Get Lost in a Story: Xio Axelrod..Fearless on Friday the 13th!

5/13/2016

Xio Axelrod..Fearless on Friday the 13th!

Have you ever started a conversation with a total stranger? I do it all the time. And two years ago, I approached someone sitting near the hotel elevators and asked if she would mind being interviewed for Get Lost In A Story? Take a minute to watch it and then you'll know how to pronounce her name:) Jan Interviews Xio at RWA 2014 in San Antonio.

Xio Axelrod is an award-winning author of love stories, contemporary romance and (what she likes to call) strange, twisted tales. She also writes erotica and women’s fiction. Xio grew up in the music industry and began recording at a young age. When she isn’t writing stories, she can be found in the studio, writing songs, or performing on international stages (under a different, super-secret name, of courseJ). She lives in Philadelphia with one full-time husband and one part-time cat.

Val Saunders and Sam Newman are two Hollywood actors at opposite ends of their careers. Hers is skyrocketing while his, well, never really took off. Fate brings them together when they’re cast as lovers on a steamy new television series. The on-screen chemistry between them is off the charts and when it spills over into a real life attraction, they find themselves in a situation..

Read an excerpt...HERE

Buy here: Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Nook, All Romance, Audible, iTunes

Jan Schliesman: Since today is Friday the 13^th, tell us if you are superstitious about anything? Are you a fan of any of the Friday the 13^th horror movies?

Xio Axelrod: Mr. X and I actually met on a Friday the 13^th, so we got married on a Friday the 13^th. For me, it’s a lucky day. J I’m not terribly superstitious, though I tend to hold onto birthday cards and gifts until my actual birthday. I must have gotten it in my head a long time ago that opening them before the actual date was bad luck. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen one of two of the Jason Voorhees films, but I can’t say I’m a fan. I prefer my horror to be less slasher and more cerebral. Okay, now I sound like a snob, lol, but I like psychological horror/thriller. I recently watched “It Follows”. That was super creepy!

Jan: How often do you Get Lost In A Story?

Xio: Hopefully, every time I open a new book (or write one.) A few months ago, I started listening to audiobooks. They make it even easier to get sucked in. I’ve lost many sleepless nights to my Kindle and my headphones.

Jan: Do you write under your real name or a pen name?

Xio: My main pen name is a combination of my nickname and my married name. I think it’s pretty memorable.

Jan: Tell us about your recent trip to Europe.

Xio: Back when I did music full-time, I’d spend two months out of every year in England. When I started my writing career two years ago, I took a year off from music to learn the publishing

business. This was my first trip back since 2014, and I had really missed it. I spent a few days in Scotland as well. That was more of a research jaunt, something to help me with my Calum Series, which is set there. My favourite moment was probably stepping up onto Hadrians Wall. Talk about surreal!

Jan: What do you love most about your latest release?

Xio: Falling Stars, while not my latest release, was the story that got everything started for me. It began life as a serial on my blog. If it weren’t for the readers that connected with Sam and Val, and demanded that I publish their tale, I wouldn’t be a romance writer today. What I love most about the book is the marriage of realism and fantasy. I prefer my romances to be grounded, but I also love to get swept away by the love story. I think I’ve accomplished that with this book, and its sequel, Starlight. I hope I have.

Jan: Any writing rituals you follow? Celebrate a certain way when it’s completed?

Xio: I need music. I can’t write in silence and I can’t write with the sounds of everyday life around me. I live in the heart of Philadelphia, so there’s always a car horn, a jackhammer, or the sound of passing children in the air. “Quiet” is relative. I need music to focus. I haven’t figured out how to celebrate a release yet. Each one is so nerve-wracking. I suppose I celebrate by getting some much-needed sleep. LOL

Jan: It was love at first sight when I met my hubby. How about you?

Xio: Mr. X and I met online, before Match.com, eHarmony, or any of those other dating sites. We were actually both in an HTML help group, looking for tips on building our respective websites. The moderator never showed up, so we ended up with twenty-eight other people, exchanging what little we knew. From that, the conversation devolved into pop culture and dirty jokes. We hung out as a group for a month or two, almost every day. Out of those thirty people, six couples formed. I think the first pair got married two weeks after that first “class”.

Jan: What are you currently reading?

Xio: I just finished Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. Five stars, hands down. I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers stories, and I loved this book so much! Such wonderful angst, and such a beautiful resolution. I’m about to dive into the sequel, Us.

Jan’s GOTTA ASK:

Xio’s GOTTA ANSWER: Are you taking orders? J My favourite flavour of Haagen Dazs is Coffee Yogurt. When it comes to ice cream, I either go for vanilla or for something crazy like sea salt, caramel, fudge bites, and chili pepper, or some other exotic concoction. We have a wonderful, old-fashioned ice cream parlour here in Philly called The Franklin Fountain. The have yummy flavours like grape, pumpkin, and teaberry.

Find XIO AXELROD:

Website, Amazon, Email Signup
Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

Google+, Pinterest, Instagram

THANKS SO MUCH, XIO, for sharing part of your writing world with us! Xio is giving away a copy of Falling Stars so be sure to scroll to the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the page for your chance to enter!

UP NEXT: Book two in the Calum Series, Calum Me Maybe,will be released in June 2016.

PREVIOUS RELEASES: Falling Stars is book one in the series and book two, Starlight, is also available. Together, they complete a standalone story. Book one in the Calum Series, The Calum is also out.