A Quickie with SHBB: Veronica Larsen ~ Smokin' Hot Book Blog

We've wrangled some time with our favourite authors and put some questions we've often wondered to them. We've decided to call it:

We're excited to be cozying up with: Veronica Larsen

VL: I’m super new at this, but it’s surreal to me that people I don’t know are picking up a book I wrote and taking the time to read it. That’s the best part, for sure. People reading my writing is something I never thought would happen. I started writing when I was seven or eight, but spent most of my life being a closet writer. I was hesitant to even call myself a “writer” because I didn’t want anyone asking me to read my work. NO ONE ever read my writing apart from my sister. I’ve been with my husband for a long time and the very first time I let him read one of my stories was last year. That story happens to be my debut novel ‘Entangle,’ which I wrote originally just for his eyes.

It was kind of a big leap for me, though. Going from not letting anyone read my writing to publishing a novel for the world to see. But I’m so glad I did it. Having readers tell me they enjoyed my book and are excited for my future novels is the best feeling in the world. Their enthusiasm offers me a unique type of motivation I’ve never experienced before. I want to strangle my muse so it never gets away from me again. Okay, see? Now I sound violent. I’m not. I promise.

VL: You know how every once in a while, you’ll hear something and it just resonates with you and shifts something into place inside of you? This next phrase did that for me:

“What other people think of you is none of your damn business.”

Just a few years ago, I used to allow the fear of other people’s opinion to paralyze me from being who I wanted to be and doing what I wanted to do. It’s impossible not to care what people think, though. I’ve learned to just be careful with whose ideas, words, opinions, and advice I allow into my headspace. You know how Gryffindor’s Sword only absorbs that which makes it stronger? That’s the ultimate goal for me. To be the type of person that only absorbs things that make me better, stronger, smarter, and more confident. To repel anything that aims to weaken me. I’ll let you know when I get there.

VL: There’s this poster going around online titled “Said is Dead” which encourages writers to replace the word “Said” with more colorful verbs and adverbs. A teacher said something similar to me when I was in middle school and, since it sounded legit, I altered my writing style accordingly. Then I read Stephen King’s memoir ‘On Writing’ where he says that the road to hell is paved in adverbs. At that point in my life, whatever Stephen King said, wrote, or sneezed was the law of the land. But even now, whenever I type out an adverb, I sort of picture Stephen King popping up from under my desk and strangling me…angrily. See? I just flinched.

VL: I’m probably biased since he’s fresh in my mind, but right now my favorite character is Owen Grant. You haven’t met him yet—he’s the lead in ‘Entice’. Owen initially comes across standoffish, but when you get him to lower his walls a little you realize he’s incredibly good natured, sincere, and loyal. He’s the strong, silent type. Guarded with his heart but when he falls in love, he falls hard. He reshaped Emily’s story in ways I wasn’t expecting. I wish I had a 3-D printer so I could make Owen into a real person made of words and convince my husband it’s totally not weird to let 3-D paper Owen spoon me.

VL: I’m sort of ridiculous in the sense that I don’t like my book boyfriends to be overly romantic, or say unrealistic things that men in real life would never say. I know it’s fiction, but I need to forget that there’s an author behind him and see him as a real guy. So my ultimate book boyfriend? Jonathan Drazen, from Songs of Submission by CD Reiss. Let me tell you, this character is so well written. He reads effortless and genuine. And ridiculously hot. He has two traits that I find absolutely irresistible in a man: maturity and intelligence.

VL: I’ve been binge writing the last few months so I haven’t read as much as I’d like to so far this year. I did drop everything to read CD Reiss’ latest release, ‘CODA’. I loved it. The writing is real, raw, and brave. But hands down the sexiest book I’ve read this year—and probably ever—was Three Simple Rules, by Nikki Sloane. That book is insanely hot and addictive.

VL: Someone asked me if a character in my book is based on anyone I know in real life. I’m sure this is a common question, but for me it’s strange because my characters feel like their own individual people. They are independent to me and as the writer all I control are the situations I put them in. What they say and do seriously gets beamed into my head from who-knows-where. Their personalities are their own. Though, I’m sure if I really pick apart their traits, I’ll begin to recognize bits and pieces of people I know. I think all writers subconsciously draw inspiration from those around them.

VL: Thanks for having me! My second novel, ‘Entice’ releases May 25^th. Readers who enjoyed Entangle will get the special treat of seeing Leo and Alexis make appearances in the book. Their story is actually a minor subplot since the timelines of the two books overlap. But all their scenes in Entice are new scenes, things the reader didn’t get to witness firsthand in Entangle. Entice leads the reader into the life and mind of Emily Stone, exploring the mess she’s made for herself and her struggle to get back on her own two feet. And in the midst of that we have a sexy, mysterious man from her past, who might know her better than she knows herself.

RELEASE DATE: 25th May, 2015

PREORDER: AMAZON US AMAZON UK

Entice is a sexy, humorous, second-chance love story.

Turns out I’ve been faking being an adult.

My job? My apartment? The pretty life I've built?

Let's just say I've made some mistakes.

I'm knee-deep in the mess I've made when I find him. Tall, dark-haired, and rough around the edges. The boy I never noticed is all grown up, in all the right ways. And he's not about to let me forget it.

He can try to pretend he's immune to our attraction. I'm trained in the art of persuasion and I love a challenge.

But how can he know the answers to questions I haven't thought to ask? I’ve been putting out fires, fighting like crazy to get my life back on track. And this man? He acts like he knows who's holding the match.

Maybe there's no such thing as mistakes.

What if it's all just sabotage?