Author Override: Dee J. Adams

Author Override is the place where authors take the reins and take you on a journey into their world. Some may allow you into their private writing dens. Others may take you along with them on research trips or interviews. Whatever the case may be, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride because here you’ll get an in-depth look into an author’s musings.

Dee J Adams

How About A Fresh Start?

Have you ever been stuck in a rut? Have you ever thought if you get away from your current life that all your problems would disappear?

In Dangerously Close, both Ashley and Mel are at a turning point in their life. Ashley is first stymied by her scar and next by her vision loss. Mel has gotten stale and tired of his music and way of life. One person needs to start living life and the other needs a break from it. Watching these two try to coax the other into what they need is to also watch them fall in love. Ashley wants to help Mel be “discovered” and he wants to help her live her life without being noticed himself. What both of these people have in common is a past full of independence. Ashley has been on her own for twelve years and Mel for close to twenty. The other thing they have in common is both want a fresh start. Mel wants to find his love of music and Ashley wants to lose her fear and learn to be as independent as she can with her near blindness.

How about you? Did you ever find that a fresh start rejuvenated your life or are you happier keeping things the way you know it? Sometimes, even a nice vacation is enough to get us back on track. I think we can forget how important it is to get away from the usual day-to-day routine every once in while.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Dangerously Close

What you can't see can kill you.

Bad-boy rock star Seger Hughes hit rock bottom after a near-fatal tragedy at his concert. He hates how his life has spun out of control. After changing his appearance and his name, he transforms into a different man: Mel Summers. Now he just needs a place to hide out from rabid fans and paparazzi.

An isolated cliffside mansion is perfect. Ashley Bristol, his only neighbor, is blind—and her assistant is a classical music fan. They have no clue who he really is, but someone else does and she’s waited her whole life to be with him.

Struggling to find her way after an accident that took her sight, Ashley is determined not to feel anything. Yet she gets to know Mel and can’t help falling for him. When her assistant mysteriously disappears, Ashley must rely on Mel more than ever. But then his past comes back to haunt them both, and just when they must pull together to avoid danger, betrayal and lies threaten to tear them apart…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dee J. Adams draws upon her years of experience in Hollywood as a source for much of her writing. Adams has been both an actress and a dialogue coach, and has worked with celebrities such as Roseanne, Betty White, Matthew Perry, and George Clooney on network sitcoms and national commercials. She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA, and RWA, but she still dedicates much of her time to her first love - writing.

In 2007 Adams created the winning slogan for the Los Angeles Romance Authors contest. “Think it, Write it, Sell it”, then went on to do just exactly that. She sold three of her books to Carina Press in 2011: Dangerous Race, Danger Zone, and Dangerously Close, all a part of her Adrenaline Highs “thrillogy”. The first two releases, Dangerous Race and Danger Zone, have made it onto the top 100 list of Amazon’s best sellers. Adams also has had the distinction of being hired by Audible.com to narrate Danger Zone and Dangerously Close.

Adams’ bio reads like a page out of one of the many Hollywood TV shows on which she has worked; small town girl moves to the big city to pursue her dreams of acting, and along the way also finds success as a published author. “I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and moved to Los Angeles, California, where I acted in television and commercials for almost twenty years. I’ve also worked as a Dialogue Coach in sitcoms.”

Writing came by accident, or literally as the result of one. While recuperating after blowing out several ligaments in her foot, Adams had a very intense dream she apparently couldn’t stop talking about. Her husband told her, “Just write it down.” Prophetic words! Adams took it to heart; after three weeks of fourteen hour days, she had completed a 450 page handwritten novel.

And so it began.

“I now write contemporary romantic suspense novels. I'm a fan of happily-ever-after and that's what I deliver. I think life is tough enough as it is and my books are a good escape from reality. I like kick-ass heroines and big stories. I like to read them and I like to write them. Some of my favorite authors are Judith McNaught, Suzanne Brockmann, and Linda Howard.”

Both her peers and readers have stated Adams is a “must read” new author. New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann says: “Dee J. Adams delivers it all in DANGER ZONE: romance, intrigue, and a cast of characters to fall in love with, authentically set in the gritty and entertaining world of movie-making. This one’s on my keeper shelf!”

Adams is frequently booked to present her “Itching To Pitch” Workshop for organizations such as RWA and IWOSC. Elaine Charton of the Saguaro Romance Writers said; “If I had heard someone like her speak years back when I first started, it would have saved me hours of angst.” Adams was a moderator at the 2012 L.A. Times Festival of Books on the only panel featuring authors in the romance genre.

In addition to reading, Adams loves spending time with her family and two rescue dogs. “I am lucky to be married to the love of my life and we have one beautiful daughter. Since she has always been a perfect kid, I saw no reason for more!”

You can find all the books in the Adrenaline Highs series at CarinaPress.com, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and many other online booksellers.

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ARC Review: Dangerously Close by Dee J Adams

Dangerously Close
by Dee J. Adams
(Adrenaline Highs # 3)

The first I want to point out is that this book was different from the rest of the series.  Of course the first point is that in no way is it related to race car driving.  The second point is that there suspense part of this book was a lot less than in previous stories.  So for that I've decided to label this more of a contemporary romance instead of a romantic suspense, the suspense was just a dash on top.

That being said, this might be my favorite book in this series.  Yes, that might have something to do with the fact that there is a hot rockstar hero, and you know I'm a sucker for rockstars.  But I think the whole package of this story worked.

The third thing I want to point out is that the author must really have a bone to pick with Ashley Bristol.  Ashley is the heroine of this book.  We met her in book two of this series as the best friend of that book's heroine and then she almost got killed in a scaffolding accident intended to kill Quinn.  She survives that and then at the beginning of this book she has another mishap that leaves her blind.  Yes, for 90% of this book, maybe more, she was blind.  And there are a few more attempts on her life in this book.  Ashley is officially the cat with 9 lives!  And through all that she is cheerful and happy and positive!  I loved her attitude and her outlook on life.  How she faced things as they were presented and was able to meet new people and make friendships and connections, even though she couldn't see what those people looked like.

So now that I've told you how awesome Ashley is, lets talk about Mel/Seger.  As I mentioned before, a rockstar.  A rockstar that maybe has been in the business too long, jaded.  He's taking a "vacation" at one of his properties and pretending NOT to be himself.  He doesn't want to be Seger the rockstar but Mel the man.  When his sexy neighbor turns out to be blind and doesn't know who he is he finds he can be his true self with her.

Mel and Ashley were really a great couple.  One of those couples that are fun and loving, that you just want to hang out with and wish for their happy ever after.  Except for the fact that Mel doesn't tell Ashley who he is and lives a "lie" with her.  When her biggest dislike is liars. Then there is the minor obstacle of an obsessed girl/stalker/fangirl.  Paula is creepy.  No other way around that.

I think this story was great  It was light and sweet with a dash of danger.  I was rooting for Ashley and Mel the whole time and I think their coming together as a couple was perfectly timed and believable.  I am now very curious to see where this series will go since I wasn't expecting this story to turn out the way it did.

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Barnes and Noble

Author Override: Dee J Adams

Under the Covers is very excited to participate in the Feelin' Lucky Hop, 

hosted by I Smell Sheep and Fictional Candy

This giveaway hop will run March 7 - March 13.

Author Override is the place where authors take the reins and take you on a journey into their world. Some may allow you into their private writing dens. Others may take you along with them on research trips or interviews. Whatever the case may be, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride because here you’ll get an in-depth look into an author’s musings.

Today on UTC we have Dee J Adams with us! Adams has recently released DANGER ZONE, the second book in her Adrenaline Highs series with Carina Press. You can find more about her and her books on her website here.

So without further ado, please help us welcome Dee J Adams!

 

Dee J Adams

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks with the release of my second book in the Adrenaline High series. Danger Zone and I are excited to celebrate our continued blog tour here at Under The Covers.

I wondered what I could talk about today since I’ve hit so many different topics in the last two weeks… My hero and heroine face huge life changes and discover a lot about themselves and just what they are capable of. They’ve had to deal with some serious growing pains during their childhood that have affected the way they live their lives now. I always tell myself that everything happens for a reason and you’ll see that theme a lot in probably all of my books. Honestly it’s the only way I can make sense of the bad things that happen. Because from everything that changes the course of our life, we head down a path we may not have traveled beforehand. It’s that path that can lead us to – maybe – the thing that will bring us the most joy, or possibly even the most pain. I always tell myself that something else is around the corner and you just never know what it’s going to be.

What about you? Can you pinpoint something in your life that happened because of something unexpected or tragic? Or something that came from a GOOD thing? Life is full of surprises… it’s up to us to roll with them. Speaking of rolling… I’ve rolled out one of my favorite excerpts from Danger Zone. Hope you enjoy it. <G>


Excerpt:


Way to go, Ellie. She’d sure as hell walked right into that one. Quinn had baited her perfectly and she had no way out. Of course, she could slam the door in his face. But that seemed exceptionally rude. It wasn’t as though he could really win this contest. And he didn’t have that many places to touch. “Fine. Three touches. Only on skin you can see. Go.”

He laughed and the relaxed playboy in him seemed to take over. “It’s three and a half touches,” he clarified.

“What’s with the half?”


“Sometimes the half isn’t necessary.”


So he’d done this before. Which meant she was just another in a long line of women. But hadn’t she expected that? Still, it sort of...made her mad. And also made resisting him easier.

“Then why bother with it?”

“It’s my prerogative.” He studied her for a second and his eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong? A little nervous?”

She leveled him with her best bored stare. “No.” But she was. Only the skin showing. If she kept telling herself that, she’d be fine. All of the important parts were covered so he couldn’t do that much damage.

Victory already lurked in his eyes. Man, this guy was cocky. And so damn cute.

Crap. Why did he have to be so damn good- looking? She wanted a guy for the long haul. All the handsome ones wanted was a quick screw on the spread.

“Put your arm out,” he ordered quietly. “Bend it at the elbow. Like this.” He showed her what he meant. Then with his left hand, he gently supported her right arm while keeping it bent in front of her with his thumb just above the bend in her elbow, the other fingers behind her arm.

“Now what?”

“Now...I touch you.” His words were so soft, so confident, that a wave of uncertainty swelled over her. His light gray eyes burned into hers. A stupid flutter of anticipation washed through her. She pushed it back with iron will.

Never taking his gaze from hers, Quinn moved his right thumb down, so slowly, so tenderly, to the hollow of her elbow. It wouldn’t have been that bad except that he stayed in the same place and circled maddeningly slow. Around and around the rough pad of his thumb circled the sensitive area. Goose bumps rose on her flesh, the hair stood up on her arms and nape.

The tiniest of grins curved his lips, but he didn’t stop eye contact...as if he knew without seeing what effect he had on her. His thumb continued down her arm. Slowly, inch by inch. All the way to her wrist where he circled again.

Ellie swallowed. And blinked. Damn it. Steeling herself against the sensations hitting her body, she clenched her jaw and worked to even out her breathing.

Almost done. He didn’t have anywhere else to go. One down, two and a—

Quinn’s thumb traveled to the middle of her palm and Ellie nearly jumped out of her skin. Her thumb grazed the inside of his hand and the urge to touch him shot through her like a cannon.

Thankfully, he pulled away. “That was one,” he breathed.

Mayday! Red Alert! She was in serious trouble.

“Next is number two.” His devastating right hand moved toward her chin, but he stopped and reconsidered. His fingers grazed her hairline and moved through her hair, against her scalp. Again, so slowly.

His pupils dilated, his breathing grew heavier. The man was definitely affected. If the bet had been the other way around, she would’ve won.

But...maybe not. Because the tingles running up and down her spine and radiating through her limbs all met at the same spot between her legs. Not a good sign. She desperately fought the urge to lean into his palm, feel more of his heat against her head. It was getting tougher to control her heartbeat and her breath came uneven.

“That was number two.” His low voice sent her heart pounding harder.

“One more,” she said. Only the words barely came out.

“One and a half,” he corrected. “This is the half.” With one hand still against her scalp, he lifted her chin a fraction. Using the pad of his thumb, he traced her bottom lip. From the middle to the end. Not a long way, but enough to send her through the roof. Enough to want to suck his thumb into her mouth and taste him.

Make him beg.

All this time, they kept eye contact. He never once looked down at the path his thumb had taken. But now, his intense gaze focused on her mouth before moving back to her eyes. He bent closer, his fingers still under her chin, his lips closing the gap with hers. “There’s just one more,” he whispered and moved even closer, his mouth just a fraction from hers, his breath warm over her lips.

Ellie could barely keep her eyes open. Desire left her lids heavy, her breath lodged somewhere in her throat. Somehow, someway, a fraction of her brain still worked. “I thought you only got to touch me with the pads of your fingers,” she murmured.

“I lied.”
His lips brushed hers and Ellie’s whole system went into meltdown. She should’ve been mad, but she really wanted to laugh. Really wanted to forget everything she’d ever thought about the man and jump him here and now in her trailer.

This was nothing like she expected. Not a blatant sexual assault, but the most tender and gentle kiss she’d ever experienced. So simple. Sweet. Absolutely innocent in the taking. Those lethal lips continued to caress hers. Smoothing across just as maddeningly slow as his thumb had done.

At some point, she’d grabbed his wrists. Not to push him away, but to keep him steady. Keep him connected to her. Not that he seemed to be going anywhere. And still he kissed her. Just lips. Softly. A nibble, a caress. Brushing so sweetly against her mouth she didn’t want it to end.

Ellie had no idea how long they stayed that way and Quinn pulled back a fraction, his lips still dangerously close to hers.

“I win,” he whispered. And kissed her again.

Ms. Adams is graciously giving away a copy of DANGER ZONE to lucky maiden!

In her ten-year career as a stuntwoman, Ellie Morgan has experienced her share of thrills. None compares to the rush of being behind the wheel of a race car for her latest movie shoot. Certain she was born to race, Ellie's ready to shift gears—but a secret from her past holds her back.

Quinn Reynolds is tired of being in the driver's seat of his family's company, Formula Racing Design. He's ready to sell—if he can get his co-owner and brother, Mac, to agree. Quinn's not sure what he wants to do with his future, but almost as soon as he meets Ellie, he knows he wants her to be part of it.

Though Ellie tries to resist her attraction to the charming businessman, she's quickly in danger of losing her heart. But after narrowly escaping "accidents" both on and off the set, it becomes clear that getting involved with Quinn could be downright deadly...

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ARC Review: Danger Zone by Dee J. Adams

Danger Zone

by Dee J. Adams

(Adrenaline Highs # 2)

This was a pretty creative idea, the main idea of this book is that Hollywood is now making a movie of Tracy's story (from Dangerous Race).

Ellie Morgan gets the part of the stunt woman during the filming. She's a confident young woman even though she's very dependent on her best friend and roommate Ashley. Quinn Reynolds is the younger brother of book one's hero, Mac. He comes into town from England to try and convince his brother to sell their company to a particular guy instead of a different bidder.

But since his brother doesn't have a lot of time for him, he finds himself being extremely attracted to Ellie and makes his move right away to try and get with her while he's in town. Quinn is successful, wealthy, and GQ good looking. Ellie can't understand what he would want with her, especially after she makes it clear that she's not into one-night stands and she won't get be giving it up.

But trouble follows Quinn. There's someone after him and they want him dead. While this person has attempted in the past, their efforts were not discovered. Now he keeps trying but there are other innocent bystanders who will be getting hurt.

The story was a bit slow to get going, but even so it was cute and I think Quinn and Ellie were great together! And Quinn is verra sexy and hot!

To me this series is light on the suspense but very well written which makes it enjoyable to read. They do have obstacles to get through in such a short period of time, but I have to say Quinn stood by Ellie the whole time. I am curious to see if there are more books in this series. 

Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Dangerous Race by Dee J. Adams

Dangerous Race

by Dee J. Adams

(Adrenaline Highs # 1)

Romantic Suspense

I'm always looking for new romantic suspense and in this case, mixed in with car racing... well I just couldn't resist. Of course going into with really no expectations, I have to say I really enjoyed this book!

Was it suspenseful? A little bit more on the contemporary romance with a suspense twist for me. But it worked with the story.

So we have Tracey Bradshaw, or as I like to call her, the woman with nine lives. She's had a passion for racing since she was a little girl and she became an up-and-coming star at just 19. Sadly that was also the time when she had a very tragic accident which could've killed her, instead just damaged her leg severely.

After four years she is back and ready to roll when disaster strikes again! This time in a personal and emotional way instead of physically. But the race is still on and she has to push through what is now being considered a series of attacks on her life.

Someone wants her out of that race! Now, enter Mac Reynolds. Hunky and determined to help her win that race, but also to keep her safe.

Since they are basically the main couple of this book, let me just say that I truly admire the strength Tracey showed through everything that happened to her, but I didn't really feel a connection to her. And even though Mac is hot and should have all the characteristics I'd want him to have, he wasn't doing much for me either.

Nevertheless, the actual storyline was interesting, their relationship had some sparks in and out of bed, if you can count the many heated arguments they had, and the situations they had to get through.

But who I enjoyed reading about the most was Chelsea and Matthew. The second, and unexpected to me, couple in this book. Matthew is part of Tracey's pit crew, and he manages to meet Tracey's twin. Really, a twin, that she didn't know she had because her mom had given Tracey up for adoption and only kept one child. Chelsea has been searching for her twin for a while and has finally found her! Along with, maybe, true love.

What starts out as a very hot one night stand has the potential for a long lasting relationship. Matthew, with his tall, dark and handsome good looks; sweet charisma and charm. And Chelsea who all around felt more real to me.

I am curious to see what happens in book two, which will be about Mac's brothers, Quinn. 

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