Giveaway and Interview with Avril Ashton and her book Far From the Usual

Give a big CEWTNK welcome to author Avril Ashton.  She has wooed me with her newest sexalicious book Far From the Usual and I was left wanting a Cam of my own.  It was a naughty read!!  So I asked Avril all about herself and this is what she shared:

How old were you when you first realized you wanted to write? I was in my early twenties when I knew I wanted to write, but it took a minute—i.e years—to finally sit down and do it.

Tell us a little bit about the book. Far From the Usual is an idea that popped into my head one day. What if my heroine fell in love with her ex’s brother. His twin. What if she had to choose between her family and her lover? 

What made you choose this genre? Erotic Romance is my thing. I love romance, love the HEA, and the whole erotic side, leaving nothing out of the bedroom makes it that much sweeter.

Most authors have an unusual story or way that they come up with their ideas for books…Do you have one? Not really. Simply listening to music sets my muse into a frenzy with ideas.

What is the key element in your character creation? Motivation. Why are these characters doing what they do?

What was your biggest influence that steered you towards writing? My mother. She loved books, loved to read, and shared it all with me.

I have to ask, what are the hardest scenes for you to write? Emotional scenes are always a hard one. But they can also be the most fulfilling.

Are sex scenes difficult for you to word? LOL no. the monotony of it is. Trying not to make it the same thing every time, but all in all, those are my easiest to write.

Do you see yourself writing in another genre? Not right now, but who knows.

Has your family been supportive? My Spousal Equivalent does. He’s really the only one whose opinion matters, but my siblings are proud of what I do. They don’t get it, but they brag and share my good news with other family and friends.

 

Are any of your characters reflective of you? They all are in some way. I have a really bad potty mouth, so there’s a whole lot of colorful language. My heroines are all obsessed with couture heels, as am I. And they’re all strong women, stubborn and willful. Like me LOL

What do you like to do when you're not writing? I read. A. Lot. I listen to music and I watch a whole lot of TV.

Who is your favorite book heroine? I can’t name a specific heroine, but anyone who’s strong and aware of who she is and does what she wants is my kind of gal.

Do you have any unusual habits that revolve around writing? Well, I can’t write without music and an iced caramel latte from Dunkin Donuts. Does that count as unusual?

What is you favorite mystical creature? The werewolf.

What were some of your biggest challenges at the beginning of your career? I didn’t really have a lot of those, but my very first agent rejection still resonates with me.

How do you feel about reader comments? I love and welcome them.
 

Do you have any advice for new authors? Research. Read. Write.
 

Where are your books available? My books are all available on

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Avril-Ashton/e/B004RBM16E/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1310226752&sr=1-2-ent

AllRomance:  http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Avril+Ashton   

Bookstrand:  http://www.bookstrand.com/avril-ashton

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Avril-Ashton?keyword=Avril+Ashton&store=ebook

 

What can we expect from you in the future? Even more of the heated love readers have come to expect.

Where can we reach you and become informed of updates? Sign up for my newsletter, which I send out every month with updates on new releases and giveaways. http://avrilashton.webs.com

Far From the Usual 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:

Arden held herself upright with her hip propped against her car as she waited for Indy to come out from the bar. Cam left her standing in the darkness, getting into his truck and driving off while she struggled to accept the ramifications of what she’d done.

She promised her father she’d be on her best behavior and this so wasn’t it. He’d have a coronary if he ever found out about this. Let’s not forget, too, that Cam was Clark’s brother.

Brothers.

She tugged on the ends of her hair and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The crotch of her thong was soaked through; her flesh felt swollen and extra sensitive. She needed Cam in the worst way and she just knew she’d end up doing all kinds of things she’d regret before the night was through.

“Hey.”

She looked up as Indy approached.

“Are you okay?” Indy eyed her up and down. “Did you get busy?”

Indy had been after her to make a move on Cam, pointedly ignoring Arden’s plea to go somewhere when she spotted his truck in the parking lot earlier.

“We didn’t.” She shook her head and got into the car. Buckling herself in, she laid her head back and sighed. “I’m fucked.”

Indy grunted as she got into the driver’s seat. “Not yet, you aren’t.”

“He’s not part of the plan, Indy.” She stared out the window. “No drama. The Mayor’s daughter can’t be caught fucking an ex-con.”

“So don’t get caught.” Indy touched her shoulder. “Look, have you questioned why your father put you on all these weird restrictions? Ever since you came here, you’ve been all uptight and buttoned up. Being the quiet, unassuming daughter isn’t your shtick.”

“But it has to be.” She’d been away from her father for far too long, she couldn’t bear to be apart anymore. “It’s been years since I’ve been in the same state as my dad. He asked me not to embarrass him, not to cause any scandals, and I refuse to.”

Indy frowned. “You and Cam getting your freak on isn’t the same as what happened with Justin. You didn’t know he was a scumbag drug dealer.”

Arden snorted. She always felt like such a fool when reminded of the man she’d loved, who she thought loved her. Turned out Justin was one of the biggest drug dealers on their New York college campus. Everyone knew, except her. And she’d been the fool who had to call her father up to be bailed out of jail for a crime she’d never even thought to commit. 

“Cam.” She whispered his name. “He doesn’t even like me, he told me that. But I—”

“But you’d like to know what it feels like to have him blow your back out.”

Arden laughed. Indy had a way with words. “He would.”

“Yeah.”

They sat in silence, the possibilities swirling in her head.

“He’s Clark’s brother.”

“Clark’s your ex,” Indy reminded her. “And let’s face it, golden boy wasn’t always up on his game, was he?”

Arden had no complaints regarding sex with Clark; he’d been a generous lover. Never left her hanging, but didn’t have her swinging from the chandeliers, either. Their bedroom exploits had taken a hit the weeks leading up their break-up since he’d started working late hours on a new project.

He’d begun sleeping around and she hadn’t called him on it, she simply cut him off. Their relationship had been smooth sailing up to that point. No arguments and no big declarations of love. She’d cared about him in the beginning, liked that he was a good guy with a legit job and low-key personality. He didn’t demand anything she hadn’t been willing to give and maybe she’d been a fool in assuming that was what it took to build a life together.

She folded her hands in her lap. “Drive.”

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Far-from-the-Usual-ebook/dp/B007KDARYO/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1331810454&sr=1-8

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/far-from-the-usual-by-avril-ashton/

ARE: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-farfromtheusual-753065-149.html

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/far-from-the-usual

Thank you Avril for taking the time out to write this.  So how can you win a copy?  Just fill out the rafflecopter!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway