WICKED FOR YOU (Wicked Lovers #10) by Shayla Black-Review, Interview and Giveaway
Pure Wicked (Wicked Lovers 9.5) by Shayla Black
Wicked for You
Wicked Lovers 10
by Shayla Black
Genre: adult, contemporary, BDSM, erotic, romantic suspense
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2015
Ever since he rescued her from a dangerous kidnapper, Mystery Mullins has wanted Axel Dillon. When he returned her to her Hollywood father and tabloid life, she was grateful…and a little in love. Mystery wasn’t ready to let Axel go, even after the soldier gently turned her away because, at nineteen, she was too young.
Now, six years later, Mystery is grown, with a flourishing career and a full life—but she’s still stuck on Axel. Disguised, she propositions him in a bar, and the night they spend together is beyond her wildest dreams. Mystery steels herself to walk away—except the sheets are barely cold when her past comes back to haunt her.
Once he realizes Mystery isn’t the stranger he thought, Axel is incensed and intrigued. But when it’s clear she’s in danger, he doesn’t hesitate to become her protector—and her lover—again. And as the two uncover a secret someone is willing to kill for, Axel is determined to claim Mystery’s heart before a murderer silences her for good.
••••••••••••
REVIEW: WICKED FOR YOU is the tenth full length installment in Shayla Black’s contemporary, adult WICKED LOVERS erotic romantic suspense series. Wicked Lovers focuses on a group of former marines, special ops, former police and military men, the women they love and their connection to Dominion BDSM club. This is former army medic and retrieval specialist Axel Dillon, and writer Mystery Mullins‘s storyline. WICKED FOR YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous storylines is imparted where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives WICKED FOR YOU is a two-part story that flashes between the present and the past. Six years earlier Mystery Mullins was kidnapped and held prisoner in a deserted warehouse in the Mojave Desert. Mystery’s father and world famous director Marshal Mullins hired Axel Dillon as part of a search and rescue team whose primary focus is on retrieving precious cargo.
On the run for days in the desert with Axel, Mystery finds herself strangely attracted to her gorgeous rescuer who will feature prominently in Mystery’s future fantasies. Axel wants nothing to do with a then nineteen year old Mystery and walks out of her life without a backward glance once she has been handed over to her father. Fast forward six years and Mystery is determined to seduce Axel into a one-night stand- an affair where she is determined to keep her identity a secret fearing another rejection from the man who yet calls to her heart.
Mystery has been living in the UK for six years but a return to America finds our heroine searching for the truth about her mother’s death, and the man who walked away breaking her heart. Mystery’s return to the USA finds our heroine targeted once again, and Axel and Heath Powell (Mystery’s personal bodyguard) become her number one and number two protectors while Mystery continues to search for the truth.
The relationship between Mystery and Axel is a story of second chances-so to speak-as both Axel and Mystery have never forgotten about the few days they spent together following the search and rescue. Axel is a Dominant both in and out of the bedroom, and is an active member at the BDSM Club Dominion. Mystery is aware of Axel’s need to dominate, and with it comes her natural submission to the man with whom she has fallen in love. The $ex scenes are erotic, intimate and a little bit kinky. Axel, like many of the men in the series has issues with disobedience and spanking is his preferred method of discipline.
The Wicked Lovers series of novels are ensemble storylines wherein a number of the previous storybook characters play secondary and supporting roles; most of WICKED FOR YOU focuses on Axel, Mystery, Heath and Mystery’s Aunt Gail Leedy. Sean, Thorpe (Dominion Club owner and head Dom) and Callie (Theirs to Cherish #8) have cameo appearances for cohesion and history as well as Javier and Xander (Ours to Love #7) and Joaquin Munoz (His To Take #9).
WICKED FOR YOU is a suspense filled story focusing on uncovering the truth behind Mystery’s mother’s death, and the possible connection to Mystery’s abduction and her mother’s past. WICKED FOR YOU is a fast paced and animated storyline. The characterization is presented through description narratives and indirectly through the thoughts and action of the leading couple. A several chapter-long flashback reveals Mystery and Axel’s introduction to one another and what precipitated Mystery’s heartbreak and sorrow creating the building blocks upon which the present day storyline will focus. The conflict revolves around lies, secrets and deep-seated family dysfunction; the requisite evil is a two-fold twist to the storyline.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.
Reviewed by Sandy
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PURE WICKED: 1001 Dark Nights
(Wicked Lovers 9.5)
by Shayla Black
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 8, 2015
During his decade as an international pop star, Jesse McCall has lived every day in the fast lane. A committed hedonist reveling in amazing highs, globetrotting, and nameless encounters, he refuses to think about his loneliness or empty future. Then tragedy strikes.
Shocked and grieving, he sheds his identity and walks away, searching for peace. Instead, he finds Bristol Reese, a no-nonsense beauty scraping to keep her family’s business afloat while struggling with her own demons. He’s intent on seducing her, but other than a pleasure-filled night, she’s not interested in a player, especially after her boyfriend recently proposed to her sister. In order to claim Bristol, Jesse has to prove he’s not the kind of man he’s always been. But when she learns his identity and his past comes back to haunt him, how will he convince her that he’s a changed man who wants nothing more than to make her his forever?
•••••••••••••
REVIEW: PURE WICKED is installment 9.5 in Shayla Black’s contemporary adult WICKED LOVERS erotic romance series. This is rock star Jesse McCall, and bakery/café owner Bristol Reese’s storyline. PURE WICKED is also the latest entry into the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights novella series and can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.
Told from third person point of view PURE WICKED follows Jesse McCall in hiding. With the recent overdose of a fan, and the suicide of his backup singer Ryan, Jesse has gone into hiding to keep the paparazzi at bay. Jesse’s character as a bad boy rock star has garnered our storyline hero a less than golden reputation with the media, and with the death of his friend and a female fan, Jesse is the number one target of rumor and innuendo surrounding the circumstances of their deaths. Following the advice of his publicist Candia, Jesse (with a toned down appearance) takes off for places unknown landing in Texarkana Texas, where he will meet and fall in love with bakery owner Bristol Reese.
The relationship between Jesse and Bristol is very quick to build; an insta love romance that finds our hero wanting to play house within a few hours of arriving in Texarkana. Jesse will meet Bristol at her sister’s engagement party where Jesse will come to Bristol’s aid pretending to be her new beau. The $ex scenes are seductive and steamy; Jesse and Bristol are in bed together within an hour of meeting one another.
PURE WICKED is a story about a boy and a girl who fall in love. Jesse believes he has found the other half of his soul; the woman who will save him from the demons within. The premise is enjoyable but not too realistic; the characters are colorful although slightly one dimensional-we know very little about their background except for the immediate past; the romance and sex are energetic and immediate. If you are looking for some fluff without all of the heavy romantic angst and foreplay, than PURE WICKED is the perfect read.
Reviewed by Sandy
TRC: Hi Shayla and welcome to The Reading Café.
Shayla: Hi! Thanks so much for having me here.
TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Please tell us something about yourself.
Follow Shayla: Website / Goodreads / Facebook/ Twitter
Shayla: Let’s make this easy. Here is my bio!
Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels. For over fifteen years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold well over a million copies and been published in a dozen languages.
Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past seven years.
Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her teenage daughter, and a very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.
TRC: Who or what has most influenced your career in writing?
Shayla: I wouldn’t credit any one person or source. I’m influenced by so many things from my own experiences to the music I hear. I’ll also give my husband a bunch of credit for opening my eyes in so many ways. I also have to say that Lexi Blake and my countless conversations with her about books, storytelling, other genres, and life in general have actually changed the way I approach some things. I’m absolutely happy where my stories are coming from and where they’re heading at this point.
TRC: Would you please tell us a little bit about WICKED FOR YOU, the newest installment in your Wicked Lovers series?
Shayla: Ever since he rescued her from a dangerous kidnapper, Mystery Mullins has wanted Axel Dillon. When he returned her to her Hollywood father and tabloid life, she was grateful…and a little in love. Mystery wasn’t ready to let Axel go, even after the soldier gently turned her away because, at nineteen, she was too young.
Now, six years later, Mystery is grown, with a flourishing career and a full life—but she’s still stuck on Axel. Disguised, she propositions him in a bar, and the night they spend together is beyond her wildest dreams. Mystery steels herself to walk away—except the sheets are barely cold when her past comes back to haunt her.
Once he realizes Mystery isn’t the stranger he thought, Axel is incensed and intrigued. But when it’s clear she’s in danger, he doesn’t hesitate to become her protector—and her lover—again. And as the two uncover a secret someone is willing to kill for, Axel is determined to claim Mystery’s heart before a murderer silences her for good.
TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?
Shayla: I’m currently contracted through book 12. We’ll see where I go after that… I’ve got ideas.
TRC: How do you keep the plot(s) unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?
Shayla: I simply write things I’d like to read and tell the story from my heart. That may sound trite, but something about every one of these books interests and moves me deeply or I wouldn’t write them. Other than that, I constantly strive to do my best and give readers a satisfying experience.
TRC: There is a fine line between romance, erotic romance, and erotica in many of today’s popular contemporary fiction. What do you believe accounts for the differences between the sub-genres in today’s romantic stories?
Shayla: To me, erotica is about one person’s journey to self-actualization through a sexual journey. It may or may not end in a happily ever after. It may or may not also be monogamous. A romance will always be about commitment and end in a happily ever after. So will an erotic romance; it simply contains additional and more explicit sexual content. I think we have these various approaches because we have so many different readers. Some see themselves as wanting to figure out their life, psyche, and future. Some just want the experience of falling in love, which doesn’t always require sex. Others need that sweet slide into forever with one (or more) mate but they like extra spice in the bedroom.
TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?
Shayla: For some, I’m sure it does. I know for others, not so much. I’m not a visual person so while a pretty cover will snag my attention, if the blurb doesn’t grab me or the writing isn’t craftworthy, I’ll probably pass. That could also be because I know authors don’t always have control over how their books are packaged. They have far more control over content, so that’s where I focus.
TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?
Shayla: Both, in a weird way. During the writing process, I feel as if I become my point-of-view character. They might be driving the bus, but we’re sharing the steering wheel, so I definitely have a hand in navigating.
TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?
Shayla: Absolutely. I’m HUGE into music. I’m always looking for something that moves me—to tears, to anger, to happiness. Whatever I want to portray in a scene, I’m always in search of corresponding music. I’m currently listening to Fall Out Boy and Ocean Lab, two VERY different bands.
TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?
Shayla: I’m extroverted, so I don’t really think well in the silence of my own head when it comes to ideas. I’ll sometimes run things past my husband, Lexi Blake, Jenna Jacob, my lovely assistant Rachel, or my good friend Liz Berry. My circle is pretty small but mighty.
TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?
Shayla: That we are all creative dreamers who spend the majority of our time lost in storyland, led by our muse who takes our hands and shows us the way. We hold down many other roles in life—wife, mother, employee, friend, daughter, sister—and if I waited for my muse to help me out, I’d still be trying to finish my first book. Sometimes, you have to dig deep and find your way to The End through pure grit.
TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?
Shayla: Oddly, many people are against plots in which they say “insta-love” happens between the hero and heroine. But I adore those plots because I knew in the first thirty seconds of meeting my husband that I was going to marry him. I was seventeen. He was dating someone else. None of that mattered. I just knew. Granted, I didn’t know him as an individual in those thirty seconds but I had a sixth sense. We started dating shortly after that. We just celebrated 24 years of marriage.
TRC: Congratulations
TRC: On what are you currently working?
Shayla: Wicked Lovers 11, which will be out next July. I have a title…but it’s not ready to share. I also just finished up edits on book three of my new with series with Lexi Blake, The Perfect Gentlemen. So after book 2 (Seduction in Session) in January, look for Big Easy Temptation in May.
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
Shayla: After nearly twenty years as an author, I love what I do everyday and am so grateful to readers who find a whole new world in the written word and will take journeys with me.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food
Depends on my mood
Favorite Dessert
Depends on my mood
Favorite TV Show
Depends on my mood
Last Movie You Saw
In theaters, Man from UNCLE (loved it!). At home, Austenland (also loved it!)
Dark or Milk Chocolate
Depends on my mood. LOL! Are you sensing a theme?
Secret Celebrity Crush
Gerard Butler, John Cena, Armie Hammer
Last Vacation Destination
I’m answering this interview on my way to visit some other writer friends (shout out to Lorelei James, Larissa Ione, and Julie Kenner) in Palm Coast, Florida.
Do you have any pets?
One very spoiled orange tabby cat, Missy Meow.
Last book you read
Jay Crownover’s BETTER WHEN HE’S BAD.
Pet Peeve
I have two. Passive-aggressive people and too many rules.
TRC: Thank you Shayla for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the new release. We wish you all the best.
Shayla: Thanks so much for having me here!
The Reading Cafe and Shayla’s publisher are offering a paper copy of WICKED FOR YOU to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.
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8. Giveaway runs from October 6-10, 2015
