Blind Obsession by Ella Frank Review and Spotlight

   

“Dark, erotic, heart-wrenching and unexpected.  BLIND OBSESSION took me on a ride of emotions, highs and lows, while telling a haunted tale.” ~Under the Covers

I was not sure what to expect when I started reading BLIND OBSESSION.  I had seen a lot of hype on the blog-world about it and I was quite intrigued.  Being my first book by Ella Frank, and having heard such great things about her, I obviously couldn’t wait to dive in.

I can’t say I was prepared for what this book had in store for me.  Dark, erotic, heart-wrenching and unexpected.  BLIND OBSESSION took me on a ride of emotions, highs and lows, while telling a haunted tale.  Because sometimes not all stories are roses and can end up miraculously fixed.  Some characters have been damaged beyond repair.  And for some people, true love is an addiction that can only have one fix.

This is the story of Phillipe Tibideau, a talented artist with a secret.  Or maybe not so much a secret but a cloud of suspicion around him.  Mysterious, temperamental and intense.  Like most artists he can be quite a bit to handle.

Gemma Harris is a journalist that has come to unveil his secrets.  The only one in a long line of people that wanted to get inside the walls of Chateau Tibideau to find out what really happened to Phillipe’s muse, Chantel Rosenberg.

Chantel, a blind musician who became the inspiration for a series of paintings by Phillipe, is a constant presence that still haunts him, and will soon entrance Gemma as well.  Their sort of love triangle (that wasn’t) was beautiful.  There was a thread of connection between the three but at the same time that it was sensual, it was also sad.

It would be doing you a disservice if I tell you how the story goes because part of the magic of this book is to find out what happens or happened as you read along.  I found it perfect that the author tells the present through Gemma’s eyes, but the past through Chantel’s.  I felt a connection to every character in this book, and of course by the end, I couldn’t help but be a mess of tears and sobs.

Another thing that I enjoyed immensely was being able to see the art and listen to the music as the author mentioned it in the book.  If you are able to, be sure to get this ebook in its interactive form and have access to the internet.  The music especially added a haunted level to the story, even more so than the written word.  I could listen to the particular song the author picked for a scene and “feel” what was described.

This is not a feel good book and quite frankly at the end I was left feeling a bit lost and sad.  After wanting to see people heal, you have to accept that sometimes some just can’t.  When love has been that intense and all-consuming it’s hard to come back from.

I am definitely anxious to read more by Ella Frank!

*Review copy provided by author

Did you like this review? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Hi Ella and welcome to Under the Covers.  I’m so glad I get to pick your brain a little bit after reading BLIND OBSESSION.  This was definitely not a conventional read on more than one way.

Thank you so much for having me, and yes I agree, Blind Obsession was definitely outside a few boxes for sure.

First, I’d love to get your insight on why you chose to make the book interactive, adding visual and audio extras to enhance the experience.

When I sat down and wrote Blind Obsession I spent hours listening to the violin pieces I was writing about and researching. I found out about their origins, what each piece meant and how they made people feel. Once I had all of that and incorporated it into the book I gave it to one of my critique partners and she was the one who said, ‘It would be amazing if people could hear these pieces as they read about them’ – and that was when the concept was born. We also then played with the idea, if you can hear the pieces, why not let the reader see the art. So the book turned into a book for the senses, which was perfect since Chantel was missing a crucial one.

BLIND OBSESSION is, for the most part, a sad book.  How hard was it to get in the right frame of mind to write it?

It was difficult but I listened to a lot of music that got me in the right headspace. It’s funny that when I was writing it, I wasn’t as sad or depressed as people would expect. It wasn’t until later when I read it that it really hit home for me. I guess when you are in it and writing and telling the story, it doesn’t hit as much as when you step back and immerse yourself as a reader.

If you had to describe Phillipe in 3 words, what would they be?

Brooding

Tormented

Consumed

What was your inspiration to write this story?

I have had a story like this in my head for years. I wrote a short story when I was sixteen about a blind girl and an artist in France and she was his muse. Of course, I was sixteen and it was a lovely romance. I got to thinking about it here as an adult and suddenly my brain took off and wouldn’t stop. I also saw myself watching it play out like a movie and that’s why I added Gemma in there. I wanted the reader to feel all of the emotions through Gemma’s POV, all of her frustrations, sadness, love, and loss.

What scene in the book is the most haunting for you?

I have two.

The moment down by the river with Chantel. Writing that scene was so heartbreaking and sad I ended up staring at my screen with down my face, utterly heartbroken.

The other moment is when Gemma opens her gift at the very end and finally sees the painting from Phillipe. When she recognizes who and all that it represents and that the reader then, usually for the first time, I also goes back and looks at the picture and says ‘oh my god’.

Phillipe is a pretty intense man to be around.  Do you think he’ll ever find healing?

I want to say yes, in a lot of time. But Phillipe lost his soul mate. To me he will never heal from that. He may move on and be able to live a happier life than he currently is, but honestly I never see him loving another the way he loved Chantel. It was a once in a lifetime love.

I’m always curious to know more about what my favorite authors are reading.  So what’s the last book you finished?

The Prince by Tiffany Riesz and it was AMAZING. This lady is a genius at what she does, an absolute genius. I bow down to her.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a spin-off from Edible and it will be a three part series focusing on one character and it is a new genre for me so I am having a great time writing it and loving every minute of it.

I am also going to be releasing a standalone dark, erotic romance Spring 2014.

 

Obsession, defined as the domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image or desire….

Chantel Rosenberg’s passion for music and life had never shone brighter than the time she spent in Bordeaux France.  It’s a time when feelings arose and desires ran deep, a time that fundamentally changed her life.

A man living in seclusion, Phillipe Tibideau is haunted and plagued by memories he cannot disregard. Choosing to live a quiet life in his Chateau surrounded by the vineyards of France, he’s left his passion for art behind.

However, the time has arrived to tell his side of a tale. A tale that has depicted him as a ‘beautiful monster’ and he’s finally allowing someone close.

Close enough to ask questions. Questions he’s not sure he wants to answer. Questions about her.

For up and coming journalist Gemma Harris, the pursuit of truth is what drives her and when a job of a lifetime presents itself there is nothing in the world that will stop her from taking it. Even if it does mean leaving her home for several months to stay at Chateau Tibideau, with him.

This is a story of what happens when three passionate lovers collide and the desire for truth, art and music merge.

Chateau Tibideau is a place full of unanswered questions, dark sinful desire and a beauty so hauntingly sad it will have you wondering how you will ever leave the same….

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About the Author

I am happily married and mother to a crazy cat

I am the author of the Exquisite Series, which includes Exquisite, Entice (due in Feb) and Edible (due in Summer 2013).

I am also set to release Blind Obsession in March/April 2013.

I love chatting so stop by here or my site and say hi!

Currently I reside in the Southern portion of the United States of America.

 

 

We have two ebook copies of BLIND OBSESSION up for grabs!
International.