Tell me about the Takedown series.
The Takedown books are a hybrid romance-suspense-crime-fiction-but-not-really sort of genre. It\’s a mouthful! Truthfully I don\’t really know how to classify them. Anyway, they center around a central character, a girl named Peyton Riley, who is a takedown specialist.
What is a \”takedown\”?
In MMA terms, a takedown is when you literally take your opponent down to the ground, where you can inflict the most damage by trying to submit them or doing a ground-and-pound. In my books, a takedown occurs when you prevent something from happening, like a wedding or a business merger, usually by engineering some sort of downfall or scandal. And that\’s what Peyton does for a living.
Who is Peyton Riley?
She\’s the heroine of the series – or more like an anti-heroine. She\’s in this line of business that\’s not entirely scrupulous, and she\’s tough and a little amoral — she has to be. As the series progresses you find out a little bit more about her, how she ended up that way, and realize that she\’s not so hardened as she thinks she is.
So there\’s Peyton, the MC. What about the LI?
The love interest in this series is a man called Carson Varis. He meets Peyton in book 1 and through some maneuvering (I won\’t say how exactly) he gets her on a sort of mission that forms the main plot of book 2. He\’s very, very charming and used to talking his way in and out of different situations. Peyton and him are evenly matched, I should say.
What inspired you to write about this?
I was just thinking about the books I enjoy reading and that\’s where I thought of \’Romance Plus.\’ It\’s like, I enjoy the heat levels and the feels in the romance genre, but I also need a bit more happening on the side to really love a book. That \’plus\’ could be a mystery, or some sort of historical event, or anything that is a bit more than developing the relationship between the MC and the LI (although that\’s great too). So I decided to write my own \’Romance Plus.\’ And also I wanted to write about someone who\’s sex-positive and not necessarily scrupulous, because I thought that would be fun.
The cover of Book 1 and Book 2 are a little different.
There\’s less skin, you mean?
Exactly! Was that intentional?
Yes. Book 1, In Too Deep,is structured as more of a straight, steamy romance. The mystery factor\’s just hinted at. Whereas Peyton Riley, Book 2, really focuses more on the mission bit of the story. With still some steam added in, because I love that. 😀
Can readers pick up Peyton Riley or do they need to start at book 1?
Peyton Riley can be read as a standalone, although it references events from Book 1, but not enough that you\’d be completely lost. I\’d love if readers read both, of course!
What can readers expect from this series?
Steam, intrigue, a bit of suspense and Europe! (The book is set in Amsterdam.)
Can I ask you when book 3 is coming out?
The first draft is about a third of the way done, so I hope to be out with it by October or November, fingers crossed.
Thank you for answering these questions!
Thank you for asking them!
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Peyton Riley goes on sale September 5 on Amazon.com. Buy here.
Bianca Mori 