Avery Laval Goes to Las Vegas: Introducing a Strong New Voice in Romance

Today marks the debut for Avery Lavals new Sin City Tycoons series, a steamy, high-drama world of successful menand the women who change their lives. First up: A TYCOONS JEWEL (Blue Crow Books), in which a young womans stint working for the boss turns into a sexy struggle for power.

Okay, Avery. Lets not pretend were above it all. Tell us about your sexy heroes.

You mean Gandhi and Oprah? No? I didnt think so. The men of the series, the Sin City Tycoons, are pretty much the guys I have always wanted to read about but havent quite seen yet. These guys are hot and theyre rich, sure, but mostly they are all up in their brains. Grant, the hero of JEWEL , was born with next to nothing, and now hes one of the most successful Black men in Vegas, and hes infallible (in his own mind). But dont worry: Grant and his buddies (the rest of the TYCOONS) may rise to power and wealth, but theyll fall just as surely to love.

And the women they fall for?

I have only one rule for my heroines: They have to be whip-smart. Jenna is hard-knock smart, the kind of smart you get when you have a perfect education and a perfect childhood and it all falls apart and you have to get your legs under you in the blink of an eye. I think its common in this culture to overlook the power and internal strength of a woman who has learned things the hard way. Grant underestimates her at first, but he wont make that mistake twice!

But be real: Is love really what its like in a romance novel?

Why not? A romance novel, or any novel, is a moment in time. Its a story among a thousand stories. In A TYCOONS JEWEL , Grant and Jenna think they know each other going in, but theyve got it all wrong. Theyll fight, theyll make up, theyll make love, and theyll find a way. Thats not so different from real life, is it? When we complain about women losing themselves in fantasy when they read romance, we kind of miss the whole point, which is this: we read, and we write, what we know.

In that case your research must have beenuhpretty fun.

Sorrya lady never kisses and tells. (Well, not for less than a seven figure advance!) Or, unless Im kissing my dog. Heres a picture. His name is Pierce Brosnan.

Buy A TYCOONS JEWEL online now .