BLOG TOUR: HALE MAREE by Misty Provencher

We are some really lucky gals here at TSK TSK What to Read. We get to meet and interview some of the most intriguing, entertaining and HAWT characters in the fictional world.
Today is no exception. We had the opportunity to throw a few questions at the ever charming, ever swoon worthy, Oscar Maree- via Skype, before he sets off to start his new life with his heroine, the lovely Hale.

Here's what we were able to get outta him. Actually- he's very forthcoming and easy going. It was really a piece of cake. So have your cake and eat it too- and say hello to Oscar Maree...

Tsk Tsk: Welcome Oscar. We know you're in a rush, so we'll just ask a few questions we think we've all been dying to ask.
Oscar: Thanks so much for having me, Kathryn and Shelley. It is a pleasure.  Hale is asleep beside me right now, so I’m happy to answer whatever questions you have. 
Tsk Tsk: Aw, that's so sweet. And speaking of sweet...
Hale says you smell like apples and sandalwood. What does Hale smell like to you? 
Oscar: Hale is like the very first time you ever smelled country air as a kid.  You want to take a deeper breath because she gets in your lungs and fills you up with this feeling that everything in the world is clean and new.
Tsk Tsk: So she was like a breath if fresh air.
Oscar: Exactly.
Tsk Tsk: You seemed pretty resigned to your arranged marriage. Did you really believe you and Hale could learn to love one another? 
Oscar: I’m a Maree.  We’re family; we take care of each other.
I never thought for a moment that Hale wouldn’t learn to love me like I love her.  She’s young, so I didn’t expect her to figure it out as quickly as I did and I knew she’d need time for that.  And, like I said, I’m a Maree.  We’re not just loyal, we’re patient about getting what we want. 
Tsk Tsk: Spoken like a true romantic.
What do you love most about Hale? 
Oscar: There’s nothing I don’t love about Hale.  She’s an innocent, but she’s also a fighter and that impresses me.  She’s also exceedingly loyal, possibly even more than she recognizes, and that totally turns me on. 
Tsk Tsk: You are obviously in love, Oscar.
Oscar: *smirks* Obviously.
Tsk Tsk: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 
Oscar: I wanted to be a pilot.  Unfortunately, when I was young, my optic nerve swelled up unexpectedly and when the swelling subsided, it left me with some vision impairment in my left eye, which made piloting a flight an impossibility. 
Tsk Tsk: Oh,  that's terrible. You certainly didn't let it hold you back.
Oscar: Not much you can do but deal with it and move on.
Tsk Tsk: So true. Do you play a musical instrument? 
Oscar: Not fluently.  I can do the basic intro on Stairway to Heaven on my Fender, but beyond that, I’m lost.  
*chuckles all around*
Tsk Tsk: What's your dream car?
I’m a truck guy, actually.  I have an appreciation for a good carbon footprint that I probably shouldn’t have.  Give me a Ford, a Chevy or a Chrysler- doesn’t matter- I know they’ll get my work done, get me wherever I want to go, and protect my family a little more than a low-to-the-road sedan.
Tsk Tsk: Chrysler, huh? Got a minivan or SUV in your future?
Oscar: *shrugs* We'll see.
Tsk Tsk: What is the most special thing Hale could do for you? 
Oscar: Love me.  If she does that, I’ll do everything else.
Tsk Tsk: Awww...
Do you like surprises? 
Oscar: Not particularly.  I like to see what’s coming at me as much as the next guy.
Tsk Tsk: What is your favorite holiday? 
Oscar: It will be my anniversary, each year.  And hopefully, the birthdates of my children.  The other holidays would be nothing without Hale and if she agrees to give my children, there will be nothing more worthy of celebration.
<Could he be any more romantic? >
Tsk Tsk: Is there anything you wouldn't do for the one you love? 
Oscar: Nothing.  I’m a Maree.  We take care of each other even before ourselves. 
Tsk Tsk: What song makes you think of Hale? 
Oscar: It’s a song that happened to be on the radio right after I met Hale.  It was Maroon 5, She Will Be Loved.  It seems to fit her and it’s what I wanted to say to her from the beginning.  I want to make her feel beautiful.
<And there ya go...YES, yes, he could be.>
Tsk Tsk: Do you work out to keep your body so fine tuned? 
Oscar: Sure do.  I do an hour every morning, sometimes two, and I like to do some kind of activity each night, whether it’s a run or basketball with Landon or chasing after Hale.  I particularly like the last one.
<Makes us tired just thinking about it. And daydreamy...okay, stay on task.>
Tsk Tsk: What were you first thoughts of Hale? 
Oscar: So many people don’t believe in love at first sight and I used to be one of them, until Hale happened to me.  The first time I saw her sitting in her father’s truck, I’m not sure it was actually love, but it was definitely attraction.  I’ve never seen a more beautiful woman in my life and I couldn’t figure out why she didn’t seem to want anything to do with me.  I assumed she had a million boyfriends already and didn’t want one more.  I had no idea what we were in for at that point.
Tsk Tsk: Did you have a plan to woo Hale when she was hesitant to the deal? 
Oscar: Sure.  My plan was simply to wear her down.  I’m patient as they come and I knew that if I gave her enough reasons to care about me, she would.  She had to.  I couldn’t have it any other way and I planned to do whatever it took to make her see that.
Tsk Tsk: She sure gave you a run for your money.
What are some of your favorite things to do? 
Oscar: I like everything I do or I won’t do it.  I’m a big believer of living in the moment, so when I’m working, my favorite thing in the world to do is work.  When I’m working out, I love every second of it.  But if you’re looking for hobbies, one of mine is RC planes.  Landon and I both have good collections and we have aerial dog fights with the old ones.  Of course, there’s usually some kind of wager involved, but that’s a story for another time.
Tsk Tsk: You definitely know how to make the most of it.
Thank you for chatting with us. We really appreciate you taking time out from your very busy schedule.
Oscar: Thanks so much for having me by, ladies.  I’m honored that you asked me.  Hale should be getting up soon and we’re going to be leaving for our honeymoon, so I’d better grab a shower here.  Thanks again for the interesting questions!  I hope we’ll be able to talk again in the future!
Tsk Tsk: The pleasure was ALL ours. And we can only hope.
*The monitor goes black and the girls scramble for their notes, giddy.*
S: Speaking of showers...Anyone else need a cold one? Is it wrong to get hot and bothered over a newly married man?
K: Um...probably so, but he's pretty hard to resist.
We hope you enjoyed our chat as much as we did. It's always exciting to have a chance at some one-on-one time with a favorite character. And Oscar has stolen our hearts and quickly become one of our new faves.

Hale Simmons dreams of climbing out of her impoverished life,going to college, and getting herself a titanium crash helmet, so she can eventually bust through the Plexiglas ceiling of her crappy life.  But for now, she’s just a 17-year-old girl with a flimsy hope, barely getting by with her alcoholic father, Jerry.

But for Hale, ‘crappy’ suddenly takes a nosedive, when Jerry becomes the sole witness to a horrible accident.  It is an event which means to effect everyone, especially Hale, who wasn’t even involved.

           While the depth of the accident has just begun to unfold, Otto Maree, a prominent business man and old family friend, stands to lose everything because of it.  Otto is desperate for Hale’s father to stay quiet about what occurred the night the two men met for a drink.  Out of mutual moments of desperation, the two fathers forge a deal.  Jerry is desperate to gain financial stability for both himself and Hale, and Otto Maree is more than willing to pay to keep his secret just that.

           But deals like this need to be made of the strongest vows and bound with the most faithful of loyalties.  Otto proposes a marriage between Hale and his playboy-son, Oscar, in order to assure that the secret remains ‘in the family’. The mystery surrounding the accident continues to grow and Hale struggles against her own mysterious feelings that begin to develop for Oscar, who turns out to less of a playboy, but just as fiercely loyal and dedicated as his father.  

As the pressures around her continues to escalate, Hale realizes that she’s got to decide if this arranged marriage is really just a big mistake or an amazing twist of fate, that has been waiting around for this particular accident to happen.

OH WOW!!! AB-SO-LUTELY LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!!!!!!!
FREAKIN FANTASTIC!!!!

So, not even a full day after finishing HALE MAREE and I am still captivated by the phenomenally awesomeness of this book....
I have read Misty's Cornerstone series and loved it, but HALE MAREE is different, spunky, HOT, suspenseful...I mean, all the great things to make a fantastic novel.
For starters, we have Hale, the heroine, that is bound and determined to live her life the way she wants and not fall in to any kind of trap that is laid before her.  Even when her heart and body tells her a whole different story, she is relentless to not back down on what she feels she will lose.
But, then we have Oscar...AND OMG!!!  here is the new guy that everyone will be talking about because of how wonderful he is...Oscar is the guy that is loyal to the end.  He is also just as bound and determined to make Hale change her mind as Hale is to keep him from changing hers....
The chemistry between these two is explosive. From their first meeting and until the very end, you are wound so tight waiting to find out exactly what is going to happen...did our heroine and hero actually become a couple??? Hmmmm....just gonna have to read and find out!!
And let me say, this book is soooo much more than just the two of them....with a mystery tying all of the lives of our characters together, you are caught on pins and needles, wondering what actually happened, who is actually who in this story...
Overall, HALE MAREE is freaking brilliant!  Misty blew me away with the nail biting moments, the hot budding romance, and the suspense of our underlying mystery all through the book.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Go get your copy today...like me, you won't be able to put it down!!

I'm sitting here taking in this totally decidedly different and somewhat controversial story. The writing is of course brilliant and so down to earth. I've come to expect nothing less from this author. She has a gift for immediately drawing you in. Captivating you with a storyline so unlike anything you've ever read. Creating characters you find yourself rooting for, swooning over, and unable to pull yourself away from. In short, crafting tales you cannot put down and never want to end. Hale Maree is no exception.
So why is this story controversial? Well, it's not often in this day and age that you find someone forced into an arranged marriage. It's pretty much unheard around here. What's amazing about this situation is the circumstance which provokes the fathers to make such a deal. The details of "the event" are a bit shocking and so suspenseful, and continue to be revealed as Hale and Oscar's own story unfolds.
And Oscar's degree of loyalty to his family- for such a young man to make such a sacrifice and agree so easily to take on a life with someone he's never met. Wow. Also unheard of. And disturbingly romantic.
Of course with Hale being younger, more naive and innocent, well this does not work in to her plans. She wants to date, fall in love- a lot, have a normal teenage love life, and plan for her future. She most certainly wasn't ready to settle down with a stranger. Unfortunately she's not given much of a choice. Her father makes more of a sacrifice in order to make her comply.
As you can probably guess this story is very much about sacrifice, loyalty and trust. It's also about discovery, faith and fate. And playing for keeps.
Aside from the fact that she's beautiful and unique, Hale is so easy to relate to. Despite her unusual circumstance, she's an average young adult. Trying to fit in and find herself while she deals with school and her not so perfect home life. She doesn't trust easily and keeps to herself.
Oscar on the other hand is gorgeous, strong, confident and not afraid to jump in head first. And boy does he.
Theirs is not an easy alliance, but it's obvious they'll have to make the best of it- and the universe has it's own plan.
Hale Maree is a complicated tale that starts with horrific events, uneasy and problematic relationships, and builds into a story filled with suspense, humor and one of the most fun and unexpected love stories I've read in a long time.
It may not have been happenstance that brought Hale and Oscar together, but these two, well...what a joy they were to get to know and grow with.
Hale is like your new best friend; so kind and genuine. And Oscar; he's the guy you might crush on, maybe even attempt to resist..and then you realize he's so much more.
Hale Maree is a true modern faerie tale and I was under it's spell from beginning to end. I really hope Misty returns to these characters. They're fun and charming, and I'm just not ready to say goodbye to them. A truly wonderful and fascinating read.

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