Today it’s my pleasure to interview Cristiane Serruya, author of Trust : A New Beginning, book one in the Trust Trilogy.
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
ISBN 13: 978-1480236295
Number of pages: 464
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Book Description
They are beautiful. They are rich. They are strong willed and successful. They have everything, but love. And each one of them has a dark secret looming in their past.
Sophia is a 25 year old Brazilian widow. Intelligent and ravishing, she flees from her own country after a tragic incident. Hiding from everyone and everything, she remains alone, torn between the love for a dead man, the torment of living without part of her memory and the fear of moving on.
Ethan is one of the most important tycoons in the steel industry. As the memory of an awful evening in his adolescence haunts him night and day, he keeps looking for an elusive woman whom he could love - and who would love him - as he never has in all his 35 years... Until he finds Sophia.
Alistair is a 34 year old powerful banker, searching for one–night stands with women who will warm his bed. And that he can punish physically to abate his anger for his late wife's black deeds and his own guilt for being such a debauched man for so many years. Any woman will do, and he has many to choose from, as they all fall instantly for his manly, devilish charming ways.
In Europe, in the months after October 2009, their paths will cross and clash. Who will win the prize of love?
Interview time!
SKY: Welcome, Christiane!
CRISTIANE: Hello, there, Sky. Thanks for hosting me at your amazing blog. I’m so happy to be here with you today and talk a bit about myself and my trilogy. Oh, and by the way, this coffee is delicious. :)
SKY: What inspired you to write this book?
CRISTIANE: It all started in a very silly way. In April 2009, I was bed-ridden, sick - and bored. I had a such bad headache that I could even read or open the curtains. So… I decided to tell myself a story. The seed was planted. But it took me more than a year to gather the courage to put some ideas on paper. But daily life kept intruding in the way. The story grew and took shape, but daily life kept me from writing it. I was very unsatisfied with the Brazilian justice system and that was affecting my own work as a lawyer.
Real life is what inspires me to write. Look around you, listen to your family’s stories, your neighbors’ daily lives, read the newspapers. There are so many stories waiting to be told and not enough time to write about them. I don’t want to give away to much, but one of the subjects treated in my book, especially the relationships between Ethan, Alistair and Sophia, is being talked about by everyone and it's very similar to my Law School thesis.
On February 28th, 2011, a friend of mine said I had such good stories to tell that I should write a book and that I would make many more people aware of the still brutal violence that was practiced against women and children (one of the main issues that I work with, and the subject of my university thesis). The next day, I started the trilogy.
SKY: How did you come up with the title?
CRISTIANE: My book tells the story of three main characters that have almost everything in life, but love. They have a lot of life history and so many secrets hidden in their past that they’ll need to relearn how to trust and give themselves the chance to begin anew. So, Trust: A New Beginning seemed appropriate. All the titles of my books come from something one of the characters has said somewhere in the book. *grin* Sophia, Ethan and Alistair help me a lot.
SKY: Tell us a little bit about the conflict in your story.
CRISTIANE: The TRUST trilogy is intriguing - and hot - story about people who need to forgive, forget and learn how to love again.
Trust: A New Beginning is a love story where, just as in real life, it doesn’t matter if you are rich and powerful, if you wear Channel or drive a Mercedes 722SL, bad things - and good - will happen to you. Yeah, money helps and rich people’s lives may seem easier, smoother, but tragedy strikes everyone it doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor. The thing is the richer never see it coming...
The TRUST trilogy is intriguing love story about people who need to forgive, forget and learn how to love again.
Trust: A New Beginning is a love story where, just as in real life, it doesn’t matter if you are rich and powerful, if you wear Channel or drive a Mercedes 722SRL, bad things - and good - will happen to you. Yeah, money helps and rich people’s lives may seem easier, smoother, but when tragedy strikes, it does with a vengeance that shocks because they weren’t expecting it. They didn’t think the problems would reach them.
My trilogy tells the story of three main characters that have almost everything in life, but love. They have a lot of life history and so many secrets hidden in their past that they’ll need to relearn how to trust and give themselves the chance to begin anew. So, Trust: A New Beginning seemed appropriate. All the titles of my books come from something one of the characters has said somewhere in the book. *grin* Sophia, Ethan and Alistair help me a lot.
SKY: Tell us about your book cover and how it relates to your story.
CRISTIANE: The cover was done by the talented creative designer Renata Fontanive. The glass represents the broken past of the characters and the eyes have a distrustful look that is a trademark of all three leading characters. Based on her ideas, my brother, Sergio Allevato, who is an artist, drew those beautiful eyes. He told me that these are Sophia’s eyes.
SKY: Are you currently working on another story? If so, we’d love some details.
CRISTIANE: I’m finishing the last book of the trilogy, TRUST: Pandora’s Box. Where all the demons will be freed to terrorize the world of Sophia, Ethan and Alistair. Will Hope survive? Hmmm, wait for autumn 2013 to discover!
After the Trust trilogy comes another trilogy. LOL. I’m not kidding. Carolina Santo’s story is going to rock Rio de Janeiro, Hollywood, New York and London.
Lunches, dinners, fashion weeks and gala balls will vie for her presence.
The next trilogy will be full of gossip, beautiful and rich people, drugs, sex and rock’n’roll.
SKY: What sort of personality does your hero have?
CRISTIANE: Alistair, as Ethan, is very intelligent. He had a very kind and gentle family. However, intelligence doesn’t mean that the heart is protected. Alistair has a very high-sex drive and he was tangled in his late wife’s web that only wanted his status, wealthy and stamina. She has had a gorgeous woman, selfish and manipulative. She introduced him to BDSM and when he stablished some rules, she rebelled and in the end killed their daughter and herself in a car accident. She transformed his gentle and caring soul in an angered and tortured man that believes he doesn’t deserve to be loved and lives to punish every woman that wants him.
SKY: What sort of personality does your heroine have?
CRISTIANE: A special hint for your readers: There is a lot of me in Sophia - and in Gabriela. Many things that they have experienced I’ve drawn from my own life. For example: I could read when I was three years old and I started my first University when I was fifteen. I wish I was more courageous as Sophia is and knew how to answer and stand my ground.
Sophia is strong, an alpha female, but as any human being she has flaws. She is not that lovely and nice woman the readers will meet in TRUST: A New Beginning.
Imagine a very boring person: A perfect wife and a very good, loving mother, an incredibly intelligent lawyer; a sexy, beautiful woman who doesn’t care about her beauty. And to top it, she does charity and pro bono. This is not Sophia! I could not relate to Sophia if she were just this.
Sophia has imperfections. Oh, yeah! Many. She gets angry, she is anguished, she is stubborn, so on and so forth.
I like characters that have imperfections, it shows that they are human.
In TRUST: Betrayed, Sophia will show her true colors and the secret that haunts her is not a small one… Wait and see. *grin*
SKY: Did you enjoy writing one scene above all the rest? If so, share.
CRISTIANE: Oh! This is so unfair! I loved writing all the scenes, but if I had to choose one… Well... It would be the one at Galewick Hall, where all the characters are gathered together and the sexual tension, jealousy and drama are at its peak.
SKY: Tell us about your favorite writing environment. Is it indoors, outdoors, a special room, etc.
CRISTIANE: Anywhere. I can write in the cinema, on my iPhone if I'm stuck on traffic - don't worry, I have a driver; I always carry a Moleskine and a pen for sudden ideas.
But as a habit I have an office at home. It’s my favorite place to write. There I can have my home-made ice tea and listen to my music while I work. Music has always had big influence in my life. For every scene I'm writing I have a list, it helps me with the imagination part.
SKY: What sources do you use for research?
CRISTIANE: I rely heavily on my experience as a lawyer and in my observations of the world. Besides, my family and my friends have such a full life that is easy to drawn creative characters and situations from their experiences.
I used my own experience as a lawyer and a traveller. For sunsets, moon phases, weather, this kind of thing, it was okay to use the internet to have accurate information but for others, like wine, for example, I consulted an expert. I love to drink wine but I don’t have the knowledge an expert has.
SKY: How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?
CRISTIANE: I’ve written since I was a kid. When I was a teenager I used to write poems, short stories, these kinds of things, but I never thought of becoming a writer or to be published.
I studied Fine Arts and Law, and worked as a lawyer for twenty-two years. When I started writing TRUST, it turned into an addiction. Now that I’m hooked, I can’t free myself. In fact, I don’t want to be freed.
I’m finishing the last book of the trilogy, TRUST: Pandora’s Box. Where all the demons will be freed to terrorize the world of Sophia, Ethan and Alistair. Will Hope survive?
After the Trust trilogy comes another trilogy. LOL. I’m not kidding. Carolina Santo’s story is going to rock Rio de Janeiro, Hollywood, New York and London.
Lunches, dinners, fashion weeks and gala balls will vie for her presence.
The next trilogy will be full of gossip, beautiful and rich people, drugs, sex and rock’n’roll.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my work and thoughts and for helping me promote my book. Hearing from readers is very important to me. It always helps me to do a better job. So, I want to invite everybody to leave a message on my website
http://cristianeserruya.com.br
SKY: Great interview, Cristiane! Thanks for joining me today.
Excerpt
Chapter 5
Saturday, January 16th, 2010.
10 a.m.
Sophia opened her eyes to find Ethan seated on the edge of the bed looking at her, a mug in his hand, his hair damp from the shower, dressed in faded jeans and a blue turtleneck sweater that did wonders to his eyes.
“I could go for hours just looking at you.”
She stretched, raising her arms above her head and entwining them; the sheets moved, showing a breast. “Good morning,” she smiled at him.
Ethan put his mug on the bedside table. “Do that again and you’re not getting out of this bed, Ms. Santo.”
Sophia grinned wickedly and stretched again, this time writhing her body, sheets bunching at her waist.
“Vixen.” Ethan bent to kiss her but she rolled to the other side of the bed and jumped to the bathroom.
“Don’t move,” she ordered. “I’ll be right back.”
When she emerged from the bathroom, he was in the same place, an amused twist on his lips.
“Good boy.” She smiled and picked up his mug, smelling it. “Mmm!” She raised her brows to him and drank his coffee. He smiled at her impudent gesture. She tugged him from the bed by the sweater.
“Take it off,” she commanded.
“You like to give orders, huh?”
“Sometimes,” she smiled and quirked an eyebrow. “Do you know how to obey?”
“Sometimes,” he replied and took off his sweater.
“Let’s see.” She perched on the end of the bed, tapping her index finger on her lips, admiring his muscles as he moved.
“Now what, Ms. Santo?”
She could see a bulge in his jeans, her lips twisted and curled unbidden. “Jeans. Off.”
He peeled off his jeans, amused, and threw them on the armchair.
“Briefs. Off!” Her eyes gleamed and she bit her lip.
He took off his briefs and stood proudly in front of her. He knew he had a great figure.
Sophia motioned, with her finger, for him to make a complete turn.
“Do you approve?” he asked huskily.
“Oh, yes, Mr. Ashford, I do!” she nodded.
Jesus! The woman is hot.
Sophia rose from the bed and circled him, her fingers tracing his chest and his shoulder; she ran her hands over his arms and his buttocks, without touching his straining erection.
“A fine specimen, Mr. Ashford.” She pinched his chin lowering his head a bit, to better look at his azure eyes. He hadn’t touched her and she was already turned on. “A very fine specimen,” she murmured.
He let out a laugh. “I will tell my personal trainer that I made the grade.” He grabbed both of her wrists in his grip behind her back and pulled her flush onto his body.
“I wasn’t finished, Mr. Ashford,” she frowned at him.
“Seems I’m not that good at following orders, Ms. Santo.”
She smiled at the admission. “Ethan. I never thought you would be.” And pressed tighter to him, parting her lips.
They met halfway and he savaged her mouth, leaving Sophia with no ability to think.
About the Author
I live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with my husband and two daughters. I'm a lawyer, who specializes in cases of sexual abuse and violence against children and women. I also have a Masters in Business Law and a BA in Fine Arts.
I've always loved to read, write and listen to music. I lived and studied in England, France, Italy and Switzerland. Traveling is one of my passions - as is keeping fit and healthy.
After twenty-two years of practicing law, I decided to give writing a go. And - amazingly - it was just the piece that was missing in my life.
@CrisSerruya
@trustrilogy
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