Author Spotlight; Nikki Rae
Book Talkers we have something fun to share with you today! I got to interview author Nikki Rae and share a little information about her books Bloom and Wilt.
I'll post the books first and then move on to the interview.
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/pJhzCp
Amazon: https://goo.gl/7xBYd5
Amazon: https://goo.gl/7xBYd5
Given to The Grimm Order as an infant, Fawn was raised in a world shaped by the rich and powerful. When she was sold at the age of nine to a Suitor, Fawn believed he would protect her from the “Mainworld”, where those who know nothing about the Order live. Living with the cruel man who bought her freedom, she finds just what the Order is about: money, control, and status for the Owner and humiliation and abuse for those they own.
Unwilling to accept the expectations of being Owned, Fawn goes from golden girl to maid, content to live in the shadows of the Order as long as she isn’t Owned again.
It’s been ten years since she disgraced her former Owner’s name, and now the brooding Frenchman Elliot Lyon wants her. Master Lyon is kind, smart, and unlike any man she’s met. She doesn’t want to admit it to herself, but Fawn is drawn to him despite constantly planning her next escape.
Even the prettiest flowers have thorns, and Master Lyon is hiding secrets that will uproot everything she thinks she knows about him.
Excerpt
“Fawn,” he said suddenly, his voice soft but still making me jump in my seat.
“Fawn,” he said suddenly, his voice soft but still making me jump in my seat.
“Were they out of flower names?” he asked, a smile in his voice.
He let on that he knew about the inner-workings of the actual Compound more than my last Owner. Then again, my last one only cared about one thing. He didn't play these mind games this guy seemed to like.
Master Lyon sighed, convinced I wouldn't answer, but for some reason I couldn't keep my mouth shut.
“I was one of the originals at the California Compound.” I hesitated almost too long before I brought my eyes back to his face. He was staring, waiting for me to say more. “We all had animal names,” I said, trying and failing to hide the disgust in my voice.
“Fawn,” he said. “With those eyes?”
I blinked, wondering what he meant.
“They’re so large and expressive,” he explained. “You’re more of a Doe to me.”
So this would be my new name? Not Dog or Whore, but Doe?
He smiled like I’d said something funny but I wasn't joking. “Do you not like it?”
I didn't know why he cared if I did or did not like something. It shouldn't matter to him. I didn't like any of this and it was obvious. He was asking to toy with me, get me to talk. I was done talking. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the words from spilling out.
He let on that he knew about the inner-workings of the actual Compound more than my last Owner. Then again, my last one only cared about one thing. He didn't play these mind games this guy seemed to like.
Master Lyon sighed, convinced I wouldn't answer, but for some reason I couldn't keep my mouth shut.
“I was one of the originals at the California Compound.” I hesitated almost too long before I brought my eyes back to his face. He was staring, waiting for me to say more. “We all had animal names,” I said, trying and failing to hide the disgust in my voice.
“Fawn,” he said. “With those eyes?”
I blinked, wondering what he meant.
“They’re so large and expressive,” he explained. “You’re more of a Doe to me.”
So this would be my new name? Not Dog or Whore, but Doe?
He smiled like I’d said something funny but I wasn't joking. “Do you not like it?”
I didn't know why he cared if I did or did not like something. It shouldn't matter to him. I didn't like any of this and it was obvious. He was asking to toy with me, get me to talk. I was done talking. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the words from spilling out.
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/kEWySQ
Amazon: https://goo.gl/GBQbAx
When she was sold to Master Elliot Lyon of House Chimera, Fawn could have never imagined he was the same person as Elliot, the man beneath a well placed mask. A victim. Just like her. She would have never thought he was grooming her for the Wolf she’d already escaped once. That he planned to deliver her to the beast’s jaws in exchange for his wife. Master Jäger will stop at nothing to have her—even if that means using others as collateral. With more than just their lives on the line, Fawn must become someone else, and Master Lyon distances himself further from Elliot as her transfer looms.
The roots of the Order run deep within them, but Fawn is beginning to realize another bond has formed between her and her Owner, a man she vowed to destroy along with the rest of their tangled branches.
In a world where trust is just a tool and love isn’t meant for people like them, Fawn is determined to beat the powerful at their own elaborate games of make-believe. Even the man who Owns her.
Excerpt
Master Lyon removed the moisture from my cheek with a knuckle. “How will you ever survive if you forget the rules when there are more players brought in?”
His words were gentle, sad. They made me want to hide.
“Please,” I whispered. “I promise to behave if you just tell me, sir.”
He stroked my hair with his free hand. “I know you’re afraid,” he said. “But as long as you obey me, you’ll be safe. That is all you need to do.”
I shook my head, unwilling to accept his non-answer. “Sir, please,” I barely said. “I-I—”
“Shh,” he soothed, fingers playing with the diamonds of my dress and then circling the scars he could reach. He leaned in close so he could speak directly into my ear. “You’ve come so far,” he said, outlining the higher, larger scars as if to emphasize his point. “If you want them to suffer, tonight is the first step towards that goal.” He tucked hair behind my ear and cupped my cheek. “Even if you cannot see it now, know that we want the same thing.”
It was hard not to laugh at the absurdity; what we wanted couldn’t be more different. I wanted to be free and he wanted me to be caged.
“And what is that, sir?”
“To destroy them,” he almost growled, but the anger wasn’t directed at me.
This time when he moved away and we stared at each other, his eyes burned with sincerity while the rest of his face remained a hard mask. I wanted to deny his convictions, believe he was lying, but it was impossible. This wasn’t an act an Owner was putting on to convince a girl that her sacrifice for him wasn’t selfish. This was Elliot, trying his best to keep everyone he loved safe—whether we were worthy or capable of love or not. I only hoped, whatever his definition of the word, he loved me enough to keep his promises.
Master Lyon removed the moisture from my cheek with a knuckle. “How will you ever survive if you forget the rules when there are more players brought in?”
His words were gentle, sad. They made me want to hide.
“Please,” I whispered. “I promise to behave if you just tell me, sir.”
He stroked my hair with his free hand. “I know you’re afraid,” he said. “But as long as you obey me, you’ll be safe. That is all you need to do.”
I shook my head, unwilling to accept his non-answer. “Sir, please,” I barely said. “I-I—”
“Shh,” he soothed, fingers playing with the diamonds of my dress and then circling the scars he could reach. He leaned in close so he could speak directly into my ear. “You’ve come so far,” he said, outlining the higher, larger scars as if to emphasize his point. “If you want them to suffer, tonight is the first step towards that goal.” He tucked hair behind my ear and cupped my cheek. “Even if you cannot see it now, know that we want the same thing.”
It was hard not to laugh at the absurdity; what we wanted couldn’t be more different. I wanted to be free and he wanted me to be caged.
“And what is that, sir?”
“To destroy them,” he almost growled, but the anger wasn’t directed at me.
This time when he moved away and we stared at each other, his eyes burned with sincerity while the rest of his face remained a hard mask. I wanted to deny his convictions, believe he was lying, but it was impossible. This wasn’t an act an Owner was putting on to convince a girl that her sacrifice for him wasn’t selfish. This was Elliot, trying his best to keep everyone he loved safe—whether we were worthy or capable of love or not. I only hoped, whatever his definition of the word, he loved me enough to keep his promises.
*
Author Interview
What made you want to start writing?
How did your most recent book idea come to you?
You know, I have no clue where most my ideas come from. Mostly, my characters just show up one day, whispering pieces of their stories to me. Then when their voice becomes too loud, I start to write it out.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten in regards to writing?
One of my creative writing professors said something that has always stuck with me: “Allow yourself to write the worst thing ever.” It sounds silly, but when you’re writing sometimes it’s hard to not judge every little thing. I use this mostly in my rough draft stage; it’s okay to be sloppy, or not know where something is going, or have no clue what you’re doing. You’re allowed to have fun and not worry about whether people will like it. I’ve taken this advice through every rough draft I’ve written and it’s never let me down.
What has been the hardest thing about writing? The easiest?
With every new book idea, there are brand knew challenges. Fortunately for me, I love challenging myself in writing and those tough, emotional, dark, twisted scenes that are so hard to write in the beginning end up being the most rewarding.
Favorite thing about writing?
There are so many things I love about writing! As my absolute favorite, I’m torn between the whole idea of creating something where there was once nothing and making readers react emotionally (mostly it’s tears and anger; sorry! 😉)
Are any of your characters a reflection of yourself?
I think, as a writer, every character is some reflection of yourself. Some hold a mirror up to you and show you your own flaws, your fears, your instincts. At least for me, it’s impossible to create realistic characters unless I can recognize their strengths and weaknesses within myself.
What book do you wish you’d written? It can be a different version of your own book, a book you loved reading, or a well-known book. And why?
Gotta go with Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles because COME ON! I love vampires—writing about them and reading about them—and I would have loved to be the one who got to personally know Louis and Lestat as I wrote their stories.
What is the one thing you have to have while writing?
It varies on different days and with different stories. Lately for The Order Series, I need to have some kind of incense burning constantly (which the hubs really likes, especially all the dust it leaves on every surface lol). However, in the past, I’ve written books where I couldn’t concentrate unless I had a purple pen for notes, mint tea, cinnamon candy, and one time I even needed constant cold to write!
Thanks so much to Nikki Rae for answering our questions! I hope y'all enjoyed getting to know her.
-Abri
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