Author Interview & Giveaway: Inked Armor – Helena Hunting

I’m very excited today to have Helena Hunting with us chatting about her release, Inked Armor.  I adored this book and recommend it and Clipped Wings all the time.  Help me in welcoming Helena to Cocktails and Books.

Tell us about yourself.

I’ve always loved to write. Even as a child I’d put together “books” with pictures in place of the words I couldn’t spell. I’ve been just as voracious about reading. My idea of a perfect holiday would be a week on the dock with a stack of books and the ocassional dip in the lake.

What three things about you might surprise your readers?

I hoard pens, I can’t live without lipbalm and I hoard pens.

Is there a genre(s) that you think “I might like to write one of those.”?

I have a draft of a paranormal manuscript already on the backburner. When I have time, I’d like to see whether I can do something with that in the future. 

Tell us about INKED ARMOR.

Inked Armor is the second half of Hayden and Tenley’s journey. While Clipped Wings tells Tenley’s story, Inked Armor focuses on Hayden. Just as Tenley has endured trauma, so has Hayden. In her absence, the pieces of his past he’s kept buried begin to resurface. Even after Tenley returns to Chicago, he struggles to control his OCD tendencies and the fear that he will lose her again. As they work to rebuild their fragile bond, and the truth about Hayden’s parent’s murders begins to unravel, so does Hayden. While Hayden battles with his own traumatic losses, Tenley finally relinquishes her guilt so she can help him let go of his own.

Where did the idea for the storyline come from?

Tenley and Hayden’s story developed as a result of events that were highlighted in the media which stuck with me. A groom and groomsmen were in a limo on their way to the church. A tractor trailer jackknifed and everyone died leaving a devastated bride at the altar. The resulting deep, emotional trauma made me want to explore how the survivors would be able to move on. 

Tenley’s trauma is results in a devastating loss that is not easily overcome. Tattooing became the perfect medium through which to memorialize the loss and gave Tenley and Hayden a safe way to connect beyond physical attraction.

What do you think readers will like/love about Hayden?

Hayden is an intense character, but how he presents on the outside doesn’t necessarily reflect who he is inside. The stereotypes assoicated with the body modification subculture allow him to keep people at a distance, but Hayden is just as vulnerable as anyone else, sometimes even more so. I think his inherent sweetness and his protective, caring nature will draw readers in. Tenley, for all her flaws, is an incredibly strong, resilient young woman. Her compassion and her willingness to take ownership for her mistakes make her a redeemable character.

What was your favorite scene from the book?

That’s difficult because there are so many scenes I loved writing. I don’t want to giveaway too much but the cupcake nipple shields scene and the events leading up to it is definitely one of my favourite.

Who are some of your book boyfriends?  What draws you to them?

I tend to gravitate to paranormal, so I love Zsadist from BDB, Barrons from The Fever Series and Reseph from Larissa Ione’s Deamonica/Lords of Deliverance. I’m drawn to intrinsically flawed characters who make mistakes, but are inherently good. For contemporary romance, I love Alice Clayton’s Simon—he’s so adorable even though he’s a wallbanger at the beginning, Emma Chase’s Drew, Deb Anastasia’s Blake and Beckett, Tara Sue Me’s Daniel, EL’s Christian, SR’s Gabriel, Katy Evans Remy. The list goes on, but strong male leads who aren’t perfect are my favourites.

If you had to pick a favorite cocktail of choice, what would it be?  (It can be non-alcoholic too)

It’s a tie between a margarita on the rocks and a mojito.

What’s next for you?

Hopefully more books! Cracks in the Armor, a novella featuring Chris and Sarah, releases later in June. To get a taste of Chris, I’ve written a novella from his point of view called Between the Cracks which falls between Clipped Wings and Inked Armor. It’s free on Amazon, iTunes and Kobo! After that, I have a couple of manuscripts I’d like to work on and endless ideas I’d like to put on paper.

In this follow-up to Clipped Wings, the emotional love story continues between Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts.

In the wake of losing Tenley Page, tattooist Hayden Stryker’s tumultuous past is haunting him. Plagued by nightmares about the murder of his parents, Hayden reaches out again to Tenley. Having run from the man she doesn’t believe she deserves, Tenley finally lays her guilt to rest. Despite their intense physical attraction, Hayden and Tenley struggle to repair their fragile emotional connection. As Hayden gets closer to the truth, he must find a way to reconcile his guilt over his parents’ death in order to keep the woman who finally cracked his armor, and found her way into his heart

A few days, a week, just a little longer. Everyone told me she needed time. Her silence told me she needed time.
Fuck time.
Time went on and on. An endless cycle of sleep, wake, bear the agony, and repeat. I fucking hated time.
Tenley had been gone for three weeks. Every day without her was sensory deprivation, drawn out and torturous from beginning to end. The first week, I called her every day. Her phone always went to voice mail. She never called back. I stopped calling because it sucked to know I?d been discarded so easily.
Memories of her were everywhere: home, work, Serendipity. I couldn?t escape. So at least I understood why she came to Chicago in the first place: to get away from the ceaseless reminders. I couldn?t figure out what had compelled her to go back, though. She could run from me all she wanted, but returning to the place she?d fled from didn?t make much sense. Unless she was looking to shackle herself to the guilt again. It was easy to deny the possibility of a future when she let the past drag her down. I knew. I?d done that for years until Tenley came along.

Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s putting her degree in English Lit to good use by writing contemporary erotic romance. She is the author of Clipped Wings, her debut novel, and Inked Armor.

http://www.helenahunting.com/

The publisher is giving away 2 sets of signed copies of CLIPPED WINGS and INKED ARMOR.  To enter, complete the form below.

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