Interview and Giveaway: A Shot of J&B by Lou Sylvre

The Novel Approach welcomes Lou Sylvre today on the A Shot of J&B blog tour. Lou answered a few questions about her boys, and is also offering the chance for one lucky reader to win an e-copy of the book AND a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift card. You can enter by clicking on the Rafflecopter widget below.

Good luck!

TNA: Lou, what was it like handing the world that Luki and Sonny built over to a new cast of characters? Was it at all sentimental for you?

Lou: Possibly a little, but not overly so. Partly because Luki and Sonny will continue to have minor roles, as they do in A Shot of J&B.  But also because it shares the universe, but it’s quite a different story. New locations, new romance situations, and there’s a world of difference between the two couples—they’re at a different stage in their lives and what they need isn’t at all the same. The way they will grow through that will sketch a different arc, I think. And I think it feels natural to move Sonny and Luki into being the role models and (mostly) patient advisors.

TNA: Did you, at any point, find yourself at a particular scene in the writing of A Shot of J&B where you asked yourself, “What would Luki do?” Was Luki’s voice ever present, and if so, can you give us some examples of when he, or Sonny too, spoke loudest?

Lou: Surely you know Luki never shuts up. Right now he’s trying to take corporeal form so he can steal my computer and change this answer. Sonny is, as you probably guessed rolling his eyes.

And yes, during the writing, he had a lot to say. The places where he spoke loudest, for the most part, were occasions when Brian or Jackie needed to talk to him, or he needed to be sure he was taking care of them—especially Jackie. For instance, later in the story—when Jackie finally figures out he’s in trouble, but he can’t get ahold of Brian—Luki thumped me and said, “He would call me, Ms. Sylvre!” Sonny on the other hand likes to point out to me when Luki is stubbornly refusing to give someone something. “You can’t let him do that, Lou,” he says. “Okay,” I say, “then you fix it!” He looked at me for a while, then said, “He’ll be pissed.” I laughed, “Not if you’re sneaky.” Off he went, looking like the bird who knows he’s going to catch the worm.

TNA: In what ways did you determine to make this next generation of Vasquez Security fresh and unique?

Lou: I touched on this a bit in my answer to your first question. As is usual with me, the story is driven by the primary characters, and Brian and Jackie have very different personalities than their predecessors. It didn’t take too much thought to figure out the up-front changes, because many differences were already set in place from Jackie and Brian’s previous appearance in the Vasquez and James series—everything from age, locations, occupations, some history, even basic description. I’m sure the two of them will continue to surprise me, though. Another thing is that I’ve decided this series—Vasquez Secrity, TNG— will have a bit of a different flavor than V&J. More of a typical PI series, but still with lots of romance, including some secondary romances along the way. That’s a change that will become more evident with the next book.

TNA: Do you have the series plotted out to a set number of books? If so, can you tell us how many we can look forward to?

Lou: Oh, my. Assuming you’ve forgotten that V&J was going to be three or four books and ended up seven, I’ll say I have four or five in mind for this one. I know where the next one is going and some ideas about the rest, but I’ve learned not to get ahead too much, because things always change in the writing.

TNA: What do you suppose Luki and Sonny are doing right now?

Lou: I’m not sure exactly, but I did hear Sonny giggling a bit ago, then Luki whispered, “C’mon, baby! Old Sylvre, the witch (I swear he said witch) has nothing to say about it anymore.” After that I heard several doors close between them and me—which I’m thankful for. I’m also thankful, incidentally, for Lisa and TNA hosting me on my tour, and giving me some questions I could answer while having a little fun at the same time. :)

Blurb: Six years ago, Brian Harrison helped save the life of Jackie Vasquez, and he’s never really forgotten him. After the rescue, Brian ended his employment with Jackie’s uncle Luki and left the US for England, aiming to distance himself from the confused feelings—not lust, but not brotherly—that then sixteen-year-old Jackie engendered. Now Jackie has become a man, and when they meet again by chance, lust with a dose of D/s rope kink is definitely on the list of possibilities. As they get to know each other, though, lust shows every sign of growing into love, deep and true.

When Jackie moves to London for graduate studies in criminal psychology, he and Brian hope they’ll be able to enjoy each other’s frequent company. But they haven’t factored in the claim Brian’s police job with Scotland Yard will make on his time, especially when the “Gaslighter crimes” sap investigative resources. An abandoned aide dog named Soldier leads to a breakthrough clue, and a chain of discoveries fall like dominoes. As Brian rushes to beat the criminal’s game before it escalates to true terror, he comes to an undeniable conclusion: Jackie Vasquez, the man he loves, is in mortal danger.

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon US | All Romance eBooks

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