Monday, September 15, 2014

Breathless Monday: 'Ailani and Fire on Ice


Author Interview:

1. How did you start writing erotic romance?
Hi Erzabet, and thank you for having me here. My sorry little tale is that in 2007 I submitted the first three chapters of a mystery novel to a writing contest. I won! The first prize was the professional critique by a literary agent, but after giving me glowing praise-including the fact that I had a unique premise and protagonist -  he said I would never get it published because the mystery genre is a closed shop.  He suggested that I write erotic romance until my ship came in (he actually used this cliché) and after sulking for a couple of days, I got over that sucky review and looked into writing erotic romance.
I pitched Phantom Lover to a publisher and got a book contract the same day. BTW, that agent was wrong.  I sold that mystery novel. It was Wanted, book 1 in my Mingo McCloud Honolulu Mysteries series. There are six so far and I am working on book 7 now. It's one of my most popular series. So, never let criticism stop you. Take it all in, learn from it and move forward!
2. Plotter or pantster?
A mixture of both! I do let the characters control me, sigh...
3. What are three things you have on your writing desk?
In the morning, a cup of coffee. In the afternoon, bottled water or tea.  The other two things are my cats. They always sit me.
4. Favorite food?
I love Asian foods. I love Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Hawaiian...heck...I love exotic foods!
5. Tell us a little about your new release. What character in the book really spoke to you?
My newest release is with Breathless Press. 'Ailani is book 1 in my Last Warrior trilogy. It's fiction based on a little bit of fact. The last king of the Hawaiian island of Oahu had a fearsome band of warriors - a Hawaiian version of the knights of the round table. After breaking up with his lover, Lio, my main character discovers he had a past life as the last king's favorite warrior. I loved writing this book!
I love all my characters but I think my favorite is Kord, who becomes 'Ailani's lover. I don't want to blow the plotline so I will just say this. Not many men could handle falling in love with a guy whose past life from 200 years ago keeps interfering with the present. How would you handle it if you were in bed with your man and you're suddenly transported magically back to those times?
Kord is a gracious guy about it! I love him!

6. I write because I have to.
7. What is your favorite type of character to write about?
Anyone looking for love, who is dealing with real life, with problems and anxieties, but is willing to take a chance on true love.
8. What is the sexiest scene you ever wrote?
To be honest, I love the scenes in 'Ailani. There's a table top sex scene I thought was killer! Also in my first book, Phantom Lover, I have my heroes Kimo and Lopaka making love on the edge of Kilauea Volcao as it's erupting. That was a hard scene to top!
9. What advice would you give new authors in the erotica/romance field?
Just do it. Read, read, read. Read everything. And write. Don't show partials to ANYBODY because you will get negative critiques that may not be helpful. Write your book and try not to edit too much until it's done. If you get stuck, you've gone off the track somewhere. Leave it alone for a day or two and reread it. You'll find where you went wrong. Repack the snowball and keep going.
Most of all, believe in yourself and the power of story. Keep calm and story on!
10. What is next on your writerly horizon?
I mentioned above that I am working on book 7 of my Mingo McCloud series. It's called Hogtied and there's murder, marriage and mayhem for Mingo in this one. I am working on a new series with my frequent co-author, D.J. Manly. I am blessed. So much going on and I appreciate and value my career each and every day.
Please check my website www.ajllewellyn.com for updates, free short stories, and free blog stories. Thanks for having me here, Erzabet!
Readers can find 'Ailani: The Last Warrior here - it is available for pre-order:
http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=1&products_id=634&zenid=4d156ac214f9672a5b3bbddc498bb479
Synopsis:
After a bad breakup, Lio rents a cheap house with magical views. It seems the perfect solution, but the house has a haunted connection with an ancient statue. Once unearthed, it gives Lio the power of...THE LAST WARRIOR...
When Lio's lover cheats on him, he's forced to give up what he thought was the idyllic romance he's lived with Maks, including their stunning, scenic Waikiki apartment. He rents a cheap house with magical views on the other side of the island. So why is it so cheap? 
He soon becomes haunted by dreams in which a fearsome yet sexy Hawaiian man begs him to rescue him. Lio is certain he's going nuts until one night in the midst of a tropical rainstorm he follows the man's urgings and digs a hole in a church graveyard. He finds a gigantic, ancient stone statue with scary eyes...that soon gives Lio the power of...THE LAST WARRIOR...


Excerpt:
We shared a slice of the pie I'd never tried before. It was like eating a giant orange Creamsicle. That's when I remembered why Hau'ula was familiar. I'd come here many, many years ago on a school excursion.


"Isn't there a great trail into the rainforest around here?" I asked him. 
"Why, yes." He grinned at me. 
I recalled quite clearly going with my class. We'd bought ice creams from a portable ice cream stand as we were leaving. Orange Creamsicles. 
"Do you hike much?" I asked. 
"Every chance I get." 
"Wow, that's great." 
"You like to hike?" he asked, pushing the last bite of pie toward me. 
"Yeah, my ex hated it, though." 
"I'm always up for a hike," he said. "Give me a shout some time." 
Speaking of shouting, the volume rose considerably with some newcomers so we gave up our table. Outside, I inhaled a mouthful of sweet night air. 
He was giving me so many mixed signals, or so I thought. Sometimes he reached out to me, then pulled his hand away. I was certain he was staring at my mouth in a hungry way. I sure as hell wanted him to kiss me. He smiled at me a lot. Maybe he was being kind, but I felt certain we were on a date. When he took me to his own home, I didn't think I was wrong. His beach cottage sat right on the reef, and I was stunned by his uninterrupted view of the ocean. 
Kord's life seemed to be straight out of my childhood. Everything on the walls and sideboards was found art. He'd discovered gigantic shells, sea glass balls, bleached pieces of driftwood that almost looked like antlers. He'd even made a hammock out of an old fisherman's net. 
He showed me his home office, which took up most of the space. He pointed to the garage. "That's where I build stuff." 
I had a sense he didn't bring many people here. I almost felt glad I didn't see any chick stuff. His home spoke of a solitary existence. 
"Take a seat." He pointed outside. I swung in one of the aged rocking chairs on the lanai as he brought me a beer. Longboard. My favorite. 
"You had a recent breakup too," I said. "Isn't that what you told Marcella?" 
"Sure. It never works out for me with women." He scowled. 
"Why's that? You're a great guy. Handsome, hard-working—"
"Thanks. That's part of the problem. I love to work." 
The words swayed between us like a coconut palm. "I have a hard time with women because...because..." 
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't want me to know he was bi. I sensed he didn't want to give me ideas. It was okay. I didn't need any. I was too busy licking my own wounds and couldn't have handled any confusion. 
When he dropped me home and kissed me on the lips, I felt my spirit and my body reacting. 
"Have a great night," he said, then watched as I let myself inside Dad's house. 
As I closed and locked the door behind me, I felt something shifting. I couldn't explain it as I leaned with my back against the blue stained-glass mermaid and felt her coolness seep into my hot skin. 
Aaaahhh...something had changed. Something good. I touched my lips. We'd had a great date. No, not a date. He was being kind. 
So why did he kiss me? 
We'd had a swell time. A gentle time. I hadn't had such a sweet evening with a man in a very long time. When I'd cleaned my teeth, I fell into bed. I could almost feel his dark hair on my face, his lips on mine. I tasted salty tears. Yeah...something was changing. I didn't know what. 
I dreamed of fishermen's nets, mad laughter, and mud. 
At around three o'clock in the morning, I awoke from a strange dream. 
No. They were not coming back. I wouldn't allow them to come back. Not the dreams. Not those ones. I closed my ears to the voices whispering... 
Remember...remember...
I worked very hard to forget. To think of nothing but the soft press of Kord's lips, wishing for more. So much more.

How to find/friend me:
email: ajllewellyn@gmail.com
website: www.ajllewellyn.com
www.facebook.com/aj.llewellyn
www.twitter.com/ajllewellyn


 A.J. Llewellyn is an author whose obsession with myth, magic, love, and romance might have led to serious stalking charges had it not been for the ability to write. Thanks to the existence of some very patient publishers, A.J.'s days are spent writing, reading, and dreaming up new worlds. A.J. has definitely stopped Google-searching former boyfriends and given up all ambition to taste-test every cupcake in the universe to produce over 150 published gay erotic romance novels.
A.J. wants you to read them all.
You can find this author lurking on Facebook and Twitter—part-time class clown being another occupation. When not writing or reading, A.J.'s other passions include juggling, kite-boarding, and spending a fortune buying upgrade apps for Diner Dash.
Please connect with A.J. here at:
www.ajllewellyn.com
www.facebook.com/aj.llewellyn
www.twitter.com/ajllewellyn


Author Interview:
1. How did you start writing erotic romance?
·         Erotic romance is really a new territory for me. I started writing erotic based on a submission call that I had to write for. The story was demanding to be told, and I had to go with it. Generally, I am a heat 1-3 romance writer and that is definitely my comfort zone. But, that first story made me grow as a writer and I couldn't be more grateful. Now, I don't blush anymore when I write erotic. LOL.
2. Plotter or pantster?
·         Can I say both? Let me explain. When I get an idea, I have a small notebook that I write a very general outline in. It's one page at most, broken into chapters, scenes, and only important events. Total, it may be 400 words for a 15k novella. Then, I start writing. During my writing process the story may change, and I go with it. Then, I bring it back to the ending. That's the best way I can answer that. However, I have written entire shorts from nothing but sitting and typing as well. Some of those shorts have been written and edited in a day, and accepted in less than 48 hours. So, for me, either way works.
3. What are three things you have on your writing desk?
·         Coffee cup, noise cancelling headphones, and usually a printed copy of the submission requirements for the story I'm writing. 
4. Favorite food?
·         Crab legs. But, when I can't get those, I'm an Alice Springs Chicken at Outback fan.
5. Tell us a little about your new release. What character in the book really spoke to you?
·         The hero Marcus was whispering in my ear when I saw my first live hockey game. He had a story, a great story. You see, Marcus is a great athlete in a manly sport, and he's gay. We had to find out how the world would react to his coming out.
6. I write because ____...
·         I write because of characters like Marcus. They beg for someone to hear their side of the story and tell it to others. I do my best and we are usually satisfied with the results.
7. What is your favorite type of character to write about?
·         Though this particular character doesn't appear in my newest release, I love to write about strong females. Females who know exactly what they want, how to survive, and how to love. These characters are great, because you know eventually something will happen that makes them see that they can't so it all alone and having a caring partner suddenly breaks them and they become better people.
8. What is the sexiest scene you ever wrote?
·         I wrote a short story the other day that has two females as the leads. Their encounter was probably the sexiest I had ever written. It wasn't just sex. There was a raw emotion underlying everything. That emotion drove the scene and the outcome was very sexy.
9. What advice would you give new authors in the erotica/romance field?
·         There are so many publishers out there that are looking for erotica and romance. The field can be the easiest to break into. Just don't give up. Don't take a rejection personally. Open that rejected story, re-write, revise, have others beta read, and submit it somewhere else. Someone will want it. Just keep pushing.
10. What is next on your writerly horizon?
·         That short story I mentioned above with the two females, well I'm currently in the processes of editing it with a hired editor. I hired a cover artist, and I am well on my way to self-publishing. That's what's next. It's been an interesting learning experience.

Social and buy links:
-       Twitter: @LisaAdamsWriter
-       Blog: www.pen-the-dream.blogspot.com
-       Buy "Fire on Ice" at www.breathlesspress.com or on amazon!
Author bio:
-       Lisa A. Adams writes from a little plot of country, tucked away in the North Carolina Sandhills. When she’s not writing, Lisa can be found in her sewing room, in a classroom, or at a local soccer field. When asked about her family, Lisa will be the first to tell you that they have been the backbone of not only her writing career, but anything she chooses to pursue as well. She has been married to her husband for over ten years, has five wonderful children, and two very spoiled cats.
Blurb:
-       Facing a firing squad of reporters accusing him of adultery with another player's wife, Marcus Zankoriewicz sees there's only one way out. He must make the announcement he knew would come one day.
But, this is hockey. Well known for its rough and manly men, Marcus must prepare himself for an on slaught of changes that threaten his career and love life.

Buy Link
Book excerpt:
Marcus chuckled. "After all this time I ignored the questioning looks and there were still people whothat figured it out. I should have knownguessed."
"Don't get me wrong. You're definitely not flaming. In fact I bet my ass you're the hitter in the game."
Marcus grinned. "Really? You bet your ass?"
Justin rolled to his knees and stood in front of him. "Of course, you'll have to catch me first."

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