Book Tour Q&A: Wild Azure Waves by Leslie O'Sullivan
Today we're taking part in the book tour organized by Escapist Book Tours for Wild Azure Waves by Leslie O'Sullivan! Continue reading for the book blurb and a Q&A with the author.
About the book
In book three of the Rockin’ Fairy Tales series of Fairy Tale/Shakespeare mashups, The Little Mermaid meets The Tempest in a fantasy romance where fated mates, second chances, and a supernatural love triangle determine the destiny of all.
Rai Cloud, a once promising singer, faces the loss of his record company and his career until one fateful night a mystery woman saves him from a stormy sea and sings him back to life. The voice of his elusive rescuer must be the missing piece to reignite his musical gifts. If only he could find her!
Before Tani Emerson’s spirit can cross over to the afterlife, the Sea Witch, Sulaa Kylock, intercedes to offer Tani a bargain to earn a way back to the living and reunite with her first true love, Rai Cloud.
Tani must now succeed in challenges set forth by the Sea Witch. In spirit form, she’s charged with convincing Rai she’s not merely an illusion and they will be granted a second chance at love.
Harder still is the need to sabotage the steamy romance brewing between Rai and Azure Tempesta, a sweet and sexy singer from the popular musical act, The Mermaids, who inspires Rai to make the music he thought only his mystery savior could awaken.
On to the interview...!
Thank you so much for joining us for this Q&A! We’ll start off with one of our standard podcast opening questions–tell us something great that’s happened recently.
Book wise, PINK GUITARS AND FALLINGS STARS, Book 1 of Rockin’ Fairy Tales was awarded a 2023 Gold “Top Pick” in the Author Shout Ready Reader Awards. It’s my debut novel so after all the nail-biting that goes with sending a book out into the world, receiving recognition is rocket fuel to keep my keyboard clicking with new stories.
What are you currently reading or what’s up next on your TBR? What made you pick up this book?
Spare by Harry Duke of Sussex. I am totally obsessed with Harry and Meghan and all the craziness they had to navigate as British Royals. You can’t make that stuff up!
They say to never judge a book by its cover, but a cover is still a marketing tool that helps sell books. Can you tell us about the idea behind the cover of your book?
My background is in theatrical design, so I LOVE talking about covers. I am one lucky author to have input on the covers of Rockin’ Fairy Tales. It was important to me that the visual impression of each book in the series shares a similar romantic “vibe” with a dash of fairy tale magic. An important element was that the couples would be in silhouette so the reader can have freedom to visualize the characters in a way that works for them. My editor and I went through lots of possibilities until we found images for each story that reflected the relationship of the couples starring in each book as well as the world they inhabit. Every distinct cover also leans into a color palette that ties into the title of the book. The guitar in the series banner changes to match the color referred to in each title.
Can you give us an elevator pitch for your book?
The Little Mermaid meets Shakespeare’s The Tempest in a romantasy where fated mates, second chance romance, and a supernatural love triangle determine the destiny of all.
Are there any challenges specific to continuing a series vs starting it?
In the first book you have a delicious empty canvas for your characters to play on. Once the series gets going, even though each book features a new love story, characters from previous books are still integral to the world. Finding organic ways to use the whole cast in each tale and define their connections to the latest installment gets tricky. Since each book does work as a standalone, I have to pepper in enough info. about reoccurring characters so they maintain their place in the series arc without being a distraction in the new story.
When you started the series, did you have a clear idea in mind for how you wanted to continue it in subsequent books? How, if at all, has that changed while writing this book?
I’m a super obsessive planner, so I had a game plan for the whole series. There was a shift in Wild Azure Waves as I lean more heavily into magic. Since my inspirations, The Little Mermaid and The Tempest are brimming with magic, it made sense to kick the fantasy in romantasy up a notch with this book. I’m excited about continuing that trend in the next two books in the series: Crimson Melodies a Beauty and the Beast/Much Ado About Nothing mashup and finally Emerald Spire, Jack and the Beanstalk meets A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Which location that appears on the page in the book would you like to visit?
I’d definitely have Azure take me to her undersea paradise of flower beds and coral beneath multi-colored layers of water. No sharks involved.
In your opinion, what kind of reader would like this book?
Readers who love the swoon factor in fairy tales will be drawn to the romantasy in Wild Azure Waves. Also, my fellow theater majors and lovers of Shakespeare will have fun uncovering the plot lines, characters, and even a line or two here and there from the playwright’s work. No need to worry about keeping a No Fear Shakespeare version handy. All the references are super reader friendly.
What would you like readers to take away from this book?
I want readers to believe in the power of creativity. The main characters Rai and Azure find their way to love through their musical gifts. The whole series is set against the backdrop of a fictional Hollywood Music industry so the joy of making music for personal and commercial purposes is an ongoing theme. I’ve tried to examine the question of how the pursuit of fame affects the creative process.
Do you have a favorite quote from this book that you can share with us? What about this quote in particular makes it your favorite?
“See the unseen. Sense the unknown. Suspend the common belief.” This is a philosophy of the artist’s commune that the MC Rai has grown up with in Wild Azure Waves. I love it because it’s a way of thinking that opens the characters up to accepting fantastical things about one another and the world.
Is there anything you can tell us about any current projects you’re working on?
I’m madly writing Book 4 in the Rockin’ Fairy Tales series, Crimson Melodies, that comes out in July. It’s a gender swap Beauty and the Beast mashed up with Much Ado About Nothing, set in a “haunted” hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. It’s an absolute blast to write.
The second book in my “Behind the Scenes” rom-com series, Press Release, is slated for fall. It’s near and dear to my heart since it deals with the off-camera romances in a television series, and I worked in the art department of a TV show for several years. The story takes place at San Diego Comic Con where I go every summer to celebrate my nerdiness.
Do you have any parting thoughts or comments you’d like to leave for our readers?
True magic in the world is the love of story. The connection between storytellers and those who experience those tales will always be a thing of beauty and wonder to me.
And finally, where can you be found on the internet if our readers want to hear more from you?
My website is LeslieOSullivanWrites.com. You can also find all my social at https://linktr.ee/LeslieOSullivanWrites
Where to buy the book:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Azure-Waves-Rockin-Fairy-Tales-ebook/dp/B0BS74YYFH/