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* Skye Warren: Author Override
* Narrator Lorelei King: Interview
* Stephanie Tyler: Interview
* Carolyn Crane: Author Override | UTC Review
* J.T. Geissinger: Interview | UTC Review
* Men and Women of the Military Giveaway Hop
* Keri Arthur: Interview | UTC Reviews

Monday 4 July 2011

Interview and Giveaway with Olivia Cunning!



Olivia Cunning is the author of BACKSTAGE PASS and ROCK HARD, two very very sexy erotica books that are sure to scorch your fingers as you read them! We're chatting with her today, so Maidens, please help me welcome Olivia to Under the Covers! For more information on Olivia, please visit her website here.

UTC: Thanks for stopping by today, Olivia! We are thrilled to have you! So let's talk first about your Sinner books. Rock stars are always a great choice! Talented and super hawt, what made you decide to write about them?

I’ve had a thing for rock stars since I was a teenager. I think it’s their mix of musical talent and self-confidence that is so appealing to me. Plus, they always look like they’re having a great time! I just wonder why it took me so long to start writing about them.

UTC: Oh yes, self-confidence is definitely sexy! How did you come up with the name of the band?

I honestly don’t remember. I think it was just one of those things that came to me suddenly and had the perfect double meaning. I did some searches and found there is a real band called “The Sinners”. So when my publisher tried to change the band name of “Sinners” to “The Sinners”, I really held my ground. They’re not THE Sinners. Just Sinners. And they are. Just a group of sinners. On tour.

UTC: If you could compare Sinners to a real band, to give us an idea of their sound and look, who would it be?

I got the idea for Backstage Pass at an Avenged Sevenfold concert, so their influence is obvious. That’s where Sinners started, but they morphed into unique characters with a unique music style quickly. Though they are fictional, my creations become very real to me. So to me they look like Sinners and sound like Sinners.

UTC: Naturally, we have to ask! Who is your favorite real life band?

I have so many favorites, I can’t choose just one. I’ve been listening to a lot of Bullet for My Valentine, Three Days Grace and 30 Seconds to Mars this week. Last week it was Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed and Slipknot. Ask me next week and my favorites will change. I’m a fan of certain genre of music more so than a certain band.

UTC: I think most people will agree with me that your stories are quite creative, in a good way. Who or what do you look to for inspiration?

I get very wrapped up in my own mind when I write. I listen to music and that does inspire me, but most of the time I’m living the scenes in my head. So what really inspires me? My over-active imagination.

UTC: Can you give us any idea as to what we can expect from Trey's book? Yeah, we can't wait!

Lots of sex.

UTC: Woo hoo! I can deal with that! I'm dying for more Sinners! When is your next  release date and what can we expect from it?

The sad truth is, I don’t know. I wish I did. I learned secondhand (because no one ever tells me anything) that the next book might come out in Fall 2012. The series release schedule is in limbo right now. If that annoys you, imagine how I feel.

UTC: The epilogue for Backstage Pass was scheduled to be released, but now maybe that won't happen. Do you have any other plans for publishing a Sinners short story sometime?

No. Not because I don’t want to, but because my contract won’t allow me to do so. There’s a reason why my next rock star series will be self-published. Having no control over release dates and being unable to do what I want to do with my characters (including, but not limited to short stories) would be the two main reasons.

UTC: I know this is probably hard because I'm sure you love all your characters, but who's your favorite Sinner?
That’s not hard. It’s impossible. I love them all for different reasons. And I have to fall in love with all of them, or the reader won’t fall in love with them. Brian gives me the warm fuzzies. Sed gives me heart palpations. Jace needs hugs. Eric makes me laugh. Trey makes me melt. So I guess it depends on my mood.

UTC: You just released a non-Sinners book, Loving on Borrowed Time. What can readers expect from this book, and how is it different from Sinners (obviously apart from the music aspect)?

It’s very different from Sinners. It has the humor and the sexy, bad boy hero with the tender heart, but the similarities stop there. First, it’s a novella (shorter) and is part of a serial series. Think of each book in the series as two episodes of a TV show. The same two lead characters get into various situations in each volume. Their story builds fairly slowly and ties all the volumes of the series together. Second, it’s time travel, not contemporary. The hero, Reece, and heroine, Lara, are travelling through time (think quantum leap), sharing an existence with some other couple as they make 3-day-long pit stops in the past. They have two goals. To stay ahead of Carl, who is trying to see Lara killed in contemporary times and to help couples in the past find their happily-ever-afters, mostly by having great sex. It’s meant to be fun, not to be taken too seriously.

UTC: Thanks again for participating, we're so excited to have you!!!

Thanks for having me.


To enter, you must:
1. Be a follower of this blog
2. Fill out entry form below


24 comments:

Megan@Riverina Romantics said...

Oh crap. I filled out the form more than once. You guys make it so tempting!

Jen said...

Great interview! Love her writing, she's so fun!

Lindsay said...

The point about how frustrating it is to not have control over release dates and characters must be so hard to deal with - I imagine it takes some of the fun out or writing...self-publishing is becoming more and more popular, and no wonder!

Great interview!
Lindsay
http://everydayadventure11.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

@Megan LOL, it's okay! No worries and sorry we tempt you so bad :P

@Jen She IS fun!

@Lindsay I can only imagine how difficult it could be. Thanks for stopping by!

Olivia Cunning said...

Good morning! I hope everyone is having a great Independence Day (or Monday if you don't live in the U.S.)! I'm off to have fun and ride roller coasters for the next 9 days. You can leave questions here and I'll try to remember to get back to them.

Unknown said...

Totally LOVED Backstage Pass!!!!....I think it sucks not getting to know what's going on with your own books..IE.. release dates and such!
I Look forward to the rest of the series, I mean the guys really do STEAM it up...LOL
Have fun on the coasters :0)

Jennifer_After_Dark said...

Awsome Interview,,,And I love Cunnings work Ive actually already read both of these books,but I can still enter right,,Im usually into Paranormal romance,,but a hot sexy Rock Star ranks right up there with a hot sexy vampire..lol
and just for the record I cant wait to read about Trey,,,
Jennifer

Luv2laugh82 said...

Love your writing!!
I love your "grading or rating" system!!

June M. said...

Hope everyone has a great 4th of July! I think the new paranormal series will be so cool. Jumping to different times and places.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I wanted to enter the giveway, but I noticed there isn't a box to check if you follow by email (which I do). Can this be added? Just curious and thanks for doing the giveway! I would love to enter for "Backstage Pass" :-)

Unknown said...

@ambercruz1 go ahead and fill out the form. check GFC box and I'll just make a note that you follow by email. I wouldn't want you to miss out on a chance to win :)

Anonymous said...

Oh, that's great! Thank you very much! :-)

Nissie said...

Great interview, guys! I love the series so far and can't wait for more. Olivia, I'm so glad you decided to self-publish!!

Darlene said...

Thanks for the giveaway!

Janhvi said...

thanks for the giveaway!

Unknown said...

What a great interview! Cunnings has great taste in music (though I am not the biggest SlipKnot fan). Avenged Sevenfold and 30 Seconds to Mars are two of my favorite bands. M. Shadows and Jared Leto both get awards for hottest lead singers ever! I love how incredibly different your characters are, all are so lovable in such strange ways LOL! Loving on Borrowed Time sounds great too, added to the wishlist. Thank you so much for the interview :)

Stephanie Julian said...

A7X! I'm a Synyster fan. Just got my tickets for Uproar.

Sorry, just jumping in to say how much I love Olivia's books. No need to enter me in the giveaway. I've already read them.

Cindi F. said...

As I posted on Goodreads, I am a Sinners groupie. With a pretty strong crush on Sed and Trey. I think we all need to contact Olivia's publisher and scream our hearts out! Trey's book needs to be out NOW! Sorry you are having to deal with all that crap, Olivia!

Mary @SweepingMe said...

Thanks for the interview. I am so impressed with Olivia and her writing. I just read Rock Hard and LOVED IT!!!!

mary_reiss @ hotmail.com

Texas Book Lover said...

I have heard so many wonderful things about this series that I already plan on reading them as soon as I can get get a break!

Thanks for the opportunity!

AngelaC said...

I love you Olivia. And Loooove Brian!


Macrn 1 @ gmaildotcom

Darkfallen said...

*beats publishers over the head* I can't have Trey until 2012?!?!?!? Olivia tell them I might die buy then...really then blood will be on thier hands;) LMAO

Unknown said...

Lets go Darkfallen, we can beat publisher over the head together. How dare they?

JoAnna said...

I just finished reading Backstage Pass last Friday and had to buy Rock Hard as soon as I was done. And now I read this and find out it could be a year until I get my next fix?!?! We will go through withdrawal without the Sinners.
Thanks for the great interview!