GUYS!!! I can't tell you how ridiculously excited I am not only to be a part of the blog tour for Wild Like the Wind but to have Kristen Ashley answer a few interview questions as well. I LOVED Hound and Keely's book and I can't wait for you guys to get to know the newest Chaos MC couple. Read on for the Q&A and my spoiler-free 5 Star review, and make to enter the epic giveaway hosted by the author. Don't forget to pre-order Wild Like the Wind for its release on Tuesday!
The brother known as Hound has a reputation. He’s all about cracking heads, having a good time, and when the Chaos Motorcycle Club needs someone to do the tough job, they call on him.
But Hound has a secret. He fell in love with a woman years ago. She’s untouchable. Unattainable. And even when her status changes, for Hound, it remains the same.
Keely Black had it all early and lost it all not long after. Thrown into an abyss of loss and grief, she’s faced a life of raising two sons alone and battling the rage at all that had been ripped from them.
And why.
Words spoken in anger open Hound’s and Keely’s eyes. For Hound, he sees he’s wasted his life loving the wrong woman. Keely sees she’s wasting her life not opening herself to the love of a good man.
Releases: July 31, 2018
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Interview with Kristen Ashley (Yas queen!):
Interview with Kristen Ashley (Yas queen!):
What is it about MC culture that drew you to write the Chaos Series?
It wasn’t so much the MC culture as the motorcycle culture. I’d gone to Sturgis during their rally and I’d had the time of my life. It was fun, but it was an eye-opener for a variety of reasons.
First and foremost was that nearly every man we came into contact with was a gentleman. I would even go so far as to say they were more gentlemanly (by far in some cases) than most other men I’d met throughout my life.
Needless to say, I got a little tipsy and we’d made friends with this group of dudes. They watched our purses while we danced (no joke) and once, when I was coming off the dance floor, a guy got in my space, got a little handsy, and Bear, one of the dudes we met, slipped in between him and me and made no bones about the fact that was not okay and the guy needed to back off. The guy backed off.
Later, I was wandering on the street, my girls a few feet ahead of me, so to the casual observer, I probably looked inebriated and lost, a lone woman wandering the street during a bike rally. A guy came up to me and said, “Baby, you lost?” Being in my state, I cried “you called me baby!” and threw myself in his arms, He didn’t act like I was some drunk idiot throwing herself at a random guy (which I was). He laughed, put his arm around me and not only guided me to my friends, but walked us to our car.
We ended up driving him to his campground, and get this, he and I had a huge debate about Harry Potter on the way. He was tall, dark and very good looking, and discussing Voldemort and Dumbledore with this jeans and boots clad, rough-around-the-edges biker was hilarious!
Make no mistake, they were rough and tumble in appearance and speech. But after the rally, on reflection, it hit me that they were romance novel heroes come to life. And I needed to capture that rough and tumble sweet and give it to my readers.
How did you choose the names of your characters in Wild Like the Wind?
Although there are times when I have to find names for my characters, every single Chaos brother came to me named. Sometimes, I understood why the minute they introduced themselves (this happened with Shy and Joker). Sometimes, I had to wait for them to explain it to me (these including Tack, High and Hound).
I think Shy and High are the funniest, Tack and Hound are the most accurate.
Keely also came to me named. I honestly don’t know where that name came from. I don’t know anyone named Keely! But it’s perfect for her.
What excited you the most about writing Hound and Keely's story?
Finally delving into the lore of Black. He’s been a specter since Motorcycle Man. He seemed larger than life, too good to be real, a martyr to the cause. The brothers’ grief for his passing was palpable, even years later. So I was excited to get to know him, even if his story was tragic.
What was the hardest scene you wrote in Wild Like the Wind?
I don’t really want to say because it’ll be a huge spoiler. Though I think anyone who reads it will know precisely which scene was the hardest to write.
What can we expect next from the Chaos Series?
The finale to the series has already been written, Rush’s story, simply titled Free, and it’ll be out in January of 2019. It utterly consumed me. I don’t think I ever was obsessed about writing a book like I was that book. And I can get obsessed with writing my babies! There is a slow crescendo to this series, so I don’t want to say much. Just that things get even more serious.
But I love Rush and his girl, Rebel. I was very worried about the right girl coming to me for him. He’s special. So she had to be amazing. Then she hit me with a BANG! She’ll be introduced in my novella for Maddox, Molly and Diesel (from The Greatest Risk) in my anthology coming out this fall, Loose Ends. She’s perfect for him. And I’ll just say, like father like son.
I’ll also say there are two particular characters introduced in Wild Like the Wind that my readers will never allow me to get away with not writing their stories. That being, I would not allow me to get away without writing their stories. HA! I probably did this intentionally, so I don’t really have to say goodbye to my boys. So I see some Chaos novellas in the future!
Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
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Yvette's Review:
Fresh off a Chaos Series re-read, I was an emotional wreck, my mind whirled with various characters and events, and my heart was filled to bursting with the swoon-worthy love stories from the previous books in the series. Going in to Wild Like the Wind, my expectations were high, and I was eager to become better acquainted with Hound and Keely – a pairing that’s forbidden in the eyes of Chaos. I just knew theirs would be an unforgettable romance and the author didn’t disappoint. With Wild Like the Wind, Kristen Ashley delivers an achingly romantic, gut-wrenchingly emotional, breathtakingly beautiful story about love, loyalty, and second chances.
As the widowed old lady of former Chaos brother, Black, Keely is off limits to Shepherd “Hound” Ironside. Hound’s longtime feelings for Keely haven’t gone unnoticed, especially as he’s been a constant presence in her life, stepping up to support her throughout the years, above and beyond the call of duty of Chaos. Devoting his life to loving and caring for a woman who couldn’t return his feelings didn’t seem to phase Hound, until a wakeup call finds him attempting to move on with his life. Once Keely realizes what she stands to lose, the two embark on an illicit, secret relationship, succumbing to the overwhelming sexual tension that’s been building between them. Friendship turns into passion, which has the potential to turn into something deeper, though the two have a fierce battle ahead of them – a battle that’s filled with questions of loyalty, a long and complicated history, and inescapable ghosts of the past.
With plenty of drama, pulse-pounding suspense, a bit of mystery and intrigue, and a smoking hot romance, Wild Like the Wind is the textbook definition of a page-turner. What I found refreshing, albeit unusual about this book in comparison to other Kristen Ashley books, is that it’s narrated by Hound for roughly the first half of the book. Getting Hound’s perspective gives the narrative a grittier, rough-around-the-edges feel, even while exposing his softer, more vulnerable side. I did appreciate the eventual introduction of Keely’s point-of-view, though, because I was burning with curiosity to learn what she was thinking and feeling regarding her budding relationship with Hound, especially after having experienced such a profound loss.
With a completely and utterly engrossing storyline packed with unexpected twists, a romance that’ll have you swooning one minute then fanning your flushed cheeks the next and characters that’ll tug on your heartstrings, Wild Like the Wind is a thrilling new installment in Kristen Ashley’s Chaos Series. Between Hound and Keely’s romance and the imminent danger encroaching on Chaos, this book wreaked havoc with my emotions and had me on the edge of my seat. While the romance is sweet, sexy, and perfectly satisfying, the Chaos-related drama provides just enough revelations to whet your appetite while leaving you thirsty for more. I can’t wait to discover where Kristen Ashley takes the Chaos Series next because: Rush.
*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review
Rating: 5 Stars
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