Monday, August 20, 2012

GIVEAWAY & Blog Tour: "Florida Heat" By: Jody Vitek

Welcome to the first stop 
on the "Florida Heat" Book Tour!

I am so stinkin' excited, can you tell? 
Awesome cover, amazing story, and a wonderful author. 

Scarred by her ordeal, Maggie Carlisle leaves her ex-husband’s drug life back in Texas. A man from her past seeks revenge, just as she meets and falls in love with Trent Randall.

Trent Randall, owner of a horse ranch and powerboat driver, loses focus of his life when Maggie shows up. After an accident, he wonders if she's worth the danger. However, his heart leads the way when he finds out she’s in trouble.




A word from our Author: Jodi Vitek


     Thank you so much for having me here at The Brunette Librarian and kicking off my Goddess Fish tour. My debut book, Florida Heat released in July and I couldn’t be more excited.
   You and many of my friends have asked where I get my ideas from and how I come up with these stories. Either an event happens, I hear something, read a headline, or see something. For Florida Heat, I was fortunate enough to travel with my girlfriend to Siesta Key, Florida and stay across the street from the Siesta Key public beach. It was the week prior to the Fourth of July and Sarasota was holding their offshore powerboat racing event. Here’s a link to a promotional video for the 2011 Suncoast Super Boat Festival in Sarasota, Florida. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3kORRVBolE
     Never having heard of powerboat racing, when I saw these beautiful powerful machines racing on the water I wanted to know more about them and the sport. Right away I knew I wanted to include the sport somehow in a book and began researching upon my return home. It was unfortunate I did not get up close to the boats or get to know their drivers at the time I was in Florida.
     The internet is a wonderful tool for writers. I was able to find information for offshore powerboat racing and learned that my local state, Minnesota, has their own powerboat association. Living in Minnesota for my entire life, I never knew we had racing events in and around the state. I contacted the local organization and was able to get a few questions answered, but the boats they race in are smaller and the waters they race on are different. Finding someone to talk within the offshore powerboat associate was more of challenge. Again, a few questions were answered but some remained unanswered.
     Contacting racing team owners and/or drivers proved to be unsuccessful until after a rough draft had been written. My luck changed when a team driver helped me out and told me to watch for videos coming to their team website. These videos put me into the cockpit of one of these massive machines. The adrenaline rush is amazing! Not that I would want to be race in one of these beautiful boats because I think they’re crazy. Since getting my book published, I learned from the team driver that the team had to stop racing and they sold the boat. He misses racing a great deal and plans to someday get back on the water and race again. I guess once you’ve had a taste it never goes away. He has fuel and oil running through his veins.
     The rest of the story flowed together after brainstorming with fellow writers. People around you can hold the knowledge you seek if you ask. I was fortunate enough to have several of these friends around me willing to answer my questions about horses, nursing, cuts and scars, and law enforcement.
     The setting for the book was simple with my love for Siesta Key. Who doesn’t love a beach and the ocean? Florida Heat isn’t the first book I’ve written, and like the others, I’ve written the settings loosely in locations I have visited. There is a house on the beach in Siesta Key, which I fell in love with and I had to have Maggie live in the house. Later I learned the house was a rental with two separate living units. But in my world, it’s one lavish beachfront house.
As a reader do you look for different events in book, such as offshore powerboat racing, that you’ve never heard of know little about? Do you like to read a story where the location is new to you? Are there events or settings you’re tired of authors writing about?
     Please feel free to ask any other question(s) you’d like. As a thank you for visiting me today at The Brunette Librarian, I will be giving away, to one lucky random person who leaves a comment, a small gift of scented items, which are tied to the story.
     All commenter’s from my Goddess Fish tour will also be entered into an overall commenter drawing. This gift includes a CD, again tied to the book, with scented items.
If any visitors today would like a bookmark, they can email info@jodyvitek.com with their mailing information.


I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Jodi for stopping by today. 
     I really looooved "Florida Heat," especially the characters. Maggie had a really bad string of bad luck and a terrible love life. When she finally meets Trent (and can I say a BIG YUM!), you just root for them to be happy. Its wonderful to just be swept into this world and carried away by this really great (and hot) story. It sounds silly but this is simply a super fun romance to read and give you hope in the world. Love triumphs in even the most difficult of circumstances. Go Maggie!

What can you win by commenting??
Jody will be awarding a small gift of scented bath items, which are tied to the story, to a random commenter at each stop. Comment and win!

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!

August 20:  The Brunette Librarian

August 23:  Cocktails and Books
August 24:  Love to Read Romance
August 24:  Reviews by Molly

36 comments:

  1. Hi i have not read this book but i want to. I also had a very bad first marriage. I was abused and my husband had several other children while we were married. i was young. got divorced put myself through college and remarried and we have been happy for 25 years,However i have been disabled and in pain for over 15 and i hate it. So i do alot of reading. thats all i have to do. So thanks for the giveaway joannie jscddmj [at]aol [dot]com

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    1. Joannie, thank you for stopping by this morning and sharing your story. I can't image what you went through, but you pulled through and stayed strong. Although Maggie's journey is not as extreme as your own, I hope you enjoy her road to romance and happiness.

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    1. Thank you Goddess Fish for offering such wonderful services! I look forward to working with you in the future.

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  3. I think your story really sounds great. So many people in bad situations just give up. Great to read about someone who didn't.

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    1. Thanks for commenting this morning. Yes, too many people do give up and don't give themselves a second chance. Hope you have a chance to read Maggie's story, Mom Jane.

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  4. Good morning and thank you so much for having me today at The Brunette Librarian! I'm not an early riser, yet here I am checking in early and already commenters have beat me to the punch. I love it! I would like to wish every good luck in the giveaway for stopping and visiting with me today. And if you're not today's winning commenter, you have another chance of winning a gift as an overall tour commenter.

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  5. The Brunette Librarian, I'm so glad you enjoyed the story and thank you for the review of Florida Heat. Yes, I'd like to say I think Trent is a Big Yum too. ;^)

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  6. I've read Florida Heat and thoroughly enjoyed it. Maggie's story is touching and exciting. Trent is a hunk! Good luck Jody.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Brenda. I'm glad you enjoyed Maggie and Trent's story. I'm planning on writing Chloe's story, Maggie's best friend.

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  7. I love settings in a book. Descriptions pull me into the story. Although, exotic locales can provide great backdrop, I am gullible for the usual locations when they are used in unique ways. Thanks! :)

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    1. I would have to agree with you, Diva J. If it's a usual setting, the story needs to be strong. Thanks for visiting and good luck.

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  8. This sounds like a wonderful story of renewal and survival. Look forward to reading Maggie's story. We always go down to Sarasota every 2 years, so it is always fun to read about a place familiar with.
    skpetal at hotmail dot com

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    1. Jean, scroll down to see my response. Sorry about that.

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  9. Hey there..!
    Nice story..! I will definately check it out..! :)


    I have just started following you..!
    You can follow me back at : http://readingwithanacrasia.blogspot.in/

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    1. Anacrasia, thanks for following me and I'll go follow you. Hope you enjoy Florida Heat!

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  10. Hey Jody,
    I am so excited for your book -- you know how much I love it and you! Congratulations on all the success. As for finding books that hold secrets to things I don't know about - yes, love them! In some ways they're more fun than books about subjects with which I'm familiar--I'm a lot less worried about the facts and a lot more interested in the fun! This was definitely a great read about a new subject for me! Hugs and continued to good luck!

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    1. Thanks for making the stop today, Liz. I'm so glad you enjoyed Maggie and Trent's story. It was fun for me as well, to learn about powerboat racing.

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  11. Jean, I didn't spend much time in Sarasota on my visit. Although, I know about the beautiful white sandy beaches having spent much of my time there. I haven't returned since my one and only visit and would love to go back. I would love to hear from you after you've read the book. You can comment on my website, www.jodyvitek.com Thanks for stopping by today.

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  12. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today Jody! I really enjoyed your story and have picked up the others in the series. :) The story was great but the characters...oh my gosh, the characters were fabulous!

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    1. Thank you again for having me, and it's been fun with everyone who's stopped to visit.

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  13. Everybody loves a good romance! debnance at gmail dot com

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    1. I would hope so, Deb. I've had one male reader enjoy my story and that makes me happy.

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  14. I so love the cover,yummy. :)

    reginamayross@gmail.com

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  15. He is yummy, isn't he. Trent is too, with a little hair on his chest. ;^) I have an 8x10 picture of the cover on my fridge. Enjoy!

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    1. This message is in response to Regina's comment. Sorry, Regina. Sometimes I click the wrong button-irritating.

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  16. I'm also a "brunette librarian"...although streaked with gray!

    Jody...I love the cover and I love Siesta Key. I lived in Tampa and St. Pete for a few years....so I'm keen on reading a FL book.
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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    1. Catherine Lee, if I didn't color my hair every month, I'd be all gray. You ladies who've lived in Florida are lucky with the beautiful beaches and warm weather. I hope the book, and not just the cover, brings enough 'heat' for you.

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  17. The cover was enough to pique my interest but Siesta Key? I spent my entire childhood visiting one of the beaches connected to Siesta Key each summer. Very interesting!

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    1. Welcome Michelle! I hope you enjoy reading the book to take you back to your childhood. It was the powerboat racing that started it all and it only made sense to set it on the beach that I fell in love with the sport. The white cool sand is fantastic! You were a luck girl.

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  18. I like to read any kind of setting and story.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  19. Bn100 thanks for coming by. I don't mind the where the setting is either. Just give a good story with a happy ending.

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  20. Using RANDOM.ORG to scamble the list of names, numbering them and then picking a number - the Winner is bn100! I will email you get your information.

    Thank you everyone for visiting and to the Brunette Librarian for hosting me!

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  21. Thank you for visiting my blog on Monday! God bless and have a good week!

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