Newly Released: Kissing
#Kissing by author Ellie Brixton
Publication date: June 14th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
I was always the good girl.
Then when the pressure became too much, I took off and found me a bad boy.
Niko. The hot, British rock star and frontman of the Halos.
He took my angel wings and gave me a lot of things, well, everything but the Big O.
And fidelity.
So with my #fail in hand, I did the worst thing imaginable.
I went home. The insta-nagging, criticism, and impossible expectations reminded me why my life #sucked—the reason I left in the first place.
Well, everything was the same except for JQ, my high school crush. With a snug T-shirt and jeans that fit in all of the right places, it looks like he became man and maybe it was time for me to become a woman.
#Kissing is a sexy, rock star romance for new adult, college, and contemporary romance readers who enjoy love stories with an HEA.
Author’s note: #KISSING is a full-length, standalone novel. Due to strong language and content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
EXCERPT:
I used to be a good girl. I used to be many things. Now I just make it up as I go along. Most of the time I don’t even know what I’m doing. Only that right now, I like the way this feels.My moan disappears into the grinding of a guitar as I squeeze my eyes shut. I make my own stars as phosphenes flicker and dance behind my shuttered lids, winding through my vision in silver and yellow. I’m close, but not close enough for my mind not to wander.
JQ and I found a field as far from town as we could, dimming the city light. His fingers rested just inches from mine. We were young and nervous enough to make an excuse: a science project for Mr. Wilkins. We watched a celestial show in the sky that night, drifting to sleep under a summer blanket of stars. When dawn kissed our cold cheeks awake, we clasped hands. Then he kissed me, and I ran away.
Our lives went in parallax and here I am, my back arching as I call out with pleasure while my boyfriend has his head between my legs. I shouldn’t be thinking about someone else. But he accidentally called me Heather once—whoever that is. These days the line between right and wrong is a blur. But pleasure is pleasure. And I can’t deny Niko makes me feel good. I’ll settle for good.
Author Bio:
Ellie Brixton is a unicorn by day and an author by night. She's a firm believer in eating dessert first and fancies herself a cookie connoisseur. Although she runs every day, she wishes for a 1959 Cadillac convertible, in pink of course. This is her first novel.
BONUS EXCERPTS:
The particular frenzy of backstage morphs from
last minute monitor repairs—and choking back the remnants of stage fright—to
the synchronous heart-pumping anticipation of those opening chords as the music
stretches from here to infinity. Instruments and amps and hundreds of voices transform
what might be understood as merely sound and instead whisper their truths to
our souls.
Since I can't have the dream house and dream
life, I'll take this. The moment promising the transcendence of music.
Niko told me he used to puke before going on
stage and then said it stopped when I came along. The blowjobs and sex help,
I'm sure of it, because he's one-hundred percent swagger as the lights follow
him across the stage.
Mitty appears, his bass strung low, but not for
style points, rather, his long arms. Jill ghosts into position, but then the
light catches her hardcore expression and if nothing else, she's a rock
goddess. There's no disputing it even if there's not much else to like about
her.
Kenji's last, having changed into a purple robe
with a white fur collar and a gold crown studded with jewels. He throws off the
robe and pounds his chest, his nightly ritual before going bananas on the
drums.
My body hums as I elbow my way to the front.
Hundreds of fans keep the autumn chill out of the venue. The lights dim before
flaring back on.
My shoulders relax. My mind goes quiet. People all
around me cheer, calling out to the band, hands already raised in the air,
yearning for that thing only music provides.
INTERVIEW with Ellie Brixton,
author of #Kissing
What was the
inspiration or the story behind #Kissing?
I don't
know. That's not an answer, is it? I guess it started with a vision of Josie
with a kick ass attitude. I love contemporary romance, but had been reading a
lot where the main character was sweet, maybe conflicted, but always a good
girl. The question that came to mind was, what happens when the good girl goes
bad? Josie wasn't always wild and irreverent. I dug a little into my
imagination and learned her back-story and what tormented her. It made sense to
position her with the backdrop of rock and roll, the romanticized, trashing
hotel rooms, taking over the world kind. Then of course, at her core, she's
still the good girl, but maybe a little wiser when she comes through it all to
the other side.
What was the
biggest challenge of writing #Kissing?
The
biggest challenge was time. I never have enough time to get done what I want to
in a day. Either that or I have poor time management skills, and it's not
because I procrastinate or get distracted by social media. Ok, maybe a little
bit, but not reeeeaaallly. One trick I read somewhere is to always leave off a
scene so you know where it's going or begin the next chapter and leave off. In
other words, when you start writing again, you'll have a clear direction. The
other challenge was getting the tension right and the intimate scenes and the
characters and... The truth is, it was all a challenge, but totally worth it
when I wrote the last sentence and now can share #Kissing with readers.
Describe Josie,
Niko & JQ in one sentence each. Who's your favorite?
Josie: has
a big heart hidden behind her sneer.
Niko: a
beautiful and talented bastard.
JQ:
perfectly imperfect and deliciously sexy.
They're
all my favorites, but probably JQ ;-)
Do you have a
favorite scene or line from #Kissing?
The what would happen scene is probably my
favorite, but I can't say more than that because spoiler! But I really enjoyed writing the deep point of view
concert scenes. I love the feeling of being part of the crowd, dipping right
into the wild, noisy, crazy moment when live music reaches right down to my
bones.
Describe a
typical day of writing for you.
Responding
to and sending email to start, then I check in on social media for about a half
hour. After that, it depends on what projects I have going on, but I'll either
outline, draft, or edit until lunchtime. A little puppy playtime, social media,
and then I'm back at it, usually writing. The late afternoon often brings
regular life stuff, not the glamorous of a writer in my yoga pants and bare
feet. Ha ha. In the evening, I'll spend a little while on social media, emails,
and often wrap up something from earlier, organize myself for the next day, or
do non-writing writerly tasks such as marketing, promotion, and outreach.
What are you
reading right now? To put a spin on #WCW who's your #ACW (author crush)?
My Kindle
is stacked! To name a few I have a few Rachel Van Dyken titles in the queue,
Mr. O (can't wait!), and I'm kind of feeling like reading Right by Jana Aston
again. Also, there are too many series' to name that I want to dive into. I
fantasize about a week-long retreat where I lay on the beach and read. That
should be a thing. Reading retreats. At a spa. With hot waiters.
Do you have a
book boyfriend?
Do I have
a book boyfriend? A? As in singular? The beauty of the book boyfriend is that I
can have multiple. I'm currently dating Miles from Melanie Harlow's Some Sort
of Crazy, Sawyer from Right by Jana Aston, and I've always had a soft spot for
Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables.
What's your
most guilty pleasure?
Cookies. All
kinds of cookies. I've never met a cookie I didn't like. I love cookies. Did I
mention cookies? Also brownies are pretty good.
Speed round:
Starbuck's
order?
Cold:
Passion tea
Warm: Anything
pumpkin
Favorite color?
Pink
Favorite band?
Of all
time: Taylor Swift
Of the
moment: Vance Joy
Righty or
lefty?
Right
handed
Biggest pet
peeve?
Websites
that take AGES to load are evil, usually it's because they have pesky ads that
take forever. I'll find a delicious looking (cookie) recipe on Pinterest, click
the link, and then wait so long to get the post that I'll end up closing the
window.
This is your
first book, what's next? What do you have in the works for readers?
#Kissing
started as a standalone-all by itself-no thought of any books beyond a part
four in the form of a novella told from the point of view of another key
character. Yes, that's happening. It's called XOX and will be available in
September.
But
then…the gears started turning in my mind (as they so often do), and I came up
with a second full length book telling the story of another character and her
companion novella. And that was it.
But then…I
was lying in bed and had to turn on the light and jot down another idea…a third
story, and it became the Rock and Romance series. There will also be a
companion novella.
Characters
will make cameos in each of the stories, but they'll standalone.
I'm so
excited to get working on it!
I have a
rough outline for another series that will hopefully come into being in late
2017.
I'm so
grateful that I get to write, for the opportunity to connect with readers, and
hope that can continue!
Interview #2 with Josie Speedwell,
ex-half of Niksie, music lover, and diabetic
(also, fictional character in the
novel #Kissing by Ellie Brixton).
What shade of
lipstick do you wear?
Mac: Ruby
Woo. When I'm wearing it on my lips, I'm bulletproof.
What's your
favorite band? Song? Do you sing along?
Worst.
Question. Ever. Not because I don't have a favorite, but because I have too
many. The Halos, of course, but here are a few others:
The
classics: ACDC, Billy Holiday, and the Rolling Stones.
The
contemp: Gwen Stefani, Maroon 5, and Pink.
The we're
going to start a riot: Arcade Fire, Nirvana, and Band of Skulls.
The rest:
Coldplay, Prince, and Madonna.
Yes, I
sing along, and I sing loud.
Do you read?
What are your favorite books?
I'm not a
bookworm, but more of a music worm (is that a thing?). Give me some CD's with
liner notes and I'll get lost. Though I love the classics and a good love story
can rob me of hours, but if there's a happy ending, I'm glad for the theft. The
last book I read I found on my friend Penny's shelf called Wallbanger. Let's
just say I stayed up nearly all night reading it and tried very hard not to
wake her up with my laughter and um, other things.
Do you Netflix
and chill? No, seriously, what's your favorite movie? Snack?
I have
Netflixed and chilled; I'm a big fan, actually, but mostly the chilling part.
I've also hung out and watched a movie on Netflix with my guy while eating
popcorn and Twizzlers. No, that's not a euphemism. But I do always go for extra
butter.
If you could
have someone star as you in the movie of your life, who would you cast?
Ooh. If I
had to pick someone to star in the film depicting my life, it would be Cara Delevingne.
Not because we look alike. I don't have a British accent, and I'm not half as
funny, though I have been called bonkers. I'd pick her because she has the
lethal stare on lockdown. Zoe Kravitz is pretty badass too.
Do you have any
weird habits?
When I
leave a bathroom, I always check my teeth for lipstick; it's red, after all and
my shoes for toilet paper. When I was in elementary school, I walked out of the
bathroom with a piece stuck to my sneaker. Embarrassment for me looks more like
a raccoon in a cage. In other words, I consider it a public service to spare
others from my embarrassment turned rage.
Do you have any
phobias?
Whatever
the opposite of freedom is.
Left side of
the bed or right and what do you wear to sleep?
Middle.
Nothing.
What's your
drink order?
I've been
easing up on the hard stuff and if in good company I'll have a glass of
champagne or Rosé. Otherwise, I've been drinking this stuff called Kombucha.
Going down it feels like slime going down, but supposedly it's good for you. I
also love me a steaming hot dirty chai.
If you could
have lunch with someone alive or dead that you admire, who would it be?
Dead? I'd
go with my grandmother and Beethoven. We'd have finger sandwiches and tea. I'd
ask him what was the single most important thing he learned from his piano
teachers because that's what I someday want to pass onto my students. Also, he
was her favorite.
Alive? I'd
hang out with Tina Fey and we'd laugh. My laughter is legendary.
Bonus question:
What do you want?
Aside from
world peace? I want to live a long and happy life surrounded by the people I
love and music.
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