Lilah Suzanne's Blog, page 51
December 17, 2015
Virtual Book Tour:
Broken Records
Good thing it’s virtual, because today is busy, and I’m really committed to wearing sweatpants right now. At every stop is the chance to win an ebook AND an Interlude Press gift card, so be sure to stop by! On to the tour!
Stop #1: Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Nico is shrewd and cool, and focused on his career, not his personal life. It was interesting for me to not write a character who is a hopeless romantic for once, as my other main characters have been, and instead someone who is really out of his depth with these very strong feelings he’s having for Grady.
Read more at: Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Stop #2: Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series: The title, Broken Records, comes from a song one of the lead characters wrote; Grady, who is a country musician. I actually wrote an entire song, though in the book there are only bits and pieces of it.
More at: Hearts on Fire
Stop #3: Check out a blurb at Cheekypee Read and Reviews
Stop #4 Favorite location you’ve ever written about? I’ve really enjoyed writing this Spotlight series that is set in Southern US, which is where I’m from. I love Nashville, the music and the laid-back hip vibe, so this has been really wonderful to settle into for a while.
More at: Dawn’s Reading Nook
Stop #5 How did you come up with the idea for this book? I knew I wanted to set a story in the South, and explore a relationship that starts off rockier than the ones I’ve written so far. I think the country music star idea came after that, and then a stylist from California who is in the industry but has no desire to be in the spotlight. So how do they reconcile their differences in light of very strong feelings for each other?
More at: Velvet Panic
Stop #6 What for you is the perfect book hero? A kind heart is essential for me.
More at: Mikki’s World Of Books
Stop #7 Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? My goal in writing is always to add a little happiness and love to the world, so I guess I would say: I hope my stories bring you some measure of joy, because that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.
More at: Michael Mandrake
December 16, 2015
Broken Records Bonus Buy!
BONUS PREVIEW CHAPTERS, EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE IP WEB STORE!
Purchase a multi-format eBook of Broken Records, the first book in Lilah Suzanne’s Spotlight series, from the IP Web Store and you’ll receive two chapters from the second installment, Burning Tracks months before the book’s release date!
Or take advantage of our advance buy bundle special: Order the print edition of Broken Records before its 12/17 release and receive the multi-format eBook with bonus chapters free!*
*US and Canada orders only. Please see the IP Web Store for details of our international eBook bundle special
Check it out: a freebie AND a title! Burning Tracks is book 2 of the series, where the ladies take the spotlight. And of course you can also see what those boys are up to now…
Broken Records Review
I was so excited to get the opportunity to be an advance
reader for Broken Records, the first
book in the new Spotlight series by Lilah
Suzanne. Having read her two previous
novels Pivot and Slip and Spice, I was definitely looking forward
to diving into another romance. From the title I expected a story along the line of your standard country song, filled with romance and
heartbreak that captures the emotion of the reader. However this novel
went deeper into the true heart and soul of country, and I found myself
becoming more invested in her characters than I ever expected.
“What is it like, Nico
wonders, to be loved by millions of people and still be lonely?”
The novel is told from the point of view of Nico Takahashi,
a celebrity stylist who is accustomed to the grit behind the glamor of the LA
celebrity scene. As talented as he is, Nico finds himself less and less
inspired by his life and career. I found myself as cautious as Nico when Gwen,
his partner in fashion, tells him that country star Grady Dawson is a potential
client. Playboy and country music may not seem like a typical combination, but
we soon learn that Grady is known for his rumored romantic connections just as
much as (if not more than) his unique and original sound. Nevertheless, Nico takes
on the job and an eventful trip to Nashville leaves him with artistic
inspiration and the pride of a styling job well done. There’s just one problem…Nico
can’t get Grady out of his mind. Discovering the man behind the famous musician
in the magazines alongside Nico was a wonderful experience, despite the looming
worry that something will bring their too-good-to-be-true connection tumbling
down. After all it’s one thing to provide the fashion for stars that have fans
and gossip sites buzzing, it’s another to be a cause of a story yourself…
Lilah writes all of her characters very well, a prime
example being that I became invested in everyone’s story, from the troubled
teen that is the first of Nico’s clients to be introduced to Gwen’s frustrated
wife. My only regret in this respect was that the novel length didn’t allow for
even more development. Here’s hoping we see more of them in the next book in
the series! Grady is so swoon-worthy that I found myself falling for him just
as fast as any of his fanbase. “It’s no wonder that half the damn world wants a
piece of Grady Dawson,” Nico observes, and any reader of this novel will be
inclined to agree. As sweet and romantic as Nico and Grady’s story is, these
elements are well balanced with erotica as hot as Nashville’s music scene.
Nico knows more than anyone else that those in the public
eye wear a mask, a persona they sell to fans and cameras every day. He makes
his living perfecting that persona. So can he truly trust Grady and separate
the truth from the lies? Can Grady overcome Nico’s cynicism about the business
that is so central to both of their lives? Or will their time together be
reduced to “a night he will not forget for a very long time. But it’s over. And
that’s that.”
Whether country music is your go-to station or not, this
sweet and sensual romance is a must read. Find out for yourself what happens
when you blur the line between professional and personal by getting Broken Records on December 17th!
December 15, 2015
She is absolutely stunning in person: statuesque and regal,...
She is absolutely stunning in person: statuesque and regal, chestnut hair in waves spilling past her shoulders, classically beautiful and styled exactly right: A soft baby-blue vintage-style dress that shows off her long legs and lovely shape, her nude heels, her makeup in soft browns with a burst of pink lipstick.
“You’re Nico?” she says, her accent like Grady’s but with a sweet, bouncing lilt. She shakes his hand and tips her head, sweeps Nico up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. “That boy may be a handful, but he does have good taste.”
(via Broken Records Look Book)
December 12, 2015
interludepress:
THIS WEEKEND ONLY: Save 10 Percent on all Gift...
December 11, 2015
Soundtrack: Broken Records
Music is like a heartbeat…It’s always there, you just have to stop and listen for it.
Born Under a Bad Moon, Thieving Birds // Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash // I Wanna Fall In Love, Dolly Parton // Billy 1, Los Lobos // Dead, Drunk, and Naked, Drive By Truckers // Before The Devil Knows We’re Dead, Turnpike Troubadours // Sit & Listen To the Rain, Whiskeytown // Wolves, American Aquarium // Then Came the Morning, The Lone Bellow // This Tornado Loves You, Neko Case // The Eye, Brandi Carlile // I’ll Never Go Away, Erin McCarley feat. Gabe Dixon
flickerthenflare:
@scout451 says a million insightful things about “Broken Records” here, so much...
@scout451 says a million insightful things about “Broken Records” here, so much so that you can just picture me saying “same” after ever sentence and wishing I said it myself, but to summarize my thoughts and feelings in a far less sophisticated fashion:
1) “Broken Records” is a delightful book with clever things to say about fame, celebrity, and the way that narratives are framed.
2) The characters draw you in and actively compete to be your favorite. I cooed over them and then threw my hands up at them mere seconds later, all the while never wanting to put the book down because I had to know what they were going to do next.
3) It has a cute love story to boot. What’s better than a character you like? TWO characters you like falling in love, with the meddling and support of even more characters you like.
4) “Broken Records” will probably make a good present for someone you love, including/especially if that someone is yourself. (On Interlude Press here.)
5) We’re so lucky the series is just beginning. Even a full-length novel isn’t enough to keep me from wanting more.
December 10, 2015
One last time!
Final call for the fundraising giveaway I’ve been offering to benefit the LGBT youth shelter, Ali Forney Center.
To remind you how it works, hop on over to Ali Forney’s amazon wishlist where they’re asking for basics like briefs, panties, binders, socks and
undershirts–by the numbers. Pick up an item or two and send me the
receipt, or even an email just giving me the total–lynn@lynncharles.net. Honor system and all that.
Not only will you help fulfill some of their needs, I will match your donation from now until Dec. 12!!
In addition, two donors will be selected to receive one of two prizes. One will receive one paperback copy of Chef’s Table, and the other lucky duck will receive Chef’s Table AND my next release, Black Dust, when it comes out in April 2016.
So, go on. Finish up that holiday shopping and do something good for these kids at the same time. We’ve already raised close to $400 together! Donation matching ends Dec. 12 at 8 pm, but of course, you can go help out the Ali Forney Center well beyond that.
December 9, 2015
Broken Records
by Lilah Suzanne
Four well-deserved starsOwning and managing a styling business was Nico’s dream.Now, he’s growing tired of the endless hours, the Hollywood types and the shallowness that surrounds the business.
When country star Grady Dawson asks Nico to dress him up for a magazine shoot (and maybe undress him later in private), Nico goes into slight panic mode. On one hand, styling charming Grady could take his and Gwen’s styling firm to new heights, on the other, Grady could be very dangerous for his heart.
While it soon becomes obvious that Grady is a genuine and caring guy, the harsh reality is that he and Nico might not fit into each other’s world.
I loved the way Lilah showed us Nico’s and Grady’s competence at their jobs, telling us about Nico’s styling choices and Grady’s composing.The secondary characters gave a better understanding of the protagonists’ personalities, but also shone on their own.Nico’s friendship with Gwen was especially relatable .
My only “problem” with this novel relates to its length. I wished there were more pages to develop Nico and Grady’s relationship , as well as the other characters.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC in Exchange for my honest opinion and review.
