Burning for Derrick
(Not yet released)
by Sascha Illyvich
My review of the Book:
As I began reading, I was immediately pulled in, which for me, takes a lot. Ordinarily I get bored easily, I won't lie. But right from the beginning, I am drawn into the book, and feel as if I am right there. Not as thought I am the Character, but as though I am sitting there watching him, as I read along through the pages, so much so, that I can smell the cigarette smoke in the air of the bar.....
The words aren't just words as I am reading them, it is written so intensely, so descriptive, it is as though I am there, I can feel, hear, smell, and even taste.
The music being played in the bar, death metal, the drink he's drinking: Manhattan. He meets with the bartender, who had hired him, and agreed to give him free drinks, if he agreed to do the for him.
Derrick was just glad to be out of his house, he himself a single Shape shifting Puma. He was not into Death Metal Music, but something about the Music was making him notice it.
Here, live on the stage, a beautiful woman was singing her heart out, and she was doing something to Derrick. Calling him, making him-- he wanted to go to her-- fortunately Rob stopped him and told him, no, not until after, and fortunately Rob had brought Derrick back to his senses.
The woman on the stage, is Sonja, Rob's sister. She is who Derrick is being ask to protect. She is a Goddess Witch, with amazing powers, and there are people who want to seek her out and destroy her, or use her as their own weapon.
Human's do not like nor approve of Shape Shifters, and Witches aren't supposed to mate with them. The Russians want to use the Witch and her mighty power to end the race of Shape Shifters, and another Shape Shifter, is going to turn on the Russians, because she was made into a Shape Shifter, not born as one.
This Shape Shifter is the most evil of them all, and just may cause the death of everyone.
Within this book, there is so much to look for, watch for, and see, and worry about. There is magic, heart ache, love, romance, sex and even death.
Your feelings will go in so many directions, you will not know which way to turn from one minute to the next. One minute your fantasizing about the romance and love making, and the next minute, your worrying if they will make it through the night.
And at the end, the worst part is worrying, will she honestly sing her heart out, and do what they told her to. I was sitting there on the edge of my seat going, "Oh God, Sonja, please no, Don't do it. Don't do it!"
I found this book a very edge of the seat, moving, I couldn't get enough-kind of book. I would've kept going, and reading forever, that's how pleased I was with the entire book!
Five stars!
My Interview Questions for
Sascha Illyvich:
1. How long have you
been writing?
13 years
roughly.
2. How many books have
you written?
I think I'm actually at over 40 novellas right
now.
3. Obviously erotica is
your passion, but exactly what is your favorite part about writing about it?
I can't really say I have a favorite part about
writing erotic stories other than the ability to use my imagination or play
with fantasies I might be too chicken to live out. Or in reality, there are no true
shifters/vampires etc. Not in the same
sense of how we think of them anyway.
4. What exactly led you
to write erotica?
The more I thought about this the more the
answer truly was "So I could get laid." But not like one of them pretentious assholes
who says they write highbrow erotica but someone who truly understands human
sexuality.
5. Do you answer fan
mail, and if so, and yes I'm being serious, because you write erotica, have you
ever had any letters where people have written to you saying sexual things to
you? (You don't have to answer this, if you don't want to!)
I do answer fan mail. And let's say I've had some interesting email
conversations over the years.
6. Out of curiosity,
does writing erotica ever "turn you on?" as you are writing it? (feel
free to ignore this question if it offends....)
If it's a really hot scene and the inspiration
is from someone I love or care about (or have fantasized about) then yeah I do
get the urge to take matters into my own hands just so I can diffuse my
pressure. Warning, all people are fodder
for writers.
7. When you read books,
do you too, visualize the scene in your mind?
Yes I do indeed.
If the writer has done their job well then this is easy.
8. Do you read erotica?
Not so much these days. Mostly I read erotic romance, cigar and wine
trade magazines, when I have time to read.
Which, isn't a lot sadly.
9. Who is/are your
favorite Author(s)?
I'm really loving Rhyannan Byrd's BloodRunners
series. Before that, JR Ward, Joey W.
Hill have special places in my heart.
10. Where did the idea
for this book about "Burning for Derrick" come from?
Oddly this may read like an episode of Burn
Notice but the idea for this story started a few years back. There was a former publisher this was
targeted at because I knew the editor and she promised me a slot. The premise originally had to do with a drink
(an Old Fashioned) and how the bartender set up odd couples. Over time my plate became full on other
current projects so I put this one back because I had nothing more than just
that idea. It would be two characters
that shared a common goal, to be in old fashioned love. Somehow, over time I grew angrier with life
and the story took a different road as I realized it just needed to be written. My two characters became jaded, real. The heroine grew into a witch who fronts one
of the larger Death Metal bands in the US, the hero, an ex spy.
11. Why did you make
Derrick a Puma?
Might have something to do with pumas being
something I like and are different enough for the readers who enjoy shifter
romances. I had been teasing a friend
about writing a puma story for months and when this idea had time to be
written, it had a different title. One
afternoon I was smoking a cigar, in fact it was the "Puma" by Gran Habano
from their Azteca line. When I realized
what I'd done and the timing of both writing the book and smoking the cigar it
just seemed funny and kinda like fate stepped in.
12. The cigar smell
described in this book, cocoa and something else, is "that" what
"you" smoke?
Yes.
Those cigars are Don Cervantes, put out by ACC Cigar. Cocoa, earth, sweetness, dark chocolate. That'd be the flavor profile of the Tres
Maduro which Max smokes. Derrick is more
of a Masterpiece Platinum guy because he enjoys the slightly earthier notes. Plus, the maker of the Don Cervantes line is
a friend of mine and a chance to name drop for him is one I'll take when I
can.
13. The character Sonja
where did the idea of her come from?
I just started listening to Devildriver and
Katatonia about the time I started this book.
I wanted a vocalist for the heroine, one who could sing as well as
scream. But the scream had to work for
me, because I’m very picky about my music.
Mostly vocalists. I wanted a
singer who could be believed could carry the power she had, plus go forth with
the Slayer tribute at the end. I wanted
someone who possessed Angela Goscow's terrifying screams to meld with the power
I created behind the heroine. She needed
to be a little unsteady too.
14. Why did you choose
Russians to come after them?
Why not?
In Communist Russia, They come after the Russians!
15. As you were writing
the ending, were indecisive as to what choice you would personally make for the
ending?
You must have heard my rant about killing off
people. The final non Russian villain is
actually based on someone I had the misfortune of meeting online. I'd make a stupid comment about a certain
holiday in May that involves drinking and piñatas and she branded me a
racist. Seeing how that's not true, I decided
my villain would be racist and I'd kill her because she hated shifters. Believed they were an abomination and Gods
Will was to kill them. What I WANTED to
do was violently kill someone who pissed me off. I wanted to kill her violently, sort of in the
style of what you'd find on Metalocalypse.
The book after all is a "heavy metal" romance. But I didn't want readers feeling the
brutality would eclipse the romance I built up, so she just got knocked out and
taken into custody.
16. Can you please
provide for me all of the information as to where to find this book, links etc?
(If it hasn't yet been released, can you provide a release date or estimated
one?)
Currently, this book is in the loving hands of Saritza Hernandez of Corvisiero Literary Agency and is being shopped around. I imagine it'll probably have a Winter 2013 release or early Spring 2014 release. By the way, I'm currently editing Max's story. I think you'll enjoy that one as much as you loved Burning for Derrick, since it's Derrick's brother's story.
Currently, this book is in the loving hands of Saritza Hernandez of Corvisiero Literary Agency and is being shopped around. I imagine it'll probably have a Winter 2013 release or early Spring 2014 release. By the way, I'm currently editing Max's story. I think you'll enjoy that one as much as you loved Burning for Derrick, since it's Derrick's brother's story.
17. Any last words or
thoughts you would like to share:
Nothing really special. I'd like to thank all of my readers, both old
and new. You make this career worth
every agonizing minute and I'm forever grateful.
18.. Now can you provide
for me your own personal links, web site information, etc, so readers can learn
more about you:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2928546.Sascha_Illyvich
(I do read as much as I can when I'm enjoying a cigar and libation)
Thank you Sascha, for allowing me to do this for and with you, it has truly been an honor. I have learned a great deal, and had a wonderful time while doing so!
~
