It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for me. The last leg of the 2014 year, and every book that I’ve been working on for this year needs to be out by December 31, 2014. Why? Because I have a 12-book list for 2015, and I’d like not to have to write two books a monthJ
So many readers have wanted to know what in the world is coming first and when. And you guys know how I feel about listing a deadline, but I’m going to do it as long as you don’t hold me to it. Fair enough. You get what you want and I get an opportunity to at least try to be goal-oriented.
This has been a fun year truly. I felt like my old self again, actually even better. So, I’ve been writing notes, outlines, quotes and now I think I’m finally ready to do some writing.
Plus, I’ve put together an awesome little video of the covers. You know me. I like to impress you.
Take a look and tell me what you think. In the next few days, we’ll take each book and list the synopsis and move forward with how you can give your input.
Join National Bestselling Interracial Romance Author Latrivia Nelson and the ladies of her Facebook Group, The Love Pub for an in-depth discussion of Vasily’s Revenge, Part 1. This book is part of the Amazon Bestselling Box Set, The Scandalous Heroes, released earlier this month. Ask questions, share your thoughts, make suggestions and enjoy women from across the world as they talk about The Russian Series that you should already own, The Medlov Men.
More About Vasily’s Revenge:
Vasily was a quiet man of questionable origins, one of the many reasons that he’d become more like family to the Medlov’s than a simple captain. He was shorter than the seven-foot Czar, but a few feet taller than his immediate boss, Anatoly…. However, his body builder physique was no less menacing. He had a prison build from years of working in the gym not only to maintain his size but also to strengthen his lungs, which had been punctured over ten years ago by Leo Rasputin’s bodyguard.
A feared, revered henchman of the Vory v Zakone, all Vasily had ever known for the last eight years was in this room. He had served the most powerful men in the mafia and his reputation had been nearly flawless doing so. He had killed more men than he cared to count. Done more deals for his bosses then he would ever say. And he had done it all without ever seeking anything in return, except once, and he had learned that lesson painfully.
I am very happy to announce that Vasily’s Revenge will be out as a part of the Scandalous Heroes Box Set on July 6th.
Vasily’s Revenge Synopsis Vasily Kavlov is head of security for the most feared and revered Russian mafia organization in the free world, The Medlov Crime Family. A quiet henchmen with no family, no love life and unyielding loyalty to his bosses, the thirties something bad boy is all work and no play. However, his past quickly comes back to haunt him, when the woman he nearly gave his life for ten years ago is threatened once again by an old enemy. Going to Lilly Rasputin’s aid won’t just be a journey down memory lane, it’s also a jolt to the system when he learns that he’s the father to her child.
Will changing everything in his life, give him new lust for it? And can he trust a woman who was the cause of his near death before?
Excerpt from Vasily’s Revenge
Latrivia Nelson (c) 2014
Please do not copy without expressed permission from the Author or Publisher
Prologue Manhattan, NYC Ten Years Ago
Prologue
Manhattan, NYC
Ten Years Ago
Even from downstairs in the Upper East Side three-story, luxury brownstone, Vasily could hear Lilly and his boss Leo arguing. The sound of raised voices and heavy objects hitting the wall and breaking were like nails on a chalkboard for him, reminding him of his less-than-fortunate childhood and the grizzly scenes that had unfolded at his father’s hand.
After so many years of being around constant and abhorrent violence from a toddler to a grown man, he knew trouble brewing when he heard it. He also knew when a man was headed toward a vehement eruption, and based upon the growl in his boss’s voice and aggressive words coming from his mouth, Lilly would be in trouble soon, if they both didn’t calm down.
Lilly was a voluptuous woman, the kind who looked like she was born to be a centerfold pinup. With a large, double-D bosom, a freakishly small waist and wide sculpted hips, she had captured everyone’s attention in the house, including
Vasily’s but he never let on about it.
There was something charming about her raspy, seductive voice and smooth coco skin, the way her lips curved into a heart and her almond-shaped, brown eyes always showed all of her emotions. Her hair was like soft black feathers and the dimples in the sides of both of her high-cheeks seem to explode every time that she smiled at him.
And Lilly smiled often, despite his attempt to be as dull and quiet as possible around her.
In fact, he often avoided her just so that he wouldn’t have to take in her intoxicating scent or try to hide the primitive reaction she caused in him.
Fresh out of hair school and going nowhere fast, she had fallen into Leo’s arms at an upscale night club in Manhattan where she was a waitress. His romance of her was quick and to the point. He wanted her. So, he took her.
In exchange, she got this…
A lesson in the fact that all that glitters is not gold.
Looking up at the crown molding ceiling of the parlor Vasily shook his head at the vibrations coming from above.
They were not calming down. If anything, they were ramping it up.
Another vase slammed against the wall upstairs, this time knocking down a painting with it. The clanging of the objects was only magnified by the constant name calling, not by her but by him. Leo berated her loudly, using his tongue instead of his hand for the moment to tear her down layer by layer.
There was only so much of this that Vasily could take, but the men sitting around the table with him seemed to be able to ignore it as they cleaned their guns, loaded their magazines and watched television like nothing was going on.
Some of them even ate their dinner and had sidebar conversations, never flinching as a woman just up the stairs screamed to the top of her lungs. To them, such a thing was typical, if not expected. Many of them had come from homes just like his, but had no better ideas of women than the men who had beat them and their mothers.
Vasily, on the other hand, swore to never hit a woman and never to allow one to be hit in his presence. Sure, there were evil women, no different from evil men in the world. But if he had to kill one, he did just that—respectfully with a bullet.
Taking a deep breath, he set down his Uzi on the round wooden table carefully and stood up, pushing his chair a few feet away in frustration.
Most of the men sitting around the table did not paid attention to him. They could not possibly fathom that he was actually about to do something as stupid as intervene between their boss and his girl. Besides, they were supposed to be getting ready for a meeting tonight where money and microchips would be exchanged at an undisclosed location, not dealing in things domestic.
“Don’t do it,” Yakov warned his friend in a thick Russian accent. He sat beside him at the table, watching Vasily’s demeanor change with each and every scream. “It’s not worth it.” He looked up at Vasily with old wisdom in his young features and shook his head, begging him to mind his own business.
Yakov had been with Leo longer than Vasily and knew his boss’s hellish temper and his history with women. What was going on upstairs was nothing new for the house. There had been many women before Lilly and would probably be many after her.
A hiss escaped him in anger. “I can’t just sit down here and listen to this,” Vasily said, clenching his square jaw. He looked up at the ceiling again impatiently. “He could be hurting her this time. Every argument gets one step closer.”
“They are just arguing. No big deal. Tomorrow they’ll be better,” Yakov promised. “Besides, she’s not your girlfriend. But he is your boss. Remember that.” He pointed at him to add levity to the situation. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Lilly yelled again, this time louder. The door to their bedroom flung open. “Fuck you, Leo!” she screamed. “I am so sick of dealing with your shit! You are not my father!”
“Get your black ass back here,” Leo ordered in a thick Russian accent, bolting out of the door after her with his black Armani shirt open to show his sinewy muscles and a tattooed chest.
Grabbing her by her slender arm, he swung her around and slapped her across the face all in one motion.
Instantly, she fell to the carpeted floor, grabbing her face and crying. She was stunned that he had actually hit her this time. With wide eyes of disbelief, she looked up at him deathly afraid.
The hit echoed as the men went silent in the room below.
His heart strained. “That’s it,” Vasily said, voice going sharp as he headed through the doorway.
“Vasily, no!”
Yakov was immediately torn. Vasily was his best friend and like a brother to him, but Leo was his boss and he was his second-in-charge. He knew that Vasily wasn’t wrong for wanting the fighting to stop. Lilly, after all, was a good and decent girl, but it was not their place to save her from a situation that she had put herself in.
Yakov stood up to go after Vasily, but gave him a moderate and intentional start. This was going to happen at one point or another. It might as well happen while he could help Vasily. He knew, while never saying anything, that Vasily had a thing for Lilly, but he also knew that his friend had never made one advance toward her. Vasily wasn’t like that. He was more honorable than any other man that he knew in the Vory v Zakone. And it would be his honor that would be his ultimate downfall.
“What do you want us to do?” one of the other men asked, not really alarmed by Vasily’s outburst.
Yakov motioned for the men to stay seated. “I’ve got this,” he said, refusing to put his friend into danger without cause.
Everyone sitting at the table was the shoot now, ask questions later type. Even if they had to kill Vasily, they wouldn’t care. He was one of them, but not really. He was newest to their small crew and only close to Yakov.
Headed up the elaborate alabaster wood staircase toward Lily’s cries, Vasily saw Leo look over the banister at him. He rushed as fast as he could, moving up the stairs two or three at a time, seeing red, determined to make the man stop his shouting and hitting.
As Vasily arrived on the third floor, heaving furious breaths, Leo scowled at him. His penetrating gray eyes were like a wolf locked on his prey. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he asked in a deep baritone, still standing over Lily like he was ready to attack again.
He looked down at the woman, wearing only a torn pink satin slip, lip bleeding and long black hair covering her bruised face. Unable to help himself, Vasily reached out for her. All he wanted to do was to protect and keep her safe, only he didn’t know why. “Get up,” he said to her with both authority and concern.
Leo snorted in response. “Are you serious?” He frowned; looking around like someone was playing a practical joke on him. “What is this?”
“She’s had enough,” Vasily snarled. “I’m not disillusioned by what kind of men we are, but we don’t beat women.”
Leo’s mouth dropped open when he realized that Vasily was serious. “I do whatever the fuck I want to do,” Leo reminded, hitting his chest like a caveman. He stood between Vasily and Lily, purposefully guarding his territory.
Leo was a big man, not easily pushed around or intimidated. Nearly as wide as Vasily, he boasted a thick, muscular chest and bulging arms and bottomed out with legs as large as tree trunks that were covered in tailored black slacks and leather dress shoes. His low black crew cut outlined his chiseled features—gray eyes, wide-lips, tanned skin, thick black brows and a splash of freckles across his face. He was menacingly handsome and overtly dangerous.
Leo gestured at the quivering woman while keeping his eyes on Vasily. “You’re fucking her, aren’t’ you?” He wiped his nose and planted his feet ready for a fight.
Vasily stepped closer. “No.” His tone was bitter and unapologetic. “If I were, I would not have let you lay the first hand on her.”
Lily pushed to her feet, forgetting the pain in her face for a second. She wiped her bloody mouth. “Leo, don’t. Let’s just go back inside and talk this out. There is no need to get anyone else involved.” Her voice nearly failed her. She didn’t want anything to happen to Vasily because of her. She liked him, more than he knew.
Leo laughed. “Oh, this is rich. You and my fucking foot boy? Really?” He looked between the both of them and put his hand on his hip in contemplation.
“Vasily has never touched me,” Lilly answered.
“I just don’t like men beating women,” Vasily said, eyes narrowing. “I don’t care who you are. I’m not going to let you put your hands on her again.”
“Is that a fact?” Leo’s fangs began to show. He was amused somewhat by the ridiculous attempt.
Yakov came up the stairs behind them, assessing the situation quietly. He looked over at Leo with faux-confusion. “What’s going on?” he asked, although he already knew.
“Are you fucking her too?” Leo asked Yakov.
“No, boss.” The look on Yakov’s face, a mix of surprise and denial, made Leo turn his attention back to the six-foot-four wall of muscle that was Vasily.
“Let me explain something to you,” Leo said walking over to Lilly and grabbing her up by her neck. “This is my property.” He pointed at Vasily. “You are my property, and if I choose to beat her or you then it’s my fucking business. Until you are boss, you don’t have a thing to say about it. Do I make myself clear?”
Vasily could feel the heat growing under his collar. “Let go of her,” he demanded. “I won’t say it again.”
Lilly’s brown eyes were filled with shame and fear. “Stop, Leo, please!” she begged.
Leo rubbed his jaw in contemplation. “Let go of her?” he asked, pushing her body against the banister as if he would push her over. “Here?” He pushed her harder and she screamed. “Or here?” He almost smiled at the reaction on Vasily’s face.
As half of Lilly’s body dangled over the edge of the railing, Vasily went for the gun in his holster at lightning fast speed.
Pointing it at Leo’s head with his finger on the trigger, he heard the distinctive click of a weapon behind him.
“Don’t do this,” Yakov begged, gun pointed. His friend had pushed his hand, leaving him no choice but to protect his boss.
“You throw her over, I pull this trigger and Yakov pulls his. Three people die. Won’t be the first three; won’t be the last. It’s that simple,” Vasily said without blinking. His greenish-blue eyes were intense under dark lashes and arched brows. “I really don’t give a fuck if I live or die as long as I take you with me. But one thing is for sure, if you push her over that railing, you’re next.”
Lilly screamed, crying for her life and looking down three floors at the daunting marble floor beneath. Her two-carat diamond necklace broke and fell below as Leo squeezed her neck. There was no doubt that if he pushed her over, she would fall to her death.
Pushing her hands against the railing to keep from going over, she struggled. “Please, Leo. Don’t do this? I’m sorry. God, I’m sorry, just please let me go!”
Vasily gripped the gun tighter, a bead of sweat forming at his left temple. “I’m waiting,” he bit out.
Leo calculated the impending risk. In all the time that he had had Vasily under his employ, he’d never known him to bluff. This was not an idle threat, nor was it a good situation for him.
Yakov’s hand shook, not because he was afraid to kill, but because he didn’t want to kill the person in front of him. “Vasily, think of what you’re doing,” he said in a calm voice.
“I am thinking,” Vasily said, not taking his eyes off of Leo.
Leo wasn’t exactly anxious to end his life over a woman that he’d only met the year before. And there was no way that he wanted to be shot by one of his own men. There was no honorable death in that. He’d be the laughing stock of the Vory v Zakone in New York.
Snatching her back over the banister, he threw her on the floor against the wall.
Vasily looked down at her and reached for her again. “Come with me,” he said softly. “Don’t stay here and put up with this shit.”
Lilly looked at his hand and started to cry. She wanted to leave more than anything, but she was afraid. Where would they go? Where would they hide from a man like Leo Rasputin? He was everywhere and knew everyone. He would find them and kill them.
Vasily’s face was awash with disappointment and rejection as he watched her recoil away from him.
Leo laughed, already acutely aware of the outcome. “You see, you’re the only one here who doesn’t know his place.” He put his index finger over his lips as he gave a crooked smile. “But let me remind you.”
Suddenly, a gun went off behind him as a man, who had gone unseen the entire confrontation, standing in a few feet back from the four of them in the hallway released a round that went straight through Vasily’s back.
It seemed as though time slowed down.
As the bullet exited his chest, Vasily dropped to his knees and looked across at Lilly one last time. Falling forward on the carpet, blood splattering out of his mouth, he finally released his gun.
As Vasily wheezed a gurgling violent last breath, Leo spit on his open wound and kicked the gun across the floor. “Get this peace of shit out of here,” he said, stepping over him.
Even as the light faded from Vasily’s eyes, he could hear Lilly’s screams. She cried as Leo drug her down the stairs out of the view of the man who had tried and failed to protect her.
Michelle Obama wears Carolina Herrera gown at state dinner
I can’t give you an actual account of what happened at last night’s state dinner because I wasn’t there. LOL. To say that I was invited but I had other things to do is like choosing to stay home and wash your hair the day of rapture. But I still kept up with all the excitement. I love most things French and was excited about the President of France coming to the states. Then there was a star-studded event worthy of a good romance novella all by it self. But what impressed me the most was not our debonair President or the celebrities, it was First Lady Michelle Obama’s dress. Damn, the girl killed it and I’m so proud of her. First Lady Obama is one of those women whom I just absolutely am proud of Monday through Sunday and she couldn’t have picked a better dress or hairstyle than last night’s for the big State Dinner. Read more below, but that was just my account on what I didn’t see for myself (snicker).
STATE DINNER
ABC News’ Chris Good: “Citizen-Stars Of The State Dinner” For the most part, Tuesday night’s state dinner was a star-studded affair. Marking the visit of French President Francois Hollande, President Obama and his French counterpart toasted each other’s countries before a lavish meal at the White House, and before an entertainment- and political-celebrity-filled crowd that included the likes of Bradley Cooper and his supermodel girlfriend, Mindy Kaling, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, outgoing NBA Commissioner David Stern, Stephen Colbert, and members of Congress and cabinet secretaries. LINK
USA Today’s Maria Puente: “Obamas Bid Bon Appetit To Hollande (And Bradley Cooper)” Guess who came to dinner at the White House state affair for French President François Hollande? Well, besides Bradley Cooper. Well, besides Bradley Cooper. Not Hollande’s wife, because he doesn’t have one. Not his gorgeous girlfriends, because he’s already dumped two of them. And not his current gorgeous girlfriend, because, well, she’s just too new to display to the Yanks, already agog at the details of his complicated romantic life. But the show must go on when it’s a grand state dinner at stake, and so President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama welcomed a solo Hollande for tonight’s gala at the White House, where the celebrity guests included French-speaking heartthrob movie star Bradley Cooper and his girlfriend Suki Waterhouse. LINK
Everyone should recognize where their strengths and weaknesses are. It makes you a better person. I have a lot of strengths but my weakness is that I want so badly to give readers a book until sometimes, I forget to give myself breathing room for life. Simply put, I look at a calendar, say Oh, I can get a book out by then,” without ever really taking into account things like root canals, kiddie homework, crazy office work and Trivi’s occasional writing block.
When I started V6, I knew exactly what I wanted, but after I got more than half way done, I hated it. It didn’t capture me at all. In fact, it didn’t capture Dmitry. So I threw out the entire story and started again. Now, I’m feeling it. I like the story and I like where it’s going, but when am I going to be done? Hell if I know. It won’t be a long story. It’s not designed to be. V6 is all about outlining that pivotal point of no turning back for Dmitry and Ivan (and all the bystanders around them).
So, I wanted to let you know that I’m working on it, but it’s not there yet. It will be soon. However, please bare in mind that the synopsis is still the same.
How soon? Well, that’s how I get into this the first time. I’ll never give a date again (PROMISE). I’ll just let you know when it’s done and ready for you to order or download.
But I promise to keep you updated. In fact, I will put up the prologue in a couple of days for you to read and see where it’s all headed. Of course, it’s a rough, rough draft, but it will still be fun!
I’m a pretty laid back person. What you see is what you get. I love my family, my friends, my professional career and my hobbies.
2. What do you do outside of writing?
I’m the President and CEO of RiverHouse Publishing. I am a partner in a national cleaning service. And from 9-5, I represent some of the nation’s most promising businesses, political figures, non-profits and initiatives at a world-class public relations firm.
3. What made you start to write interracial romance?
I’ve been writing since I was four. I had my first poem published when I was five. I started to write interracial romance in high school and finally committed to my first novel in undergrad. I have always been drawn to the genre and felt like the only way to truly share my vision of IR was to write it.
4. How did you grow such a large readership?
I started out with 50 people whom I had to beg to write my book. Then I developed a small grassroots marketing plan and started to reach out to IR readers. My base went from 50 to 500 overnight and now it is at 50,000 readers globally. Three of my basic tenets is to respond to emails, encourage open and honest dialogue and write to entertain. I always want my readers to know that I appreciate them and their opinions and their support. So, I do what I can to show that through my communications.
It’s true that I’ve dated a Russian. The rest is funny fiction. I don’t know where the rumor started, but it was shortly after a post that my ex put on my page who also happened to be a 6’8”, blue-eyed Russian. He was the muse for the book, but the rest is just an overactive imagination.
6. With over 10,000 reviews online on combined sites, most people seem to either love you or hate you. How do you handle bad reviews?
I read the reviews to gather input, but I have learned to only take the good from even the worst review. One of the things that I remind myself of constantly is that after I’ve done my best, I just need to walk away from the project and move on to something else. It keeps it fun and light and allows me to keep writing. Plus, you can’t please everyone. So, I don’t try. If I can please the majority, then I’m a happy camper.
7. What is the process for you writing a novel, whether short or long?
I ask myself if I’d fantasize about the scenario. And if I would, then I write it. If I get bored with even the thought of the storyline, then I dump it. There are so many half-finished manuscripts on my desk, until it’s not even funny. But if I don’t think its good enough, I don’t give it to my readers, because they deserve my best. I normally start out with an outline, cut out pictures, develop a soundtrack and then depending on the mood of the book, I carve out time during certain parts of the day to write it.
8. Your divorce was pretty public? How did you handle it and are you dating now?
I encourage all women and men going through a tough divorce to pray hard and know that this is just a season in your life. Wake up every day and look forward. Visualize where you want to be and get there through hard work, prayer and healthy living. It was hard at first. I lost a lot of weight, was sick, got out of my normal schedule and really had to find out who I was without the “Mrs.” on the front of my name. But in searching for the new me, I discovered that there was a better me around the corner.
Yes, I am dating now. I’m in a happy relationship with a real “Southern Gentleman”. LOL. He’s funny and smart, but I think that outside of what he brings to the table, I’m a whole person, so we can mutually complement each other. You can’t do that when you don’t have it together yourself. There will always be one step forward and two steps back. But Trivi is okay now.
Plus, I like that every day with him is exciting. We are both parents, both divorced and both anxious to see what life has in store for us. Hopefully, what is in store will be something that we can enjoy together.
9. Do readers have new characters to look forward to in 2014?
The Medlov Men will be out in January. The Nine Lives of Kat Steele will be out in 2014. And there will be new characters will completely different stories for The Lonely Heart Series.
10. What’s next for you? You’ve accomplished so much in a short time. What else are you looking to achieve?
In 2014, I will be trying my hand at merchandising through a new company that I’m launching. Trivi’s Treasure Chest. There will be more to come on that, but I hope that the ladies like it.
The next set of questions are meant strictly for entertainment. So have fun with it.
Tennessee has the dubious distinction of having the worst violent crime rate in the country. The state was among the top 10 in the country for murders and robberies and was first for aggravated assaults, with an estimated 479.6 for every 100,000 residents. Tennessee’s 41,550 violent crimes in 2012 were up 6.8% from 2011 but down 10% from 2007, when there were 46,380 violent crimes. There were 388 murders in the state in 2012, up for a second straight year. To be fair, Tennessee’s violent streak is concentrated in some of the major metropolitan areas. Memphis‘s violent crime rate was the nation’s fifth worst, while Nashville’s was the 18th worst. Like many states with high violent crime, poverty in Tennessee is acute, and high school and college graduation rates are lower than most of the country.
Author Latrivia Welch Official Blog 