulped, stuck his hands in his suit trouser pockets. His voice seized up, his throat felt as dry as a bone. He took a look at her, her small frame encased in jeans and a brewery tee shirt, tendrils of dark red hair curled around her neck. He was more consumed with nervousness. She looked up at him again, her gaze neutral and expectant, polite.

"I, uh, thought I'd take you up on the brewery tour offer. You know if you're not busy."

Coming soon:

NET WORTH (Good Faith sequel)

EXCLUSIVE AGENCY (The Sara/Blake Thornton Prequel)

Interview

Where are you from?

Originally, Nashville, Tennessee but I grew up in Kentucky, south of Lexington and consider myself a Kentuckian.

Tell us your latest news?

Floor Time, book 1 of my Stewart Realty series got an amazing new cover, as did the other books in the original trilogy: Sweat Equity and Closing Costs so I’m celebrating by making book 1 (Floor Time) FREE and the other 2 just .99 each.

When and why did you begin writing?

Long about 2008, and I think I honestly did it on a bet—as in “bet you can’t do that.”

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always “written” in my jobs, be it ad copy or press releases so I’ve considered myself a writer for a long time. An “author” on the other hand? Not until I saw the cover of my first e-book which has since been pulled from publication but that’s all right. I have 20-some others now!

What inspired you to write your first book?

Like I said, it was a bit of a personal bet but because I’m a serious competitor at heart it turned into a “see how quickly you can get published” kind of thing for me.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I’d say “realistic” is the best way to describe it. My characters talk like real people (i.e. not in long paragraphs and they cuss)

How did you come up with the title?

I’m a realtor and every single one of the 9 (soon to be 10) books in this series is a 2-word phrase used in real estate, yet pertinent to the plot and characters.

How much of the book is realistic?

It’s all made up (it’s what I do….make up stories) but there is a definite air of veracity to it thanks to my experiences as a successful realtor.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I wish I could say Margaret Atwood. I really admire her and hope to someday meet her.

What book are you reading now?

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

What would you like my readers to know?

The Stewart Realty Series (and the original trilogy of books in particular) are on a ton of “What to read after 50 Shades” lists and charts and things but I would forewarn any reader thinking they are getting that story that they are definitely not. Yes, it has a couple that falls in lust, then love. But it’s an entirely different set of circumstances where both are professional real estate agents, no one is a billionaire with a helicopter and the arc of the entire series spans many decades of their lives and the lives of their friends and family. I have a fair number of fans who’ve come to me by finding me on these “What to read next” lists but not a single one of them would say that the 2 series have much in common, either stylistically or otherwise.

Tour Giveaway

1 $25 Amazon gift card

2 audiobook (Audible) downloads of Floor Time

1 set containing one copy of each of the three books in the series (winner’s choice of formats – mobi, ePub, PDF)

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