BURNING UP JULY is finally coming to an end, but we couldn't end this wonderful event without one more exciting author interview. Today we have Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond, celebrating their release day with us! THE WINEMAKER'S DINNER has created a lot of buzz for the past few months and it's finally available. We are glad to be able to bring you all more information about this book and the people behind it.
HAPPY RELEASE DAY!
Thank you so much to both of you for stopping by Under the Covers and sharing with our readers about TWD.
Thank you so much for having us.
Lets start with some questions for Dr. Ivan, whom we had the pleasure of meeting earlier this year. Do you identify more with being an author or a model?
Author 100%! Modeling was something I fell into and was able to parlay into something much greater. One doesn't have a voice in modeling, just an image...a mannequin if you will. I’ve always been able to spin one hell of a yarn so writing and telling a story is much more up my alley. Luckily I am able to combine both with The Winemakers Dinner Series! ;)
Do you worry that people won't take you seriously as an author due to you being a model?
Yes, unfortunately I do but I have been dealing with assumptions my entire life. Earlier this year at the Romantic Times Conference, people thought I was just some cover model. I loved seeing their faces when I told them, “No, I’m one of the authors!” In my first solo writing project, the TWD prequel, RSVP, I hope I was able to prove that I’ve got something to say and that I can write because I sure do enjoy the hell out of it. I had a great time working on that piece and have big plans for other outtakes so stay tuned!
What kind of doctor are you? Are you currently practicing?
Currently, I specialize in weight loss, wellness, physical enhancement and yes, sexual health at the world renowned MIAMI Institute located in the Four Seasons in Miami. Being an osteopathic physician, I have the ability to utilize traditional medicine along with the added bonus of affording my patients a more preventive approach to health through the use of exercise diet and various osteopathic manipulations. I like to boast that I work in the most enjoyable field of medicine. Making people look good, feel better and regain an essence that may have been lost over the years.
How do you balance your time since you seem to do so much - writing, modeling, being a doctor, working out and keeping fit, etc.?
Very carefully. ;) All kidding aside, I enjoy every aspect of my day. Whether it is a 6 am jog on the beach, or a one hour consult over helping restore one’s vigor, or sitting on my balcony hammering out a couple chapters, I always have a smile on my face throughout the day. If you can find things that you enjoy doing, both professionally and with your hobbies, one can accomplish so much in a day it is almost comical. It’s all about creating a quality of life.
Are you currently writing anything else? Is TWD a stand-alone, or will it be a series?
There are two more books in the series, The Winemaker’s Feast. Next up is Entrées and then Desserts, so I am hard at work on those currently. I do have a few projects already lined up that I think will raise a brow or two so stay tuned! But for now TWD is my focus and it is going great.
Are you still in a relationship with the girl from the book and what does she think of the book?
Well, if there was a real Jaden out there she wouldn't be a just a girl, she would be my wife by now. Jaden is a beautiful amalgamation and imagining of all of the women I have had the privilege of calling my girlfriend at some point in my life, rolled into one character - Jaden Thorne. Hopefully someday I will find her, but until then I’m still single and my search will go on. Any suggestions as to where I might find her?
How much of the book is reality and do you feel nervous putting your personal life into print?
This is the question that makes my team, especially my publicist, the most nervous. Hahaha My publisher calls it a fictionalized romantic memoir which pretty much sums it up. All I can really say is that TWD is loosely based on my real life and real romantic experiences and the truth or fiction on the page is an authentic to the life I’ve led. Anyone who really knows me and knows where I came from might just smile a little bit bigger when they read it. I hope everyone else enjoys trying to sort fact from fiction. I mean, after all, everyone loves a little mystery, right?
As far as putting my personal life out there – I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit hesitant in the beginning. But now that the first one is finished and the second and third are in development, I can say that I find it to be very, very therapeutic. Maybe even somewhat addictive.
We'd like to ask both of you, what is your favorite part of the book?
For me personally, it’s the acknowledgment page. It explains a lot to a sharpened mind ;). ~Ivan
It really is hard to pick just one part. I have several favorites, but if I had to choose only one, it would have to be the beach scene. I love this scene, not only because it’s sexy, but it’s a series of random encounters and events that has lead up to this, where they are both beginning to discover that this new and budding romance has so many possibilities. It’s fun and playful and romantic and sexy. ~Everly
We are curious Everly, what were some of the challenges you encountered while working with Dr. Ivan?
Hmm... I think the biggest challenge was our schedules. Ivan was working midnights at the hospital and I was working on a horse farm (which I still do). We had to find time every day to chat and collaborate on the book, but through thousands of emails, we somehow managed.
And what was the best part?
The best part was, and still is, the craziness. Working with Ivan, one never knows what to expect. I’ve been given a once in a lifetime opportunity to collaborate with him on The Winemaker’s Dinner. I get to pry into the sex life of one of the hottest guys out there. Each new day working with Ivan is a new adventure.
How did you end up writing this story together?
One of my Twitter followers sent me a link to her Man Candy blog and after reading Ivan’s bio, the thought kept nagging at me that he’d make the perfect romance hero. I friended him on Facebook, but it took me a month before I actually built up the courage to talk to him about it. One day I made a flippant comment about wanting to use him as a character in one of my books. Well, low and behold, Ivan messaged me and said he’d be honored. He told me that he wanted to help write the book rather than just loan his name to it, so we started throwing ideas back and forth. I already had a basic idea of where I wanted the story to go, so we just built on that and incorporated his ideas and experiences into the story. And voila… TWD was born.
Are you curious yet?
Recently named executive chef at one of Miami Beach’s hottest
restaurants, Jaden Thorne is determined to make her culinary mark and fulfill
her professional dreams. When Jaden is given highly coveted tickets to the
ultra-exclusive Winemaker’s Dinner, she jumps at the opportunity to meet South
Florida's wealthiest and most influential food and wine
enthusiasts.
Jaden’s eyes are drawn to the VIP section even before the
appetizers appear, but she soon finds herself thinking less about networking and
more about the intriguingly sexy stranger eying her from across the room. After
dinner, what begins as a light-hearted flirtation unexpectedly catapults into a
night of explosive passion. But when morning dawns, Jaden leaves her sleeping
Mr. Oh So Sexy behind, sure they’ll never see each other again.
Dr.
Ivan Rusilko, a handsome, young physician, boasts an extensive resume’ and a
well-established position on Miami Beach’s social scene. But despite his success
and glamour, he’s routinely had to suffer uninspiring dates and doomed
relationships. With a romantic heart, Ivan’s not the love-‘em-and-leave-‘em
type. But when he awakens to find that the girl in the red dress has done
exactly that, he resolves to find her--only if it’s just to ask why she left
without even a kiss goodbye.
The Winemaker’s Dinner is a
fictionalized erotic memoir inspired by the romantic triumphs and tragedies of
Dr. Ivan Rusilko’s real life. Weaving fact with fantasy, authors Everly Drummond
and Dr. Ivan Rusilko have gifted readers with a swoon-worthy flesh and blood
romantic hero and the intoxicating bouquet only a heartfelt tale of passionate
love can create.
Here's an excerpt from THE WINEMAKERS DINNER: Appetizers.
Jaden was a little disappointed not to see Ivan when she stepped out of the elevators, and as she left the lobby, she saw no sign of the black beast that had picked her up last time. What did catch her eye was a hot-looking motorcycle sitting in front of her building. So sexy, and so Miami Beach.
Yep, there he was, some pretty boy straddling the monster. Dark blue denim hugged his legs, and a short-sleeved green polo shirt stretched tightly around the ridged muscles of his arms. The bike roared to life and crept along the curb, coming to rest just inches from Jaden’s feet, leaving her both startled and annoyed. Who does this asshole think he is?
Wordlessly, the asshole raised the shield hiding his face. Eyeing her inquisitively, Ivan asked, “Are you making assumptions again, young lady?”
Feeling like a complete idiot, Jaden burst out in laughter. “Really? Do you honestly think I look like a biker chick? Now you’re the one making assumptions, doctor.”
Stepping off the bike, Ivan removed his helmet, releasing hair that flowed over his shoulders. Jaden smiled, remembering the way Ivan’s hair had felt as she wrapped her hands around it, and the intoxicating scent that came off him in waves as he heated up. A shiver swept across her skin as she approached the bike.
“This is why I was hoping you hadn’t spent too much time on your hair,” Ivan said as he revealed another helmet.
“Oh, of course not,” Jaden said sarcastically. “I just threw everything together.”
“Well done. You look delicious.” Ivan pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “There’s only one thing missing,” he added, and Jaden saw the small box in his hand.
She gasped as he opened the box to show her, and then slowly turned her around. He brushed aside her hair and draped the silver necklace around her neck, securing the tiny clasp from the back. Hanging from the chain was a golden sea turtle. Jaden reached up and ran her fingers over its smooth surface.
“I’ve never been so jealous of a turtle!” Ivan smiled and kissed the silky skin at the nape of her neck.
Jaden turned to face him and inhaled deeply. Her passion for this man overpowered her, and she kissed him with fervor. “You’re too good to me. What did I do to deserve you?”
“The night has just begun, baby,” he whispered against her skin.
“Well, thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.” Jaden had always been happy with the simple things in life, and she found the greatest joy in small, meaningful gestures. Overwhelmed by feelings, she leaned in and kissed him again. “If you’re lucky, I may just show you how grateful I am.”
“Mmmmmm…” Ivan cleared his throat and stepped back, appearing to catch his breath. “Okay! Will you be all right riding this bad boy?”
“There’s a first time for everything,” Jaden replied, also a bit breathless.
She put on the helmet Ivan handed her and slid on to the back of the Ducati. She admired its smooth lines and the way her arms naturally fit with the curves of his body and her ass with the curves of the bike. It almost seemed built for sex. She grasped him firmly around the waist, and after retrieving his sunglasses from his pocket, Ivan started the bike. Instantly vibrations danced up Jaden’s thighs, surprising her, but if she was going to be a biker chick, she needed to be one with the bike, right?
Do you want to whet your appetite?
In addition to the full length novel, two short story prequels,
RSVP and
No Reservations, penned independently by Dr. Ivan and Everly, are available for free download on the Omnific Publishing website.
Find out more:
We have an ebook copy of THE WINEMAKER'S DINNER: APPETIZERS to give away.
All you have to do is leave a message for Dr. Ivan and Everly here and use the Rafflecopter below.
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