Meet the Reader: Francesca the Fierce

Meet the Reader, our ongoing series which picks the minds of book buyers in order to make writers a little more savvy to the market, welcomes Francesca the Fierce today!


I was absolutely blown away with Francesca’s and her friends’ blog…especially the mock up magazine cover that boasted the blog title Under the Covers. Very cool. Check it out at http://underthecoversbookblog.blogspot.com/

CIR: The first thing I have to ask is how many freakin’ books do you read in a month? Your bookshelves are staggering to my number-feeble mind.

FF: Don't let the numbers scare you away. I do manage to get a lot of reading because I have an ebook or print book going at the same time as an audiobook. The audiobooks are great because I can still do everything I need to get done but get my reading fix in. I would say on average 18-20 books a month. But I did challenge myself to 300 this year (counting novellas) and I am happy to report I'm ahead of schedule ;)

CIR: I’ve not read any J.R. Ward, but of course, I’m familiar with her success. What would you say is the reason she is so popular?

FF: I find that J.R. Ward has a very unique writing style. When I read one of her books I manage to live it, breathe it and feel it, all the way through. Her attention to detail, with the characters, their emotions and the story, can really transport you to a different place. Her books are always filled with a lot of heartache, things are usually not easy and she puts her characters through some really tough situations, sometimes for a really long time. And I love every minute of it.

CIR: You like strong heroines in the fiction you read. Do you like to see a sensitive side as well?

FF: I think all strong heroines should have a sensitive side. If that's not shown then it doesn't feel as real or it can quickly become annoying to me. I do prefer a strong heroine to the wilting flower types, it's a recurring theme with me.

CIR: I noticed that Lora Leigh is one of your favorite authors. She impresses me with her premises and the heat level. What hooked you to her?

FF: This is a bit of a sad subject for me. I first discovered (and became obsessed with) Lora Leigh a few years ago and it seems like I read her whole backlist within a few months. At that point I hadn't read a lot of romantic suspense and I found that I liked that aspect of her books a lot, whether they were contemporary, erotic, or paranormal, her stories were interesting without being over complicated. And of course the woman can write some hot scenes like very few other people. However, as I've kept reading her books (and yes, I do get pretty much every book she comes out with) I've become less enamored with her work. I would like to see a new and different storyline to her books because sometimes it feels like "I've read that before from her". But she still holds a special place in my heart and I still enjoy her books a lot.

CIR: Do you buy most of your books with a downloadable device?

FF: I'm all about digital! I don't have a lot of space, so print books are not a priority for me unless I can get one signed by an author or, if it's a series I love, I like to have my favorites in print. However, 90% of my reading happens on my Samsung Galaxy Tablet or my iPod (for audiobooks). Where I purchase from varies a lot, but some of the sites I tend to gravitate towards are: Amazon (Kindle App), Books on Board, All Romance, Samhain, Jasmine Jade (Ellora's Cave). For my audiobooks I go to Audible. And since I started reviewing I've become addicted to Netgalley :) The advantages of having a tablet is that all it takes is to download the right app and you can read any file! I love it!

CIR: One of the reasons I started writing erotic romance is because it finally seems like our society is beyond ‘sugar coating’ the love scenes with euphemisms. Is that one of the reasons you read it?

FF: I just think erotic romance has allowed women to feel comfortable with their sexuality, although in my case it was something I was never ashamed of. It's funny that you mention euphemisms though because we can still find some in erotic romances today which always make me giggle. Thank you so much for inviting me here today!

Interview conducted by E.C. Stacy