Today we are really excited to have the wonderful Ophelia London on The Cover Contessa for an interview!
Have you seen/read/heard of her book?
Blurb:
He never noticed her before, but now she’s all he can see…
Miles Carlisle is every teen girl’s fantasy. His rugged good looks
and exotic British accent have helped catapult his boy band, Seconds to Juliet,
to super-stardom. But after two disastrous and very public breakups, Miles
isn’t interested in dating just any girl; he wants The One. And the only girl
he’s interested in is not only his best friend’s little sister―and off-limits―but
won’t even give him the time of day…
As a kid, Aimee Bingham had a huge thing for Miles…until he made fun
of her for always tagging along. Now that she’s outgrown both him and her
pigtails. the prospect of spending two weeks on tour with the childhood crush
who broke her heart isn’t exactly enticing. Except now Miles seems interested.
Very interested. And no matter how hard Aimee tries to resist him, her crush is
definitely making a comeback.
But everyone knows that falling for a heartthrob is a backstage pass
to heartbreak…
Let's hear what Ophelia has to say! Welcome Ophelia!
Did you always know you wanted to be
a writer or did you want to be something else?
Writing
has always been in my blood. It’s what I studied in college and loved it, but
didn’t know what I wanted to do with it yet.
How long does it take you to write a
book from start to finish? I’m pretty fast. A first draft usually
takes me about a month, but then we edit for another 2-3 months until it’s
ready for the world.
How do you come up with themes for
your stories? I don’t know. I try to write stories that I would love to
read. The hotter the guy, the better!
Do you have a schedule of when you
write? Well, since I have a day job, my only time to write is
in the evenings. So yeah, that’s pretty much my schedule!
How are you able to balance other
aspects of your life with your writing? To be honest, it’s
pretty difficult. But my friends and family are super understanding. They know
I have constant deadlines, so I can’t go out and play a lot of the times. But
they also know that when I do have a free night, that I MUST hang out and have major
girl time.
What elements do you think make a
great story line? I’m a huge sucker for stories
about enemies-to-lovers and opposites attract. I like there to be instant
emotion, either attraction or hate. It makes the first kiss that much better!
What was the hardest thing about
writing a book? Probably getting the first half done.
I’m a self-editor, so I tend to go back and review earlier chapters. That can
slow down the first draft. It’s better if I can make myself just push through.
How many books have you written so
far? Do you have a favorite? Aimee and the Heartthrob will be
my tenth. And if I had to pick a fave, it’s usually the one I’m working on. So
right now, it’s allllll about Aimee and Miles. They’re just so awesome.
Do you have a favorite character?
Yes, I’m totally in love with Miles Carlisle. He’s got the dreamiest blue eyes
and rocks a British accent and he sings. What’s not to love!
Where do you write? I
have an office at home, but lately, I’ve done most of my writing while sitting
on the center cushion of my couch with a Diet Coke close at hand.
When deciding on how to publish,
what directed you to the route you took? I love my
publisher (Entangled Publishing), and I really scored with landing a great
editor. They’re both really flexible and we have a great relationship. I don’t
think I would’ve been able to write three different genres with any other
publisher. I’m so lucky!
Have you gotten feedback from
family about your book(s)? What do they think?
None of my siblings are big fiction readers. They love that I’m living my dream
and are totally supportive, but other that displaying the paperbacks on their
bookshelves, they don’t know much about my books. But my mother…she’s a huge
reader and gobbles everything I write.
What kinds of things do you like to
do outside of writing? I love to go running and hang with my
friends (when I can). I can also be found vegging in front of Netflix.
What kinds of advice would you give
to someone who wants to start writing? Read! Read! Read! And then write
and write some more. Practice makes perfect.
What is your favorite book?
favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to
write? I’m a classic junkie and love all of Jane Austen’s books.
Pride and Prejudice is my all-time fave.
Do you have any go to people when
writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta
reading and such? I do! Especially with being a
part of a series with 5 other authors, like with Backstage Pass. We’re
constantly knocking idea and plot points off each other. This has been one of
my favorite projects to work on. It’s all boybands all
the time!
Thanks so much for coming by today, Ophelia, it was great having you here!
Brooke's review:
I want to thank Entangled for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. There's just something about a sappy romance that gets me every time. I was expecting it, though not at the level it was presented, and it made me happy to have it once I was engaged with the book.
Interestingly enough, this book is told in third person dual point of view. I am not usually a fan of third person. I don't think it's necessary in a love story, to be honest, but it kind of worked for this book. I still would have liked to really been in Aimee and Miles head more while reading this and I think this distracted me a bit. It took away from my ability to really connect with the characters on a deeper level. Don't get me wrong, I really liked them both, I just didn't feel all the emotions I needed to feel to have my heart wrenched by this book as it should have been.
Aimee is an interesting character. She's smart and savvy, yet she radiates this innocence that I can see being totally attractive to guys. When she's forced into a situation, she doesn't let it become awkward, but seems to actually take it in stride. So after not having seen Miles for two years, and believing her crush was finished, she jumps right into being friends with him. Of course the fine line of her wanting him still exists, even if she tries her hardest to deny it.
I really like Miles. He's presented to the world as this heartthrob who likes to play the field. But in real life, he's just a teenage guy trying to find his way in the world while being shoved in the public eye. You can see he struggles to maintain his image. Because the heartthrob and player are just not what he is about. But he's never more aware of that struggle as much as he is when he's around Aimee. For her, he wants to be the romantic, the down to earth guy she would want to date. And he will do anything to prove it to her.
Of course a teen romance wouldn't be a teen romance without some misunderstanding and drama. What I really loved about how London chose to do this is that she didn't drag it out. Sure, we get a bit where the two have their own thoughts about what happened between them. But it is closer to the end of the book, and lasts a very short time. This really made the book more endearing to me.
I will say that I got a bit annoyed in the first 25% of the book as Aimee totally and completely swooned over Miles, while trying her hardest not to do so. She kept mentioning how she definitely wasn't crushing on him, and how he couldn't possibly like her. And even after he admits to her that he enjoys spending time with her and basically tells her he wants to be with her, she doesn't seem to see it. It was like she had these blinders on, which I couldn't understand because it's not like Miles was keeping it from her!
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing in this book. I will say the first half was a bit slow for me, but then it picked up and I couldn't put it down (didn't want to, really). All I wanted to do was see how things would work out between these two star struck lovers in the end. And London did not disappoint. I'm not good with books that leave open endings, especially with love stories. Thankfully, London tied it up nicely, with just the right amount of understanding between the two characters at the end.
If you're looking for something to read along the lines of Jennifer E. Smith or Kasie West, this ones for you!
Brooke's review:
I want to thank Entangled for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. There's just something about a sappy romance that gets me every time. I was expecting it, though not at the level it was presented, and it made me happy to have it once I was engaged with the book.
Interestingly enough, this book is told in third person dual point of view. I am not usually a fan of third person. I don't think it's necessary in a love story, to be honest, but it kind of worked for this book. I still would have liked to really been in Aimee and Miles head more while reading this and I think this distracted me a bit. It took away from my ability to really connect with the characters on a deeper level. Don't get me wrong, I really liked them both, I just didn't feel all the emotions I needed to feel to have my heart wrenched by this book as it should have been.
Aimee is an interesting character. She's smart and savvy, yet she radiates this innocence that I can see being totally attractive to guys. When she's forced into a situation, she doesn't let it become awkward, but seems to actually take it in stride. So after not having seen Miles for two years, and believing her crush was finished, she jumps right into being friends with him. Of course the fine line of her wanting him still exists, even if she tries her hardest to deny it.
I really like Miles. He's presented to the world as this heartthrob who likes to play the field. But in real life, he's just a teenage guy trying to find his way in the world while being shoved in the public eye. You can see he struggles to maintain his image. Because the heartthrob and player are just not what he is about. But he's never more aware of that struggle as much as he is when he's around Aimee. For her, he wants to be the romantic, the down to earth guy she would want to date. And he will do anything to prove it to her.
Of course a teen romance wouldn't be a teen romance without some misunderstanding and drama. What I really loved about how London chose to do this is that she didn't drag it out. Sure, we get a bit where the two have their own thoughts about what happened between them. But it is closer to the end of the book, and lasts a very short time. This really made the book more endearing to me.
I will say that I got a bit annoyed in the first 25% of the book as Aimee totally and completely swooned over Miles, while trying her hardest not to do so. She kept mentioning how she definitely wasn't crushing on him, and how he couldn't possibly like her. And even after he admits to her that he enjoys spending time with her and basically tells her he wants to be with her, she doesn't seem to see it. It was like she had these blinders on, which I couldn't understand because it's not like Miles was keeping it from her!
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing in this book. I will say the first half was a bit slow for me, but then it picked up and I couldn't put it down (didn't want to, really). All I wanted to do was see how things would work out between these two star struck lovers in the end. And London did not disappoint. I'm not good with books that leave open endings, especially with love stories. Thankfully, London tied it up nicely, with just the right amount of understanding between the two characters at the end.
If you're looking for something to read along the lines of Jennifer E. Smith or Kasie West, this ones for you!
About Ophelia:
USA Today bestselling author Ophelia London was born and raised
among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully
educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and
she’s lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously
those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and
impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the
books she writes.
Find Ophelia Online:
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