Fantasies – we all have them.
For some it’s their dream job; others want the wedding, the 2.5 kids, the white picket fence.
My fantasies are a bit more…depraved.
Dark and sinful, they have destroyed relationships and my livelihood, yet I still submit to them like a slave.
Sex.
For most, it’s a natural expression of love, caring, or lust.
But there are those of us who can’t stop once we’ve had a taste.
Those of us who don’t want to.
And the shame of that never-ending cycle will eat us alive…
My name is Evan James, and I am a sex addict.
Describe Evan in one sentence.
Brooke: Evan James is an enigma that I hope will ensnare readers and have them wanting more.
Ella: Evan is a complex individual with many struggles, but he is one which I am eager to learn more about.
Favorite and least favorite scene to write in The Fantasy?
Ella: My favorite scene to write in The Fantasy was actually the jail scene. It came together easily, and, for me, it gave a good insight to Evan and where he came from. His father is an interesting character and I think as we delve further into his backstory we will learn more about him. I have always been a fan of family dynamics, and I think this will be pivotal in Evan’s story.
My least favorite to write were the impersonal moments Evan had, though these scenes were essential. With his affliction, Evan has moments of need that have nothing to do with knowing anything about the person he is using to slake his lust, and writing those can feel very impersonal and that’s how they should feel. So in the end they would be my least favorite, but some of the most pivotal.
Brooke: I really loved writing the scenes where Evan is at his most desperate. They aren’t pretty, but I loved seeing how far down we could push this guy. It’s incredibly liberating to step into a character so different from yourself and just do whatever the hell you want. He’s in such a state of frustration right now, and it was easy to channel all the crazy things going on in my life into his. I blew off steam by letting him blow off…ahem…steam. 😉
But seriously, there’s so much of Evan we haven’t even touched the surface of, and I’m really looking forward to peeling those layers away.
As far as a least favorite scene to do…I don’t have one. If I didn’t like it, I didn’t write it.
What made you both decide to write a novel together? Was it easier or harder than you thought? Did you have a set formula of “Ella wrote this…Brooke wrote that…” or did it vary? (if you can’t tell I’m very intrigued about your process – I love it when authors team up!)
Brooke: We’ve worked closely on a number of projects over the last couple of years, so this was a natural progression. We always talked about writing something together, but I wanted to wait until after I had one or two books of my own under my belt. This one surprised us both by popping up suddenly. I couldn’t imagine writing with anyone else the way we do –line by line, paragraph by paragraph. It’s all so intertwined that you shouldn’t catch who wrote what. We both have very distinctive styles, but we know each other so well that we can usually guess what the other is going to write before they do it.
Ella: I have been working with Brooke on other projects for a couple of years now and always knew that when she was ready to sit down and write a story I would plead my case to work with her. I didn’t think it would be hard to be honest. Because we have worked together for a while, we each knew how the other worked. We are very attuned to one another’s moods and are both quite aware that honesty (although at times is hard) is what will push forward a story. We told each other before going in that we would stick by that for the sake of both our book and our friendship and I’m proud to say we accomplished that. As for our process, we worked together the entire way through. We used a program that allowed us to see what the other was writing, and we literally wrote together. At times she would write a paragraph until she was done with a thought and then I would pick it up, and vice versa. It was very cohesive, and I feel like the story was told truly through one mind, and that was our goal.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Ella: Sweets. Anything to do with desserts, really. Oh, and caramel. I LOVE caramel.
Brooke: Eating mexican cheese dip for dinner – the white kind you can only get in the south. And going to bookstores and turning all the Tiffany Reisz books on the shelf forward.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Brooke: Moving across the country by myself. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, which is something I consciously try to do more now. Letting others see the stories hidden deep inside is definitely a result of that.
Ella: Being brave enough to try my hand at something I loved – writing.
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Ella: This is a hard question and one I thought about, but the truth is, I don’t have just one person. There are a lot of people I find inspiring, in music, writing & history. It would be impossible to pick one.
Brooke: Nicolas Cage. I’ve loved that guy since I was a kid watching him in Peggy Sue Got Married. Quirky guys are fucking awesome.
Do you have any special holiday traditions?
Brooke: Santa still brings me stockings and even the toothpaste is wrapped.
Ella: I usually cook and eat a Leg of Lamb with my husband. That’s a tradition I brought over here from Australia and one I continue to enjoy today.
Favorite Word and Least Favorite Word?
Ella: Umm it’s a bad word and one I tend to use a lot in writing and everyday. F**K is my favorite word. (Sorry mum.) Least favorite word…boner.
Brooke: Favorite: I have to agree with Ella’s word. I also perk up when I hear ‘books.’
Least Favorite: Uncapped. Don’t ask me why, just know you will not see it in any Ella Frank/Brooke Blaine novels, and if you do, there was a major throwdown about it.
Biggest fear?
Brooke: Lack of accomplishment.
Ella: Heights.
Deepest regret?
Ella: I try not to have any.
Brooke: I wouldn’t have the people in my life that I do now had I chosen a different path, and I definitely wouldn’t have written this book or be answering this interview question. No regrets.
Favorite memory?
Brooke: Stop asking me hard questions! LOL, there is no way I could choose just one. All of my favorites include my closest family and friends though.
Ella: I have too many to narrow it down to one. But they all involve my loved ones and friends. I am fortunate enough to have an amazing husband, wonderful family and fabulous best friend, and all of my favorite memories revolve around them.
Worst flaw?
Ella: I don’t have the space to write them all down…
Brooke: Never returning phone calls or checking my voicemail.
Most annoying pet peeve?
Brooke: Cell phones out during live theatre/movies, during dinners with friends, or someone paying more attention to it than caring about having a conversation.
Ella: Someone telling me to talk quietly. As a child when I got excited I got louder and louder, and I hate it now when I’m told to “shush”…talk quieter. Ha! I guess it’s the equivalent of, “use your inside voice.”
If you could change one thing about yourself…what would it be?
Ella: Hmm, I wish I would stop biting my fingernails. It’s a habit I hate and I can’t seem to break it! And I’ve tried everything, from soap to chili juice (ß that stings when it gets in your eyes BTW)
Brooke: I read a great quote earlier today that kind of sums it up: “I am no longer accepting the things I can not change. I am changing the things I can not accept.”
Either/Or Questions:
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Brooke: Chocolate everything.
Ella: LOL, Vanilla, funny enough.
Warm or Cold?
Ella: Depends…
Brooke: I swear I’m never happy either way, but if I had to choose, I’d say cold. There is no functioning if I’ve melted into a puddle on the floor.
Early Bird or Night Owl?
Brooke: Trying to be an early bird. I feel so much more productive when I can get up, have my coffee, and knock a ton of stuff out before noon.
Ella: Early bird
Pain or Pleasure?
Ella: Pleasure.
Brooke: Sometimes you have to go through the pain to get to the pleasure.
Outdoor or Indoor?
Brooke: Indoors with an awesome view of the outdoors.
Ella: Indoor
Blondes or Brunettes?
Ella: Brunette
Brooke: Poor redheads, they get no love. I’ll go with them.
Ketchup or Mustard?
Brooke: Neither. Unless it’s a corndog. Corndogs always get mustard.
Ella: Tomato sauce!!
Coffee or Cocktail?
Ella: Coffee
Brooke: I love both, but I’d give up cocktails before I’d give up coffee.
Texting or Calling?
Brooke: Texting. I can’t hear on the phone to save my life.
Ella: Calling & singing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
3.5 “desperate” Kisses
There was absolutely no way that that synopsis wouldn’t catch my attention. Plain and simple…I had to read this book. I’m not a huge serial reader, at least not until all of the books are out, but something was telling me I needed to read The Fantasy. And I’m glad I listened.
Evan James…oh my poor, poor Evan…he is in every way an addict. He’s completely ruled by his need for sex…for release…for the high that he gets from it. It controls his thoughts…and it’s simultaneously erotic and sad. I mean, don’t get me wrong…the drive and his need for sex is undeniably hot, but I think it’s the levels that it takes him that took me to a darker place than even I was expecting. Bravo to Ella and Brooke because they really do show the good, the bad and the ugly of sex addiction and Evan is a fascinating study. He’s an attractive, intelligent man that can’t stop fucking. His addiction is serious enough where it’s almost ruined his life and he’s on his last leg…his one last hope to maintain the career and lifestyle that he’s become accustomed to living…and there’s just one blonde obstacle standing in his way…
‘If he could live in pussy, he would. It was his weakness, his addiction, the one thing he’d give up anything and everything for. And he nearly had.’
Reagan Spencer…she’s like Evan’s equal and his opposite all rolled into one. Where Evan is this uncontrolled mess because of his addiction, Reagan is poised and precise…but has her own secrets as well. She’s just as ravenous when it comes to sex…underneath all that business is a vixen that is perfectly matched to Evan’s desires and needs. I don’t want to spoil who Reagan is and how she relates to Evan…I guess it could be a little cliché but it worked for me and I liked it. It added to their relationship, gave it a new dynamic and I enjoyed how it transformed the storyline. Reagan surprised me…I loved how she complimented Evan and yet was his catalyst all in the same breathe…I loved the juxtaposition of the two of them…she was the calm to his chaos…the controlled next to his frenzy…it was captivating to read.
“Okay, okay,” she relented. “I was just trying to lighten the mood.”
“By teasing me? Don’t insinuate anything you don’t plan to follow through on.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I think we both know I don’t have a problem with follow through.”
“I’ve noticed, and so has every other man who’s ever laid eyes on you. It’s hard not to be drawn to someone like you. Femme fatale. That’s what makes you so dangerous.”
A vixen smile spread across Reagan’s lips. “Oh, you have to stop with the compliments today. First, I’m the devil, and now, a femme fatale? I’m starting to think you like me.”
“I don’t like anyone.” He smirked. “At least not for more than a night.”
She let out a loud laugh. “You’re full of shit, Evan James. But I’ll let you keep that cocky exterior up in case anyone tries to see past it.”
There is no way not to read an Ella Frank book and not expect exceptional sex. It’s just not possible. The woman can set a page on fire and The Fantasy was no exception. I mean if you open a book about a sex addict and don’t realize you’re getting erotica, then I don’t know what to say – but this was fantastic erotica. But Ella isn’t the only one who had a hand in The Fantasy…and if this is what I can come to expect from Brooke Blaine…then I’m intrigued. I have read books written by two authors before and sometimes it can sound like two people wrote it and sometimes I can’t tell the difference – in this case…I couldn’t tell the difference. It was seamless and blended very well, which made the reading experience that much more enjoyable.
‘He wondered what she’d do if he touched her now. If he said exactly what he was thinking. Fuck it.
“Maybe that’s what you want,” he said, his voice low and seductive like a vampire compelling its prey. She wasn’t moving, so he took that as a sign to continue. “Maybe you like the idea of me hiking that tight-as-fuck skirt up your legs, bending you over my desk, and shoving inside of you” – he paused and leaned a little closer – “just as I’ve been imagining all day.”’
Like I said earlier, The Fantasy is a serial…meaning, this is only the beginning of Evan’s journey…we’re barely skimming the surface and while I was at times wishing for more, the pacing was very natural. There is a progression there, I could feel it…it’s not a complete story but the build to what was coming at the end and where it will be taken in the next book was very well thought out. Speaking of the end…where we are left, definitely has me wanting more. The entire time I was begging for more progress with Reagan and Evan…which I know is the point…but the development in their…relationship, if you will, was very interesting and I can’t wait to see where Brooke and Ella take it next.
“You’re the fucking problem, because for the last two weeks, I’ve had a fucking erection I can’t seem to get rid of. Day after day, I’ve watched you walk around, making my cock fucking ache to sink inside you again, and you know what? I’ve been on my best behavior. I’ve looked, yeah. I won’t lie. But did I touch? No…I went home and tried to forget. Tried to somehow relieve this craving you’ve built deep inside me, but I think I’ve finally worked it out…” His eyes trailed down her neck, watching her pulse beat rapidly as she lowered her arms to the desk to steady herself. “It’s you. I want you.”
The series is perfectly named…A Desperate Man…fits Evan perfectly, and this series has turned me into a desperate woman. I want more…need more…I almost feel like I’m the addict now because I have to know what’s in store for Evan and Reagan! I’ll be anxiously awaiting the next volume.
“Come here.”
Evan James crooked his finger at the blonde currently shimmying back into her minuscule, tight, black dress. The same one she’d worn last night that had called like a siren’s song to his cock in the middle of the dimly lit club.
She looked over at him with heavy-lidded eyes and held the barely there fabric still around her waist. His eyes zoomed in on the impressive breasts overflowing out of her sheer, black bra. Covered, but not enough.
His mouth watered, and he wanted to drag her back to the bed and take hold of her ripe nipple before pulling the fabric down and out of his way to take her fully into his mouth again.
After having had her so many times in the last few hours, she’d no doubt taste of him on every inch of her soft skin. He liked that. Before, she’d tasted faintly of vanilla musk—a fragrance he wasn’t overly fond of. He’d made quick, dirty work of her though, marking and leaving his scent on her with his lips, his sex, his come, and he figured one last go-round before sending her on her way would suppress his craving for at least a couple of days.
He hoped. His appetite was voracious.
“Can’t get enough, can you?” She leaned down over the edge of the bed and placed her hands there, giving him an ample view of what he wanted. Now.
He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t play with me.”
Blondie tsked and put her knees on the mattress, crawling on all fours toward him. “Oh, baby, I told you you’d never want me to leave once you got inside.”
She was right about that much. If he could live in pussy, he would. It was his weakness, his addiction, the one thing he’d give up anything and everything for. And he nearly had.
Ella Frank is a #1 Amazon Bestselling Author. She writes both contemporary and erotic fiction and is best known for her Exquisite Series, and Temptation Series.
The minute she began her love affair with reading, she became and avid supporter of the romance genre and has never looked back.
Ella is Australian born and bred but currently resides in Houston, Texas with her husband.
You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before elementary school was her ‘quiet time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries around and the size of her onesie pajamas.
Her first solo novel, a romantic comedy, is due out in early 2015, but first, she thought she’d write a raunchy story with her best friend that would scar her conservative southern family for life.
If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find – just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for ten years.
the book a desperate man sounds intense
OH MY …. this sounds decadent!
Another super hot one for the holiday!
This sounds incredible. Love the excerpt.
Chocolate everything? Well i have only met one girl who doesn’t like chocolate
Great except 1Now I really want to read this.
Great read!