Thursday Nights by Lisa N. Paul Blog Tour, Interview and Giveaway

Pain can leave even the strongest of people weak and hollow.

Max DeLucca has spent seven years trying to forget the betrayal of his past.
He lives his life from day to day never looking forward and never looking back. The walls around his heart keep anyone from getting too close and prevent him from feeling too much… until he meets her.

Her entire life, Janie Silver searched for the kind of love that wouldn’t leave her broken and more importantly, wouldn’t leave her behind. She longs for a love that can heal the wounds of her past and give her the future she knows she deserves. She thought she was looking for something that just didn’t exist…until she meets him.

Danny’s on Main is where their story begins.
A neighborhood bar where strangers become friends, friends become family
and some … become lovers

… it all started on Thursday Nights

Thursday Nights (Charistown Book 1) by Lisa Paul, is the first in a Cheers/How I Met Your Mother type of series, except with more drama and more hot sex. Thursday Nights is the night the gang all gets together at Danny’s on Main,  the local pub. I am so glad this is a series, because I look forward to reading much more about this gang of misfits.

Janie and Lyla have been coming to Danny’s on Main on Thursday nights for 6 months, until they began to get friendly with the owners, Danny and his wife Julie, and some of the other employees. Now, every Sunday night when the bar is closed, they all get together for Sunday dinners as well. They have become a ‘family’, and I really enjoyed reading the interactions between the friends.

Neither Janie nor Lyla have any “real” family to speak of but they have had each other for years. The two go out together, but Lyla tends to leave with a different guy each week. Janie is a middle school teacher and a relationship kind of girl, but she has only gone out with “assholes, douchebags and pussies”.

The desire to feel needed and loved kept leading her to the wrong guys, but she kept trying to find her own “Happily Ever After” anyway.  As unrealistic as she knew it may be, she couldn’t let go of her childhood fantasies, the ones where she dreamed that one day, someday, she would find someone who would make her feel whole. Complete. Cherished.

Max is the totally hot bartender/racer/ferrari owner who is king of “fuck and release”. His ex messed him up big time and he will never commit himself to another woman and open his heart again. Never. But if there was ever someone to make him want to, Janie is that girl.

“She was the one woman who made him wish he could have a relationship. If he still possessed his heart, he would give it to her.”

They remained flirty friends, until one night they decide to try “friends with benefits”.

Damn, let me tell you, Max and his “beast” of a tongue can give me benefits anytime! Dominant and controlling in bed, Max gave Janie the best sex ever, but then bolts.

But you know the drill….they can’t keep away from each other.

‘Max felt the contact of their skin in two waves: first as a hot rush, then as a hard punch to the gut. He watched her reaction from the corner of his eye. Did she feel that? Do I want her to? He wanted her with everything he had, and that was the problem. He had nothing, nothing left to give her. Even he wasn’t so selfish as to claim her and then offer her nothing but the shell he had come to be.’

But Janie needs more than what Max could offer…..Until he may get his head out of his ass after all….

“I promise you, Janie. I’ll spend the rest of my life taking steps to meet you anywhere you want to go.” 

Thursday Nights was much more than a romance between Max and Janie. It was the introduction to a whole series where we meet 8 people who will have their own books in the series. The next is Ryan and Ashley, the roommates who should be more, in Storm Front. The one I’m really looking forward to though is Lyla and Gage’s story. I have to say, for me, these two characters practically stole the show for me, and I totally have the hots for Gage.

Side comment: The group that works at the bar all uses the saying “Words…I need words”, and though I like it, I kept waiting to find out if they were all part of a group of Doms. When used right, it was pretty hot:

“I intend to fuck you tonight, Janie. I intend to fuck you very well. I am going to make you come in every way imaginable…Got it?

She stared at Max and her mouth formed an O. She was thoroughly and truly speechless…Words, Janie. I need words.”

I’ve got words for you Max…..YES PLEASE!

Likes:

• Loved feeling like I was a part of the whole dysfunctional family.
• The sex. Holy cow, that was some hot sex.
• Some really humorous parts.
• The amazing friendship between Janie and Lyla.
• There was humor, hot sex and lots of emotions all in one book.
• There was a nice, happy ending, no cliffhanger.
• Told in changing POVs from numerous characters.

Dislikes:

• Each of these people have some MAJOR issues, perhaps a little too much dysfunction.
• Could have used a little more editing.
• I’m way more interested in Lyla and Gage’s story than anyone else’s.

Rating: 4 Stars, 4.5 Heat

Thursday Nights is Lisa Paul’s debut novel. If this is her first one, you know it’s just going to get better from here, and I for one, can’t wait to read more in this series!

Purchase Thursday Nights by Lisa N. Paul

Amazon | BN.com

 

Lisa Paul is a mother, daughter, sister, friend, reader, writer, blogger, and self-proclaimed comedian—just not always in that order. Ever since she was a little girl, she has devoured books. Falling in love with the Sweet Valley High series at a young age drew Lisa to series books and inspired her to write her own. Thursday Nights is the first book in her Charistown series. When not writing, Lisa can be found eating french fries and Godiva raspberry truffles, or hanging out with her husband and two sons. Visit her blog at http://www.lisasreads.com and her website, http://www.lisanpaul.com.

 Amazon | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

 

Hi Lisa, Congratulations!  I really loved Thursday Nights! Thanks for joining me today.

Did you have this book in your mind when you started your book review blog? 

No, not really, I just love reading good books.  Nothing makes me happier then slipping into the fictional worlds that the authors create…I’m not kidding when I say that I actually “become friends” with the characters in the books.  So when I’m drawn in that way, I need to share with people.  That’s how, Lisa’s Reads came to be.

Now that you are on the other side of the fence, the reviewee instead of the reviewer, do you think it will change the way you write your own reviews?

No, I never ever write negative reviews and I never have.  I always appreciated the time and effort that writers put into their stories. That being said, I couldn’t/wouldn’t give ratings on my blog.  If I didn’t love the story, I wouldn’t post about it.  But I would email the author and explain what didn’t work for me.  I like to think I was kind and considerate about it.  So being on the other side is definitely hard.  Because I am getting rated and it’s very new to me. However, the bloggers have been very kind so far, and I am grateful for that.

Did you at least have the “I wanna write a novel” thought in your head?

Not at first, but it did come and when it did…BAM it took over my mind! Heehee!!

I hate to ask a cheesy question, but how did this book come to you? Did you think you wanted to write about a group at a bar and develop it further, or did the couples come to you first?

This book is very personal to me.  I wrote it as a love note to one of my best friends.  She had an extremely horrendous year (more horrible than I would like to explain) and my deal with her was that we would go out every Thursday night until life became fun again and she became whole.  And that’s what we have been doing.  A lot of the conversations in TN really happened during our nights out…but the characters are fictional and they came to me as I started writing the story.

Did you write it chronologically?

Yes and No.  There were scenes that I wrote out of order and then built around them.  I had actually written the original story, handed it in for editing and was told to re-write more than 60% of the story.  So I ripped it apart and started over.  I must admit, the second time around WAS much better than the first!

Which was your favorite character to write in this series? Which one gave or is giving you the hardest time?

My favorite character is Lyla. I love her, she is spunky and deep.  She is sensitive and smart and she doesn’t allow those around her to see her weakness. Plus, she is funny as hell.  The character I have the most trouble with (right now) is Kyle.  He is still a mystery to me.  Hopefully, I will figure him out soon. (Lyla is my favorite too)

Do you listen to music when you write?

You know what, I can’t listen to music while I write, I’m too easily distracted. But, I listen between writing and lyrics definitely speak to me and help to guide me in my process.

What was (is) your career before writing?

Before become a stay at home mom, I was a Hospice Social Worker.

What are your top 3 books you’ve read in the past year?

I don’t mean to be difficult, but I read approximately 4 novels a week.  There is NO way to answer that question.  I can say this…I love every book Kristen Ashley writes; I love the Masters and Mercenaries series by Lexi Blake; I love the Breathing series by Rebecca Donovan; I love Wallbanger by Alice Clayton; I love Running on Empty by L.B Simmons….(FREE at this posting) but as I said, the list goes on and on.

What is your favorite smut book?

(Giggle) Girlie, that list is sooo long, there aren’t enough pages…

What book (besides yours) are you most looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to the third and final installment of Rebecca Donovan’s Breathing series, “Out of Breath.”

Who are your favorite book boyfriends?

Hmm, ok, you asked for it..but I’m warning you, I’m a book boyfriend whore!

I love – Simon from “Wallbanger”, Tack from “Motorcycle Man”, Hawk from “Mystery Man” Rule from “Rule”, Nate from “Fight with Me”, Shy from “Own the Wind” (okay, I’m begging to embarrass myself..I should stop!)

What is your least favorite sexual term used in a book?

I don’t like the term nub for clitoris – I don’t know why…it just rubs me the wrong way. Heehee, no pun intended.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

I can’t stand dishonest people.  I am a horrible judge of character, so I believe everyone is nice and honest. I usually don’t learn the truth until I’ve been wronged and that sucks.

Favorite Sexual Position? (Sorry, I always sneak that one in)

I don’t have a favorite position…I love them all, it just depends on my mood.

How many books will the series have, and what order with they be in. Do you have approximate release dates?

The Charistown series is slated to have 4 books. The second one, “Storm Front” will be Ryan and Ashley’s story, the third one – not yet named will be Kyle’s story, and the fourth one will be Lyla and Gage’s story.  It’s my goal to have “Storm Front” out in either late December or early January.  I have to get my head back in the game.  I have started writing their story, but I have to step out of Thursday Nights and concentrate on “Storm Front” because believe me, that story is going to be rough.

Thank you so much for joining me here at Ana’s Attic! I look forward to having you back again when Storm Front releases!

Grand Prize Giveaway – Grand Prize will be $75 Gift Card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble (Winner’s Choice).   A winner will be chosen after May 19^th when the tour ends. Click the link below to enter. And don’t forget, any comments on my reviews (that aren’t required for a giveaway) gets you an entry into my monthly reader appreciation gift card giveaway.

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**Thursday Nights was given to me as an ARC for review.