HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

Hi Shayla, it’s always a pleasure to have you here at Under the Covers and congratulations on the release of OURS TO LOVE!

Thanks for having me here. I’m really excited about getting a chance to both talk to your readers and discuss the book.

OURS TO LOVE is the highly anticipated story of Xander and his brother Javier.  Why did you decide to have the brothers end up falling for the same woman instead of giving them separate HEAs?

My process might seem a bit odd to some. The characters in my head sometimes just start telling me a story. Yes, I know how odd that sounds. Xander had been somewhat quiet since I introduced him back in Belong To Me. I knew he had a story to tell, but he stayed very quiet about it all. Finally, he started talking and told me a story. Then Javier walked into my head and started telling me the same story from his point of view—and Ours To Love just flowed out from there.

Xander and Javier couldn’t be more different.  One the serious and responsible brother, and the other the playboy without a care in the world.  Their brotherly love and connection was a bit strained and you had to rebuild their bond.  What was the most difficult part about this for you?

This book took me a few months to construct. Characters tell me a story, but sometimes I have to figure out the motivations and details. Their relationship may be a surprise to some, but I knew going in that older doesn’t always mean wiser, and for Javier, that was tough to accept. He had a set belief about who Xander was. Truly seeing his brother’s character and the reasons for his behavior was probably one of the most difficult but necessary elements of the book.

It seems every character in the book has their own tortured past, including the heroine London.  How would you say she fits in with the dynamics between the brothers?

I knew the theme integral to the story was healing, as each had a fair amount to do. And  London was absolutely the bridge between Xander and Javier to mend themselves and their broken brotherhood. She needed support and love, each in their own way, that they could give her.

Do you have a favorite quote from the book?

I love a lot of moments in the book, but one of my favorite one-liners is from Xander, talking about London: “You make my kinky heart go pitter-patter.”

Describe each of the Wicked Lovers heroes with one word.

Wow, that’s really challenging. That’s like summing up some of my best friends and family into a syllable or two. Let me see… I might need two words in some cases. I can’t help myself!

Wicked Ties

Jack – Dominant

Decadent

Deke – Thoroughly male

Delicious

Luc – Passionate

Surrender To Me

Hunter – Tactical

Belong To Me

Logan – Resolved

Wicked To Love

Brandon – Adorably clueless

Mine To Hold

Tyler – Reformed

Wicked All The Way

Caleb – Patient

Ours To Love

Xander – Playful

Javier – Conflicted

Wicked All Night (Wicked and Dangerous anthology, coming October 1)

Decker (Wicked All Night, coming October 1) – Crafty

Theirs To Cherish, coming March 2014

Thorpe – Alpha Dom

Sean – Tender
Music is an important part of your writing, do you have a playlist that helped inspire OURS TO LOVE, or maybe a particular song for a scene or character that stands out in your mind?

Three songs stand out for me about this book. Stolen by Dashboard Confessional, Broken Bones by Rev Theory, and Make This Go On Forever by Snow Patrol, the last mostly for its heartfelt and epic nature. One of my biggest revelations about the book, however, came while at a party at a conference last summer as Katy Perry’s E.T. played in the background, so I’ll forever associate the book with that song, too.
In your newsletters, you always leave a note telling readers what you’re currently listening to.  What’s one song would you say best describes your books or your personality?

I have thousands of songs in my library precisely because I have so many musical likes and moods. Every song means something different or hits me in some way that another might not. There’s no way I could pin myself down to just one. I can say that some favorite bands are Daughtry, the Fray, Maroon 5, Nickleback, Goo Goo Dolls, Katy Perry, Lifehouse, Switchfoot… I really could go on.

We are always looking ahead!  We know you are working on THEIRS TO CHERISH, the 8th book in the series.  What can you tell us about it?

I’m super excited about this book! I knew when I introduced Thorpe and Callie in Belong To Me that they would become major characters at some point. What I didn’t see coming were the curveballs they threw me, including a mysterious man named Sean. I’m a bit over half finished writing this book, but these characters are so incredibly near and dear to my heart. Here’s the official blurb:

The perfect place for a woman on the run to disappear…

Accused of a horrific murder she didn’t commit, former heiress Callie Ward has been a fugitive since she was sixteen—until she found the perfect hideout, Club Dominion. The only problem is she’s fallen for the club’s Master, Mitchell Thorpe, who keeps her at arm’s length. Little does she know that his reasons for not getting involved have everything to do with his wounded heart…and his consuming desire for her.

To live out her wildest fantasies…

Enter Sean Kirkpatrick, a Dom who’s recently come to Dominion and taken a pointed interest in Callie. Hoping to make Thorpe jealous, she submits to Sean one shuddering sigh at a time. It isn’t long before she realizes she’s falling for him too. But the tender lover who’s slowly seducing her body and earning her trust isn’t who he claims…

And to fall in love.

When emotions collide and truths are exposed, Sean is willing to risk all to keep Callie from slipping through his fingers. But he’s not the only man looking to stake a claim. Now Callie is torn between Sean and Thorpe, and though she’s unsure whom she can trust, she’ll have to surrender her body and soul to both—if she wants to elude a killer…

You have another two books coming out soon.  One is coming out this month, THE YOUNG AND THE SUBMISSIVE, which is the second book in the Doms of Her Life series and comes out May 21, and WICKED ALL NIGHT is coming out in the WICKED AND DANGEROUS anthology October 1, 2013.  Anything you can share with us about them?

Actually, I have 3 books coming out soon, so there’s been a bit of a schedule change so I can juggle everything. Their Virgin Hostage, the fifth book in the Masters of Ménage series, will release on June 25. The Young and The Submissive, the second in the Doms of Her Life series, will now be out July 23. And Wicked All Night (Wicked and Dangerous anthology) still releases October 1.

Come Join the Discussion

Bio:

Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 30 sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances for multiple print, electronic, and audio publishers. She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

Shayla’s work has been translated in about a dozen languages. She has also received or been nominated for The Passionate Plume, The Holt Medallion, Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and the National Reader’s Choice Awards. RT Bookclub has twice nominated her for Best Erotic Romance of the year, as well as awarded her several Top Picks, and a KISS Hero Award.

A writing risk-taker, Shayla enjoys tackling writing challenges with every book.

Purchase Links: Amazon

 

Penguin is offering a copy of OURS TO LOVE to one lucky US commenter!