Alessandra Torre is an exciting new author who astonished the publishing world with the success of her first novel, Blindfolded Innocence. Initially self-published, the intriguing romance and erotica title quickly rose to the top of the charts on Kindle and Amazon where it attracted the interest of major publishing houses. Currently available on Kindle, iBookstore and Nook, Blindfolded Innocence will be available in print in through Harlequin Publishing on January 25, 2014.
Torre’s captivating story about a young intern’s sexual awakening has won praise and rave reviews from numerous critics, bloggers and book reviewers, including the acclaimed Dr. Laura Berman. In her recent article “35 to Read After 50″ in Everyday Health, Dr. Berman recommended Blindfolded as a must-read for book enthusiasts searching for a new fix after Fifty Shades of Grey. The book has also received high marks from readers on Goodreads and other literary web sites where fans frequently remark they can’t wait for a Blindfolded sequel.
Momentarily stunned by the book’s rapid success, Torre resumed her daily writing routine and published ‘The Girl in 6E’, an erotic thriller that explores the hidden fetishes men covet and the life of a female recluse who battles an overwhelming desire for murder. The Girl in 6E will be released in Summer 2014, as a hardcover novel, through Redhook, an imprint of Hachette.
From her home near the warm waters of the Emerald Coast in Florida, she devotes several hours each day to various writing projects and interacting with her fans on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Happily married to her “best friend” and with one son, she loves watching SEC football games, horseback riding, reading and watching movies.
INTERVIEW
1. How and when did you get started as a writer?
I quit my job in 2012 and had a lot of free time. I read 'On Writing' by Stephen King and it inspired me to try my hand at writing.
2. How do you usually find your ideas?
I daydream a lot. Eavesdrop. Picture 'what if' situations. Read constantly. Watch alot of TV. The ideas pour in from everywhere.
3. Where do you write from? (home, office etc.)
Anywhere and everywhere. :) I carry my laptop and headphones with me everywhere. But 80% of the time I write in a big leather chair by the window. We live at the beach so I like to look out at the waves and write.
4. How long does it take you to write a book?
30-60 days to write it. Another 30-45 days to do edits and rewrites.
5. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I am very disorganized, but try to write at least 2-3 hours a day. That normally occurs from 5am - 8am or 12am - 3am. My sleep schedule is all screwed up. Marketing and responding to readers takes up a good 2-3 hours a day, and I like to try and read for a couple of hours a day.
6. Do you have any suggestions to help become a better writer? If so, what are they?
READ. You cannot (with rare exceptions) become a good writer if you do not read. That is only training I received, and it is very valuable. I would also suggest reading the book On Writing by Stephen King, it is an excellent resource. And - if you have the funds - hire a quality editor. Some of my biggest leaps in skill have come from working with an editor who taught me what works and what doesn't.
7. Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?
Most people, upon meeting me, assume me to be a prude. I come across very innocent. :)
8. What is your greatest weakness?
Distraction. I am horrible about trying to do 5 things at once.
9. What is your greatest strength?
My dirty creative mind. :)
10. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
A vet. Then a brain surgeon. Then an attorney. A singer, for a brief moment in time until I heard my voice on tape. A DJ.
Quick Q&A
1. Favorite movie. Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Walter Mitty. Gladiator. (I'm indecisive)
2. Favorite website. Twitter or Tumblr.
3. Favorite color. A rich brown.
4. Favorite book. That's the hardest question ever. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?
5. Favorite country. US of A. Gotta be loyal to home.
ALESSANDRA'S BOOKS
Innocence Trilogy
Blindfolded Innocence (Innocence #1) “I’m not sure what you have been told about me, but I’m not nearly as bad as they make me out to be.” His deliciously deep voice carried a little bit of ego. I’m sure you are exactly as bad as they make you out to be…. Brad De Luca is used to getting whatever, and whomever, he wants. The premier divorce attorney in town, he is a playboy who’s bedded half the city, including his own clients. And when the newest intern at his firm poses a challenge, his seductive prowess goes into overdrive. Pre-law student Julia Campbell is fresh off a failed engagement and happy with her new independence. Even if she weren’t warned away from Brad at every turn, she’d know he was bad news. The last thing she needs is an older man who could destroy her job prospects, not to mention her innocence. But before she knows it, the incorrigible charmer has her under his spell. His deviant tastes plunge her deep into a forbidden world of sexual exploration…but her heart may not survive the fall. ~View Excerpts~ ~Amazon US ~B&N~Kobo~ |
The Diary of Brad De Luca (Innocence #1.5) I was happy with my life. And who wouldn’t be? Beautiful women, money, a job that I could sleep through and still make bank. But I was bored. And I never could walk away from a challenge. This challenge turned out to be brunette. Feisty. Just the way I like them. But innocent. Too innocent for me. Too innocent to do anything other than sample and then toss back. Anything more would be too risky, too much work. I was unprepared for Julia Campbell. I should have done my homework, should have looked before diving into unfamiliar waters. Ditching her proved to be problematic, my sexual needs greater than my common sense. She was different. She became more than a challenge. She may just bring my world crashing down. This novella is meant to complement, and be read after, Blindfolded Innocence, a #1 Erotica Bestseller. ~Amazon US~B&N ~ |
Masked Innocence (Innocence #2) A man who always gets what he wants often has something to hide. Julia Campbell never knows what to expect with win-at-all-costs Brad De Luca. And she’s starting to like it that way. She gave up safe, conventional relationships when she let the elite divorce attorney seduce her into his world. Now that he’s determined to strip her naked of her every inhibition, she’s in danger of falling too deep and too fast. But their affair begins to feel even more dangerous when a murder leaves a trail of suspicion that points straight to the mob … and Brad. Trusting a man with a bad reputation and a past full of secrets seems like a mistake. But when she’s forced to make a choice, the consequences will take her further than she could’ve ever imagined. ~View Excerpts~ ~Amazon US~B&N~Kobo~ |
End of the Innocence (Innocence #3) He thought I owned him. He thought he loved me, that I was enough. But this animal, this sex god who could drive me crazy and steal my heart in the same breath, he would never fully be mine. It was impossible. No one ever owned a God… One year. I have one year to find out more about this man I am marrying. More about his family. More about our sex, and all of the dirty, delicious places it will take me. I thought I’d spend this year making a decision. I never thought the decision would be taken from me, snatched right from my naive little hands. This is the final book in the Innocence trilogy. ~Amazon US~B&N~Kobo~ |
The Dumont Diaries Candace Tapers’ life finally takes an upward swing when Nathan Dumont, shipping heir and notorious playboy, sweeps her away to a lifestyle of wealth and privilege. But that life comes with strings, and she is soon pulled in directions she never expected, discovering secrets and ulterior motives in the man who shares her bed. The Dumont Diaries is available as both a full-length book, or a four-part miniseries. The content is the same for both mediums. ~Amazon US~B&N~ Miniseries links: Book 1: To Have – FREE Book 2: To Hold – $1.99 Book 3: Till Death – FREE Book 4: Do Us Part – $2.99 |
Sex. Love. Repeat. I love two men. I screw two men. I am in a relationship with them both, and they are both aware there is another. That is all they need to know, that is all I let them know. They don’t need to know a name; they don’t need to know anything, but that they are not alone in my heart. They have accepted the situation. Stewart, because his life is too busy for the sort of obligations that are required in a relationship. Paul, because he loves me too much to tell me no. And because my sexual appetite is such that one man has trouble keeping up. So we exist, two parallel relationships, each running their own course, with no need for intersection or conflict. It works for us, for them, and for me. I don’t expect it to be a long-term situation. I know there is an expiration date on the easy perfection of our lives. I should have paid more attention, should have looked around and noticed the woman who watched it all. She sat in the background and waited, tried to figure me out. Saw my two relationships, the love between us, and the moment that it all fell apart . She hates me. I don’t even know she exists. She loves them. I love them. And they love me. Everything else hangs in the balance. ~View a full chapter~ ~Amazon US~B&N~ |
The Girl in 6E My life, inside this apartment is simple. It works, as long as I follow the rules. 1. Don’t leave the apartment. Not in case of fire, not to mail a letter, not to run an errand. The door stays shut, and I stay inside. 2. Don’t get attached to clients. I take off my clothes, I stand in front of the camera, and I perform. What they want, I give. Their secrets, I keep. Everything I tell them, is a lie. 3. Don’t kill anyone. I’ve obeyed that rule for over three years. My life, inside this apartment was simple, and it worked. Then, I started breaking rules. ~View Excerpts~ ~Amazon US~B&N~ |
Just the Sex A collection of short steamy erotic scenes from three erotic bestsellers: The Dumont Diaries, Sex Love Repeat, and The End of the Innocence Over 100 pages of sexy scenes, perfect for getting into the mood or expanding your sexual fantasies! Check out some of the included content: -dominant sex scenes -voyeuristic/public sex -oral scenes -forbidden affairs -light spanking/domination -MFM threesomes -FMF threesomes -roleplays -dirty talk and more! ~Amazon US~ |
Black Lies Brant: Became a tech billionaire by his twentieth birthday. Has been in a relationship with me for 3 years. Has proposed 4 times. Been rejected 4 times. Lee: Cuts grass when he’s not banging housewives. Good with his hands, his mouth, and his cock. Has been pursued relentlessly by me for almost 2 years, whether he knows it or not. Go ahead. Judge me. You have no idea what my love entails. If you think you’ve heard this story before, trust me – you haven’t. ~View Excerpt~ ~Amazon US~Amazon UK~Amazon AU~Amazon CA~Nook~Kobo~iBook~ |