Blog Tour: A Desperate Man Vol. One: The Fantasy by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine (Review, Author Interview and Giveaway) @BrookeBlaine1 @EllaFrank2012

Ella: I was born in Canberra Australia, which is in fact the capital of Australia. Although, I spent most of my years growing up in Sydney.

Brooke: Thank you for having us! Well, I suppose since I’m a newbie author on the scene, you don’t really know that much about me yet, huh? Let’s see…

• My father is Italian, and I speak the language fluently.
• I have an unhealthy obsession with Bill Murray.
• One of my tattoos is the handwriting of a favorite book character. (Only one of those things is true. 😉

Ella: We met through Goodreads a couple of years ago. I managed to convince Brooke to work with me, through much begging and pleading, and we have been arguing ever since…seemed like the natural progression.

Brooke: Hey! You didn’t have to beg or plead…much. Actually, I read Ella’s first book and was so impressed by it that when she asked me to work with her, I’m pretty sure I squealed. Which she hates. But I did. Right there in the parking garage of the Grove in LA. To answer your question about collaborating…we’ve worked closely on all of her projects since then, and she’s been working with me on mine. We’d always talked about doing a book together, but I’d wanted to wait until I had a couple of books under my belt. However, this story popped up suddenly, and we didn’t think twice about going for it.

Yes. I have wanted to write since I was a teenager. I remember writing stories in school and making my friends (and yes, I mean it when I said I made them) sit down and listen to me read it to them.

It hasn’t hit me yet. Is it happening? Because I think someone needs to pinch me.

Brooke: Well, in this first installment, we’re throwing you right there in the midst of Evan James hitting rock bottom in his life. Imagine one of those cocky, sexy, alpha males in your favorite stories suddenly losing everything – and not only that, add in an unhealthy addiction to sex. It’s not a pretty place to be, but it’s a fascinating one. It’s a different type of story for sure, it’s gritty and raw, but it’s one we hope readers will find interesting and want to stick with to see if this guy can be redeemed.

As for Reagan, our female lead, we wanted a strong woman that could hold her own against any man – and that includes Evan.

Ella: No. I certainly hope not. We actually did some interesting research into the minds of addicts and their loved ones, and it certainly is eye opening to what extent people will go to, to feed an addiction. In the end that is what this part of the story is about, introducing Evan and showing you who he is, faults and all, and there are plenty of them.

Brooke: Sexual addiction isn’t something that comes from personal experience, but it was more about relating to someone with that kind of a struggle. Addiction can come in many different forms – drugs and alcohol are obviously the ones you think of first, but what about food addictions? What about love or sex addictions? It’s all the same cycle, ultimately, and I was definitely able to put myself in that head space to feel what he’s going through.

I really enjoyed writing a scene that Evan has with his father (you’ll know which one when you get to it in the book). I love looking at family dynamics and Evan comes from a very complicated background, which we will delve into the further we get into their story.

I wouldn’t say there was a part that was hard to write, but with this being a co-written book, you want to make sure both of your words are intertwined seamlessly. For me, it was more about making sure the tone was dark enough, or heavy enough, because Ella and I tend to joke around and make (really bad) puns constantly. We always thought we’d write something funny and sexy, so switching gears and tackling something so intense required a bit more…seriousness.

Oh, and Ella says her puns are awesome, not bad.

Well the fact I wrote it hand in hand with Brooke makes it unique. The plot, the ideas, the words, they are all a collaborative effort. But when it comes to the storyline, I think this book is unique in that it is different to what is out there right now.

We see so many stories about the leading man who sweeps the heroine off her feet and is in control and knows who he is. Evan is coming from a totally different angle. He is a man who has a lot of baggage and it is going to be a struggle to get back on his feet. And the woman in his life is very capable, she requires no ones help – so I love the shift in that storyline.

Ella: I would say read it because it’s something different. This isn’t a pretty read, and it isn’t a fairytale. It’s a story about a man struggling with an addiction that has been incredibly debilitating to him and his life. But it’s a story that I hope a reader would find interesting, and I believe the characters are both engaging because they are both so unique and mysterious. What has made Evan and Reagan the people they are today? And who will they become?

Brooke: What Ella said. And to add to that with a shallow answer – it’s filthy hot. One of our critique partners called it Dirty Smooth. So we’ll steal that.

A huge thank you to each and every one of you who support us by spreading the word and reading our books. We appreciate it so much, and without you, we wouldn’t be able to do what we love.

Thanks again Ella and Brooke. We hope to see have you again soon!

Thank you, TBA, and thank you for hosting our blog tour! You guys rock. J