Interview and Giveaway with Olivia Cunning!

Olivia Cunning is the author of BACKSTAGE PASS and ROCK HARD, two very very sexy erotica books that are sure to scorch your fingers as you read them! We're chatting with her today, so Maidens, please help me welcome Olivia to Under the Covers! For more information on Olivia, please visit her website here.

UTC: Thanks for stopping by today, Olivia! We are thrilled to have you! So let's talk first about your Sinner books. Rock stars are always a great choice! Talented and super hawt, what made you decide to write about them?

I’ve had a thing for rock stars since I was a teenager. I think it’s their mix of musical talent and self-confidence that is so appealing to me. Plus, they always look like they’re having a great time! I just wonder why it took me so long to start writing about them.

UTC: Oh yes, self-confidence is definitely sexy! How did you come up with the name of the band?

I honestly don’t remember. I think it was just one of those things that came to me suddenly and had the perfect double meaning. I did some searches and found there is a real band called “The Sinners”. So when my publisher tried to change the band name of “Sinners” to “The Sinners”, I really held my ground. They’re not THE Sinners. Just Sinners. And they are. Just a group of sinners. On tour.

UTC: If you could compare Sinners to a real band, to give us an idea of their sound and look, who would it be?

I got the idea for Backstage Pass at an Avenged Sevenfold concert, so their influence is obvious. That’s where Sinners started, but they morphed into unique characters with a unique music style quickly. Though they are fictional, my creations become very real to me. So to me they look like Sinners and sound like Sinners.

UTC: Naturally, we have to ask! Who is your favorite real life band?

I have so many favorites, I can’t choose just one. I’ve been listening to a lot of Bullet for My Valentine, Three Days Grace and 30 Seconds to Mars this week. Last week it was Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed and Slipknot. Ask me next week and my favorites will change. I’m a fan of certain genre of music more so than a certain band.

UTC: I think most people will agree with me that your stories are quite creative, in a good way. Who or what do you look to for inspiration?

I get very wrapped up in my own mind when I write. I listen to music and that does inspire me, but most of the time I’m living the scenes in my head. So what really inspires me? My over-active imagination.

UTC: Can you give us any idea as to what we can expect from Trey's book? Yeah, we can't wait!

Lots of sex.

UTC: Woo hoo! I can deal with that! I'm dying for more Sinners! When is your next  release date and what can we expect from it?

The sad truth is, I don’t know. I wish I did. I learned secondhand (because no one ever tells me anything) that the next book might come out in Fall 2012. The series release schedule is in limbo right now. If that annoys you, imagine how I feel.

UTC: The epilogue for Backstage Pass was scheduled to be released, but now maybe that won't happen. Do you have any other plans for publishing a Sinners short story sometime?

No. Not because I don’t want to, but because my contract won’t allow me to do so. There’s a reason why my next rock star series will be self-published. Having no control over release dates and being unable to do what I want to do with my characters (including, but not limited to short stories) would be the two main reasons.

UTC: I know this is probably hard because I'm sure you love all your characters, but who's your favorite Sinner?
That’s not hard. It’s impossible. I love them all for different reasons. And I have to fall in love with all of them, or the reader won’t fall in love with them. Brian gives me the warm fuzzies. Sed gives me heart palpations. Jace needs hugs. Eric makes me laugh. Trey makes me melt. So I guess it depends on my mood.

UTC: You just released a non-Sinners book, Loving on Borrowed Time. What can readers expect from this book, and how is it different from Sinners (obviously apart from the music aspect)?

It’s very different from Sinners. It has the humor and the sexy, bad boy hero with the tender heart, but the similarities stop there. First, it’s a novella (shorter) and is part of a serial series. Think of each book in the series as two episodes of a TV show. The same two lead characters get into various situations in each volume. Their story builds fairly slowly and ties all the volumes of the series together. Second, it’s time travel, not contemporary. The hero, Reece, and heroine, Lara, are travelling through time (think quantum leap), sharing an existence with some other couple as they make 3-day-long pit stops in the past. They have two goals. To stay ahead of Carl, who is trying to see Lara killed in contemporary times and to help couples in the past find their happily-ever-afters, mostly by having great sex. It’s meant to be fun, not to be taken too seriously.

UTC: Thanks again for participating, we're so excited to have you!!!

Thanks for having me.

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Author Override: Olivia Cunning

Author Override is the place where authors take the reins and take you on a journey into their world. Some may allow you into their private writing dens. Others may take you along with them on research trips or interviews. Whatever the case may be, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride because here you’ll get an in-depth look into an author’s musings. 

Musicians have it all! The babes, the talent and the good looks. But have you ever wondered what's the story behind the Sinner's ink? Olivia Cunning, author of BACKSTAGE PASS and ROCK HARD is here spilling those secrets with us here today! 

The Stories Behind Sinners’ Ink

Sinners is the sexy, fictional rock band in my erotic romance series Sinners on Tour. It’s all about sex, love, and rock ‘n’ roll. The five members of Sinners each have numerous tattoos. Today they’re going to share their favorite tattoo and a story about its significance.

Brian Sinclair, lead guitarist and hero of Backstage Pass.

On the inside of my left forearm, I have a dagger and the name Kara surrounded by bloody, red roses. Kara was my little sister. She died in a car accident when she was sixteen. I went and got the tattoo after her funeral. The roses represent her beauty, which will never fade in my memory. The thorns, her reckless ways. The color red signifies my love for her. The blood, her death. The dagger? That was feeling like a knife had been plunged into my heart when we reached the hospital and were told she was already gone. I never got to say good-bye to her, but I will never forget her. I think she’d laugh about her big brother being sappy enough to get her name tattooed on his arm. She was always the tough one. My only sister. We were close growing up. I still can’t believe she’s gone.

Sed Lionheart, vocalist and hero of Rock Hard.

The day we formed the band, I had Sinners’ logo tattooed on my chest over my heart. I’ve been adding to that tattoo ever since. Every time something important happens in my life, I’ll have new things added to it. First, there are the six skulls in the background. One for each member of the band. One of the skulls has a dagger through it. Not because anyone died, but because we had to kick Jon out of the band. The sixth one, which represents Jace, is only a couple of years old. I had a pistol added when Sinners signed our first record deal. I said we were going to take the music business with guns blazing. The microphone was added after our first sold out live performance. Along the bottom, there are interlocking pieces of chain. I have a new link added for each gold record. There are three so far. Then when our last record went platinum, I had a piece of barbed wire threaded through the chain. There’s a red rose that was added when I fell in love and if you look closely, you’ll see the name Jessica mixed in with the petals. I had her name added the day after she agreed to marry me. The first time. The second time, I had a padlock tattooed around the rose stem. I’m not letting her get away again. That padlock is to remind me to keep my mouth shut. The next thing I want to add are little footprints for each of my kids. I just have to convince Jess to have them first. I think six will look good along the stem of Jess’s rose. What do you think?

Jace Seymour, bassist.

I don’t have any stories to tell about my tattoos. I just like the way they look. And the way it feels when you have one done.

Eric Sticks, drummer.

All of my tattoos mean something. I guess the one with the most significance is the one on my back. It looks like fissures in the ground and through them, you can glimpse the bowels of hell. I was going through a pretty rough time in my teenage years when I had that done. That demonic claw gripping the edge of the crack? That’s me trying to claw my way out of the hell I was living in. I keep it there to remind me what life was like before I found my real family; this band.

Trey Mills, rhythm guitarist.

On my eighteenth birthday, my older brother, Dare, took me to get my first tattoo. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, Dare’s the lead guitarist of one of the biggest rock bands in the world, Exodus End. He and I learned to play guitar together at my mother’s insistence. So we decided matching flying-V guitars tattooed on our shoulders and beneath them the saying, Flying V Forever. At the time, we both played a flying V because my mother thought they were tacky. Hey, the woman is cool. It was very hard to find a way to rebel. Ten years later, neither of us plays a flying V. We both still have the tattoo though and the memory. I asked Dare why he hadn’t had it removed or covered up and he said it reminded him that forever was a very long time. Between you and me, I think it reminds him of me. I have quite a few people out there who have a tattoo to remember me by.

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Review: Rock Hard by Olivia Cunning

Rock Hard

by Olivia Cunning

Erotic Romance

(Sinners on Tour # 2)

Find it on GoodReads!

I may be in the minority here, but I loved this book. Actually, I can honestly say I'll take this one over the first one! *cue gasps* Yes, I know Sed is a bit of an arrogant ass, who seems to not have a care in the world for others feelings, only his own, but he's such a sweet teddy bear on the inside!

Sed
I was very curious about him from the first book. He was probably the worst in that one because of the way he treated women, and although I'm not necessarily forgiving him acting like a total jackass, I understand why he did it. He cares too much about everyone around him. Truly wants whats best for them. He is a true friend, a loyal partner, and someone to have on your side. I think his interactions with the rest of the band show that. He didn't give up on Trey, either, even when that put everyone else against him. I respect him for that. And lets face it... the guy knows how to turn a womans insides to complete mush! OMG! The level of creativity was off the charts in this book. And I really enjoyed all their walks around town and little sex-capades! Sed Lionheart! You are amazing! And he deserved a better girl in the end. I felt his love for Jessica bordered a bit on obsession, even though cute at times, he let her walk all over him.

Jessica
Really? Don't get me started. She's the reason I dropped this to a 4 star. I don't like her. She doesn't appreciate what she has, she's self-centered, selfish, egotistical, and yes a bit of a slut. First off, she wants to work a summer as a stripper to make up some money for college because she lost one of her scholarships. WHAT? If she's so smart and wants to be a lawyer, she couldn't come up with a better job than that to make money for a whole summer? I understand and agree with her original reason for leaving Sed, he was an ass. But I don't agree with her jumping his bones right away because she wants to get back at him. She has a bad habit of starting fights for the stupidest things also, and blaming Sed for everything that goes wrong in her life.

Trey
Awwwww my poor baby!!!! I want to confort him!!! LOL Sexy Trey had a bit of a rough time in this one, and had me worried, but he finally got back to his usual self. But I missed him!!!!!! I can't wait to read more about him. He is funny, sexy, has magic fingers... PAUSE *let me wipe the drool off my keyboard* Did I mention he has all these sexy piercings everywhere? *sigh*

Brian
Can he think of anything else but his precious little Myrna? His buddy was in serious trouble for a while and he was just oblivious! And Trey relies on him so much! I know he's married now, but I think he should still make more time for Trey.

Jace
How come we didn't get more details of his adventure with Aggie??? *waggles eyebrows* He is so intriguing, I can't wait to read his book!! He is mysterious, edgy, sexy and so endearing at the same time.

Myrna
Another don't get me started one, so I won't go there.

In General
The Sinners as a group went through a lot in this book. A lot of unexpected things, that kept the story fresh, and I feel will keep bringing them together. Talk about some disaster concerts! LOL Sed really is a great entertainer and kept the show going! I was also releived to find a lot less groupie anctics! The boys are growing up! Speaking of groupies... the groupies and fans against Jessica, that was really harsh! WOW! They took mean to a whole new level.

And you can now get in Olivia Cunning's head and listen to the playlist for Rock Hard:

Music Playlist at MixPod.com
Favorite Quotes:

"You've been charged with attempted murder," she said.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I have?"
"Yes, if you don't stop teasing me I'm going to die."

"Without you, I'm nothing. Don't you understand that?"

"I love you," he whispered. "I can't keep it inside any longer. I know you don't feel the same - I can live with that - but it doesn't change how I feel. I love you so much I can't breathe sometimes."

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Review: Loving on Borrowed Time by Olivia Cunning

Loving on Borrowed Time

by Olivia Cunning

Erotic Romance

Find it on GoodReads!

Truth be told, this is my very first read by Ms. Cunning and I’m sure I’m going to get a lot of reactions that include “OMG, ARE YOU SERIOUS!?” and many smacks on the ass for not getting into the whole Sinners thing, but I’m getting there!

With LOVING ON BORROWED TIME, I got a feel of the Olivia Cunning writing style and I did enjoy most of it. However, I’m sure her Sinners books are quite different and up the ante on the sex part. Rest assured that I’ll be reading those soon.
Now back to this book...Lara Kensington is a museum curator and when a mysterious man approaches her in the museum, informing her of her impeding death, Lara is a little more than shocked. It turns out that this mystery man is no other than Reece Jericho, a treasure hunter that she has tried to contact for awhile with no avail....until he finds her.

But he brings bad news, informing her that if she doesn’t go with him, Carl will find her and that will be the end of Lara.
Reece explains that she is his wife and that he wants to save her from her death before he loses her again. And with his magical amulet, he can do that as they travel back in time.

While I did enjoy the time-travel aspect of this book, I thought the time spent as a Viking and as an English knights weren’t as long as I would have liked. I appreciated the historical mentions, but I didn’t feel the change in scenery. I think part of it had to do with the fact this is a novella and short books means less descriptions. I only wished there was more.

There was good chemistry between Lara and Reece, but sometimes their modern idle banter took away from the historical aspect of it. I know they are still Reece and Lara “inside” but as Arabians, I want them to play Arabians!

I did feel that it was really rushed in the beginning and there was an abrupt ending as well. I want to read more and hopefully, get the answers I want. Will Carl find them?

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Review: Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning

Backstage Pass

by Olivia Cunning

(Sinners on Tour # 1)

Find it on GoodReads!

Hot sexy rockstars... check. Great concerts and stage antics... check. Tour bus fun? Check! A BIG BAD BEAST? CHECK CHECK CHECK ;) What can I say? I love music, bad boys, rock stars and scorching hot sex! So Sinners here I come!

The first book in the Sinners on Tour series focuses on lead guitarist Brian a.k.a Master Sinclair. With his black hair, heavy eyeliner, and quick and talented fingers, he is as dreamy as they come. He is also a hopeless romantic. Even though he's a big rock star, he keeps falling in love with women that don't appreciate him. Until he meets Myrna. She's a college professor, very proper, but she's also a fan of the band, and can't believe her luck when she finds them hanging out at the hotel bar where she was giving a lecture.

They were supposed to just have one night of fun, but Brian is in love, and he goes after her.

I loved Brian's attention to her, he was like a little kid at a candy store, he couldn't get enough of her. *Wish that would've been me!!!*  And I also thought it was very original how having sex with her gives him inspiration to write his music. Who wouldn't want to be his muse? Especially considering his *ehem* skills and *ehem* equipment.

The other members of the band are endearing as well, yes, even Sed. Some people may have a bit of a problem with the way the band members treated women, but you have to understand they are rock stars. I wouldn't say rock stars would treat their groupies (who throw themselves at them) in a respectful way. So, that being said (and *sucks circles* aside) Sed is a tormented soul and I can't wait to read his book.

Now onto the heroine of this story. Myrna. She was my one problem with this book. I just couldn't like her. I tried. She acts like she wants to be so proper, and somehow she's let her ex husband affect her so much in how she views herself, it's distracting every time we get in her head! I just wanted to slap her!

And.... there were two times that TOTALLY killed my mood that deserve mentioning because they were just too weird not to, but I won't spoil them completely for you. First, the bathroom scene with Brian and Myrna having sex in the tub, Eric's presence there was just random. Second, the airport bathroom sex scene. One word for that: EEEWWWWWWW Now for one thing that I did like.... maybe a bit of a spoiler.... yes, there's a threesome! And it was an emotional one at the same time as it was sexy.

But be prepared to be completely distracted from anything you have to do! You will fall in love with the Sinners and will have to keep reading about them.

And you can now get in Olivia Cunning's head and listen to the playlist for Backstage Pass:

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Favorite Quotes:

He put his fingertips against her forehead.
"You must be at least this tall to ride The Beast."
"Secure your belongings and keepy your arms and legs around the ride at all times."

"I know you crave pain because I made you feel like a whore. That voyeuristic stuff was hot, Mryna, but I'd rather treasure you. I don't think you understand how beautiful you are. How amazing your lack of inhibition is. How wonderful..."
He seemed to realize he'd said too much.



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