The time it was about The Kiss Countdown

Posted April 9, 2024 by Stacee in Interviews | 0 Comments

When I got the invite to interview Etta Easton for The Kiss Countdown, I couldn’t respond fast enough. I am low key obsessed with that cover and knew that this would be a story that I would be devouring. (spoiler alert: i’m in the middle of it and loving it!)

Before we get to Etta’s answers, let’s check out the book.

Title: The Kiss Countdown
Author: Etta Easton
Pages: 336
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Pub Date: April 9, 2024
Find it: PRH | Bookshop | Goodreads

Synopsis: Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. With no choice but to gamble on her shaky start-up, the last thing she needed was to run into her smug ex and his new, less complicated girlfriend at Amerie’s favorite coffee shop. Panicked, she pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she just met by spilling an Americano all over his abs. He plays along—for a price.

Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morph into a plan: for the three months leading up to his space mission, Amerie will play Vincent’s doting partner in front of his loving but overly invested family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house and can put every penny toward her struggling business.

What Amerie doesn’t plan for is Vincent’s gravitational pull. While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he’s exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she’ll settle for the safe life—or shoot for the stars.

Sounds good, right?

1. Please give the elevator pitch for The Kiss Countdown.

Event planner Amerie is at rock bottom, so when she runs into her ex with his new beautiful girlfriend, she does what any logical person would do–tells them the hot astronaut she just ran into is her boyfriend. What she doesn’t expect is for the astronaut, Vincent, to also need a fake partner to keep his family off his back while he prepares for a moon expedition. When the two strike a deal to fake date for three months and begin falling into each other’s orbit, they must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after.

2. Which came first: the characters or the plot?

The plot! I kept picturing two people kissing under the stars and knew I wanted to craft a story detailing how they got to that point.

3. Why do you love Amerie and Vincent and why should readers root for them?

I love how even though Amerie’s life isn’t going how she’d hoped, her choices (though sometimes questionable) are ultimately made so her loved ones can be happy—her parents, best friend, and eventually Vincent. And I love how even though Vincent is clearly smitten with Amerie, he doesn’t let her walk all over him. He has fun pushing her buttons as well as pushing her out of her comfort zone.

4. Were there any weird things you googled while drafting?

I had to look up plenty of science facts about stars and the moon, but I didn’t expect to research electrical wiring as well. Amerie wants to remodel Vincent’s bathroom with a chandelier above the tub. I had to determine if a.) that’s even safe, and b.) how high up it would need to hang.

5. Without spoilers, which scene was your favorite to write?

I always love the point in fake dating stories where the characters wake up to what the readers already know—their feelings aren’t so fake anymore. When the realization hits Amerie, it’s full of kissing and emotions, and was so fun to write!

Speed {ish} round:

1. You find out that you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.

I am easily overwhelmed. When I got the call from my agent, first I told my husband, then my kids. Then I took a nap!

2. What three things would you take to a desert island?

I’m tempted to say nothing but bug spray (I am a bee magnet!), but I’d also bring a portable home (I hear they’re easy to buy off Amazon now) and my husband (to put the home together).

3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?

Heart Of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

4. What is the one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

Stress and imposter syndrome don’t disappear when you get a book deal. In many ways, they get worse! To cope: try connecting with authors who are where you’re at in the process, speak to a therapist when it gets overwhelming, take frequent social media breaks, and take plenty of naps.

5. You wake up and discover you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out. What do you do differently?

I would not kiss Jacob. I’d never want to have that awkward conversation where I explain to my daughter that I made out with her soulmate before, but it’s totally cool. He was only attracted to me because he sensed one day I’d give birth to you. Also, if this alt version of Bella could keep her melanin, I think I’d look fabulous sparkling in the sun!

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Etta Easton’s journey into romance began in middle school. Her best friend pulled a tupperware bin full of Harlequin paperbacks from her mom’s closet, and Etta has never looked back. She is a certified hopeless romantic who now writes contemporary romance. Her stories are full of humor, relatable heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, and Black joy.