On Tour with Erica Pike and Black Hurricane (contest)

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Erica Pike here today to talk about her latest release, Black Hurricane, hot rockers boys, and all things writing.  She’s brought along a contest to enter and an excerpt to read.  Check them all out,  now on to our interview. Welcome, Erica!

 

STRW: What is your character’s favorite profession?

Erica Pike: Honestly? I love writing characters who cook, and yet the only books I’ve written that contain a professional baker is the Castor Spring series (free, because they were a part of a writing event). However, I love throwing in characters, in my other books, who are amazing cooks even if it’s just a hobby. Musicians are also one of my favorites, because there’s just something about a guy who can make music, be it with his voice or fingers.

STRW: Do you have a favorite age in mind for your characters?

Erica Pike: I mostly write New Adult, which means 18-25ish. I like it because people have to learn so much during those years when they take their first steps into adulthood and everything that comes with it. It’s also the time period where a lot of gay men are finally free to be themselves by moving away from their childhood towns, so they experience life in a whole different way, make new friendships, enter the adult dating pool, and possibly find their first love.

STRW: Contemporary romance or erotica?  How do you see your stories?

Erica Pike: I write gay romances. If I have to choose between the two terms, it’s definitely romance. You can remove the sex scenes and there’s still a romance story. Erotic Romance would be a better way of describing them, since there’s explicit sex in almost all of them, but people tend to think “Erotica” when they see Erotic Romance so I just say “Romance.” The first books I wrote contained a lot of sex scenes, as if often with debut novels in the M/M genre, but I’ve mellowed over time and now there’s more focus on other things. It doesn’t mean that the books have become boring, it just means that the guys don’t jump into bed as quickly.

STRW: Rockers are always hot!  What makes your rockers different?

Erica Pike: Mine are hotter? But, seriously, Black Hurricane is about Jazz who isn’t a professional rocker to begin with. He loves to sing and play guitar, but he’s never been about the fame and never thought about a career in music. When the fame is thrust upon him, he resents it, but the resentment has more to do with the media connecting him to the rocker Dean McQueen, whom Jazz despises with passion.

STRW: Favorite rock band?  Now and growing up?

Erica Pike: My favorite rock band hasn’t changed since I was growing up. Well, I wasn’t much into rock until I was in my teens and I discovered Quarashi, an Icelandic rock-rap band. They broke up in 2004, but announced this year that they’re back together. That’s beyond awesome, because it means more cool music. Quarashi’s “Stick ‘em Up” helped get me in the mood for Black Hurricane’s back alley standoff scene.

STRW: Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what inspires you?

Erica Pike: I don’t. Not while I write, but I may listen to it in between writing. However, during the writing of Black Hurricane, I did listen to some rock music while I wrote, Nine Inch Nails’ Closer, for example. That’s the kind of music that inspires me – great beat and raw lyrics. None of the flowery stuff for me.

STRW: Favorite character of yours?  Or do you have one?

Erica Pike: I have one, and my other characters wouldn’t mind if they actually existed. It’s Eric Wesley. I never mean for him to steal the spotlight in every Boston Boys book, but he does it anyway. I love his brash nature, his way with words, and his spunky attitude.

STRW: Which comes first character or a plot?

Erica Pike: In case of the Boston Boys series, it was definitely the characters. I never meant for it to become a series when I wrote A Life Without You, but five weeks later I had Absolutely Eric in my hands. Since I’d written two, I figured I might as well give the rest of the guys a book. However, when I wrote the College Fun and Gays series, the plots came to me first.

Thank you so much for having me over. It’s been a pleasure.

Book Name: Black Hurricane
Author Name: Erica Pike
Publisher:  MLR Press LLC

Contest:  Rafflecopter Prize: A $50 Amazon Gift Certificate and signed paperbacks of A Life Without You, Hot Hands and The Walls Have Ears. One (international) winner for the lot.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Visit here for the entry form and additional contest details or at the link at the bottom of the post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Bio: Erica lives in Iceland with her adorable little twin boys. She often says that her real name sounds like Klingon to foreigners. Seriously, if “Eyjafjallajökull” looks like a random strings of characters, it’s nothing in comparison to Erica’s name.
She’s been writing for several years, or ever since reading became an obsession. Aside from a business degree, Erica has taken English courses at the University of Iceland and gulped down anything that might help her in her career as an author. She takes great interest in English, but will break every single grammar rule for the sake of The Voice.

• Author Contact:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  Goodreads Author Page
  Goodreads Author Group Page

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Title: Black Hurricane by Erica Pike
Cover Artist: Scarlet Tie Designs
Publisher: MLR Press

Buy Links:    MLR Press            All Romance eBooks (ARe)          Amazon

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Black Hurricane Blurb:

Twenty-three year old Jasper Jones fell in love with Dean McQueen at fourteen, but after a disastrous relationship, Jazz would like nothing better than to see the rock star choke on his own vomit.

After a catastrophic reunion, Dean seems bent on destroying Jazz’s life. It all started when an impromptu bar performance ended up on YouTube and Jazz became an internet sensation overnight. The name “Jazdean” keeps popping up in headlines and the paparazzi stalk his every move. To make matters worse, Jazz is about to end up on the streets for the second time in his life.

In a desperate attempt to keep his home, Jazz signs a deal with Dean’s band, Black Hurricane, to perform at a couple of concerts. It feels like one of Dean’s feeble attempts to get Jazz back, but painted into a corner like he is, Jazz has no choice.

Excerpt:

“Jazz, take pictures!” Eric pokes me hard in the side with his bony elbow.

I wince and raise the camera, clicking a shot.

“Go to the front, like they’re doing.” He points at the photographers running to the front and clicking madly on their cameras.

Heaving a sigh, I drag my ass off the chair to walk forward. I rake my hand through my hair before I glance back at the monstrosity on the platform. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be in this position. Suddenly oil paint and new guitar strings don’t seem all that important. I just wanna get out, but Eric needs these pictures for the magazine and I’d rather die than let one of my friends down.

My heart thuds when I see Dean looking right back at me as I approach. His brow furrows as if he’s trying to place me. Typical. Of course he wouldn’t remember me. Why would he? My heart hammers a fast beat as my body breaks out in sweat. The inside of my throat thickens, stopping half of the oxygen from reaching my lungs. And still, I’m having the hardest time looking away.

Am I nervous under his green-eyed gaze? Or is it just the hate? It’s been years since I last saw him.

Not wanting to give the wrong impression of an adoring fan, I narrow my eyes and spew out all the venom I feel for this man into one, hateful glare, just before I raise the camera and snap my shots.

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Tour Dates/Stops

August 11: Because Two Men Are Better Than One
August 18: Full Moon Dreaming
August 25: MM Good Book Reviews, Hearts on Fire
September 1: Velvet Panic, Fallen Angel Reviews, Havan Fellows
September 8: Decadent Delights
September 15: Up All Night, Read All Day, Love Bytes
September 22: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Smoocher’s Voice
September 29: Prism Book Alliance
October 6: It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake
October 13: Cate Ashwood
October 20: The Novel Approach
October 27: The Hat Party, Dawn’s Reading Nook
November 3: Tara Lain
November 10: My Fiction Nook
November 17: Emotion in Motion, Kimi-Chan
November 24: Amanda C. Stone

 

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