​Running out of time…

Mystery writer Marcus Sullivan is determined to find someone for his
younger brother Liam to love. Playing matchmaker on vacation in St. Lucia,
Marcus tries to interest Liam in beautiful, local tour guide Crescentia St.
Ives. Unfortunately, things don’t go to plan. And when Marcus and
Crescentia are stranded during a thunderstorm, the plot to match her with
his brother incinerates in the flames of desire. No way can Liam have her
when Marcus can’t keep his hands off. Too bad he can’t write a happier
ending to their blossoming romance.

Running away…

Crescentia St. Ives’ career as a public defender in New York has taken a
toll. Following an emotionally devastating case, she returns to her
homeland, St. Lucia. While her uncle is recovering from a heart attack, she
helps out with his floundering tour company. The product of a holiday
affair, Crescy is determined not to follow in her mother’s footsteps. But
her resolve is severely tested when she meets Marcus Sullivan. Can she
convince him that they can have more than a fling? Or will his secret be
too much to overcome?

Buy on Amazon!

When edits turn into a re-write.

By Alexia Adams

I don’t think there are many authors who enjoy the editing process. You submit a book that a publisher loves enough to acquire and then they ask you to change it, substantially sometimes. You’ve already written the best book you could, so what do you do?

This spring I submitted a story (An Inconvenient Love) that I’d already rewritten at least 10 times. I’d tried to give up on it, but my critique partner and beta reader both said the characters were their favorites. So, I persevered and rewrote it one last time and sent it to my publisher. Within two weeks they got back to me saying they wanted to publish the book, but I needed to change the beginning. Okay, I could do that. I’d already changed it eleventy billion times, what was once more?

Then I got the edit letter (cue dramatic music, you know the one where you know someone is going to die). It wasn’t just the beginning that needed modification. The editor suggested eliminating one of the adversaries and turning the second one into a friend—bitch from hell to BFF. At first I was horrified. My story! But then I became intrigued by the suggestions. I could see how reducing a lot of the external conflict allowed the internal conflict to shine through. My characters grew and changed, became more complex and interesting. And by decreasing the external conflict, it allowed for more moments of lightness. My sense of humor, as reflected by my heroine, could shine through. It was a lot of work, especially with a two week timeframe, but I loved the storyso much more when I was done. By the time I resubmitted it, only 30% of the original story remained.

So, how do you go about rewriting a story based on an edit letter? First, read the letter very carefully. Then let it sit for a day while enjoying a bottle of wine. This is an important point. Allow yourself time to grieve the death of your story—get angry, write a rebuttal if you must about how your writing is sacred and shouldn’t be messed with. Then rip that up and get on with it.

I print out the edit letter and highlight the key points. Next, I read through my manuscript from start to finish, writing comments in the margin about first thoughts on how I can change it, what to keep, what to discard and possible ideas for alternate scenes. If I don’t understand a requested change, or strongly disagree, then I’ll go back to my editor and discuss these with her. Sometimes we reach a compromise, sometimes I stand firm, and sometimes I give in. Often the editor will make suggestions about a new direction. I use these suggestions as a starting point but let my characters decide how they are going to play out the new scenes.

Next step, drink another bottle of wine. Then I reread the edit letter and make a start. Before each editing session I reread the edit letter to remind myself of the goal I’m trying to reach. I try to do long days editing so I don’t lose the flow. Eventually, I have a new story that, believe it or not, needs more editing. I switch the track changes to “show no editing” and pretend it’s a brand new story. I look at sentence structure, word repetition, all the things that I’d do before submitting an original work. When I’m finally satisfied that I’ve got the best story I can write, I return it to my editor with a letter of my own outlining how I’ve addressed the issues she highlighted.

Then I drink another bottle of wine while I wait for my editor’s reaction. To date, they’ve all been very pleased with my edits (thankfully). If not, I’d make another run to the liquor store and start again.

So there you have it. My 3 step (um bottle) plan to tackling an editing rewrite.

Alexia once traveled the world, meeting new people, experiencing new sights and tastes. She’s lived in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, England, and France, as well as spent time in Panama and Russia. When life demanded that she stay rooted in one place, she took to vicarious voyages through the characters she created in her romance novels. Her stories reflect her love of travel and feature locations as diverse as the wind-swept prairies of Canada to hot and humid cities in Asia.

Social Media Links
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page

Books

An Inconvenient Love / An Inconvenient Desire / Miss Guided (a Guide to Love novella) / Played by the Billionaire (a Guide to Love novel) / Singapore Fling (also in the Sexy in the City box set)

Title: Played by the Billionaire

Author: Alexia Adams

Series: Guide to Love

Published by: Entangled: Indulgence

Date published: May 19, 2014

Genres: Contemporary

Book Length: 216 pages

Steam Rating: Steamy

Main Characters: Liam & Lorelei

Add to GoodReads

Buy on Amazon

“Some how… some way…Alexia Adams made me tear up, laugh, scream and beg for more. The plot line was unique and flowed so well with Miss Guided. The characters are deep and well developed. The romance flowed naturally and was so super sweet that I couldn’t help but want to be a part of it!” ~Becca

Internet security billionaire, Liam Manning, made a death bed promise to his beloved brother, Marcus, to complete his mystery-romance manuscript. Problem is that Liam’s experience with women is limited to the cold-hearted supermodels he usually dates—nothing like the warm, caring woman depicted in the novel his brother began. So falling back on his hacking skills, he infiltrates an online dating site to find a suitable woman to teach him about romance-regular guy style.

Lorelei Torres was raised by her hard-working mother because her loser father is behind bars. All she wants is an honest man to love and with whom she can raise a large, happy family. After the last contender for her heart turns out to be a lying snake, she decides it’s time she started over. San Francisco is as far from Buffalo as she can get, unfortunately it’s not beyond the reach of her mother’s constant reminders about Lorelei’s ticking biological clock. When her dear parent signs her up with an online dating agency, Lorelei reluctantly agrees to meet her cyber-match. Maybe it’s time an impartial computer chose a man for her.

Can Liam finish the novel before Lorelei discovers his deceptions and, more critically, before she breaches the firewall around his heart?

Well…I finally read it! After reading Miss Guided last week I have been itching to get my hands on Played by the Billionaire.

I was a bit nervous.

I was worried that I would be disappointed.

I mean Miss Guided rocked so very hard that I just knew that there was no way Alexia Adams could pull it off again…no way could she leave me breathless and begging for more…

Wrong, wrong, wrong! Boy was I amazingly wrong!

Some how… some way…Alexia Adams made me tear up, laugh, scream and beg for more. The plot line was unique and flowed so well with Miss Guided. The characters are deep and well developed. The romance flowed naturally and was so super sweet that I couldn’t help but want to be a part of it! These guys are yet another amazingly written and absolutely MFEO! I cannot get over how well Liam and Lorelei complete one another, it is just perfect and priceless!

Liam was such an ass in the beginning. He just didn’t seem to care about anyone but himself and his recently deceased brother. Knowing part of his back story, from Miss Guided, I felt for him. I really did. I get it, he had a shitty childhood…but that doesn’t mean you get to treat others poorly…sorry! Over time he grew on me. His behaviors changed and grew to be the man his brother knew he could be.

I married a computer geek…nerd…dork…whatever word you want to use my hubby fits the part! Heck I’m pretty sure I fit into most of those categories myself! I’m not sure if that is why I am so drawn to these geeks find love books or what…all I know is that I adore these stories! (IF you haven’t checked out The Geek Billionaire Makeover by Theresa Meyers head on over and take a look at our review!)

Then there was sweet Lorelei. Wow, was she dealt a shitty hand in her last relationship…who can blame her for not trusting easily! I kept wondering if she was ever going to make the connection with his eyes…guy in the coffee shop…Liam…the only real difference was hair…it just seemed like an obvious thing to me. Who knows why she didn’t…

I loved watching both Liam and Lorelei open up to one another and learn that sometimes, love can solve your problems and help you to over come your fears. You just have to be open to the possibilty! It was such a sweet story, with quite a few bumps along the path to a HEA I think my favorite thing about Alexia Adam’s writing is that her characters are flawed. They aren’t these perfect people with perfect lives and perfect thoughts. They have problems. They have issues with themselves. They have issues with the way they deal with their problems…it just keeps things raw , emotional and real! Characters like these are impossible not to relate to…even if they are billionaires!

Needless to say, I highly recommend this book! I am addicted to not only the MCs but the extra characters as well. I so want to know what happens with all of them! So go ahead, go over and pick up a copy of Played by the Billionaire and join my addiction!

Alexia once traveled the world, meeting new people, experiencing new sights and tastes. She’s lived in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, England, and France, as well as spent time in Panama and Russia. When life demanded that she stay rooted in one place, she took to vicarious voyages through the characters she created in her romance novels. Her stories reflect her love of travel and feature locations as diverse as the wind-swept prairies of Canada to hot and humid cities in Asia.

Social Media Links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Tumblr / Goodreads

Could you forgive Liam for his deception?

Title: Miss Guided

Author: Alexia Adams

Series: Guide to Love

Published by: Alexia Adams (Indie)

Date published: Sept. 12, 2014

Genres: Contemporary

Book Length: 96 pages

Steam Rating: Steamy

Main Characters: Marcus & Crescy

Add to GoodReads

Buy on Amazon

“Between Alexia Adams’ realistic and raw writing style to the addictive need her characters provoke Miss Guided is a 5 deep breath book without question!” ~Becca 

Running out of time…

Mystery writer Marcus Sullivan is determined to find someone for his younger brother Liam to love. Playing matchmaker on vacation in St. Lucia, Marcus tries to interest Liam in beautiful, local tour guide Crescentia St. Ives. Unfortunately, things don’t go to plan. And when Marcus and Crescentia are stranded during a thunderstorm, the plot to match her with his brother incinerates in the flames of desire. No way can Liam have her when Marcus can’t keep his hands off. Too bad he can’t write a happier ending to their blossoming romance.

Running away…

Crescentia St. Ives’ career as a public defender in New York has taken a toll. Following an emotionally devastating case, she returns to her homeland, St. Lucia. While her uncle is recovering from a heart attack, she helps out with his floundering tour company. The product of a holiday affair, Crescy is determined not to follow in her mother’s footsteps. But her resolve is severely tested when she meets Marcus Sullivan. Can she convince him that they can have more than a fling? Or will his secret be too much to overcome?

This is my very first video review! Please be sure to subscribe to our channel and be on the look out for more video reviews in the near future!

I adored this book! The chemistry is so very strong and real! The issues that they are forced to deal with and the obstacles the have to overcome in order for their love to survive are well balanced and kept me constantly on the edge of my seat clutching my Kindle and dying to know what happened next! I can say with 100% certainty that Marcus and Crescy are MFEO material!

Between Alexia Adams’ realistic and raw writing style to the addictive need her characters provoke Miss Guided is a 5 deep breath book without question!

Alexia once traveled the world, meeting new people, experiencing new sights and tastes. She’s lived in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, England, and France, as well as spent time in Panama and Russia. When life demanded that she stay rooted in one place, she took to vicarious voyages through the characters she created in her romance novels. Her stories reflect her love of travel and feature locations as diverse as the wind-swept prairies of Canada to hot and humid cities in Asia.

Social Media Links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Tumblr / Goodreads

Describe your book/series in 15 words or less:

Man tries to find a woman for his brother but falls in love himself.

We all need a hero! Tell us about your protagonist(s)? Was there a real life inspiration behind him or her?

Marcus is a mystery writer on a deadline. He wants to find someone to love his younger brother, Liam. Despite his own problems, Marcus is fun-loving and empathetic. Crescentia (Crescy) is a strong, independent woman who is a little lost following a career setback. Marcus is very loosely based on the TV character of Richard Castle. In fact Nathan Fillion would play Marcus wonderfully if it ever became a film. Crescy is very loosely based on my mother-in-law who was also strong and independent and a beautiful person, inside and out. By the way, my mother-in-law hated her first name and never used it. She’d smack me up the backside of the head for naming my heroine that if she were still alive.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

I enjoyed writing the whole book because Marcus is so fun and Crescy a strong woman. I do have an absolute favorite line. It’s during the black moment when Marcus and Crescy have broken up and Liam (Marcus’s brother) is berating Marcus for letting Crescy go:

“How did you think it was going to end? With a handshake and a ‘so long and thanks for all the sex’ musical number?” Liam did a few dance moves and Marcus gritted his teeth.

This is my favorite line because it reminds me of Douglas Adams’ book Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the song the dolphins sing, “So Long and Thanks for All the Fish.”

Was there a music playlist for you while writing? If so, can you share a few songs from it?

I don’t really have a specific music playlist when I write. Just all my favorite songs on iTunes. However there is one song in particular that epitomizes Marcus and Liam’s relationship, it’s Permanent by David Cook. For Marcus and Crescy’s relationship, the song All of Me by John Legend is apropos.

What’s next for you?

I have another book, An Inconvenient Desire releasing on October 13 with Crimson Romance. And another story in the Guide to Love series will be coming out from Entangled this winter.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I’d like to thank all the readers who have bought my books. And if you enjoyed the read, please take two minutes and leave a review on Amazon. Reviews help authors get more exposure and promotional opportunities.

A few silly questions:

Are you the driver or a passenger in your books? (Are you in control of where the story goes or does it just happen?)

I am so definitely the passenger. I usually have an idea in my mind of where I want the story to go when I start to write, but it rarely ends up there. I once wrote a detailed synopsis for a book where the heroine told the hero she loved him in chapter 12. The foolish woman blurted it out in chapter 10. So I had her shot later in the story. Don’t mess with a writer!

You’re having a party. What character from your book do you hope attends? What character do you hope doesn’t attend? Why?

I think Marcus would be great at a party. He’s fun, up for anything, and has a mischievous nature. At the moment, Liam would be a dud as he’d just sneak off to an empty room somewhere and work. But Liam gets his awakening in Played by the Billionaire, so he turns out alright.

Characters often find themselves in situations they can’t get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?

My life is no longer as exciting as it once was. I spend most of my days at my computer, getting other people in trouble. Recently, however, my sister-in-law was visiting from the UK and we went to tour some of the show homes in our area. After visiting one display house, I couldn’t get the key to turn in the ignition of my van. I was with my four children and my s-i-l, it was a very hot day, and we were miles from home. So I called my husband. Thankfully, he was nearby and it took him less than 15 seconds to get the van started. It made him feel good for rescuing me and I was happy to get home and have an adult drink.

Who is your favorite “Book Boyfriend”? What series is it from and who wrote it?

I have a real hero in my life. So although I enjoy spending time with the fictional heroes in my, or other writers’ books, it’s the man who rubs my back every night until he falls asleep who holds my heart.

Marcus sipped a tropical fruit concoction through a straw, considering the addition of rum to the drink. What good was a Caribbean vacation if you couldn’t sample the island’s best product? He needed to keep his alcohol consumption to a minimum as it counteracted his medication. So he usually saved it for special occasions. Like when how unfair his life started to get to him.

“How ’bout her?” He pointed his drink at a buxom blonde woman wearing a tiny white bikini and high heels.

Liam glanced up from his laptop. “Nah, never liked blondes, they’re too pale. You lose them in the bed if it’s got white sheets.”

Marcus laughed at the comment, knowing his brother wasn’t serious. However, Liam’s apathy toward relationships did slow things down. Marcus had managed to cross most of his life’s goals off his bucket list, but finding a life partner for Liam was the most important, and proving the hardest. And there wasn’t a lot of time left. Marcus was already living beyond the doctors’ expectations, and he needed to make sure his little brother was loved before he went.

“Hey, I thought we agreed no working on this vacation,” Marcus said.

With a reluctant sigh, Liam closed his laptop. “You can’t tell me you’re not working. I can all but see the cogs in that big head of yours turning. You’re thinking plot lines and characterization and who would be murdered first. There’s a book formulating in your brain. Any minute now you’re going to excuse yourself and race upstairs for your own computer.”

Liam was right of course. Marcus saw stories everywhere. It was what had made him a prolific and best-selling mystery author by twenty-five. And the blonde would be the first to die. The question was whether the hero in his book would do her first. He shook his head; she wasn’t his type, and therefore not suitable to play a heroine. Marcus preferred a real woman without chemical and saline enhancements. Liam was usually drawn to the plastic versions, probably because he’d never known the love of a real woman. Marcus was going to do his damnedest to make sure he did.

A sudden flood of people wandered past the bar, disgorged, undoubtedly, from a returning tour bus. They all clutched cameras, hats, and bottles of water. He caught snippets of conversation about their day—the majesty of the Pitons and the wonder of the drive-in volcano.

Liam swiveled around on his bar stool. “You know, if you really wanted to relax, we could have rented a private villa. Hell, we could have rented a private island.”

“And miss this human sideshow? Besides, I hate to break it to you, brother, but you’re boring. All you do is play on your computer day and night. I need some stimulation in my life.”

Liam sat up taller on his stool and put his drink on the bar. “I don’t play…”

Marcus tuned out his brother’s monologue on the latest Trojan horse, or worm, or virus, or something destined to destroy all computers, everywhere. And how it was guys like Liam who made it safer for regular people to download cute cat videos or porn, depending on their preference.

Mercifully, his brother’s voice was drowned out by another, this one richer, sultrier, and with a hint of island charm. “Mrs. Winthrop, Mrs. Winthrop, you left your glasses on the bus.” A gorgeous local woman raced down the steps next to the poolside bar and stopped an older lady who was wearing Bermuda shorts, socks up to her knees, and sandals.

“Oh, thank you, dear,” Mrs. Winthrop replied. “I’d probably leave my head behind if it weren’t attached.”

The local woman gave a polite laugh, which had the effect of sending a thrill, not at all polite, through his body. She then turned to run back up the stairs, her long brown legs in sharp contrast to her white shorts. Her T-shirt, stretched tight across full breasts that bounced like real ones, read St. Ives Island Tours and Travel on the back. A mass of dark curls was piled impossibly on the top of her head. But it was her face that had Marcus taking a long drink of his mocktail. It had been a good long while since he’d seen anyone as naturally beautiful as her. There was no way she’d get lost in bed. Or up against a wall. Or in the shower. Or on the beach.

Dragging his mind back from inappropriate thoughts, he glanced again at Liam who was watching the news on the TV above the bar. “How about tomorrow we take a tour of the island?”

Liam stared at him with undisguised horror. “Marcus, if you want to see the island, we can hire a private car and driver. I’m loaded, remember, recently signed a billion dollar deal with the-software-company-that-shall-remain-nameless? I’m not getting on a smelly old bus with a bunch of smelly old people and visiting places I have no interest in going.”

Marcus put his drink down and played his trump card. “My vacation, my rules, remember? You promised. Tomorrow we are going on a bus tour, and you will not complain for one second.”

Liam opened his mouth then closed it again, trying to hide the flicker of pain in his eyes. A curt nod was his only response.

“That’s settled then. I’ll go make the arrangements.” Marcus abandoned his drink and headed up to reception. If he were lucky he’d be able to catch the tour guide woman and find out exactly which tour she would be leading tomorrow. His brain was already plotting ways to get her and Liam together.

Alexia Adams is giving away 3 Kindle copies of Miss Guided! To enter to win all

you need to do is head over to her website and sign up for her newsletter!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

What would you do if you thought you only had a short time left to live?