Sabina's Adventures In Reading: Author Take Over: Elodie Parkes, author of The Black Lion & Love at First Sigh

Hi guys!!!

Welcome back to my blog, or if you're new: HI!! *waves*

Today it's Wednesday, which means it's Author Take Over, and this week I am happy to introduce Elodie Parkes to you all! I as so lucky to be able to catch her and ask her some questions, hope you enjoy!

Make sure to drop by her pages and give her some love!!

Sabina: Hi Elodie, and thank you for coming by to have a little chat with me!

First off, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

Elodie: I live in the south of England and work in an antiques emporium. I have two huge dogs that keep me company and are really gentle souls. I started writing when I was seventeen and had some work published in magazines then, but I stopped when I was in college

I’ve just finished reading The Black Lion, and loved the sweet combination of romance and spicy sex. What was your inspiration for this story?

The idea for the story came to me on one of my work trips when I passed a spooky old hotel place with a sign hanging outside like one of those old Highwayman type inns. The words, ‘The Black Lion’ were written on the sign, but there was no picture, and the place itself could have been anything. Paint peeled off the big door and there were no lights on inside, even though it was twilight and quite dark because of the rainy weather.

In the story, I describe the doors, but the peeling paint becomes old posters for bands that have played in my version of a club, ‘The Black Lion.’

The title is also a pun on the nature of one of the characters.

Can you tell us about your new book; Love at First Sigh?

The first thing people ask me concerning this release is about the title. They say ‘is that a typo, shouldn’t it be Love at First Sight?’ No, it’s not a typo (smiles). This book is a duo of red-hot contemporary romance stories, Pina Colada and Handy Hubby Hire. The stories feature a love at first sight thread, but initially it’s huge physical attraction to each other when the couples meet. They sigh with lust and then the romance develops.

Here’s the blurb for Handy Hubby Hire

Tired of the maintenance jobs mounting up in her house, Sara hires a handyman. She never dreams someone like Griffen Fox will show up to fix the faucets and back yard gate. Sparks fly, but will they lose their heart to each other?

And for Pina Colada

When Emma takes a long weekend vacation in a warm beach resort, she meets the very handsome Matt Tyler. They spend an idyllic few days together. Will this only be a holiday romance?

Here’s a snippet:

Her third floor room provided a balcony that overlooked the glittering pool below, and the warm, azure ocean beyond. Emma opened the sliding glass door, and walked onto the balcony. It contained a tiny white metal table, two folding chairs, placed close to the rail, and a lush, broad-leaved plant growing in a massive terracotta pot next to the door.

She hung over the rail and took in the scene below. Bronzed people lay stretched out on the gaudy loungers that the hotel arranged around the pool. A few striped sun umbrellas flapped in the soft breeze. Even from her vantage point on the third floor, the distinctive smell of coconut oil, and other exotic suntan lotions wafted by. The atmosphere was sun-drenched, exciting, and pungent with promise.

Emma turned to go back into her room and saw him. About a meter away on the balcony of the adjacent room, a man stood silently staring down at the pool. Emma took in his gorgeous profile, his dark hair falling attractively over his forehead, his perfect nose, and his jaw with just the right amount of stubble. She sighed over his muscular body shown off perfectly in his low riding shorts. A Celtic design tattoo snaked on the top of his arm. It looked incredibly sexy, a short sleeve of swirling ink on his muscle. She paused to stare at him.

What do you like in a book? What catches you?

I read loads of books and many genres. I think the blurb catches me and then the first chapters hook me. I vary about what I like in a book. I find it hard to read first person written books now, whereas I used to read them fine. Weird huh (smiles)

What are you working on right now? Can we get a small snippet from it?

I’m on a writing hiatus because of my work. It’s very tourist driven and so busy until the end of October, but before I stopped writing about a month ago I was working on three stories. One of which I submitted to Siren Publishing and that will be published either mid to late September or October. Edits are over and I’m awaiting the cover. It’s titled, Café in the Park.

Here’s the blurb,

When Emily joins a dating agency, she never expects to meet someone like Chris. Everything she ever hoped for in a man, he’s special in more ways than one. Their intense attraction to each other is fueled by their shared loneliness. Will Emily find out his shocking secret when someone from his past comes back to haunt him?

How can love blossom, when someone is trying to tear them apart?

Snippet that is very much a tease…(smiles)

The years went by until Chris was completely urbanized. He needed only a little of his food raw, but because he didn’t hunt, his beast would roar for freedom in a harsh summer sun, and so he chose to live in a country where the weather was often inclement. It soothed him. The only thing that chipped away at his composure was his need for love and sex. Chris hadn’t been with a woman for a very long time. His loneliness was crippling.

He talked with Art about his crushing need for love, for a woman in his life. Art joked about dating agencies. Chris took it seriously.

Here in the end, I would like to ask you a few quick questions, just answer with the first thing that pops into your head?

Favorite color? Blue

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? Tea

Your go to book or movie when you need a pick me up? I go to the country (smiles)

The ONE thing you have to have when writing? Water

Your biggest pet-peeve? Finding a car parking spot in town

Thank you Elodie for taking your time to answer some questions!!

Thank you so much for inviting me.

Elodie writes for, Hot Ink Press, Moon Rose Publishing, Eternal Press, Secret Cravings, Evernight, and Siren Publishing. She has also released titles as an individual indie author.