I mean, as far as rebound plans go, this was was solid.

The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender by WS Carmichael released last Wednesday in the Romance/Romantic Comedy genre.

Ava Moreland has it all planned out. In two months, she will marry her fiancé, Tim. She’ll continue working at Vegas’s famous Cosmopolitan bar while he runs his father’s accounting firm. Soon they’ll start a family and she’ll have the white picket life she’s always dreamed of.
Or not.

When her fairytale engagement implodes in a devastating display, Ava embarks on a quest to reclaim her identity and feminine prowess – by sleeping her way through Las Vegas. With her best friend, Jarrod, acting as wingman her plan is foolproof.
Or not.

Nothing goes as planned with hilariously disastrous results. Her sexual misadventures will keep you in stitches as Ava searches for herself in Sin City, finding herself and her happily ever after in the unlikeliest of places.

“That’s your master plan? To become known as the slutty bartender?” Jarrod raises one eyebrow, his skepticism written all over his face.

“Well, it sounds bad when you put it like that.” I shrug. “You’re misunderstanding the point.”

“Is the point to see how many STD’s you can rack up?”

I sigh. “No. The point is to reclaim my womanly power. The point is to live life. The point is to embrace life’s opportunities without the expectation of a happily ever after. The point is to forget about Mr. Right and enjoy Mr. Right Now.”

Jarrod shakes his head, leaves me sitting on the sofa alone and goes into his bedroom.

“I thought you’d be totally on board!” I shout to his closed door.

I mean, seriously. It isn’t as if I told him I was going to lay spread eagle in front of The Bellagio holding a sign reading ‘Free Sex’. While I’m not the type of girl to throw her cooter at every guy passing by, I see no reason to be a total prude either. I’ve decided to explore the world of one-night stands. I get hit on all the time at work. What’s so wrong with taking someone up on the offer if I find him attractive? I am no longer beholden to anyone.

A few minutes later, Jarrod jerks his door open. “Ok. I’ve thought about it. You can do this, but you need a chaperone.”

“I don’t need a chaperone.”

“Ok, A wingman, then. I’ll be personally vetting your selections to make sure there’s no psycho vibes.” He plops down next to me on the couch.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

WS Carmichael is attempting to write the world into romantic bliss one novel at a time. Based in upstate NY, she travels as often as her hectic schedule will allow. When she isn’t busy writing, she’s a mother, nurse and avid sportswoman.

WS Carmichael fell in love with romance at an early age when she would sneak Harlequins from her mother. A voracious reader, she eventually made the jump to writing.

Writing is her passion and she’s always jotting down new storyline and character ideas. Often, her characters take on a life of their own and don’t always cooperate with her plan for them. Creating well developed, strong alpha male characters that don’t fit into the typical romance hero mold makes her novels exciting and relatable. A woman who believes whole heartedly in happily ever after, she gives her heroes the heroine they deserve.

Who is the Hero?

When I think of a hero, I think of the alpha male coming to save the day as he swoops in on his white horse, rescuing the damsel in distress. So, when I’m asked to describe the hero of The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender, my instinct is to reason there is no hero.

Hmmm…that’s impossible. How can any book, especially a love story, not have a hero? The lead male character must be the hero. That’s just the way of things, right?

Wrong.

I like to think my writing is a fresh take on the romance genre. We all read romance novels because we love the HEA and of course, the romance. But who says romance novels must be formulaic? Personally, I find it boring to read the same romance again and again with only slight tweaks to the characters and storylines. With that in mind, I try to check all the boxes that make a romance a romance while keeping the reader engaged with entertaining characters.

It is in this spirit I would assert there are two heroes in The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender.

The first, and my favorite character, is Jarrod. Jarrod is Ava’s best friend and confidant. He is an out and proud, flamboyant, hell of a good time. When writing Jarrod’s character, I was careful to avoid painting him as the insulting, overdone, stereotypical homosexual man Hollywood loves to shove in our faces. He is animated, but I wanted the reader to see his depth also. He is Ava’s balance when she needs it, her fierce protector and the first one in line to tell her when she’s being an asshole. There are many scenes where Jarrod’s softer side is evident. After a night out drinking, he helps Ava to bed, even taking the time to remove her makeup for her. When her engagement crumbles, he picks her up and carries her through the roughest time without letting her lose herself in an abyss of self-pity. Despite her assertions of being a strong, independent woman, Ava almost lets her chance at happiness pass her by because she’s afraid to be hurt again. Jarrod is there every step of the way, forcing her to take a hard look at her motivations and goals while giving her the support and space she needs. If there was ever a hero of a best friend, it is Jarrod Jeffries.

Now that I’ve made it seem Ava needs Jarrod to save her from herself, I’ll contradict myself by declaring Ava the second hero in Misadventures. If there is one cliché I can’t stand, it is the helpless woman. None, I repeat, none of my female leads are helpless and Ava is no exception. She’s just like the rest of us. She’s imperfect. She makes choices she later regrets. She can be impulsive, and she sometimes lets her mouth get away from her. She allowed herself to be molded into someone else’s idea of who she should be because she thought love required that type of sacrifice. In the end, though, it is Ava who must decide who she is and how she wants to live her life. Jarrod can support and guide her, but Ava must make the tough decisions on her own. Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own lives and Ava is no different. Regardless of the obstacles and opportunities in front of her, if she doesn’t go after what she wants, she’ll never find her HEA. Sometimes, the only hero we truly need is ourselves.

Thank you for taking the time to read about Jarrod and Ava. Please follow my blog at http://www.WSCarmichael.com.

You can check out her blog and find out more on her website:

 www.wscarmichael.com

Social Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/wscarmichaelauthor/#

Twitter:       https://twitter.com/RomanceWSC

Website:    http://www.wscarmichael.com/

~*~

This post is part of a Tour. The tour dates can be found here:  

https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2021/02/vbt-misadventures-of-wannabe-slutty.html

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

• $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3674

~*~

http://www.goddessfish.com