Hi Everyone! I’m so glad
you’re with us today because I’ve got a special guest visiting, Estelle
Pettersen, debut author of LESSONS ON SEDUCTION, a soon to be released erotic
romance novel, published by Black Velvet Seductions. Release date is set for
July 30, 2020 and it’s available now for pre-order at Amazon.
Blurb for LESSONS ON SEDUCTION:
When college student Sapphire Blake finds herself fresh out
of a breakup, she is ready to embark on a new journey in her life. A dark,
sensual journey.
Freeing herself from the expectations set by her family,
friends, and church, an innocent and unworldly Sapphire begins experimenting
with her new casual lover, Vera Richland.
Vera’s brother, Julian, is ridiculously handsome, smart, and
intimidating. This university professor finds himself enthralled in a sensual
relationship with a woman willing to pay top money for his time in the bedroom.
To pay off his debts and continue leading his lavish lifestyle, Julian
discovers the world filled with sex, drugs, and lies may not be for him as he
first thought. With his contract almost up, Julian has his sights set on
a new endeavor.
When Vera introduces Sapphire to Julian, sparks are ignited
as Julian sees past the conservative stigma Sapphire believes the world has
placed on her. Instead, he sees a sexy vixen– and he can’t help but admit he
wants her.
As the couple begins a dangerous, passionate relationship,
secrets become exposed and lives are threatened. Will Julian be able to save
his relationship with Sapphire and rekindle the fiery flame they share? Or,
will fate have another ending in store?
So without too much fanfare, please join me in welcoming Estelle
Pettersen, debut author of LESSONS ON SEDUCTION, to Unwrapping Romance
…
Unwrapping Romance: Welcome Estelle, it's an absolute delight to
have you with us today, and I'd like to thank you for taking time out of
your busy day to join us.
Estelle Pettersen: Thank you so much
for having me. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to be here!
Unwrapping Romance: I adore talking with debut authors. You’re
experiencing a first that rivals most any other you experience over your
lifetime. Perhaps you'd like to tell us a little bit about yourself for those
who don't know you yet.
Estelle Pettersen: I’m Estelle Pettersen
and I’m an Australian married to a Norwegian and living in Norway. I love the
simple things in life, such as coffee and going for walks in nature. I’m an
animal lover and I feel at home when I’m near the ocean. I started my passion
for reading and writing at a young age, and I’ve been an avid romance reader
since I was fifteen.
I tested my fiction
writing on a writers’ platform called Wattpad in 2019 and found my voice there,
thanks to the support of other readers and writers. I plucked up the courage to
submit the manuscript of my erotic romance novel, LESSONS ON SEDUCTION, to
Black Velvet Seductions, and was thrilled when they accepted my work.
Unwrapping Romance: Estelle, congratulations on being signed by
Black Velvet Seductions. Wattpad is a wonderful writer’s platform for getting
feedback and encouragement. Here at Unwrapping Romance, authors are rock stars,
which is why I can get kind of nosy. I’m always interested in what lures
someone to be a writer. What, or who, inspired you and why did you choose the romance
genre and in particular, erotic romance?
Estelle Pettersen: My mother and my high
school English teacher are two people who inspired me to become a writer. My
mum was incredibly tough with grammar and spelling when I was in school, and
tested me if I understood the stories I read. Being an introvert, I spent many
lunch breaks in the library to get away from the ‘noise’ and escape to the
world of books—I remember my friends finding me there and pulling me away from
the books. My English teacher encouraged me to pursue a career in writing,
which was why I studied journalism later on.
I chose the romance
genre because I’m a big romantic at heart. I adore love stories, especially
when the protagonist has a strong voice. As for erotic romances, a few people
challenged me to write something on the steamy side, so I dared and pushed the
boundaries with my writing.
Unwrapping Romance: As a former English teacher, I’m delighted to
hear yours had such encouragement for you. I had an English teacher who did the
same for me and I’m so grateful to her. It’s extra nice to have your mom in
your corner. J
Your friends are obviously very supportive and you’re awesome for taking such a
challenge.
What was your inspiration for LESSONS ON SEDUCTION, and where does inspiration come from for your characters?
Estelle Pettersen: I wanted to read a
steamy romance novel where the protagonist dared to step away from her comfort zone
and project her strong voice. At the same time, I wanted the protagonist’s
lover to be smart and sexy, yet strong and masculine. I was tired of reading
stories about a possessive alpha male character and submissive female
character, which I didn’t think portrayed healthy relationships, so I wrote LESSONS
ON SEDUCTION.
The protagonist,
Sapphire breaks away from societal expectations to find her strength, and to
have courage both in and out of the bedroom. Her lover, Julian gives her both
independence and empowerment, and their relationship is a balanced one. All in
all, I was inspired by the concepts of freedom, equality, and empowerment; both
Sapphire and Julian personify that in their own ways.
Unwrapping Romance: They sound like a wonderful couple and have the
type of relationship I think we all seek, especially in romance stories. What
do you have planned next?
Estelle Pettersen: I’m working on a short
story, an Australian cowboy romance for Black Velvet Seductions. After that,
I’ll continue working on book two in the Seduction
series, which is Julian’s sister Vera’s story. She is also Sapphire’s best
friend (and love interest early on) in LESSONS ON SEDUCTION. My beta readers
cheered for her, asking if I could write her story, so I decided to do it.
She’s sassy, daring, and more outspoken than her brother, Julian, who is an
introvert.
Unwrapping Romance: Sounds like fun. We love sassy heroines. An
Australian cowboy sounds especially intriguing. Estelle, if you're like every
other writer (myself included), I have no doubt then that you're also a
prolific reader. Who are your favorite authors and have any inspired your
writing?
Estelle Pettersen: I love literature,
especially the classics. One of my favorite books is Wuthering Heights by Emily
Brontë; in my teen years, I had a crush on Heathcliff, who gave me some
inspiration for my male character Julian in LESSONS ON SEDUCTION. I’m a fan of
the poets W.B. Yeats and Sylvia Plath—I love poetry and experiment with
literary tropes such as metaphors and allegories in my writing. My taste
varies: one day I could be reading The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius and another
day it would be Violin by Anne Rice.
I’ve just finished
reading Mystic Desire, an anthology of supernatural romance stories published
by Black Velvet Seductions. I’m a big fan of the authors at Black Velvet
Seductions, who have been my rock of support. As a romance reader, I was
already familiar with some of the authors’ previous work.
Unwrapping Romance: Ahh…the classics…I totally understand your love
for them. Your eclectic taste in reading makes me a huge fan. I believe we can
learn so much from both past and present authors. Storytelling has been
happening since the caveman and I hope it will continue far into the future.
Books are our greatest means for time travel.
My last question for you
and my personal favorite – this is one I ask every author when I get the
chance. If you could be ANY character in ANY book, not necessarily your own but
any book at all - who would it be and why?
Estelle Pettersen: I would love to be in
Nick Carraway’s shoes just for one night in The Great Gatsby; to be at one of
Jay’s decadent parties. Plus, I like Nick—he comes across as relatable and
intelligent.
Unwrapping Romance: What a wonderful answer, Estelle. I think you
might be the first to choose a male character and such an interesting one too.
That would be a fun night indeed. Thank you so very much for spending some time
with us. I am very excited about your upcoming release, LESSONS ON SEDUCTION,
as well as your future projects. I wish you great success and a long career
writing wonderful stories.
If you’d like to sample a steamy bit of LESSONS ON SEDUCTION, Estelle has graciously
shared an excerpt from her upcoming erotic romance. I hope you’ll enjoy it and
pre-order your own copy which is available at Amazon.
Excerpt from LESSONS ON SEDUCTION by Estelle Pettersen:
I
turned left, headed toward the direction of bedrooms, and stopped when I
reached the main en suite bedroom. This must be Julian’s room. Curiosity may
have killed the cat, but it wouldn’t get the better of me, so I dared.
I
dropped my bag on the floor and walked into the master suite, which featured
two dimly lit lamps and a king-size bed with a charcoal duvet and matching
pillows. The unmade bed was the only untidy element in this otherwise clean
home, indicative of either his most recent sexual activity or his forgetfulness
to make the bed up. I doubted that it was the latter. As I walked past the bed,
I noticed leather handcuffs on the crumpled duvet. The soothing sound of water
running in the shower caught my attention, enticing me to take a sneak peek in
the bathroom.
The
bathroom door was left open at a forty-five-degree angle, and the pull of
temptation gravitated me toward it. I was curious. I usually did not pry into
the privacy of others, but I had never seen a naked man in real life, and I was
ready to find out.
Oh,
my lord! There he was in the shower, a beautiful man in all his splendor and
glory. Julian was wet and naked, reminding me of the marble statue of the
biblical, nude David by Michelangelo. Droplets of water ran down his hard,
taut, body, all the way to the curve of his muscular back and firm buttocks,
then along his sturdy legs. He rinsed the soap off his broad shoulders, chest
and slim waist. His body tapered down like a perfect V, and delicate veins ran
along his muscular forearms. His penis was thick and admirable, even in its
relaxed state, and his testicles hung below. Eyes closed, he lifted his head to
absorb the streaming water, and ran his long fingers through his hair, washing
out the remaining shampoo foam, which flowed downward.
The
heavenly sight of Julian in his nakedness, together with the fresh scent of the
citrus body wash, triggered my nipples to harden and the inner walls of my
vagina to clench, eliciting a wetness that coated my labia.
Julian’s
eyes opened and fluttered rapidly, making direct contact with mine. “OH, FUCK!”
“Oh
shit, I’m so sorry! I was looking for a spare toothbrush and didn’t realize you
were here!” I babbled in a flustered state. I was a bad liar.
He
turned off the shower faucet, grabbed a towel, and started to dry himself
slowly.
“Did
you enjoy the show, Sapphire?” Julian smiled smugly, emphasizing my name when
he spoke.
“I,
uh, I’m staying over with Vera tonight, as we’re heading out for a girls’
night. I hope that’s okay with y-you,” I stammered.
“Oh,
it’s more than okay with me, love. However, you haven’t answered my question.”
Julian’s mischievous eyes dangerously twinkled with devilish delight.
“I
like what I see,” I admitted, gazing at the towel, which he now wrapped neatly
around his firm torso.
“Good.
Now, come here, baby. Touch me.”
I
took one step closer to Julian and stroked the blade of his left shoulder with
my right hand. My fingers traveled down his chest and stomach, drawing him to
release a groan of pleasure.
“That’s
it. Lower.”
“Lower?”
I gasped.
“Yes.
Further down south, if you get my drift.”
My
fingers traveled below his navel and down to where the towel met his skin.
“Stop.”
“Stop?”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Yes,
stop,” he commanded.
Julian’s
hands swiftly reached around my neck and untied my halterneck top, exposing my
bare breasts to him.
“You’re
exquisite.” His long, dark lashes lowered as he gazed at my topless body. I
sucked in the citrus-flavored air as he began rubbing my nipples in circular
motions with his rough thumbs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Estelle Pettersen is an
Australian author and former journalist whose romance stories explore
empowerment, freedom, and finding one’s strength. She has a Bachelor of Arts
degree, majoring in Journalism and Psychology, from the University of
Queensland, Australia. Her second degree is an MBA from Queensland University
of Technology, Australia. She is a member of Romance Writers of Australia and
is passionate about history, languages, cultures, traveling, food, and wine.
She is happily married and living in Norway these days.
If you’d like to learn
more about Estelle and her debut romance, feel free to visit her at the
following:
Lauren
Willig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty novels,
including The Summer Country, The Ashford Affair, and The English Wife, as well
as the RITA Award-winning Pink Carnation series. An alumna of Yale University,
she has a graduate degree in history from Harvard and a JD from Harvard Law
School. She lives in New York City with her husband, kindergartner, toddler,
and vast quantities of coffee.
