Nicole French Interview

Before I start the interview I have to thank Nicole SO much for answering my questions. When I read books like hers and get so wrapped up it's hard for me to believe that the author will be interested in talking to me. So when they not only agree but they are as nice as Nicole French is it really makes me love their books even more. Thank you again Nicole <3

Enjoy!!

1. Did you know from day one that this would be a trilogy?

I did. I love series, so when I set out to write this story, I knew it would be long. I like to live with characters for a long time, multiple books, so I wanted to deliver that to readers as well.

2. Which book was your favorite to write?

I really enjoyed writing the second book in the series, Legally Mine. It was my second novel, so the process was a little faster, and I just enjoyed taking them to France. That was fun. But I think the book that was the most enjoyable to write out of all my books was True North. That story came very quickly, and it was also very cathartic because of how close those characters were to me.

3. I'm overly attached to these characters - thank you for that. Which characters in this series are you the most attached to?

Thank you so much! Obviously, I love Skylar and Brandon because they are my first pair. But I also love Eric and Jane, who sort of popped out in the second and third books with their own story in the background. Their personalities and chemistry were so much stronger than your average secondary characters, so it was pretty much inevitable that they would get their own book.

4. Brandon has been through so much in his life, was it hard to write those scenes?

It was, and it wasn't. I really enjoy writing characters with rich interior lives, and that inevitably means some heartache. But that's what makes the good stuff feel good, you know? So, sure, I definitely cried while I wrote because you feel the pain right along with your characters. But there is catharsis in that too, and I think that's what good stories do anyway.

5. Skylar is strong willed, kind, beautiful and pretty badass. What traits would you say are the most like you?

Well, I don't look anything like Skylar, but we have a lot in common. I speak French like she does, I attended NYU (and nearly became a lawyer myself), and I am also a trained pianist. I also share her penchant for old jeans. I'm pretty stubborn too, but I've never slapped someone for giving me a present. I put a little of myself into all my characters, but she certainly takes more than her fair share.

6. Skylar and Brandon are both lawyers, if you were to go to law school what would you want to practice?

I actually did consider a career in law at multiple points of my life and seriously considered going into family law, specifically women's advocacy. So, similar to the work Skylar ends up doing at the Family Law Clinic, especially the cases where she helps victims of domestic violence. I'm pretty passionate about that issue.

7. The more I read the more I wanted to read, seriously I couldn't get enough! What was the last series you could NOT put down?

That's a great question! I really enjoyed L.M. Halloran's Art of Sin and Sin of Love duet. Her writing is sharp and addictive. This isn't a series, but I thought Ella James' last release, Covet, was also very beautifully written. Really lush. And this is an old one, but Giana Darling's Evolution of Sin was also lovely.

8. I'm in love with Brandon, there, I said it. He's wonderful. Definitely a new book boyfriend for sure. Who are your book boyfriends?

Hmm, that's a hard one. I'm a big fan of Miller Hart, from Jodi Ellen Malpas's One Night trilogy. I'll pretty much read anything she writes. It's a weird thing to say, but I also just like my own books. I write them and then find myself reading them a year later, often having forgotten those small details. It's fun to watch the characters fall in love again. So, Brandon, Nico from Bad Idea, Will from Discreet, and now Eric from The Hate Vow. All my forever boyfriends.

9. If someone wanted to start this series what would you say to them before they dig in?

I'd say, be prepared to get sucked in.

10. If the Spitfire series had a theme song, what would it be?

Well, it's got to be a Springsteen song, obviously. Probably Tougher than the Rest. After all. isn't that what the series is about? How they both have to gut it through a whole bunch of trials to last together? Eve the problems they bring to the table themselves?


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Legally Yours (Spitfire #1) by Nicole French

Skylar Crosby is kind of a bad ass.

She's graduating from Harvard Law, takes care of her family, has a neurotic absent mother, a smart mouth, gorgeous face, and now she has the attention from a seriously swoon worthy guy.

Brandon Sterling is kind of a bad ass.

He's an incredibly successful entrepreneur, has a massive house,  he's sexy, crazy smart, somehow found his way after a terrible childhood, and is now crazy about a certain redhead.


After a night at the bar with friends Skylar goes with one of her closest friends to a house she's never been so she can wait for a ride home. However when she gets there she realizes her man whore of a friend is there to meet a girl who works at the house - not a girl who owns the house. Leaving the servants quarters Skylar heads to the main room to call for a ride when Brandon Sterling walks in. The chemistry is instantaneous and ooh boy could you feel it. Due to weather and a turn of events she ends up staying the night at the house with Brandon - nothing happens ya dirty pervs. Flash forward and Brandon invites her to his office - oh wait did I forget to tell you that he's her BOSS at the place she's interning?!?! Once she arrives he pretty much lays it all out there for how much he wants her but she leaves.

The two end up finding their way to each other after some - well, many - miscommunications and it's so so freaking good.

I thought that Skylar was a really great character. I appreciated that even though she cares so much for Brandon she didn't want him to take care of her. She wanted to make her own way in the world without the help of a man and I think that's really admirable. A lot of times in books you see the hot alpha man taking care of the damsel in distress and even though there were times Brandon saved her she also saved him.

Brandon is a total book boyfriend character. There were times where I was like "what the f were you thinking dude?" But honestly, those moments kind of made me love him more. He is so in love with Skylar and such an amazing man that it's impossible not to fall for him.

Legally Yours was exciting and delicious and I seriously couldn't put it down. The second that I finished it I downloaded the next two and read until my eyes hurt. After I finished the series I was felt a loss without them. Yep, I really did.

I definitely recommend the Spitfire series!

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Twenty Questions Book Tag

1. How many books is too many books in a book series?
Hmm, that's tricky. Sometimes I wish that books had an infinite amount in a series because I love the characters so much. However, I hate watching the characters I love so much constantly get messed with. So I think 3 is a safe number. Any more than 5 can be a bit much. (Except for the Rosemary Beach series by Abbi Glines which has like 800 books and I love them all.)

2. How do you feel about cliffhangers?
I hate them.

3. Hardcopy or paperback?
I like big floppy paperbacks.

4. Favorite book?
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

5. Least favorite book?
I recently read Hold on To Me by Taylor Holloway and was not a big fan.

6. Love triangles, yes or no?
I am not the biggest fan honestly, but sometimes they can be done well.

7. The most recent book you just couldn't finish?
I can't remember the last book that I stopped reading.

8. A book you're currently reading?
I just finished Undertow by Elizabeth O'Roark and LOVED it.

9. Last book you recommended to someone?
Um, you guys should read Undertow by Elizabeth O'Roark. ;)

10. Oldest book you've read? (Publication date)
Gosh, um, I haven't really read a lot of "older" books completely. Did Are You There God, It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume or The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton come out first?

11. Newest book you've read? (Publication date)
I'm currently reading an ARC for Lisa Suzanne so that one.

12. Favorite author?
Colleen Hoover.

13. Buying books or borrowing books?
I really love to buy books but recently I've been insanely in love with Kindle Unlimited. I've been able to read so much this year and it's been a blast.

14. A book you dislike that everyone else seems to love?
I started to read A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and I couldn't get into it. Now that doesn't mean I don't like it, it just means I wasn't in the mood for it at the time.

15. Bookmarks or dog-ears?
Bookmarks. How dare you dog ear a book you absolute savage.

16. A book you can always reread?
The Fault in Our Stars, Beautiful Disaster, Rule....

17. Can you read while hearing music?
Yes I sure can, that's how this blog started. ;)

18. One POV or multiple POVs?
MULTIPLE!

19. Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?
It really depends. I have a 3 year old so I can't just sit there and read for hours. Sometimes after he goes to sleep I read...and stay up to finish.

20. Who do you tag?
Just Another Bookish Blog

Jaine Diamond Interview

On Tuesday I freaked and told you guys just how much I love the book Dirty Like Me. Well today I am so freaking thrilled to be interviewing the author, Jaine Diamond!!

I have to tell you that she is super nice which makes me love her books even more.

Thank you so much Jaine for taking time to answer all of my questions and for being so kind in the process.



1. What is the first thing you remember writing?
I was ten years old and my school teacher taught us about poetry and assigned everyone in class to write a poem. It was the first time the concept entered my mind that writing wasn't just something that magically existed in books; that it was something I could do. I wrote an overly idealistic poem about world peace, as only a ten year old can, and I was hooked. I was a writer from that day on.

2. What is the hardest part of being an author and what is the best?
I can only speak about being a self published author, as that is my experience, and I would say the hardest part is actually making a business out of being an author, in other words, making a living. I am incredibly fortunate that my partner in life is also my business partner, and he helps run the business end of things. He's brilliant at marketing the books - so readers find them. The best part is twofold: that I get to live my passion, which is writing books, and that I get to be in business with my man.

3. I've only read Dirty Like Me and Dirty Like Brody so far but I can't wait to read more about my new favorite boys! Who is your favorite male and female you've written in the series?
Thank you! So excited that they're your new faves. Seriously, every one of them is my new favorite while I'm writing them. They're all so different, and they're so real to me when I'm writing their story. All I can say is that Jude has always had a special place in my heart, for some reason I can't quite explain. I probably admire Katie the most, and not just because she has Jesse; because of who she is. But I truly adore every one of them, flaws and all. If I didn't, I couldn't write their story.

4. How did you come up with the concept for the series?
It began with Jessa and Brody, who are featured in the second book. I knew nothing about the rock star romance genre. I just wanted to write a love story and I had the kernel of an idea to write this book about a girl whose older brother was a guitarist in a band, and his close friend was the band manager, and she had a complicated history with him and a dark secret that was keeping her from being with him. But as I played around with the idea, her brother just kept getting louder and sexier ;) and insisted on his own story being told first, so he got the first book. As I wrote Jesse and Katie's book, the series really started to take shape in my head.

5. The band is familiar with fan girls and boys, what band do you fan girl over?
Well that's an interesting question. My first thought was, "My fangirling days are way behind me," lol. However. I'm pretty sure if Johnny Stevens or Alex Turner passed me on the street and asked to borrow my pen or something, I'd probably do something super smooth like walk into a pole.

6. There isn't a short of steamy moments in this series - is it hard to write these scenes?

No, actually! It's fun, but I'd say the biggest challenge is keeping those scenes fresh, interesting, and engaging. I can't just write sex over and again the same way, for the sake of throwing in a sex scene. It's like any given scene in a book: it has to keep moving the story forward or reveal something new.

7. Dirty is headlining a major world tour, which two bands are opening?

I"m assuming you mean if Dirty was in the real world? In that case, the lineup would be: Highly Suspect, Arctic Monkeys, Dirty. Dream concert!

8. I can't tell you how many times I smiled, laughed, got upset, or felt all warm and tingly while reading these books! Have you ever cried, gotten angry or laughed while writing this series?
That's so wonderful to hear and the highest compliment to me --when readers FEEL while reading what I've written. I don't think I've gotten angry. I've definitely cried and laughed out loud -- every book. I have this standard: I always say if I cry, laugh and get horny while writing the book, I'm doing it right.

9. Out of the entire series, which book was the most difficult to write and which one was the easiest?
Honestly, they were all difficult for different reasons. I definitely don't make things easy on myself and simply write "boy meets girl and sexy things happen...HEA". I would get bored so fast. But I have definitely cursed aloud at myself at the beginning of many of these books, like "what have I done to myself?" because I've set up really complex, difficult situations and then had to figure out how the hell to write them. Overall, though, Dirty Like Jude was probably the most difficult for me. For one thing, I wrote it under a too compressed timeline, and wrote around the clock, days, evenings, weekends, which was hard on me and my family, and not something I want to do again. Besides that, the story had challenges; I was daunted by weaving Jude's motorcycle club life into the book in a way that worked (but didn't take over) and did justice to it; that was extremely important to me as a fan of both Jude and MC romance as a genre. Plus, the timelines in that book (and all the past/present scenes) had to be diligently tracked and worked out so that everything lined up right. As for the easiest book, I'd have to say A Dirty Wedding Night was the least difficult to write. It was so much fun writing that collection of four stories of behind the scenes hookups on Jesse and Katie's wedding night, and the stories flowed really fast. I'm really thrilled with how that book adds so much to the series and sets things up for later books.

10 If Dirty Like Me had a theme song, what would it be?
R U Mine? by Arctic Monkeys, and for the HEA specifically, Adventure of a Lifetime by Coldplay. (Each of the books has a full playlist on Spotify to go with it! You can find them in the back of each book or on my website - linked below - just click on whichever book you want, and you'll find the playlist widget on the book page, where you can sample songs or click through to Spotify where you can hear the entire playlist.)

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Dirty Like Me by Jaine Diamond

The other day I was looking at the books I've read over on Goodreads and I realized I've had a pretty great reading year and it's only March!

Now I'll be honest, there have been a couple of books that I've been like wtf was that - one that I can think of clearly. But overall I've been pretty lucky.

Some of these books have stuck with me and I was sad to see them end but guys this book? This book!

Dirty Like Me is the first in a series by Jaine Diamond and I literally do not have the words to express how much I f'ing loved it!

So far I've read the first two in the series and I can tell you that - scouts honor - they are pure gold.

Dirty Like Me is about Katie who goes to visit her talent agent friend one day and runs into the hottest man she's ever seen. Turns out this gorgeous piece of man meat is also the lead guitarist for the popular band Dirty and is now doing a solo album. He's getting ready to shoot his first music video and guess what? They cast Katie to play his girlfriend. Even though the two are acting for the video the chemistry is insane and the video skyrockets and blows up the charts. Because of the crazy good reaction Jesse makes Katie an offer.

To be his girlfriend for 6 weeks on tour.

To promote his album.

The plan is to make out and pretend to be in love for the cameras and just be friends when they're alone. But let's be honest, that's not happening.

This book was hot. Like real hot. Jesse is the quintessential rock star and boy oh boy was I swooning. I've read a lot of books where I loved the male but the female drove me nuts sometimes - in fact that's happened a few times this year - but I LOVED Katie. She was so cool with her skateboard and funny with her Bohemian Rhapsody covers. She is the perfect girl because she's true to herself. Together these two were epic romance worthy and I could not love them more than I do.

You know those books you read that once you finish it actually makes you feel a little empty? But it's also an amazing feelings because you feel that way because you loved it that much.

I felt empty and whole after this. That's a conundrum.

I felt empty because it was over. I would miss them. But I felt whole for the same exact reason. I would miss them. They made me so happy to read and I'm thrilled that Jaine wrote a series about the other band members and people associated with the band because now I get to not only learn more but I also get more time with Jesse and Katie.

Obviously I definitely recommend this book!!

Buy Dirty Like Me on Amazon by clicking HERE

Lisa Suzanne Interview

I reviewed A Little Like Destiny on Tuesday so you all know how I felt about it.

Literally minutes after I finished the 3rd book I wrote Lisa Suzanne and asked her if she would be interested in doing an interview with me.

Guys, she was awesome!! She wrote me back instantly and she was so stinkin' nice. She let me fan girl forever and I have to tell you, it meant the world.

So thank you Lisa for not only taking the time to answer my questions but for also being such an awesome human.




1. How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an author?

I always loved to write, but I never wanted to share my writing with anyone. It wasn't until I had my husband read something I wrote back in 2012 that he encouraged me to look into publishing. I finally got up the courage, and now I've published 21 books in under six years!

2. You've said you created these characters over 20 years ago, what made you decide to release them to the world?

I started writing what eventually became A Little Like Destiny when I was back in college. I actually just found a notebook the other day with some of the original story in it! At some point I typed up what I had started on yellow legal pads and in notebooks, and I kept adding to it and adding to it. Every time I finished writing a different project, I'd open the file and read through the story, but it got to the point where it was so long, it was overwhelming to even think about editing it. So in 2017, I decided to start over from scratch, use the characters I knew (and loved) so well, and drop them into a different time and setting, I couldn't stop and was beyond happy with the finished product.

3. Is there any advice you have for aspiring writers?

If you love to write, make time to do it every day. When I tell people I'm an author, the first response is almost always, "Oh, I've always wanted to write a book!" If you want to write it, make the time to write it! For any writers aspiring to become full-time authors, my advice would be to understand that there's so much more that goes into this career than just having fun writing a book. I've learned so much in the past six years, but maybe one of the most important lessons is that being an author means running your own business. Only about 25% of this career is actually writing the book.

4. Vail is Reese's favorite band EVER, who is your favorite band?

Matchbox Twenty, with Maroon 5 as a close second!

5. I am not the biggest fan of love triangles and I'm usually set in my ways. I don't think I've ever swayed once my mind is made up. However you stumped me with this book, lol! Did you know all along who you wanted Reese to end up with?

Yes! This was always meant to be Reese's story with the man she ended up with (I'm trying to avoid spoilers, haha!). I always knew it would be him and it was always his story.

6. If you could put on a festival with Vail as the headliner, who else would you have play?

Matchbox Twenty, Maroon 5, Imagine Dragons. OMG, that would be an awesome show!

7. Why did you decide to write 3 books instead of one?

The story was too long to fit into one book. Somehow I always knew it was going to be a trilogy. To me it always had three distinct parts: Reese falls in love, fights her feelings for both men, and then the conclusion. But the original story took place over a summer, and the books were divided into June, July, and August.

8. I have to ask it, which celebrities do you think could portray your characters in a film?

Oooh that's hard! Obviously some really hot men for Mark and Brian! I feel like the models I chose for my covers really represent exactly how I picture the characters, so Mike Chabot for Mark and Forest Harrison for Brian.If we're talking Hollywood, that's super hard for the men. no one has the exact right look, but someone like Adam Levine comes to mind. For Brian, maybe Zac Efron. For Reese, someone like Evangeline Lilly or Victoria Justice would work.

9. How did you feel when you finished the trilogy?

Part of me felt a little sad because I knew I was finally letting these characters I'd known for so long out into the world. It's scary to let them go for them to be judged when I've held them so close to my heart for so long. But the other part of me was really excited. I could feel it in my bones that this series was different, that this one was going to be important and special for my career.

10. If A Little Like Destiny had a theme song what would it be?

It's funny because nearly every book I write, I have one song I listen to on repeat as I go. For this book (and series), though, I don't have just one. I think because it came from such a huge span of time, it's hard to pinpoint one song. As I rewrote the version I ended up publishing, two songs that I played over and over are "Heavy" by Linkin Park a lot as well as "Sound of Silence" by Disturbed. I don't think either of those necessarily represent the story all that well, but both have pieces in them that remind me of parts of the characters.


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A Little Like Destiny by Lisa Suzanne

Last month I downloaded this book with Kindle Unlimited. (I'll save you the speech on it because I already told you how wonderful KU is in my previous reviews) I picked it up a couple weeks ago and read all 3 books.

Like within a couple days.

I could NOT put them down.

Teacher Reese Brady goes with her best friend to see her absolute favorite band.

And then goes home with the lead singer. The literal man of her dreams. Mark Ashton.

The next morning she sneaks out of his penthouse, refusing to be "one of the many" who lingers in hopes he wants more than one night with them. Naturally once she reaches the lobby she drops her bag, spilling out its entire contents. While putting everything back in her bag an unbelievably attractive man starts to help her. He asks her for coffee but she passes.

Flash forward and she's now in an office building ready to meet someone who she's hopeful will donate money to her school. Turns out its the hot dude from the hotel who was helping her with her bag. Conversation happens and Reese finds herself attracted to the young businessman named Brian Fox. So she agrees to go out with him.

The two of them spend more and more time together and she begins to fall for him - however the entire time she's been with him she's not stopped thinking about her one night with Mark. Things begin getting more and more serious between the two and one night Brian takes her with him to a party at his brothers house to meet him and their sister. However when they get to the house it's a little familiar. Scratch that. A whole helluva lot familiar.

It's Mark's door.

Her boyfriend is the brother of her favorite rock star.

Oy.

I'm going to start with my negative comment just to get that pesky little bugger outta the way. Sometimes Reese made me a little loony. She went so back and forth on things sometimes that I actually wanted to slap her to get her to focus. I'm not sure I've ever loved a character more that also drove me so crazy.

Okay now that that's over let me tell you more.

I am not the biggest fan of love triangles - they can drive me a bit wild sometimes - however I will say that never have I ever swayed once I pick a team. I love Jacob but girl, I'm team Edward. I love Peeta but no I'm team Gale. Whether the character ends up with the person I like most or not I still do not sway.

Until now.

I was totally team Brian. Nothing was going to change my mind and I mean nothing. When Mark was reintroduced and we go to learn more about that night and more about him I told myself, "Self, you will not change your opinion. You love Brian. You choose Brian." Then before I realized it I told myself, "Self, you have changed your opinion. You love Mark. You choose Mark."

The moment that I finished this book I began book 2 (which I finished in a day and a half or so) and then picked up the third. I couldn't stop reading. I needed to know what was going to happen. I had to know who she'd pick and how they would react.

I loved these books so much that now that I've finished I actually feel like a piece of me is missing. Yeah, it's that good.

So in case you can't tell I DEFINITELY recommend this book - and this series.

Buy A Little Like Destiny by clicking HERE