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Cristina Lollabrigida is a romance lover who was inspired to become an author. Several of her works are available on the Chapters-Interactive Stories app, where she’s been writing serialized works since 2021.
As of summer 2023, she is no longer a baby author!
Her podcast, Romance Obsessed with Lollagirl, is currently on hiatus. Season 1 episodes are still available for your listening pleasure. She hopes it will return soon.
She is originally from Chicago and lived for many years in rural Wisconsin. She currently lives with her husband and their three children in South Carolina.
Tired of being used as a pawn in everyone’s plan, Alessandra decides it’s time to take her future in her own hands, even if it means burning down the world around her.
Pawn.
That’s all sheltered mafia princess Alessandra Russo will ever be.
She learned early on that all she was good for was pleasing men; both in and out of the bedroom.
That’s how she was raised.
That’s how she was trained.
After her arranged marriage to disgraced prosecutor Drake Walker, she had a taste of what a marriage with love could be like. Not just because she knows how to appeal to his darkest desires, but because, for once, she found someone who truly loves her for who she is.
With her happiness and marriage at risk, she must navigate being caught between rival mafia families to save the lives of everyone she has ever known.
The clock is ticking. She needs to decide if she can sacrifice her family for her one shot at love.
Marriage by Trial is an erotic, dark mafia romance intended for readers 18+ It is book two of a duet and cannot be read as a standalone.
Content Warning: The Legally Bound duet is an erotic, dark mafia romance with elements of BDSM and is intended for readers 18+ Possible triggers/includes: Strong language, explicit sexual content (including bondage, spanking/impact play, exhibitionism, somnophilia, toys, & more), power dynamics, rough Dom/sub play that may not align with safe real-life BDSM, dubious sexual consent, gun/knife violence, sexual assault, domestic abuse (not between hero/heroine) discussions of contemplating suicide, mental health, and abortion.
A few days later, the air within the penthouse was so rife with tension it could be cut with a knife. Alessandra was at a loss of whom to turn to. Taking a page from her husband’s book, she hired a private investigator to dig into his background. The woman called Alessandra and asked her to come to the office for a meeting.
The investigator’s office was a small, rented space in the loop. The walls were gray, but instead of being dreary, they offered the perfect backdrop for the minimal decor. A white console table sat against the back wall with a small stack of books and steampunk-inspired knickknacks. An abstract painting of primary color splashes hung above it on the wall. Never having a green thumb, Alessandra was unsure if the enormous potted plants in the opposite corners of the room were real or fake. The large window was shielded by sheer white curtain panels.
A round white rug lay in the center of the marble floor. A rectangular glass-topped desk stood in the middle of the rug on top of white legs, and a stern-looking woman sat in the white chair typing on a laptop.
“Welcome, Mrs. Walker. It’s nice to officially meet you. Please call me Tammy.” She gestured for Alessandra to take the armchair opposite the desk.
“Hello, Tammy. It’s nice to meet you,” Alessandra said, though she didn’t mean it.
She was apprehensive about the meeting, and the P.I.’s attitude made her feel like she was about to be scolded by a school principal. But she had invited Alessandra to her office because there was news to share.
“Thanks for coming in. I assure you, I don’t take business lightly. Looking into anyone working for the District Attorney’s office can be a terrible business. I hope you appreciate the position this puts me into.”
“I understand. Thank you for taking my case. But I thought I made it clear my expectations were about my husband’s past and personal life, not his professional career.”
The woman leaned forward and rested her elbows on her desk, lacing her fingers together. The smile she had a moment ago slipped off her face. Alessandra realized she was caught in a snare too late.
“I hope you can appreciate that I am required to perform my due diligence, and looked into your background as well.”
“You what?” Alessandra stiffened.
“I’m afraid that my fee has tripled at this point. I need payment in full before we proceed.”
“That’s extortion.”
“No, Mrs. Walker. This is purely business. Surely you can understand the predicament you’ve put me in. The question is how much you’re willing to pay for what I have in my files?”
Tammy adopted a Cheshire smile that made Alessandra’s stomach roll. She wondered how much Tammy had uncovered. Surely, she must realize that taking on a Russo signed her death certificate. Maybe that’s why she was so eager for money—to disappear. She was bluffing.
Alessandra saw that while Tammy appeared calm, collected, and in control above the desk, she was nervous beneath the glass-topped surface.
Checkmate in five moves, thought Alessandra. She crossed her arms and was prepared to show Tammy just who she was attempting to f–k with.
“If you know who I am, then you must know how dangerous things can get for you if you cross me.”
“Is that a threat? From you? You’re a church mouse,” she said, mockingly.
Something inside Alessandra snapped. She wasn’t mean. While she always tried to do the right thing and be a good person, she was tired of being a pawn in the games of others. She was tired of being lied to—being underestimated—and tired of being submissive to everyone else’s desires.
“Don’t cross me, or I will burn this sht to the ground.”
Tammy laughed, “How cute! Are you a little firebug like your big brother?”
“Don’t you dare laugh at me, btch. I will do it. It’s a promise, not a threat.”
I’ve loved to read as long as I can remember. I used to get in trouble for reading past my bedtime as I was always wanting to read at least one more chapter. Anywhere I went, I carried a book. My first vampire romance novel was written at 16. The hero and villain didn’t sparkle though. The work was full of death, drug use, and sexual content. It seems I was meant to be a dark romance author. Hopefully, I get to rewrite that story one day, but no hard copy exists anymore.
I am a mix of a plotter and a pantser. When inspiration strikes me for different scenes, I write them as they come and figure out where they’ll fit in later. I’ve been known to write at 2 AM because the characters told me their story, and I couldn’t sleep until it was written down. I also use talk-to-text in the car at times because a song on the radio triggers inspiration. I have a Macbook, iPhone, and iPad, so all my devices work off the Cloud together. I also have several notebooks to handwrite scenes or ideas.
Usually, if I’m not writing, I’m reading. There are several authors that I review regularly. Outside of that, my TBR is forever growing. I enjoy playing interactive story app games. If I love a story, I will play again to make different choices or romance a new love interest. I also enjoy crafting.
I employ self-care and decompress by spending time with my family.
After Marriage by Trial is released, I’m going to enjoy the spooky season.
I discovered and fell in love with dark romance a few years ago. Accidental Bride is not new. I wrote it as a visual story back in late 2021. It was the #1 visual story for 6 weeks in early 2022. It hit 100k reads, and I decided to write the novel. I took the criticisms and comments from my early readers and dove in with both feet. My browser history would make a normal person blush. I decided that Drake and Alessandra’s story was better told as a duet than a single book as it was originally written.
Noah and Beth are based on friends of mine. They may know who they are, but I won’t say.
The most challenging part of writing Marriage by Trial was Drake and Alessandra’s character arcs. In Accidental Bride, we watched them struggle through the early days of marriage, which occurred over approximately 6 weeks. Now, we’re seeing them tackle new challenges and how they went from strangers to love after marriage.
Exploring new kinks was fun. I wanted to push the envelope and not just for the sake of being spicy. Drake and Alessandra have more in common than they realize and guard their hearts from each other. Being in a Dom/sub relationship becomes the ultimate test of trust. Helping them push these limits while delivering the goods was an adventure.
Brutal Prince – Sophie Lark I loved Aida and how outrageous she was. Watching her go toe to toe with Callum inspired the morning after the wedding scene between Drake and Alessandra. Beautiful Carnage – Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti Rocco and Sloan were meant to be. Having Nicoli’s POV inspired me to write Luca’s character specifically. These were the first two mafia/dark romance authors I read.
“I don’t think I can feel my legs,” she giggled.
“Does that mean you’re loved up enough, or is there something else I can do for you?”
She giggled again. “Can you make me cannoli?”
His wife was f–king adorable. “Cannoli?”
“Mmhmm.” She smiled widely.
Drake was determined to keep that smile on her face. He vaulted over her and kissed her neck and chest. She giggled and squirmed beneath him.
“I’ll hire a pastry chef first thing in the morning to bake you enough cannoli to last you a lifetime.”
She laughed. “Maybe we can visit a bakery tomorrow and buy half a dozen.”
“It’s a date, bella.”
Alessandra. She needs someone who can empathize with her experiences. I am an emotional reader, and she struck a chord with me. She needs a hug.
© Romance me with Books | 2023