Blog Tour Exclusive Q&A:
Q: Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your
heart? If so, why?
AA: Both characters, Quill and Owen, are special to me for
different reasons. Quill, my grumpy park ranger, is special to me because he’s
a more mature hero, but he’s also unaware of the extent of his own loneliness.
Giving Quill the HEA he deserves was immensely satisfying. Owen, my optimistic
new volunteer assigned to Quill, is special because he represents a character
that I’ve wanted to do for a long time—one who survived a major medical scare
and now has a second lease on life and is determined to make the most of each day.
Q: What was the inspiration for the story?
AA: My amazing critique partner and best friend, Wendy Qualls,
came to me with the idea of how in remote areas, park rangers are often snowed
in together for months at a time. I loved the idea immediately, and we started
brainstorming. I brought in a lot of my favorite tropes—opposites attract, age
gap, close proximity, building friendship, adventure, working together, and
more as the plot started to take shape for me. Then later, I came up with the
idea of making it series set in Alaska, and worked that plot bunny into the
series. Book Three seemed to fit best for this one, so that’s where it landed,
but initially it was the first plot bunny, and everything else sprang from that
one.
Q: What is the key theme and/or message in the book?
AA: Love finds us where we least expect it, but most need it.
Neither Owen nor Quill expects to find the love of their lives when they’re
snowed in together for an Alaskan winter, but love has a way of finding people
when they need it most and of healing old wounds and giving fresh courage. I
really wanted to show how love can provide the best fresh start of all, even
when we stay in the same place we’ve always been or when we venture thousands
of miles out of our comfort zone—love finds those who need it most.
Q: What is the significance of the title?
AA: ARCTIC HEAT is actually the coldest book in the series—tons
and tons of snow and snowed in fun. The heat totally comes from the chemistry
between the main characters!
Q: If you had to describe the main characters in three words,
what would those three words be?
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Series: Frozen Hearts #3
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: Sept. 23 (ebook/audio), Oct 1 (print)
Length (Print & Ebook): 89,000 words
Subgenre: m/m contemporary romance/ action adventure m/m romance,
interracial romance
Warnings: None.
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Book synopsis:
A lasting connection
needs more than simply surviving a winter together—they’ll have to outsmart
danger, let down their defenses and open their hearts.
Owen Han has a fresh lease on life—he’s kicked cancer’s ass and is roaring through his bucket list. The former investment banker hopes to find his next challenge in Alaska, volunteering alongside park rangers and fulfilling his childhood dreams of snowy winters and rustic life. Of course, those dreams did tend to feature big strapping mountain men in vivid detail…
Ranger Quilleran Ramsey would like to be anywhere other than dealing with newbie volunteers. And really, the only thing he needs less than a green volunteer “partner” is the flirty attentions of a buff city boy who doesn’t look ready to last a week, let alone an Alaskan winter. They’re all wrong for each other, even if Quill’s traitorous body enjoys the flirting more than it should.
As the weeks pass, the two snowbound men give in to temptation. But can their seasonal romance last until spring? For them to have a future together, each will have to trust the other…while hoping that the harsh elements and omnipresent dangers don’t destroy what happiness they’ve found in the moment.
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!
This book is approximately 89,000 words
Owen Han has a fresh lease on life—he’s kicked cancer’s ass and is roaring through his bucket list. The former investment banker hopes to find his next challenge in Alaska, volunteering alongside park rangers and fulfilling his childhood dreams of snowy winters and rustic life. Of course, those dreams did tend to feature big strapping mountain men in vivid detail…
Ranger Quilleran Ramsey would like to be anywhere other than dealing with newbie volunteers. And really, the only thing he needs less than a green volunteer “partner” is the flirty attentions of a buff city boy who doesn’t look ready to last a week, let alone an Alaskan winter. They’re all wrong for each other, even if Quill’s traitorous body enjoys the flirting more than it should.
As the weeks pass, the two snowbound men give in to temptation. But can their seasonal romance last until spring? For them to have a future together, each will have to trust the other…while hoping that the harsh elements and omnipresent dangers don’t destroy what happiness they’ve found in the moment.
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!
This book is approximately 89,000 words
*************************
Excerpt:
“Tea for everyone. Then a hot shower and lots of
blankets,” Owen declared as they entered the building, bossy streak making a
blessed reappearance right when Quill really needed to not be the one thinking.
If Owen had a plan, so much the better because Quill wasn’t good for much
besides stripping off his gear, stowing his piece, stomping upstairs, and
flopping into a kitchen chair. Owen draped one of the blankets from the couch
around his shoulders before doing the same for himself, wearing it like a cape
as he made tea. “Bourbon in yours? I found a bottle in the cabinet the other
week.”
“Yeah.” Quill didn’t often imbibe, but he needed
the burn of the liquor even more than any warmth-giving properties. The bourbon
was there exactly for nights like this one where Quill had done his best and it
still hadn’t been enough. Fucking universe and its random acts of cruelty.
After adding a healthy glug of liquor to each of
their mugs, Owen shoved a cup at Quill. He also put a plate of cookies from the
batch that got baked on the table. “Here you go. Eat something so the alcohol
doesn’t hit too hard.”
“Feels like I should be the one taking care of
you,” Quill admitted after he’d had a few sips of tea, let the warmth and burn
work past the tightness in his throat and chest.
“We can take care of each other,” Owen countered,
pulling his chair close to Quill’s. “That’s what we’re here for, right?”
A few hours ago, Quill would have argued that being
alone was the best way to cope with something like this—find a way to push
through and on to the next day either with the aid of some strong drink or just
a restless night spent replaying the events until sleep did its thing, softened
the edges of the awfulness. But when Owen grabbed his hand, squeezed, and
looked at him with such compassion in his eyes, Quill couldn’t find it in
himself to pull away.
“Yeah,” he said, even as he knew that he shouldn’t
let himself come to need Owen like this, to lean on him. He and Hattie had
always tended to retreat to their own corners after a hard shift, and he prided
himself on being a strong man. Sure, accidents like this affected him as they
would anyone, but he’d always tried to handle those emotions on his own. Harsh
memories of his father’s comments about men who showed their feelings didn’t
help any, but lately all those memories, all the family drama, seemed more
distant. Less sharp.
And funny how without that mantle of a painful
past, his present seemed somehow more hopeful, old wounds and past fears no
match for Owen. In fact, they’d been on the verge of another disagreement when
Owen had dropped everything to come help. And now here he was, taking care of
Quill yet again. Owen simply didn’t seem to have it in him to hold a grudge too
long. Quill would be a fool to pull away now, even if he knew the next night
like this, the inevitable one after Owen left, would hurt that much more. But
that moment, all he wanted to do was hold Owen close, take every comfort he
offered from Christmas lights to hot toddies to underdone gingerbread to that
strong hand of his, holding on when Quill needed it most.
\Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed
covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no
flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a
multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Emotionally complex, sexy,
and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Her critically
acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series include the #FrozenHearts,
#OutOfUniform, #Gaymers, #PortlandHeat, #RainbowCove and #PerfectHarmony
series.
To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras,
check out her website: annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on
Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram,
and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets,
bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for
bonus content and exclusive contests.
Connect with Annabeth:
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Giveaway
1 winner will receive paperback copies of ARCTIC SUN, ARCTIC WILD, and ARCTIC HEAT + a Swag Pack!
Open Internationally, must be 18 to win.
1 winner will receive paperback copies of ARCTIC SUN, ARCTIC WILD, and ARCTIC HEAT + a Swag Pack!
Open Internationally, must be 18 to win.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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4 stars
Arctic Heat by Annabeth Albert is part of her ‘Frozen
Hearts’ adult gay romance series and centers on Ranger Quilleran Ramsey, whose
orderly existence is upset by the presence of forthright volunteer Owen Han,
who makes no secret of his attraction to the taciturn man who seems determined
to resist any overtures.
I love the play on words of this series title, since these
guys are literally dealing with frozen temperatures and all of the hazards
attendant on folks out in that kind of weather, while there are the emotional
implications as well. The contrast between the irascible Ranger who is already
uncomfortable at having lost his regular partner and the newbie volunteer who
wants to experience life to its fullest makes this a fun and touching story. I
love being able to armchair travel as this author transports us to an entirely
different way of life and paints vivid pictures of both the beauty and the
dangers of the environment. The touch of diversity made the story even more
attractive for me, and I enjoyed watching the evolution of the relationship
that grew organically. I look forward to reading other tales that feature the
fascinating men who are willing to brave the extreme temperatures of this part
of the world.
A copy of this title was provided to me for review
