Lauren Helms: Flawless Foundations Exclusive
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Can I just say how much I love hanging out with you Joy? I just adore your site, HEA Novel Thoughts. As a reader I can’t get enough of your KU recommendation pages. As always, I’m excited to be here today to talk about my writing process and my upcoming book, FLAWLESS FOUNDATIONS. I really love Becca and Levi and I really hope that readers feel the same about them and their love story.
HEA Novel Thoughts: Are any characters based off of you, friends, family, or anybody in your life?
Lauren Helms: Hmm. For Flawless Foundations, not so much. However, I tend to take little pieces of people I know and use those traits in my characters. But I’m to the point now in my authoring that I don’t realize when I’m doing it. It’s all kinda second nature.
HEA: Is there a certain place where you get more inspired to write than others?
Lauren: I wish I had such a place. My lifestyle at the moment (WAHM of three) doesn’t really allow me the opportunity to find a good writing spot. I often daydream about finding a coffeehouse and writing there away from home. But until my kids get bigger, my desk at home is where I will continue to draw my motivation to write.
HEA: What made you start writing?
Lauren: I was bored. Ha! No, really. I was bored with my day job. I was reading a lot… A LOT of romance for my book blog at the time. Then, I had this thought one day while I was working on a project. “I want to read about a sexy gamer boy. Why aren’t there any gamer boy novels?”
From there a story idea bloomed in my head and after a couple of months (because it took awhile for me to figure out that I needed to be the one to write it) I decided to write Level Me Up. While I was developing my gamer boy, Dex, he introduced me to his gamer friends. The rest is history. I have at least 12 story ideas floating around in my head now. I don’t think I could stop writing if I wanted to!
HEA: Have you ever cried while writing?
Lauren: No, I can’t say that I have. I think it’s because I’m focused on what I’m writing. I have gone back and read what I wrote and felt emotional, for sure. For example, Gia’s scene in the shower, (sounds dirty, but it isn’t) that was emotional, and that made me tear up when I went back and read it.
I can tell you that I ball like a baby when I read a lot. Colleen Hover’s It Ends With Us. Worst ugly cry when reading a book, ever!
HEA: How do you balance writing with real life?
Lauren: I don’t know that I’ve figured that out yet. My writing time happens after the kids go to bed. During that time, I’d like to spend time with my husband, binge-watch Netflix, get my weekly Jamie Fraser fix, or reading. But nope, it’s my writing time. This is something I’m always working on though. I’m NOT a morning person, so the 5amWriters club will never see me trending their hashtag on Twitter.
HEA: Are your book settings based on a real place? Your favorite place?
Lauren: I try to be as real as possible. However, I tend to imagine what would be my favorite place, or somewhere I’d love to be or go. With 425 Madison, it’s a good mix of real and imaginary favorite places. With my Gamer Boys, I tried to be as “real” as possible.
HEA: What makes a great romance novel?
Lauren: For me, as both a writer and reader of romance, it’s the believability and the connection the characters have. I love being so submerged into the book I’m reading that I feel like I’m right there, feeling everything the character is feeling. If I can close my eyes and truly believe that love story could happen, it just makes the romance so much better. When I sit there and snicker or roll my eyes and think “yeah, that’s not realistic at all” I tend to not love the book as much. I try really hard to make sure the stories I write make the reader feel and believe what’s happening within the pages.
HEA: If a reader discovers your books today, where would you recommend they start reading?
Lauren: Oh, man. This is TOUGH.
If a reader is looking for a full-blown nerdy and flirty, new adult mixed with contemporary adult romance, my Gamer Boy series is great. Level Me Up is NA, but One More Round and Game All Night are more adult but still hold on to all things nerdy and pop culture.
If a reader wants more of a rom-com, adult romance, Boyfriend Maintenance is where it’s at. Flawless Foundations falls into the same 425 Madison world and it’s a super fun, quick read!
Book Info
Born from money, Levi was destined to take over the family business. Emmy has always had a crush on her bestie’s big brother, but she hadn’t planned on shaking things up. When a kiss turns into more and a secret is being kept, can they build flawless foundations? Readers will fall in love with this best friend sibling romance from Lauren Helms. The 425 Madison series is back with season two and FLAWLESS FOUNDATIONS is now live!
About the 425 Madison Series
Welcome to 425 Madison Ave the perfect place to fall in love. Nine delicious romances set in fast-paced & sexy NYC just waiting for you to read.
This season will feature some new authors as well as some of season one’s favs. Back for season two is Allie York, Leigh Lennon, MK Moore, Aubree Valentine, Lauren Helms, and Katy Ames. Plus a warm welcome to KC Enders, and Marcie Shumway! Not only do we have a sexy mix of new and returning authors, prepare for pages packed with new romances, characters, and tropes all from the same well-loved high-rise apartment building in NYC.
Not only do we have a sexy mix of new and returning authors, prepare for pages packed with new romances, characters, and tropes all from the same well-loved high-rise apartment building in NYC.
Make sure to follow the 425 Madison Avenue Facebook page for more on release dates, cover reveals and author spotlights. For exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and news subscribe to our 425 Madison newsletter!
Copyright @ 2020 Lauren Helms
I sit down on one of the plush sofas in the lobby of the 425 Madison building. Marshal will be here to pick me up any minute, but I’m feeling a bit moody toward him since he caused me to get chewed out by my jackass manager yesterday when I was working. Speaking of the jackass, I have a voicemail from him that came in while I was getting ready. Plus, I have a no answer rule when it comes to work. I let all calls roll to voicemail. Maybe I’m a bitch, but I’m not going to cover a shift for just anyone, I’m a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” kinda girl.
I pull up his message and give it a listen.
“Becca, this doesn’t look good, your no show tonight. This is going down in your file. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass who your mommy and daddy are. You pull this shit again and consider yourself out of a job.” I rip my phone away from my ear and shove it into my tiny purse.
Rick’s voice mail from only a few minutes ago leaves me pissy and ready to call him back and tell him to fuck off. I called in two days ago, letting him and the staff know that I needed someone to cover my shift tonight. My shift is being covered, and I wasn’t just a no show. In the five years I’ve worked at Blush, I think I’ve called in a total of five times. All due to sickness.
“Kiss my ass,” I grumble, crossing one leg over the other, I punch my fist down on the couch next to my thigh.
“Yikes, what did that couch ever do to you?” I hear an annoyingly smooth, deep voice in front of me. Looking up, I’m greeted by an equally annoying man.
“Go away, Levi.” I roll my eyes at his presence.
He chuckles but doesn’t leave.
“Really, I’d like to know what’s got you all fired up.”
I look to the ceiling and grumble, trying to cool myself down. The added presence of Levi isn’t going to do anything positive for my mood. Marshal would be pissed if I showed up to his business meeting in bitch mode.
“My job. I’m sick of it,” I mutter.
“Yeah? You working tonight?” He shifts on his feet, his hands casually in his pockets. I take a moment to drink him in. His tall, athletic form is clad in a sharp, black business suit. He’s not wearing a tie which is for the best. Levi King wearing a tie makes me want to do dirty things with him and said tie.
“No, dinner date,” I tell him.
“Ah, well then take the night and don’t worry about work. Enjoy your dinner.” The advice rolls off his tongue so effortlessly that I find myself feeling just a tad calmer.
Pursing my lips in thought, I narrow my eyes at him. “Right, do you take that advice often?”
His deep, smoothing chuckle causes me to squirm in my seat. “Nah, I’m too cool to let work bother me like that.” My face hardens, and he winks. I roll my eyes.
A beep comes from his wrist, and he glances at it. “Well, hang in here, Bex. I got to run.”
He turns on his shiny black Oxford and exits the building. Not without a wave and goodbye to the doorman, as he passes.
Ugh. I find that man incredibly frustrating. And sexy. Which makes me ten times more annoyed with him.
He disappears out into the darkening New York night just as my phone beeps with my own alert.
Flawless Foundations by Lauren Helms was such a cute best friends brothers romance! It was fast paced novella that I couldn’t get enough of!
It’s part of a multi-author series, 425 Madison, but it also follows up on Lauren’s previous book in the series, where we met our characters, Boyfriend Maintenance.
Becca has always had a crush on her best friends brother but after getting drunk one night he put her in the ‘sister zone’ and she thought that she would never recover from it so she used snark and fiestiness to cover up for the crush.
Oh yeah, and she thought she she hid that crush from her best friend. lol. Little did she know. There is so much going on in this story that will set your nerves on edge because some people are just… shady. You think they should act one way and they just don’t.
But really, that’s what makes Flawless Foundation interesting. These little caveats take this otherwise sweet story up a notch and to an exciting story. It’s elevator, lifetime crushes, and family drama all rolled into a delicious package.
Flawless Foundation can be read as a standalone but will read better if you read Boyfriend Maintenance first.
