Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Interview with Avril Ashton



A big Tardis Scribbles welcome to the deliciously wicked Avril Ashton with her new release Far From The Usual.

Great to have you here, Avril J

Q. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Thank you for inviting me in, Doris. I’m a lover of cake and liquor, a reader and writer of smut, and a neglectful parent and spouse. Funny, but all of those blend together effortlessly to make me chock full of awesome!

Love that description of you!

Q. What made you write ‘this’ story?

 Well, it popped into my head one day while doing dishes. Apparently, Arden (my heroine) had a thing for Cam (my hero), but refused to act on it as Cam is the twin brother of Arden’s ex. Of course that intrigued me, I’m nothing if not all about drama, so I sipped some iced coffee, turned on some baby-making music, and made those poor bastards suffer.

Q. Tell us about your cover.  
   
It’s delish, right? That’s the incomparable Jimmy Thomas as Cam Mercer. I have to say, the woman looks exactly as I’d pictured Arden. I’m in love with the cover artists over at EP, I’d give my left nut to have one of their babies.

It is extremely delicious. Evernight's cover artists do an amazing job!

Q. Describe a typical day’s writing for you.

If it’s Monday thru Wednesday, writing happens after 7am, that’s when I cart the kid off to school. Or at least, that’s when the bus picks her up. I write until midday. By then I’ve either written my quota of 2k or a full chapter. I may or may not go back to it after the kid and Mr. A are put to bed. If I do, I write till midnight. On Thursday and Saturday, I will write in the mornings, but I also go to the day job and I write there for eight hours until it’s time to go home. Fridays and Sundays are chill days, no writing gets done.

Q. What inspires you?

  Music. Books. People. Anything. Everything.

Q. If you weren’t a writer what would you be?

An editor/agent. Either way, I’d be mired in the writing world in some way, in some fashion.

Q.Do your characters ever surprise you?

 Ha, all the damn time. I write off the cuff, straight pantsing so I have no idea of what’s coming until it arrives.

Lol, so know that feeling! 

Q. What could you not do without when you’re writing?

Music and an iced caramel latte from Dunkin Donuts.

Q.What words of wisdom do you have for the aspiring authors out there?

Read. Research. Write.

Q.Where do you see yourself in ten year’s time?

Writing. Making Mr. A miserable by continuing to eat him out of house and home.

Q. Do you have a favourite quote?

 Yep. Gloria Steinem had it right when she said, “Writing is the only thing I do, that when I do it, I don’t feel like I should be doing something else.”

Great Quote! 

Q. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

Not often, but I do. At such times, I remove myself from the project and indulge in reading other authors’ works and listening to music. Always helps.

Q. What other books can your readers look forward to?

 Make Me Burn, Wes and Jayce’s story from Make Me Sweat, is slated for release March 28. It’s bk#2 in my Bringing the Heat series with Evernight. Till Surrender, Paranormal Security Council series bk#2, comes out May 7 from Total E Bound. It’s MM para/fantasy. I’m also waiting on a release date for Love the Sinner, my recently contracted MM with Ellora’s Cave. While I wait I’m working on the final installment in my The Wicked series with eXtasy Books and bk#3 in the Bringing the Heat series for EP. Busy lil bee, das me ;-)

Q. And finally can you share an excerpt with us?

 Hell, yes!

BLURB
He’s her ex’s brother, yet Arden Windham aches to be in Cam Mercer’s arms. The man is rude and obnoxious, his blue eyes cold and unfeeling, but he makes her body melt. Being with ex-con Cam is nowhere in her plans, not if she wants the affection she’s worked so hard to gain from her overbearing father. Still, Cam’s touch is unlike anything she’s ever felt and Arden finds herself having to choose between her wants and her needs.
Cameron Mercer is his family’s black sheep, a man apart. For six months he watched Arden waste her time with his twin and now she’s free, he’s not waiting another minute. He’s on a campaign to get her off the tight rope she’s been walking. There’s a rebel behind that smooth façade and he’s on a mission to set Arden free. Too bad she insists on putting up a fight.

Excerpt Rated R

“All done, Mr. Mercer?”
“Yeah, you’re good to go.” He held her gaze, heating her skin under all that ice as he quoted his price.
“Great.” She broke eye contact and fumbled with her purse. “I assume cash is acceptable?” At his curt nod she counted out the appropriate amount plus a nice tip and handed it over. “Thank you for your prompt service.”
He stared at her then flipped his gaze to the money in her hand and backed away without taking it.
“What the hell?” Arden scrambled out of the car, cursing those damned heels as they sank into the soft ground. Rain pelted her in the face as she yelled after Cam. “What the fuck is your problem?”
He ignored her and she kicked off her heels and raced after him. Grabbing his arm, she tugged.
“What the hell is your problem with me, Mr. Mercer?” She brushed wet hair from her eyes and glared up at him. “Did I kill your puppy or something?”
He shrugged and her gaze darted to those shoulders.
Briefly.
“I don’t like you,” he said.
What? Arden gaped up at him. She would never cop to how her chest felt like he’d sliced her open. “Everybody likes me.”
He laughed in her face. “You’re a spoiled, entitled rich kid.”
Where the hell did he get off? “You don’t know me.” She poked him in the chest. “You don’t know shit about me, so you have no right to judge me.”
Water dripped from his hood and down his chin. “My brother knew, right? And it seems he had enough of you.”
“Motherfucker!” She lifted her hand to punch him in the freaking nose, but Cam grabbed her wrists. She fought him, kicking at his shins.
“Get your hands off me, you son of a bitch.”
He lifted her off her feet and brought her down on the hood of his truck. Arden struggled as he grabbed her nape and brought their heads close.
“Does daddy know how dirty his little girl’s mouth is?” His lips brushed her ear and Arden shivered.
Damn. She struggled harder but his vice grip held her immobile. Rain poured, wetting her tight white dress, molding it to her skin.
“Did my brother get any of those dirty words or are they all for me?” His fingers at her nape tightened. His bulky frame covered her vision and Arden inhaled his scent of clean soap and anger. Her nipples beaded.
She tried sliding out from under his hold, but only succeeded in sprawling backward on the truck’s wet hood. Lifting her hands, she clutched his arms.
“Cam.” She heard the whimper in her voice, but rejected it. She didn’t whimper.
He lifted his head, met her eyes, and her tremors started. His fingers at her nape flexed. The coolness in his eyes bled away, leaving only heat. Leaving only flames.
“No.” She shook her head. It wasn’t right, but her cunt was all slippery. He didn’t like her, but she tightened her grip on his forearm. “You don’t like me.”
His lips curved, his hold on her slackened and Arden scrambled away, nearly falling to the ground in her attempt to get away.
Cam grabbed her hand, yanked her into his chest.
Arden held her breath to avoid breathing in his musk.
“I don’t have to like you to want you, Princess.”
She was burning up, melting, but Arden gathered her strength and pushed at his chest. “I don’t like you, either, Mr. Mercer. Nor do I want you.” Oh, God. She couldn’t even convince herself.
He chuckled, blue eyes flashing. “Liar. I’ve seen it in your eyes, Princess. You think I don’t know you’ve been avoiding me?”
“Shut up! Shut up!” She squeezed her eyes shut, panting. He knew. God.  She should leave, walk away, but there was a strange buzzing in her ear, her heart thudded in her chest, and her pussy was all kinds of hungry.
Wet fingers grazed her cheek, cupped her jaw. His hot breath fanned across her face. Arden forced herself not to inhale, not to move, not to moan. Soft, firm lips brushed against hers, feather light. Barely there. She sucked in a breath, reached for him, but he’d already moved back.
Away from her.
His gaze was hard, inscrutable. “If you want it then I’ve got it, Princess.”
She swallowed, coughed. “No.” Arden shook her head, the lie burning her tongue. “I don’t want it.” She straightened her wet dress and turned her back, walking back to her car.
Cam raced after her. “I’m not alone in this attraction, Princess. You can’t hide from it and me forever.”
She heard the words but chose to ignore them. He had no idea what the hell he was saying. This wasn’t an attraction, merely a lack in judgment. Arden bent over, digging out her heels from under a pile of mud with a grimace. “I have to go.”
He grabbed her arm. “The road is blocked because of an accident. No one is coming down this way, you’ll have to take the long way home.”
She stared down at his hand on her arm. “I should thank you, I guess. Right now, I just need to get dry. And drunk.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What are you trying to forget?”
“A lot.”




Great stuff Avril J
Thanks so much for stopping by!


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