Cherie is giving away an ebook of UNCONDITIONAL
Unconditional is classified as a New Adult, but honestly don’t get caught up in that label. This book has something that the others don’t. Honestly I don’t read new adult, because I’m not a fan of angst and drama. This book doesn’t have that. While it isn’t a happy go lucky story, it has heart, heat, and fun. ~ KcLu, Guilty Pleasures
Slick’s Interview with Cherie M. Hudson (aka Lexxie Couper)
So, anyone who reads erotic romance knows Lexxie Couper but have you met Lexxie’s New Adult alter ego Cherie M. Hudson? I’m sitting down to ask her some questions today, so join us and let the games begin.
Slick: You’ve given us 100’s of books in the erotic romance genre, so tell us what prompted you to jump on the New Adult bandwagon?
Cherie: I am always led by the stories in my head. Sometimes they are vague and foggy. Sometimes they are really really clear. This story, Unconditional, hit me hard and fast and I knew my heroine was only young (twenty-two). When I thought about her age, I realized it wasn’t just a story about love, but about coming to terms with herself and being an adult. At that point, I realized it was a New Adult I was writing. It went from there.
Slick: In Unconditional, your heroine Maci has early onset Parkinson’s disease what made you decide to write a character with this infliction?
Cherie: My uncle passed away from complications due to Parkinson’s Disease ten years ago. My dad has advanced Parkinson’s Disease. My brother was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease five years ago. I’ve watched so many people I love come to terms with this horrible disease, I needed to address it. I also wanted to help people understand what life is like with Parkinson’s Disease and at the same time show the courage of someone with it. So yeah, it’s a very personal story.
Slick: Was it hard to write a character knowing there is no cure for her disease?
Cherie: Oh yeah. I knew going into this story that, even though there IS a happy-ever-after (no cliff-hanger in this book), the ultimate ending of Maci’s story isn’t wonderful. But I wanted readers to learn—along with Maci—that a life with a debilitating disease doesn’t mean that life is not worth living. I’ve watched my parents’ love-story grow even stronger, despite Dad’s PD and the emotional anguish it has brought into our family. That is both a profound and harrowing thing to witness. I hope I’ve conveyed that in Unconditional.
Slick: Did you find it hard not to slip into the erotic mode while writing this book?
Cherie: Hmm, sometimes yes, sometimes no. When I got to the sex scenes in the story (there are a few) I initially wanted to “close the door” and often felt wrong describing what they were doing. On the other hand, for one whole day of writing I was tempted to turn the possible love-triangle in the book into an actually ménage. It is a constant battle inside my brain. Seriously.
Slick: Maci’s love interest, Raph, is somewhat of a celebrity in this book. Did you enjoy writing all the craziness that ensues when he’s around?
Cherie: I seem to have a thing for showing just how insane the life of a celebrity is (see Lexxie Couper’s Heart of Fame series as an example). I’m sure I must have been either a paparazzo in a former life or someone stupidly famous because I get a real buzz writing about both. I’m fascinated by how horrible paparazzi are and intrigued by how indulgent the life of a celebrity can be.
Slick: I have to ask is the character Brendon modeled after your personal trainer and did you tell him you were putting him in a book?
Cherie: Hell yeah. And hell yeah. Why else do you think he sends me piccies like this (insert picture of Brendon here)? It’s to inspire me more about his character. He is actually responsible for Brendon Osmond existing. I was in the middle of a torturous set of burpees one session and he casually says “hey, your current heroine should meet a nice guy who works out and gets confused by him”. I drove straight home after the session, opened my laptop and wrote. And wrote. And wrote. And from that point, Brendon Osmond, Raphael’s rival for Maci’s affection, was born.
Slick: Do you have plans to write additional New Adult books? If yes, what’s up next?
Cherie: Absolutely. Next is Brendon Osmond’s book, Unforgettable. And after that is the third Always book, Irresistible. I have to say, I love writing in this genre. Love it.
Slick: Thanks so much for being here with us today. Being one of the lucky few that got to read an advance copy of Unconditional I can honestly say that it’s fantastic!
Cherie: Oh man, thank you. Thank you thank you thank you 🙂
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Description:
She has a future she can’t escape. He refuses to let her face it alone.
Twenty-one. The age when adult life begins. In my case, it’s the age I learned my future sucked, big time, and there was nothing I could do about it. Every minute of every day I face the fact my life is only going to get worse. Why? Because I have early-onset Parkinson’s Disease. I’m not going to let it get me down, but I also can’t let anyone close. That’s not fair to them, or to me. Trust me. So that means my heart and my soul, is off-limits.
But then I traveled to Australia on a college scholarship program and life royally screwed me over. Again.
Raphael Jones is an arrogant Australian celebrity, the hottest guy on campus and a pain in my ass. Worst of all, he makes me ache for a life I’ll never be able to have. Especially when he takes me in his arms and does wicked things to my body.
How do I have a hope of surviving ten weeks in Australia when it’s not just the paparazzi who have me in their sights, but Raph as well? Because Raphael Jones is a man who always gets what he wants. And no matter what I say or do, he refuses to accept what I so painfully know: a life and future with me is no life at all.
Review copy provided for an honest review
Unconditional is classified as a New Adult, but honestly don’t get caught up in that label. This book has something that the others don’t. Honestly I don’t read new adult, because I’m not a fan of angst and drama. This book doesn’t have that. While it isn’t a happy go lucky story, it has heart, heat, and fun.
Maci has come to Australia to study at a university in Sydney for the next 10 weeks. She gets to Australia and nothing goes as too good. She loses her passport, goes in the wrong bathroom, is kissed by a sexy as hell supposedly famous stranger and doesn’t get his name, and to top it all off her luggage is lost. As a 21 year old with early on-set Parkinson’s, life is already a struggle, but she isn’t going to let that stop her from having the best time while in Australia. From the moment she gets to the dorm where she is going to live, she meets some great peeps including her across the hall neighbor who turns out to be none other than the sexy bathroom stranger, but LAWD can he be an ass at times. Why does he have to be the one that her body wants??
I know you are wondering why I’m not breaking down more of the story for you in this review, but honestly I wouldn’t want to read a review with those story points in it. It would truly spoil this great book for you. There is sooo much to love about this book. Yes I was even in tears for a small bit, but it wasn’t one of those books that had your emotions going through one extreme to the next. This is a wonderful story of two people that you really want to see get their HEA. Cherie M Hudson has given us everything we have come to expect from her other person (Lexxie Couper), and I can’t wait to see what else she brings us!!
4.5 Stars
Great post.