EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
I Was a Famous Rock Star
(Men of Midnight Dreams Book 1)
(Men of Midnight Dreams Book 1)
by Alexandra Ainsworth
I Was a Famous Rock Star, the first book in Alexandra Ainsworth's Men of Midnight Dreams series, in ON SALE for only $0.99 to 10 May. Also available: My Stepbrother the Rock Star. Available for pre-order: Agent Rock Star.
This book blitz and giveaway is brought to you by Xpresso Book Tours.
Description
What if the whole world knows who you are, but you wake up to find you have forgotten everything since high school?
When Caleb wakes up in a glamorous LA clinic, he is a changed man. His once-scrawny body is toned, his now-white teeth gleam, and everyone looks at him in adoration. Caleb shouldn’t even be in the US - he’s English, and has never traveled farther than London.
Somehow Caleb transformed from an eighteen-year old, sexually questioning, reclusive high school student who spent his free time composing and practicing music in his parents’ shabby council flat to become a world famous rock star with adoring fans and his own mansion overlooking the Pacific.
Caleb bravely tries to fit into his new life as he recovers from his amnesia. But who is the handsome assistant publicity manager who visits him in the hospital? Why does everyone think Caleb is straight? What has Caleb forgotten? And will he ever remember?
Excerpt
Pop music fills the room. I wouldn't have expected the doctor to like this sort of music, certainly not enough to play it to a patient. The sound is typical boy band: harmonious, uplifting, contemporary—and completely distant from my tastes.
The band starts to dance. They swing their hips, and their legs move in perfect rhythm. The men have tousled hair and wear black jeans and casual t-shirts, as if to emphasize their masculinity despite the fact they are dancing.
The camera pans to a filled stadium, zooming in on pre-teen girls, university-aged women, and their mothers. The faces in the audience are expressive, passionate; whatever my opinion on the music is, this band is adored.
"Recognize anything?" The doctor's eyes gleam, and his fingers tap against the expansive desk in rhythm to the music. For the first time, he seems animated and content.
I scrunch my fists, tired of questions. Perhaps this band is famous, perhaps their music is played in every mall, but that doesn't mean I know who they are.
And I don't care.
"You think some mediocre music will trigger my memory of the last five years?" I bite my lip, and heat flames over my cheeks. I know better than to criticize someone's taste in music. "I'm sorry—I'm tired."
The doctor’s voice is serious. "This is your band, Caleb."
"Nonsense." I fold my arms against my chest. This music is nothing like the music I used to write and practice.
"You're famous. A household name." He grins. "You're the thoughtful, British one. Ezra Williams is the primary songwriter and vocalist, but you write some songs too. Maybe I should have put on one of your songs.
"I . . . But how?" I sputter and turn my head away.
I'm just from the Midlands. I've never been farther away than London, and that was only once. I've never even been to Wales, and regular trains go there. And now I'm living in California? Among Hollywood royalty?
I've never even performed in front of my school. How am I supposed to believe I'm performing in front of a whole stadium? That I do this regularly? To music I don't even like? And people don't mind? Pay to see it? Even—enjoy it?
"I don't dance." I've never danced. This can't be me.
"Look, here you are." The doctor points at one of the figures.
His skin is tanned, his body muscular, and his hair artfully tousled in a way I've never attempted. He's in the back, but yes, he’s definitely dancing.
It can’t be me.
Yet it's my voice. It certainly sounds like my voice, but that can't be me, sashaying up there with four other guys.
I can't be in a boy band.
I open my mouth to protest, but I've protested all day. The doctor freezes the frame, and I peer at the computer, leaning over the desk. The person looks somewhat like me. If I had blond highlights and was more handsome. Much more handsome. This man is well-groomed and doesn't need glasses. Though for that matter, no glasses are on my nose now. I lift my hand to where they should be.
"Laser surgery," Dr. Selatcher says as my hand brushes against the bridge of my nose.
Praise for the Book
"What a book! I thought I would humor a friend and read a M/M romance for a change - but wow! This book bursts the narrow boundaries I had it pigeonholed into entirely. It's more a second-chance story - not just a second chance at love, but at re-evaluating and redesigning your own life. (I often thought of the movie Groundhog Day, at least in terms of observing - and enjoying - a character who gets a second chance at living his life right). Great characters with real depth, a deliciously impossible situation, and knock-your-socks-off prose had me turning page after page. I could not put it down. When I reached the end (at roughly 2am!), I went back to the start for more. It's that good, and I can't wait for another book in this promising series by this talented author to come out. I never thought I'd say that about a M/M story, but hey - this book has taught me that great characters and a great story make a book, not stereotypes. Enjoy the read!" ~ nandi
"This book was a pleasant surprise for me. It was a light and enjoyable love story with some mild suspense. I finished it in couple of hours since I felt in love with Caleb in the first two chapters. The pace was fast and I tried to read faster to see what was going to happen next. The author did a great job making all the characters interesting on a simple manner. As a reader, you have the opportunity to read an interesting story without much angst and some smexy times. Some parts were a little repetitive, and the sulking felt a little blown out of proportion for my taste, but overall, it worked with the rest of the book. If you are looking for a simple relaxing summer read, this is your book. And yes, I already got the second book in the series." ~ Lila Leigh Hunter
"I personally don't get boy bands but the story was fun to read. It would definitely be strange to wake up and not know who you are. Then find out you're famous." ~ Star
About the Author
Alexandra Ainsworth loves cloche hats, Earl Grey tea, and romance novels, preferably reading them when listening to Take That on repeat. When Alexandra was younger she used to create musicals about Broadway entertainers and perform them in her parents’ backyard with her friends and tortured accommodating little sister.
She’s switched from creating stories about the bright lights of Broadway to the even brighter lights of LA.
I Was a Famous Rock Star is the first book in the Men of Midnight Dreams series, about a group of wildly talented young rock stars at a music label who must come to terms with their identity under the glare of the Los Angeles paparazzi and international media. My Stepbrother the Rock Star and Agent Rock Star are also available.
Occasionally Alexandra ponders if the naked men in her books might be an inadvertent consequence of attending a women's college for four years.
Whether writing about rock stars or dukes, Alexandra believes in creating love stories for others. Because love is the most amazing thing in the world, and absolutely everyone deserves it.
Giveaway
Enter the blitz-wide giveaway for a chance to a $30 Amazon gift card.
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