Xio Axelrod's Blog, page 14

Falling Stars out today!

The wildly popular web serial is now available as an ebook!

What if you met the right one at the wrong time?

Falling Stars explores the idea of finding love when you least expect it. Is it enough to conquer all, or are some obstacles too large to overcome?

Val Saunders and Sam Newman, two Hollywood actors at opposite ends of their careers. Hers is skyrocketing while his, well, never really took off. Fate brings them together when they’re cast as lovers on a steamy new television series. The on-screen chemistry between them is off the charts and when it spills over into a real life attraction, they find themselves in a situation.

Sam is an honorable man. He has been faithful to a toxic, Hollywood marriage for nearly half his life. He’s never strayed and isn’t about to start now, despite the fact that he is falling head over heels for his co-star.

Val’s worked hard to get her career on the path to the A-list and the last thing she wants, or needs, is a scandal. If only her heart and her brain were working with the same script.

Romance is an ideal. This is a love story. It explores the possibility of second chances and asks hard questions about duty, fidelity, life in the public eye, and the cost of being happy. Falling Stars is the beginning of a sexy, sensual, and emotional roller-coaster ride that reminds us that love, while not always easy, is always worth it.

Book one now available on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, All Romance, and Google Play.

What readers had to say about Starstruck:

“I consistently had an HD film playing of each chapter in my mind’s eye. So very real. My life, my heart, belongs to this story. I lived for the updates and escaped into its fictional reality, often forgetting to breathe.”

“…a beautiful realistic story of what relationship over time turn into and the possibility of a second chance. I’m so glad I read it and I thank you for sharing it!”

“I have read novels that have touched me and had gripped my soul, but I have never been so emotionally tangled in a novel….It’s a novel that shows what true love is, and how much you want to run away from love, you can’t. A five star rating that keeps you on the edge of your seat. A slow burn novel that will stand the test of time, as long as books will be around. A glorious love story that gripped me so wonderfully”

Six days left to enter my Kindle Fire giveaway!

Pre-order FALLING STARS on Amazon

I. Am. Freaking. Out.

Just a little bit.

My first pre-order just went live on Amazon, and that means it just got real! Falling Stars is going to be in your hands soon. Will you love it? Will you hate it? Only time will tell.

I’m just uber proud to send Sam and Val out into the world to do their thing; that thing being to make you fall in love with them. I hope you do. I adore those two.

A few people have asked why I refer to Falling Stars as “romantic fiction” rather than a “romance.” The series deals with a lot of issues that don’t always fly with the romance readership: a sour marriage, infidelity, etc. And I certainly didn’t want to pull a bait-and-switch on anyone, so I’ve been pretty up front (I hope) about the nature of this story.

It’s a love story. It’s romantic and sensual, of course, but it’s also painful, difficult, and frustrating. And fun, too. Like life. Ha!

This is book one, and just the beginning of Sam and Val’s journey. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.

~Xio

Falling Stars is almost here. Win a Kindle Fire!

I’m so excited to bring you the trailer for Falling Stars. Book one in the series will be out on November 24th and I am nervous as hell, lol.

Add the book to your Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ list.

And enter to win a Kindle Fire HD (contest open to U.S. residents only, sorry!)

Kei Salzer made this gorgeous trailer, featuring the single “Yellow” by Sierra Hurtt, from the Falling Stars soundtrack, available from:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NZwJP7

iTunes: http://apple.co/1MXQ44G

CD Baby: http://bit.ly/1LMriDa

Google: http://bit.ly/1P3M0zm

And now, without further delay, here’s the trailer. Enjoy!

Exciting news: Awards, releases and a Kobo sale too!

Hello my lovelies!

I received some really exciting news yesterday. The Calum was named Best New Adult Romance in the 4th Annual Swirl Awards!

The Swirl Awards were created to recognize and celebrate multicultural romance. As you know, diversity in romance (and in literature overall) is a cause near and dear to my heart.

I am honoured and humbled by this recognition. This comes on the heels of The Calum receiving an Honourable Mention in the 2015 Readers Favorite Awards in the Contemporary Romance category.

In even more exciting news, I’m thrilled to be a part of Kobo’s push to diversify romance for its readership. Check out this super sexy landing page where I’m featured alongside some of my favourite authors. These include Nana Malone, Tia Kelly, Victoria H. Smith, Kim Golden, Avery Flynn, D.L. White, Rebekah Weatherspoon, Lena Hart, Michele Kimbrough, LaShawn Vasser, Raven St. Pierre, Minx Malone, Nina Perez, Theodora Taylor, L.V. Lewis, and Melissa Blue.

And if that weren’t enough, Kobo is having a sale! This weekend only, you can get 50% off your next favourite book! Here are the deets:

Canada

October 28th – October 31st

Promo Code: CA50SALE

United States/Australia/New Zealand

October 27th – October 30th

Promo Code: GET50SALE

United Kingdom

October 30th – November 2nd

Promo Code: UK50SALE

This is all fantastic news, Xio, but we’re waiting on your next release!

I know! 2015 has been one of those years. But I am working away and you will have two books out of me before the year ends, even if it kills me.

Would You Rather? – Romance Writers Weekly

Hey!

You’ve likely just joined me from J.J. Devine‘s blog. Welcome!

The wickedly funny Victoria Barbour wanted us to play a game of would you rather. Here are her challenge questions, and my relatively truthful answers:

Haggis Pizza

Would you rather – eat haggis or chocolate covered bugs? Haggis, thank you very much. Actually, I’ve already had chocolate-covered bugs. (Ants, since you asked.) I know people are afraid of haggis but not me. I haven’t tried it on pizza, though.

Would you rather – skydive or scuba dive? Does snorkeling count? No? Okay, then, I’d Scuba dive. I won’t be jumping out of a plane unless it’s about to crash. Maybe not even then.

The ultimate Ginger, Sam Heughan

Would you rather – red headed hotties or blonde haired hunks? (Cause we all know we love brunettes the best!) Yeah, brunettes are my preference *ahem* but, between the two choices, I’ll take the redhead. Especially if the redhead looks like Sam Heughan a/k/a Jamie Fraser (Outlander).

Would you rather – no reviews or all three star reviews? I’d take the three-star reviews every time. Having no reviews would be like writing in a vacuum.

Would you rather – be stung by one wasp 10 times or 10 bees one time? Really, Vicki my love…what’s wrong with you?

FoX Friday with Susan Scott Shelley!

Hey there, my lovelies! It’s been a while since I’ve had someone over to my place for FoX Friday. My guest this week is a good friend and a wonderful author, and I just devoured her latest release Captivated. Sexy baseball player meets sultry music exec? Count me in!

Domingo Torres, star center fielder for the Los Angeles Riptide, needs to stay off management’s radar after a Spring Training game ended in flying fists and bloodshed. He’s ordered to keep a lid on his temper and a low profile for the rest of the season. Keeping his focus solely on baseball isn’t a problem- until he meets his sexy new neighbor, and his thoughts shift to a lot more than his batting average.

After years of complete control in handling every aspect of her brother’s multi-platinum selling rock band, Irisa Rostov is ready to crack. And it doesn’t help that the band is on the verge of self-destruction. Playing peacemaker and keeping them together for the last eight weeks of their spring concert series is all that matters- until she meets Dom, and the feelings he stirs up causes the guards around her heart to weaken.

Getting distracted by romance is the last thing Irisa wants, and being in the headlines is the last thing Dom needs, but their attraction is undeniable, their connection is immediate, and staying away is impossible.

But when being captivated by each other causes their worlds to fall apart, they must decide whether they’re better off staying on the bench and out of each other’s lives, or if love can find a way to win.

So good. So freakin’ good! The chemistry between Dom and Irisa is off the charts. And I love how centered Irisa is. She has a kick-ass career, strong relationships, and her own life to lead. She and Dom come together as equals. In my mind, there’s nothing sexier than that.

Grab your copy at Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, ARe, or B&N.

About the Author:

Susan Scott Shelley is an award-winning author of contemporary romance.

She lives in Philadelphia with her very own Superhero and spends her days writing about tough heroes, smart heroines, and love being the strongest magic there is.

In addition to writing romances, she is also a professional voiceover artist. Her favorite things include running, sports, hard rock and old Hollywood movies. She believes life should be lived with laughter, enthusiasm, and a sense of wonder.

Visit Susan online!

Susan’s Website: http://www.susanscottshelley.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanScottShelley1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Susan_S_Shelley

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sscottshelley/

Susan’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/8fP7v

 

 

 

Yellow, from the Falling Stars soundtrack

So, I’m trying something a little different.

Yellow, originally performed by Coldplay, was a song featured in the Starstruck web serial. I shared a demo of the track on a whim, and got wonderful feedback. So I thought to myself, why not release it in advance of the book?

The single is out today, and available at many fine retailers.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NZwJP7

iTunes: http://apple.co/1MXQ44G

Google: http://bit.ly/1P3M0zm

The wild, weird, wonderful world of fan fiction – Romance Writers Weekly

Welcome to another installment of Romance Writers Weekly! This week, Jo Richardson wants us to write a bit of fan fiction.

Who, whatta?

FAN FICTION :  stories involving popular fictional characters that are written by fans and often posted on the Internet —called also fanfic, \-ˈfik\

Hopefully, you hopped over here from the wonderful Kristi Rose‘s page, where she no doubt made you blush and smile with her writing.

I could pretend that I have no idea what fanfic is, but…if you know me at all…you know I am well-versed on the subject. My first fandom was Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Spike/Buffy forever!) and I wrote my very first long-form fiction in that universe. Some of it is still floating around online under the name Xionin. Read at your own risk, ehehe. Jo wanted us to write an opening scene from a piece of fan fiction that we might write. I’m going to cheat and update a short piece that I wrote for Scandal, ABC’s scintillating political drama.

Here’s some background on the show: California Governor Fitzgerald Grant has been been in a loveless marriage for 20 years, but finds fulfillment in his political career. He decides to run for President and his campaign manager pulls in a trump card, one Miss Olivia Pope. She’s a brilliant strategist and is just the thing Fitz needs.  It’s love at first sight, but alas, they are star-crossed lovers. Right? Well, this is Washington, D.C. where just about anything can happen, and often does. Fitz and Olivia have an epic love, dammit. Neither the Presidency, his dead marriage, or back-to-back-to-back political scandals and conspiracies will keep them apart. Right? If only. (Stand down, Jake lovers. I am Olitz all the way, lol!)

This was written early in Fitz and Olivia’s relationship. I didn’t realize until I pulled it for this post that I’d written it in the present tense. Very rare for me. Anyway, enjoy!

Title: Power

Universe: Scandal, season 2

Pairing: Olivia and Fitz

Rating: PG

Fitz is distracted. Cyrus is riled up about some sticking point, practically foaming at the mouth as he berates the assembled staff. He’s the pit bull on the team and Fitz murmurs a word of caution, but his heart isn’t in it. There’s someone missing from this meeting. Someone whom, despite her title, holds more sway than anyone else in the room. Himself included. They shouldn’t even have started without her.

“Good afternoon, everyone.”

Olivia enters the room with a purpose and a presence that alters the mood of everyone gathered, whether they like it or not. Fitz likes it very much. And he knows his eyes are dancing, so he doesn’t look at her.

Instead, he follows her movement as she crosses the office. Watching her reflection in the Federalist windows, in the antique picture frames, and in the ornate mirrors. Never directly, it’s too risky. He continues to nod at Cyrus, mmm his agreements, and hopes he’s being appropriately presidential. Any attempt to concentrate on whatever point his Chief of Staff is trying to make is laughable. Fitz has a singular focus, and the object  of his focus seems just as actively engaged in avoidance. Still, he knows there’s a tiny smile on her lips, even if he can’t see it. Won’t.

“Cyrus.” God, her voice is an opiate.

Without invitation, though none is necessary, she sits in the chair opposite his. Yin to his yang. Fitz can feel the force of her pulling him into an easy orbit.

“Mr. President.”

She still doesn’t look at him directly, and Fitz only tilts his head in her direction. A peripheral glance is all he will dare and, yes, the smile is there. Even surrounded by staff and lobbyists, he can’t say her name without some telling inflection. If anyone ever stopped to notice, it would betray all that he feels.

Awe.

Humility.

Pride.

Lust.

Love.

Anguish.

Cyrus hands her the latest brief and Fitz watches their heads come together to look over the data. Grey and black nodding in agreement. Fitz envies the ease of their proximity. He sits back in his chair, planting his feet flat on the floor as if it will anchor him. Stop him from jumping up and rounding the table to take her in his arms. He allows his thoughts to briefly caress her bowed head.

Olivia pushes a folder across the table, withdrawing her hand too quickly for him to give in to his temptation to touch her. He would, and she knows he would. She’s always had so much more control. Awareness. Frustrating reserve. But he’s seen her unravel, shaking breathlessly beneath him. He can’t help but let his gaze linger a little too long on the sweep of her eyelashes against her velvet cheek. He can’t control the very noticeable hitch in his breath when she rests a pen between her full lips, oblivious to the promises they make. Or maybe not so oblivious.

Her smile widens infinitesimally, as if she can feel his eyes on her. Of course, she can. Fitz can’t turn away any more than he can control the alarming speed of his pulse when she finally looks up at him. She steals all his reason.

“Mr. President?” And then she is all business, awaiting his approval on this new directive. Whatever it is.

Cy clears his throat. Loudly.

“It looks good, I think,” Fitz says, no idea what ‘it’ even is, but he trusts her. Implicitly. She nods, confident and assured, her eyes returning to her work as if they hadn’t just shared that tiny bubble of intimacy. And that’s the part that scares Fitz the most.

When he’s around her, time stands still. The world simply…stops. All rational thought goes out the window, and there is only her.

Livi.

She holds all of the power, even though he wears the crown.

You own me, he’d once said and he wills the memory towards her. As if by magic, she lifts her eyes from her paperwork and into his gaze.

“It’s a good deal, Mr. President. Everything you wanted.” There’s a little more heat in her voice, and that smile – his smile – plays just at the corners of her mouth. His body betrays him, blood coursing at formula one speeds through his veins. The tickle in his throat travels south to warmer climates.

“Almost, Olivia. Almost.”

***

Hop on over to see what S. C. Mitchell has in store for us. I guarantee it will be something amazing! See you next time.

I’m an honorary KickAss Chick!

Three posts in one week, whhhhhhhhhaaaa?

Check out my stint as an honorary KickAss Chick! I talk about diversity in romance, and touch on some of my favourite things. Travel, music, and custard.

Come on over!

Come chat with me about Diverse Books Month

Check out my interview with Rivka Spicer for Diverse Books Month! You know this issue is near and dear to my heart, and I was happy for the opportunity to talk about it.

There’s also a lovely little review of The Calum and Rivka is actually from Inverness! Boy was a nervous when she said she was going to review the book. Ha!

Go read, comment, and be sure to catch all of the wonderful interviews, reviews and discussions taking place this month.

Cheers!

Xio