Category: Interviews

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Interview with Sarah Ballance

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Sarah Ballance to the blog.  We are chatting about life, kids (and she has lots 6!!!) and her new book Tide of Lies.  So lets get started. 



Q1)  Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Hi, and thanks so much for having me! I’m a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom to six children ages 13, 11, 8, 6, 4, and 23 months. That aside, I don’t have a “real job” so I get to say I’m a full time author, LOL. My husband and I live within minutes of the beach and spend as much time on a boat as possible (although it’s not nearly enough!)
Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?
No. In fact, I specifically did NOT want to be an author. It wasn’t until after my first book was published (purely a dare and a whim, lol) that I discovered romantic suspense and realized I’d found my calling.
Q3)  What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I wouldn’t dare call any of my quirks interesting, LOL. The quirkiest, perhaps, is my tendency to listen to the same CD over and over and over. For the first couple of years, I wrote to Miranda Lambert’s Kerosene. Now I’m listening to Jason Aldean’s Wide Open. It’s like my brain is programmed to write as soon as I hear those first notes. It’s pretty awesome!
Q4)  Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
TIDE OF LIES is a contemporary romantic suspense about an old flame, a shocking secret, and a devastating betrayal. When an ex-love reappears in my hero’s life, a chain reaction is set off involving a cold case, a recent crime spree, and this woman he can’t seem to let go. But she’s only the beginning, and the end isn’t one any of them saw coming.
Q5)  How did you come with the idea for this story?
I had to write a novella using the “Timeless Desire” theme for a blog tour, but my plot refused to stick to the 10k word count limit so I added a twist at the end of the first story, FAMILIAR LIGHT, so it leads into TIDE OF LIES. As for the plot itself, I had to sit down with my husband—who doesn’t read romance but rocks at plotting—to figure out how to tie the books together while leaving them as standalone titles. I dare say we pulled it off, but it all started with the blog tour prompt.
Q6)  Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
LAST CALL is a contemporary romantic suspense that will be out soon. Here’s the blurb:

An accidental witness to a murder-for-hire, ex-cop Rhys Clark becomes the target of ruthless killer—one determined to silence her at any cost. Playing dead seems to be the most likely way to stay alive, but when her protection comes in the form of mega-sexy former adversary Nick Massey, Rhys can think of  a few fates worse than death.
Nick Massey may have walked away from his troubles, but he never got past wanting Rhys. Once paired undercover, they’d been nothing but fireworks until a botched assignment ended her career, sending his into a tailspin. Now a mysterious client is willing to pay Nick anything to keep Rhys safe, but it isn’t until fate takes a critical turn that he realizes the devastating truth: he’s been her greatest threat all along.
I’m also working on a free read called STAY THE NIGHT. ;c)


Q7)  Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
Aside of the couple of authors I already have plans to meet, I have to say Rosalie Stanton tops my wish list. She’s an awesome person, an unfailing friend, and the extent to which she’s helped my writing career is immeasurable.
Q8)  What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Find someone who will be honest with you about your work. As authors, we never stop improving (or we never should, that is) and the best thing you can do for yourself is find someone who will point out your weaknesses so you can improve upon them. A cheerleader is great, but endless enthusiastic praise is not how you become a better writer.
Q9)  Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
My husband and I bought a boat last year—one we thought we were years and years away from owning—and one thing we really want to do is travel on it. (When the kids get a little bigger, you just might find me somewhere in the Florida Keys with my laptop, a cold drink, and my hubby there for inspiration.) We wanted to travel the Great Loop (a 5,500-7,000 mile voyage up the East coast, west, and down the Mississippi), but our boat is actually a bit too big to make that particular trip—we need more water to float than some of the passages can afford. *shakes head*
Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I am dying to see Melissa MacKinnon’s debut, RETURN TO ME, with a buy link next to it. The story is amazing, and Melissa is a phenomenal author.
Q11)  Is there anything else you would like to add?
I offer a weekly gift card giveaway on my blog, and all email subscribers are automatically entered. Subscribers are also among the first to find out about the many other giveaways offered by myself and my guests, so it’s a definite win-win situation. *grins* I hope some of our readers will consider joining me. Full details are available at http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/weekly-giveaways/
TIDE OF LIES
A devastating secret. A shocking betrayal. A deadly obsession.

Haunted by three unsolved murders, Detective Holden Whitlow is stunned when his cold case takes a heated turn. Julia Cohen, his ex-lover, is back in town, and in the face of a brutal attack she’s ready to run. No matter how tightly she holds her secrets, for Holden, turning away from the woman he’s spent a decade trying to forget isn’t any more an option than walking away from his job . . .even when it threatens to cost Julia her life.

Julia is still reeling from a past she can’t bear to face. When she becomes the target of a killer, fate throws her back into Holden’s arms, but she’s yet to recover from a truth that has stripped her of everything—and everyone—she loves. Will she tell him the secret that will destroy him, or will her lie destroy them both?

BUY LINKS
NOBLE ROMANCE  https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/409/Tide-of-Lies
AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/Tide-of-Lies-ebook/dp/B007ULLNVC/
BARNES & NOBLE http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1110187690
SARAH BALLANCE | about the author
Sarah and her husband of almost fifteen what he calls “long, long” years live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they’re asleep.  She often jokes that she writes to be around people who will listen to her, but her characters aren’t much better than her kids.  Fortunately, her husband is quite supportive of her writing career, having generously offered to help her research “the good parts” . . .  and she’s never had to ask twice.
WEBSITE  http://www.sarahballance.com/
BLOG  http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/
AMAZON  http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003WKYEJI
TWITTER  http://twitter.com/#!/SarahBallance
FACEBOOK  http://www.facebook.com/sarah.ballance.author.news 
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Guest Blogger: Joley Sue Burkhart

The First Kiss

The first kiss is supposed to be magical, something to treasure the rest of your life.  Right?  I wish I had better memories of my firstkiss.  In junior high, I was invited to go roller skating with anolder boy for his birthday.  We weren’t dating — I wasn’t allowed to date until I was in high school.  I thought it was just a friendly outing.  I wasn’t expecting kissing.  I certainly wasn’t expecting… Onion breath.  Ugh!  To this day, I still shudder at the memory.
Maybe that’s why I like to read and write romance.  In fiction–especially romance!–we can make those first kisses significant.  Maybe that first kiss isn’t necessarily magical with angels singing and fireworks, but it’s definitely earth shattering in some way. There are so many ways to make that kiss memorable.  So many ways to go.  Is the kiss a prelude for more?  Are they going to get hot and heavy now?  Or is that kiss something they try to back away from and pretend it never happened?  Both ways can be fun.
 As long as it’s memorable.  Thankfully not because of onion breath!  🙂
Here’s an excerpt from my recent release, Yours to Take, showcasing
Vicki and Jesse’s first kiss.


~ * ~
Swaying, she fought to keep her head and remain calm, untouched. “You don’t know me, Jesse. Not really.”
“Yes, I do.” He whispered in her ear. “I know your heart. No one else has even considered helping me in five years. That’s proof of what kind of woman you are, and I want to belong to you. I’m yours to take,
Vicki, if you want me.”  So close, so tempting, if she turned her head just a little, she could touch him. She could kiss him. She knew he wouldn’t make the move himself. No, he wanted—needed—her to take him, as he’d said. 
His hair tickled her cheek and she couldn’t resist him any longer. She turned and pushed her mouth to his. Groaning deep in his throat, he opened his mouth and melted into her. He surrendered completely, giving everything to her, no hesitation, wide open and eager. Taller and bigger, he still managed to drape himself on her, making himself vulnerable. Even though she knew he could have put her in the wall like Elias had done him last night, she was the one slamming Jesse backward.
 His back hit the wall and he made a low, whimpering sound that wasn’t pain, but a plea, as if he were saying, Drink me down, possess me, use me, take me hard. And God help her, that’s exactly what she did.
He spread his arms out against the wall to resist the temptation of touching her and silently begged with every muscle in his body for her to take every inch of him. Gripping his hair in both hands, she inhaled his mouth. She gnawed on his bottom lip, pressing the sore spot from his introduction to her cop last night until he groaned and arched into her, pleading for more. Finally, her tongue sank into his mouth as deeply as he wanted to be buried in her. So ravenous, she took his mouth, her fingers twisting his hair until he couldn’t help but moan out his enjoyment. She tore her mouth from his on a soft cry of regret.
He realized, then, that she was ashamed of that desperation, as he’d felt this morning when his stomach had betrayed him so loudly. With her eyes squeezed shut, she whispered, “I’m so sorry.”
“Why? I’m begging you to kiss me again, every day, all day, just like that, please.” He tucked his cheek against hers. He had to squeeze his hands into fists to resist the urge to clutch her, desperate to keep her from withdrawing. “That was the best kiss I’ve ever had. I’ve never had a woman do me like this, like I need.”  She didn’t pull away, not yet, as though she couldn’t bear to let him see the lust and shame on her face. “You’d rather have a man?” 
“Hell, no. I’m not gay; I’m not even bi. But a lot of men like my looks. I did what I needed to survive.” He was proud that his voice didn’t quiver. Hopefully she had no idea how much he’d hated selling himself. The degradation, the shame of servicing a man, often against his will, to keep from getting the shit beat of him or worse. He didn’t want that part of his life to touch her, not if he could help it. “I like my partner to be in control, but I want a woman to take me. I want you.”
 She groaned against his ear, turned on, he hoped, but she shuddered, a slight withdrawal that had him leaning into her, trying to entice her with his body to stay. Desperately, he whispered his fantasies into her ear. “I like sex rough, hard, sweaty, up against a wall, frantic, wherever you’ll take me. I love you in control, taking what you want, demanding I give it up, everything, for you.”
~ * ~
About Joely: 

Joely always has her nose buried in abook, especially one with mythology, fairy tales, and romance. Find her on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.. Be sure to check out her freereads! Stop by Joely’s blog for details about the $100 online book gift certifcate I’m giving away!

All fire and gunpowder need is a stray spark…

The Connaghers, Book 3

The day one of her old clients gunned down a cop, former defense attorney Vicki Connagher lost everything—her passion for justice, and her lover, Detective Elias Reyes. The dead cop’s partner.

Even though she’s following her dream to start her own fashion line, it’s tough with heartache as her only companion. Until she brings Jesse, a wandering street artist, in from a freak Texas snowstorm. His submissive flirting brings out dominant tendencies she never knew she possessed, yet she hesitates to let him take her as far and as hard as she wants to go.

Some homeless junkie in Vicki’s house? Not on Elias’s watch. Pride kept him away, but as long as Jesse is staying in Vicki’s downstairs shop, he’s staying with Vicki. On the couch, but it’s a start.

As the days go by, the three work out an uneasy alliance. But Vicki’s joy at having Elias back in her life is tempered with a growing desire to have it all. Elias in her bed, and Jesse under her command. The only question remaining is if her tough alpha cop is willing to embrace all that she is… 

Product Warnings
Explicit sex, BDSM, a tough alpha cop, a reluctant Domme, and a smoldering submissive street artist willing to do anything to belong to her.

Giveaway time:  
Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter for a chance to win an e-copy of Yours To Take

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Interview with Krista Ames

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Krista Ames to the blog today.  



Q1)  Can you please share with us a little about yourself.  
Sure, I’m a wife to a wonderfully supportive man and we have 4 ornery kids.  I live in Michigan where I really don’t like snow in the winter.  I’m still trying to figure out why I moved away from Florida lol. 

Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?  
No not always, I wanted to be a Vet and a mom.  I never fulfilled the Vet part but I have 4 kids so I’m happy! And I do love to write.

Q3)  What is your most interesting writing quirk? 
I’m not sure that I’ve really developed anything too interesting.  I always have to have my notebook and a sharpened pencil and caffeine when I write but that’s about it. 

Q4)  Can you please tell us about your latest book(s).  
My latest book is a novella called Second Chances put out by Ruby Lioness Press.  Here’s the blurb:
If you could get a Second Chance…
When the love of Dana’s life leaves without a word, she is forced to move on with her life.  Despite loving him, she believes she will never see him again but, little does she know, she’s being set up for a night that will change her life forever.
Nicholas, A Navy man, did the only thing he could to save the woman he loved.  Driven by a secret, he disappeared and now returns, years later, with hope for love.  With one opportunity, will he be able to make things right, or is it just too late?  Will she deny any desire for Second Chances?
Q5)  How did you come with the idea for this story?  
Honestly I’m not real sure.  I love to read military stories and it just made me want to write one as well so I started with a navy man, came up with a heroine for him to love and the story developed from there. 

Q6)  Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?  
I’m currently working on developing books #2 and #3 after Second Chances called Second Nature and Second Thoughts.  I also have a couple short stories I’m working on in my spare time. 

Q7)  Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why? 
I would love to meet Kate Douglas in person because she is such a great lady and very down to earth.  She’s given me much advice and helpful hints in the last couple years. 

Q8)  What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?  
Don’t ever give up if it’s really what you want.

Q9)  Can you share with us something off your bucket list. 
I have always wanted to go to Ireland.

Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?  
Oh gosh, my to be read pile is way beyond scary at this point.  Unfortunately, I don’t have much time to read these days, at least already published books.  There is one series that I really love and it’s Maya Banks’ Colter series.  I’ve only read the first 1 ½ so I’m anxious to read those. 

Q11)  Is there anything else you would like to add?  
I love to hear from my readers so I’d be pleased as punch if you all would come visit me at www.apassionforromance.blogspot or my webpage, www.kristaames.com.  I can also be found on www.twitter.com/kristaames, www.facebook.com/kristaames and www.goodreads.com/kristaames.
Kelly thank you so much for having me on Books-n-Kisses, I had a great time answering your questions!

A little more about Krista: 
Born and raised in Northern Indiana, Krista now resides in Northern Lower Michigan. (apparently she wasn’t getting enough snow in Indiana  ) She is married to a very supportive man, Chip, who allows her to follow her true passion of writing and never complains when she is pirated away on her computer for hours. He even helps with proof-reading and is her “in-house” editor and her idea sounding board. She is also a mother of 4 ornery and wonderful children who keep her plenty busy. With an addition of 2 beautiful chocolate lab sisters and 2 playful cats, there is never a dull or spare moment in her household.
Krista has always loved to read and would often sit up for hours into the night not able to put down a book until she was finished. She still reads when she can but her main focus is creating her own stories to share with the world.
She loves to communicate with her readers so please feel free to drop her a line anytime at krista@kristaames.com or visit her at http://www.kristaames.com or http://www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com.

Second Chance
Amazon | B&N 
If you could get a Second Chance…
When the love of Dana’s life leaves without a word, she is forced to move on with her life.  Despite loving him, she believes she will never see him again but, little does she know, she’s being set up for a night that will change her life forever.
Nicholas, A Navy man, did the only thing he could to save the woman he loved.  Driven by a secret, he disappeared and now returns, years later, with hope for love.  With one opportunity, will he be able to make things right, or is it just too late?  Will she deny any desire for Second Chances?

Excerpt:
He watched her knees buckle a bit as Dana clutched at Amy’s arm, never taking her eyes off him. She said something he couldn’t make out—he never was good at reading lips. He was good at reading body language, however, and he knew in an instant what she meant to do just as she turned and made a dash for the patio door. Instinctively, he propelled himself forward, his body miraculously unfrozen. He had to go after her. He was the reason she was bailing after all. He knew from the look on her face. He passed Dave and Amy and shook his head when Dave tried to speak.
 “Don’t. I’m sorry. I have to go after her.”
He closed the sliding door behind him and stood on the deck, searching the darkness. She wasn’t there. She couldn’t have gone far. She didn’t know anyone else here, and he doubted she was familiar with the area. He descended the stairs and walked out onto the yard along the water’s edge. Where’d she go? He started walking and, with relief, caught sight of a silhouette against the water toward the end of his property.
He approached her quietly. She stood, arms hugging tightly around her middle, and held her shoes in her hand while the gentle waves splashed up and over the seawall. Damn, he wanted to touch her. It’d been so long. He couldn’t deny the growing ache pushing against his heart and a sudden tightening of his groin at the sight of how well that dress fit her curves, but this definitely wasn’t the time for his libido to come to life.
He wanted to turn her, hold her in his arms, and nuzzle her beautiful neck just below her ear like she’d always loved. Would she still like it? Maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe he didn’t know her anymore, but he couldn’t stop himself. God, he wanted this woman still. He wanted her to know how very sorry he was for hurting her, and why. But she wouldn’t welcome his touch, especially now. He was certain of it. She’d likely administer a low blow, which he would totally deserve, and bolt. She was unpredictable that way. He loved that about her, too.
He was only human, however, and he couldn’t not touch her. She knew he was there—he’d seen her form go stiff at his presence. Careful not to scare her, he slowly ran his fingertips over her bare shoulders and down her arms, feeling her shiver at his touch before she took a step away. “Don’t, Nicholas,” she said in a low, shaky whisper.

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Interview with Stephanie Beck

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have Stephanie Beck on the blog today.  We are going to be talking about SMUT!!!! Yep, you heard me right… SMUT!!!!!  So let’s get this interview started.  




Q1)  Can you please share with us a little about yourself
My name is Stephanie Beck. I’m a romance and erotica writer. I also happen to be a wife and mother with three kids under the age of 7. When I’m not writing or kid chasing I enjoy knitting and baking.
Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?
Nope. In my teens I wanted to be a lawyer and even fancied getting into politics. As I grew older I discovered my tolerance for BS was far too low for such fields. I have a real care-taking nature which led to me working as a nurse and home health aide. Now I’m a full time writer and I see my characters as the ones needing TLC.
Q3)  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Kate Douglas, Lora Leigh, and Shelly Laurenston are three of my very favorites. I enjoy paranormal stories very much and these authors presented them in very different ways, yet when I start reading any of their stories, I simply can’t put them down. Influence wise, I think many romance authors opened doors for possibilities for up and coming writers. The standard category romance isn’t the only option anymore and that’s a marvelous thing.
Q4)  How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
The series I did for Decadent Publishing was for their Edge series. The super short, super sexy erotica was a blast to write. I’ve read erotica and erotic romance for years, so writing it wasn’t a stretch. I write several different genres and heat levels. I’ve found when I try to focus too strongly on one specific genre or theme I lose my fire.
Q5)  What are some of your writing rituals?
I really don’t have any! With three little kids in the house, if I maintained rituals or schedules I would never write. I’m super flexible and have no problem pounding out a scene between opening fruit snacks and switching laundry.
Q6)  Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
My latest books are part of the Decadent Publishing Edge Series. Smut Therapy, Smut Interrupted and Searching for Smut are three different mini-stories with different characters and situations, but each has a cowboy theme. The couples vary from husband and wife ranchers needing to spice things up to past lovers in a chance meeting at a sex addict’s class to Searching for Smut about a lady dom looking for a cowboy to ride off into the sunset…with, yeah, with.
Q7)  How did you come with the idea for this story?
My editor and friend, Kate Richards and I got on the topic of boots and boot knocking and how smutty cowboy stories were super fun. When I was invited to write for the Edge, I jumped on it and let the sexy-good cowboy fun roll.
Q8)  Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
At the moment I’m working on stories for my F*ck Like Bunnies series—sexy short stories featuring a cast of horny werebunnies out to find cupcakes and porn. I’m also working on a few other things, but time will tell where they go.
Q9)  What would you be if you were not an author?
I’d probably do a lot of the same of what I do now, only I’d knit more and probably watch other peoples’ kids more often. One day when my kiddos are grown, I’ve always thought running a yarn shop might be fun.
Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I am looking forward to summer reading when I plan to re-read the Harry Potter series and start again from book 1 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood books too.
Q11)  Is there anything else you would like to add?
Smut Therapy, Smut Interrupted and Searching for Smut are all available now and perfect for a quick, sexy pick me up. Thanks so much for having me!
Stephanie Beck is a full time mom, part time writer and armature speller.
She’s been writing since she was fifteen. Her first novel, “Love on the Mats” was a graphic, heartwarming tale of a wrestler and a cutie coed which was lovingly edited by the c-squad basketball team on the long bus rides throughout the season. They were all sure it would be published and it still has a home in a folder…somewhere.
Stephanie Beck loves romance and all things romantic, heart warming and usually funny, though a more serious piece will find its way in occasionally.
In her spare time she knits and sews, walks the dog, plays with her three wonderful children and tries to get her husband to act out the naughty things she researches…oh the sacrifices she makes for her craft.
Website / Facebook / Twitter

What’s a cowboy to do when the love of his life puts him on a boot-knocking schedule?

In hopes of having a baby, Jenny sets a strict sex schedule. For Aaron, the zealous plan takes the fun and freedom away from their sex life, leading to stress and irritability on both of their sides.

To make the baby they both want and survive each other’s tempers until that day, Aaron proposes a little smut therapy, but getting Jenny to agree will require more than words.

Excerpt:
“Are you going to just stand there, you, you, stinking cowboy?” Jenny grabbed aplastic cup from the coffee table and threw it at him, hitting him in the chest. “I was going to go clean the barn, but if you’re not going to help me with my boots then I guess we’re both going to be losers.”
Her breasts heaved with every breath. She wore his favorite tight pink tank top. Just like her snug jeans, it hugged all the right places. She bitched about being built like a boy, but Aaron sure as hell didn’t see the similarities. Maybe she was a little short, but her ass curved, breasts beckoned, and even spouting flames, he wanted her.
Concentrated sexy change was about to arrive at the A & J Ranch. He needed it. She needed it. Patience and understanding hadn’t cut through Jenny’s welling emotions in the past. Wrapped up with negative thoughts, she wasn’t going to be the one to break them out of their funk. And Aaron couldn’t stand being at odds with his wife any longer.
He pushed away from the counter and strolled toward her, taking his time with each step because he knew the lazy swagger drove her crazy. He was the “stinking cowboy” in their relationship, the same as he’d been the day they’d married, nearly five years earlier. Jenny seemed to have forgotten he also knew how to rope her up and make her scream.
As if his calm, quiet approach made her think, she dropped the pillow she held and refused to meet his gaze. Next, she’d cry and let out all her feelings in an avalanche of self-doubt. Even though he loved her and wanted openness, neither of them needed another trip down Emotional Lane.
Aaron nudged her chin up until she looked at him, tears sparkling in her eyes.
“I found your boots outside on the deck after I watered the grass. They’re ruined and I’m glad. They were ugly.”
Fire sparked in her azure gaze, tears gone. “What? You destroyed them?”
“Total loss.”
She shoved his chest. “Jeez, Aaron. You are such a jerk sometimes. Why didn’t you check first? You know where I leave my boots. I swear you do stuff like this just to make me insane.”
He snagged her elbows when she moved to push him again. He didn’t mind her physical nature, but it was time to channel the anger somewhere productive. She glared at him, but he grinned.
“You want me to make you crazy, Jenny? I can do that.”


Anna and Andy are taking a sex addict class against their wills. Seeing each other after years apart opens up all kinds of sexy fun doors. Attending the class is mandatory, but making the most of their breaks is a perk neither expected.

Donna is on the hunt for a cowboy to ride into the sunset. So far, she’s had fun, but nothing special enough to settle down with just one man. Cal’s plan is about to be set into action. After months of watching Donna go through cowboys, he’s done his homework and is ready to offer her everything she wants. When Donna’s real desires come to life, Cal will have to think on his feet if he wants to satisfy her.

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Interview with W Lynn Chantale

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have W.Lynn Chantale to the blog today to chat about her newest book Decadent Seconds. 



1.    Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Let’s see, you already know I’m a writer. 🙂 I was recently excused from jury duty and have some mixed feelings about that. Other than that I live in a small rural community, married my high school sweetheart, and we have three children. I write African-American and Interracial sensual and erotic romance. I love milk chocolate, especially Dove’s chocolate truffles or the caramel-filled one, and I have a shoe addiction.


2.    Have you always wanted to be an author?
I’d have to say for the most part, yes.

1.    Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Let’s see, you already know I’m a writer. 🙂 I was recently excused from jury duty and have some mixed feelings about that. Other than that I live in a small rural community, married my high school sweetheart, and we have three children. I write African-American and Interracial sensual and erotic romance. I love milk chocolate, especially Dove’s chocolate truffles or the caramel-filled one, and I have a shoe addiction.


3.    What is your most interesting writing quirk?
Writing quirk, M & M’s and Coca-Cola, or music while I write and my Muse detests Earth, Wind and Fire, for some reason. Luther Vandross is acceptable and sometimes I can listen to the same song all day. I figure whatever strokes the creativity.

4.    Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
While I’m touring Decadent Seconds, Single mom and caterer, Darling yearns for a marriage proposal of her own, from her child’s father. When she doesn’t get one she leaves, despite still being in love with Darryl.
Darryl Manning always believed Darling would be his forever. After all he didn’t need a piece of paper to show her how much he loved her, but when she leaves him to pursue her dream of owning a catering company and raising his son, he may have to rethink his views on marriage. That is if he wants a second chance at family.
The Pick-Up Wife is available from All Romance Ebooks.

5.    How did you come with the idea for this story?
For Darling and Darryl’s story, I always wanted to do some sort of clash of wills. He wants a homemaker of bygone eras and she wants to be the modern woman who has it all.
For The Pick-Up Wife, I’ve always wanted a secret baby story.

6.    Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
My current works in progress include an erotic romantic suspense, an erotic romance, two inspirationals and I have an idea for a western historical. I think that’s enough to keep me busy.

7.    Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
Thanks to RT I met a lot of authors I’d friended or followed on Facebook and Twitter.

8.    What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Find a writer’s group or a good critique partner and then keep writing.

9.    Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
I don’t have one. I try to live each day as if it’s my last and take opportunities to learn or do something as they arise.

10.  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I have so many books in my TBR pile, but I can’t wait to read The Breaker’s Concubine by Ann Mayburn.

11.  Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you so much for having me here. I recently finished jury duty and have been playing catch up. Thanks again for interviewing me.

Want to learn  more about W. Lynn?  Check her our here: 
Website: http://wlynnchantale.com
Blog: http://wlynnchantale-decadentdecisions.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/wlynnchantale
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/W.LynnChantaleAuthor


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Interview with Misa Buckley


Can you please share with us a little about yourself?
I’m a sci fi geek who escapes the crazy of raising five kids by immersing myself in fictional worlds.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
No, but since I never got an acceptance letter into Starfleet Academy, writing is the next best thing.
Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Oh lord, I grew up reading McCaffrey and Adams and I wanted to write because of them. These days I love Gini Koch’s Alien books and Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druidseries.
How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
Like I say – I’m a sci fi geek. I love science fiction, but it’s the characters and how they deal with the wonders and worries of exploring that “final frontier” that captures my imagination more than the technology.
Since I started writing, I’ve expanded into Steampunk, Paranormal and Urban Fantasy. Anything outside of the norm, really.
What are some of your writing rituals?
I tend to fire up the laptop as soon as the kids have gone to school. As both the laptop and I take a little while to wake up, I’ll check emails and writing forums before I do anything else. I admit to spending far more time on Twitter than is healthy.
Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Paradigm Shift is about observatory tour guide Megan Shaw who (like me) has stars in her eyes. But her science fiction becomes reality when she runs into Raul, a visitor from another world. However, Raul is on the run from his alien overlords and soon Megan finds herself fighting against a foothold situation.
How did you come with the idea for this story?
To be honest I was inspired by Gini Koch. We had a conversation on Twitter about her aliens wearing Armani and I jokingly mentioned how jeans were much more practical. The idea stuck and a couple of months later I had a novella.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I have a Paranormal Romance coming out in July called Eleanor’s Heart. I’m currently writing a follow up, with two further books planned. I also have a bazillion other WIPs in a variety of genres. I am the Queen of the Unfinished Project.
What would you be if you were not an author?
I have NO idea. Writing literally keeps me sane (though how well it does that is subjective, I suppose). Something else creative, perhaps. Or I’d have run off with Ba’al.
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I have Pang’s A Sliver of Shadow, Hearne’s Tricked and Koch’s Alien Diplomacy amongst [far too many] others. I need more time. Or a clone…
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Readers can keep up to date with my latest news by following me on Twitter (@MisaBuckley), my blog (misa-buckley.blogspot.com) or my website (www.misabuckley.com)
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Interview & excerpt with Heather Long


Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have the very sweet Heather Long on the blog today to talk about her newest release Once Her Man, Always Her Man. 



Heather Long lives in Texas with her family and their menagerie of animals. As a child, Heather skipped picture books and enjoyed the Harlequin romance novels by Penny Jordan and Nora Roberts that her grandmother read to her. Heather believes that laughter is as important to life as breathing and that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are very real. In the meanwhile, she is hard at work on her next novel. 
Website / Facebook / Twitter


Can you please share with us a little about yourself
My daughter teases me that I have straydar. I love animals and we just adopted two puppies from the Humane Society, rescues from a backyard puppy mill.  They are sweet little terrors and they have totally disrupted the schedule in our house, but it’s a great disruption because they brought a lot of laughter and fun with them too!
Have you always wanted to be an author?
I’ve been writing since I could remember.  After my daughter was born, eleven years ago, I suddenly had some hours to fill and I wrote to keep myself company as much as to get the stories out. I write, because I can’t not write. I decided in the fourth grade that I wanted to be an author when I grew up and it’s a lot of fun to be doing that now.
Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Patricia Briggs is definitely my favorite writer. She packs so much story into every book she writes.  Nalini Singh,
How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
I write in multiple genres from romantic suspense to paranormal western romance to urban fantasy, but I’ve never had the opportunity to write a military hero. I have nothing but admiration for the men and women who serve our country. When a friend suggested that I write for this line, the story that immediately came to mind was the reunion of first loves and one was a Marine.  Each story then led me to the next and it was an amazing journey.
What are some of your writing rituals?
I get up early, usually between 4 and 5 every morning. I let me dogs out, make coffee, feed my cats and do any quick chores before retreating with my laptop to the garage where I am away from all distractions and I dive into writing for the next two to three hours. It’s the most perfect time of day.
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
OnceHer Man, Always Her Man is the story of Luke and Rebecca, the high school sweethearts broke up when Luke left to join the Marines and dumped Rebecca. He did it in part to protect her from waiting for him.  For ten years, their lives continued, but neither ever got over the other until the night they are reunited by Madame Eve at a nightclub in Dallas.  The story tugged my heartstrings and made me laugh all at the same time. It’s one of those reunion stories that I always enjoyed reading when I was younger.
How did you come with the idea for this story?
I wanted to tell the story of a Marine who gave ‘everything’ at eighteen to serve his country after losing his mother and his sister during 9/11. But I wanted to take it a step further to confront who these men and women are now and what challenges they face at home and abroad.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I’m working on my third Forbidden Legacy novel featuring the magical triad of Fae Helcyon, Wizard Jacob and the woman they both love Cassandra Belle.
What would you be if you were not an author?
A teacher. I think I’d be teaching history or writing or English.
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Currently, Michele Bardsley’s Now or Never and the rest of Melissa Schroeder’s Harmless series — I think I have just two left to be caught up.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
My Always a Marine series is very close to my heart, every single one of the Marines in these 1Night Stand’s represented the qualities of honor, duty, fidelity, courage and loyalty…I am extremely proud of them.
Want to learn more about Heather?   You can find her here: 
http://www.heatherlong.net
https://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
http://www.twitter.com/HVLong
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2959976.Heather_Long
Once Her Man, Always Her Man 
Order here:  Amazon 

Fulfilling a favor and executing a business plan, Luke Dexter arrived at Dallas’ Sybarite Club for a one-night stand. He never imagined that in the darkened club with bluesy strains of jazz playing he’d come face to face with the woman he left behind a decade earlier.
Rebecca Rainier fell in love with Luke Dexter in high school and was crushed when he dumped her to join the Marines after 9/11. Now, waiting for a date her best friend and business partner set up, she’s unprepared when Luke walks in.
Can Luke and Rebecca bridge the pain of a decade long abandonment in one cold Texas night?



Excerpt:
Luke Dexter handed his keys over to the red corseted valet driver, gaze skimming the generous globes peeking up from the open buttons of her white shirt. The Sybarite Club offered the Dallas area generous access to every pleasure. He slipped a card out of his leather wallet and displayed it to the doorman. The doorman, a tall, lanky figure dressed in topcoat and tails exuded a sense of elegance that the club’s exclusive clientele enjoyed.
The doorman examined the card, scanned it with a small device in his palm. Luke admired the cageyness of the action. The pen scanner would be out of place with the old world atmosphere encouraged by the man’s uniform.  “Good evening, Mr. Dexter. Welcome to the Sybarite Club.”
Accepting his card back, he passed through the opening doublewide doors. The gothic style doors were dark cherry, aged like a fine wine and a decorated with wood cut carvings of a man and woman engaged in cunnilingus and fellatio. The joining was subtle, the each left crying out in pleasure when the door opened, only to be joined again when the doors closed.
Amused by the door carving, he smiled as he plunged into the velvet darkness of the club’s jazz infused atmosphere. Every night featured a different style of music, but Fridays were reserved for jazz. Old world, cool smooth jazz with smoky voices, haunting guitars and lonely horns played to the soul. The doors barely closed behind him when his phone buzzed inside his breast pocket.
How did the woman know these things?
Pulling it out, he thumbed it on, a new message from Madame Evangeline of the 1Night Stand exclusive online dating service populating the screen.  She’s dressed in green silk and sitting at the bar. Life doesn’t always offer a second chance…
Clicking the screen off, Luke walked down the four red-carpeted steps into the lounge proper. He’d only agreed to the dating service only to support the men in his unit putting themselves out there. The last thing he’d expected was the invitation to the Sybarite Club. His gaze roamed the room the room, coming to a halt as they fastened on a pair of to die for tan legs at the bar. The sweet length of them, one crossed over the other ended in black heels with crystals glittering around dainty feet.
A green skirt skimmed her knees. While he appreciated the legs, he studied the line of her back, curious about the rest of her. His gaze slid higher to the pile of unruly auburn hair fighting to escape a pair of matching crystal hair combs.
As though sensing his appraisal, the green cloaked mystery woman turned on the bar stool and his heart tripped.

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Interview with Cate Masters



Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Cate Masters to the blog today.  To talk about her new release Dead to Rights.  



Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself?
Happy to! I’m a Jersey girl living in gorgeous central Pennsylvania, married to my best friend Gary for most of my life. He’s the inspiration for many of my heroes. 🙂 We have three grown kids, and now three grandboys who keep me on my toes. Our home used to hold more animal species than a small zoo, but now it’s just Lily, our cattle dog/terrier and Chairman Maiow, our dictator-like cat.

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
There was never any aha! moment, I’ve just always written since about age 11. I think it must be in my genes. Before I was born, my mom won an honorable mention in a writing contest, and my dad always wrote for himself. My sister’s a wonderful writer, but she concentrates on genealogy. I prefer to unleash my wild imagination and let it roam whereever it will.

Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers?
Who do you feel has influenced your writing? Wow, too many to name, really. Honestly, I have two floor-to-wall bookcases, another small bookcase in the bedroom, and now my Kindle’s packed with a few hundred stories I need to read by authors in many genres. I will say that as a teen, I fell in love with Tolkien’s world, and loved Arthurian stories, scifi and fantasy.

Q4) How did you get into writing in this specific genre?
Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre? Labels always put me off. I’m a bit of a rebel that way, I guess. I don’t think about genre when I write, I just let the story unfold. My stories range from sweet to erotic, historical to contemporary, fantasy and paranormal to mainstream.

Q5) What are some of your writing rituals?
I wish I could say I had some! I grab writing time on the run these days, mostly on weekends.

Q6) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Dead to Rights is a dark paranormal/urban fantasy. The plot’s somewhat complex to explain, because the heroine goes through several transformations. This particular story is not a romance, although it has some romantic tension along the lines of the TV show Bones.  I’d love for you to check out the blurb, an excerpt, view the book video, Casting Call (who I imagined in these roles as I wrote) and more at: http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2009/06/dead-to-rights-contemporary-paranormal.html

Q7) How did you come with the idea for this story?
It began with the Eternal Transit Station of the Soul, a waystation for souls to pass through after death, which led to a villain who switched souls with an unsuspecting victim, who’s left with no memory after awakening in a mental facility. With few clues to follow she then has to figure out how to get back her life, and her body. With a little help from a warrior angel. 🙂

Q8) Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I have two more novels in mind for The Goddess Connection series, to follow Dancing With the Devil and The Magic of Lavender. I have another dozen or so WIPs waiting for me. At this writing, another dark paranormal, Death Is A Bitch is in edits with Decadent, so that should be released soon, if it hasn’t been already.


Q9) What would you be if you were not an author? 
Maybe a journalist, or a photographer. I would have to tell stories of some kind, if not through fiction.

Q10) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Did I mention my Kindle’s bulging with a few hundred stories? *grins* I seriously have dozens I can’t wait to read. All I need is a clone. A few, actually.

Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks so much for having me at Books-n-Kisses today. It’s been a real pleasure.

Want to learn more about Cate?  You can find her here: 

Cate Masters  – Magic, mayhem and a little romance
Blog: http://catemasters.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Masters/89969413736?ref=ts
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CateMasters
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2944596.Cate_Masters

Bio:
Cate Masters loves stories with a dash of magic, mayhem and romance! Multipublished in contemporary to historical, sweet to erotic, fantasy/dark fantasy to speculative, she sometimes mashes genres. Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”
When not spending time with her family, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Cate loves to hear from readers! Friend her on Facebook or Goodreads, or email her at: cate.masters AT gmail.com

Dead to Rights – dark paranormal/urban fantasy
Available from Decadent Publishing
http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=500&osCsid=1rs5de21jcfh2ov3ikjhd26tk4

Blurb:
Identity theft sucks. But it’s worse when someone steals your life—body included. All memory of her life before waking up in a mental facility has vanished. Or was erased. Now she has to figure out how to get it all back….
Her only hope of learning the truth lies with one man. Problem is, he’s the leader of a cult. Her only choice is to follow him into his sordid world, where a darker evil lurks.
With a little help from an archangel hellbent on revenge, she may have a chance to learn the truth. But will it force her to make the hardest decision of her life…or death?

Book video

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Interview & giveaway with Melissa Kendall



Q1)  Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I am a 36 year-old mother of a 3-year-old son. I live in Perth Western Australia. I am predominantly a stay at home mum, though I do still work a few hours a week as a Software Support Consultant to keep my brain active.

Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?
Sort of, I have always written, when I was younger, though, it was more lyrics and poetry. I didn’t discover a love for longer forms of writing until I had my son. 

Q3)  Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
I actually don’t write much during the day. Most of my writing is done at night after my son is in bed and I usually do my best work between midnight and 2am.

Q4)  Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most rewarding part for me is when I get a review and they totally loved my work that makes it all worthwhile as far as I’m concerned. The most challenging part for me is not getting distracted social media can be a real distraction for me.

Q5)  Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
My latest book is a Novella called ‘Fall In Love’. Michael Dunbar runs his families cattle station in the far north of Western Australia. Station life is lonely and he wishes there was a way that he could find a companion that wouldn’t mind living the outback life with him. In hopes of finding a woman, Michael heads to Broome for a few weeks holiday. What he finds is something he never expected to. Mia Mason a Perth girl, who longs to leave the city behind for a life in the country. Can two like minds fall in love, only destiny knows?
This is quite a personal piece because it is set in my home state.

Q6)  How did you come with the idea for this story?
This is kind of an odd/funny story. Here in Australia we have a reality TV show called ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ I was watching one night and suddenly my mind was like wonder what a farmer would have to go through if he couldn’t find a wife and he didn’t have a TV show to help him. Next thing I knew I had written 7000 words in about 3 hours.
 
Q7)  Can you share with us your current work in progress?
I am currently working on a novel for Ruby Lioness Press’s Clearwater Series it is called ‘On The Run.’

Q8)  Who are some of your favorite authors?
Oooo this is hard, ummm… I would say Laura Kaye, Cynthia Eden, Damon Suede and JP Barnaby.

Q9)  Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
I don’t think so. I write such a varied content that I don’t feel I am more inspired by any one writer.
 
Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Oh, this is easy. I am desperately waiting for the July release of Laura Kaye’s West of Want.

Q11)  Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just thank you to every person who reads my works and I hope you enjoy them.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MKendallAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5752458.Melissa_Kendall
Blog: http://mkendallauthor.blogspot.com.au
I have one e-copy of Fall in Love… To enter for a chance to win please fill out the Rafflecopter below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Interview with Tammy Maas

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have Tammy Maas on the blog today.  We are chatting about life, Cheez-it’s and her debut novella ‘A Complicated Life in a Small Town’


Q1)  Can you please share with us a little about yourself? 
Sure! I am a new author, a happy wife, the mother of two beautiful children, a blogger and a domestic Goddess.

Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author? 
I feel in love with writing in the 3rdgrade and have dreamed of becoming an author ever since.

Q3)  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?Stephen King is my favorite writer and from him I have learned that there is a story hiding in nearly every conversation or situation that occurs. Topics to write on are endless.

Q4) How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
I didn’t choose the genres for my book prior to writing it; they just evolved as the story did. I would write in any genre if I had the right storyline for it.

Q5)  What are some of your writing rituals? 
I sit in a recliner with my feet up in the air and my laptop on my lap, Animal Planet on TV and a cup of coffee at my side. Sometimes I eat Cheez-it’s for a snack.

Q6)  Can you please tell us about your latest book?
My debut Novella is titled A Complicated Life in a Small Town, it was released on 2/27. 
The story is about the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Bitter that she was robbed of her childhood, at age eighteen, Lydia Lawson severed all communication ties with her alcoholic parents. Her father commits suicide one year after she leaves home. Twenty-three years later she receives word that her mother is dead and that she has inherited more than just the family home. Lily, a twenty-one-year-old, morbidly obese half-sister with Prader-Willi Syndrome, is found in the basement, too big to move out of the home. Lydia sets out on a life-changing journey trying to help Lily, trying to find Lily s father and trying to find herself. In the interim, she falls in love with Tommy Porter who remains with her right up to the climatic, mind-blowing reveal at the end.

Q7) How did you come with the idea for this story?
I was shopping for a disease online and I came across Prader-Willi Syndrome. I was so fascinated by it that I decided to use it in my story.

Q8)  Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress? 
I am currently working on the sequel to A Complicated Life in a Small Town. The debut novella had a powerful ending that left readers wanting more. I didn’t plan on doing a sequel but I am writing one to satisfy my new fans.

Q9) What would you be if you were not an author?
I have been a lot of things in my life: fast-food worker, concession stand worker, supervisor, manager, coordinator, security guard, caregiver, newspaper reporter, photographer and the list goes on and on. If I couldn’t be an author I would continue to try new jobs but I really love being an author and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for? Amber Hartman’s book Slave to a Vampire

Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add? 
Yes! For any unpublished writers I would like to encourage you to never give up. My situation is not common: at 10pm on a Saturday night I sent my manuscript to eight publishers. Within 30 minutes I had a reply and within 10 days I had a contract. Never give up, not all situations are the same. You’ll never know if you don’t try.

Want to learn more about Tammy?  You can find her here:  
Blog Site: http://animaasity.weebly.com
Facebook: Tammy Maas
Twitter: @Animaasity
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=tammy+maas&sprefix=Tammy+Maa%2Cstripbooks%2C216
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Interview with S.Evan Townsend

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome back S.Evan Townsend 
to the blog to talk about his newest book Rock Killer

1.     Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I’m a 51-year-old writer living in central Washington State.  I’ve been writing since I was about 12 years old when I taught myself how to type on a typewriter (this was decades before home computers).  Since January 2011 I’ve been writing exclusively, giving up my day job.  I have been doing freelance for local publications and for websites in addition to marketing my own books published by World Castle Publishing.  In my spare time I enjoy reading, driving (sometimes on a racetrack), meeting people, and talking with friends. I’m in a 12-step program for Starbucks addiction.  I live with my wife of 30 years, and two sons (one in high school, the other in college) and I have a son attending the University of Washington in biology. I enjoy science fiction, fantasy, history, politics, cars, and travel.  

2.     Have you always wanted to be an author?
Well, except when I was five and wanted to be a fireman, yes, I always wanted to be an author.  I taught myself to type on a typewriter and started writing.  I assume what I wrote when I was 12 was very jejune.  But over the past 39 years I’ve gotten better.

3.     Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
There really isn’t a typical day of writing.  I tend to write in spurts and when inspired.  I’ll start writing at 10:00 A.M. and write until 2:00 A.M. some days or I might not write for a few days in a row.

4.     Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most challenging, and rewarding, part of writing (not marketing, publishing, etc.) is finding new ways to describe mundane things.  Not every hero can be saving heroines all the time; he needs to get out of bed, shave, shower, get dressed, and drive to work.  And a lot of times you just skip that but sometimes you can’t and it’s a challenge to write it in such a way that it is interesting for the reader.  And when you manage to do that, it’s also rewarding.

5.     Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
My latest book is Rock Killer.  It’s a science fiction novel set in the not-too-distant future when asteroids are being mined for their valuable metals without degrading Earth.  But some are even opposed to that and they resort to violence to reach their political ends.  That is, they are terrorists.  Alexander Chun, literally a million miles from help, and without armaments, must stop them before they kill him and his multi-national crew.

6.     How did you come with the idea for this story?
In the early 2000s there were eco-terrorist attacks in the Pacific Northwest where I live.  Luckily there was only property damage and no one was hurt.  But I wondered what motivated such people and I decided that it wasn’t that they were trying to protect the environment, but they were trying to stop human progress.  And what if in the future there were still people who had this idea that human progress is bad and they acted on it.

7.     Can you share with us your current work in progress?
Right now I’m working on a third book in my Adept series.  These are urban fantasy novels set in the recent past.  In this third novel, set in 1968, I am bringing in necromancy, nuclear weapons, the Prague Spring and subsequent Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and my character has to stop a plot by rouge KGB agents to destroy America.  At least that’s my plan.  It may change as I write it.  I’m about half-way through it.

8.     Who are some of your favorite authors?
My favorite fiction writers are Robert A. Heinlein and Poul Anderson.  I also enjoy early Larry Niven.  Heinlein always told a great story but had a message behind it.  Poul Anderson makes up worlds that you think you visited, they are so detailed.  And Larry Niven came up with some amazing ideas such as Ringworld.

9.     Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style? 
Oh, yes.  In writing Rock Killer I was trying to write a Niven-esque hard science fiction novel.  And my tendency to have strong women characters is at least partially from Heinlein and Anderson.

10.  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I have a thing for old science fiction.  So my TBR pile is mostly old science fiction.  Someone is reprinting all of Poul Anderson’s short stories in many volumes and that’s on my TBR pile (I’ve bought most of them already). 

11.  Is there anything else you would like to add?
I don’t know about other writers but I find there is a dichotomy in being a writer.  Writing is a solitary, introverted pursuit.  You sit alone at a computer and your “friends” are your characters.  But marketing a book is just the opposite.  You need to “network” and get out and meet people and be engaged in all sorts of social media.  It’s just the opposite of writing.  The successful author can do both.
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Interview with April & Danielle


Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome April Fifer & Danielle Hylton-Outland to the blog today.

Danielle Hylton-Outland was raised in Virginia. She grew up having a huge appetite for daydreaming; always wanting to live in the spectacular worlds she created in her mind. She now lives with her husband and dog where she is pursuing a degree in literature. Danielle is a strong animal activist. She is currently co-writing the second book in the Flesh Series, “Flesh and Flames”.
April Fifer grew up in a small town in Virginia, where it was common practice believing that dreams could only be found in stories. At the age of seven she was diagnosed with dyslexia. She was told that she would struggle through life and would never pick up a book to read for pleasure. Although school was hard, she was able to find her way with the help of two teachers who taught her self-discovery. Ignoring what she was taught growing up, she turned it around and found that your dreams could become stories.



1.    Can you please share with us a little about yourself
April and Danielle: We are two book junkies who love chocolate, strong coffee and hot characters in stories. Woo hoo. We started writing together about two years ago and have loved every minute of it. It’s been quite the ride.

2.    Have you always wanted to be an author?
April and Danielle: Well, we’ve wanted to be Wonder Woman, then a veterinarian, then we wanted to be a trapeze artist and then we realized writing was more our thing.

3.    What is your most interesting writing quirk?
April: I actually have no idea what I’m going to write until I start typing. It’s the weirdest thing.
Danielle: I have to write the outline to the chapter on actual paper before I begin typing my story.

4.    Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
April and Danielle: Flesh and Feathers is a story about a girl who falls for an angel. Only she doesn’t know he is an angel. There is action, adventure, love triangle and much more. And we hope our readers are surprised by the turn of events. We also just released Love, Lies and a Bloke. This is a 20,000 word Contemporary Romance/Erotica. It’s about a girl named Katherine Thomas who thinks her life blows. In the midst of her life crisis of boredom, she hops a plane to Australia where she meets the man of her dreams. Only she starts her relationship off with a lie and has to suffer the consequences.

5.    How did you come with the idea for this story?
April and Danielle: Flesh and Feathers was a long thought out process. It started with just wanting a girl to fall for an angel. But it ended up becoming something else altogether. It is not at all an angel love story. It has so many mythical aspects to the story that it evolved into a whole other world. As for Love, Lies and a Bloke, we wanted to do something fun! The story came together so easily with its fast pace plot. We’ve all had that, “our life is boring” feel. So we played off of that feeling.

6.    Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
April and Danielle: Heck yeah! We are working on The Witch and The Werewolf… oh my! This is another story we really tried to make different from the world of werewolves and witches. The storyline is not just based on these creatures but more like how they play a role in average people’s lives.

7.    Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
April and Danielle: Stephenie Meyer! We love her work and the worlds she creates.

8.    What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
April and Danielle: Don’t give up! Don’t let bad reviews get you down! Drink as much coffee as your body can stand and if you start giggling at what you write when it’s funny… that’s totally normal.

9.    Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
April: I want to live out Katherine Thomas’ life in Love, Lies and a Bloke.

Danielle: To go to Namibia and volunteer at the wildlife reserves.

10. What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
April: Grave Mercy!
Danielle: Fifty Shades of Grey!

11. Is there anything else you would like to add?
April and Danielle: We have really worked hard at trying to start a career in writing. We’ve made mistakes, had pitfalls, had great and exciting moments and we wouldn’t trade any of it. We have met some really great people and some we like to call friends. And we want to thank you for letting us be part of your blog. J
Contact information:
http://www.fiferhylton.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/FiferHylton
http://fiferhylton.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flesh-and-Feathers/149542115115597



Flesh and Feathers:
Blurb
Azaleigh’s life is simple until, by chance, she meets Kale. Charming and handsome, Az is immediately drawn to him. But long kept secrets lurk in the hearts of those Az holds most dear, and dangerous plans are unfolding around her. As her life begins to crumble and Kale disappears, Gage, charismatic and striking, arrives, providing a calm port in an increasingly violent storm. But with every narrow escape from a far from human bounty hunter who’s after her life, Az begins to unravel a secret with the power to change her forever. In an increasingly hostile world of Angel and Fallen, Azaleigh must navigate her own path, chose her own side, and ultimately protect her heart. Faced with two gorgeous men, an enemy she doesn’t know, and a future she cannot understand, Az must make a choice—the man she loves, or the man she cannot live without.
Available for purchase @ Silver Publishing | Amazon

Flesh and Feathers Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os6HvdUibrc
Love, Lies and a Bloke
Amazon  
Facebook:
Blurb:
Katherine Thomas is a lackluster kind of girl who refuses to bend the rules. Until one day she loses her job and is forced to reevaluate her life. One trip to Australia changes her world forever. Katherine leaves her hometown of Fleming to find herself, however she ends up finding love, lies and a bloke.