Author Interview:
Cecilia London
· What
is the title of your book?
I have two books out now: Dissident and Conscience. They are the first two releases in a planned six part series,
the Bellator Saga.
Please
tell us a little bit about your book.
They’re romance novels, but they’re not.
It’s complicated, LOL. They’ve been described as political dystopian
intellectual smut, but they’re maybe a little bit more than that.
If
you like Scandal or House of Cards, if you still miss
President Bartlet and yearn for The West
Wing, or if you like speculative fiction and epic romance, you’ll love this
story. You might even enjoy it if you like historical romance or crossovers
like Outlander. It has well-developed
side characters, witty banter and fresh dialogue, and a realistic, relatable
hero and heroine. And if you also want a ton of hot sex in your books,
then…we’re all set. You need to pick this series up now.
Our
hero, Jack, is a millionaire. And a playboy. And a politician. And a silver
fox. But he’s more than just a trope, too. He’s an incredibly sexy, sensitive,
and devotedly alpha male.
When
we first meet our heroine, Caroline, she is a Democratic member of Congress who
has to apologize to Jack after saying some none too charitable things about him
during the past campaign. A friendship and more is born…and the reader gets a
glimpse into the beginning of her relationship with Jack in the first two
books. Caroline ends up having to demonstrate tremendous strength and resolve
as the books progress. She is definitely the heart of the series.
How
did you come up with your book idea?
I’ve had the main players in my head for
years, but it wasn’t until a bout of mild food poisoning and a hazy dream that
I came up with the idea for the book series. So, thank you, tainted BBQ?
Is there a
message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
That’s hard to
say. Obviously there are some deeper themes in the series. About power and
privilege and what we do with those advantages, about love and forgiveness, and
about spending more time holding our government accountable for its behavior.
So while those issues are there and probably need to be addressed/reflected
upon, there’s also an incredible love story and really hot sex scenes to go
with them. ;)
If your book
became a movie, what would your ideal cast be?
I have such a
hard time with this one. I don’t really picture my characters as real people,
though many readers have taken it upon themselves to draw up their vision of
Jack or Caroline. My ideal Jack is a model named Laurence Nicotra (go
ahead…Google him…I’ll wait.), but I can’t really put faces to any of the other
characters.
What
are your publishing credits?
Dissident and Conscience are my first two published
works to date. There are four more books in the series: Sojourn, Phoenix, Rhapsody, and Triumph.
What
are your plans for the future?
I would love to be able to write
full-time, as I have many ideas for standalone novels inside my head. But my
focus is on finishing up this series, for now.
What
is your day job?
I am not currently practicing, but I am
a licensed attorney. I’m sure I’ll go back to that eventually.
What
is your preferred genre to write?
I adore writing romance and erotica. The
flirty banter, the verbal foreplay, the creative ways that characters can find
to demonstrate their affection for one another. But I also enjoy the
speculative fiction/thriller aspects of the series I’m writing. I think I’d
have a hard time writing straight genre fiction. There would have to be a love
story in order for me to enjoy what I was doing.
How
did you become a writer?
I started writing when I was a kid. True
story: when I was little I dreamed of being a lawyer…and I also dreamed of
being a writer. I feel so fortunate to have lived both my dreams.
Are
you a planner, complete with detailed outlines, or do you fly by the seat of
your pants when writing?
I write completely out of order, though
the entire storyline is usually in my head or written down somewhere. I have
been writing all the books simultaneously, which makes it easier to go back and
fill in the blanks to make sure that all of the story arcs connect and flow
properly. I have absolutely no method to my madness, which is perhaps a method
in itself. Not everyone can write that way, but it works for me.
What is the best writing advice that
you have ever been given?
Just do it. That’s all. Oh, and several
authors who are now friends have encouraged me not to be shy, to feel confident
in my abilities and comfortable asking for help. This isn’t a huge industry,
and it’s important to have different support people from every aspect of the
process (beta readers, fellow authors, bloggers, etc.).
What advice would you give a new
writer?
Don’t give up. I have my bad days. We
all do. But remember that you have a voice and you have a product and someone
out there wants to read it!
What
other projects do you have in the works at the moment?
I’ve got ideas for a few contemporary
romances as well as a couple of dystopian reads. We’ll see how they pan out. I
have to finish the Bellator Saga before I get cracking on them.
What
surprises can we expect from you in the future?
If I told you, they wouldn’t be a
surprise. ;)
If
you could journey into any of your books, interacting with the characters,
which would it be and why?
I don’t care if it sounds tasteless. I
would love to sleep with Jack. What a sexy man.
What are you reading?
Right now I’m reading First Time by Abigail Barnette/Jenny Trout. I’ve been slacking off
on reading lately with editing and writing, but I need to make more time to
just relax with my Kindle. It helps me refocus.
What’s the most amusing thing that’s happened to you while you were
writing this story?
My fictional
characters have hidden chocolate bars from me. I’m not kidding. I bought a
Ghirardelli bar in honor of my heroine’s best friend (Christine, who is my
favorite person in the saga) and it just disappeared from the pantry.
Apparently she wanted it more than I did.
What
public appearances do you have planned in the future?
I haven’t booked any yet, but I’m
thinking about RT in Vegas. Maybe some local stuff. We’ll see.
Chocolate
or vanilla?
Chocolate. Always chocolate.
What
is your favorite drink?
Moscato. Did you mean booze? Either way,
Moscato.
Who
is your dream man and why?
Obligatory “my husband and my son are
the cutest men ever” canned answer. Does that work? ;)
See also: Laurence
Nicotra.
Is
there anything else you’d like to share with your fans?
Thank you so much for reading! Or if
you’re new to my work, Dissident is
free right now. If you think you might enjoy some political dystopian
intellectual smut, pick up a copy. Or follow me on Twitter, friend me on
Facebook, whatever. Let’s chat.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cecilia London is my pen name. I am a native Midwesterner who
never thought I'd end up in Texas and yet here I am, determined to help Keep
San Antonio Lame. I have been known to dabble in the practice of law. I can
apply Simpsons quotes to everyday life, and I live for baseball season.
I've been writing off and on since I was a kid, but never really thought I’d
have any idea that could turn into a single novel, let alone a series. There
aren't many books about how dystopias/totalitarian political regimes come into
existence, and I wanted to touch upon that topic while still maintaining a
primary focus on the epic romance. Dissident and the Bellator
Saga are my first foray into self-publishing.
TO PURCHASE CECILIA LONDON'S BOOKS:
Amazon author page:
Published works:
Dissident (March 17, 2015)
Conscience (August 17, 2015)
Free links for Dissident:
FOLLOW CECILIA LONDON ON THE FOLLOWING VENUES:
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