Jerk of My Dreams #20

Jerk. Asshole. Douchenozzle. Admit it- you hate to love the jerks. That alpha male character who is so arrogant and rude but sexy as hell. That foul mouthed douche bag of a man who rocks your traitorous heart. We've all read them and we've all liked them to some extent. In real life you wouldn't touch the man with a ten foot pole. But in the fictional world? Nothing can stand in the way! Everyone would be lying to themselves if they didn't admit that the meaner the man, the further we run... Towards them! *sigh* 

That's what this weekly meme is about- those jerky delicious men! Each Friday this meme will go up, and you can share your jerk anyway you want: review, interview, lines and quotes, giveaway of a book. However you want! All you have to do is sign up HERE and follow the linky. Any time you comment on someones post, leave your link so that person can comment back.

Razer's Ride by Jamie Begley

I must admit I've been in a HUGE book funk. Nothing was grabbing my attention. Nothing was "calling" to me. I continued reading but don't ask me what I read or what the story was about. Nothing was memorable. I was on my Kindle Fire and was looking at the ads they have at the bottom, which I'm thankful for cause it brought me to this book. 

Now, ever since I got into Madeline Sheehan, Kristen Ashley and Joanna Wylde's MC worlds, I've been a sucker for MC books. The others I've read have been a joke that were a huge disappointment for me. Not naming those authors. Figure those out for yourself. Anyways why are you asking yourself why I'm telling you this? I'll tell ya. This book helped pulled me out of my funk. FINALLY!! And this is a good MC book. Not that it's not without flaws(some grammar errors, kinda cliche, kinda cheesy, kinda over the top) but I overlooked them cause it kept my attention, kept me entertained and I got sucked into this world. I shit you not. I read this starting at 7ish pm and finished around 1ish am. It got me. On to the story...

Beth is an orphaned preacher's daughter who had a rough time growing up due to her parents. They were big Bible thumping idiots. (Take no offense, when you read on as to why then you'll be in agreement with me). She's a very responsible hard worker, a very forgiving person and she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. Sometimes you wanted her to lash out (believe me, there were plenty of those). Beth also has an adopted sister by the name of Lily. We get that Lily has some issues due to her childhood but nothing is revealed in this story. Hopefully her story will get told.

Razer is one of the members to The Last Riders motorcylce club. He is ex military along with fellow members of the club. They've set up shop in Beth's hometown, not wreaking havoc but just having fun and doing other stuff secretly. Razer is Y to the Yummy, but he can be an asshole, jerk, douche, idiot; take your pick. You'll see why once you get into the story. The things he says and does makes you want to punch him in the throat and junk. Plus he's a man whore and this gets him into trouble.

I was willing to play your game, but woman, you're just too much work for a piece of pussy." <---Me, oh you #$%^&**&^^$#@@#!!!

Razer and Beth's relationship in the beginning did not go well. *See above comments* It takes someone else to give him a second chance with her. Beth may be gullible but she doesn't put up with people hurting her. When she decides to give him another go, it's much easier. Communication is the key, along with the girl members of the MC. They help Beth understand their way of life, even if it's shocking to her sheltered life. Things progress with them and they have a steamy romance with lots of bang banging that blooms then welters due to certain circumstances and the decision of the club. Beth is really devastated by these decisions. I felt bad for the chica. Oh, but it doesn't end there my friends. They have a HEA but not without Beth giving her two cents.

Let's get to the members of The Last Riders. All of em. All of em sluts. They love sex. They love orgies. They're voyeurs. They love to fuck... a lot. Anywhere and everywhere. And guess what? It's hot. Not too much description, but you get the idea. And isn't your imagination a wonderful thing? Now there is a scene where Razer and Beth are exploring each other at a party with fellow members and Razer is telling her while playing with her on how the girls got their names. Stori. Evie. Ember. Jewell, Bliss, Dawn and Natasha who hasn't been nicknamed yet. Read the book and you'll see why. It should have been offensive, but somehow it was hot. There's always a bitch in the bunch and she goes by the name of Sam, who you will not like cause of the things she does and says to Beth. The guys have nicknames as well. Razer, I didn't get until I did a reread and I was like OHHHHH. There's Shade (who's somewhat mysterious), Viper, Rider, Cash, Knox, Memphis, Crash. I can't wait to read more of these mofo's. I truly did enjoy this story and I hope y'all do too.

I'll leave with one of my favorite naughty bits from Razer when he wasn't being an asshole...

"I can see all my kitty's cream this way. That tight little pussy stretching to take my cock."

Find it at GoodReads!

Hi Jamie! Welcome to My Secret Romance and thank you for taking the time to answer some q's for us.

Tell us a little about yourself and Razer's Ride.

I was born and raised in Kentucky. I have a degree in education; currently much of my time is spent with children, as I am a childcare provider. I have two children that are both in college. I love to cook, watch old movies, and read anything that draws my interest.

Razer’s Ride is a story of a young woman falling in love with a member of a motorcycle club. Razer was a man who felt a deep loyalty to his club but couldn’t comprehend extending that same loyalty to a woman. Then he saw Beth, and while it might have taken him longer, he fell just as hard for her. Basically Razer’s Ride is about two people who should have been completely wrong for each other but together they made each other whole.

I admit I have a love/hate relationship with a man whore jerk and Razer took it to the next level. Where did you get the idea for him from?

When I start writing it is hard to explain how the characters come to me. My family and friends ask this question all the time. I see the characters in my mind much like you would when watching a television show. I let the characters tell their own story. Beth I saw clearly from the beginning while I had no idea which MC member she would be with. From the time Razer entered the story, he took over, he really is somewhat of a jerk, I knew she was his. I really wanted to make him a nicer person, but Razer is what he is. Every time I tried to change something he did, he refused to go in that direction and finally I gave up and let him tell his own story.

Who or what inspired you to write Razer's Ride?

Razer’s Ride came to me one day while I was watching a motorcycle club show that will remain nameless. The characters seemed dramatized and not very drool worthy so I starting researching motorcycle clubs and The Last Riders were born.

This is a series correct? And if so who will be the next story about?

Yes, The Last Riders will be a series. The next story is Viper’s, which I am hoping to publish sometime in August.

How many books will be in the series?

That I don’t know as of yet. I originally planned on five but I am really beginning to like one of the characters I had no intention of giving a story. We will just have to see if his match shows up before I end the series.

 What do you want people come away with when they read your work?

I guess the one thing I want someone to walk away from when they read any of my books is that they could feel the emotions of the characters. To take them to their hearts and empathize with them enough that all the excitement, heartbreak, and laughter (especially the laughter) affects them as much as the character.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The most challenging thing about writing to me is not to let other’s influence my writing. Razer’s Ride as we all know is a little racy. LOL! Razer isn’t your everyday hero so I had to take up for my story quite a bit before it was even published. I guess a little bit of Razer rubbed off on me.

 Who are your favorite authors?

I am a very diverse reader. When I am not writing I can read as many as ten books a week and all be different genres. My favorite romance authors are Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught, Lora Leigh, and Nalini Singh.

I want to thank everyone for their support for Razer's Ride :)

I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU for getting me out of my MC book funk. Much more success to you!

Author Jamie Begley is giving away a copy of her book Razer's Ride! Leave a comment with your email address for a chance to win!

Author Interview with Dani Worth

Hi Dani! Thank you so much for joining us at My Secret Romance Book Reviews. I was fortunate enough to win your books in a contest! I’m so excited I did as I found a new series and a new author to follow! I think this series is awesome!

For our readers who are not familiar with you, can you tell us little bit about you?

Dani Worth is the pen name I use to publish erotic romances. It’s actually part of my middle name and part of my husbands. I started writing erotic romances for fun because I read a lot of them. I find myself returning to those more for rereads—especially if the author gives me a really good angsty and powerful love story along with the eroticism. I was already submitting urban fantasy, paranormal romance and YA under my own name, Rinda Elliott, so when I told my agent about a couple of erotic novellas I wrote for me, she wanted to see them. She loved them, so Dani was born. I keep the names separate so readers know to pick up a Dani book if they want an erotic story. Other than writing, I’m a voracious reader, a wife, a mother and my other hobby is making wine.

Today we’re talking about the Kithran Regenesis Series. Can you give our readers a brief introduction into the series?

Bk #1 is Kithra, which features Lux, Kol and Egan.

Bk #2 is Replicant, which features Jarana, Erik and Maska.

Bk #3 is Catalyst, which features Vala, Bastian and Jacks.

I’m a big fan of space opera books and shows and wanted to create my own worlds to explore the genre. Kithra wasn’t originally going to be a ménage romance, but Egan walked into a scene and I was hooked. I had already written a ménage called After the Crux, so I wasn’t sure I was going to stick with it in Kithra. I didn’t want to be pegged as a ménage only writer, but I honestly like the theme. It’s such a fun challenge to write three into a love story. Plus, it’s impossible to say no to Egan. Once I came to understand the Gwinarians, I decided to make all the books in the series ménage. If I ever tweet about having a rough day, one of my readers tells me it’s time for an Egan cuddle. Love that!

How did the idea for Kithra and all the tragedy that follows on this planet come about?

I knew I wanted to write about a spaceship captain who loved to fly being stuck on a dead planet. I actually hadn’t planned to write further in this world, but I got curious myself. Why did the planet explode? How many Gwinarians were off planet and what would it be like to bring them home for a rebuild? I’ve always been drawn to stories of survival, where people work together to rebuild a society. Plus, the Gwinarians deserved more stories. They have such a lovely way of life.

I love the Gwinarian philosophy on love and relationships. I think it’s a unique way of looking at things. And being another species makes it a little easier buy into as a reader. What made you decide to make Gwinarians like this?

I wish our world were more like this. The Gwinarians don’t put love into boxes. As long as everyone is a consenting adult, all love relationships are fully accepted and encouraged. It’s wonderful to write in a world where a man can kiss either of his partners in public and not receive any grief over it.   

Now in Replicant we have a bit of gender bending going on. That was absolutely wild! I loved it! It really shows you can’t help who you fall in love with! How hard was it for you to keep that one straight in your head as you were writing it?

It actually wasn’t hard at all, but that’s because I didn’t focus this story on the Replicant. It was Jarana’s story foremost because she’s the one who had to deal with the absolute heartbreak of returning to her home planet after everyone she loved had died. I do kind of wish I’d drawn out more of the conflict of falling in love with a woman only to learn she’s a man, but that story came to me hard and fast. Out of all the books I’ve written, this is actually one of my favorites. I wrote on anything I could get my hands on. My family had a car show trip planned and I carried around a notebook and scribbled in it every single time we stopped. I scribbled while walking…ran into stuff. I had just sold Kithra and realized I loved the Kithran world and wanted to keep writing in it. I actually want to explore more of the relationship between these three characters from Replicant, so it’s possible there will be more about them. I’m actually working on a free short story about them now. (I share free short stories from the Kithran and the Crux worlds in a newsletter. So far, there have been two stories. The second, Mutiny, features Kol, Lux and Egan from Kithra! I fell in

love with Kol and Egan all over again in that story.) But I’m completely in love with the idea of loving a person for who they are. I’ve always enjoyed the “gay for you” theme because it’s a wonderful concept—falling for a person and realizing you’re attracted to everything that makes up that person. There’s also the mystery and wonder of new discovery. That can be pretty hot!

In Catalyst we find out things aren’t as originally thought in the first two. I loved that twist to the story. Are we going to find out more about that in a later story? I’m really hoping this is NOT the last of that series!

Oh, this isn’t the last of the series. I have two more stories planned in this world. Origin is book four and it features the space pirates who had a small, secondary role in Catalyst. It’s also about Siri, a Gwinarian who was kidnapped off planet as a child. These characters will discover more of the overall thread which is the discovery of what happened to Kithra. It’s a longer book like Catalyst. The fifth book is called Redemption. I don’t want to give this one away, but it is the final planned in the overall arc and will be a real challenge. I’m looking forward to writing this one! I may write more books in the Kithran world though. I get requests for more books about Replicant aliens and I do love the Gwinarians.  

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is the HARDEST question. Right now, it’s Anders—because I’m writing him and enjoying the challenge. He’s one of the space pirates in Origin. Poor man is really, really trying to make up for being bad. I’m also pretty attached to Jarana. She can be such a bitch, but inside she’s all gooey. I also love Egan, Maska… you know, I love all my characters. <G>

What do you want people to come away with when they read your books?

Smiles would be the best thing. I love hearing from readers who actually reread my books because I know what it’s like to have books I go back to for enjoyment. I did hear from a reader who never thought she could enjoy a book with three people, but she likes these. If I wanted to go deeper, I’d say that I’d love for someone to come away with a changed mind when it comes to same sex relationships. I really do want to live in a world where that isn’t an issue. Finding true love is hard and nobody should be vilified for finding it in someone of their own gender.

Who is your favorite author? Why?

Oh man, this is another hard question. In urban fantasy, I like Patricia Briggs. She’s created worlds that pull me in and make me want to stay. I love her main character, Mercy. In erotic romances, I’m really enjoying the Cut and Run series. I’m a little in awe of Abigail Roux’s ability to make a reader care so much about the two main characters and how she keeps things fresh. I reread those books. A lot.

What book are you currently reading? 

Because I just came off a tough round of edits and I’m diving into a rough draft that’s due soon, I’ve been rereading for comfort. This weekend, it was Armed and Dangerous by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban.

What book is your “go to book”? You know, the one you can read anytime, however many times.

I actually have quite a few of these, but lately it’s been the Cut and Run books. I’m starting to sound like a cheerleader for Abigail Roux. <g>

Where can readers find you? 

Everywhere! LOL, I need to streamline my websites.

As Dani Worth

http://daniworth.wordpress.com

https://twitter.com/DaniWorthWrites

http://www.facebook.com/dani.worth.7

As Rinda Elliott (My first urban fantasy is debuting March 26^th at Samhain!)

http://relliott4.wordpress.com

https://twitter.com/RindaElliott

http://www.deadlinedames.com

Lightening Round

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?  Rocky Road is chocolate, right?

Beer or wine? Wine

Early bird or night owl? Night Owl

Dog person or cat person? Cat person

Chick Flick or Action Movie? Mix the two up! Give me kick-ass chicks!

Ereader or paper books? My ereader is my precious.

Thank you so much for joining us! Is there anything else you want to leave us with?

A big thank you to readers who have enjoyed my Kithran Regenesis books! I love writing these books and hope to continue them.

200th Post with author Tarryn Fisher!

Today is my 200th Blog post!! I seriously can't believe it! 

Since I loved The Opportunist so much, I've decided to give this day to author Tarryn Fisher with a review and an interview. I am insanely obsessed with this book and you would be too if you read it. It will make your heart spasm and your blood boil. It will make you wickedly happy and then you'll want to cry your eyes out. Either way, I promise, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!

I came across Tarryn's book, The Opportunist on Goodreads recently. It had gotten a lot of great ratings and thought it sounded like my kind of book- angsty, emotional, love triangle, heavy drama and a little dark. Unfortunately I had too many other books to read at the moment so I couldn't pick it up to read when I wanted to. 

While on Twitter one day looking for more books to read (as if I need anymore!) Tarryn and I started talking about books with dysfunctional relationships and how I like them. She had mentioned that her book sounded like what I was looking for and then told me to read her book. I LOVED that she said that to me. Most authors won't push themselves when a reader is looking for a particular book, which I find a bit aggravating. We want you to recommend yourselves to us IF it's what we're looking for. Trust me- it makes our searching much easier. :) I liked her immediately for that.

After reading The Opportunist, I fell in love; madly, deeply in love with this book. Now I know why it got such superb ratings. IT'S AMAZING! I became captivated with this story and I needed more...STAT! Sadly, there are no other books available yet and won't be next year. I almost cried when I found that out. But I did manage to track Tarryn down and pick her brain for an interview. She is in the process of moving right now, but took the time to answer all my questions, which came as a shock to me! I didn't expect them all to be answered!

Thank you for taking the time for an interview, Tarryn. I am beyond happy to have you here! Please start off by telling us a little about you and the kind of books you write.

Human emotions fascinate me. I don’t try to write angsty stories, they just sort of spill from my fingers. I like things that dare me to feel something; anger, sadness...heck, sometimes I get really wild and dabble in happiness. I respect sadness the most- so much so, I give it a lot of attention.  

After reading The Opportunist, I became obsessed with it, which seems to be the general consensuses for your book. I’m sure it’s what every author wants, but did you expect it to happen so fast, especially for being a self-pub?

I didn’t expect it to happen at all. I was told by the publishing industry that no one would like my book; it was too raw, too ugly. Olivia was unlikable. Self publishing The Opportunist was almost a rebellious experiment that I fully expected to fail.

This is a very well written book with hardly any errors, which isn’t all that common with a self-pub. I’ve heard people say they can ignore all the errors if they love an author. Well, I can’t. Did you have an editor for this book? The first few rounds of this book were rough. I hate reading what I write, so I don’t go back and comb through for grammar and misspellings. Eventually, an editor got in contact with me and said; I love this story, let me fix it. Her name is Lori Sabin and I love her.

Are you currently working on anything at the moment? If so, can you give us a sneak peak please? You know about Dirty Red. I am also writing the third book which features my boy, Caleb. There is a secret YA project I’ve been working on for years. I was a chapter away from finishing it when I left it to write Dirty Red. I hear it calling me back. It’s so unique I’m afraid to let anything about it slip.

I had no idea this was going to be a series until I stalked your website for anything I could get after reading The Opportunist- yes, I am that obsessed. How many books do you plan and do you plan different points of view for each book? There will be three. I do not believe in telling the same story from another perspective. I feel like that would be stale. So, what I’m doing is continuing Olivia and Caleb’s story, but we get to see it unfold from two different perspectives. First Leah will speak and then we’ll let Caleb decide everyone’s fate.

Why did you decide to do different points of view?

Everything we saw in The Opportunist was from Olivia’s perspective. Her mind is warped, so unless we see things from the other perps, we won’t get the full picture.

I’m a huge romance reader. The more romance, the better. If the story is intriguing enough for me then I’ll read a light romance book, which is what I would consider yours to be. Will there be more romance scenes in your next book?  Maybe a little heavier this time? I don’t know that anyone wants to see Leah and Caleb get it on. I mean, Leah is the anti prude. Would they hate me for that? I decided to stop being a prude for Caleb’s book. He’s a guy, he has sex. You’ll get more sex. I’m getting hives just thinking about it. I have to drink to write sex scenes...like an entire bottle of wine. Whenever my friends hear I’m drinking, they’re like “You’re writing a sex scene aren’t you?”

I know your readers want an HEA for Caleb and Olivia. How do you feel about this? How can there be an HEA between those two if Olivia married Noah?

Did she marry Noah? I keep putting them in these situations and then I watch to see how they work themselves free. I do not know how the story is going to end. Olivia and Caleb have their own personalities at this point, so no matter how hard I try to force them, I don’t know if they’ll find their way back to each other.

Dirty Red is set to release in April 2013. Can you please write faster? I need it…like yesterday!  I’m writing so fast. I care how each sentence looks, so I put so much time into making them just right. *hangs head* I’m a terribly slow writer. I wish I had Colleen Hoover’s speedy fingers.

Do you plan your characters and storyline or does it come to you as you write? What happens when you do plan the story but you find it going in a different direction? Do you go in that new direction or stick to your original one?

I am a strict believer in NEVER telling my characters what to do. After I gave Olivia her personality, it was her job to run her own story. I just presented roadblocks and allowed her personality (not mine) to make the decisions.

Describe your writing in four words. Angry. Potent. Dark. Choppy.

If your book came with a warning, what would it say? WARNING! This book will take your fairy-tale romance dreams and f**** them sideways.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author so far? What has been your greatest compliment?

My greatest compliments come from the reviewers on Goodreads. They take time out of their day to write their thoughts about something that I created. I love every word of their reviews. I guess the same can be said about the criticism in the bad reviews. It hurts when they hate my story, but I take everything they say very seriously and try to make myself a better writer.

What is something readers wouldn’t know about you? I am afraid of clusters of circles. When I see circles in a cluster, I want to throw up.

The Opportunist is definitely one of the most angst filled romance book I have ever read. Are those the kind of books you like to read? If so, can you please recommend some of your favorites? Those are the books I search high and low for and have the hardest time finding. I love anything that reeks of darkness.  One name; Gillian Flynn.

What helps you get in the mind set of writing? Do you have a writing regimen? I have to leave the house. My children bite me and climb on me, so I write at Starbucks. I listen to music. I drink coffee.

What is the most important element in publishing a book? Having an editor? Beta reader? Blog tours? Promo help? Will you be doing anything different for the release of your second book then you did for the first book?

A good reader is important. They are so rare. You need someone that will tell you the truth and know enough about the industry to know if you’re writing something that will flop or fit.

Authors have different opinions on whether or not to read reviews of their books. Some say it brings them down, others say it helps with their writing. What are your views on it? I read everything. Bad reviews sting. But, if the readers are telling you that something sucks...it might suck. You have to take everything into consideration.

What do you want reader to take away once they’ve read The Opportunist? I want them to feel like they were Olivia’s conscience...the Jiminy Cricket that sat on her shoulder while she made all of the wrong choices.

Where can we find out more about you and your work?   My website is www.tarrynfisher.com. But, I have this disease called, Facebook. I lurk around in there all day.

Where can we buy your book? It’s available on Amazon and Barnes&Noble. Amazon now sells the paperback.

Lightening speed round!

Vanilla, Chocolate or Strawberry? Coconut

Pumps, Sandals or Sneakers? Sandals

Beer or Fruity Girly drink? Wine!

Boxers, Briefs or Commando? Whatever Kellan Kyle wears.  

Book or ereader? You’re killing me! Both, I do both.

Vampire, Demon or Shifter? I can kill all three at the same time.

Soft and Sensual or Up Against the Wall? up against the wall....or a tree.

Beach or Snow? Rain! never the beach...never ever.

Jeans or Pearls? Jeans.

Tattoos or Piercing? Tattoos

Thank you so much for being here, Tarryn. I truly appreciate it!

You can review Taryn's review HERE.

Since I am in LOVE with this book so much, I will be giving away a copy of Tarryn's book, The Opportunist. PLUS, I will be giving away a big pile of swag from many different authors!


All you have to do is LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE and leave a comment for Tarryn. Contest will run one week. REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT.

Thanks and good luck!

Author Interview & Giveaway with K.A. Linde

Hi everyone! Alyssa here, and I was given the amazing opportunity to interview soon-to-be-published author K.A. Linde! I recently read her book Avoiding Commitment, and absolutely fell in love! It's officially my new current obsession! I can't remember the last time I got this giddy over a story and the characters involved! Sex... love... lies... drama. THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL!  I'm so thankful to have been given the opportunity to read K.A. Linde's work, and I can now not only add a new favorite book to my "favorite's" list- but a new favorite author as well! :) 

Hi K.A. and welcome to My Secret Romance! Can you please tell us a little about yourself and how you got started in writing?

Hey Alyssa! Thanks so much for having me!  I just recently graduated with my Masters in political science from the University of Georgia.  I relocated to Chapel Hill rather recently for a job, and I am really loving my time up here.  I really got into writing in high school.  My best friend and I used to write (terrible) drama filled stories about high school students in the Gossip Girl/A-List vein.  The Avoiding series was more of an extension of college experiences.  I really utilized story creation as an outlet for everything else that was going on in my life.

Believe it or not, I absolutely LOVED Jack. You quoted on Goodreads, that although Jack was so bad... he was just sooo--- good for Lexi.  I couldn't agree more! What is it about his character that you love most?  

That’s a great question.  I think my favorite part about Jack (besides his blue eyes) is his persistence and his passion.  He may have done some pretty bad things to the people in his life, but in some way he was always there for Lexi.  I have a great example from AR that would sum this up perfectly, but to keep from spoiling book 2 for everyone, I’ll let you guys guess which one I’m thinking.

Then there is the passion…Jack is so passionate!  He just has something about him that is both emotionally moving both positive and negative that you can’t help but want him to be with Lexi…and also you want to smack him!  Then you want to kiss him, then you want to pummel him, but you kind of want to kiss him again…woops!

Did you worry about how readers would perceive Lexi, since she was always involved with Jack, even while they were both seeing other people?  

There is always that worry that readers won’t connect with the MC.  But to be honest, the way I construct my characters is with flaws.  Everyone has them, and it drives me crazy when I read books where the characters are perfect.  Lexi was going through a problem; Jack is the problem.  The cheating and involvement with Jack was to me more like an addiction.  They had control over each other.  It wasn’t a one way street, but you just saw it from Lexi’s perspective.  Also, I think what Lexi went through actually happens to people.  There’s usually that one person (whether you dated them or not) that you know you should stay away from but you don’t.

And when I created the characters, I knew that Lexi wasn’t always going to be seen as a great person, because she wasn’t.  She made mistakes, like everyone makes mistakes in their life, and showed that she was able to change eventually in the end.  I think it’s a life journey that you read about Lexi, and you get to be there every step of the way.

What drove you to write Avoiding Commitment?

I woke up one morning and thought, “What would it be like if I had to meet one of my ex-boyfriends new girlfriends?”  I’d had some interesting experiences with relationships in my past, and I just started wondering about how that would make me feel.  Avoiding Commitment really grew organically out of that idea.  I had a hard time relating to a lot of the characters in picture-perfect-type books, because it was never something I had been through.  I wanted to write something more from the heart, and I have a very personal connection with all of the characters and experiences that went into creating Avoiding Commitment.

The second book, Avoiding Responsibility is already out. Will this be the last book or do you plan to write more for these characters?

I plan to write a third book in the series.  As many of the people who have read the book know, there are A LOT of ends that haven’t been tied up at the end of the second book.  I have a lot of ideas about where I want the third book to go, but I haven’t started writing just yet.  I’ll be sure to fill you in and send you teasers as I start writing.

Do you like to read emotional/angsty books? If so, can you recommend some to us? It’s what I live for!

As funny as it is, I don’t actually read that many angsty book.  I read Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens a couple years ago and loved that, and we’re now pretty good friends.  I’m sure everyone has read that!  Otherwise I really like Philippa Gregory’s books.  Her historical fiction series Wideacre is crazy emotional and wonderful.  Otherwise, I’ve been told that The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher is similar to my novel and it’s the next one I’m planning to read along with Slammed by Colleen Hoover.

Are the characters modeled after anyone you know personally?

I think the answer to this question is always yes and no.  For instance, Bekah and Chyna are both extremes of a conglomeration of people that I’ve known throughout my life.  Lexi reminds me a lot of myself especially in her mannerisms and snarkiness, which I’m sure is because it was the first novel I ever seriously sat down to write.  Jack, again, is similar to a guy that I once knew, but I promise he was a lot sweeter than the Jack we all love to hate. J  Ramsey, however, I must admit is a complete manifestation of my imagination…

I'm sure there will be some fans out there who would consider Jack a "villain" or have mixed feelings about him- he's definitely a character you love to hate! Which leads to my next question... Did you write Ramsey and Jack as polar opposites so that there would be a clear choice as to who Lexi should be with?

Oh man, definitely not!  I think both Ramsey and Jack are flawed in their own ways.  I don’t think of Jack as a villain or Ramsey as the hero.  I think they are both good for Lexi in completely different ways and at different times in her life.  And when I was writing the novels and going through the process, I really didn’t know who I wanted Lexi to be with.  I never thought there was a clear choice, and I think throughout the novel you can see that Lexi battles with the choice herself.

One thing I really ended up loving that made the story unique, was the way you switched the chapters between past and present. What made you decide to alternate the chapters instead of telling the past in one half of the book and the present story in the other half?

From the very beginning, I had the intention of writing the story between past and present.  The way I saw it was that the past created and shaped Lexi and Jack’s present.  I started with the idea of the present with Lexi meeting Bekah like I said above, but I think their past was more concrete to me from the beginning.  I already knew what Lexi and Jack’s story was.  I knew what they had gone through to get where they were before I even knew much more than why Lexi was going to go to Atlanta.

By getting their story piece by piece instead of as a chunk at the front of the book, you really got to know the characters in a very specific way…you got to see in real time the mistakes that changed their reactions to each other.  If you knew up front what happened with Lexi and Jack in New York, then you would never fall in love with him – there would be no emotional connection.  I think it adds an element of mystery to the novel, which I used to feed the growing tension between the characters.

*SPOILER ALERT*  Did you ever originally want Jack and Lexi to have their happily ever after? Or were you always planning on writing a second book?

Yes, of course.  I really really wanted them to end up together!  Just as a snippet into the creation process of the book, the scene that everyone talks about in the hallway with Jack and Lexi was initially going to happen with Ramsey.  But the more and more I wrote Ramsey’s character, I just couldn’t see him legitimately doing that with/to Lexi.  Also, I couldn’t see how it would make sense.  Then the more and more I wrote out what happened, I couldn’t see Jack and Lexi’s HEA making any more sense than her sleeping with Ramsey when she was emotionally messed up at the end of the book.

However, as soon as I introduced Ramsey’s character and kept so many secrets about his past, I knew I wanted a second book.  I didn’t really know how I wanted the second book to go until a lot later, but I knew the potential was there.

Don’t tell anyone, though I know how you feel about Jack, Alyssa, I still secretly hope for Jack and Lexi’s HEA…and Jack’s redemption. *sigh*

Do you plan on self-publishing all your work, or do plan on being published by a publishing house?

I never anticipated publishing AC or AR when I first wrote them, because they are so deeply personal to me.  They’re my babies.  After all the hype though, I’ve decided to put them out for more people to read.  I think that these books will do well in the Indie world because contemporary romance and supernatural are doing really well.  The books I’m currently writing are more fantasy/romance, which I’m not sure how well would do in the Indie world.

I wouldn’t mind publishing with a big publishing house because the reach is so much larger especially with huge PR deals, but I think there are ups and downs.  Authors get a smaller cut and less discretion about the content which really worries me, but of course the PR is big so you’re likely to sell more if you’re not writing romance (or even if you are and you’re not Jamie McGuire J).  I think it’ll depend on what the publishing house offers then.

Are you working on anything at the moment? If so, can you give us a little sneak peak, please?

Yes!  I am currently writing a fantasy/romance novel called The Affiliate, and it is going to be a trilogy eventually.  I’ve already posted the first 8 chapters on fictionpress for everyone to check out.  Here is the summary:

On the day of Cyrene's 17th birthday, she is Presented to the court of Byern for Selection into the Class System of their society. Coming from a high First Class family, she desperately hopes to be placed into the highly educated world she grew up in. Her sister and brother both already serve their kingdom as established ambassadors of the royal court in one of the highest positions. She hopes to obtain a similar stature next to her sister as a Queen's Affiliate. What she finds when she ultimately enters this world is something she never dreamed of, full of a series of unanswered questions and riddles, scandal, and intrigue...

All I’ll say is there are a lot of rather handsome men in the book, one strong, snarky heroine, and some underlying elements that perhaps hint at magic...

If you could give your book a warning label, what would you say?

Chocolate.  Ice cream.  Snuggles.  These all may be necessary to read this book.

Be prepared for heartache, the desire to through your kindle/computer/ipad/device across the room, the need to reach through the book and strangle the characters, and a bipolar-esk love/hate relationship with the characters!

Where can we find out more about you and your work?  

If you want to follow me and my writing here are a couple ways:

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5421050.K_A_Linde

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/KA-Linde/212796458753281

Fictionpress:  http://www.fictionpress.com/~craziebabe45

Where can we buy Avoiding Commitment?

Avoiding Commitment isn’t currently available to purchase, but I’m on a mission to have it out by the end of July.  Look for it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble in the future!

Thank you so much for answering our questions today! We really appreciate it. 

You can read Alyssa's reviews HERE and HERE.

Even though Avoiding Commitment isn't out to buy right now, K.A. has offered to giveaway the book to one lucky winner today!! All you need to do is LIKE K.A. LINDE'S FACEBOOK page  and leave her a comment. If you want to LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE too that would be great! The contest will run for one week. 

Thanks and good luck!