New Adult Book Club discussion

Happy Sunday NABC! We have the wonderful Alessandra Torre joining us for a Q&A this week! Alessandra is the author of such books as Love in Lingerie, Masked Innocence, Hollywood dirt, Moonshot, and many others! Leave your questions for her below! <3

Hello!
Among all of your books, who is your favourite male character?

Hi Alessandra! Which is your favourite genre to write? I love all your books but I favour the twisty thriller types, ghostwriter and 6e series! That said, I love the sexy twisty so call me a fan of all!

hi <3 If you could be any book character for a day, who would you choose and why?

What are you working on now?

Hi Alessandra. Any chance you’ll be coming to a signing in the UK anytime soon? Xxx

First I want to say thank you! I’m one of your audiobook winners and I can’t wait to listen to THE Ghost Writer.. my question is - after Hollywood Dirt became a movie, what other book (of yours) would like to be seen on the big scene?

Hi Alessandra, which book was one of your favorites to write?

Hi Alessandra! Where do you get inspiration for your novels?

Hi....first thanks for a great webinar, you inspired me to try finally..you know just for me(I have so many stories in my head)... anyway I love your books and Hollywood dirt was maybe my fav, how can I see it - I do not live in the USA? Plus what is the deal with the photos from Love Chloe, they are great did you take them...is the writing your only artistic outlet or .....????

Deniz wrote: "Hello!
Among all of your books, who is your favourite male character?"

Hey Deniz!

Whew. That's a tough one. Brad DeLuca from the Innocence Trilogy (Blindfolded Innocence is the first) will always be the hero I love the most. He is uber alpha, but also filthy in the bedroom, and I love love love love him.

But I also really love Trey Marks from Love in Lingerie. In that novel, he's a best friend of the heroine, but he's the most wicked and unapologetically sexual best friend on earth. :)

Kindling wrote: "Hi Alessandra! Which is your favourite genre to write? I love all your books but I favour the twisty thriller types, ghostwriter and 6e series! That said, I love the sexy twisty so call me a fan of..."

Hey Kindling!

I like a variety, that keeps me from getting burnt out. But the easiest thing for me to write is mystery/suspense - so I'm glad you like those novels!!

I absolutely LOVE your books and find them to be absolutely perfect, but have you ever wanted to go back and change something about one of your books? And if so, what and why?

J. wrote: "hi <3 If you could be any book character for a day, who would you choose and why?"

These are such great questions! I'd have to go with Summer from Hollywood Dirt. She's got a pretty great life, is married to a movie star, and is an all-around cool girl. :)

Nicole wrote: "What are you working on now?"

Hey Nicole!

Right now I'm writing the final chapters.... oh my gosh, I'm almost done!... of Hidden Seams - it's a standalone erotic romance, set in the same world (upscale fashion) as Love in Lingerie. It's all forbidden love, secrets, and sexual tension. :) And it releases in a month!

More info >> https://www.subscribepage.com/HITC

I'm going to go write a few more thousand words for Hidden Seams, but I'll be back later to answer more questions!

Thanks guys!

What inspired you to start writing?

Hi Alessandra! How do you motivate yourself to write each day, apart from deadlines/word count? Do the voices demand to be written?
What's your favorite animal?
<3

Hi Alessandra! If you can choose an author to co-write with, who would you choose and which genre would it be in? :)

Hi Alessandra! I am a huge fan of your books.

My questions are:
Which scenes are the easiest and which one are the hardest to write?

Also what is the craziest/most unusual thing you had to research for any of your books?

What is your "must have" when you are in writing mode?

Who or what inspired you to write?

From all the books you have written, which one was closest to your character? Or which one would you say, 'this is so me'? :)

Pamela wrote: "Hi Alessandra. Any chance you’ll be coming to a signing in the UK anytime soon? Xxx"

Hey Pamela!

Oh - I'd LOVE to come to the UK. But I have a bit of a confession - I have serious anxiety when flying overseas without my family. I flew (for the first time) to France this year, by myself, and it knocked me on my butt.

So... yes. I hope to come to the UK soon, but I don't have any plans in the immediate future. :(

JMV wrote: "First I want to say thank you! I’m one of your audiobook winners and I can’t wait to listen to THE Ghost Writer.. my question is - after Hollywood Dirt became a movie, what other book (of yours) wo..."

Hey JMV!

I really want The Girl in 6E to become either a movie or tv show. I think it has so much possibility, and potential - on the screen. We came close to it about two years ago, but the studio head who was passionate about it unexpectedly passed away, and the project died with him. :(

And.. I'm actually working with the producer of Twilight on a movie for The Ghostwriter! So, keep your fingers crossed on that one!

Sarah wrote: "Hi Alessandra! Where do you get inspiration for your novels?"

Hey Sarah! The inspiration comes from all over the place. For example:

Trophy Wife I’ve always had a little bit of an obsession with the idea of trophy wives. I see a beautiful woman, in a glamorous lifestyle and my imagination goes wild. What is her life like? How is her relationship with her husband? Are they happy? How well do they know each other? Do they ever fall in love or is it more of a business arrangement? I started Trophy Wife with only one scene in my mind — a stripper who is proposed to by a mysterious stranger, one who promises her a life of wealth in exchange for her hand in marriage. I started writing, and the rest of the book poured into my head as the scenes unfolded and I discovered more about each of the characters.

Sex Love Repeat: I got the idea for this book when I saw the movie Savages. It stars Blake Lively, a beach bum type who dates and lives with two men. She sleeps with both of them and they are both in love with her. It’s a very unique type of relationship, but one that works for them. I left that movie wanting to write that same scenario—a woman who had two boyfriends.

The Girl in 6E: This story was born out of research. I was researching different sexual fetishes online when I discovered the world of webcam models. I was instantly intrigued. Who were these women? What if they were the complete opposite of the bubbly, happy coeds that they posed as? What if one was…. a psychotic recluse who hadn’t left her apartment in three years and obsessed over killing people? Once I had THAT character in my head, the rest was easy.

Hello Alessandra! Have you ever dealt with writing slumps? If so, how do you deal with them? :) Thank you!

Would you ever want to write a christmas/holiday story?

Jane wrote: "What advice would you give to someone attempting to be successful in the self-publishing sphere today? Have any notable things changed from when you started to 2017?"

Hey Jane!

Gosh. I could write a book on this. In fact, I created an entire online course on this, which means I can chatter on for five hours on this subject. :)

Biggest changes since I began in 2012:
- Kindle Unlimited has changed everything
- things are a lot harder, the market is more saturated
- Facebook ads and BookBub is king

My advice to self-publishers:
- work your butt off
- avoid drama
- invest your time in a consistent and quality product
- continually promote your backlist
- more books equals more readers and more sales

Antonella wrote: "Hi....first thanks for a great webinar, you inspired me to try finally..you know just for me(I have so many stories in my head)... anyway I love your books and Hollywood dirt was maybe my fav, how ..."

Hey Antonella!

Hollywood Dirt's movie is available worldwide through PassionFlix.com or Amazon.com (and maybe other amazon countries? I'm not sure).

And YAY! I'm so glad that my webinar was helpful and that you're motivated to write your novel! I'm so excited for you!

And Love Chloe's photos... I got lucky that the cover model for Love Chloe had a ton of personal photos that she sold me for use in the interior pics. So no, I didn't take any of them myself. :)

Which of your books was your favorite to write?

what is or was the most difficult thing to go through while you are writing a book?

CerysAnne wrote: "I absolutely LOVE your books and find them to be absolutely perfect, but have you ever wanted to go back and change something about one of your books? And if so, what and why?"

Hey CerysAnne!

Yes, my first three novels, after I became more accomplished as a writer, I was unhappy with. The first was Blindfolded Innocence, which - unfortunately - is owned by a publisher and I am unable to change. I wouldn't have changed the circumstances in that book, just improved the writing.

The second novel was The Girl in 6E which was also purchased by a publisher, and that one I DID have the chance to improve, which I did - drastically.

And the third novel was The Dumont Diaries, which I actually pulled off sale this year and completely rewrote and retitled, as Trophy Wife.

So yes - I do sometimes want to go back and change things. :)

Katrina wrote: "What inspired you to start writing?"

Hey Katrina! My mom started to write a book, and that gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the process. I was fascinated by it, and thought "I want to try this!".

So that summer I sat down and struggled through my first novel. :)

Ruth wrote: "Hi Alessandra! How do you motivate yourself to write each day, apart from deadlines/word count? Do the voices demand to be written?
What's your favorite animal?
<3"

Hey Ruth!

Sometimes the voices demand to be written, but often they hide from me! I have gotten in the habit of writing every day, and I look forward to it every day. It's my 'me time'. So while it's sometimes hard to find the time and solitude, it's never a chore, if that makes sense.

Horses are my favorite animal. One day, I'll be back in a situation where I can ride them again.

RentasticReads wrote: "Hi Alessandra! If you can choose an author to co-write with, who would you choose and which genre would it be in? :)"

It would probably be in the mystery/thriller genre and I'd probably chose Gillian Flynn (I love her twisted mind!) or Kristin Hannah (I love her storytelling).

Betul wrote: "Hi Alessandra! I am a huge fan of your books.

My questions are:
Which scenes are the easiest and which one are the hardest to write?

Also what is the craziest/most unusual thing you had to resear..."

Hey Betul!

Easiest scenes to write: Dialog scenes. I love to write dialog!
Hardest scenes to write: At times... sex scenes. You really have to be in the mood to write sexy, and sometimes I'm not in that mood.

And the craziest thing I had to research was DEF the webcam industry for my Girl in 6E novel. That is a crazy world, and one where women make six figures, learn men's craziest secrets, and fund their own businesses. I loved diving into that world, speaking to those camgirls, and learning about their clients, and their industry.

Cassie wrote: "What is your "must have" when you are in writing mode?"

My Must-Haves:

Dr Pepper or Monster Zero energy drinks:


My space heater:


Headphones and Music:

S.Shade wrote: "Who or what inspired you to write?"

My mom started to write a book, and that gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the process. I was fascinated by it, and thought "I want to try this!".

So that summer I sat down and struggled through my first novel. :)

Another thing that inspired me was Stephen King's book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

Karlita | Heartale Fix wrote: "From all the books you have written, which one was closest to your character? Or which one would you say, 'this is so me'? :)"

There is a little bit of me in all of my books.

From a 'writer' standpoint, I identify with Helena in The Ghostwriter.

From a personality standpoint, I identify with Summer in Hollywood Dirt.

But alot of my experiences and interactions are throughout a lot of my characters. :)

Alessandra wrote: "JMV wrote: "First I want to say thank you! I’m one of your audiobook winners and I can’t wait to listen to THE Ghost Writer.. my question is - after Hollywood Dirt became a movie, what other book (..."

Alessandra wrote: "JMV wrote: "First I want to say thank you! I’m one of your audiobook winners and I can’t wait to listen to THE Ghost Writer.. my question is - after Hollywood Dirt became a movie, what other book (..."

I Would definitely watch and fingers crossed!

Sophie wrote: "Hello Alessandra! Have you ever dealt with writing slumps? If so, how do you deal with them? :) Thank you!"

Hey Sophie!

Yes. Writing slumps are painful. :) I've suffered through a few of them. Sometimes I've grinded through them, writing just a few paragraphs a day. Other times I've moved back a few chapters and tried to take the novel in a different direction. And sometimes I've set the book down for a week or two and let my brain rest for a little bit, or used that time to go back and improve the first half of the book.

Emily wrote: "Would you ever want to write a christmas/holiday story?"

I want to - I just don't know HOW to. :) It's very hard for my brain to think in short story mode. I've tried two different times and fizzled out both times.

Why did you decide to write romance books?

Whitney wrote: "Which of your books was your favorite to write?"

Probably Black Lies. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out HOW to tell that story, and I really enjoyed being in so many different character POVs. Plus, I got to do a lot of evil cackling while writing. :)

Nica wrote: "what is or was the most difficult thing to go through while you are writing a book?"

I'm probably answering this the wrong way - but my husband was diagnosed with cancer while I was mid-book. That made it so hard to focus on the book and that character while I had so many personal thoughts going on.

But to answer this a different way - normally, when writing, I struggle with the middle of the book the most. That's when I normally go.. "this thing stinks. i'm never going to finish it, I should just go take a nap."

Debra wrote: "Why did you decide to write romance books?"

I never planned to write romance books. I had always assumed that I would write suspense novels. But when I sat down to write my first book - surprise! A romance popped out of me. And then another, and then another. I guess my mind knew more than I did about what I was meant to write. :)

I have nothing to ask, all I want is to say, that I love your stories and just keep on writing. I will be reading <3

Hi!! I'm brazilian and normally I read books in English, but out of curiosity, do you plan on translating your books to portuguese?

Irma wrote: "I have nothing to ask, all I want is to say, that I love your stories and just keep on writing. I will be reading <3"

Thank you Irma! I appreciate that!