Who's Who Wednesday Author Alexandra O'Hurley

Let's all welcome Author Alexandra O'Hurley to Epically Romantic.  Alexandra will be giving away a PDF copy of All's Fair In Love and Lust.  So to get in on the  chance to win, please visit her website (http://alexohurley.blogspot.com/) and follow it, as well as clicking follow on this blog and when you comment on this blog leave your email address so you can be contacted if you are the lucky winner!  Now on to the interview.

How long does it take you to write a book? It really depends on the story and my distractions, but I can usually finish a novel in about a two month window or a novella in one. But life and work happens, so I do my best to just keep at it.


Are you anything like your heroines or heroes? I think any writer has a little piece of themselves in each and every character. But I admit that each one of my heroines has quite a bit of me in them.


Where do you get your ideas for your books? Gosh, I really wish I could tell you. I have had ideas come as dreams, researching an idea that has lead to new ideas, a simple comment from someone else, or even some guy walking out in a sports uniform from a convenience store one day gave me a spark of 'oh!'. I think our muses speak to us all the time. We just need to keep our eyes and ears open.


How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? I currently have nine published/contracted pieces ranging from two shorts in two anthologies, two novellas and five novels. My favorite? Whichever I am working on! I think the story consumes you when it is in your head begging to get to the page. But if I had to choose, I would have to pick The Lottery.


Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing? I read them. Most creative people have a slight narcissistic side to them. We want people to like our work. It feeds the fire to continue creating. And I do take note of some of the critiques, especially if it something I hear repeatedly. But I also have to be true to myself and my vision. You have writers who are all about the money and will write any ole crap to get it out there. And then you have the ones who see their work as above reproach and they refuse to change it to fit the market. I am that writer in between. I want to make a career from this, so I need to listen to my audience/publisher, but I also want the writing to be good and the story to draw the reader in. At least that's my hope.


What do you like to do when you're not writing? I work full time and go to school part time. So when I am not writing, I sleep and eat. Both of which I excel at, by the way.

What does your family think of your writing? My 15 year old calls my books "those smutty things" and my mother refuses to read them due to content. But they are very proud of me. I actually got an earful one day when my mother didn't know I was there. It almost made me squirm it was so gushy.


Tell us five things about you, that we wouldn't know. One, I went to culinary school. Two, I originally wanted to be a History teacher. Three, I build websites. Four, I have two spoiled dogs. Five, I went to four different elementary schools in the fourth grade alone.


Tell us about your newest release. I have several. Night of the Dragon was released August 26 from Evernight Publishing and All's Fair in Love and Lust was published September 27 from Siren Publishing. Being Improper will be out October 7th from Evernight. The Midnight SeductionAnthology includes my short Going Berserk, and it will be out in mid-October.

Where can we find your book(s)? I have multiple publishers, so the easiest way would be to go to www.alexandraohurley.com, but they are available on Barnes and Noble Online, Amazon, Fictionwise, ARe, Bookstrand, and my publisher's websites - www.newconceptspublishing.com, www.evernightpublishing.com and www.bookstrand.com.


Thanks for having me, Nichelle!

Review: Busted by Lizze Lynn Lee

Title: Busted
Author: Lizzie Lynn Lee
Review Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Ebony Dreams
Author: Lizzie Lynn Lee
Publisher: Summerhouse Publishing

Release Date: March 2011

Book Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance

Blurb:
James and Anna are hiding their relationship from her father. Or are they?


Review:

If you're looking for a short read that will excite you, this is it. Another short page that just wowed me. Ten pages of heat. I loved this. Loved Anna and how she went for what she wanted no matter the circumstances. James desires Anna and when Anna has him in her sights, no matter his protests, she is going to go for what she wants. Even if that means her father is near and her lover James has to try and act as if nothing is going on. Will they get caught? That remains to be seen, but let me tell you the ending is excellent.

I will be looking for more from this author. I do hope she has more out.

Five stars for packing the heat in such a little space.

Review  posted: http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=3321 and www.goodreads.com

Uncle Dominic's Touch

Title: Uncle Dominic's Touch (Wickedly Taboo)
Author: Jenika Snow
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Ebony Dreams

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

Release Date: June 2011
ISBN: 9781926950594

Book Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Blurb:
Where do we draw the line between love and desire?

Chloe has always loved to spend time at Aunt Clara and her husband's cottage during the summer. The problem is she loves Uncle Dominic more than a niece should.

With Aunt Clara out of the picture, Chloe needs to show her uncle just how hot she burns for him, and prove that what they feel for each other is not wrong, no matter what he or anyone else thinks.

Maybe not a conventional relationship, but no one can help who they fall in love with? Even if it is...wickedly taboo.

Review:

A sexy and tempting read. Let me warn you, right now before you read this book. If you cannot handle a love as powerful and sexy as the one between an Uncle (not blood) and his of-age niece, then you do not need to read this. It is not for the faint of heart. Coming from a family who believes "once a family, always a family", I can understand why many think this is taboo. But understanding it and believing it to be true are two different things. The heart wants what it wants.

Chloe has always loved her Uncle but it isn't until she is eighteen that she realizes she loves him as a woman loves a man. It is confusing to her to find that she needs her Uncle in a way she never thought she would or could. The affection of child turns and becomes the love of a young woman. Chloe never felt she fit in with her family, feeling as if she has to fit a mold that they have set for her. A mold that she is dying to break free from. The thing I find that is interesting in the dynamic between the two is that Chloe immediately embraces the idea and it is her Uncle Dominic who fights it hard. I liked that. Because for me it, didn't make him seem like a dirty old man. It made him real to me. Someone who wasn't a freak and had been lusting for his niece.

Dominic is dumbfounded, to say the least, that he feels what he feels for his niece. He struggles with his feelings for Chloe as valiantly as he can because he feels that he is taking advantage of her innocence. The battle is lost and he can no longer deny what he feels. When he finally does touch Chloe as he has wanted to and as she has needed him to, the heat burns up the pages. Hot, hot...oh and yeah did I say hot?

Then all hell seriously breaks loose and the lovers part. Years pass and finally they meet again. Loved it. It was heated and it was filled with pain, need and love.

This book pushes the conservative boundaries of society. I like that. We need more of this. Evernight Publishing has another gem of an author, but then I am sure they know that.

I absolutely adored Jenika Snow's approach and answer to this age old conflict. This book is a surefire page turner for me and I will be reading it again and again. What a wonderful keeper. Author Jenika Snow is an author I will continue to look for.

Five stars for sexy Taboo.

Also posted: http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=3504 and www.goodreads.com

Title: Wyoming Triple Heat
Author: Delilah Hunt
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Ebony Dreams

Publisher: Siren Publishing

Release Date: January 2011

Book Genre: Erotic Romance, Ménage or more, Multi-cultural/Multi-racial Romance, Western Romance

Blurb:
[Ménage Amour: Erotic Cowboy Ménage a Quatre Romance, M/F/M/M, spanking]

Stranded for more years than she’d like in Oak Creek, Wyoming, twenty-two-year-old Alexa Grey is a virgin with three problems. Out of the blue, the Kincaid brothers show up on her doorstep requesting she move onto their ranch for unlimited access to her body. Lexie is stunned, angered, and intrigued by the three cowboys who threaten to overtake her emotions.

Wealthy cattle ranchers Logan, Connor, and Owen have decided the only way to prevent a rift between them is to share the one woman they’ve each fallen for. Putting into motion their plan to have the fiery beauty belong to them, they invite Lexie for a week on the ranch. With her unbridled curiosity for sex, the only question is just what will it take to convince her to stay and trust them not to break her heart?

A Siren Erotic Romance

Review:

Interracial cowboy ménage at its finest. Delilah Hunt never ceases to amaze me with her hot sex scenes, feisty heroines and dead sexy heroes. I dub her Queen of Interracial Ménage. I absolutely loved the Kincaid studs and Alexa Grey. I think that Delilah Hunt's fantasy of three brothers and one woman had a hint of realism in it. Why do I say that, you ask? First of all, the brothers had never thought of sharing a woman before. Had never had to share a woman before. So Alexa coming into their lives and all three brothers wanting her, they were man enough to realize that they had to share her. Doesn't mean that they are used to sharing and that it would always be easy for them. Which to me is a real emotion and really realistic. The brothers had to have some insecurities as did Alexa, or it wouldn't have been realistic. The brothers are bound to need reassurance that she wouldn't pick one over the other and Alexa should also be a little unsure as to whether they would stay with her or leave when and if they tired of her. Realistic. Logan, Connor and Owen Kincaid are three sexy cowboys who fall for one very lucky female. All three males are Alphas but the way they handle themselves and Alexa is different and refreshing. It's not like they are all the same carbon copy and repeating and doing the same thing the other one would do. You get three totally distinct males who happen to love and want the same woman. So what better way to keep the peace because you love your brothers who happen to love the same woman, than to share her and love her equally? And ooh la la, was she shared equally. Sexy, sweet and hot sexual escapades kept me wanting more. Smoking sexual talk and acts kept my eyes peeled to the pages. Don't get me wrong. This book, though chocked full with erotic scenes, wasn't all about that alone. It was filled with secondary conflicts and secondary characters that added to the issues the four characters faced. It made me laugh, and it made sit on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I was so invested in the characters. I wanted them to all be happy together and Delilah Hunt did not disappoint me. Once again she has proven to me that her books are keepers. I didn't want to put it down and believe me, you won't want to either. Overall impression? Impressed and wanting more! Five stars for sexy cowboys, hot sex scenes and a great love story.

One Wicked Night (The Wicked: Book 2)

Title:  One Wicked Night (The Wicked: Book 2)

Author: Avril Ashton

Review Rating:  5 Stars

Reviewed by: Ebony Dreams

Publisher: eXtasy Books

Release Date: April 2011
ISBN: 9781554878536

Book 2 of The Wicked
Book Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, African American Romance, Romantic Suspense/Mystery

Blurb:  

Justice Alexandre kills for a living. A lover of the shadows, he makes no excuses for what he does. Besides, people bore him. He has no use for them…until a hot summer night in a Toronto nightclub. A woman with misery in her eyes whispers three words in his ear, shattering his world like shards of crystal at his feet. 

She wants to lose herself—or maybe find herself, Myka Prentiss can’t readily decide. What she does know is the dark stranger hugging the shadows at the back of the club calls to her in ways she can’t explain. Putting fear aside, accepting the heady pull, she makes her move and asks for one nameless night. Nothing between them but hot sweat and tangled sheets.

He accepts.

When they’re done, she walks away, wanting more. Back to an unfulfilled life, she’s comforted only by her memories…until her dark stranger shows up at her door with an announcement.

He’s been hired to kill her.

Review:

Hot! Hot! Hot! I cannot say enough how hot this book was. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I didn't want to put it down. I loved the characters and wanted more! This book had it all, lust, passion, love, fear, intrigue, guns, dirty talk, sexy hero and heroine! I was in love with it from the start. What can I even say about Myka and Justice other than hot and sexy. Both characters are likable, and one wants to continue to get to know them and watch as they are drawn to each other in the most erotic of ways. The scene is so dark and exciting when they meet. Every woman's fantasy of the dangerous male and wanting to be overtaken by him is all realized just in the beginning of the book. Myka wanted to lose herself in Justice and lose herself she did, but he did a bit of losing himself within her and it was sensual, erotic, sexy and filled with white-hot need. Two lost souls who find each other in a nightclub and ignite a passion for each other that cannot be quenched. My emotions took a roller coaster ride as I read this book. I was excited, nervous, worried, thrilled, turned on, pleased, shocked and oh most definitely content by the end of the book. This book is a keeper and one that I will re-read again and again. I recommend this book for those of you looking for extra heat with your love. The plot. What can I say about the plot other than it is exciting and it keeps you guessing. Which is indeed a wonderful thing. It runs smoothly and at a great pace and keeps one interested and invested in the two characters. This is a sequel to A Wicked Ride (The Wicked: Book 2) and I have to say I am eagerly awaiting another installment, there were enough other characters with stories that cried out to be written and I am sure Avril Ashton will not disappoint us. Be warned the sex acts within the book are not for the faint of heart. They will set your pulse racing and make you wish you were the one screaming Justice's name. This book recieves five stars from me for heated sexual scenes, loveable and fun characters, intrigue and just plain awesomeness!

Shameless Bound Hearts Series # 7

Title:  Shameless

Author: Lora Leigh

Review Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewed by: Ebony Dreams

Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing

Release Date: November 2009
ISBN: 9781419901492

Book 7 of Bound Hearts
Book Genre: BDSM, Erotic Romance, Ménage or more

Blurb: She's a temptation he can't afford.

Ian Sinclair, the man with no heart, the ultimate Trojan, the untouchable, the unreachable, may just have met his match.

As wild as the untamed winds, as innocent as love itself, Courtney's vivacious spirit shines as brilliantly as the brightest star. And he wants nothing more in life than to see the sweet innocence that is so much a part of her survive. That can never happen if he allows her to be drawn into the wicked, sexual excesses of his life.

He's a hunger she can't deny.

Courtney Mattlaw has understood her destiny her whole life. Her lifetime of happiness hangs on this moment in time, and forcing a man who feels he is unable to love, to trust his heart.

Haunted. Filled with loneliness. Incomplete. Ian is the very breath of her soul. She knows the battle to steal his heart could ultimately destroy them both, but it s a risk she must take.

When these two come together, sparks fly and the lust simmering between them ignites in a conflagration that will burn them to their souls and leave them Shameless.

Review:

Again...she has done it. By she, I mean Lora Leigh. Each time I read one of her books from the Bound Heart Series, I think it can't get any better than the last one. And each time I have been wrong.

Lora Leigh has managed to weave a perfect fantasy that makes a woman really wish it was her reality.

I loved the characters in this book even better than the other books.

Ian Sinclair is the ultimate Alpha male who found his match in a woman who has loved him since she was a child. (Yes at first I was a bit iffy about that and yes, weirded out, but believe me, I got over that really quick). She is his temptation and he is her hunger.

Courtney makes you love her and love the fact that she loves Ian with all her heart unconditionally. She is a female who's even younger than the heroines in the last book(s), but she knew what she wanted and how she wanted. And she wanted Ian with a fierceness that jumped from the pages, pulled you in and made you cheer for her. Heck, it made you want to be her and in her place.

It was nice to see the women from the other books meet up in this one and conspire with one another to try and help Courtney with Ian. I loved it. I recommend this book to all who want a story filled with passion, innocence and love!

The hot love scenes are erotic and make you tremble! I just have to say I am hoping upon hope that she will also do a story for Prince Khalid. Oh my, my , my...I so want to see him in his own story. Sex appeal is at its highest in this book.

I most definitely will read this book again. It was wonderful. Now I must say the books in this series can be stand alone. But if you're like me, you will love to start at the beginning and go through each book to get the background...and believe me these books are rich in background.

I urge any and all who love menage, BDSM and D/s relationships to read this series. You won't be disappointed.

I give this book: 5 Stars.

5 stars for hotness, erotic content, passion, pain, love, need...all of it 5 stars