Book Promo: Review & Author Interview! Little Rainbows by Helena Stone

Totally Bound

When Jason and Heather first meet they are young and sure they are wrong for each other. As a result they spend a summer admiring each other from a safe distance.

Twenty years later Heather is coming out of mourning, having lost her husband and Dom eighteen months earlier. Jason, now the owner of an exclusive sex resort on the west coast of Ireland, struggles with the loss of his desire to dominate.

Jason’s resort is about to celebrate its first anniversary and party planner Heather has been hired to create the perfect celebration. Their reunion comes as a big surprise to both of them.

Old and familiar attraction, battles with new and conflicting emotions as Jason and Heather work together to organize the ultimate BDSM event. Overcoming the issues between them isn’t the only obstacle Jason and Heather face. In the background lurks a threat both to Heather’s independence and Jason’s livelihood.

Hello, Helena! Welcome on Mikky’s World of Books.

Thank you so much for having me and for all your help. As a newbie I’m completely overwhelmed and you’ve managed to make it all look easy and go smoothly.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Where to start? Well, I was born (far too long ago for my liking) and raised in the Netherlands but moved to Ireland with my Irish husband 17 years ago. We live in the country-side and after spending most my life in cities – Amsterdam followed by Dublin – I have to say I love the peace and quiet as well as the spectacular views we get. 

I’ve been surrounded by books for as long as I can remember. My parents were avid readers and every birthday or other gifting occasion would include at least one book. My first job, as a teenager, was in a bookshop and although I’ve worked in other businesses since, I returned to my roots eight years ago when I got my part-time job as a library assistant.

When I’m not working, or reading, or writing I enjoy long walks with the dog, lazy days in the sun, cooking and a good glass of wine.

What made you decide to start writing?

LOL, I never made a conscious decision to start writing. I got challenged to write. In October 2013, I remarked on Twitter that I wondered whether or not it was true that everybody has at least one book in them. Author friends of mine immediately told me to try it and find out for myself. Since NaNoWriMo was about to start I figured, why not? Thirty days later I had a story of about sixty-thousand words. Little Rainbows as it is today is very different from that first draft but if it hadn’t been for that dive into the unknown, the book wouldn’t exist.

Your book is Erotica/BDSM. Why this genre?

BDSM/Erotica was my favourite genre at the time. Again, it wasn’t a conscious decision. I didn’t outline or plot the story before I started writing. I sat down behind my keyboard and the story came as I typed. Having said that, I enjoy reading romances, erotica and BDSM-themed stories so I guess it’s hardly surprising that preference emerged when I started typing.

You’re planning on writing only Erotica or are you willing to try other genres as well?

That is not something I’ve really thought about. I didn’t plan Little Rainbows and I still don’t plan ahead when it comes to my stories. Everything I’ve written so far has been romantic and explicit, although not necessarily focused on BDSM. For the time being at least I’m perfectly happy to go with the ideas and characters as they come to me and discover what genre it fits as I write. 

Having said that, I also have a co-written novella coming out in the near future and while that story features two men it does have a BDSM-theme, like Little Rainbows.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve recently submitted an m/m romance to my publisher. There’s no BDSM in that book and if I had to tag it I would call it a New Adult story, given the age of the characters in the book. I haven’t heard back about the submission so it’s a case of fingers crossed. I’ve started two new stories as well. One will be a BDSM themed novella the other an m/m romance. It is still very early days for both of those though.

How did it feel, this whole process? The writing then getting the book published, promoting it?

Writing the book was pure bliss. I wish I’d know how much I’d enjoy it because I would have started years ago. Editing wasn’t nearly as painful as I feared it might be. Totally Bound Publishing and my editor were wonderful and very patient. Since this was my first time going through the process every single thing I had to do came with a steep learning curve and they were (and still are) there every step of the way to hold my hand and show me the way.

Promoting the book has been an eye-opener to say the least. Who knew writing the story would prove to be the easiest part of the process? Spreading the word about my book is a lot more work than I ever realized. As with every other step in the process, it has been a steep but rewarding learning curve thanks to the assistance provided by Totally Bound Publishing and people like you.

What advice would you give to all the aspiring authors out there?

Just do it. You won’t know whether or not you have that story in you, or if you’re capable of writing it, unless you actually sit down and put the words on paper/a screen. I honestly didn’t expect to end up with a full length novel when I decided to give it a shot and look at me now. If it can happen to me, it can and will happen to others.

Thank you so much for answering our questions, Helena! We wish all the best with all your future projects and can’t wait to read your next novel.

I rarely review one author’s first novel because I don’t want to come across as mean when I start pointing out what I didn’t liked nor am I willing to lie in my reviews for anyone but I decided to give this one a try.

Little Rainbows is a beautiful story about second chances, about finding love again.

Jason has lost his drive. He doesn’t think about himself as a Dom anymore and that wouldn’t be such a problem if he didn’t had to act as one at the party he’s hosting in his own club.

Heather has lost her husband and Dom and, even if eighteen months have passed, she’s still heartbroken.

She’s not really up for organizing a BDSM party but she has made a promise she has every intention of keeping.

What neither Jason nor Heather expected was for them to meet again after twenty years. They are not what they once used to be but, apparently, the flame is not completely extinguished either.

This book is listed as BDSM/Erotica and, while there are a few scenes, it is so much more than this. It is a part of the character’s life but not what defines them or what really keeps them together.

One of the things I really liked is how amazingly detailed and well structured the story is. You have to admit it is not the case in most novellas. Usually, it’s all rushed and sometimes messy and confusing, especially when the authors skips large periods of time which is my biggest pet peeve as many of you know from my repeated rants on the subject.

It happens here, too, a few times but not once have I felt like I missed something. Little details, cleverly included here and there, allow the reader to keep up with the action and give enough hints as to not let you wonder how or why they have reached a certain stage when they weren’t even close to it at the end of the last paragraph. 

There is, also, a little bit of mystery, which makes everything even more interesting.

Jason and Heather’s story will find its way to your soul from the very first pages and it will remind you that one loss it’s not the end of the road no matter how big said loss was. Love will find you when you least expect it and there is always hope as long as you’re willing to try.

Helena has potential and, for a beginner, she did a great job. I cannot wait to read whatever she decides to write next.

I highly recommend.

Happy Reading!!

Helena Stone can’t remember a life before words and reading. After growing up in a household where no holiday or festivity was complete without at least one new book, it’s hardly surprising she now owns more books than shelf space while her Kindle is about to explode.

The urge to write came as a surprise. The realisation that people might enjoy her words was a shock to say the least. Now that the writing bug has well and truly taken hold, Helena can no longer imagine not sharing the characters in her head and heart with the rest of the world.

Having left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam for the peace and quiet of the Irish Country side she divides her time between reading, writing, long and often wet walks with the dog, her part-time job in a library, a grown-up daughter and her ever loving and patient husband.

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