Monthly Archives: August 2014

Review: Spiral (The Indigo Lounge Series #3) by Zara Cox

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Title: Spiral
Author: Zara Cox
Publisher/Year: CreateSpace Publishing 6/17/14
Length: 258
Series: The Indigo Lounge Series #3

Overview

Seven Nights. Seven Highs.
Welcome back to The Indigo Lounge, the scandalously sexy sky-high playground where anything can happen…
SPIRAL is the latest story in the sizzling Indigo Lounge Series, geared for fans of The Crossfire and The Stark Series.

Sinfully sexy venture capitalist, Noah King – a man with a haunted past and dark cravings – is a short fuse away from being consumed by his needs. When his desires propel him to the Indigo Lounge, there’s only one course of action – unleash his innermost hunger or lose his mind.

Leia Michaels has spent the last five years trying to find her way out of a shattered labyrinth of pain and tragedy. In a daring move, she takes a chance on a sizzling adventure aboard the Indigo Lounge.
Within seconds of meeting on the luxury, decadent adults-only jet, they realize they’re better off apart…but their chemistry defies logic and their needs have gone far too long unanswered.

Seven Nights. Seven Highs. He will strip away her inhibitions and show her that edgy existence between pleasure and pain. Will she survive his dark secrets and risk revealing her own, or will her world spiral out of control?

My Thoughts

To be honest, i wasn’t sure how i was going to like the continuation of this series since it’s all new characters and we get none of Savage and Bethany, but you quickly see what the link is to them and that made me quickly forget my apprehension.  Just to tee it up, we had met a bunch of Zach’s friends in the last installment, Gabriel, Damon and Mike and they are the common bond with the stories – as we are introduced to Noah.

This story is different from the first bit of the series in the sense that both leading characters are established in their own sense, they are financially sound but both have significant ghosts from their pasts that haunt them daily and make relationships really hard.  It takes a majority of the book to learn about the ghosts that haunt Leia, while Noah’s are a bit more obvious.

Leia isn’t quite as naive as we’re used to – she’s had a rough few years, her father died a few years back and he was the most important person in her life.  She also had to deal with the death of her mother, after she killed her stepfather.  We don’t learn the details until pretty far into the story, but we can see why her walls are up.  The odd man out in this though is Warren, a man that we know almost nothing about aside from the fact that he considers Leia to be precious to him, yet she’s not in a relationship with him.  At least not at first pass.  I think that it’s safe to say that he’s going to cause problems.

This first installment of their story takes us on their trip – one that was forced upon Noah by his friends however, and we see a passion and heat grow quickly between these 2 and almost consume them.  They quickly become addicted to one another but the question that we continue to ask is whether this will survive past the 7 days, and if their ghosts will make it impossible to move on.

What our author Zara Cox does well is continue to show us a great dom side to our men – Noah is clearly one who likes control and we see that while he’s not into a traditional D/s relationship, he’s got his own playroom full of toys and knows how to use them.

It’s when their trip is cut short because of the reappearance of folks that we didn’t think could come back that all bets are off.  Will their relationship last?  Will everyone be safe, and will they stay together.  Noah’s past – an ex named Ashley is among the tussle, and what she reveals is something that all makes us say HUH??!?  I honestly question the timing and i think that we’re meant to.

I can’t wait for the next installment, and it says that it’s due out September 2014 which is right around the corner – so hopefully my wait won’t be too long.  Enjoy!

Guest Post / Author Interview with LAN LLP, author or Beginning with Forever

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Hi all, as you saw just a few days ago, I participated in a blog tour of Beginning with Forever, the first book in the Forever series. Given I’m clearly a fan, I was given the opportunity to ask a few questions to our author, and she was more than kind enough to give me some of her time. Before we dive into those questions, here’s a bit more on Lan LLP:

Author Bio:

Over a long year ago, I picked up a pen to jot down the first sentence of my vivid imagination. Those initial words were the seeds that grew into my flowering romance book, “Beginning with Forever.” With all my heart, I wrote, rewrote, edited, re-edited and now, I’m finally ready to share it with all of you. My one and only aspiration for this book is to have readers embrace my story and characters with their heart.If I can make someone laugh till their gut hurts, hate the villain with vengeance, cry till their eyes dry out, fall in love all over again, and drool over the hero or feel any other emotions, than I’ve succeeded my goal.
I’m the sappiest person in the world when it comes to romance. Don’t smirk! I believe in love at first sight, Prince Charming or in my book,Mr. Hot Billionaire, and happy endings. In my heart, every women deserves all three, and they will when they lose themselves in my books. Your fantasy can become a reality with just the flip of a page, so come join me.

Social media links:

Email: forevertrue.carsonlily@gmail.com

Blog: http://forevertruecarsonlillian.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forevercarsonlillian

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LanLLP

Wattpad: http://wattpad.com/LanLLP

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/LanLLP/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7782226.Lan_LLP

Now onto the Interview :

Me: Before I get into it, thank you so much for taking your time to talk – after reading this first installment of the Forever series, I’m hooked! So, how did you get started in writing erotica – what inspired you? And, are there any authors in the genre that you gravitate towards or are inspired by?

Lan: I began writing as a challenge from my friends after we all read 50 Shades of Grey. They wanted me to create my version of CG. I would say E.L James and Sylvia Day are authors who inspired me.

Me: I can see how you could get taken with that challenge. I was getting a hint of Christian with Carson, so I can see the start. How did you come up with the inspiration and the back story for this series and these characters? A lot of authors give us the leading man as a CEO of a successful business, but for Lillian?

Lan: I wanted to write a billionaire love story that was different from everyone else’s. With my love for the tropical islands and my familiar medical background, I put those two together and came up with Lillian’s character. I kill cancer for a living and always pray that we’d find a cure for it one day. This is how I came up with Carson’s background.

Me: Impressive! I really like to see when an author’s life ties into their work from a different POV. What do you consider to be your biggest challenge and success in writing / publishing?

Lan: The biggest challenge is getting my book out to readers. I’ve read so many amazing books by indie authors like myself that don’t receive the recognition they deserve.

Me: Not surprising at all – although i think that you started writing at a peak time when it’s very common for authors to go the ePub route and find a self-publishing outlet. What advice would you give to budding authors?

Lan: Always believe in your work no matter what some people tell you. You’ll never be able to please everyone so chuck it up as your book wasn’t a good fit for the person who didn’t like your book.

Me: I love that advice – i tend to be very careful when i’m reviewing as well – since i know that authors take great pride in their work. I can’t love everything, but that doesn’t always put me off a writer. Fortunately here, I’m a fan from the beginning! What’s next on the list for you to write – what are the next works that you have coming out and where can my readers find them?

Lan: My second book, Finding our Forever, is with the editor right now. It will be released in Sept. I’m currently working on the final book of the Forever series, ‘Ending with Forever,’ My first book, Beginning with Forever is currently only available via Amazon.

Me: Thank Goodness that september isn’t so far away – i don’t know what i’d do personally if i had to wait too long to see what happens. the cliffhanger – AMAZING! Lastly, anything more that you’d like to share?

Lan: I want to thank all of you who’ve given my book a chance to win over your heart. Stick with the series and you’ll be completely stuck on Carson and Lillian and all their adventures. It won’t be a dull ride. I promise.

Me: If the future keeps us on the same tight rope as this first book, I know that you won’t disappoint, and I’m looking forward to what’s next from you in this series and in anything else that you write. Good luck and thank you again for taking the time to chat!

As a follow up, knowing that some of the inspiration of this series came from a challenge from friends after reading FSOG, I wanted to get our author’s POV on how she feels that the genre has changed or expanded based on the overall general acceptance of FSOG and what it means for writers and readers.

Lan: Personally, I believe FSOG has helped many writers push their limits instead of staying within a ‘safe’ boundary. They’re not afraid to write their darkest, sexiest secret desires because it’s finally acceptable to admit it out loud.

Amen to that – is what I say to her response. I feel like there was a lot of taboo before everyone got onto the bandwagon, and from a girl who began reading romance in middle school and got into the ‘good stuff’ of erotica in college, it’s great to see that now it’s ok to be a fan and to be a budding author of the genre. You can put it on paper and not feel like you have to hide.

Thank you all for continuing to support my blog, and i hope that you continue to support the Forever series and Lan LLP.

Review: Higher (The Indigo Lounge Series #2) by Zara Cox

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Title: Higher
Author: Zara Cox
Publisher/Year: CreateSpace Publishing 6/17/14
Length: 223
Series: The Indigo Lounge Series #2

Overview

Welcome back to the Indigo Lounge, the scandalously sexy sky-high playground where anything can, and does happen…

Flirty, dirty and utterly delicious, HIGHER is the sizzling conclusion to Zach & Bethany’s love story which began in book one, HIGH.

When Bethany finds herself back on board the Indigo Lounge, this time for work purposes, she knows her life is about to once again slide into free fall.

Zachary Savage has branded himself onto her senses, and despite her attempts to protect her heart she’s pulled right back into his sizzlingly intense orbit of sex, more sex and dark secrets.

But even out of this world sex won’t save Beth’s heart when Zach is finally ready to reveal the truth…

HIGHER. The only way is up, and this time they’re going all the way.

My Thoughts

Ahhh, the saga continues – and the roller coaster hasn’t let them off yet.  The relationship that we saw develop between Bethany and Zach is far from finished, even though there was so much pushing them apart at the end of book 1.  While we know that Bethany had told Zach that she loved him in book 1, we know that he’s got secrets that are going to make it hard for her to admit that again, and even to be together.

Where this 2nd installment takes us is back to the real world, to New York where Bethany has to figure out how to get on with her life and try to live again, while Zach has to figure out a way around telling the secrets that he’s been unable to share for 6 years.

Because we know of the control that Zach needs to have over everything, he sorts out a way to move to New York, set up his office and get the events planning company to work on the launch of the new IL plane.  All under the guise of real work while he’s trying to get Bethany back into his good graces.  Every time these 2 come together, they practically combust, and it’s hot.  There’s so much passion and tension between them that it’s really just a matter of how Zachary can get around the forces keeping him from sharing secrets before they can be happy together.

On a trip around the world, things are slowly revealed, and each time Zach shares something, he’s afraid that Bethany will run away.  While she keeps saying that she’ll stay, it’s not easy and it’s quite frequent that we see someone pull away during this saga.

This actually leads to one of the slight downfalls that i see in this 2nd book.

1) – it’s the final installment of this couple’s journey which i feel like was a bit abrupt and maybe a bit shallow.  Shallow in the sense that there wasn’t as much depth to the plot as there was in book 1, so when we got to the ending, there was a bit too much of a neat tie-up.

2) The tension from the facts that are revealed was a bit anti-climactic.  while we all knew where the story was going to end up, there were moments when i felt that one or the other would have pulled away more and left the other hanging, that really didn’t happen in the way that i envisioned things.

3)  There were teasers to things that could be happening or should happen in the future that my mind had set up to be crimps in the story and those things didn’t happen.

All that aside though, we had a really steamy story of our typical CEO alpha male and a ‘naive’ female who wanted to come into her own to be strong, yet needed to rely on her man for happiness.  The nice thing though is that there’s a book 3 – and while it’s not the continuation directly of Bethany and Zach, i can only hope that we’ll get to see them continue on in the story somehow since Indigo is Zachary’s love.  Onto book 3 i guess- and i hope you enjoyed your flight with this series!

Interview & Author Spotlight: Cecilia Tan author of Slow Satisfaction

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Slow-Satisfaction-Blog-Tour

As you guys saw a short while ago, I was able to get my hands on an ARC of Slow Satisfaction, book 3 in the ‘Struck by Lightening’ Series, and I was fortunate enough to chat with the author Cecilia Tan for a bit.

Me:  Thank you so much for the time today – now that we’ve come even further in the journey with James and Karina, I wanted to talk a bit more about you and what you do.  How did you get started writing in this genre and when did you decide that it was something that you wanted to do? (write and write the style)

Cecilia:  I’ve literally always written erotic stories and stories about love, from my earliest childhood attempts to write. Long before I ever read any erotic fiction, I was writing the sex scenes I thought were missing from books. I didn’t read my first romance until I was in college and I didn’t start reading erotica until after I had published my first book of erotic short stories, Telepaths Don’t Need Safewords, back in 1992. I thought I was going to be a science fiction writer, and I tried writing a lot of stories in that genre, but when I wrote Telepaths Don’t Need Safewords I knew I was doing the right thing. I’ve never looked back. That was 22 years ago and I’ve been writing erotic BDSM fiction ever since.

Me: That’s quite a jump from sci-fi to erotica, but i can see why one category is more enticing for lack of a better word to write.  I’m thankful for the change in direction at least, and I’m sure a lot of readers are.  Where did you get your inspiration from for the characters? The Artist who wants to get away from it all and the Girl trying to find herself?

Cecilia:  When you put it that way, they’re both aspects of me! The Artist wants freedom to create but he’s always trying to figure out how much of himself to reveal through his art, how much to give to the fans who love him. James guards his heart very fiercely but ultimately comes to decide that the reason he’s been doing that is he’s been waiting for someone like Karina to give it to, someone who can love him for who he is inside. The Girl trying to find herself is trying to find that balance between pleasing others and pleasing herself. Ultimately she finds she can’t do a good job of pleasing others unless she knows her own preferences first. That’s not only true in the bedroom (and the dungeon) but in other aspects of life, as well. As a romance writer I’m always balancing how much of my own heart to put into my books and what things I like with the needs and expectations of readers.
Me:  I certainly follow you on that one, with the dichotomy of both characters -and being able to pull something of yourself really shows in the way that you wrote both characters, since they have a depth and personalization that makes it seem more real than fantasy.  Are any of the other characters based loosely on yourself or friends/family?

Cecilia:  My friends and family are great but they don’t make good characters. Every character springs into my mind with a lot of backstory and baggage ready to be unpacked. Each one represents something in my subconscious, not in my real life.

Me:  I’m sure a few folks that you are close to are breathing a sigh of relief on that one. that could lead to trouble either for someone taking a scene the wrong way or being overly complemented. Looking outside of inspiration, let’s go to motivation and advice.  What advice would you give someone who wants to be an author?

Cecilia: Write, and then get feedback on what you write. Whether that’s through a class or MFA program or writers group or fanfic community, use that feedback to find out for yourself what effect your words have on people. Your craft is about mastering those words so that the effect you create in the reader is the one you intend. You can only learn that part of the craft by getting feedback. That’s how you’ll refine your unique voice.

Me:  Well thanks again for taking the time to chat with me, and I’m sure that my readers appreciate it as well.  I can’t wait to see what’s next and I wish you the best of luck.  Congrats with this latest installment in the Struck by Lightening’ Series, and I have to say, you gave us exactly what we were hoping for as things come to a head with the characters.

To my readers- make sure to pick up a copy of ‘Slow Satisfaction’

download

 

and don’t forget to Enter the Giveaway Here for a signed copy of the trilogy!

Review: High (The Indigo Lounge Series #1) by Zara Cox

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Title: High
Author: Zara Cox
Publisher/Year: CreateSpace Publishing 5/16/14
Length: 173
Series: The Indigo Lounge Series #1

Overview

Welcome to The Indigo lounge, the scandalously sexy sky-high playground where anything can happen…
Flirty, dirty and utterly delicious, HIGH is the perfect next read for lovers of the internationally renowned This Man series from Jodi Ellen Malpas & Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series.
Zachary Savage is a man accustomed to getting whatever and whoever he wants. He’s buried his demons and risen from the ashes to become the playboy owner of the internationally renowned Indigo Lounge, a fleet of ultra-exclusive sky-high pleasure palaces.
He has everything he wants, until he sets eyes on Bethany Green. One look is all it takes ~ she has to be his.

Bethany Green has endured the worst year of her life; bad luck and heartbreak at every turn. Karma swings wildly in her favour when a money-can’t-buy golden ticket lands in her lap – an invitation to experience the scandalously sexy Indigo Lounge for herself.

Green by name and green by nature, is she brave enough to accept the hottest ticket in town?

One glimpse of Zachary Savage is enough to convince her that she isn’t cosmopolitan enough to play in his glamorous, sinfully sexy world. But they’re already in the air, and reality is a long way behind them. The only way is up.

The Indigo Lounge. Step aboard and check your inhibitions at the door.

My Thoughts

Clearly I have problems today since i’ve finished reading not just 1 book, but started and finished another.  And that’s all because I’ve discovered another series that i’m really really really excited about.  Welcome to a world that you never knew existed, and it’s probably much darker and complicated than ever thought

We meet our leading lady Bethany 6 months after she’s broken up with her long time boyfriend, after discovering that he is actually more interested in men.  That hurts a girls ego for sure, and she’s been wrapped up in herself for a while.  It’s only after failing at a job to learn more about a CEO’s business and being pushed by her best friend that she’s invited to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity – a chance to board the luxury Indigo Lounge private jet fleet and travel to international destinations – all under the guise of meeting some sexy men and experiencing things that you read about in other private clubs.

It’s upon her entry into the VIP lounge at the airport that her plans get derailed – quickly.  Zachary Savage – the owner of Indigo is in the area while his own jet is being refueled and after seeing Bethany enter the door, he changes his plans since he’s so taken with her – something that hasn’t happened in 6 years.  Understand that this is the FIRST time that he’s decided to change his plans and board the flight in 6 years and we don’t quite know why.

The journey that we go on in this first installment is one that is really engaging.  Bethany has to decide whether she wants to forgo the experience that she signed up for – to learn more about sex and herself in the interest of seeing what Zachary has to offer, and while we all know what choice she’s going to make, it’s one that’s not always easy.  From Shanghai to Paris to Morocco, we get a steamy build up to a relationship that’s destined to fail since it’s not real.

It’s a roller coaster of emotions, we know that Zachary has to have this dark past that he’s hiding, and Bethany wears her emotions on her sleeve – so someone’s destined to get hurt and the way that things are looking – it’ll actually be Zachary.  Learning what we do in the last line of the book makes you wonder how much is being hidden and for what reason.  I can’t wait to see what stories come up next and what that means for this pair.

Review: The Key (Dark Path #2) by K.T. Grant

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Title: The Key
Author: K.T. Grant
Publisher/Year: CreateSpace Publishing 6/20/14
Length: 260
Series: The Dark Path #2

Overview

Erika has reinvented herself as an author of erotic romance under the pseudonym, Lily Fredericks. After her eight month sabbatical in New Orleans, she’s returning to Manhattan to promote her new book. Chris is handling her book tour and wants Erika to give him another chance. She’s forgiven Chris, but Max is always in her thoughts. Sick of waiting for Erika to come to her senses, Max takes matters into his own hands. He’ll go to New Orleans to claim her before it’s too late.

With Erika back in Manhattan, both Chris and Max try to seduce her in the hopes she’ll choose one of them. As both men battle for her heart, a woman from Max’s past reappears, bent on revenge. Chris will ruin Max anyway he can in order to make Erika his own. However Max has something up his sleeve to insure he’s the victor, but not without a price-Erika’s soul.

Can Erika choose between a man who seeks to possess and a man who can’t live without her?

My Thoughts

It’s been a while since i read The Gate, and I was a bit afraid that i’d forget the juicy bits of the story and feel like perhaps i’d need to re-read to get up to date.  but….NOPE – the way that our lovely author writes this 2nd installment brings you up to speed quickly, and gives you a divergent story line – with 2 parallel bits happening at the same time.

Where we pick up with Ericka and Max is that Ericka’s living in New Orleans with her best friend while trying to sort out the choices that she has to make in her life, all the while, finishing her first erotica book (remember she used to be a children’s author).  Anyhow, this time away from New York was supposed to help her choose between Chris – the man that she’s lusted after forever or Max, the one thing in her life that rocks her world and shakes things up in ways in and out of the bedroom.  What we see is that she’s not ready to forgive Chris for what he’s done and she’s not ready to let Max in without being cautious.

This 2nd installment takes us through what their lives become once Ericka returns to NYC, older, wiser and in a different head space.  She has to find a way to make her career a success both for herself and for the publishing house while finding a way to let Max in since we slowly see that it’s what she wants.  Max of course is the powerful mogul that’s not just a dom in his club, but in their life too.  He wants something more concrete for the 2 of them, and it’s up to him to make Ericka comfortable with it.

The parallel story that we also get is between Catherine (the other owner of The Gate), her master Raymond and Bryan, the young’in that we met in the first book.  Turns out that there’s more of a bond between these 3 than initially thought.  Not only is he tied to Catherine (Cathy as he likes to call her) since she took his virginity, but turns out that he knows her master – he’s family.  Ironic situation that they are in.  anyhow, Raymond is so in love with Catherine that he’s willing to find a way to make it work and it’s never easy.  He offers twists and proposals to sort it out, and it’s a challenge at the end of the book that really makes thing interesting, if not completely expected.

So, throughout this bridge book, we get a roller coaster of emotions with these love triangles, and that’s something that’s interesting.  There’s no shortage of passion and steam among anyone, and i think that if you want variety – you get it here.

For me, one of the better things in this book was the re-introduction of Page, Chris’s sister who had been in a ‘relationship’ with Max in the past and almost killed herself as a result of it.  she’ re-emerges and brings with her a bit of trouble, not just for Max but we can assume for Ericka as well.  where this story ends up is someone landing in the hospital because of an attack and we don’t know for sure what the motive was yet.  The questions beg us to wonder who’s going to survive in book 3, and which relationships will hold together.

If i’m completely honest with you guys though, i don’t know that i care so much about Catherine’s story right now – i feel like it would be a better novella.  While there’s a lot of sex and tension there, i feel like it detracts from the main story line that we came to love – Ericka/Max/Chris – and what was going to happen.  Having 2 love triangles amidst this story makes it more complicated and while i read it all, there were moments that i wondered if i would be better off just skipping through the catherine chapters to get back to Max.

The teaser for ‘The Lock’ – book 3 really makes you wonder – since we were already questioning the relationship between Page and her new fiance which happens to be someone that Max detests – but what was teased here makes it much more clear at least what the fiance Abe is out for – now what Page’s motivation in it all?  that’s still to be determined, and makes for a great cliffhanger.  Now if only we didn’t have to wait until 2015.  oh well…

Interview / Author Spotlight – Lan LLP; author of Beginning with Forever

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Hi all, as you saw just a few days ago, I participated in a blog tour of Beginning with Forever, the first book in the Forever series.  Given I’m clearly a fan, I was given the opportunity to ask a few questions to our author, and she was more than kind enough to give me some of her time.  Before we dive into those questions, here’s a bit more on Lan LLP:

photo 2

Author Bio:

Over a long year ago, I picked up a pen to jot down the first sentence of my vivid imagination. Those initial words were the seeds that grew into my flowering romance book, “Beginning with Forever.” With all my heart, I wrote, rewrote, edited, re-edited and now, I’m finally ready to share it with all of you. My one and only aspiration for this book is to have readers embrace my story and characters with their heart.If I can make someone laugh till their gut hurts, hate the villain with vengeance, cry till their eyes dry out, fall in love all over again, and drool over the hero or feel any other emotions, than I’ve succeeded my goal.
I’m the sappiest person in the world when it comes to romance. Don’t smirk! I believe in love at first sight, Prince Charming or in my book,Mr. Hot Billionaire, and happy endings. In my heart, every women deserves all three, and they will when they lose themselves in my books. Your fantasy can become a reality with just the flip of a page, so come join me.

 

Social media links:

Email: forevertrue.carsonlily@gmail.com

Blog: http://forevertruecarsonlillian.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forevercarsonlillian

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LanLLP

Wattpad: http://wattpad.com/LanLLP

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/LanLLP/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7782226.Lan_LLP

Now onto the Interview :

Me: Before I get into it, thank you so much for taking your time to talk – after reading this first installment of the Forever series, I’m hooked!  So, how did you get started in writing erotica – what inspired you?  And, are there any authors in the genre that you gravitate towards or are inspired by?

Lan: I began writing as a challenge from my friends after we all read 50 Shades of Grey. They wanted me to create my version of CG. I would say E.L James and Sylvia Day are authors who inspired me.

Me:  I can see how you could get taken with that challenge.  I was getting a hint of Christian with Carson, so I can see the start.  How did you come up with the inspiration and the back story for this series and these characters?  A lot of authors give us the leading man as a CEO of a successful business, but for Lillian?

Lan:  I wanted to write a billionaire love story that was different from everyone else’s. With my love for the tropical islands and my familiar medical background, I put those two together and came up with Lillian’s character. I kill cancer for a living and always pray that we’d find a cure for it one day. This is how I came up with Carson’s background.

Me: Impressive!  I really like to see when an author’s life ties into their work from a different POV.  What do you consider to be your biggest challenge and success in writing / publishing?

Lan: The biggest challenge is getting my book out to readers. I’ve read so many amazing books by indie authors like myself that don’t receive the recognition they deserve.

Me:  Not surprising at all – although i think that you started writing at a peak time when it’s very common for authors to go the ePub route and find a self-publishing outlet.  What advice would you give to budding authors?

Lan: Always believe in your work no matter what some people tell you. You’ll never be able to please everyone so chuck it up as your book wasn’t a good fit for the person who didn’t like your book.

Me:  I love that advice – i tend to be very careful when i’m reviewing as well – since i know that authors take great pride in their work.  I can’t love everything, but that doesn’t always put me off a writer.  Fortunately here, I’m a fan from the beginning! What’s next on the list for you to write – what are the next works that you have coming out and where can my readers find them?

Lan: My second book, Finding our Forever, is with the editor right now. It will be released in Sept. I’m currently working on the final book of the Forever series, ‘Ending with Forever,’ My first book, Beginning with Forever is currently only available via Amazon.

Me:  Thank Goodness that september isn’t so far away – i don’t know what i’d do personally if i had to wait too long to see what happens.  the cliffhanger – AMAZING! Lastly, anything more that you’d like to share?

Lan: I want to thank all of you who’ve given my book a chance to win over your heart. Stick with the series and you’ll be completely stuck on Carson and Lillian and all their adventures. It won’t be a dull ride. I promise.

Me:  If the future keeps us on the same tight rope as this first book, I know that you won’t disappoint, and I’m looking forward to what’s next from you in this series and in anything else that you write.  Good luck and thank you again for taking the time to chat!

As a follow up, knowing that some of the inspiration of this series came from a challenge from friends after reading FSOG, I wanted to get our author’s POV on how she feels that the genre has changed or expanded based on the overall general acceptance of FSOG and what it means for writers and readers.

Lan:  Personally, I believe FSOG has helped many writers push their limits instead of staying within a ‘safe’ boundary. They’re not afraid to write their darkest, sexiest secret desires because it’s finally acceptable to admit it out loud.

Amen to that – is what I say to her response.  I feel like there was a lot of taboo before everyone got onto the bandwagon, and from a girl who began reading romance in middle school and got into the ‘good stuff’ of erotica in college, it’s great to see that now it’s ok to be a fan and to be a budding author of the genre.  You can put it on paper and not feel like you have to hide.

Thank you all for continuing to support my blog, and i hope that you continue to support the Forever series and Lan LLP.

Review: Pulse Part 4 (The Pulse Series #4) by Deborah Bladon

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Title: Pulse
Author: Deborah Bladon
Publisher/Year: Deborah Bladon 7/1/14
Length: 72
Series: The Pulse Series #4

Overview

Jessica Roth thought she’d found the one man who could fulfill her in every way. He was gorgeous, controlling, amazing in bed and said everything that she desperately wanted to hear. That was, until she heard him say the one thing she never suspected was true.

Nathan Moore says he has his reasons for doing the things that break her heart. She knows that she can’t continue to live in a world where nothing makes sense.

As Jessica weaves her way through a maze of lies, half-truths and coincidences, she begins to see everyone in her world for who they really are. Old friends become the enemy, new friends become allies and the one man she can’t be close to, becomes the only person who can give her what she really needs.

They promised each other there would be no complications. It’s a promise neither of them can keep.

My Thoughts

Ahhh, here we are, finally at the finale of the series – and i have to say that it’s really interesting to me to learn who’s on the right side and who’s not.  Like i thought about in the last bit of my review for book 3, there were folks that you’d never expect to be playing on the wrong side that were.  Namely ….Rebecca.

Anyhow, what we get in this last installment is the culmination of things – Nathan and Jessica are trying to sort out what they are, Jessica’s trying to decide what her next move is, to stay in NYC and find another job or to move back to CT, to find her footing on her own in NYC, or to just tuck her tail and face the facts that she tried and failed.  Nathan wants his way and that means Jessica staying, but we’ll see that it’s not that easy.

The bit of this story is that we see Drew appear even more – since he was in the last pages of book 3, revealing that he was in on a bet with Nathan on who would sleep with Jessica first.  What Jessica didn’t know at the time is that Drew is Cassandra’s ex, and Nathan had his own motive for the bet – to help out Cassandra.  That’s another wrinkle in their imperfect relationship and it makes for some steamy passion once they have another conversation.

I think that we have come to expect some rough sex between these 2 and book 4 doesn’t disappoint – although i think that we’re maybe due for some variety since we know by this point that they both LOVE oral and the word ‘HARDER’.  Aside from that though, it’s goooood.

the other piece i want to point out here is that while i love a good epilogue, i’m not sure that the one that we got here was really all that valueable.  It’s a ‘six months in the future’ piece, but it doesn’t give us any insight into anything really – just of what we had come to know and expect already.  It’s actually the teaser right afterwards that really gets me excited since it sounds like we’re going to get a continuation of sorts – a new story from Nathan’s POV of a potential secret that Jessica has been hiding.  It makes me wonder for sure – since it alludes to her sexual past and someone that may be connected to Nathan.  i can’t wait until that series is available.  I hope that you guys check out this series – it’s 4 books, but they are pretty enthralling.  Enjoy!

Review: The Pulse Part 3 (Pulse Series #3) by Deborah Bladon

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Title: Pulse
Author: Deborah Bladon
Publisher/Year: Deborah Bladon 6/17/14
Length: 70
Series: The Pulse Series #3

Overview

Jessica wanted to believe Nathan was a changed man. The lust filled promises he made in bed are no match for the reality that she’s now holding in the palm of her hand. Sex drives men like Nathan Moore. She suspected it, then experienced it and now there’s absolutely no denying it.

She knows what the right thing to do is. He knows that he’s never met anyone like her.

Jessica struggles to forget him as Nathan’s desire for her consumes him. His compulsive need to possess her pushes him in ways that will change them both forever.

Just how far is Nathan Moore willing to go to have the one woman he claims he can’t live without?

My Thoughts

We all really want to believe that Nathan’s a changed man – i mean, it was his ‘sister’ that was in the hotel suite that was paid through the end of the month right?  And his excuse for the 2 phones was just soooo simple and easy to believe.

So, the saga continues for these 2 – and things keep getting more and more complicated.  while Josh – her ex from CT has gone away, Drew keeps popping up with a vengeance since he wants ‘in on Jessica’ like no one knows.  It’s going a bit too far into the sexual harassment realm that i’m wondering if that’s going to come up or not.  personally, i’d say something.

Anyhow, this 3rd installment continues on the same path as the others, some GREAT scening with these 2 – i mean, their chemistry is still intense, especially since it often starts off as hate sex.  We see a bit of Jessica getting too buzzed/drunk to know what’s going on exactly, and that leads to more trust issues with Nathan.  I find it to be interesting and i honestly would Love to know the back story with Nathan since he’s so smooth.

In this brief segue into the finale that i’ll start into next, it’s really not until the last scene again that we’re given what i’m hoping for – even more severe tension and depth that it’s not really the relationship with Nathan and Jessica that makes you wonder, but some of the other supporting folks that get in there – and their motivation.  Where we are left is to question who’s being honest – if it’s Rebecca, Nathan, Bryce (gasp) or Drew – and what that means for poor Jessica.  I can’t wait to see who talks their way out of this and who ends up happy.  I’m off to the final installment and i’ll be back with my closing remarks.