Please Remember Me blog tour | Author Interview, Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Please Remember Me

Author: Jacob Z. Flores

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Genre: M/M Contemporary

Release Date: February 6, 2015

Buy Link: Dreamspinner Press

Successful lawyer Santi Herrara couldn't be happier with the direction his life is taking.  Not only is he on track to becoming a partner in his law firm, but he's planning his wedding to Hank Burton, a south Texas contractor who has made a name for himself despite his humble beginnings.  The introverted, lone wolf Santi and the friendly, outgoing Hank complement each other perfectly.  From the moment they laid eyes on each other, they were hooked, and as far and Santi and Hank are concerned, a happily ever after is their destiny.

But fate deals them a devastating new hand.

A construction accident leaves Hank with severe head trauma and brings him precariously close to death.  When he awakens, Hank doesn't remember Santi or the love they shared for the past three years.  Santi faces the the greatest challenge of his life.  Can he respark a flame his lover can't recall? And can he stop the diverging paths that fickle fate charts between them?

Santi however, has faith in the love he and Hank shared and in the words his father once spoke to him: "It's never too late to fall in love.  All over again."

Santi Herrara and Hank Burton are drawn to each other from the first glance. They spend that first night together, and as many as possible thereafter which as not as easy as it seems, considering they live in different states. As their relationship grows, so does their commitment to each other and eventually, Hank relocates to Texas. They are building a solid foundation and planning a wedding until fate deals them a crushing blow.

Hank is injured on a job site and when he wakes in the hospital, he doesn’t recognize Santi. Hank has lost the last few years of his life, the years that are wrapped around his life now, in Texas with Santi. Through memories shared and stories told by Santi and their mutual friends, Hank tries to remember this life that is just out of reach. Slowly, painfully and patiently Santi gives Hank the time and distance he says he needs. And just when Santi thinks he might be breaking the surface of the fog that has settled over Hanks memories, the rug is snatched out from under him again.

How do you move past a life that is no longer yours when it’s all you think you know? How do you transition into a life with a stranger that wants nothing more from you than for you to remember him, the life and the love you shared, when everything about that life is foreign to you?

This book comes with a Kleenex and Vodka four alarm fire warning! While I’m not always a fan of insta-love stories, Santi and Hanks instant infatuation just worked for me. In the beginning, I thought it was the fact that I know the Author and his partner, and so many little tendencies and nuances reminded me of them in relation to who I thought they were in the story. But Flores did such a great job with character development and precise descriptives within the storyline as it progressed, that I was completely drawn in to Santi and Hanks lives.

Yeah, I’ll admit it, I was full on snot slinging crying at one point. I blew through a box of Kleenex and several vodka cranberries, but it was so worth it in the end when I was smiling through those tears. An emotional read that kept my attention from start to finish with three dimensional characters and a heartbreakingly beautiful storyline.

I’ve said this before, laughter through tears is my favorite emotion, and you will experience this in abundance while reading this book. It really reminded me a whole lot of the movie The Vow, with a different ending, an ending with that Flores flare. Definitely a must read though, especially for anyone that loves a good love story.

Jacob Z. Flores lives a double life. During the day, he is a respected college English professor and mid-level administrator. At night and during his summer vacation, he loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to write man on man fiction, where the hardass assessor of freshmen level composition turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid appendages of the characters in his fictional world.

Summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, provide Jacob with inspiration for his fiction. The abundance of barely clothed man flesh and daily debauchery stimulates his personal muse. When he isn’t stroking the keyboard, Jacob spends time with his daughter. They both represent a bright blue blip in an otherwise predominantly red swath in south Texas.

You can follow Jacob’s musings on his blog at http://jacobzflores.com or become a part of his social media network by visiting http://www.facebook.com/jacob.flores2

or http://twitter.com/#!/JacobZFlores.

Jacob ~ Before we begin, I just wanted to say thank you for having me on your blog today. I always look forward to hanging out with awesome people!

Tams ~ Where are you from, and where do you call home?

Jacob ~ I’m originally from San Antonio, Texas, but I moved to Victoria, Texas in 1996. I came here after graduate school, when I was offered a full time teaching job at Victoria College.

Tams ~ What inspires you to write?

Jacob ~ There’s not really one thing that inspires me, mostly because my muse is extremely fickle. Sometimes, he hears a song and it gets him going or sees a really hot man, and well, after I give him some private time, he’s ready to ride!

Recently, however, he’s been intrigued by shaking things up. That’s why he really liked writing Please Remember Me, my latest release from Dreamspinner. Even though an amnesia trope is at the heart of the book, Santi and Hank’s story goes far beyond that. It’s a story about true love and proving that it’s never too late to fall in love all over again.

Tams ~ Why did you choose the MM genre?

Jacob ~ I think the genre actually chose me. I fell in love with this industry because at its heart is love and being who we truly are. That was something I hadn’t gotten from many of the mainstream publishers, not because they are bad or anything, but because the majority of books published didn’t represent my life or me. This genre does. It’s a celebration of love in whatever form we find it. Once I found it, there was no going back.

Tams ~ What are the pros and cons to using a Publisher?

Jacob ~ I don’t know if there are any cons, at least with my publisher. Dreamspinner is a pleasure to work for. They treat their authors well, and I was lucky Elizabeth North decided to take a chance on me back in 2012. I had no presence and no experience, but she must have liked what she read.

I did publish self-publish one book and while you do have a certain amount of freedom, you are on your own. I like the support system of a publisher, from the editors to the marketing department. It’s like we are a family, working together to make our products the best they can be.

Tams ~ What is a day in the life of Author Jacob Flores like?

Jacob ~ Well, I wake up in the morning, eat oatmeal, and then put on my cape and cowl and protect Victoria from the evil that lies within its heart.

Yeah, right.

My life is pretty standard AKA boring. I get up, go to work, come home, go to the gym, write, spend time with my daughter and my partner, and then go to bed no later than 10:30.

It’s not exactly a Hollywood life, but I love it. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Tams ~ Whom would you say has inspired you most in your life?

Jacob ~ My mother. She raised me mostly by herself, and she was intent that I get an education and get out of the barrio. She didn’t let anything stop her or me. That must be where I get my tenacity from. She had so many obstacles in her way when I was younger and I’m amazed at how she navigated those hurdles to get us where we both are today. She’s truly an inspiration.

Tams ~ What are you working on now?

Jacob ~ My current WIP is the second book from my paranormal series called the Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge. It follows the lives of Mason, Thad, and Warren Blackmoor as they journey toward love and face conflict from all the bad guys that get in their way. It’s what I have lovingly called my gay version of True Blood. There’s warlocks, witches, wizards, vampires, shifters, fae, and a whole slew of other paranormal beings. It’s been quite the world building exercise, and it’s been fun!

The first book Spell Bound is set to release the third quarter of this year, and I’m hoping the second book Blood Tied will release in the final quarter of the year.

Fun stuff...

~ Pepsi or Coke ~ Coke. There is no choice here. Pepsi is blech!

~ Tea of Coffee ~ Tea. I don’t like coffee. I could drink myself silly at tea, especially if it’s high tea. Yum!

~ Hotdogs or Hamburgers ~ Definitely hamburgers. Hot dogs are good, but when I’m really hungry only a good slab of beef will do.

~ Pen or Pencil ~ Pen. Pencils make me cringe. There’s a sound they make as you write with them that sets my nerves on edge. That may sound weird, but that’s me. Weird.

~ Day or Night ~ Depends on what I’m doing and who I’m with. ;)

~ E-book or Paperback ~ I’ve actually come back around to paperback. I went a few years only buying e-books. They are certainly convenient and not as bulky to carry around, but there’s just something about a good old-fashioned book in your hands. The sound of a crisp page turning and the paper smell. It’s like a drug.

~ Black or White ~ Black. It’s slimming. Enough said.

~ Werewolves or Vampires ~ Vampires. They are extremely sexy. And I prefer one in particular—Alexander Skarsgard’s Eric Northman. Sexy!

Jacob ~ Before I go, I want to thank everyone who stopped by today. I had a blast. I also want to thank Tammy for the interview. It’s been a pleasure and I hope we get to do it again soon.

For those interested, I have included an excerpt below. Additionally, as part of my blog tour I’m hosting a giveaway.

The Please Remember Me Giveaway Contest

At each stop of my tour, I’m giving away a free e-copy of one of the books on my backlist. All you have to do is leave a comment to this post, and your name is entered to win.

At the end of my tour, I’m giving away a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.

Excerpt:

“Santi!”

I turned to see Jill rushing through the exterior doors and barreling toward me with her smock still tied around her waist. From the looks of her stained apron, she’d been in the middle of a color job when I finally managed to get her on the phone about thirty minutes ago.

“Any word?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the sight of my best friend, the one person other than Hank I’d been able to let my guard down around since my parents died, caused my internal retaining wall to crumble. I broke into sobs. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and stroked my head. “I know,” she cooed. “I know.” She led me over to the row of plastic chairs next to Sharon. While I let loose the fear I’d been unable to express, she lowered us both into a seated position before she took my head out of the crook of her neck and wiped the tears from my cheeks. “He’s going to be fine. Hank’s a strong and stubborn man. If anyone’s going to come through this with flying colors, it’s him.”

“That’s right,” Sharon said at my side. She rested her hand reassuringly on my shoulder.

I nodded. Hank was the strongest, most stubborn man I knew, but right now I didn’t see that man. I could only see the Hank who’d landed after the fall. The one with blood pooling around his head and out of his mouth. The one who lay perfectly still despite my cries for him to wake up. The one who looked helpless and hurt, and the one I couldn’t do anything for to make it all better.

“Remember that,” Jill said. “And remember he loves you.”

“I know he does,” I managed to say between sniffles. The river of pain had slowed. While the occasional sob still racked my body, at least I was able to speak coherently. “And I love him too. So very much. I don’t know what I’d do—”

Jill punched my arm. “Stop that!”

I absently rubbed where she hit me, more out of habit than an actual sensation of pain. I couldn’t feel anything, really. Sometime over the past four hours, I’d gone numb. The world, which had once been so bright and vivid, now appeared drab and lifeless, as if someone had sucked the color out of reality.

“Be positive.” Though Jill’s voice was confident, the fear in her wide eyes was obvious. She was attempting to be strong for me.

“I will be.”

“That’s right. After all, you’ve got a wedding to plan.”

My wedding. It was going to be the most glorious and momentous day of my life. And I had enough hope to believe that it was still going to happen.

You can buy Please Remember Me here:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6018

And I urge readers to visit me at any or all of my social media sites:

Website/blog: http://jacobzflores.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jacob.flores2,

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/JacobZFlores,

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5142501.Jacob_Z_Flores

And let me just say thank you to Jacob as well for stopping by, sharing his new book and taking the time to answer my questions. I had a blast! Until next time...

Jacob is giving away at each stop an eBook copy winner’s choice from his backlist.  Grand Prize giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card.  Leave a comment for the eBook entry, Grand Prize will be drawn using Rafflecopter.a Rafflecopter giveaway