ℚ The Connolly Affair 'The First Dance': The Connolly Affair [1] - Brett Scott Ermilio

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Brett Scott Ermilio to talk about The Connolly Affair 'The First Dance' (24 May 2015, B.S. Ermilio LLC, 376 pages) a romantic suspense novel which is book one of The Connolly Affairtrilogy.

Synopsis | Teaser | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

---

Hello Brett, welcome to BooksChatter.

What was the inspiration for The Connolly Affair 'The First Dance'?

"My wife.  She is an avid reader and enjoys romance-suspense novels.  I wanted to challenge her as a reader and deliver her a great book series.  I force her to read these a chapter or two at a time before anyone else.  She can’t wait for more!"

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"I think I put a lot of myself in all my work.  For instance, there is marital drama in this book. I am on marriage number 2 (enough said).  The emotions that go into every character detail I live with my characters.  I will be writing and talking to myself out loud as I do so. My wife has accused me of being crazy on a few occasions.  It’s my process.  I always act out and say the words I’m typing prior to them being put on a page.  Of course, this happen silently in my mind as I run through stories and scenes endlessly.  At times, I mumble or talk as I write.  It can appear as though I have imaginary friends (but I swear I don’t). ☺"

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover.  Can you tell us about your cover for The Connolly Affair 'The First Dance' - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The cover was something I had thought about long before.  I believe the romance in The Connolly Affair is beautiful.  The characters are really like the beauty of looking at the stars and the ocean.  The concept is based on where the character, Taylor Diamond, lives.  Without giving too much away, I will say I love the beauty and innocence of the cover.

I developed the cover with an artist.  My wife came in and actually helped complete the artwork in the exact way I wanted.  The artist, Mariah Smith, is awesome and creative.  It was her first cover.  We were a great team of 3 in the end!"

Why should we read The Connolly Affair 'The First Dance' and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"Awesome question.  I can’t tell you what sets it apart from many other books exactly (and I don’t want to be the guy that poos on other artist’s work.)  But I will say I believe strongly in great stories and I wanted to bring a dynamic suspenseful story into this genre.

It is my first frolic and I went in head first with a trilogy!  My story was going to be nearly 1,000 pages in length.  There are multiple points of view and I believe the way it is structured and how it is told will challenge."

Can you tell us something quirky about The Connolly Affair 'The First Dance', its story and characters?

"I ALWAYS sneak a name or place into a story that is based on something personal.

Aiden Scott Connolly is the name of the husband in the book. He shares my middle name.

A fantastic quirky story is my editor (an author in her own right) going through the romantic scenes and balancing out what each of us found inspiring between the sheets. Ha. Not awkward at all! We had a good laugh about it. I know being a male in this field it makes me a little bit of a rarity. It was her first edit with a man. So we had a few laughs to say the least."

Who would you recommend The Connolly Affair 'The First Dance' to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I think 18 and over. I’m a father of 3 daughters, so I know I’d want them to steer clear of romance until they were 18 (you know, the hope of a father).  But realistically, it is a book for the masses (16/17 and older).  The romance is beautiful and the suspense and thrills are great.  There is barely any cursing and the romance is tasteful and fun."

If you could / wished to turn The Connolly Affair 'The First Dance' and the The Connolly Affair series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Ah.  This is something my manager and I have already spoken about.  He works out of Los Angeles and I live in Jersey, but we were on a call about this the other day!

For me, Taylor Diamond would be Matt Bomer.
Aiden Connolly would be Josh Lucas.
Nicki Connolly would be Kate Winslet.

I think that would be my first take at casting.  Director: I’ll leave that to the experts."

What do you like to write and read about?  Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I love exploring different genres and going where my mind and heart wants to go. I was told a long time ago to just focus on one genre and write. A lot of people want you to stay in one box. As a creator, I love to challenge myself and work on different projects. A great example are some TV shows I’m working on trying to develop with Nickelodeon. VERY different from The Connolly Affair!"

What is your writing process?

"I really allow my creativity to guide me. I generally have no issues with writing on the spot. So I am always able to work when time permits. As far as inspiration, I generally choose music that drives my mind towards a particular project. I will sometimes put my headphones on and listen to a single song over and over again. It sets me in “the zone.” I’ve listened to the same song probably a thousand times while I’ve worked on a project. I like working a little in the morning when I first wake up, possibly in the afternoon and then in the evening before bed."

What is in store next?

"I am almost done with book 2 of The Connolly Affair series. It is awesome. I have a great layout for book 3 and will fight with myself to either write the 3rd and final book or work on a crime-thriller I have developed and am chipping away slowly at. I also have 2 TV pilots heading out and a “possible” Nickelodeon show to develop. We’ll see what comes my way. ;)"

At this point I am now in the habit of asking for a get-to-know you better picture of something that is special to the author, like a pet, but unfortunately that section was not there when we did this interview... but I think I found an image that I am sure will easily fit that bill...

This was the caption that accompanied this image on Twitter: "All my babies in one pic! The Connolly Affair, Jacob and Going Platinum (via Ella) ☺"

Brett, many thanks for talking to us and infusing us with your cheer :-)   Enjoy your tour!

The Connolly Affair "The First Dance" - available NOW!

UK:
US:

back to top