Category: Interviews

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Interview & Giveaway with Rachel Lyndhurst

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Rachel Lyndhurst.  We are talking about her new book Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire.   

Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself

Rachel: I live with my daughter, son and The Exec in Fareham, Hampshire, on the south coast of England and can sometimes smell the sea from my back garden.
I write full-time when my children are at school, but am still proud of my law degree and accountancy qualifications. I’ve worked in the space industry, pharmaceuticals, insurance, a supermarket, a bus station, a railway depot, and a lingerie department among others.
When not working, my hobbies include rummaging through antique shops, talking to our chocolate brown Rex rabbit and popping into Sainsbury’s. I’m also partial to the odd glass of wine and collect expensive lipstick like a maniac.


Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Rachel:  Not consciously. I spent my childhood wanting to be many things, including becoming a Concorde pilot, but the writing was always there. I loved writing silly stories including my friends and our imaginary adventures in the Maggot Club (don’t ask!), then there were the angsty teenage poems ridiculing boys that I fancied rotten. In my twenties the boring old office job improved when a subversive Viz-style comic came into being – it featured a character that looked like my boss quite heavily. I left that job soon after! After a decade working in as an accountant, I really did begin to think how wonderful it would be to become an author instead!
Q3)  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Rachel:  I have so many different favourite writers I’m not sure where to begin but they would include India Grey, Sue Moorcroft, George Orwell, Salman Rushdie and Howard Jacobson. No one author has influenced me, but reading 1984 by George Orwell as a teenager changed the way I looked at life for good.  
Q4)  How did you get into writing in this specific genre? Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
Rachel:  I came across romance, specifically category romance, relatively recently. Being able to stuff a small paperback into my handbag and read short chunks at a time when the babies were asleep kept me sane in early motherhood. Like many aspiring authors, I read a few and thought ‘I could do this, how hard can it be?’ Six years later, here I am, it wasn’t that easy after all!
I’ve thought about writing in a different genre, yes, but I couldn’t bear a story without a happy ending or a developing emotional and physical connection between two people. I guess that narrows my choices. Oh, and I’ve never read a horror or crime novel, so that’s out. And blood, I don’t like gore. Also ghosts spook me. Actually romance suits me just fine!

Q5)  What are some of your writing rituals?
Rachel:  I’m not sure I actually have any rituals. I’m worried now that I should! I just try to get on with it most days, which isn’t always as easy as it sounds. I do faff about quite a bit and make lots of cups of tea…

Q6)  Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Rachel: Here’s the blurb for my latest book with Entangled Indulgence, Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire:
Kidnapped!
Or that’s what it feels like to Kizzy Dean when a business disagreement with arrogant Greek lawyer Andreas Lazarides leaves her no choice but to accompany him to the Greek Isle of Rhodes. It doesn’t help matters that this sexy brooding stranger, who is unaccustomed to the word No and the very idea of commitment, shows her what it feels like to be truly desired.
Amidst the ancient myths and alleyways, tensions run high as Kizzy feels an immediate attraction for the man she wants to both ravage and strangle.
Accustomed to gold-digging women, Andreas is mesmerized by Kizzy’s feisty nature and Gypsy beauty. Guilt and sorrow have been his only bedfellows since his sister’s death, but Kizzy stirs up a desire he’s unwilling to succumb to . . . until she makes him an offer he simply can’t refuse.
You can read the first chapter here: http://bit.ly/wLZEAC 
Q7)  How did you come with the idea for this story?
Rachel:  The main location of the book was inspired by a holiday in historic Lindos, Rhodes. Not only was I gripped by the incredible age and architecture of the place, but also by the Greek Legends associated with it; particularly Helios the sun god and his demi-god son Phaeton. A salutary tale of what can happen if you don’t do as your father tells you. A fiery battle of disobedience and death. I wondered if I could bring the story up to date in a contemporary romance. 
While considering how I could get my heroine from her grotty flat in the UK to sun-baked Rhodes, I read a poignant newspaper article about General Sir Mike Jackson’s son, Mark Jackson, who reinvented himself after injury forced him to leave the army. He gave his sculpture of a lifeless Icarus his own scars. This story moved and inspired me towards Andreas Lazarides’ dark secret.
Then a few weeks later I was suddenly whipped of to drink champagne on the London Eye in my best frock. Far too good an experience not to use, and I couldn’t wait to either; it needed to go into this book, so this is where Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire begins.
 I have also been a member of Amnesty International for many years which has raised my awareness of many issues that rarely make the daily news. They send me regular magazines and sometimes I’m brave enough to read them. In one particular issue there was an article about human rights abuse of Roma in Europe. Europe? Surely not … I did some research on the subject and came across a photograph that still haunts me: a small boy playing an accordion, begging for money. He had to go in.
Somehow all these things became a story with a beginning, middle and an end.

Q8)  Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress? 
Rachel:  I’m currently going through edits for my second book The Devil to Pay which will be published by the Wild Rose Press, release date to be confirmed. Briefly:
Italian mining CEO, Daniel Bracchi wants to close his loss-making Welsh quarry, but doesn’t count on feisty accountant, Rianna Peters, fighting him all the way. She’s grown used to struggling for everything in life and won’t let him destroy a community and the job that gave her self-respect.
From the green valleys of South Wales to the glitz of Portofino, a clash of cultures is inevitable, as is the seismic sexual attraction between them. Daniel can’t get her hot curves out of his head, but he’s a no strings man and Rianna won’t be used just for sex again. Smoke turns to flame and their high-octane affair unearths buried secrets of sex, tragedy and betrayal. The stakes are high, maybe too high for even love to overcome.
My current other WIP is called The Spanish Billionaire’s Hired Bride, contracted to Entangled Publishing. You’ll have to wait for more details of that one, but it’s set in Spain and the Balearic islands and it’s going to get very, very hot!

Q9)  What would you be if you were not an author?
Rachel:  Being realistic I’d probably still be an accountant, which is a sobering thought, but it does pay the bills. Being unrealistic, I’d like to be a flamboyant lady antique dealer. Or marry a billionaire …

Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Rachel:  My To Read Pile is a shocker. HUGE. And that doesn’t include all the juicy downloads on my Kindle! I’m desperate to read all the other Entangled Indulgence releases – but time isn’t on my side at the moment and I’ve only managed Jennifer Probst’s best selling The Marriage Bargain (which is fab!). I’ll be needing a treat soon though, or I will implode!

Q11)  Is there anything else you would like to add?
Rachel:  I’d like to thank you very much for having me here today on Books-n-Kisses. It’s been lovely! I love to hear from readers too, you can find me in the following places:
http://rachellyndhurst.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @RachelLyndhurst
https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001397409817
http://www.goodreads.com/rachellyndhurst
Buy links for Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire:
Amazon.co.uk http://amzn.to/w86FU9
Amazon.com http://amzn.to/yhbd1a
Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/zBeu77


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Interview with Zoe Winters

Books-n-Kisses is so excited to have Zoe Winters back on the blog. 
BnK: I am so excited to share you and your newest release Dark Mercy with my followers.  Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to sit down and talk with me. 
Zoe: Thanks for having me!
Bnk:  Are you ready?
Zoe: No, I need fifteen more minutes. Just kidding. Having this kind of convo via text is bringing out the weird in me.
BnK: Have you always wanted to be an author?
Zoe: I’m not sure if “always”, but I know I was pretty serious about it by junior high school. I was writing novels in 8th grade. I shudder to think how bad those were!
BnK:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Zoe: I’ll have to think about that one. I’m pretty sure I’m nothing “but” quirks since it seems that I think very differently than a lot of people about a wide range of topics, sometimes.
BnK: I am very excited about Dark Mercy.  Your newest release in the Preternaturals Series.  Can you tell us a little about this story?
Zoe: Dark Mercy just released. It’s a novella that is the beginning of a story for a new Pretverse couple. Angeline starts out a vampire and Hadrian is the priest she wants to turn. Her sire (Linus. Fans of the series might recognize him a the Villain from Claimed.) was so abusive to her that she’s distrustful of other vampires and wants one she made herself. I must warn that this story is not an HEA but it’s also not the end of their story. Their HEA will happen in their full-length book which will be book 5.
Hadrian does make a cameo in the third book of the series, The Catalyst, though. Dark Mercy is what I call “supplementary” material to the series, in that it doesn’t have to be read in order with the rest of the series, not that the information learned is less important to the overall story. Important things happen both for Hadrian and Angeline, and the larger series. One major character from Save My Soul, who gets her own book in book 4, has a few of her secrets at least partially revealed in Dark Mercy.
Dark Mercy is also a little more angsty than a lot of my Zoe stuff. It’s just the nature of this story. Mated is also a bit angsty. But the snark is coming back big in The Catalyst.
BnK: How did you come up the idea for the Preternaturals Series?
Zoe: Well, Save My Soul was written first, and it actually became book 2 in the series. (Incidentally you can start either with Blood Lust [book 1] or Save My Soul [book 2] and not be lost.)
It involves an incubus trapped in a house by a 50-yr-old curse. I wrote it largely because I didn’t want to start out with “vampires” because I was told that “vampires” were over and nobody would buy it (what a lie. Vampires are SO not over.) Anyway, I was driving by this house in the historic district of my town and most of the plot for Save My Soul arrived that way. I was looking at this house I always loved, and that became Luc and Anna’s house and these ideas just sort of popped in my head. It was pretty creepy, actually. Sometimes I think Luc really does live in that house, LOL.
Then a year or two after that, an ebook publisher was running a contest for addition into a werecat novella anthology. So I came up with the story for Kept for that. But I didn’t make it by the deadline, so in the end, I released Kept on my own as an ebook.
Then I wanted a couple of other novellas to round it out so I could do a print release/collection, so Claimed and Mated came along to make Blood Lust.
By the time I got to writing Mated, I really really wanted it to turn into a big series because I had this whole idea for this world and all this politics and struggle between these different factions and how each book would be its own romance but there would be this larger meta plot connecting the series. I was also really intrigued by the idea that everybody is the hero of his own story, so sometimes a hero in one book will be a villain in another and vice versa because I want to show what everybody is fighting for and what their intentions are without demonizing any one faction or leader.
I figured out a way to tie Mated in to Save My Soul by introducing Save My Soul’s villain in Mated. By the time we get to book 3, it’s going to be really clear how this all intersects. My biggest fear is that people won’t hang out with me until they start seeing the bigger picture, because it is really cool and I think those who can hang with me, will be really glad they did.
BnK: What is up next for the Preternaturals Series?
Zoe: Right now I’m working on The Catalyst, which is book 3 in the official order. Though, technically one can read them out of order, it just depends on if you need to have meta plot in order. Some people like to read series of this nature out of order so it comes together like a jigsaw puzzle. Either way works. My suggestion would be to start out with the story that sounds most interesting to you, then if you feel you want it all in order, start from the beginning.
But meh, I totally sidetracked there. The Catalyst is about Z and Fiona. Z is a panther therian (were-panther, but NEVER call him were. He will eat your face) who has gotten saddled with a stray wolf pup, and Fiona is an agoraphobic witch who has the ability to understand the language of animals. So he sort of has to kidnap her and take her back to his cave because he needs her help with the pup. Z really is such a caveman, but he’s sweet. He just has no concept of social boundaries.
The Catalyst is a bit of an ensemble book because not only are we dealing with Z and Fiona’s relationship and HEA, but, Jane and Cole’s story (from Mated) will go from an HFN (happy for now) to an HEA. Some readers may not have realized, but therians (shapeshifters) can live hundreds of years. Cole is a werewolf. Jane is a human. So with their divergent lifespans, that’s not exactly an HEA. But The Catalyst will solve that issue. (And yes, this was part of the plan to begin with.)
There is also a lot of Cain in this book, which sets up book 4, LifeCycle… which is Cain and Tam’s book. And I feel like anybody not already a fan of my stuff is glazing over back there in the cheap seats. Sorry! Read, so you know what we’re talking about! 😉
BnK:  So, recently you came out of the closet about your pen name. Would you like to share a little about your other name?
Zoe: Kitty Thomas is for a mature audience. That’s all I’ll say. It’s darker. It’s more literary than Zoe. And it’s really just not for the faint of heart. In a lot of ways *I* don’t think the kitty stuff is dark, but clearly mainstream readers feel differently, so I warn and disclaim. Zoe has always been kink subtext. I mean, every relationship in the Preternaturals series definitely has a strong power exchange going on. There may not be any whips and chains or other props but these heroes pretty much “own” these heroines…
Kept involves this werecat in her heat cycle basically at the mercy of a dark sorcerer. Claimed involves a vampire claiming a human female (and a claim gives him power over her, like… forever.), Mated involves a werewolf who takes a human as payment for a gambling debt and basically keeps her against her will in his compound. Sure, he doesn’t do anything bad to her and he needs to protect her because he senses she’s meant to be his mate, but it still is what it is.
In Save My Soul, the incubus demon breed mates by taking a human female who must give him her soul which ties them together forever in a way in which he is the dominant party.
In Dark Mercy there is definitely some power games going on there, but I don’t want to give that away because it’s a spoiler.
In The Catalyst, Z kidnaps Fiona and drags her back to his cave.
I mean, it’s a pretty blatant pattern. I like what I like. Zoe is subtext, Kitty is text. And Kitty definitely is not for everybody. Kitty is me unfiltered. Zoe is a little safer. I ended up coming out of the closet because it was too difficult to keep them separate/secret, mainly because a lot of Zoe fans were Kitty fans. I had all these twitter followers who were following both of my names and didn’t know they were both me. I guess, then, that a lot of people picked up on the subtext in the Zoe work, LOL.
I also felt like it was going to come out eventually and the most important thing to me was that people know I wasn’t “ashamed” of writing Kitty. I’m incredibly proud of the Kitty work.
I’ve always felt in general that the romance genre had a lot of D/s (Dominant/submissive) subtext. I mean sometimes you have a beta male and some readers are into that, but the vast majority of romance is a dominant alpha male who behaves in a dominant (not abusive) fashion toward the heroine. So make of that what you will. I know subtext when I smell it.
BnK: Zoe and Kitty are very different.  How did you get into two very different genres?
Zoe: I had this book I *needed* to write. (Comfort Food) At the time I had no grand plan to start a new brand but I needed to write this book and I knew it wouldn’t fit in the Zoe world. I didn’t expect people to fall in love with it and to go on about it like it was the second coming. But it really connected with a lot of people.
It was just a book. Yes, it meant a lot to me. I opened a vein for that book. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever written, and up until that point, the most naked thing. But I’m really proud of it. (Not that it’s perfect, no book is perfect, but yeah. Comfort Food will always be Comfort Food.)
I tend to flip back and forth between the names. For awhile I’d gotten burnt out on the Pretverse and everything was kitty kitty kitty. And now, after having released 5 Kitty releases in a row (some novels, some novellas), I’m totally Kittied out, so my focus is shifting back to Zoe for the next 4 or 5 releases. And I’m really excited about the pretverse right now!
I probably won’t go back to kitty until after I release book 5 (Hadrian and Angeline’s book.) I mean, I tease people with Dark Mercy so it would be crappy for me to go back into the kitty zone before I wrap that up.
BnK: Zoe, Thank you again for taking the time to sit down and talk with me.  I look forward to The Catalyst.  Is there anything else you would like to add?
Zoe: Thanks! I’d also like to add that full-length books in the series—Blood Lust and Save My Soul—are also in audiobook and available at Audible/Amazon and itunes, for those who listen to audiobooks. Chet Williamson is my narrator and he is AMAZING. He makes all my books sound like fifty times more awesome than they actually are.
BnK: Where can my followers find you? 
Zoe: my blog: http://zoewinters.wordpress.com , facebook (though I have no idea what the link is for that. Facebook has those ridiculously long links, though there is a facebook app on my blog for those who want to “like” me.), and Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zoewinters
Bnk:  Again Z, Thank you.
Zoe: Thanks!
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Interview with Shanon Grey

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Shanon Grey to the blog.  
1. Can you please share with us a little about yourself?
I live in the very magical “low” mountains of Northern Georgia. Not too high up to get a nose bleed, but just enough to make for some great rolling pastures, fields, and forests. Having come out of Hurricane Katrina with pretty much what was on our backs, we relocated to Georgia. All my work, everything that wasn’t in my head, disappeared. Luckily, Georgia proved to be inspirational and the Gatekeeper Series poured right out of me. I discovered that the imagination is fairly disaster-proof.
2. Have you always wanted to be an author?
No. At age seven, I wanted to me a Faerie Princess. By ten, it was the female version of “The Phantom,” by twelve it was an airline stewardess, and by fifteen, it was a world-renowned cancer researcher. I came closest to the last when I took premed in college. It was there that I started writing, mostly journal articles. I stayed with technical writing most of my life, sneaking in fiction in the late night quiet hours when no one was up.
3. Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Then Splenda Diet Coke. Everything thing else is arbitrary. My family is very, very supportive. Fortunately for them, my son is a fabulous cook and makes sure we all eat sometime during the day. I have an incredibly inspiring office (which my husband and son created for me) and I spend a great deal of my waking hours in there, our dog nearby (in case I drop some tasty cookie crumb). I never seem to have any trouble with writer’s block—again, that overactive imagination to the rescue—so I am pretty much ensconced in one story or another from morning until the wee hours.
4. Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most challenging part of writing is patience. There’s always something someone needs that has nothing to do with putting my story on paper. Bookkeeping, marketing, filing—the administrative end of having a business. I wish I were rich and could have a “team.” Alas, I am not, so the drudgework is still mine. I wonder if I’d ever give up the control anyway.
The most rewarding part of writing is when a reader sends me an email or posts a comment telling me they love my work. Writing is hard at best. We put ourselves out there every time we put words down. To get a positive word or review (we love positive reviews, as well) makes our day, our week, month…. I was stopped one day in Barnes & Noble and was asked to sign my book. I floated around for hours. Having readers like that is the most rewarding thing in the world.
5. Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
The Shoppe of Spells is the first in the Gatekeepers Series. It isn’t a series per se, since all the books actually “stand-alone.” They do, however, center around the quaint small southern town of Ruthorford, GA and the special inhabitants or “descendants” from that town. In The Shoppe of Spells, Morgan Briscoe’s relatively normal life is turned on its ear when she learns not only that she is adopted, but her birth parents are dead and she now holds half-interest in a business with their ward, Dorian Drake, who, despite his riveting good looks, can barely conceal his hostility toward his new partner. Morgan discovers that she is more than she seems and together she and Dorian have the ability to control a portal to another dimension. Unable to contain their growing attraction, Morgan and Dorian dance around their desires and her burgeoning abilities, until danger forces them to face their destiny.
 6. How did you come with the idea for this story?
I had been driving around the area and stopped at Barnes & Noble for a coffee and scone. Standing in line, the story came to me. It was the longest wait of my life. I grabbed my order, found a table, pulled the scone out of the bag and started making notes on the bag. I have since framed the bag. I have learned when an idea hits, write SOMETHING down. Anything. You’d think I’d learn to carry a notepad around with me. Nope. I’m still writing down ideas on whatever happens to be in my purse at the time. Oh, and ideas never come at convenient times.
7. Can you share with us your current work in progress?
Meadow’s Keep is due out late spring or early summer. It is Jasmine Monroe’s story. She is introduced in The Shoppe of Spells. Here’s the teaser:
 Jasmine Monroe once felt like damaged goods. But, not anymore. Her latent abilities, although appearing too late to save her from a brutal attack, will keep her safe from anyone ever hurting her again. She’s made sure of that. Secure in that fact, she’s moved on. Until she meets her first love’s doppelganger.
Eryk Vreeland, a misfit and embarrassment to his upper-class/upper-crust family, is a magician. His shows are renowned, his contributions to charity astronomical, his illusions precise. Except, not everything is an illusion. Sometimes there is real magic.
Jasmine stumbles upon a secret that will change Eryk’s life forever, and in doing so, she must face her own destiny as well. When Jasmine and Eryk are forced together to rescue and protect a young woman, each must overcome the barrier that protects, yet hinders any personal attachments. The safeguards must come down to combine their abilities and, when that happens, their attraction strengthens—beyond their control—until they can barely tell where one person stops and the other begins.
Can their hearts take the toll? Will they surrender to one another or risk a disaster to stay apart?
8. Who are some of your favorite authors?
That’s not fair. I have so many. After a day of writing, I can’t go to sleep without being transported away into another author’s world. I tend to read genres and definitely many subgenres of romance. At the moment, I am reading Nora Roberts, Sharon Sala, Ted Dekker, and Sherrilyn Kenyon. Did I mention that I am always reading more than one book at a time? My husband is constantly warning me that someday my bedside table will give up the ghost and crumble from the weight of all the books.
9. Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style? 
Unfortunately, no. I admire so many authors’ styles and, since I am still developing mine, I don’t want to embarrass those great writers by implying my style is anywhere near as good as theirs. My writing is definitely character driven, so my style varies by the characters that are in charge at the moment. I enjoy that. It keeps things fresh.
10. What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
In about a week, Susan Mallery’s new book, Barefoot Season, comes out. I also want to read The Help, which I haven’t yet.
11. Is there anything else you would like to add?
I want to thank you for having me. There are many authors out there and you give readers a chance to get to know us a little better. I also wanted to thank you for reviewing The Shoppe of Spells on March 11, 2012 (click here to read review) . It is always wonderful to have a reviewer recommend your book.
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Interview & Giveaway with Inara Scott

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have the very sweet Inara Scott on the blog today.  Please make my fellow Oregonian welcome… 

Q1)  Can you please share with us a little about yourself 
Inara:  Let’s see…I was born in Buffalo NY, and as a result spent most of my childhood complaining about being cold. I headed south for college and never went back. Now, I live in Oregon with my husband, two kids, and obscenely cute little white dog Rosco. I have a master’s degree in recreation (bet you didn’t know they give a master’s for that!) and traveled around after college leading outdoor and wilderness trips. From there, I went to law school, and practiced as an energy lawyer for almost ten years before I quit my full time job to focus on my writing. Now, besides writing I juggle a lot of different jobs—I still lawyer part time, but I also travel, teach writing, do school visits, and work on a really cool student art anthology.
Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?
Inara:  I have always loved to write, but I never thought I’d actually do it for a career. I’m frighteningly practical, and it never occurred to me to try to pay the bills with something fun like writing! But yes, I wrote my first full-length novel when I was in ninth grade, and my mom recently discovered something I wrote when I was six saying I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. So I think it’s safe to say that this has been a dream of mine for a long, long time.
Q3)  Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
Inara:  I usually write best early in the morning, with a cup of coffee by my side. By noon, I’m pretty much done. It’s funny—whether I have 3 hours or 6 hours for writing, I seem to accomplish the same amount. I guess there’s only so many creative thoughts in my brain each day! I try to use my down-time to send email, do social media stuff, or catch up on my reading.
Q4)  Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
Inara:  Ah, I find writing the new stuff to be the most challenging. Sometimes I feel like I’m fighting for every word. But I adore revising. There’s nothing more fun than reworking and polishing. It’s like eating the frosting off the cake. The most rewarding thing is having an impact on readers. I’ve had reader mail that made me cry. Stories are powerful things, and I can’t imagine anything more rewarding that knowing your stories touched someone’s heart.
Q5)  Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Inara: How about a blurb? Those always seem to tell the story better than I can!
Rules of Negotiation
She made all the rules…
After juggling the demands of her career and the stress of caring for her ailing mother, high-powered corporate attorney Tori Anderson doesn’t have time for relationships—but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to feel like a woman. When Brit Bencher, NYC’s most eligible bachelor, offers a no-strings attached fling, it sounds like exactly what she needs. But what will she do when her Brit decides he won’t take “one night stand” for an answer?
…until he started breaking them.
Brit Bencher will do anything to take care of his family, even seduce Tori Anderson in the hopes of getting her to reveal confidential information about one of her clients. But for the first time in his life, he finds he’s falling for a woman. When Tori uncovers his lies, will he lose his chance with her forever?
Q6)  How did you come with the idea for this story?
Inara:  This story was definitely a “what if “that was inspired by my own career in the law. I can be a bit of a workaholic, and I often wondered what would have happened to me if I hadn’t met my husband long before law school. I think I probably would have buried myself in my work and not gotten out much! And I think I would have been very lonely, and still wondering when my prince would come.
Okay, all that, and I love the “meet a gorgeous CEO at a business meeting, have a crazy one-night stand and fall in love” fantasy! I mean, who doesn’t, right? J 
Q7)  Can you share with us your current work in progress?
Inara:  Not really, mostly because I’ve got too many going on! I’m currently working on a new book in my Handmaid Seduction series, a new YA that I’m really excited about, and plotting out a new contemporary romance series. My worst problem right now is focusing on one project long enough to finish it!
Q8)  Who are some of your favorite authors?
Inara:  I absolutely adore Jenny Cruise, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Julie James, Susan Sey, and Victoria Dahl.
Q9)  Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
Inara:  Probably not inspired my style, because they’re too amazing to compare myself to, but I think reading Julie James made me believe that people might actually enjoy a lawyer romance!
Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Inara:  New books by all of these authors!
Q11)  Is there anything else you would like to add?
Inara:  Thanks so much for taking the time to interview me! Now I’m always on the hunt for new authors to read, so leave me a comment with your favorite contemporary romance author, and I’ll give away a copy of Rule of Negotiation to one commenter!
Inara loves to hear from readers; you can find her on Twitter (@inarascott) or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/inarawrites) far more than is healthy. For email contact information, event schedules, her blog, and much more, check out www.inarascott.com. 

RULES OF NEGOTIATION is available now:
Get your copy at Amazon & Barnes & Noble!
About Inara Scott
Inara Scott is a writer, lawyer, teacher, mother, and coffee-addict currently growing mold in the beautiful (but rainy) Pacific Northwest. Inara also writes for teens in her paranormal young adult series The Talents. Inara firmly believes in magic and fairy tales, and doesn’t think happily ever after is the least bit unrealistic.



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Interview & Giveaway with Sophie Oak

Books-n-Kisses is excited to have Sophie Oak on the blog today to talk about her new release Pure Bliss.   


Q1)  Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Sophie:  I live in Texas. I started writing very young, but I worked in journalism and theater. My first play was produced when I was 17. I’ve had full productions in both the US and Canada. I’ve also worked in comic books. I have 3 kids who range from 17 to 3 years old. My husband is a full time stay at home dad. I have a rescue dog who firmly believes she’s a cat.
Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?
Sophie:  Not at all. I wanted to be a marine biologist for a really long time. I loved dolphins and whales. Then I got my first real look at a shark and decided writing was really a better career for me.
Q3)  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Sophie:  I grew up reading a lot of the classics, but I loved genre fiction. I still do. I love romance and science fiction and thrillers. If I can get a combo, I’m in heaven. In romance I love Jayne Ann Krentz, Linda Howard, Shayla Black. I also have mad love for Steve Berry and James Rollins. I just finished reading The Hunger Games and loved that one, too. Oddly though if I had to say who really influenced me it would be a TV writer. I love the rhythm of Joss Whedon’s stories. I think I picked up an enormous amount of my own style from him.
Q4)  How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
Sophie:  I write erotic romance, but that’s just a label to put on it so the reader knows it’s got a lot of graphic sex. Under the heading of erotic romance, I’ve written romantic suspense, small town contemporary and fantasy. I love suspense. There’s an element of it in everything I write. I’ve got a six book Urban Fantasy series that I haven’t even tried to sell yet. It’s less erotic though there’s an element of that in there. I started writing erotic romance because I loved to read it.
Q5)  What are some of your writing rituals?
Sophie:  I have a very regimented schedule. I work best in short bursts so I literally split up my day in 45 minute to hour long bursts. I tend to write for an hours or so and then I’ll walk or exercise and then back to writing. I’ll work like that all day. My favorite thing to do is sprint with my writer friends. The competition really gets me going. Then if I can get my daily word count (approx5K) in, I get a glass of wine on the balcony before dinner.
Q6)  Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Sophie:  My latest is called Pure Bliss. It’s the sixth book in my Nights in Bliss, Colorado series. James Glen has shown up in all of the previous Bliss books. He’s a rancher. Hope McLean showed up in book 3. She’s always been kind of a quiet character, but you find out she’s hiding a really big secret that’s caught up with her after ten years. Throw in James’s long lost brother, Noah, and it’s a Bliss free for all.
Q7)  How did you come with the idea for this story?
Sophie:  I knew I was going to write a James/Hope story. Noah came in later. This book is really about Hope and what she went through, her redemption. She seems deeply quiet and retiring, but she has a very dark past. She’s riddled with guilt. I often “find” a character through listening to a song. The song that really opened up Hope to me is a Florence + the Machine song called “Shake it Out.” There’s a great line in there – “It’s hard to dance with a devil on your back, so shake him off.” That’s what Hope goes through in this book. She finally deals with her demons.
Q8)  Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
Sophie:  I’m waiting on the edits to Texas Sirens 6, Siren in Bloom. And I’m starting to write Beauty: A Faery Story.
Q9)  What would you be if you were not an author?
Sophia:  Really bored. And unemployed. I’m not good at anything else.
Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Sophie:  I just finished the first book in The Hunger Games trilogy. I’m going to read all three. I can’t wait for Cherise Sinclair’s next book. And I’m waiting on Triple Dog Dare from Tymber Dalton.
Q11)  Is there anything else you would like to add?
Sophie:  Thanks so much for having me here today! If anyone has a question or wants to know more, please look me up at www.sophieoak.com.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sophie-Oak/120829387962141
I’m @authorsophieoak on Twitter

Giveaway time:  
Sophie is giving away an e-copy of anything from her backlist.  To enter fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  Winner will get to choose which book. But if you want to see what Sophie has on her shelf check out her website book list 


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Interview & Giveaway with Faye Roberts

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Faye Roberts to the blog today to talk about her new book Kiss and Make Up.  

Welcome Faye.

Faye: Hi there! Thank you so much for having me on your blog today!

Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Faye: Of course. I write for Entangled Publishing under the name Faye Robertson and for Samhain, Noble Romance and Lyrical Press as Serenity Woods. Kiss and Make Up is the second book I’ve had with Entangled Publishing. The first was a Christmas novella called Holly’s First Noel. I work full time at the moment as a PA to four deputy principals at a high school, and I’m married with a teenage son.

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Faye: Oh yes, since I was eight! I wrote a story at school based on the sci-fi series Blake’s Seven. I remember telling everyone on my table that they had to have a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter. Mine was “They looked at each other.” It sounded more climactic to me then than it does now!

Q3) Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
Faye: Chocolate and wine helps! My main writing time is between 6pm and 7.30pm ish. I sneak other moments whenever I can. It’s the only time I get at the computer as I work full time, so I have to cram editing, rewriting, new writing and social networking into that time. I’ve learned to type very quickly!

Q4) Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
Faye:  Most challenging is definitely the edits – they can be so, so hard. But I learn heaps every time my writing comes back scrawled with red ink! Most rewarding is when someone produces a cover based on my story – I cried when I got the first one, and I love that moment when they turn up through the email. Such fun!

Q5) Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Faye: Kiss and Make Up is one of the four launch books for Entangled’s new Indulgence category romance line. And I’m so excited to be a part of it! It’s about Tabby, a makeup artist, who falls in love with Eli Black, a stuntman, and it’s set in Wellington, New Zealand.

Q6) How did you come with the idea for this story?
Faye: I came up with the idea for Kiss and Make Up while watching the extra features on Lord of the Rings. And Eli is based on Craig Parker, who plays Haldir.

Q7)  Can you share with us your current work in progress?
Faye: Yes, I’m writing another Indulgence based on the marriage of convenience trope, with a twist. The hero owns a chain of hotels, and the heroine runs the crèche in one of them. It’s going really well so far, so fingers crossed!

Q8)  Who are some of your favorite authors?
Faye:  All of the other Indulgence authors! LOL! And I love reading my writing friend’s work, Ruthie Knox. She’s so funny and witty – her Ride With Me is a must buy if you haven’t read it. Generally though, I like anything from courtroom dramas by writers such as John Grisham to thrillers such as those by Nicci French to historicals like Barbara Erskine’s.

Q9)  Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style? 
Faye:  I learn something from every writer I read – even if it’s how not to write! But seriously, sometimes I learn new ways to describe scenery or even love scenes. I loved Laura Kaye’s North of Need for example – her love scenes are fantastic, as are all of Maya Banks’.

Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Faye: I’m working my way through the other Indulgences, and there are more coming out this month! Including the wonderful Annie Seaton’s – I’ve read hers in manuscript form and it’s fab, but I’m looking forward to buying it and reading it again!

Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Faye:  Just a huge thank you for having me here! You can find out more about me here: 
Website: http://www.fayerobertsonromance.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/serenitywoodsromance
Twitter: @FayeRobertsonNZ
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/fayerobertson
And if anyone would like to win a copy of Kiss and Make Up, please answer me this question – what would be the one item of makeup you couldn’t live without? Most of my heroines use lipbalm, and I couldn’t live without it either! What’s yours?

Kiss and Make Up
A fling of a lifetime…
With only a month left of filming on location in New Zealand, the last thing stuntman Eli Black is looking for is a relationship. He made a promise to his brother before he died that his next stop would be Hollywood. But Eli’s will is put to the test when he meets the sexy new makeup artist, Tabby.
Tabby Rogers is heading off to London to a prestigious makeup artist school, and after her ex ruined her previous plans to attend, she’s determined that nothing will stand in her way again. But a steamy, no-strings-attached affair with gorgeous Eli is too tempting to pass up.
The sparks burn hotter than imaginable, but as responsibilities pull at them from opposite ends of the globe, it quickly becomes clear that something’s got to give. Must Tabby sacrifice her hard-won career for love? Or will Eli forever be the one who got away?


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Interview with Orpheus & Skyla from Elisabeth Naugthon’s Enraptured (& giveaway)

Kelly: “HI Orpheus & Skyla, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses.  Thank you so much for agreeing to sit down and answer a few questions.”
Orpheus: Crosses his arms over his chest and leans back in his seat. “Don’t thank me. I’m not here by choice.”
Skyla: Shooting Orpheus a look. “Hush up and be nice. You can put up with a few moments of pain for a lifetime of pleasure.”
Orpheus: Leaning toward Skyla with a sly smile. “What kind of pleasure do you have in mind, Siren?”
Skyla: Rolls her eyes. “You’re impossible.”
Orpheus: “Yeah, but that’s why you love me.”

Kelly:  Clears her throat. “Um, I hate to interrupt but we’re on a little bit of a time limit here. Can we get started?”
Orpheus: Frowning. “Fine by me. Sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can get the hell out of here.”
Skyla: Smiling Kelly’s way. “Ignore him. He’s in a mood. Gryphon had a bad day.”

Kelly:  “Oh, no. That was one of my questions. How’s he doing?”
Orpheus: Clenches his jaw and looks away.
Skyla: “It’s a touchy subject. He has good days and bad days.”
Kelly: “I can only imagine.”
Orpheus: “I can hear you both, you know.”
Skyla: Looking his way. “I know, demon. You hear everything.”
Orpheus: Snorts.
Skyla: Glancing back at Kelly. “Maybe we should change the subject.”
Orpheus: “Good idea.”
Kelly: Chuckles and grins at Skyla.  “You definitely have your hands full with that one.”
SKyla: Shaking her head. “You have no idea.”

Kelly: “Okay, question one. This is for ‘O’. Can you tell us your first impression of Skyla?
Orpheus: Glances Skyla’s way and studies her with heated eyes.
Skyla: “Uh oh. I know that look.”
Orpheus: Grinning. “This is my question, Siren. Not yours.” Looks to Kelly. “Very first impression in that concert crowd? Hot as sin. Second impression when she tried to kill me with her freakin’ arrow? Balls of steel.”
Skyla: Looking pleased. “I can live with hot balls of steel.”
Orpheus: Chuckling. “Wait ‘til I get you home, Siren.”

Kelly: Clearing her throat again. Question two:  Skyla, same questions.  First impression of Orpheus?
Skyla: Turning Orpheus’s assessing look back on him. “Dangerous. Good thing I have a bad boy fetish.”
Orpheus: Looking shocked. “You never told me that.”
Skyla: Rolls her eyes. “I’m with you, aren’t I, demon?”
Orpheus: “Yeah, you are. Don’t forget it, gorgeous.”

Kelly: Question three: You two make a really good team, well once you got over the ‘I don’t need anyone part.’  How do each of you feel about having someone in your corner?
Skyla: “Oh, he totally needs me more than I need him.”
Orpheus: Snorts. “Yeah, right. She lies. She was trained by the gods. That tells you a lot right there.”
Skyla: Grinning. “You know you can’t live without me, demon.”
Orpheus: “I’m not arguing that. See what I have to put up with?”

Kelly: Laughing. “Okay, okay. So not a whole lot has changed. Moving on to question four. Can you tell us a little about your latest adventure?”
Skyla: Shoots Orpheus a look before turning to Kelly. “What adventure? Mr. Argonaut over there doesn’t think I’m used to my new body yet.”
Orpheus: “You’re not. Your reflexes are still slow. You’re not going out on any adventures until you’re back to one hundred percent. And don’t call me an Argonaut.”
Skyla: “I can take you down anytime, demon.”
Orpheus: Grinning. “I don’t doubt that, Siren. And I’m ready, any time, any place. You just say when.”
Skyla: Exasperated. “Sometimes I wonder what the hell I got myself into.”

Kelly: Grinning again. “Question five.  Skyla, can you tell us a little something about ‘O’ that he wouldn’t share about himself?”
Skyla: “He hates old people and dogs.”
Orpheus: “Okay, that’s just not true at all.”
Skyla: “Correction. He used to eat old people and dogs.”
Orpheus: Rolling his eyes. “I give up.”

Kelly: Trying hard not to laugh. Question six. ‘O’, can you tell us a little something about Skyla that she wouldn’t share about herself?
Orpheus: “You bet. She snores.”
Skyla: “I do not.”
Orpheus: “LOUD. Like a chainsaw. Why do you think our room is in the tallest tower at the colony? Because she’d scare the crap out of the colonists if they heard her.”
Skyla: Crosses her arms over her chest and shakes her head.

Kelly: Question seven. How do you feel about Elisabeth telling your story?
Skyla: “She did a pretty good job.”
Orpheus: “She did a great job. I got a lot of sex.”
Skyla: “It always comes down to sex with you, doesn’t it?”
Orpheus: “Pretty much. I’m a guy.”

Kelly: Question eight. Do you think that she kept it true to the real story or did she fluff it or exaggerate it at all?
Orpheus: “Well, if we’re talking fluffers—”
Skyla: “Oh, good gods. Do not go there.”
Orpheus: Looking pleased and chuckling.
Skyla: “She stayed true to the story.”
Orpheus: “Personally, I could have done without the hell part.”
Skyla: “Yeah, me too. That sucked.”

Kelly: Question nine. Did Elisabeth leave out any parts you really, really, really wanted in?  Maybe more roof top scenes?
Orpheus: Grinning. “Yeah, another rooftop scene would have been great. Especially the snow part.”
Skyla: “Ignore him. I wish she would have let me take a crack at Athena.”
Orpheus: Sobering. “Don’t worry, Siren. Her day will come.”
Skyla: Looking his way with tender eyes. “And this is why I love you, demon.”

Kelly: Senses their focus is waning as they stare at each other like she’s not even in the room. “Question ten. ‘O’ have you finally come to the realization that you really are one of the good guys?
Orpheus: “No.”
Skyla: Smiling. “He’ll never admit it.”

Kelly: “Question eleven.  So, what do you two see in your future?  Maybe babies?
Orpheus: Chokes and nearly falls out of his chair.
Skyla: Looks around the room with a nervous expression like she didn’t hear the question.

Kelly: Waits several minutes. Then smiles. “Okay, I guess that answers the baby question. Can either of you give us any hint about Gryphon’s story?”
Orpheus: “All I know is I don’t like it.”
Skyla: “It’s awesome. Trust me.”
Orpheus: Looking Skyla’s way. “You’ve turned into one of those sappy romantics.”
Skyla: Brushing her hand over Orpheus’s jaw. “All thanks to you, demon.”

Kelly: “‘O’ & Skyla, Thank you so very much for taking time out of your busy life to talk 
with me.  I wanted to let you know that I loved your story and look forward to reading more about you in the future. “
Orpheus: “Great. Are we done?
Kelly: Smiling. “Yes, we’re done.”
Orpheus. Grasps Skyla’s hand and pulls her from her chair. “Awesome. The Siren promised to take me down.”
Skyla: Grinning over her shoulder as he drags her out the door. “Ah, the things I put up with.”

Kelly:  *Stares after Orpheus and Skyla*:  I think that went well.     

Elisabeth has giving me an ARC of Enraptured to give away to one of my followers.  

Enraptured

Eternal Guardians, Book 4
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
April 3, 2012
ISBN-13: 9781402262128
ISBN-10: 1402262124
Read an Excerpt »
Order Here:
Amazon |Barnes & Noble | B-A-M | Borders | Chapters |IndieBound | Powell’s
ORPHEUS—To most he’s an enigma, a devil-may-care rogue who does whatever he pleases whenever he wants. Now this loose cannon is part of the Eternal Guardians­—elite warriors assigned to protect the human realm—whether he likes it or not.
Orpheus has just one goal: to rescue his brother from the Underworld. He’s not expecting a woman to get in the way. Especially not a Siren as gorgeous as Skyla. He has no idea she’s an assassin sent by Zeus to seduce, entrap, then ultimately destroy him.
Yet Skyla herself might have the most to lose. There’s a reason Orpheus feels so familiar to her, a reason why her body seems to crave him. Perhaps he’s not the man everyone thinks… The truth could reveal a deadly secret as old as the Eternal Guardians themselves.


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Interview with Casea Major


Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I am Casea Major writer of Erotic Romantic Comedy. I’ve been writing a little over a year and love it.

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
I think I have always wanted to write. I have not always wanted to be an author.

Q3) Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
I get up and take my kids to school. I come back and sit at my laptop. The only thing I have to have to start is electricity and internet access. Everything else is on an ‘as needed’ basis.

Q4) Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
Finishing a story. I am notorious for starting gung ho and never completing. I am always amazed and blessed when I can type “the end” because it’s so contrary to who I am. I’m not saying I don’t have a few unfinished stories – I do. But I have just as many finished ones and that’s a testament to how much I love what I do.

Q5) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
One Knight in Brooklyn is and Erotic Romantic Comedy with a little bit of fantasy time-travel.  It is a fun, fast-paced story with a lot of heart and some steamy lovemaking.

Q6) How did you come with the idea for this story?
Last summer I had finished my second full-length manuscript and had my first short story published. I was looking to write another shorty story but wasn’t sure which way to go. I saw a call for submissions on Facebook for Decadent’s new 1 night stand series. They were branching out into fantasy and paranormal. So the idea of Robin Hood came to me. But that seemed too serious. But then I wondered what would happen if the heroine expected Robin Hood but got Jersey Shore instead. How would she react? One Knight in Brooklyn was born.
What resulted was the funniest story I’ve ever written with two characters who have explosive chemistry. I am so proud of what they are able to accomplish in their short time and the genuine love and attraction they feel for each other.

Q7) Can you share with us your current work in progress?
My current WIP is something I’ve never written. In fact, it’s a brand new take on the genre. It’s a romance from the guy’s point of view. It’s like a paranormal Guys and Dolls meets Kindergarten Cop. I’m hoping it will live up to the hilarious scenes that are playing in my mind.

Q8) Who are some of your favorite authors?
My tastes in writing vary. I read a lot of YA and not as much romance oddly enough. Although I will say, my favorite authors are Lisa Kleypas, Karen Marie Moning, Suzanne Collins. They are class acts in writing and life.

Q9) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Lisa Kleypas’ new book comes out 2/28. I am very much looking forward to it. Also I am looking forward to seeing the Hunger Games on the big screen.

Q10) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Kelly – thank you so much for having me. I hope everyone checks out Robert and Marianne in One Knight in Brooklyn. It’s a fun romp.

Learn more about Casea here: 
Website / Facebook / Twitter
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Interview & Giveaway with Larry Sweazy

Books-n-Kisses is super pleased to welcome Larry Sweazy to the blog today to talk about his upcoming release The Devil’s Bones

Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself?  
Larry : I grew in Indiana in a blue collar environment; most of my family worked for the local GM factory at one time or another.  My grandmother loved working crosswords.  My mother read paperbacks.  And my uncle was a sportswriter.  I was surrounded by people who loved words.   I was a geeky kid who sucked at athletics, and lacked discipline.  I escaped into books, TV, and theater, where I found sanctuary, a community, and the joy of stepping outside of myself.  I learned how to create characters at a reasonably young age. 

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author? 
Larry: I probably flirted with the idea of being an actor for a little while in high school, but writing really caught hold in my late-teens, so I’d have to say yes, I’ve always wanted to be a writer.  Once I made that decision, I never wanted to be anything else.  I’ve been all in for a long time.

Q3) Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?   
Larry: I’m definitely a goal person now.  I write a thousand words a day, five days a week—on my novel in progress.  If I have articles, blogs, or short stories to write, that’s over and above my novel, so I don’t limit myself to a five day work week.  I’m also a freelance indexer (I write back of the book indexes for non-fiction books), and I share my day with those projects, too.  Really, my fingers just need to touch the keyboard every day.  Most of the time I have music on, one or both of my dogs, Rhodesian ridgebacks, are in the office snoozing, and a cup of coffee or tea is close by, but that’s about it.  I don’t have any other rituals other than sitting my butt in the chair, and going to work.

Q4) Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?  
Larry:  I love the physical and mental challenges of writing.  I don’t mind being alone, most of the time.  I like research.  I still enjoy reading, though it is different now than it was for me twenty, thirty years ago.  But the business annoys me sometimes.  Especially the last couple of years with the rise of ebooks, the fight with Amazon, the collapse of Borders.  The difficult task of getting a book into a reader’s hands seems to be getting more difficult.  It’s always been difficult.  But now a writer has to have a blog, get on Facebook, market themselves, and navigate a career while maintaining a high level of creativity.  The expectations from publishers seem higher, too.  I’ve always thought that getting published was the easy part (after collecting hundreds of rejection slips), and staying published is the hard part of being a writer.  It’s even truer today.  I would love to just write and leave the business worries aside, but sadly, I haven’t evolved to that level just yet.

Q5) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Larry: The Devil’s Bones (Five Star) is my debut mystery novel, and a departure from the Josiah Wolfe western novels I’ve been writing for a few years.  This novel set in modern-day Indiana, and the story revolves around the disappearance of young boy from a small town, and the repercussions, over the years, that follow.  It’s been described as “a gritty and hard-hitting mystery,” and I kind of like that, but I also think it’s as much a family drama as it is a mystery. 

Q6)  How did you come with the idea for this story? 
Larry: I first created the main character, Jordan McManus,  in 1993 for a short story I was working on.  That short story was never published, but the character wouldn’t let go.  I expanded that story into a novel that bounced around New York, and didn’t sell.  While it was being shopped, I wrote another novel with Jordan in it, hoping to write a series.  That novel didn’t sell, either, but became the seed for The Devil’s Bones, so almost twenty years after getting the idea for a small town murder mystery, here it is…

Q7)  Can you share with us your current work in progress?  
Larry:  I’m working on The Gila Wars, the sixth book in the Josiah Wolfe, Texas Rangers series published by Berkley.  It’s due April 1st, so I’m at the very end of the process.  I usually have an eight or nine month schedule for the westerns, and they’re 80,000 words, so I have to be pretty disciplined to hit the deadlines.  I’ve learned a lot writing this series.      

Q8)  Who are some of your favorite authors?
Larry:  Loren D. Estleman, George R. R. Martin, Joe R. Lansdale, Elmore Leonard, and a new author I recently discovered, Laini Taylor, come to mind. 

Q9)  Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
Larry:  Leonard’s style of dialogue has been an influence, and his drive to always be in the story and not pretty it up with too much description is an important lesson.  Estleman riffs on dialogue and description like a jazz artist, and Lansdale is a no holds barred kind of writer.  Anything goes.  Strap yourself and get ready for the ride.  I like that.   Taylor and Martin have vast, complicated imaginations, and I find their adventures all-consuming and intriguing.  All of these authors, and more, inspire to write on as big a palette as I can imagine. 

Q10) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for? 
Larry:  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Tyalor is one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while, and the sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight, comes out in September.  I really can’t wait to see what happens next…

Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add?   
Larry: Thanks for having me on your blog.  I’ll also be giving away a signed copy of The Devil’s Bones on 03/14/2012.  All your readers need to do is go to my blog, and leave a comment on TheDevil’s Bones contest post, and I’ll pick a winner from there.  
Click HERE

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Interview & Giveaway with TJ Michaels

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to have TJ Michaels back on the blog today.  So I will stop babbling and get to sharing TJ with you… 

Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I’m a West Coast girl with two grown kids and a kick ass day job in the technology sector. I can sing. I dance fairly well. I love German Shepherd dogs. Uh, what else? I’m goofy, love video games and take great pleasure in embarrassing my kids on occasion. It’s really special since they’re big now. Heh!

Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?
Nope. I’ve always wanted to be a business owner or run a school. Writing came as something later in life after reading some really good books and thinking, “I can do that!” And once I started I fell in love with it.

Q3) Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
I look forward to the day when I can write for a living, but for now I have to fit it into my day job and family time. My typical day starts with me walking into my office and working for my clients. Usually once I walk in, I don’t walk out until around 7pm or so. After that I’ll do dinner or hang out with my kids, then I’ll sit down to write. I’ll hit the sheets sometime between 11pm and 2am. That includes weekends. It’s a non-stop thing, but I enjoy it so it’s not a hardship. I do get tired though. And when I’m wiped out, I’ll veg.

Q4) Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most rewarding part of writing is when a reader sends a note asking for a new story in a series, or writes a review to say they love your writing. What’s tough is keeping your head in a place where you continue to love writing for writing’s sake.
Last year I had some major emergencies in my family, including the death of my father. I went from selling several books a year to my publishers to selling not a single new book. There were some changes at one of my pubs that meant I was shuffled around to my 4th or 5th editor and my new editor didn’t seem to care for my style. It was discouraging. I spent a lot of time worrying about promo and getting my sales up. Nothing was working. Add to that my demanding day and you’ve got a basic disaster.
My daughter looked at me and said, “I hope you get back to the place where you write because you love it.” It was a wake-up call and I had a decision to make. I seriously considered walking away. Then a story popped into my head, and here I am. Again *smile*.

Q5) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
I’m a History Channel nutball and I was watching a program one weekend. Honestly I wasn’t paying much attention to it, but then the narrator started talking about lost books of the bible and how some of them reference magic. And my ears perked up at full attention. And the idea for the story just started gelling together in my head. After some research and bugging the heck out of my critique partner, R.G. Alexander (who happens to have studied mythology and ancient cultures in school) I put it down on paper and Seals of Destiny was born.

The first book will be available in May/June. The title is Silk Road, and I’m absolutely thrilled about this book. It’s got angels, Fallen angels, Fallen demons, leprechauns (yes, I really mean leprechauns, though this one is a bit more edgy than the ones on the cereal box), along with some characters inspired by video games, places I’ve traveled with my day job and things like that.

Q6) Can you share with us your current work in progress?
It’s a post-apocalyptic paranormal romance. It’s a 3-book series (well, three books so far – could be more though because the world is huge) called Gathering of the Storms. The story is about a woman who is overdue to take a husband in the most technologically advanced society remaining on the planet. She’s a blademaster and heir to the councilship of her province. She’s a real badass, but very much a lady. A spitfire that bucks what has come to be tradition, yet at the same time she also follows orders as the second-highest ranking officer in the military, second only to her father. A complex woman…who ends up with a warlord husband. Funny thing is she’s known him all her life and his idea of a good time is the same as hers – fighting. And therein lies the problem *grin*
Q7) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Goodness, that’s a tough one. There are quite a few, but my short list is Lauren Dane, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, Alyssa Day, Sylvia Day, Larissa Ione, Cynthia Eden, Lora Leigh and Shayla Black. Many of them write, or used to write, for the same publishers as me. Lauren, Sylvia and Shayla were particularly, and continue to be, nice to me and extremely supportive. Angela Knight and Jaid Black were authors I read right before I first got published and their writing was a punch in the gut, creatively speaking. It got me to write “out of the box”.

Q8) Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
Not really. Style and voice are pretty unique to the author. But they have definitely inspired me to hang in there with this writing thing and to write what I love no matter what anyone says.

Q9) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Lothaire by Kresley Cole is on my absolutely “Can’t Wait to Read” list. Just waiting for the ebook price to come down a little *tj praying hard for the ebook gods to cooperate*

Q10) Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’m attending the Authors After Dark readers and writers convention in New Orleans this year and in celebration I’m hosting a HUGE contest called ZART – Zombie Apocalypse Response Team. We’re giving away a book a week from some of the coolest authors from now until the convention. The first survival kit item is up for grabs starting today. For those of your readers who enter my contest, mention that they saw it here along with the comment number, and I’ll enter them TWICE for the grand prizes!
For deets visit http://www.tjmichaels.com/zart-baby 

So to enter for a chance to win your Zombie Apocalypse survival kit.   Stop by TJ’s blog here——>>>>>http://www.tjmichaels.com/zart-baby  .  Enter, Make sure you tell her that you saw the ZART button at Books-n-Kisses and get and extra entry.  
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Interview with Camryn Rhys

Books-n-Kisses is pleased as punch to welcome back Camryn Rhys to the blog.



Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I’m a sports fan, so this book was a lot of fun for me. I got to research it, at first, by going to Madison Square Garden, so how bad can that be? Plus, if you read the book, there’s… um… lots of research to do.
 
Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Pretty much. I’ve always done a lot of things, but I’ve been writing from my early years. My very first “career” day, I wanted to be a romance author. Imagine that!
 
Q3) What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I almost always start writing without knowing what’s going to happen. I like to let my characters direct what happens, but that’s unpredictable, and sometimes unsafe. They get me into lots of trouble. 🙂
 
Q4) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Every Time I Think of You is a contemporary erotic romance, the story of a girl with a fantasy. She’s had fantasies before, and they haven’t worked out so well. So she’s hoping that this time, her fantasy will survive the test.
 
Q5) How did you come with the idea for this story?
Honestly, I wrote the first scene and just went from there. It sort of wrote itself after that.
 
Q6) Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I’m currently editing my next release, a Steampunk Paranormal erotic romance novel for Ellora’s Cave. It’s the story of a woman who’s on the front lines of Victorian Europe’s war on magic. She falls for a lone alpha werewolf with a messiah complex. Hilarity and much sexxors ensue, and voila! You’ve got an Airship Seduction. 🙂
 
Q7) Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
I’ve always wanted to meet Diana Gabaldon. She was at RWA last year, but her booksigning line made the lines at Disney look abandoned. Between her and Julie Garwood (who I’d also like to meet), they’re the reason I got into romance in the first place. I would love to meet them someday.
 
Q8) What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Write. Honestly, too many people want to write and never finish a book. Can’t publish something that’s not done.
 
Q9) Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
I’ve always wanted to travel to Lisbon. I had a friend once tell me that city reminded him of me, and somewhere I would enjoy, so I’ve always thought I would go there and see if I could find myself there.
 
Q10) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I don’t have anything right now that’s calling my name. I think once I get through these edits, I’ll have some time to get back into what I really want to read.
 
Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks so much for having me! Love Books’n’Kisses. 🙂 Thanks for having me back.
 
Facebook: @CamrynRhys
Twitter: @camrynrhys
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Interview & Giveaway with Jaci Burton

Books-n-Kisses is so excited to have the wonderful Jaci Burton on the blog today.  We are talking about her upcoming release Taking a Shot.  If you love hot, sweaty sport stars, you will fall in love with Jaci’s Play-by –Play series. 

1.    Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Jaci: I’m an author of over 50 books, living in the wilds of Oklahoma with my husband and our dogs. I’ve been writing romance for ten years now, and love every day I get to roll out of bed in my pajamas, stumble to the coffee pot and start my day in my slippers and with bad hair. It’s a dream come true!
2.    Have you always wanted to be an author?      
Jaci: Not always. I wanted to be a teacher, then a nurse, but those were dreams that never quite made it to fruition. I ended up spending many years in corporate health care management while also juggling raising my kids. But I always loved to write, and dabbled here and there with nothing to show for it. It wasn’t until I divorced and married my totally awesome husband, who encouraged me to take my dreams of writing seriously, that it became the full time career I love so much now.
book 1
3.    Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Jaci: Oh, I have so many favorite authors—Nora Roberts, Jill Shalvis, Maya Banks, Julie James, Shannon Stacey, just to name a few. But I’d have to say I was heavily influenced by the historical writers of the 70’s and 80’s who fostered my love of reading—Kathleen Woodiwiss, Rosemary Rogers, Johanna Lindsay, Elizabeth Lowell, and Jude Deveraux, who taught me what romances were all about. Without them I’d have never fallen in love with romances, and would have never wanted to write them.
4.    How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
Jaci: When I first started writing, I released books in a multitude of genres, from contemporary to suspense to fantasy and paranormals, but always came back to contemporary romances, because it’s the genre I love to read the most. And while on occasion I will read in other genres, I plan to stick with writing contemporaries, because it’s the genre I’m the happiest writing.
book 2
5.    What are some of your writing rituals?
Jaci: I don’t really have any set rituals. I try to hit a certain word count per day, but sometimes life and other things get in the way and it doesn’t always work out. I generally fly by the seat of my pants, and as long as the book gets done on time, I’m happy.
6.    Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Jaci: Taking A Shot is my current release, and is the third book in my Play-by-Play sports series. It’s about hot sports players and the women they love. Taking A Shot is about Ty Anderson, hockey player for the fictional ST Louis Ice, and Jenna Riley, owner of Riley’s sports bar. Jenna wants nothing to do with sports players since her family is all about sports. But Ty’s determined to show her that they belong together, and his job shouldn’t matter.
7.    How did you come with the idea for this story?
book 3
Jaci: I had an idea to do a series about professional sports players, and thought it might be fun to make the books family-centric. So the Riley family was born, with Mick the football player in the first book, The Perfect Play, Gavin the baseball player in the second book, Changing The Game, and though Jenna doesn’t play professional sports, she runs the family sports bar and meets up with Ty the hockey player in Taking A Shot. We extend the Riley family with Cole, a Riley cousin, in Book 4, Playing to Win, which will release in September.
8.    Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
Jaci: Right now I’m working on Book 5 of the Play-by-Play series, Thrown By A Curve, which is a baseball story and features Cole’s sister, Alicia.
9.    What would you be if you were not an author?
Jaci: Uh….I have no idea. I’d probably still be in corporate life, bored and dissatisfied. 😉
10. What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Jaci: Right now I have an ARC of Julie James upcoming book, About That Night. Lucky me!
11.  Is there anything else you would like to add?
book 4
Jaci: I’m most appreciative of this interview, and I want to thank everyone who has read and loved my Play-by-Play series!
I’d also like to offer up a copy of The Perfect Play, Book 1 in my Play by Play series, or Changing The Game, Book 2 in the Play by Play series. The winner can decide which book they’d like to receiver, and the book can be in either print or Kindle or Nook format, winner’s choice!
Website: http://www.jaciburton.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJaciBurton
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jaciburton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jaciburton

GIVEAWAY TIME….. 
For a chance to win The Perfect Play or Changing the Game please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. 


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