Q&A with Stacy Borel and Shawn Dawson + GIVEAWAY!!!

Questions and Answers from the writer and model of Bender...

I got the pleasure of getting to do interviews with USA Today and New York Times Best Selling Author Stacy Borel and Professional Hottie Shawn Dawson. Once you read the interviews, feel free to enter the giveaway at the bottom for one signed copy of Bender, signed by both Stacy and Shawn. To get you in the mood, feel free to watch this video of Shawn Dawson. 

Question and Answer with Shawn Dawson

NOTE: He is mine. I call him. He is not yours, so look, but don't touch.

This is me, Brittany.

And this is Shawn. Ain't he pretty?

And this is me with Shawn. Total fan girl moment.

So now that you know who is talking, let's get started. Read and swoon on!

Brittany: So, I’m really excited for this. You know I have the biggest crush on you ever, right? *blushes* And you can deny it all you want, but someone raised you right? Who was it? I bet it was your mom.
Shawn: It was my mother, clearly I’m a mommas boy.  Unfortunately, my father passed away when I was 11 years old. He’s always with me in spirit though, no doubt about that. 

Brittany: Is it too much to ask to get a picture of you when you were a child?
Shawn: I’ll have take a picture of a picture & send it for the interview. 


Was just informed that he doesn't have any. But let's imagine that he was extremely photogenic and looked something like this. 

Brittany: How did you get into this bodybuilding/modeling stuff? 
Shawn: Hmm, honestly I got asked when I was like 19 or so just never thought about it until after my first physique competition and decided why not. & from then on I kind of drifted away from the agency an have been doing my own thing. 

HE'S SO PRETTY

Brittany: Going along with that question above, Nichole Eckert wants to know when your first photo shoot was.
Shawn: My first photoshoot was last year july 23rd so I’ve only been modeling for a lil over a year. 


And I hope for there to be lots more... 

Brittany: Ruby Hinkleberry is wondering, when you’re just not feeling the gym, how do you motivate yourself?
Shawn: Honestly, I go through some of my online client emails. They’re some of the most determined individuals I’ve come across, glad I can help them in their journey of a healthy lifestyle. Also, music really helps me as well. 

Brittany: Can you take us through your typical workout schedule?
Shawn: I usually try to get through my workouts fairly quickly no more than 45 mins - 1 hour. Cardio included.  & also some relaxing by the pool or in the sauna . 

Brittany: What is on your workout playlist?
Shawn: Avery Watts, Memphis May Fire, A Day to Remember, Issues, Asking Alexandria, Skrillex, Woe is Me, I See Stars. 

Brittany: Everybody wants to know, why the hell are you still single? You have everything a girl wants in a man: good looks, charm, you’re sweet, you’re caring. And give me more than “I just haven’t found the one yet.”
Shawn:  It’s more or less a choice to remain single, this whole “modeling” or whatever you’d like to call it is a lot for any one to get used to.  It can cause a lot of issues.  Insecurities while I’m traveling, I honestly just care too much to put someone through that. 

Brittany: What would your ideal girl be like?
Shawn:  Hmm… The tough questions begin.  It would be someone with breath taking eyes and a killer smile. Those are the first things you see.  She doesn’t have to be a gym freak like myself, simply a girl who cares about her body and takes care of herself is enough for me.  Someone who can make me laugh, be there for me.  A understanding of what I’m doing and being supportive can go along way. 


Well, shit. There goes me. My smile needs some work.

Brittany: Now, I hope you don’t mind, but I might go the inappropriate direction for a few questions.
Shawn: & I’ll start hiding behind my hands lol. 

Brittany: I don’t know why I’m putting myself through this, cause it’s just gonna fuel the fire, but I have to know. I bet you’re the dominant man in bed, aren’t you?
Shawn: I do like to be in control, I don’t like to not be in control it frustrates me.  Playing for control isn’t welcomed though, do love a challenge. 

Brittany: I can imagine it now… what is your favorite position?
Shawn: Position it’s more like anywhere we have the possibility to be caught it’s much more of a adrenaline rush. Nothing against putting her against a wall and putting the muscles to use. 

Brittany: If you ever had the right girl, like smoking hot, and like a sex queen, would you do a threesome with another dude? You wouldn’t have to touch him. 
Shawn: No. What’s mine is mine, she can take a walk if she wants someone else. Everyone is replaceable, sorry. 


Swooned at this answer!!!

Brittany: Okay, so going back to the cleaner route, I saw on a previous Q&A that you were arrested once. What the hell did you do? “Sir, you’re under arrest for being too hot for the general public. I have to take you in for a strip search.” HA!
Shawn: I’ve been arrested on multiple occasions. I will just keep it low key. :) 

Brittany: So, you’re really good with kids. You’re even hotter holding a baby. I’m guessing you want your own kids one day.
Shawn: I do want my own kids one day, I don’t want to rush it though, I’ve got to establish myself first. 


I mean, look at this!!!

Brittany: If you could say one thing to all the haters out there, what would it be?
Shawn: If I could say one thing to my haters it would have to be… “I’ve established myself as being friendly/civil with everyone I’ve crossed paths with, do you think you’re gonna establish yourself by attempting to bring me down”? 

Brittany: I get really nervous around you, but I want to get to know you better. You’re pretty chill and I think you’d be an awesome friend. Just saying.
Shawn: Well be at the signings & I’ll pull you on stage every time, or come down to you. I couldn’t get outta that shirt without ya. 


Insert Southern Girls Author Event 2014 After Party Video Here

Brittany: What was your job before you started all this?
Shawn: I was a personal trainer at a gym for 3 years. 

Brittany: I know you get asked this all the time, but how does it feel to have so many women (and men too, I’m guessing) fawn all over you? 
Shawn:  It’s kind of surreal. I tell Stacy all the time how I just don’t believe it nor see what they do, I think I’m pretty normal. 

Brittany: Is there anything you’d change about your life?
Shawn: If I could change anything about my life, it would have my mom living at home with me in a house/town house I purchased… I miss her all the time. 

Brittany: What’s your favorite movie?
Shawn: Friday Night Lights

Brittany: Favorite snack to go with that movie?
Shawn: Sour Patch Kids

Brittany: Cat or dog? 
Shawn: Dog

Brittany: Do you have a guilty pleasure? Besides burgers and sweet potato fries.
Shawn: I do have a guilty pleasure of trying to make everyone happy even if its at the expense of me being slightly unhappy

Brittany: What were you like as a kid? 
Shawn: I was a stubborn uncontrollable brat.  You told me not to do something I’d do it.

Brittany: I might be talking your ear off, but I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. Do you have any more book covers coming out? Can you even answer that?
Shawn: I have 2 books that have been published that are currently out. & I have 4-5 more that are set in stone. Custom planned shoots and some that I’m just waiting on the cover to be released. 

Brittany: Angelo Moody asks, what is your favorite book? And you can’t choose Bender.
Shawn: I love the book called Assholes Finish First, I forgot who wrote it but I used to read it all the time when I was bored at my old apartment.  

Brittany: Stephanie Powell wants to know, what is your greatest fear? I’ll share mine. And I know it’s probably obvious… I am petrified of dentists. I had a horrible experience when I was younger. Oh, and tornados.
Shawn: My biggest fear is letting my fathers last name be forgotten, it’s odd to some but I felt so cheated out of a child hood cause I lost him so young but either way. I’ve accepted it and it made me who I am but I just want my kid/kids to have an awesome child hood and for the last name to live on when I’m gone. 

Brittany: Is this too many questions?
Shawn: Not at all, actually good letting the readers/fans/supporters learn more about the person on the cover of the books. 

Brittany: I’m thinking of a number between one and infinity. What is it? 
Shawn: 11. 

Brittany: Okay, I guess I’m done here. I just wanted to thank you. For everything. You’ve changed my life, and sometimes I wish I wasn’t so skinny so I could join your online training program. Which, by the way, do a little shameless self promotion on that.
Shawn: :) whenever you’re ready. 

Brittany: Okay, okay, I really am done this time. Thank you Shawn!!!
Shawn:  No, thank you brittany for the constant support you’ve given me & also the time you spent on all these questions. 

Now... time for Question and Answer with the leading lady, the author of the best-selling Bender, STACY BOREL!

Once again, here is me. :)

And here is Stacy.

Another fan girl moment... 

Brittany: Hello there, Stacy. How are you doing? 
Stacy: I’m good, thank you. 

Brittany: I’m going to attempt to be professional, I mean, I do represent my blog. *shuffles papers and pushes glasses up nose*
Stacy: lol. We’re all professionals...right? 

Brittany: Sticking to professionalism... let’s start with your writing. How did you get started?
Stacy: I read the Twilight series and became hooked. I started looking up books in that genre, and eventually I discovered Fifty Shades of Grey. I learned about Indie authors after that and became obsessed with reading. In November 2012 I questioned whether I could actually write a full novel. I’ve always written journals or short stories, but a several hundred page book was a totally different kind of monster. In December I started it and completed my first book in April. Never looked back after that. 

Brittany: When doing research for a book, what all is involved?
Stacy: Hmmm...well I’ll get an idea and I let it roll around in my head for a bit. If it’s something that I can see through from start to finish I’ll push the idea around a bit more, figure out the characters voices, how I can relate to them or make them relatable. Then I use the couple plot points in the book and fill in the blanks and I write. 

Brittany: Is it true that an author’s characters “talk to them”?
Stacy: Mhmm. At least mine do. Not all of them do, but there are some that are louder than others. 

Brittany: Do your characters whisper naughty things in your ear? 
Stacy: lol. Truthfully it’s never happened until Bender. 

Brittany: So give us a rundown on each of your books.

Ever Enough

Ever Enough is about a woman who is in a loveless marriage. She goes home to her high school reunion and sees her first love who left her graduation night. They kiss, and it freaks her out so she runs back home only to find out that her husband has been unfaithful. When she decides to go BACK home again, she learns some things that were complete game changers that NONE of my readers saw coming. *insert evil laugh* After that it’s all about Em and Finn building something new. 

Always Enough

Always Enough is about the secondary characters from Ever Enough. Harper is a badass woman who is independent and doesn’t need a man for anything other than his anatomy. Kyler is a guy that is out to prove that she wants him and he will do whatever he can to show it. 

Touching Scars

Touching Scars deals with a few serious subject matters. Timber has served two tours overseas and comes home with severe PTSD. He heads south and finds a job in a small town in TX. He ends up running into a girl he knew in high school that had made and impact on him. Kat is a girl that has been through the wringer. There IS rape in this book and I did do some very extensive research on this subject. I never went into it blindly, just like I did a lot of research on PTSD. This story builds up to the two learning to trust and healing each other along the way. It’s truly a story I’m completely in love with and it came from a place in me that want to see if I could do it. 

Bender (The Core Four Book 1)

Keegan is a girl that is in college but completely under her mother’s thumb and feels responsible for her little sister. When she’s finally pushed too far she sets out to find a roommate. Camden is what she gets. He’s a pushy, gorgeous, asshole, dominant man that does everything he can to fight his attraction for her. He sees something in her that’s different from other girls and it draws him to her. She can’t figure him out but the chemistry between the two was insane. It was a lot of fun to write this book. 

Brittany: So, let’s move on a little. You’re known now for Bender, book one of the Core Four series. Tell me how you came up with that.
Stacy: Bender was my challenge. I had no idea if I could write a book with a true alpha male. I’m kind of controlling in my own life, so the idea of giving it up throws my whole world off its axis. Lol I love reading about them, but it really was a challenge to create this world in my head. 

Brittany: What was your reaction when you found out you made the national best- sellers lists?
Stacy: SHOCKED! Who expects anything like that? It’s a moment I’ll never forget. 

Brittany: I’m really interested. Can you tell me about the process of finding the model for the cover of Bender?
Stacy: I’m always looking at new faces. I don’t like to use models that have been seen before or are on other covers. I had a friend who knew the type of character I was writing and she was like, “what about this guy?” As soon as I saw Shawn, especially his eyes, I knew I had to have him. I didn’t care what it took. 

Look at those nipples... I mean eyes.

Brittany: You’ve gotten really close to Shawn, I’m really jealous. I hope to get close to him. What’s that like, having a new best friend?
Stacy: Awe, don’t be jealous. Shawn really is a great person and somehow, someway we found something that worked. I really have no idea how we hit it off like we did. That’s not to say we don’t have our bumps. The man really knows how to make me completely nuts. But he’s irreplaceable and I, without a shadow of a doubt am the lucky one in this relationship. 

Brittany: What does your husband think of all your success?
Stacy: He’s happy for me. I don’t think he was expecting all that’s come from this whirlwind. 

Brittany: Has he read your books?
Stacy: Nope! He’s not sure he wants to be in my head like that. Lol 

Brittany: Did he get turned on by the gym scene, AKA Chapter 12 of Bender?
Stacy: Nope. He knows it’s the scene that gets everyone excited about the book, but he has never read it. Frankly, I’m not sure I want him too. 

Brittany: Did you write that scene from experience? *grins*
Stacy: Bahahaha. Nope! That was all purely imagination. I had a small idea with the machine I had them use, but all of the rest came from somewhere in my little head. 

Brittany: If you haven’t, would you?
Stacy: Oh god....that’s tricky. Lol The idea of it terrifies me, but yes. I’m willing to do anything at least once. 

Brittany: So, assuming you’ve been drinking, you will answer these next few questions. I mean you did say anything...
Stacy: haha...I did say that didn’t I? Can I retract that statement? 

Brittany: Let’s go the same route I did with Shawn. Are you the dominant one in bed? I bet not... but I can see it, oh my I’m laughing now. Tying up your husband with a black spandex suit on, wielding a riding crop. Oh my.
Stacy: Wow, going in for the kill on this one. I AM the dominant one in the bedroom. But that’s because it’s how I am. Letting go of control isn’t my forte. But never any of that wild stuff like outfits and whatnot. lol 

Brittany: Random question, doesn’t belong in this section but I might forget. Has your family read your books? Particularly your parents?
Stacy: My sister has read the books. My parents have been forbidden. Although I did tell my mom she can read my first book. That one is pretty tame compared to how I get a little more detailed in later ones. 

Brittany: What did they think of it? 
Stacy: My sister loves them. 

Brittany: Have you acted out any of those naughty scenes you’ve written? Stacy: Nope never. But it doesn’t mean I don’t want too. 

Brittany: Most public place you’ve had sex?
Stacy: Ack! Can I hide? On the beach in Hawaii in a lifeguard stand. And in the back stairwell at school. 

Brittany: Most personal place you’ve written about sex?
Stacy: Oh I’m totally shy about this. If I get to one of those scenes I wait until I’m at home and I have NOBODY in the room with me. 

Brittany: What’s your favorite alcoholic beverage? 
Stacy: I love Midori Sours, and Malibu and Pineapples 

Brittany: So, I can’t attend the SGAE15 after party because I’ll only be 20, and she just made it 21+ only. Will you, Shawn, and Bayli do the honors of eating dinner with me and Hilary Wynne after the signing?
Stacy: Of course we will! You my dear, have grown on me. 

HUGE GRIN ON MY FACE!!! June 6, 2015 SO EXCITED!

Brittany: Can I beta read for you? *wink wink* I’m a seasoned beta reader.
Stacy: lol I wouldn’t mind when I have a full story. Beta reading for me is kind of personal. I only look for certain things when giving my story to someone. 

Brittany: You have kids, right? Do they know that mommy writes dirty books?
Stacy: Yep! I don’t’ hide who I am or what I do. But they know it’s also a love story and that they can’t read them.....EVER! 

Brittany: Kimberly Talbot asks, what is the best and worst part of “working with so much sexy”? Cue Shawn saying he’s not all that, but he really is.
Stacy: Psh...Shawn Dawson we know the truth. The best part...he’s marketable, he knows how to lure, and it comes completely naturally to him. What you see is what you get with him. He really has a huge heart and wants to give to everyone (which I think will wear him out one of these days) but Shawn’s genuine and he is ALWAYS real with me. That one doesn’t know HOW to hold back when he has something to say. The worst part, other authors seeing what I saw in him. Not going to lie, it can get hard “sharing” him. But it is all business and I know it’s good for him to expand. 

Brittany: Are you getting bored with me yet? 
Stacy: lol Nope! 

Brittany: Cat or dog?
Stacy: Dog...no cat. No dog....gah I can’t answer. 

Brittany: What’s your favorite movie? 
Stacy: The Notebook, and Pearl Harbor. 

Brittany: Favorite snack to go with that movie?
Stacy: Red Vines (which is SO not the same thing as Twizzlers. No people, just no!) 

Brittany: Favorite food?
Stacy: I could eat my weight in crab legs 

Brittany: Okay, I guess that’s a lot of questions. If you have anything you’d like to add, please do so here.
Stacy: Hmmm....well, just to say thank you for even thinking of me. I always know the draw to ask the questions of the models and such, but I found it fun to grill the mastermind behind the books. I am always amazed at my fans and how loyal and faithful y’all are. It will NEVER get old. I love you all. 

Brittany: Stacy, thank you. For everything. I am loving getting to know you and Shawn. I hope that we can get closer, because you both seem like amazing people! 
Stacy: Thank you so much Brittany. Anytime hon! 

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