Meet Adriana Locke
Biography:
Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.
Adriana resides in the Midwest with her family. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. She loves to be outside in the sunshine and always has a piece of candy in her pocket.
Her first novel, The Exception, was released in 2014. The followup, The Perception, was released in March 2015. Both books follow the same characters, but can be read as standalone novels. Sacrifice, a novel unrelated to the others, is slated to hit stores in Summer 2015.
Please contact Adriana at www.adrianalocke.com. She loves to hear from readers.
Blurbs:
The Perception:
There is no greater burden than a secret, and Kari Stanley has been carrying one alone for a long time. But fate intervenes in the form of a broken down car and the kind offer of assistance from a handsome stranger with a sweet, southern drawl. In exchange, all she has to do is go to dinner
with him. Temptation was never so sweet.
Max Quinn has secrets of his own. His good deeds aren't just a product of his southern upbringing; they're his atonement. As one dinner turns into two, he realizes that Kari just might be his salvation.
As they struggle to find their path together, their secrets weigh heavier on them. Will they be able to trust one another with the truth, or will their secrets keep them apart forever?
The Exception:
There are exceptions to every rule ...
Jada Stanley is starting over, freeing herself from her past. Following the rules she’s given herself is easy enough, until she meets HIM. He’s gorgeous, cocky, and everything she needs to avoid, but that’s easier said than done.
Cane Alexander has his own set of rules, a plan to keep his life simple and free of complications. But when he sets his sights on Jada, she proves to be a temptation he just can’t resist.
Walls crumble, resolve fades, and precious rules are bent.
They can’t help but take a chance on each other, but chances come with risk. As the past rears its ugly head in ways they never see coming, will they revert back to protecting themselves? Or will they realize that the other is the exception to every rule they’ve ever made?
Teasers:
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Interview:
1. What inspires your writing? Ah, good question. I think the thing that inspires me most when I sit down to write is hope. Whether it be hope that I could actually finish a novel (ha!) or hope for love, I think that word really triggers the words to flow from my fingertips. I’ve also noticed that when my outline doesn’t include a lot of promise of something better, it seems to just work its way in anyway.
2. Have you always wanted to be an author? Kind of. I have a pink Barbie suitcase in my mom’s attic of stories I wrote when I was in third or fourth grade. I’ve always been an avid reader and I think writing is a natural progression. I don’t really recall wanting to write novels after elementary school, although I did seem to gravitate towards English and writing classes in high school and college.
3. Who are your favorite authors? There are so many! I fell in love with Lauren Blakely, Beverly Preston, and Seraphina Donavan early in my romance-reading life. Gail McHugh, K Bromberg, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Heidi McLaughlin, and SL Scott are auto-clicks for me. I also adore Kari March, Angie McKeon, and Mandi Beck.
4. What would you say to someone who is just starting out as a writer? Before you get overwhelmed with the publishing details, finish the book. Actually writing “The End” is the hardest part. If you manage to do that and hit the “magic button”, I’d tell you to “feed the right wolf”. There’s an old parable that says there are two wolves inside us all - Evil and Good. The one that survives is the one that you feed. This industry, this process, can be intimidating and overwhelming. It’s very important to do things your way, to stay true to yourself. Never lose your integrity.
5. Do you ever put any part of yourself in you characters? I think so. Jada, for example,
knows she’s vulnerable but wants to stay strong. It’s a conscious decision for her, just like it is
for me. Kari is very happy on the outside, but inside she’s more quiet and sad. I can very
much identify with that. Julia in Sacrifice (releasing this summer) is a mother. Without giving too much away, I can relate to her in a variety of ways.
6. How old where you when your first book was published? I was 33 last year when The Exception published. But if anyone asks, let’s maintain I’m 29. ;)
7. How many books have you written? What are their titles? I’ve published two - The Exception and The Perception. They can be read as stand-alone novels, but the characters are the same in both books. The Exception follows Cane and Jada and The Perception follows Max and Kari.
8. Do you have any more books coming out? What are their titles? Yes! I have Sacrifice coming out this summer. It is completely unrelated to the other titles I’ve written. I’m super excited about because it’s really different from anything I’ve ever done. I’m also working on Dr. Manning’s story. If you’ve read The Perception, you know who he is. ;)
9. What do you hope readers take from your books? I would love it if readers took away a bit of hope from my stories. Whether it be hope that you can find the perfect match or hope that things will work out no matter how bad the situation looks, there’s always a reason to hold on. But really, if they just finish with a smile, that works, too.
10. What do you do to get ready to write? I’ll listen to a playlist for that story on Spotify for a bit before. I can’t listen to music while I write, but it really does inspire me. Then I usually just jump in.
11. Do you ever get writers block? What helps you get past it? Of course I do and it’s so frustrating. Sometimes I’ll sit down and try to re-plot the story or flesh out ideas or details I’ve been playing with. The best way to beat it though is to call a beta and talk it out. Sometimes you just need to work through it out loud.
12. What is your favorite type of book to read? Does that type influence your books? I’ll read anything. I love contemporary romance, but I also love mysteries and cookbooks and biographies. I have taken little things I’ve read or seen (a layout, for example) and noted it down as inspiration.
Tell us about your new novella/novel:
My last novel published is called The Perception. If you read The Exception, then you already know a little about Max and Kari. If you haven’t, no worries - this can be read as a standalone!
Max and Kari are already in love at the start of the book and readers really seem to like that.
They also seem to love that Max is not a cocky douchebag. Instead, he’s a fiercely loyal and absolute gentleman while maintaining an alpha status. Kari is getting a lot of mentions, too, as a strong, relatable heroine. Yes, she’s frustrating sometimes, but she’s pretty real. That might be the thing I’m most proud of in the entire book.
The novel I’m working on now is titled Sacrifice. It’s about Crew Gentry, a guy raised on the streets with his brother, Gage. Crew’s had a rough life, some of it his own doing, some of it not, and he has a chip on his shoulder.
At the start of the story, Crew has lost his wrestling career due to injury and is working on the docks in Boston. He’s angry and frustrated and really trying to figure out who he is and what matters to him. Ultimately, he comes face-to-face with those questions and an answer must be made.
Fun Facts:
1. Favorite food - Pizza! I could live on pizza. My family owned a pizza shop most of my life, so I grew up making pizzas and strombolis and things like that. There’s nothing that smells better than a pizza out of the oven.
2. Favorite color - Orange is the color I’m most drawn to and I adore the pinkish oranges.
3. Favorite sweet treat - Ice cream is probably my favorite. I just tried this new coffee-flavored gelato and it was heaven! It’s a good thing I have sons because ice cream never lasts long around here.
4. Favorite mixed drink - I LOVE these pineapple upside down cake drinks with vanilla vodka and pineapple juice. They’ll get you in trouble. ;) If that’s not a choice, I’ll always go for rum.
5. Favorite thing to shop for - Nothing! I hate shopping with everything that I am. I’d shop for anything over clothes for myself, though. That’s the worst.
6. Lucky number - 7. It’s my birthday and Mr. Locke’s baseball number from way back in the day.
7. Favorite book - Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan is my favorite series of all time. I love the grit, the realness of the series. The characters aren’t rich or beautiful or perfect, but damn it if I don’t love them. She just sucks you into that storyline and holds you hostage. I dread the day the series is over. I’m going to need to be medicated.
8. Favorite movie - It really changes. We are a very male-centric household, so I’ve learned to love Troy, Gladiator, and Fight Club. But if Fried Green Tomatoes or Steel Magnolias is on, I’ll never change the channel. And who doesn’t love Dirty Dancing!?
9. Favorite song - The Devil Went Down to Georgia is my all-time favorite. It’s country but I really think it was the first rap song. LOL I love the fiddle and the tempo and just everything about it. My current obsession (besides anything by Maroon 5) is Beautiful War by Kings of Leon. I also love Roadhouse Blues by The Doors, I Cross My Heart by George Strait, and Whatta Man by Salt N Pepa. ;) Most of these are on my Spotify playlists for one book or another.
10. Favorite sport - Football season is about the only time I really watch any television. Mr. Locke has always been a fighter and my sons wrestle and box, so MMA is my second favorite. As a matter of fact, seeing a boxing match in Vegas is the only thing on my bucket list!
What is something everyone should know about you? Wow. I don’t know. I’m not that interesting. I guess I would like everyone to know that I genuinely appreciate each and every one of them. If they’ve read my book and liked it, if they’ve read it and didn’t, even if they just thought about buying it - thank you. My life is incredibly full and my family will always come first. But writing lets me express myself in a different way, gives me something to look forward to besides washing baseball pants. ;) My stories are the cherry on top of my life and that’s only possible because readers out there support me. If I could, I’d hug each one of them.
