Today we are excited to share in celebrating Lilly Avalon’s new release Unexpected! Be sure to check out the book summary, interview, excerpt, AND giveaway! Happy Release Day! XOXOX

Unexpected
by Lilly Avalon
Publication Date: July 21, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Book Summary (Goodreads):

Ever had one of those days? Alina Lyons is having one. Everything keeps falling apart and going wrong. Just when she thinks it couldn’t get worse, it does. After a case of mistaken identity and a broken heart, she finds herself questioning the things she thought she knew. She wonders who she can turn to or trust anymore.

An unlikely bond with her former best friend’s ex, Ryan Wilcox, sends her life in a new direction. He offers her a place to stay while she gets her life back on track. His friendship is exactly what she’s been missing—what she’s been needing. Alina’s never felt this alive. As time goes by, the dynamic of their relationship becomes more than either of them expected. A few innocent kisses could lead them in a new direction, but are they prepared for what’s on the other side?

Only one way to find out.

Purchase Links:
Amazon

Author Interview:

Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?

The book is new adult, so definitely mature readers. They should read my book because it’s a feel good story with lots of romance and a side of humor. While it is heavy on the romance, friendship is at the center of it all.

How did you come up with the title of your book or series?

I honestly can’t remember why I originally chose Unexpected. Knowing me, I played the word association game until I knew it was right. It just fits the story so well–Alina is continuously facing different sudden changes in life and it’s all very “unexpected” when it comes to how she thought her life would be.

Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?

Oh, now that’s a fun story! I originally had a different stock photo picked out for the cover, but right after I downloaded it and sent it to my cover artist, Marie Landry, I came across a cover featuring the same picture. At first I was mad because I had wasted a download on a photo I couldn’t use without looking like a copycat. But then I shrugged my shoulders and started my search all over again. I found the picture for the cover you see today and instantly knew it was perfect. The guy in the photo was basically Ryan–guitar and forehead kiss and all! So, it ended up being the best thing for my original choice to already be taken.

Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

Ryan. There’s something about him, aside from being handsome and having tattoos, that just draws you to him. He’s sweet, generous, positive, and protective. He carries himself with the attitude of living your life right–to the fullest, not letting anyone bring you down, focusing on the good things. Something I aspire to every day.

How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

There are a couple “least favorite” characters, but I don’t want to give them away because it’s a spoiler. When you read the book, you’ll know exactly which two I’m talking about and you’ll understand why immediately.

If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be? Why?

Hmm… I never thought about changing anything! I usually love my stories as is and have no intention of changing any part because it feels like it belongs.

Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

Unexpected was originally going to be told in only Alina’s point of view. It wasn’t until months after I set the book aside that I decided to write in Ryan’s point of view, too. I don’t think the story would have been the same if I hadn’t told it in dual POV.

How can we contact you or find out more about your books?

Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon

What can we expect from you in the future?

I’ve got a few projects in the works, but I’m focusing my attention on two of them. One is a sexy erotic romance featuring a dirty talking hero. The other is a sweet small town second chance contemporary romance. It’s fun to challenge myself with different stories.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Write a review! Reviews help other readers decide whether or not to give a book a chance. The more reviews with a variety of opinions, the better.

Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

My biggest tip for writers is to not let your fears get the best of you. I’ve spent years watching fellow writers constantly talking about how they want to get published. They’re always writing, which is great, but something is holding them back from taking the steps toward publishing. I’m not sure the exact reasons, but sometimes it looks like they’re afraid of failure. Don’t be afraid of failure. Not every author becomes an overnight success. Sometimes you have to invest a lot of time, money, and energy into getting your name out there. Don’t be afraid of working hard to achieve your goal! Trust me when I say the results are worth it in the end.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Thanks so much for having me on the blog!!

And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:

Book Excerpt:

Saturday is a short day at work because it starts raining in the afternoon. It throws a damper on the remainder of the work that needs to be done, so the supervisor tells us to head out and we can pick back up next week. It makes me happy because it has been a long week, not just work-wise, but also with everything else happening. I’m grateful for a chance to get caught up on other things.

When I get back to the apartment, Alina is curled up on the couch reading a book again. She’s wearing those reading glasses, and looking sexy as fuck. She’s gorgeous already, but there’s something about those glasses that makes her extremely sexy. I haven’t quite pinned down what it is yet, but I seriously have to figure it out soon before I go crazy.

She peeks up at me and grins. “You’re home early!”

Her enthusiasm is unparalleled and pleases me more than I can admit. “It’s raining. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was drizzling, but it’s actually coming down pretty good.” I sit down on the couch next to her, and reach for her book. “So, what are you reading?”

She pulls the book away before I can grab it. “It’s a romance.”

“Ah. What kind of romance?” I reach again and this time get a hold of it. She gasps and tries to get it back, but I stand up and look at it. “There appears to be a half-naked couple on the cover.”

“Give it back!”

“I want to look at it.” She groans in frustration and presses a hand to her forehead. I continue to look it over. “I think this is more than just a kissing book.”

I hand it back to her and she snatches it from me, tucking it away. “And?” she asks with an eyebrow raised.

“And nothing. I was just curious, that’s all.” I tilt my head. “Are you going to keep reading?”

“Not if you’re going to hover.”

“Then you’d better take off those glasses.”

She scrunches her nose. “Why?”

I kneel down next to her by the couch. Leaning into her, I say, “Because they are impossibly sexy and I’m half tempted to kiss you if they’re still on ten seconds from now.”

Her eyes widen like saucers. “What?”

“I’m serious,” I murmur, inching closer. “I will kiss you in a few seconds if you don’t take them off.”

Her mouth parts, but she makes no move to reach for them. I watch as her chest rises and falls, the nervous anticipation building in her. I’m mere inches away, so close to stealing a kiss. Just as I’m about to make good on my promise, she pulls them off swiftly.

I let out a breath, holding back my disappointment. “Well, that was close.”

About the Author:

Lilly Avalon is the author of the RESIST series as well as other erotic romances. She’s somewhere in the midst of her twenties and lives mostly in the stories in her head. When she’s not enveloped in the worlds she creates, she’s out in the real world making stories happen. That or reading other romances. It’s a toss-up.

The GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate this release day of Unexpected, Lilly Avalon is giving away a swag prize pack!
Check it out!

Looks pretty awesome huh? Enter the rafflecopter for your chance to win!

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James Morris

James Morris is a former television writer with produced credits including episodes of “Smallville,” “Crossing Jordan” and “The 4400.” Born in Chicago, he now calls Los Angeles home. He lives with his wife and dog, and when not writing you can find him experimenting in the kitchen.

Author Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Author Interview:

How did you begin writing? What inspires you to write?

I’ve been writing stories here and there ever since grade school. I followed my passion, went to college and studied English Literature and film, and then moved to Los Angeles to break into the entertainment industry. Hollywood is its own story – I ended up writing for a few shows with my writing partner – but after we broke up, I turned to novels. It’s been a rollercoaster ride, that’s for sure. Some scary dips, indeed!

Who is your intended audience and why should they read the book?

You know, I’m not a fan of labels, of calling something Young Adult or New Adult or something else because it seems exclusionary. I’m a grown man, and I read young adult! But having said that, the audience is really geared towards readers of the thriller genre and less about contemporary YA. This is certainly not your John Greene-type YA novel (and I love some John Greene). It’s more of a thrill-ride geared toward older teens and adults-who-are-forever-young (like me). For readers who want a bit of escapism with a fast pace that hopefully raises some interesting questions, then WHAT LIES WITHIN is for them!

How did you come up with the title of your book or series?

I liked the dual meanings of the word “lies.” It could mean something that’s inside of something, or it’s the lies that we believe about ourselves, so WHAT LIES WITHIN seemed a natural fit. I can tell you if I ended up writing a sequel, it would be titled WHAT LIES BEYOND.

Tell us a little bit about your cover art.

My friend Lani Rich of StoryWonk designed it, and I liked it because it’s a stark image that captures the tone of the book. I loved the red hair that represents Shelley, as well as the tears of blood.

Who is your favorite character?

That’s a tough one! I like them all! Maybe it’s a cop-out, but I have to get inside and understand all of them – even the villains – to bring them to life. Winston was probably the easiest to write, though, simply because he’s the most like me.

If I could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be? Why?

You know, I do have thoughts on this. There might be a couple things I would change, but I’ll keep them secret. I learn on every project I do, and yet, no project is ever perfect (much to my frustration!) I try my best, giving the story and characters a lot of time – I’ve been over that draft hundreds of times – and at the end of the day, I’ve made it as good as I could during the time I worked on it. It’s a bit like thinking about previous relationships: the coulda-woulda-shoulda, and yet, you can’t go back and change things; you can only learn from them.

Give us an interesting fun fact.

WHAT LIES WITHIN is actually the 3^rd book I wrote, but the first that landed me an agent, and the first to get published. Two others, and the years they took to write, but the act of writing them taught me a tremendous amount.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I’m currently working on a couple projects, and mulling over a sequel to WHAT LIES WITHIN. But sequels are tricky – you want to make sure the sequel is worthy – and better – than the original, and not just done because you can.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

First, any reader who even appreciates a bit of it is a superstar. I’m not one of those writers who is like, “I am an artiste – you will like what I give you!” Not at all. I write for an audience. I write knowing someone is going to sit down and choose this book over another book, reading instead of watching TV or calling friends or doing a million other things. You have to respect that level of commitment. A reader is sitting down with me, basically. And I don’t want to disappoint. If a reader likes it, of course, share the experience and tell your friends!

Do I have any tips for other writers trying to get published?

First, writers write because they love it; they write because they have to. There are so many other ways to try and make money, that if that’s the goal, I say cut your losses. But if you’re an addict, and hopelessly addicted to stories, then the advice is simple: keep going. Second, have elephant skin with the soul of a poet, and expect rejection. Learn from it. Learn from criticism. Be open to it. Tell stories that are important to you. Don’t try to catch a trend. Worry less about getting an agent and getting published and doing the much, much harder thing, which is getting down a solid draft.

Anything else I’d like to say? 

Just thank you. Really. For helping spread your experience of the book. For helping me get my name out there. Writing can be very lonely, but it’s worth it when you actually make an impact. I try not to get too emotionally invested in reviews – reading is so highly subjective – but it’s still great to hear that people enjoyed the read. It makes all the hours very well worth it.

Book Summary (Goodreads):

“You’re going to die”

A single text message and Shelley Marano’s world is upended. A normal high school senior, Shelley discovers she is adopted. She goes on a journey to uncover her past, only to find she was part of a horrific experiment to test the theory of nature versus nurture. In a culture of violence committed by young people, she may be one of these killers. With the lives of her and her friends in the balance, one thing is certain: she will never be the same.

Exclusive Book Excerpt:

The motorcyclist didn’t move, just stared back, and then he looked down at a photo in his hand and slipped it into his back pocket.

Ordinarily, the kid might’ve made some remark, but the motorcyclist looked like a well-armored samurai. Something in the kid’s brain told him to screw the gas–just peel out and don’t look back. Only when the motorcyclist turned away and put in a credit card to unhook the nozzle did the kid relax.

Seconds passed and he sensed something was wrong. He couldn’t discern why until he realized he hand’t heard the normal sounds of a motorcycle gas cap being unscrewed or the clank of the nozzle against metal. In fact, there was no sound at all. He turned–

The motorcyclist held the gas nozzle in his hand.

In the span of a second, as time expanded, the kid’s eyes glanced downward. The motorcyclist’s hand tensed against the handle,  unleashing a torrent of gasoline. It sprayed with the force of a fire hose, nearly waterboarding the kid in the mouth. Its unmistakable aroma consumed him, and he fought the urge to gag. His mouth stung, hands held up, blind, eyes burning, the sting, the smell, the fear–

Then it stopped.

The gas dripped from his face, little beads of toxic perspiration, his hair wet, his clothes soaked, face contorted in a rictus of poison. He opened his eyes, the world blurry, grainy, and he caught the glint of something shining in the motorcyclist’s hand followed by a sound: flick, cap, flick, cap.

The kid squinted to try and focus.

Flick, cap. Flick, cap.

He saw then what it was.

–What Lies Within, James Morris

Be sure to check back for the book review of What Lies Within