The Illustrated Romance

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book

Lex:

1. Broken Bonds features two twink guardian angels who lose the feathers in their wings because things are going wrong for the two heroes – Kellen, the dominant and Haven, the submissive.
2. Originally, the story was meant to be a short story but the characters just took on a life of their own and the story morphed into a 25,000 word novella.
3. This is the first book I’ve self-published and since its release on Christmas it’s climbed the lists of gay romance at Amazon until it hit the top ten, climbed to the number two position at All Romance eBooks’ main Top Ten list, and has been nominated for Love Romances Café’s Best BDSM Book of 2012.
4. The dominant, Kellen, is a real bastard until the angels show him things he should have already known about his submissive.
5. The story is very Dickensian and the angels make reference to that in a very tongue in a cheek way.

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Lex: Yes, I did. Since this was a self-published book and I do own a graphics company Winterheart Design, it was natural for me to do my own cover.

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero? Of the story?
Lex: I chose images based on my vision of my heroes, but the Studio Smexy image really solidified Haven Noel, the submissive, in my head. The expression on the model’s face and his bound hands truly give a sense of submission to the viewer. The beautiful bound man with an almost pleading look in his eyes perfectly conveys the emotions of this story to anyone who sees it.

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Lex: The model’s face with his big eyes and soulful expression.

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Lex: Emotional

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Lex: Complicated

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Lex: My next release will probably be the sequel to Broken Bonds. Bittersweet Bonds will be self-published just like Broken Bonds. I’m also working on three novellas for MLR Press and the next novel in my series Tales of the Darkworld for Jupiter Gardens Press.

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Lex: Absolutely!

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The one thing Haven Noel wants for his Christmas birthday is for his master, Kellen, to love him. But the wonderful Christmas Eve Haven plans for his master goes awry and instead of receiving his master’s love, Haven ends up on the street without his collar. Heartbroken, Haven heads to the club where he and Kellen originally met, only to find it closed. 

With a blizzard descending and nowhere to go, Haven curls up on the club doorstep, courting death. Hopeless and shattered, on the verge of losing consciousness, he makes a wish for Kellen to find happiness some day. Two angels with a vested interest in Haven and Kellen’s happiness hear his wish and conspire with Kellen’s family to save Haven’s life, bring love back to Kellen’s heart and give them both the best kinky Christmas ever.

Lex writes across genres from contemporary to urban fantasy in M/M, M/F and M/M/F. A native of Monterey County, California, Lex now lives in a canyon in Orange County, California with her long haired tattooed husband, her college age daughter and bunch of cats with strange names that she collectively calls “babies.” She works for a 100+ year old cemetery, loves loud rock and alternative music, builds her own computers, and has a propensity for having very weird vivid dreams about Nikki Sixx although he’s never naked in them to her great disappointment. She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America and is active in the Rainbow Romance Writers, PASIC and Orange County chapters. Lex loves to hear from her readers. Her door is always open at lex@lexvalentine.com or on her author Facebook page.

Find Lex: Author Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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