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Book Review, Interview, Introduction, JD Lexx

Morning guys, today I’m introducing a good friend of mine author JD Lexx. Now I had to bribe him with coffee this morning so hopefully I made it properly since I don’t drink it. 😉

So what we have planned for you, JD is going to answer a few questions, after I “introduce him”. Then we’ll post my review of Food Lust the first novel in his Crimson Confessions Series. I’ll include the excerpt and ways to find JD on the web. Let’s get started I’m sure JD wants better coffee and he’s eyeballing my spicy hot chocolate. I don’t want to fight him off since I know mines better.

Introducing JD Lexx

International attorney, award-winning journalist and last of a modest raconteur bloodline, J.D. Lexx has been a storyteller for most of his life and a student of humanity for even longer. Perhaps it’s no wonder that he takes such pleasure in the subtle tease of the written word, in kindling curiosity with every shared tale, then daring the imagination to continue on beyond The End.

A traveler by nature, Lexx spends most of his time between the frenzied streets of New York and the slower pace of New Orleans’ Vieux Carré. When not exploring the sensual psyche through his writing, he can usually be found honing his skills in the kitchen or working alongside charitable organizations to promote literacy and tolerance— two causes not only reflected in his work, but forever dear to his heart.

T: Good Morning JD, thank you for joining me this morning. Hopefully your coffee is to your liking.

JD: Thanks so much for inviting me. I love your blog and I’m really excited for the chance to be a part of it. As for the coffee, as long as it’s abundant and thick enough to drink with a fork, I’ll stick around as long as you’d like.

T: I know you’ve been doing a few interviews lately and they’ve been on the NC 17/R side. I’m going to keep things as PG as I can and hopefully you’ll join me for a couple more dates.

JD: Only NC-17? Damn, I was going for more of a Marquis de Sade thing. Okay, fair enough. Let’s do it your way. 😉

T: Who have been your biggest influences in your journey’s and in your writing? Why?

JD: Wow, that’s a tougher question than you’d think. I tend to find my greatest influences and inspirations close to home, both as an author and a man. On both sides of the family tree, I’ve tracked a legacy of writers and philosophical types who have always been notorious for shaking up the status quo—dating all the way back to the 1700s and this troublemaking scientist named Newton. You’ve probably heard of him. Honestly, I think it’s that power of history and lineage that drives me in the things I do.

I’ve been lucky; I was never made to feel guilty for being different or for taking the less explored path. I’ve never desired to walk down some well-trodden road or fall into line with the others. I want to do something different and help expose overlooked beauty. I want to change perceptions, and I think it’s those who came before me, who still live and breathe in my veins, that compel me.

T: Who’s your favorite Author past and/or present? Why?

JD: This is a question I revisit pretty often but I keep coming back to some rather obvious answers. Generally, I have to put Ernest Hemingway at the top of the list. While his streamlined mastery of the language couldn’t be any different from my verbose approach to wordplay, I admire his ability to set a brilliantly uncluttered stage and leave room for the reader to dance.

T: Describe your work space?

JD: I like to call it “controlled chaos.” I try to keep my writing space clean but it never pans out. I’ve got books from friends on top of books from acquaintances right next to books from the greatest who ever lived. I have manuscripts where I shouldn’t and notes in places I’ll never find again. But it’s cozy. And it’s mine. As long as the space around me reflects the lovable insanity within, I like to think it’s conducive to great things. Granted, I haven’t quite captured them yet, but it’s just a matter of time!

T: Do you listen to music while you write? If so what style/who? How does it inspire you? If not does it hinder your creativity?

JD: Music and noise during writing time can be a real double-edged sword with me. I can’t listen to anything with lyrics or my mind drifts away with the words. That said, I’m very responsive to the moods certain instrumental music conveys and like to use it whenever I can. I’ve also got an impressive library of random sound generators ranging from spooky to calming in a hundred different ways. I’ll use those to create ambiance and put myself inside the page. Howling winds so I can “feel” the cutting chill of open heights. The repetitive drum of an old rail car barreling ahead when I’m trying to build a sense of ominous drama. That kind of thing has always helped make a scene real to me.

T: What do you do to relax when you get over stressed do to the demands of deadlines, fans and the outside world?

JD: Didn’t you just warn me about keeping this interview PG? Such a cruel temptress… Truthfully, the stress tends to boil over now and then, especially when writing takes a backseat to marketing and promotions and the general daily grind. When it gets too much, I have to get away and recoil into quiet for a while or else the tension will seep into my writing. As much as I love to travel, sometimes just getting lost in a wooded area or along a deserted beach for a few hours can work wonders to sooth a surging mind. As humbled as I am to have such incredible fans and supporters in pursuing this dream, I find myself wanting to do everything for everyone at all times. In that sense, I can be everyone’s best friend and my own worst enemy. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I make sure to enjoy every moment of the journey. Getting away now and then to reset my energy helps me make sure I never lose sight of the people and things that matter.

T: If you could meet anyone past or present who would you want to meet?

JD: Off the top of my head, I’d have to go with Winston Churchill, Socrates, Louis Armstrong, Babe Ruth, Elvis, and all the Stooges except for Shemp. I’ll save the “NC-17” version for another time.

T: Throughout history authors are known to drink (some of us more than we should) what is your preferred beverage?

JD: The perfect Sazerac, hands down. And I know that sounds like a clichéd answer these days because all the hipster types consider that a classic writer’s drink. Then they go and order it with cognac or schnapps or any number of other abominations. Yuck! As a New Orleans boy myself, let me clear up any misconceptions: always rye whisky, never bourbon. Peychaud’s bitters. A residue of absinthe or Herbsaint, spun in a glass and emptied. Topped with a ribbon of lemon zest squeezed to release the oils but never dropped in to the drink. Voila. A friend once asked me to explain the aroma of a Sazerac properly made. I believe I described the aroma like stepping into a room filled with old books and thick wafts of history.

…not that I’m obsessed or anything…

T: Okay last question so I’ll skirt the edge of the NC 17 line. – I’ve been following/stalking you for a bit checking out your social media and I’ve found that you’re not like some erotic authors. You like to keep things classy. Why? What is it about the class and not porn that you enjoy?

JD: Wow, thank you. It means a lot that people pick up on that because it’s always been a foundation of my writing, whether erotic or other pursuits. I believe every style has its place and try not to judge, yet so much of the reading public looks down its nose at the erotic romance genre. Why? Sure, some out there snub it because the subject matter makes them uneasy. They’d rather demean the art form than accept it expresses elements of humanity and desire that they themselves are uncomfortable embracing. I don’t think that’s the major cause of the stigma, though. I think it has more to do with the quality of content that’s become acceptably over the years.

When I began writing erotica and erotic romance, I told myself there has to be a market out there with a demand for both sexuality and intellect. They say the mind is the most powerful of sexual organs and yet many authors entirely forget to stroke the intellect of their reader. It doesn’t have to be pretentious or cumbersome writing but erotica deserves every bit the high standard of artistry that all other genres expect from their authors. Maybe more, honestly. I mean, what’s more inspiring than sensuality itself? It pervades every aspect of human existence, yet it’s the one element of our society we relegate to a niche literary market, filled with those who know a thing or two about sex but very little about engaging writing. In that sense, I feel some readers are driven away from a subject that all of us should be drawntoward. It’s intimacy, sex; it’s the one thing that defines us when all else gets stripped away. Yet we’ve grown content to leave the topic in the hands of some who would treat it as a cheap thrill.

Maybe I see more in the subtlety of sexuality, something others are afraid to explore. Or perhaps I just love a good challenge. Either way, I approach my words like I’d approach any other lover: confidently, sometimes assertively, and damn determined to drive them to the brink. Some men proclaim their desperation by sending phallic pictures to strangers online. Some run around the room, hoping their tired old pick-up line will work on someone, at some point…eventually. But me? I’m the one who sits in the corner and listens, observing someone’s soul with genuine interest. There’s a funny thing that happens when you sit back patiently and wait for something come to you. Sometimes, more often than not, they do just that.

I guess that’s what I like about class over crass and erotica instead of porn. Sure, it takes more effort and skips over the easy score. But when it comes, it comes hard, and it leaves behind reminders long after the fade of any quick fix.

T: Well JD that’s all I have for you today. Hopefully since I behaved, and you got my sweet side, you’ll come back and let me torture you a bit more? Until next time thanks again for joining me, now get back to work and write your next book.

JD: Thanks for letting me stop by and hang out. Name the time and I’ll be here for Round Two. I’ve got a couple exciting projects in the works that I’d love to share!

Review:

First let me just say JD is a word smith not surprising considering his background but seriously damn. Food Lust triggers all of your senses. It’s erotic with out going overboard which is refreshing. Now just because I said that don’t think you’re not going to feel the heat because in JD’s kitchen he makes sure Marco knows is way around a kitchen.

Marco, as I’m sure you’ve guessed is JD’s leading man in Food Lust. He’s also a celebrity chef. On the flip side JD’s female lead Jessica, stays out of the kitchen except for the basics…mac and cheese. (My kinda girl if I didn’t know how to cook… Hell give me a good lobster mac & I’m all Marco’s).

Jessica meets Marco at a pretentious rooftop soiree her friend drags her too. Jess comes off a bit shy and she’s had a really shitty day by the time her friend Jane shows up on her down. While Jess has every right to be at this soiree, she’s not like the others in room and she truly doesn’t feel like she fits in, so when we meets a seemingly nice guys she thinks he just works for the hotel.

When Marco set’s his eyes on someone he’s not about to let her slip through his fingers. After a brief conversation he wants to know more about the woman he finds away from the others. So when it’s time for his “Chef’s Choice” he’s going to have her up close and as personal as possible in a room full of guest.

And let the chemistry ignite. As Marco teaches Jess to cook on stage you can feel the sexual tension that their proximity triggers. These two in a kitchen play, tease and excite each other. Not to mention their food comes out perfect. However after this encounter Jess is flustered and when Marco offers to sign his cookbook for her she lies and gives Jane’s name instead of her own.

Time passes, but the memory of that night plagues Jess so when she has the chance to meet Marco again she jumps on it. Thinking Marco doesn’t remember her she starts her own seduction and this time with no audience the kitchen explodes. JD takes their chemistry from a 8 or 10 at the beginning to a 15 or 20. Who knew cooking could stroke flames that hot. (I’m so concocting the wrong meals ;)) JD shines when he writes about the sensual side of the kitchen and trust me he as all you’re sense met by the time dinner is finished. You won’t want Jess and Marco to finish their exploration. And they never leave the kitchen.

You’ll never look at your kitchen the same way I know I won’t (if only I didn’t have a European kitchen… JD has made me want to return to the states!). Pull up a chair grab a glass of wine and join JD in the kitchen, you’ll be glad you did. Marco and Jess are waiting.

Favorite Line

“I’m going to need just one night of unquestioned devotion spent toiling under the chef. You may steam, you may simmer and you might even glaze. To be clear, experience is not necessary, but a keen willingness to follow orders is always appreciated.”

“My hands trembled as I rested the blade beneath Marco’s chin and coaxed him to his feet. With a hint of aggression, I pushed him against the counter, slicing through his belt with significantly less expertise that he flashed in disrobing me. While he humored my illusion of control, I sorted through a platter of tropical treasures in search of something a little different.”

“Oh? Perfect!” My perplexity morphed into mischief as I sliced the fruit in half.”

“This had always been a relationship of taste and so it would stay. We may eat first with our eyes, but we feast most intimately with our tongues.”

“What is it about the artistry of cuisine that provokes such a palate of sexual desire? Twin instincts in many ways perhaps, residing so closely at our core that each has left its indelible impression upon the other… or maybe it’s much more that that. Maybe food and sex are but two facets of a human sensory appetite incapable of absolute satiation.”

Excerpt

“Back home, we always say that a good sauce can make anything better,” Marco proudly shared as he blended shaved Parmesan, mozzarella and a pinch of seasoning into his heavy cream base and stirred lovingly. From anybody else, the words might sound like a travel bureau tagline, but he delivered them with authentic nostalgia.

While I sat politely attentive, he wove a familiar story that I’d heard countless times before. This time, however, everything felt new again. This time, he directed every word so intimately to an audience he could see and touch, no longer hindered by the cold glass of the television screen or the one-way discussion of a written page.

“You don’t say.” I reflected back to that night and the wine-laced red silk we spun together. In that sense, a good sauce certainly made me better or at least it sparked my devotion to improvement. “And have you ever put that theory to the test?”

“Come to think of it,” he replied after a moment of contemplation, “perhaps we should. What would you suggest?”

Lifting a long white linen from the counter, I fashioned a makeshift blindfold and cinched it tightly behind my head. “Feed me.”

From my right came a faint sigh of deviance, broken by the crackle of fresh semolina crust. I would have thought it impossible, but my mouth managed to water even more at the prospect of things to come.

“Open.” He coaxed the plain slice of bread between my lips, then dipped a second into the bubbling sauce. I could feel the heat as he approached. Instinctively, I parted wide to receive that second slice—or anything else he desired—on my tongue.

“Dirty girl!” Marco laughed when a splash of hot white cream escaped my mouth and trickled down my chin. As I reached up to wipe it away, he snatched my wrist from the air and pinned it to my side. Then he gathered the rogue sauce on the tip of his finger and whispered again.

“Open.”