Author Spotlight #5 + Giveaway: Lilliana Anderson

Title: A Beautiful Struggle (Beautiful #1)
Author: Lilliana Anderson
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
MY REVIEW

Katrina Mahoney has a very full life attending university to study a law degree, training for triathlons and now she is working part time as well. She couldn’t possibly find time for a relationship, especially after her last one ended so catastrophically.

Right now she is content focusing on work, study and training while hanging out with her best friend David Taylor, a womaniser with a heart of gold that would do anything for Katrina – except watch her get hurt again.

That is, until the dashing Elliot Roberts, a junior solicitor from her work, shows an interest in her despite their office’s ‘No Dating’ policy.

Katrina struggles with following her heart or following her mind and has trouble seeing where her heart truly lies.

Title: A Beautiful Forever (Beautiful #2)

Author: Lilliana Anderson

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Awesomness Level: OH. YEAH.

MY REVIEW

After ruining the best relationship he has ever had, Elliot's life takes a turn for the worse and he isn't happy with who he's become.

Deciding to spend three months in the UK on a working visa, in a bid to find himself again, he boards a plane to London. During the flight he meets Paige, a fellow Aussie with a closed heart and a lot to hide.

The closer he gets to Paige the more he's sure that she's hiding something. Will it be enough to send him running? Or does he love her enough to fight this time?

Tell us a bit about what makes you, you.

This is actually a pretty hard question. We all like to think that we’re unique and I of course am no different. When it comes down to it, I’m an Aussie girl, who’s done a decent amount of travelling. I’ve fallen in and out of love enough time to know the difference and I spend a huge amount of time day dreaming when I should be focusing on other things. But to my kids I’m simply – mum.

  

What’s the most challenging thing about writing?

Making it logical. Writing is painting a picture with words – if you can imagine it, you can make it happen. BUT it has to be logical, it has to be believable. You have to really put yourself in the scene and work out if these things could actually happen.

When writing, how do you get “in the zone?”

Most of the time I am writing with children around me, the tv on and my phone beeping periodically with emails. But when I have a very emotional scene to write, I select a piece of music that reminds me of those feelings, put my headphones on and shut everything else out.

Which one of your books was the most fun to write?

So far, it was A Beautiful Forever, because I had a great team of beta readers and early reviewers who were all cheering me on and making me feel good about what I had created. I was happy enough by the time I released it, that I didn’t even blink when the first unhappy review came in (which they always do, no matter how much you work on your book)

Are any of the characters you create inspired by real people?

Yes, some of them are (that’s all I’m saying! Lol)

How did you come up with the hot dudes in the Beautiful series? :P

I just describe my husband with different coloured hair! Lol (Sorry that’s a joke because he’s sitting right next to me)

Seriously though, they kind of just come to me in my mind. They are all beautiful to look at AND they’re thoughtful (which is why they live in books) They’re the whole package, just what every girl wants to sigh over!

  

Who do you see playing Katrina, David, Elliott, and Paige?

Gotta stick with the Aussie actors for these roles – I think for Katrina, I’d choose Isabel Luca

For David Jesse Spencer

For Elliot – Chris Hemsworth

For Paige – Phoebe Tonkin

We might need some contacts to get all of their eye colours right, but they all look the closest to what I imagined (only in my mind they’re hotter!)

What are you currently working on?

‘Alter’  It’s a romance with a few twists and turns. It follows Mia, a 23 year old teacher for deaf teens as she finds her life becoming increasingly strange. Suddenly she’s unable to remember her interactions with people even though, at times, there is photographic evidence to prove she was there. It’s when she starts to seek help for these periods of memory loss that her life is severely altered.

THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!!

(Word association)

Black: Coffee

TV: relaxation
Awesome: Me

Handsome: Man

Vacation: dream

GIVEAWAY
One winner will get both books in ebook format.
THEY'RE READ AS STANDALONE but we're giving away both books just in case you end up rooting for Elliot... LIKE ME. :)
Open internationally, of course.


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