Guest Post & Giveaway: Karyn Gerrard, author of Heart of Rock

Heart of Rock

Karyn Gerrard

Irishman Brogan Byrne is at the pinnacle of rock music success in 1974. Handsome, charismatic, with a three-octave voice, you’d think he had it all. But Byrne sinks to new depths of depravity with women, liquor, and drugs.

Carly Montgomery is an ambitious record executive offered an opportunity to be manager for the last leg of Byrne's tour. Though she's detached and tough as nails, Carly's cool facade comes under attack. Somehow Byrne manages to slip by her frosty defenses.

Brogan, for his part, is broken inside. A memory weighs on his soul and affects his actions. Is Carly the one woman to help him forget his guilt and heal his heart of rock?

This is a re-release. New additional scenes.

Hey everyone!  Today I have Karyn Gerrard over.  It's been a while, so I am super glad she is here!  And would you check out that new cover for Heart of Rock?  I loved it before, but now with these new tweaks, it is positively awesome!  So check out the post, let me know what you think!!
*Liz




 Heart of Rock and 1974! 

1974 was an interesting year in history, and the one I chose to set my rock star erotic romance in! Stephen King debuts with Carrie! Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s all time home run record! Nixon resigns!

What were some of the top five’s in entertainment that year?

Movies:
     1. Blazing Saddles
     2. The Towering Inferno
     3. Young Frankenstein
     4. Earthquake
     5. The Godfather Part II









Music:

     1. The Way We Were ~Barbra Streisand
     2. Seasons In The Sun ~Terry Jacks
     3. Love's Theme ~ Love Unlimited Orchestra
     4. Come and Get Your Love ~Redbone
     5. Dancing Machine ~Jackson 5




Television 

     1. All in the Family

     2. Sanford and Son
     3. Chico and the Man
     4. The Jeffersons
     5. M*A*S*H











Yes, I remember all of this. Yikes, I may have aged myself!

Ultimately, HEART OF ROCK is a love story, girl meets boy. Brogan Byrne, my Irish rocker, carries a lot of heartache and grief, and at times, is not very likeable. Carly sees beneath the hurt, can she heal his heart of rock?

This story has been through a lot. Released briefly for a few months in 2012 with another publisher, I had to ask for my rights back. Accepted by Decadent Publishing, I added more than 5000 words and it received a shiny new edit. I am very pleased with this edition and so glad this novella is getting a second chance. Also, the cover rocks!

Tell me some of your favorites from the 1970’s, whether you remember it yourself or not! Music, fashions, foods, fads, TV, movies, share with me!

Leave a comment and you could win an e-copy of HEART OF ROCK!

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Previous Posts on Fictional Candy
Excerpt - Heart of Rock
Author on Author Interview
Review - Heart of Rock
Review - Timeless Heart
Interview - Karyn Gerrard

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Guest Post & Giveaway: Karyn Gerrard, author of Heart of Rock

Heart of Rock

Karyn Gerrard

Irishman Brogan Byrne is at the pinnacle of rock music success in 1974. Handsome, charismatic, with a three-octave voice, you’d think he had it all. But Byrne sinks to new depths of depravity with women, liquor, and drugs.

Carly Montgomery is an ambitious record executive offered an opportunity to be manager for the last leg of Byrne's tour. Though she's detached and tough as nails, Carly's cool facade comes under attack. Somehow Byrne manages to slip by her frosty defenses.

Brogan, for his part, is broken inside. A memory weighs on his soul and affects his actions. Is Carly the one woman to help him forget his guilt and heal his heart of rock?

This is a re-release. New additional scenes.

Hey everyone!  Today I have Karyn Gerrard over.  It's been a while, so I am super glad she is here!  And would you check out that new cover for Heart of Rock?  I loved it before, but now with these new tweaks, it is positively awesome!  So check out the post, let me know what you think!!
*Liz

Review: Heart of Rock by Karyn Gerrard

Title: Heart of Rock
Author: Karen Gerrard
Published: June 2012, Silver Publishing
Format: Ebook provided by author for review

Irishman Brogan Byrne is at the pinnacle of rock music success in 1974. Handsome, charismatic, with a three-octave voice, you’d think he had it all. But Byrne sinks to new depths of depravity with women, liquor, and drugs. 

Carly Montgomery is an ambitious record executive offered an opportunity to be manager for the last leg of Byrne's tour. Though she's detached and tough as nails, Carly's cool facade comes under attack. Somehow Byrne manages to slip by her frosty defenses. 

Brogan, for his part, is broken inside. A memory weighs on his soul and affects his actions. Is Carly the one woman to help him forget his guilt and heal his heart of rock?

CONTENT ADVISORY: This title contains MF, FMF, and MFF sexual situations.

This story begins with a prologue in Belfast 1970 with the main character, Brogan, and his girlfriend out walking after a night on the town.  Without giving anything away, this prologue really sets the scene for why Brogan is the way he is.  It’s very vivid and heartbreaking.

Jump forward to 1974 and Brogan is a class A jerk, and that’s being nice about it.  He’s rude, condescending, pompous, abusive, and an addict on top of it all.  He’s screwing up his life, and that’s why Carly is pretty much assigned to be his new manager. She’s got to keep him on track to finish the tour without self destructing and taking the whole band and tour down with him.

I have to be honest.  I don’t love Brogan.  I don’t even really like him.  I love his hair, which is perfect on the cover to his description in the book.  And there are times that his cockey responses are amusing.  But as a person?  Nope, he is definitely not on my list.  However– I can totally understand why and I have complete empathy for this man.  It’s really terrific that Karyn Gerrard has been able to create a character that you can completely dislike, and still care for him at the same time.  I don’t know how she does it, but she did it well. 

And then there is Carly.  I like her.  She is tough and funky.  Under the red and black hair, the makeup, and the tough girl exterior is an actual real person.  I would have liked to get to know her a bit more in depth, as there were some hints to her past.  I think she is intriguing.  When these two come together, despite the odds against them, there is passion.

Overall I enjoyed this story.  I wish there was a little bit more to it, or maybe a sequel?  I like these characters and I would look forward to getting to know them a bit more, or seeing what happens next.  I know there are some fans of rock and roll romances, and I think this would be a big hit with them.  There are some sensitive subjects touched on here, and I think they really bring an edgy, raw quality to the story.   I definitely recommend this if you are looking for a quick read. 

Follow Karyn!

Karyn Gerrard Author Site KARYN GERRARD

FACEBOOK:  Karyn Gerrard

TWITTER:   @Karyn Gerrard

 Karyn's Newsletter Sign Up 

Karyn Gerrard News:

Karyn has3 upcoming releases this fall and just signed another contract with Decadent!

• The Hero Sandwich, an M/F, F/M/F written with Gayl Taylor comes out November 9th with Breathless Press. 
• Knight of Christmas, a Victorian era holiday historical comes out November 24 with Silver Publishing. 
• The Blind Cupid, a historical/light BDSM/erotic romance short story is coming in December with Decadent Publishing's The Edge line 
• And she also just signed a contract with Decadent for My Highlander Cover Model~coming soon!

Previous Posts About Karyn and her books!

Review - Timeless Heart

Excerpt - Heart of Rock

Interview - Karyn Gerrard

Review: Heart of Rock by Karyn Gerrard

Title: Heart of Rock
Author: Karen Gerrard
Published: June 2012, Silver Publishing
Format: Ebook provided by author for review

Irishman Brogan Byrne is at the pinnacle of rock music success in 1974. Handsome, charismatic, with a three-octave voice, you’d think he had it all. But Byrne sinks to new depths of depravity with women, liquor, and drugs. 

Carly Montgomery is an ambitious record executive offered an opportunity to be manager for the last leg of Byrne's tour. Though she's detached and tough as nails, Carly's cool facade comes under attack. Somehow Byrne manages to slip by her frosty defenses. 

Brogan, for his part, is broken inside. A memory weighs on his soul and affects his actions. Is Carly the one woman to help him forget his guilt and heal his heart of rock?

CONTENT ADVISORY: This title contains MF, FMF, and MFF sexual situations.

This story begins with a prologue in Belfast 1970 with the main character, Brogan, and his girlfriend out walking after a night on the town.  Without giving anything away, this prologue really sets the scene for why Brogan is the way he is.  It’s very vivid and heartbreaking.

Jump forward to 1974 and Brogan is a class A jerk, and that’s being nice about it.  He’s rude, condescending, pompous, abusive, and an addict on top of it all.  He’s screwing up his life, and that’s why Carly is pretty much assigned to be his new manager. She’s got to keep him on track to finish the tour without self destructing and taking the whole band and tour down with him.

I have to be honest.  I don’t love Brogan.  I don’t even really like him.  I love his hair, which is perfect on the cover to his description in the book.  And there are times that his cockey responses are amusing.  But as a person?  Nope, he is definitely not on my list.  However – I can totally understand why and I have complete empathy for this man.  It’s really terrific that Karyn Gerrard has been able to create a character that you can completely dislike, and still care for him at the same time.  I don’t know how she does it, but she did it well. 

And then there is Carly.  I like her.  She is tough and funky.  Under the red and black hair, the makeup, and the tough girl exterior is an actual real person.  I would have liked to get to know her a bit more in depth, as there were some hints to her past.  I think she is intriguing.  When these two come together, despite the odds against them, there is passion.

Overall I enjoyed this story.  I wish there was a little bit more to it, or maybe a sequel?  I like these characters and I would look forward to getting to know them a bit more, or seeing what happens next.  I know there are some fans of rock and roll romances, and I think this would be a big hit with them.  There are some sensitive subjects touched on here, and I think they really bring an edgy, raw quality to the story.   I definitely recommend this if you are looking for a quick read. 

Follow Karyn!

Karyn Gerrard Author Site KARYN GERRARD

FACEBOOK:  Karyn Gerrard

TWITTER:   @Karyn Gerrard

 Karyn's Newsletter Sign Up 

Karyn Gerrard News:

Karyn has3 upcoming releases this fall and just signed another contract with Decadent!

• The Hero Sandwich, an M/F, F/M/F written with Gayl Taylor comes out November 9th with Breathless Press. 
• Knight of Christmas, a Victorian era holiday historical comes out November 24 with Silver Publishing. 
• The Blind Cupid, a historical/light BDSM/erotic romance short story is coming in December with Decadent Publishing's The Edge line 
• And she also just signed a contract with Decadent for My Highlander Cover Model~coming soon!

Previous Posts About Karyn and her books!

Review - Timeless Heart

Excerpt - Heart of Rock

Interview - Karyn Gerrard

Excerpt/Promo/Giveaway:Heart of Rock - Karyn Gerrard

I had to make that extra big so you could all enjoy the beauty of that cover. Whew!!  Enjoy!!

HEART OF ROCK 

from Silver Publishing Release Date June 30th

It's 1974. Brogan Byrne is at the pinnacle of rock music success, but a memory burdens his soul. Carly Montgomery is an ambitious record executive anxious to make a name for herself. Can she heal Byrne's heart of rock?

Irishman Brogan Byrne is at the pinnacle of rock music success in 1974. Handsome, charismatic, with a three-octave voice, you'd think he had it all. But Byrne sinks to new depths of depravity with women, liquor, and drugs. Carly Montgomery is an ambitious record executive offered an opportunity to be manager for the last leg of Byrne's tour. Though she's detached and tough as nails, Carly's cool facade comes under attack. Somehow Byrne manages to slip by her frosty defenses. Brogan, for his part, is broken inside. A memory weighs on his soul and affects his actions. Is Carly the one woman to help him forget his guilt and heal his heart of rock?

CONTENT ADVISORY: This title contains MF, FMF, and MFF sexual situations

**EXCERPT**

"Where the feck am I again?"
Looking at him, Carly shook her head. "Are you going to become one of those pathetic, burnt out, brain-fried bastards who need index cards wherever you go so you know what city you're in?"

He interrupted her and in an uninterested tone explained, "Love, I always needed index cards to tell me what city I was in."

She sighed in exasperation but continued, "We're still in Philly in a private VIP lounge at the airport waiting on a flight to JFK. In New York. You have a concert in two nights, remember?"

"Far out," Brogan mumbled in annoyance.

"Guess I'll have to introduce myself again. Carly Montgomery. I'm your new manager. Byron quit last night. I suppose you don't remember that, either."

"No. I really don't remember. The show went well, I suppose."

"Yes, the concert went fine. What happened after the show caused the concern. You all but trashed the dressing room at the Spectrum. Your mess is going to cost a pretty penny, Nigel is not impressed."

"Carly? How original. Copy Carly Simon, did you?"

He watched as her jaw set in annoyance. "I don't copy anybody. My name is Cara, but my family has called me Carly since I could crawl — and why am I explaining this to you?"

Brogan blinked and had a good look at this infuriating-as-shite woman. She was no more than 5'3”, her hair was long and wavy, dyed some two-tone shade of black with bright red streaks throughout. She wore a skintight black leather skirt and sexy four-inch black pumps. A tight gold tiger-patterned sweater hugged her feminine curves. Under the six layers of makeup he supposed she was attractive enough, no raving beauty but adequate. Her voice, however, sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

"I don't have to stay here. You can't keep me. I'll find my own feckin' way to New York —"

Carly whistled shrilly through her teeth. The door to the private lounge swung open. A man as big as a Volkswagen with a human head on it stood before Brogan with his legs apart and tree trunk-sized arms crossed defiantly.

Carly's laugh sounded smug and amused, which pissed him off further. "This is Giovanni. Gio gave you the cold shower, remember?"

He interjected again, this time more sarcastically, "Love, it's not the first cold shower I ever had."

"Regardless, he'll be your shadow going forward. Gio will keep you in line. Make sure you're a good boy and behave at the venues in future."

"I need a drink." Brogan snarled.

Carly inclined her head toward the counter. "There is fresh coffee in the pot, and some donuts in the box. That's all you're getting for now."

Jaysus Christ. He clasped his hands together to keep them from shaking. He did need a drink — badly. Times like this, he wished he smoked. He could use a fag right now. He was sober for the first time in days. Well, he would try to stay somewhat lucid for the show itself. But after the concert was over he would put aside the few restraints. Stalking the stage and whipping the crowd into a wild froth wasn't enough for him. He always needed more. His irritated gaze roamed over the huge man in front of him. Great. His own gorilla."Listen to me, Byrne. I've been around enough rockers these last three years to see the signs. Your own band can't stand you. They went to Nigel. They will be around you only for prerequisite rehearsals and the show itself. The rest of the time? They don't want to know you. They demanded separate travel and different hotels, though I can't see that happening. You're arrogant even to your own family and to your girlfriend," Carly hesitated. "You don't remember a thing, do you?"

Brogan Byrne didn't know why he acted this way and didn't know how to stop. This monster lived inside him, and it had resided there for a long time. The demon was a voracious beast. Even now it clamored and groaned. The beast wanted to be fed. The only thing quieting the fiend was drugs and sex. He needed some type of hit. He glanced over at Gio. If Tiny wasn't here he could put the moves on this Carly. Jaysus, where did that come from?

Next, check out the soundtrack right here!  All of these songs are the songs mentioned in the book!  Then afterwards, fill out the Rafflecopter and comment (there's a question in the rafflecopter!) for your chance to win a copy of HEART OF ROCK!

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