Lulu Astor's Blog, page 2
September 2, 2014
MY HEART TO FEAR
My brand-new novel, My Heart to Fear, is making its debut on September 16th, 2014. It's a dark erotic romance, emphasis on dark. BOLO for it on Amazon Kindle.
August 24, 2014
My new novel
Hey, is anyone interested in receiving an ARC for My Heart to Fear? There are conditions (there are always conditions, alas).
First, a review must be left after reading it. And I expect reviews to be valid. If it's critical, that's fine, but it should be objective (story is confusing, overly wordy, uneven character development, etc.) not subjective (characters are unlikable or stupid, don't understand big words, etc.)
Second, you have to tell me why I should send the ARC to you. If you make me laugh, it's in the bag. :)
Send me a blog reply or a PM if you're interested. Thanks, y'all!
Happy week and happy reading to all.
First, a review must be left after reading it. And I expect reviews to be valid. If it's critical, that's fine, but it should be objective (story is confusing, overly wordy, uneven character development, etc.) not subjective (characters are unlikable or stupid, don't understand big words, etc.)
Second, you have to tell me why I should send the ARC to you. If you make me laugh, it's in the bag. :)
Send me a blog reply or a PM if you're interested. Thanks, y'all!
Happy week and happy reading to all.
August 13, 2014
MY HEART TO FEAR
My new novel will be making its debut in September. It's a dark love story, emphasis on dark. The cover reveal should happen in two weeks. I'll keep everyone updated as things happen. :)
June 21, 2014
The best review ever
My first review for Three and a Half Weeks and the blogger (Mia's Point of View) who I now consider a friend, actually noticed everything I wanted readers to notice! That's a mammoth big deal. So many readers don't appreciate the technical difficulties and/or intricacies of writing a (hopefully) good book. I decided I had to share and with her approval, here it is:
I really really loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The story is indescribable, the characters are swoon-worthy and the writing is amazing!
Writing a book such as this one and so damn well is really difficult. Why? Because the book is written in female and male POV, while the story goes both backwards and forwards! I have said countless time how difficult it is to write a book in 2 POVs, but apparently Lulu Astor has no freaking problem about doing it successfully...Plus, I usually get tired of flashbacks in a book, but this one is The Excemption!...I loved the mystery and not knowing if we're about to go to the past etc.. Everything is so content here..You love every second of it..
As a reviewer, I have to say this book is amazing and I recommend it without a shadow of doubt..
As an editor, I congratulate Lulu and her team that contributed to this exceptional read..
As a reader, well...I am obsessed...And when I have time, I will probably re-read it and re-read it all over again..
5 Stars are not even enough, in my opinion..I am honestly astounded..This book goes beyond my expectations and my limitations...
So no more words..Just go and one-click this delicious masterpiece..You will not regreat this choice!
I really really loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The story is indescribable, the characters are swoon-worthy and the writing is amazing!
Writing a book such as this one and so damn well is really difficult. Why? Because the book is written in female and male POV, while the story goes both backwards and forwards! I have said countless time how difficult it is to write a book in 2 POVs, but apparently Lulu Astor has no freaking problem about doing it successfully...Plus, I usually get tired of flashbacks in a book, but this one is The Excemption!...I loved the mystery and not knowing if we're about to go to the past etc.. Everything is so content here..You love every second of it..
As a reviewer, I have to say this book is amazing and I recommend it without a shadow of doubt..
As an editor, I congratulate Lulu and her team that contributed to this exceptional read..
As a reader, well...I am obsessed...And when I have time, I will probably re-read it and re-read it all over again..
5 Stars are not even enough, in my opinion..I am honestly astounded..This book goes beyond my expectations and my limitations...
So no more words..Just go and one-click this delicious masterpiece..You will not regreat this choice!
May 31, 2014
Behind Three and a Half Weeks...
Well, I blogged the reason I wrote Complements so I suppose I should do the same for Three and a Half Weeks. A reviewer called it a blatant rip-off of 50 Shades. She didn't read the front matter, obviously. You know, when I read 50 Shades, I almost went into cardiac arrest at the multitude of exact details that trilogy shared with my original novel and its sequel (Complements). True, we both used Twilight as a template but the common ground James' books shared with mine was entirely original. I started counting them and stopped when I reached thirty. So perhaps we might conclude that that author and I think alike?
Well, not for Three and a Half Weeks because that book began its life as a spoof on 50 Shades. After my husband yelled at me for having a messy desktop, I started cleaning online house and was about to delete the few chapters I had of this story. But then I said, hmmm. Wonder if it would make a good fan fic story? So I posted it there and it got an amazingly robust reception.
When it was finally done—and I wrote the whole thing chapter by chapter, making it up as I went along—I had over 600 pages. It seemed a shame not to publish it, especially when it had things to say, not the least of which was the horror of human trafficking, particularly for women. And it presented characters who enjoyed kink and made no apologies about it nor claimed psychological damage. Plus, it had some great lines (e.g. "Every good criminal, be he investment banker or Russian mobster, knows the importance of diversifying").
Another reader sniped that Natasha was a paint-by-numbers caricature. No, she was modeled after an eponymous cartoon character. So there!
Three and a Half Weeks is a book within a book. The first-person narrative is the main character, Ella, writing a sequel to her bestseller—the crux of the novel. The third-person narrative is the book about Ella's book and its origin, her meeting with the irresistible Ian Blackmon.
Hey, it's not high literary fodder but it's a fun book, decently written, if I say so myself. I've always been told by professors and other authors alike to trust that readers will "get it." But every time I read a negative review and see how far from getting it some readers are, well, it's downright depressing. To my 4- and 5-star reviewers: bless your hearts and minds for "getting it." For my own peace of mind, well, thank God for blogs and for my cheerleader readers. Love to y'all.
Peace out. :D
Well, not for Three and a Half Weeks because that book began its life as a spoof on 50 Shades. After my husband yelled at me for having a messy desktop, I started cleaning online house and was about to delete the few chapters I had of this story. But then I said, hmmm. Wonder if it would make a good fan fic story? So I posted it there and it got an amazingly robust reception.
When it was finally done—and I wrote the whole thing chapter by chapter, making it up as I went along—I had over 600 pages. It seemed a shame not to publish it, especially when it had things to say, not the least of which was the horror of human trafficking, particularly for women. And it presented characters who enjoyed kink and made no apologies about it nor claimed psychological damage. Plus, it had some great lines (e.g. "Every good criminal, be he investment banker or Russian mobster, knows the importance of diversifying").
Another reader sniped that Natasha was a paint-by-numbers caricature. No, she was modeled after an eponymous cartoon character. So there!
Three and a Half Weeks is a book within a book. The first-person narrative is the main character, Ella, writing a sequel to her bestseller—the crux of the novel. The third-person narrative is the book about Ella's book and its origin, her meeting with the irresistible Ian Blackmon.
Hey, it's not high literary fodder but it's a fun book, decently written, if I say so myself. I've always been told by professors and other authors alike to trust that readers will "get it." But every time I read a negative review and see how far from getting it some readers are, well, it's downright depressing. To my 4- and 5-star reviewers: bless your hearts and minds for "getting it." For my own peace of mind, well, thank God for blogs and for my cheerleader readers. Love to y'all.
Peace out. :D
May 3, 2014
Check out:
Hey guys, check out the new ad for Complements. I've finally found my Daniel and Olivia. What do y'all think?
Oh, and while you're hanging around, leave a review for Three and a Half Weeks. :-)
Oh, and while you're hanging around, leave a review for Three and a Half Weeks. :-)
April 2, 2014
Debut
Hey y'all, My new erotic romance novel, Three and a Half Weeks, will be making its public debut on April 29th. Hope you join the blog tour by reading along. I'll be adding more information as we get closer to publication.
September 5, 2013
You know why I wrote Complements?
I got interested in YA literature to help animals, believe it or not. I always knew the key to effecting big change in our world is to get to the kids before they're desensitized by the adults around them. Toward this, I began a series of YA novels designed to interest young people in social activism. I planned to write the first and let other authors write the others. That's how my first YA novel, Miranda's Right, came into being. (BTW, I've been a writer for decades—just not a YA writer.)
Miranda's Right was about a young girl (you guessed it: Miranda) who fights to save the Canada geese from annihilation in her hometown. However, the book was terrible. I revised it substantively numerous times. Then while on a trip to L.A. in 2008, I visited a friend at Barnes & Noble and there was a major brouhaha over a book release. It was one of the Twilight books—that I'd never heard of.
Now, I stopped reading vampire stories after Le Stat 'cause I figured no one could do them as well as Ms. Rice. I even ditched my own attempt to write a short story about one after reading Interview. But I was told to read other YA books that were popular to learn how to do it better so I read the first Twilight. And then the second, third, and fourth (besides other YA novels such as Perks of Being a Wallflower). Why did I read all four? Because I was waiting for them to freaking consummate their relationship. I mean throw us a bone (or boner) here, please.
By the end of the fourth book, all we got was "they fit so well together," or some such vague line. So I came up with an idea: using Twilight as a template, write a love story with paranormal elements. No sex at all because the girl is innocent... until the end when there's a satisfying carnal pay-off, a thank-you to readers for hanging in. (I know they're young adults but let's not deny their sexuality—it's there in spades.)
So I did. In 2010. Long before anyone (I think) heard of 50 Shades of Grey. But instead of posting my story on online fiction sites, I went trolling for an agent. That's how I knew things were done. Wrong. While EL James posted her story and got a huge following online, I was mailing out manila envelopes begging for an agent.
Now, thanks to James and others, I know that if you don't get an agent within the first ten or fifteen queries, don't keep trying. Better to strike when the timing may be perfect rather than wait two years like I did, chump that I am. I finally posted my novels online in 2012, but by then it was all about some guy named Mr. Grey. Oh, well.
Now what should I write about next? Any ideas? Bring it on.
Miranda's Right was about a young girl (you guessed it: Miranda) who fights to save the Canada geese from annihilation in her hometown. However, the book was terrible. I revised it substantively numerous times. Then while on a trip to L.A. in 2008, I visited a friend at Barnes & Noble and there was a major brouhaha over a book release. It was one of the Twilight books—that I'd never heard of.
Now, I stopped reading vampire stories after Le Stat 'cause I figured no one could do them as well as Ms. Rice. I even ditched my own attempt to write a short story about one after reading Interview. But I was told to read other YA books that were popular to learn how to do it better so I read the first Twilight. And then the second, third, and fourth (besides other YA novels such as Perks of Being a Wallflower). Why did I read all four? Because I was waiting for them to freaking consummate their relationship. I mean throw us a bone (or boner) here, please.
By the end of the fourth book, all we got was "they fit so well together," or some such vague line. So I came up with an idea: using Twilight as a template, write a love story with paranormal elements. No sex at all because the girl is innocent... until the end when there's a satisfying carnal pay-off, a thank-you to readers for hanging in. (I know they're young adults but let's not deny their sexuality—it's there in spades.)
So I did. In 2010. Long before anyone (I think) heard of 50 Shades of Grey. But instead of posting my story on online fiction sites, I went trolling for an agent. That's how I knew things were done. Wrong. While EL James posted her story and got a huge following online, I was mailing out manila envelopes begging for an agent.
Now, thanks to James and others, I know that if you don't get an agent within the first ten or fifteen queries, don't keep trying. Better to strike when the timing may be perfect rather than wait two years like I did, chump that I am. I finally posted my novels online in 2012, but by then it was all about some guy named Mr. Grey. Oh, well.
Now what should I write about next? Any ideas? Bring it on.
July 17, 2013
On Sale
Hey guys. Just wanted to remind you that "Complements, Books I and II" are still on sale for 99 cents and will be until July 31st. "Between Us" is free and will remain so because it's only really a good read if you already know and love the Complements characters.
I'm planning to publish an FSoG fan fiction story in the coming weeks. It's fun, sexy, and suspenseful so keep an eye out for it. The title is "Three and a Half Weeks."
Sorry that I suck so much at blogs. I used to post my nonfiction on my original blog and that was fun but I kept getting mail in Chinese, ha ha. I should revisit that blog sometime.
Hope everyone has a great day. In closing, I'd like to just remind you that reviews are so very much appreciated (on Amazon, Goodreads, or Smashwords). Both novels will be available on Nook Press soon and the print version of Book II will be available in the next two weeks (yes, I finally got around to formatting). xoxo
I'm planning to publish an FSoG fan fiction story in the coming weeks. It's fun, sexy, and suspenseful so keep an eye out for it. The title is "Three and a Half Weeks."
Sorry that I suck so much at blogs. I used to post my nonfiction on my original blog and that was fun but I kept getting mail in Chinese, ha ha. I should revisit that blog sometime.
Hope everyone has a great day. In closing, I'd like to just remind you that reviews are so very much appreciated (on Amazon, Goodreads, or Smashwords). Both novels will be available on Nook Press soon and the print version of Book II will be available in the next two weeks (yes, I finally got around to formatting). xoxo
June 14, 2013
Check out:
On June 15th, Complements will be featured on the Q&A page on The Romance Reviews for a chance to win a free e-book copy of the novel. Also, starting tomorrow, both Complements and Complements Book II: A Force of Nature will be on sale for 99 cents for a period of one month.
