By Lan LLP
Published: February 13, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary-Romance
Love isn’t easy to forget even if you’re determined to never feel it again. It has a way of finding you when all hope is gone, resurfacing tender emotions you’ve buried deep in your core because the pain of acknowledging them is too much for you to handle.
Carson Bradley, CEO of a powerful, pharmaceutical corporation, will soon discover that his heart hasn’t really been dead for the last fifteen years since his first love passed away. He just hasn’t met Lillian yet. She’s a humble, young medical student whose heart is kind and generous enough to heal the sick as well as his broken heart. When their paths cross at an unlikely place thousands of miles away from home, they both realize that fate has brought them together, and Carson will never let anything or anyone tear them apart. He knows how desolate life is without love and refuses to return to that dark place again.
Lillian enters Carson’s world with the purest intention of loving him with all her heart, but discovers that his volatile world will alter her uncomplicated life indefinitely. Regardless of what obstacles are thrown in their path, Lillian and Carson will endure them all to hold onto their forever from the beginning to the end
J&M's Book Diaries rating:
J&M's review:
Lillian Ly is a very humble and compassionate woman. Growing up poor with her mother who worked two jobs and countless hours to take care of her. Lily's main focus in life was always school and academics. After dedicating eighteen academic years of her life Lily's dream came true when she was accepted to St. Croix Medical School.
Carson Bradley is a 32 year old billionaire. He is the CEO of a well-known pharmaceutical corporation. His heart has been broken after losing his childhood love to cancer and for the last 15 years since he dedicated all his time into his company and research.
It was during an unfortunate event for Carson when his plane crashed but his fate had brought him to meet Lily. It was love at first sight for both Lily and Carson and their relationship developed pretty quickly.
For a debut this book was captivating! The protagonists Lillian and Carson's characters were well-written and we just adored them. Lan LLP is such a skilled writer. We appreciated the details and dialogue that she incorporates in her stories. It was so easy to picture every location and scene she put us in.
We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of Carson and Lily, their relationship was so exciting and just delicious. Luckily for us, we believe in love at first sight as well so the romance was just perfect.
The ending left us with a cliffhanger and now we are just dying to know what journey Lan will be putting us through. We can't wait to get our hands on her next book.
I’m the sappiest person in the world when it comes to romance. Don’t laugh! I believe in love at first sight, Prince Charming or Mr. Hot Billionaire in my book, and happy endings. In my heart, every women deserves all three, and they will when they lose themselves in my books. Your fantasy can become your reality with just the flip of a page, so come join me.
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Email address:forevertrue.carsonlily@gmail.com
Beginning with Forever ended in a cliffhanger. How many books are you planning for this series?
2 Books. Beginning with Forever’s cliffhanger leads to book 2 which is titled, Ending with Forever.
What inspired you to write your first book and how long did it take you to complete it?
Beginning with Forever is my first and only book so far. I became an obsessed reader of romance books about 6 years ago. After I read the infamous billionaire series by James and Day and a ton of other amazing writers, I was left craving for a different kind of billionaire—one who is both alpha and kind-hearted. I also wanted my billionaire to have a more tangible personality at times because it shows that he can be vulnerable and sensitive. Carson is my perfect billionaire creation based on what most women, including me, fantasize about.
It took me 1 year and 6 months to complete Beginning with Forever (4 months to write and the rest were rewrites and edits and re-edits)
Who is your favorite character in this book?
My favorite character would have to be Carson. This book started out as Lillian’s book with only her point of view, but after I added Carson into the story, he started to have his own POV. He’s not the typical hard-core billionaire who doesn’t have a sense of humor or can’t reveal his weaknesses to the woman he loves. It also doesn’t hurt that I used David Gandy as my muse when describing his handsome features with the addition of a dimple and hazel eyes.
How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Beginning of Forever is a fiction story of ‘non-fiction’. If you are one of my friends or someone I know there’s a good chance that you will find something in my book that you can relate to or laugh about. Writing is much easier when you can describe a place, personality or thing that you’re familiar with. I chose to focus my story around cancer because it’s something that’s near and dear to my heart. I also included locations that I’ve traveled to like St. Croix, St. Lucia, Boston and Chicago.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The hardest part about writing this book is finding the time. I’m a busy mom who works four days a week. The second hardest part about writing a romance book is the hot sex scenes. Once you put it out there, everyone, including your friends’ parents will see you in a different light.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
The message that I want everyone to get is cherish the man or woman who makes you happy. When you find that special someone, don’t be afraid to love on them like it’s done in fiction romance books.
If you can go back and change anything you have written what would it be & why?
* I would have Lillian play hard to get- make Carson work for his woman :)
What books/authors have influenced your writing?
My first favorite love story was Gone with the Wind. Even at a young age, I knew I love reading about billionaires or millionaires back in the days. Nicholas Sparks is probably one of my favorite authors. He can make anyone cry or laugh with any one of his stories. The Notebook is hands down the best love story ever written.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I would choose Sylvia Day. I love her writing style, but I could never be as daring as she is with her sex scenes;) LOL
What are your current projects?
My current project is to complete Book 2, Ending with Forever. After this book is completed, I will resume reading my huge list of books to be read. I also plan of writing a short romantic comedy and a children’s book eventually.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
What I’ve learned from my first writing experience. I’ve learned that with anything, practice makes perfect. As sad as I was about not being able to publish my book immediately after I completed it over a year ago, I’m ecstatic that I didn’t. When I compare my manuscript from the first to the 20th or so draft, I can see the progress in my writing skills.
Do you have any advice for other new writers?
Don’t rush your story- take your time. Readers expect quality work.
If you learn something helpful, share it with your fellow authors. As indie writers, we have to be three roles in one- writer, editor and promoter. Any hint is appreciated by all, and you might even get one or two in return another day.
Believe in yourself and don’t let low reviews discourage you.
Find an author mentor or two—you can find a lot of support through them. They understand what you’re going through even better than your family (must be a writing thing-lop)
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
To my readers: Thank you for your support and kind words. Your love for my characters and story has made Beginning with Forever come to life for me. I enjoy hearing you share your opinions about my characters like they’re real people. It’s every writer’s dream to have their fans embrace their book and declare it as their favorite or best read of the year.
