Author Name: Cecilia London
Fiction or Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre(s): Uh, how
much time do you have? LOL. My book series is a blend of contemporary romance,
romantic suspense, political thriller, speculative fiction, erotic romance,
action and adventure…you name it, it’s got it.
Number of books published: Two…so far.
Links to published work (Amazon, Smashwords, etc):
Right now my
books are on KU, but will be back on all sites in December.
Dissident
Conscience
WYLABWYW: Author Bio
Cecilia is my pen name. I may or may not
live in San Antonio, Texas. I've been known to apply quotes from The Simpsons to everyday life. I live
for baseball season.
WYLABWYW: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Something we won’t
find in you author bio on your website (do you work, hobbies, what do you like
to do when not writing/working, etc.).
LOL, well,
my author bio paints a tiny picture. I’m a licensed attorney but right now I’m
not practicing, which gave me the window of opportunity to publish. When I’m
not writing or working, I hang out with my family, catch up on reading, or
watch a few college football games.
Okay, I
watch a lot of college football. I
love sports. ;)
WYLABWYW: Are you self-published,
with an agency, or a combination of the two?
Self-published.
WYLABWYW: What inspired you to become a writer?
I had two
dreams as an eight year old: to be an author and to be a lawyer. I suppose it’s
pretty cool that I managed to accomplish both. I’d pretty much abandoned the
author dream once I settled into my legal career since the two writing styles
are very different. But I had a hero and heroine in my head who wouldn’t go
away…I just didn’t have a vehicle for them. After a trip to a local BBQ joint I
suffered some mild food poisoning and had a dream about these characters as
married freedom fighters. Thus, my book series was born! That was over two
years ago, and all six books in the series are nearing completion (I wrote them
simultaneously).
WYLABWYW: Do you have a mentor or mentors?
I have a few
author and blogger friends who give me invaluable advice. But if anyone wants to mentor me, I’m here for you. I
bake cookies. LOL.
WYLABWYW: What do you do to
prepare for a story?
Well, for
the past two years I’ve been consumed by this book series, so I spend most of
my time plotting through things, catching inconsistencies, and writing what
comes to me. I very rarely outline or do anything else other than just starting
to type.
WYLABWYW: What do you find to be your biggest obstacle in the
writing process?
Sometimes
self-doubt comes into play, but not often. I try to distract myself when that
happens. I write out of order so I do often find it difficult to go back and
write the parts that have been slow to come, which is odd since whenever I do end up writing those scenes, they
tend to turn out better than anticipated because I don’t dwell on them as much
as I do the scenes that I’ve been aching to write. The process is a strange
thing indeed.
WYLABWYW: Where do you do
your writing?
I started
out on the desktop in my office, but I thought it was near death and didn’t
want to lose anything. So I picked up a cheap laptop and now I do most of my
work in a comfy recliner in the living room. I feel guilty since I really
should be using my office. It’s a much better work environment. But hey, the
recliner’s gotten me this far. It might feel rejected if I went back to my
desk.
WYLABWYW: Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what do you
typically listen to?
Depends on
my mood. I listen to the songs that have inspired my books. In fact (shameless
plug), the playlists for the first three books in my series can be found here:
WYLABWYW: How much of your book(s), if any, is taken from real life
events?
Some of my
heroine’s experiences as an attorney are based upon things that have happened
to me during my career. And I have some background in political campaigns, but
that was a while ago. Other than that, it’s all in my imagination, though
sometimes I get told that it’s evolving into metafiction given the current
political climate.
WYLABWYW: Who is/was your
biggest support for your writing career?
I have
several close friends who told me that I might have something, and have been
totally honest with me from the very beginning. I also have several wonderful
blogger friends who have latched onto the series and continue to go above and
beyond to help me promote it. I am so grateful to them, because they do it all
because of their love for Jack and Caroline.
Also, I
would be remiss if I didn’t mention my high school creative writing teacher. He
once quite honestly told my parents, “She has talent. I’m just not sure what
she can do with it.” I’ve never forgotten those words no matter how discouraged
I’ve become, because he (as a struggling author) meant it as the highest
compliment possible. So…this is what I did with it! J
WYLABWYW: What lead to write
your chosen genre?
I love
dystopians and I love romance. So it seemed like a natural fit. Plus, I got
sick of all the most recent dystopians having kids or teenagers as the heroes.
I wanted adults in those roles, and I wanted a great love story as well. Mission
accomplished!
WYLABWYW: Tell us about your
book(s).
I’ve alluded
to them a little, but let’s get to the good stuff. If you like Scandal or House of Cards, if you still miss President Bartlet and yearn for The West Wing, you’ll love my book series.
Or if you’re addicted to speculative fiction and dystopian reads (The Handmaid’s Tale, The Hunger Games),
you’ll likely love it as well. 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.
There
are six books in the series and they are all interconnected, but the story arcs
are almost two separate trilogies. In the first two books in the series (Dissident and Conscience) we are told of our heroine’s past life in flashbacks.
She is a political dissident and the totalitarian regime has not taken too kindly
to her activism. We learn that she and the hero Jack were once members of
Congress on opposite sides of the aisle. Caroline has said some none too
charitable things about our hero, but after a bottle of wine and a late night
conversation, a friendship and more is born.
The
series is many things but it is ultimately a story of undying love.
WYLABWYW: Do you have muses
you used for your characters?
Not really,
but once I’d been around for a while I stumbled across an image that was the
epitome of Jack. Just Google Laurence Nicotra.
You’re
welcome. Carry on.
WYLABWYW: What are you working on now, and when can we expect your
next release?
The third book
in The Bellator Saga, Sojourn is
slated for release in early December. After that, the final three books (Phoenix, Rhapsody, and Triumph) will be released in 2016.
WYLABWYW: Can you share an excerpt from a work in progress?
Sure! I’ll
even give you a naughty one. From Sojourn:
He
pulled a sizeable wooden box from under the desk. “First rule: always look on
the floor for larger gifts.”
It
had to be a book. She was going to give him a lecture on the showering of
unnecessary gifts but a free book was a free book. He wouldn’t have brought her
into the library for a pair of shoes.
She
slid the key in the lock and opened the box. A set of five books lay inside,
arranged in order. She stared at the binding. “Decameron de Bocace,” she read.
“Very
good,” Jack said. “I was afraid you’d forgotten how to read in French.”
Caroline
was tempted to smack him but restrained herself. She examined the books closer.
“This set is extremely old,” she said.
“1757,
I believe,” Jack said. “One of the more valuable 18th century
editions.”
It
would have been too easy for him to pick up a paperback copy from a normal
bookstore. “Why French?”
“You
are fluent,” he pointed out.
As
if the classics weren’t challenging enough in English. “You bought me Boccaccio
in a foreign language?”
“I
do love how you enjoy the oldies,” Jack said.
“The Decameron is more than an oldie,”
Caroline said. “It’s one of my favorite books.”
“I
know.” Jack smirked. “I read that interview you did for Philadelphia magazine.”
“You
set up that interview,” Caroline said.
“I
remember. Did you tell them that you only mentioned that book so you could
sound intellectual?”
She
very rarely spouted off about that sort of thing but they’d asked about it and
she’d answered. She’d also mentioned her favorite childhood reads and a host of
dystopian tales, but he’d clearly forgotten that part. “It’s a wonderful
example of medieval literature. Hush up.”
He
glanced at her nervously. “What do you think?”
Was
he worried that she would be disappointed in such an incredible gift? “Do I
even want to know how much you spent on this?”
“I’m
not going to tell you,” he said. “Not without a little bit of prodding or a lot
of sexual favors.”
She
could work on that later. The book set really was gorgeous. In near perfect
condition for its age. “This is beautiful,” Caroline said.
He
looked a little too proud of himself. “I thought you’d like it.”
“I
want first editions of Harry Potter
next,” Caroline said. “The British versions.”
“Instead
of telling me to stop buying you things, you’re giving me ideas?”
“Damn
right.” She leaned in to kiss him, long and hard. A gift like this deserved
more than just a peck. “Thank you, darling.”
“Read
it to me,” he said.
He
didn’t speak French. That request made no sense. “What?”
“Read
it to me,” he repeated.
Maybe
she’d misheard him. She was thoroughly confused. “In French?”
He
moved behind her and leaned toward her ear. “Bend over the desk and read it to
me,” he whispered, taking one of the volumes and carefully turning the pages to
where a bookmark marked the spot.
Caroline
scanned the words, swallowing hard. She recognized the tale immediately. Rustico
and Alibech in the desert. The randy monk exposing himself to the curious
virgin and seducing her. Possibly one of the most salacious tales in the entire
book. “You want me to read this to you?”
“Yes,”
he said. “If you promise to translate it correctly and are very, very good, you
might even get a reward.” He slid his hand up under her skirt. “You can do
that, right?”
She
tried to keep her voice from shaking. “I guess.”
WYLABWYW: Do you have any
upcoming signing events or appearances scheduled later this year or in 2016?
Not right
now, but I may be doing a couple of events in the summer of 2016. We’ll see!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us all.
