Book Tour: Dangerous obsession by M.M. Roethig

"A dancer and a Marine—two worlds collide.

Chloe Johnson is no stranger to the spotlight. A prestigious member of the LA Laker Girls, she’s in the public eye regularly. Her world is perfect.

Eric Taylor, on the other hand, is damaged, both body and spirit. Injured overseas, he returns home with fresh physical wounds, invisible emotional scars, and a bad attitude.

When Chloe becomes the object of affection to an unknown stalker, she must leave her life behind and rely on a total stranger, and the only man she’s ever met who’s never happy to see her—Eric. Can she trust this hardened soldier with her life?

Adjusting to civilian life hasn’t been easy for Eric. Swearing off women forever, all he wants is to be left alone. However, his world is thrown into chaos when Chloe appears on his doorstep as an invited guest of Eric’s twin brother. Bewitched by her innocent charms, Eric fights to keep her at arm’s length, putting his No More Women resolve to the test.

Everything soon changes when Chloe’s stalker trackers her down, making her a pawn in a cat and mouse game of Dangerous Obsession.

*This is a clean romantic fiction. There is no graphic violence, sex, or language in this book.* "

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Author M.M. Roethig is a 'happily-ever-after' author whose guilty pleasure is a swoon worthy romance. Growing up, she spent her youth on various Air Force bases in many different states, which encouraged her imagination and love of make believe stories with each new city, scenery, and situation.

Finally settling in Idaho, M.M. Roethig finished her schooling years and eventually met and married her very own Prince Charming. A recent move took her to Northern Colorado, a place she has instantly fallen in love with and embraced as her home.

When she is not swooning over romance stories or writing, M.M. Roethig enjoys spending time with her husband and son who also call Colorado home. With two grown daughters and one son-in-law living in Idaho, she finds every excuse to travel back as much as possible.

Other hobbies M.M. Roethig enjoys is running, photography, baking, watching her son swim, trying new board games, and cheering on the Denver Broncos.

YA Paranormal Fiction : Elemental Princess * Raine

Contemporary Romance: Reflections

Anthologies: Beginnings * Summer Dreams

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Author Interview

1- Tell us something about yourself, both as a writer and as a person.

As a person, I’m a homebody. I’m content to stay home and watch movies, read books, or cook. I like to go to movies, but I’m okay to go by myself during the day. I’m not one to draw attention to myself so I like to go to the movies when it’s not especially busy and I’m okay to go by myself. As a writer, you’d think I’d like to talk about myself, but I’m more than content to stay behind my keyboard, behind the scenes, and write. I love to watch investigation shows, and if I wasn’t a writer I’d love to be a CSI Investigator.

As a writer, it took me a while to find the confidence to allow others to actually see my work. My first full length novel, Raine, was five years in the making and was a YA fantasy fiction. Dangerous Obsession is a different genre and is my attempt at a romantic suspense. It took a little over a year to write and was put on hold while I finished Raine, but was a lot of fun to write and holds a special place in my heart.

2- What is the most important thing you have learned since becoming an author?

It’s important to have a great story, but it doesn’t stop there. If you don’t have an agent, you need to shop your script around to publishers who will help you with editing, book covers, formatting, and marketing. If you decide to self-publish, spend the money on editing, covers, formatting, and marketing. It’s worth it.

3- What is your favorite writing style?

My style is 3rd person. Many books I’ve seen lately are written in 1st person and I tried to adopt that style, but it didn’t work for me. 4- Who was the hardest character to write?

Eric was hard for me. It was hard to get into his head and understand what he was thinking. Coming from overseas, feeling his loss, his anger—it was hard to wrap my head around. He’s a strong man, but he’s also broken. It’s hard to portray that without making him look overbearing or harsh. 5- Would you say you know your characters well?

I’ve lived with them for over a year, I hope I know them!

6- Can you sum up Dangerous Obsession in one word?

Romantic

7- What was one of your favorite scenes to write?

There is a scene in the barn after an argument between Eric and Chloe that I found sweet. Eric is tormented by memories of his time overseas and Chloe is tormented by her stalker who she is hiding from. Eric hasn’t been nice to Chloe, trying to keep her at arms-length because of his attraction to her, but she can give back as much as he can give. She’s a strong woman, something I love about her. The scene is sweet, both on Eric’s part and hers. It shows his soft side and her strong side and it really made me love both of them as a couple, as well as individuals as they struggle to determine what they both want.

8- If you had one chance to change anything about your life, what would it be?

I was a dancer in high school and college. In college I became a young mother and dropped out of college to take care of my daughter. I wouldn’t change becoming a young mother, but I would change dropping out of college. I would’ve stayed in college and continued dancing, following my dream to try out for the Denver Nuggets or LA Lakers.

9- What is your favorite thing about Eric?

I love the soft side of Eric. He’s an amazingly strong, loyal man, but deep down he is tender and kind hearted. His soft side isn’t something he wants many to see and he reserves it for

those close to his heart, but when it comes out he isn’t afraid to let shine.

10- Tell us 5 things about yourself?

I love movies!

I love bottle caps candy

I hate snakes

I secretly think I’ll die by sharks

I just found a new drink called Dirty Diet Cokes that I LOVE. (Diet cokes with a squeeze of lime and a splash of coconut. YUM!)

Excerpt

“I’m a mess, Chloe. I don’t know which way is up anymore.” Hearing him admit it stabbed her heart. Eric dropped his arms and turned toward the pasture, propping his booted foot on the bottom rail again. He rested his forearms on the top, and looked out blankly. “Sometimes I feel like I’m trapped on a never ending rollercoaster that knocks me around at breakneck speeds, leaving me battered in the seat. I’m helpless to stop it. It’s a ride I want off, but I can’t find the emergency brake.”

“Eric, you can talk to me. If these past few weeks have done anything, I would hope you’ve learned that I’m not here to judge you. Not you.”

“I’ve seen and done things I’m not proud of, CJ. I’ve witnessed the worst of humanity in places I never wish to be again. I’ve lost more friends than I ever dreamed possible, and I’m not who I used to be.” Eric dropped his head to his hands and closed his eyes. Chloe stepped beside him. Placing both feet on the bottom rail, she curled her arms over the top and pulled herself up. She stood there, watching the horses, waiting for him to say more, but he remained quiet.

“Things happen in our lives that change us, GI. That’s not a bad thing. It makes us who we are, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Chloe heard his loud exhale. “That’s how we grow. I don’t know everything you went through, and I can’t even begin to comprehend your pain, but I know you’re not alone.”

“I lost many friends over there, some just out of high school. I’ve seen many lose their hearts to women who didn’t deserve the dirt those men walked on. I lost one of my best friends over there. His name was Tucker Hardy. It wasn’t from enemy fire, either. He took his own life.” Chloe gasped, feeling her stomach drop to her knees. She turned her gaze to him, but Eric never looked up. He looked intent on talking and she didn’t want to interrupt him now. “His wife just had their baby, a boy, and he missed the birth because the babe came early. Hardy had leave scheduled, but babies don’t come on military approved time off, apparently.”

“I don’t think babies come on any approved time frame,” she whispered and heard the soft chuckle beside her.

“When Hardy called home the day before he left, she was there with another man, his neighbor.”

“Oh no.” Chloe stepped off the railing as she turned to face Eric. He nodded.

“Tuck was a good man. He didn’t deserve that. He survived his last patrol only to find out he lost his family. The way she did it—it happens all the time. When your friend is killed by enemy fire, you know who to blame. Who do you blame here?”

Chloe ducked under his arm, placing herself between him and the railing. Instinctively she put her hands on his chest and waited until he looked at her.

“I don’t know what to say, Eric.”

“I want to blame his wife for what she did. Blame the war for taking him away from his family, blame myself for not noticing.”

“Wait, what?” she asked, reeling back in surprise. “Noticing?”

“That he was in bad shape. I should have known. I was his best friend and I should have seen the signs. I thought he just needed time to process, to think. The op we just came back from went horribly wrong. I should have done something, but instead I survived and he didn’t.”

Chloe grabbed his hands and felt them shaking. His voice was steady and he exuded confidence, but his hands shook. It was the only outward tale-tell sign he was affected, a product of the military training he’d had, she presumed.

“Eric, none of this is your fault.”

“I dream about it,” he said by way of response. Chloe was taken aback by his change in subject. She watched as he seemed to drift off to a different place. “It was hot, the air stifling. The pain wasn’t as bad as I thought, the adrenaline kept me moving. We kicked through one door, but people were shouting our location from the rooftops.”

“With Tucker?” she asked in confusion.

“No, yes, all of it. I’m not making sense, I know that.” Eric lifted one strand of her hair and ran it between his fingers. “I dream about things all the time. Mostly it’s that night I caught shrapnel in my arm and banged up my knee,” he explained. She could feel his hands still trembling, the look in his eyes distant, and she gave him a squeeze when she wrapped her arms around his waist. He blinked, and then focused on her, really focused on her for the first time since they began talking. “Sometimes it’s about Hardy and how I lost him. Last night, it was you.”

“Eric, you’re here now. You made it home, you’re here safe. It’s not a bad thing. You’re not a bad person because of it. And, I’m safe.”

“I’ve hurt you, emotionally and physically.” He pulled her into a desperate hug, squeezing her tight against his chest. She let him hold her. Closing her eyes, she inhaled his masculine scent.

“You haven’t hurt me, not really. I’ve never felt safer than when I’m here with you.”

Eric once again took her face in his hands, their breath mingling in the early morning air as he leaned toward her.

“Don’t leave,” he stated. She waited in anticipation as he closed the gap between their lips. Just as his skin pressed to hers, Chloe heard gravel kicking up as a car sped toward the house. She assumed Eric heard it too, because he sighed and dropped his arms before turning for the house.

She watched him go, admiring his subtle limp a little more than she did yesterday. He earned those outward scars with more pain that ran deeper than anyone understood.