~Sunday Share Day Winner Number One~

I host Sunday Share Days every Sunday with a post on my Facebook author page. All comments are welcome from authors to leave their social media and book links for everyone to interact with. February marked my one year anniversary of doing so, and in celebration I encouraged many to comment their book links for me to purchase. I am also interviewing the two winners and will feature them on The Seller Spotlight. (the same contest will run in April for my birthday month so if you are an author, post your book links on my page every Sunday!)

I love supporting my fellow Indie authors, we are all in this together!

Today we will be speaking with Brandon Moore, the author of the recently self-published book, The Bet Between us.

My thoughts and review of this book will be mingled in with the interview as I ask Brandon some of the questions that came to mind while reading it. (you can read my full review on Amazon at the link below.) B. L. Moore was born in Bridgeton, NJ and now resides in Pennsgrove, NJ with his wife and cat. He enjoys listening to music, playing video games and is an avid Philadelphia sports fan.​

MWS: Hello, Brandon, it's nice to finally speak with you. Do you prefer Brandon or the initials B.L? B: It's great to finally speak with you as well. Brandon or B is fine MWS: Good to know, B. Before we discuss your book, I would like to get a bit of background on you. Is that okay with you? B: Of course MWS: Tell me where you grew up. B: I grew up in Bridgeton NJ. It wasn't all that lol. I lived there 'til I was 26. MWS: Are you an only child or do you have siblings? B: I'm an only child. I got fairly spoiled because of it. MWS: Being an only child has its advantages sometimes. Do you think it had an affect on your imagination? B: Definitely. I'd say my imaginary friend Max was my first dive into creating characters. My dad also told me a ton of stories himself, so that had a huge effect as well.

MWS: Aw, that is awesome! What does your family think of you being a writer?

B: I've been lucky enough to have a family that really supports me with everything. They were/are proud of me to have finished my book. I know a lot of people arent so lucky though.

MWS: That is true and a support system in this line of work is very important. Tell me how you met your wife, and how long have you been married?

B: I met my wife when I was 15. We had gym class together and then health. A year later we started dating and then last year, we got married. It'll be a year in April, but 11 altogether. I know...I made her wait a long time lol.

MWS: Lol. That is amazing! Many years together and many years more to go! Cheers to you both! Let's get into The Bet Between Us. I picked your book because it was unique, it really stood out from others that were posted on my Sunday Share Days. What gave you the idea for it?

B: Thank you very much! I've always enjoyed romantic comedies a lot. For ones set in high school, movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and She's All That,

which are huge inspirations for TBBU, were big early on. However, I always kind of felt they were a bit unrealistic, especially when I got in high school myself and saw how teenagers really were. So, my love for the genre along with wanting to give it a more realistic feel created what became TBBU.

MWS: Good point. I agree with that. Let's talk about Donald a second, or should I say Don Juan? lol He's interesting, and I must say back when I went to school, there were a couple fellas like him. Would you say he's based off anyone you knew back in school? B: DJ was based on a few different people I knew in High School for sure, with a bit of me in there too.

MWS: I really liked Alaina. As a female character she read well, and again, I knew several girls like her. Would you say she fits multiple traits of females you know or knew?

B: Yeah, definitely and I'm REALLY glad you liked her. I grew up around more women than guys, so it was important for me to write good female characters even more than the male characters. I'm happy to see that she read well.

MWS: She really did, and her name is awesome, too. I'm trying not to give spoilers, but there is a scene later in the book between Donald and another character that I did find interesting. It also touched on virginity. The scene went differently than I expected, and I had to wonder, do guys really talk about and hassle one another about those things? Or was it put in for dramatic purposes? B: It depends who you talk to, but yeah, they do it. The funny thing is, sometimes the guy doing the hassling is the one who has the least going on for him. I dont know if its changed since almost ten years since I've been in high school, but back then, that's definitely how it was. MWS: I'm sure they still do, never spent anytime in the boys locker room myself, so I have no idea what they talk about. lol. Guys act differently in front of girls, so thank you for that insight! The Bet Between Us has a real 80's/90's feel to it. Growing up in the 80's and spending my teens in the 90's made it recognizable for that era.

I really could see the Brat Pack from back then headlining it as a movie. You mentioned some of the movies that inspired the book, but what is your favorite from that era? B: Aww man, see that's SUPER difficult, the 80s and 90s movies are so big and I'm glad that theme stuck through. If we are talking about teen/high school romance, it would most likely be 10 Things I Hate About You.

If we broaden things to other movies from that era, we'd be here all day Haha. MWS: Lol! There are so many good ones to choose from, but I had to ask. Those are my jam and they don't make them like they used to, lol. What are you working on now? Any other YA WIP's at the moment? B: No YA WIPs but I plan on going back to it. Right now, I'm actually switching it up and working on an dark adult sci-fi/fantasy. MWS: Now that sounds intriguing. What is it about? Can you give me a hint or two?

B: Lol, I'm still working on the blurb. It's about a man who just turned 25, he goes to another world to find his parents, who disappeared when he was younger. From there on, he discovers a lot about himself, his parents, and the world he came from. There are a ton of inspirations in there once again, but also with me giving it my own feel. Think an adult Harry Potter

mixed with The Matrix. Along with some inspirations from Final Fantasy 7 and Full Metal Alchemist. I know, that's a lot to take in.

MWS: I look foward to that! Keep me updated! Tell me what writing means to you. What do you love about it? What frustrates you the most?

B: I will! It's something I've done since I was 6 and I felt I could always get my feelings out better through writing than I could through talking. I was always shy, so it just helped. As I mentioned before, my dad was a big inspiration for me creatively and I always felt it was amazing to see so many thoughts finally form on the page. Instead of being stuck in my brain forever,

keeping me up at night staring at the ceiling. I dont think I've ever felt the happiness I do when I finally finish a WIP. I also love to bring enjoyment to other people's lives and seeing them be happy from something I created is truly special. Frustration wise, I'd say is just the second guessing myself or overthinking it. Making sure I have everything perfect is pretty big. MWS: Second guessing is second nature in this feild, lol! I feel that for sure! What genre is your favorite to read? B: I dont really have a favorite. I jump around a lot and really just look for something that sounds interesting. One day you'll see me reading YA mystery, the next it'll be adult Sci-Fi. You know? Im like that with everything though. Let's just say I take a LONG TIME at the book store.

MWS: An eclectic reader, me too! So much good stuff out there, it's hard to pick one. lol! Book stores are one of my favorite places to be! Anything in particular you are reading at this time?

B: I'm actually focusing on writer's reference books so I can improve. I took a break with novels to do so. Before I took my break I was reading a lot of Indie- Author books and just finished Fliers by Laura Mae. I thought it was pretty cool. MWS: That's great! Our growth as writers never stops and it is important to take a step back and work on bettering our craft. I admire that, good job on wanting to do that! This is has been so much fun and I thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. Where can readers look for you to see any upcoming projects or follow you? B: Thank you so much, Melissa! I had a great time talking to you as well and hope to do more in the future! If they want to follow my updates or just talk to me, they can find me on Instagram and Twitter. I also have a site that I'm working toward making better www.blmooreauthor.com.

MWS: I'll be sure to follow your new site! Thanks, B, and I am excited to read what you write next! B: I'm happy to hear that and I hope you have a great weekend...even though they go by so fast.

MWS: lol!

(The best you can give an author, is to leave a review! Messages on my front page are always welcomed!)

(Click the book photo for the direct link to Amazon.)

Donald Cerlino only cares about three things: money, getting girls, and gambling. His friends are so impressed with his abilities with women, they start calling him Don Juan. When senior year starts, he’s got a list of girls he wants to add to the growing number of notches on his headboard. So when his best friend, Thomas, bets Donald that his skills aren’t enough to nab the school valedictorian, Alaina Pizzo, Donald is up for the challenge. What Thomas doesn’t know is that Donald has had a crush on Alaina since kindergarten. Problem is, Alaina hates his guts. When Donald’s feelings for Alaina start to show, Thomas begins to turn against him. Thomas wanted Donald to see the error of his ways when it comes to women, not abandon their friendship for yet another girl. The deeper Donald gets, the more he wants a future with Alaina, but that means revealing why he started talking to her in the first place. When Thomas starts threatening to tell Alaina the truth, Donald has to decide if he wants to lose the love of his life or his best friend. Donald realizes he took a bet he can’t win. The great Don Juan may lose everything.

~Happy Reading, even if you aren't reading me!~ *Authors are a small business. Please support our small businesses by leaving a review, thank you!*