Category: Interviews

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Interview & Giveaway with Heaven Leigh Eldeen


Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Heaven Leigh Eldeen to the blog today.  We are looking forward to learning a little more about Heaven and her book The Demon Side. 
Heaven: Check… one… two. Is this thing on? Good day everyone! Thank you for checking out Books-n-Kisses today. It is an amazing blog and not only because they have me on it. He-he. I am beyond excited to be here, sharing a bit about myself and my novel, The Demon Side, with you all.

Q1) Please tell us a little about yourself
Heaven: I currently live in California, where I grew up, with my husband and prince of darkness and Legos, (a.k.a. my son). I enjoy moonlit walks on the beach…oh, wait, wrong questionnaire. As you can see, I am a serious goofball. Yeah, figure that oxymoron out. Aside from writing, I spend my days doing dishes, kissing owies, obsessing over my Facebook page, and pretending I’m listening when my husband talks about his work. I’m getting really good at that.

Q2)  Tell us a typical writing day for you
Heaven: A typical writing day for me is chaotic. Between stomping out dirty dishes, clobbering imaginary monsters in my son’s closet and repeatedly running over the same piece of string for ten minutes, with my vacuum, I am able to get some writing done. When I do have a day with no domestic chores, you’ll find me at my computer, IPod on full blast, typing away. Luckily enough, I have the Workwave program to remind me when to take breaks and stretch or I’d never get up from my chair.

Q3) Have you always wanted to be an author or what made you become an author?
Heaven: My writing career began with a rivalry between my sister-in-law Echo and myself. For years we would go fist to cuffs until we took a survey of the collateral damages our feuds caused. In an effort to put an end to the squabbling, she gave me a vampire book for my birthday. It was far from the genre I enjoyed reading, but I had to give it a chance, in the name of peace. A few months and fifteen vampire books later, I expressed to her I wanted something new. She responded with a snippy “Oh, you think you can do better?” Her reply was intended to be a shot at me but I took it as a challenge. Four months later, my first novel was complete and the love for writing had made its home deep within me. 
 
Q4) Tell us a little about your book The Demon Side
Heaven: My novel The Demon Side revolves around Rahovart, a Demon banished to Earth over five hundred years ago. For centuries, he spends his free time feeding himself on the fear he creates by scaring Quantico, Virginia locals. A master of his craft, Rahovart doesn’t think twice when a new family, the Divad’s, move into the Victorian home he dwells in.
With a workaholic father, an alcoholic step-mother and a schizophrenic eighteen year old girl, the dysfunctional family unknowingly offers the perfect arsenal for Rahovart to plan his tricks. That is until he learns their daughter; Etta can not only see Demons but is already being tormented by Alastor, an incubus. What starts as a turf war between him, Alastor and the Arch Angels, soon becomes a battle deep within Rahovart of good versus evil and more importantly love versus hate.

Q5) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Heaven: My husband is such a fan of B- scary movies. He forces me to watch cheesy tale after tale about everything from sea creatures to demons. Aside from horrible acting and low budget effects, I hate watching them, due to the fact I am easily scared. All it takes is the mention of ghosts, and I’m running, full speed, through the house, flipping on every light and making my husband escort me to the restroom.
Tired of his laughter and jokes about my fear of the unseen, I created a defensive mechanism in my head. Every time he turns on a flick of horror, I start punching holes in the storyline. Yes, I am the girl that yells at the television.
Short story longer, one evening we were watching, yet another, scary movie about a demon haunting a house. Oh, it scared the poo out of me. To keep from running out of the house, completely terrified, I tried to identify with the demon.
Asking myself a million and one questions, such as, why would he want to torture people? Why is he even there? Does he feel anything toward these people? I wanted to hear it from him. Next thing I know, I’m at my computer typing away trying to answer all the questions in my head.

Q6)  What is your current work in progress?
Heaven: If you ask my husband, way too many. I am currently working on six other novels, including the second book in The Demon Side trilogy. In book two, The Human Side, told from Etta’s perspective, we find our main characters, Ra, Etta, John and Rene, trying to pick up the pieces of their lives, while dealing with new happenings. Once again, good versus evil will collide around Etta, but our hero may just surprise you.

Q7) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Heaven: I have so many! Asking me to choose just some is like asking me my favorite color of M&M’s. Impossible. But, for you I can try. I read mostly true crime novels but dabble in a few other genres as well. If I narrowed the list down, I would have to say my favorites have to be Ann Rule, Harold Schechter, Katie Harper, Benjamin Russell, Tina Folsom, Ciar Cullen, Richelle Mead and Kelley Armstrong. I can go on and on, but I doubt you want me taking up that much time.

Q8) Have to ask because I am nosey.  That is in your to be read pile that you are dying to read next?
Heaven: I’ll tell you if you promise not to laugh. I am really excited about reading Destined by P.C. and Kirsten Cast. I know, I know. It’s a vampire book, but I already have the other nine books in the series and I am a bit of a House of the Night fanatic. Now if only they would make those novels into movies, I’d be one happy camper!

Q9) Is there anything else you would to add?
Heaven: Add? No one said math was involved in this interview. Crap.

Books-n-Kisses:  BWAHAHAA…  Heaven, thank you for taking the time to stop by the blog today to chat about yourself and your books. 
Heaven: Thank you so very much to you and your readers for having me. It has been such a pleasure. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. The Demon Side is now available in most E-book formats, so be sure to get your copy today.
Also, you can always catch excerpts, character bios and interviews from The Demon Side series and my other works in progress, at the following links.  

If you want to learn more about Heaven.  Please check her out here: 
Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Myspace / Publisher

GIVEAWAY TIME!!! 
Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter to win an 
E-book of The Demon Side




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Interview with Casea Major


Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Casea Major to the blog today.  We are looking forward to learning a little more about Casea and her book One Knight in Brooklyn. 
Casea: Thank you. Thank you for having me today!
Q1) Please tell us a little about yourself

Casea: My pen name is Casea Major. Casea is pronounced Kay SEE. I have been writing romantic fiction for about a year.

Q2)  Tell us a typical writing day for you
Casea: I read, write or critique anywhere from 12-15 hours a day, 7 days a week. I’ve been known to write 10K in a day but my average is about 3000 words.

Q3) Have you always wanted to be an author or what made you become an author?
Casea: I have always been good with words but never realized I could write until a year ago. I read a book, which is one of my favorites but was dissatisfied with the ending. I didn’t feel like it explained enough. So I wrote a mini-chapter enhancing the ending of the story and posted it to a fan fiction site. The small mini chapter garnered the praise of the author and has become the best loved story for that series. Once I realized I could, I didn’t want to do anything else.

Q4) Tell us a little about your book One Knight in Brooklyn
Casea: My story One Knight in Brooklyn is the 42nd story in the popular multi-author 1Night Stand series from Decadent Publishing.  The 1-Night Stand series is based around Madame Eve’s high-end matchmaking service. With Madame Eve anything is possible. This series has something for everyone and I am proud to be counted with the talented authors in this group.

Q5) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Casea: One Knight in Brooklyn stemmed from the idea of a 1-night stand with Robin Hood. It’s a short erotic comedy romance with time travel and fantasy elements but with contemporary characters.
Most fairytales seem to be set during the Middle Ages.  That’s where you find the lion’s share of handsome princes or knights in shining armor, right?  That’s what Marianne, my heroine thinks, too.
But I wondered what would a modern day knight look like and where might we find one?  Could we even find one?  You’ll have to read the story for my take on the modern day KISA (Knight in shining armor)
My inspiration was to take an idealistic young woman and put her in a situation that, by all appearances looked like her fairytale fantasy come true.  Then I wanted to completely shatter her unrealistic ideas with a heavy dose of reality and see what would happen.  What ensues is a fun, zany adventure in Sherwood Forest that forces her to reevaluate her expectations.  It leads her to the conclusion that heroes come in all shapes and sizes and actions speak louder than words.
Q6)  What is your current work in progress?
Casea: I am currently writing a mainstream Young Adult story for NaNoWriMO titled Taylor Made Life. When I’m finished it will be self-published for under a not-for-profit in honor of a friend whose daughter is currently battling cancer.
Here is the blurb for A Taylor Made Life
Seventeen-year-old Taylor Smith’s biggest fear is dying a virgin. Unfortunately, if the terminally-ill leukemia patient doesn’t find a lover or a stem cell match within months, her fear will become reality.
Twenty-eight-year-old billionaire, Gavin Taylor has everything he ever wanted except a family or the time to make one. His non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is beyond the help of his riches, so he enlists the services of a celebrity matchmaker to find the perfect girl to wed and spend the remainder of his life with, however long. Little does the computer gaming whiz know the perfect girl is a teenager from Texas.
In a fight for their lives against the prejudice of conservatives, the stockholders of the company and cancer, Gavin and Taylor face their trials together.
And together their love holds the secret to conquering every foe.
Q7) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Casea: Alison Croggon, Kathleen Duey, Karen Marie Moning, Marsha Canham, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien

Q8) Have to ask because I am nosey.  That is in your to be read pile that you are dying to read next?
Casea: I am currently reading the second book Crossed in Ally Condie’s Dystopian YA Romance series Matched.

Q9) Is there anything else you would to add?
Casea: My first published story Pinocchio Syndrome is on sale for a limited time at Amazon and All Romance ebooks for .99. It is an irreverent and hilarious retelling of the classic Italian fairytale.
Wiseguy Chio Pino is assigned to protect the mob boss’ daughter, but she wants more than his protection. With her cleaver-wielding father on his ass, Chio’s problems are growing like his dick when he lies. Can he resist her advances, or will he lose his manhood?
Books-n-Kisses: Casea, thank you for taking the time to stop by the blog today to chat about yourself and your books. 
Casea: Thanks for having me. It’s been fun.


Want to learn more about Casea and her books?  Check her out here: 
Website / Facebook / Twitter
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Interview with Nina Croft

Books-n-Kisses is happy to welcome Nina Croft to the blog today.  We are looking forward to learning a little more about Nina and her book The Calling. 

Nina: Hi, I’m Nina croft and I write all sorts of romance – so books and kisses always go together for me – thanks for having me here today

Q1) Please tell us a little about yourself
Nina: I’m English, but I live in Spain, on an almond farm in the mountains between the Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean. I share the farm with my husband, a horse, two goats, three dogs a cat and some chickens. And I spend my time writing, reading, riding and picking the occasional almond.

Q2)  Tell us a typical writing day for you
Nina: I write pretty much full time or at least I’m supposed to write full time and some days I manage it. First thing when I get up, I walk the dogs and feed the animals. I then settle down for a few hours at the computer, (which is when the writing should happen, but I do have a tendency to play on the internet a little too much) interspersed with lots of coffee (usually cold by the time I remember to drink it) and maybe some breakfast. Lunchtime, I usually go for a ride on my horse Gencianna, to give myself a break from the computer, then after that it’s back to writing or editing. If I work at all in the evenings, I tend to do things like critting, or writing blogs.

Q3) Have you always wanted to be an author or what made you become an author?
Nina: No, I wouldn’t say I’ve always wanted to be an author – but I’ve always been a voracious reader, and I do think that’s a pre-requisite. I actually started to write when I was working as a volunteer in Africa. I lived in a remote village on the banks of Lake Kariba. We had no TV, no internet, and very few books. So I started writing as a way of entertaining myself.

Q4) Tell us a little about your book The Calling
Nina: The Calling is book two in my Laws of Segregation series. They are fantasy romance, mainly set on another world, with the occasional visit (usually unplanned ) to Earth. On the world of Arroway, witches have been persecuted for a thousand years. Now they are fighting back.

Blurb:
On the world of Arroway, witches have been persecuted for a thousand years, stripped of their magic at birth and kept as slaves by the Order of Warlocks.

Freya, a pleasure slave, fled from the Order while pregnant. Now she’s been recaptured, and to save her daughter and the world of Arroway, she must work with one of the hated warlocks while fighting her growing attraction for him.

From the first time she knelt before him, Jarrod was drawn to Freya. Twenty years ago, he would have given up everything to be with her, but she had run from him. Now, he has another chance. But can he risk destroying their world for a forbidden love that might never be returned?

Q5) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Nina: I love the idea of people being displaced, visiting new worlds, and new times, and how they cope with the challenges. In Chosen, the first book in the series, Shayla and Tallon, enemies in their own world, are transported to Earth and must work together in order to find a way home.

Q6)  What is your current work in progress?
Nina: I’m working on a couple of things. The first is book three in The Laws of Segregation series, called Enchantment, and the second, is book three in my Blood Hunter series – which are sci-fi/paranormal romances, set in a future where man has fled to the stars and discovered the secret of immortality.

Q7) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Nina: It varies, but at the moment, Laurell K Hamilton, Patricia Briggs, JR Ward, Jim Butcher…

Q8) Have to ask because I am nosey.  That is in your to be read pile that you are dying to read next?
Nina: Loads. But I’m on book two of George RR Martin’s: A Song of Fire and Ice – and I’d love to have a week just to read the whole series in one sitting. I don’t think it’s going to happen though.

Q9) Is there anything else you would to add?
Nina: Just thanks for having me! And if anyone would like a chance to win an ecopy of The Calling, leave a comment!

Books-n-Kisses: Nina, again huge thank you for stopping by the blog to day to chat about you and your books.  I hope the readers enjoyed. 
Buy link: http://www.breathlesspress.com/calling
Website: www.ninacroft.com
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Interview & Giveaway with Ava Riley

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome back Ava Riley to the blog today.   Welcome back Ava.
Ava Thank you Kelly so much for inviting me back to share with your followers.  I am honored to be here today with you all.

Q1) Can you each tell us a little about yourself
Ava: I am a woman who wears many hats: Wife, mother, full time student & author.  Although I am very busy, I try to get in as much family time as possible, as I have found that time flies by way too fast.  When I am not too busy, I also enjoy photography (thank God for the iPhone & all its wonderful photography apps). 

Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?
Ava: For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to see my writing in print.  I did go through a phase when I was younger, when I wanted to be a poet.  I was not very good at it J.

Q3) What are your writing rituals, anything you have to have while writing?
Ava: First and foremost, it must be completely quiet.  If I hear the smallest of noises, I am distracted.  I usually write very late at night after everyone has gone to sleep.  While I am writing, I must have my hair pulled up into a ponytail, no shoes on, and have a cup of coffee (sometimes I have several cups) LOL.

Q4) Tell us a little about your story The Beast Within, in the Indulgence Anthology
Ava: The Beast Within is actually my first try at paranormal romance and it is more in the erotic paranormal genre.  It is a story of a shifter (Siona) who lost her parents at a young age and then joins a carnival troupe to become an assistant to Alston the Magician.  Siona is actually the one that is the magic bearer and Alston is the mortal who the crowds think is brilliant.  After a quick moment of passion the Jaguar within her feels threaten and Alston’s life is in danger.

Q5) Can you share with my followers what the Indulgence anthology is?
Ava: This is an Anthology with 9 other Lazy Day Publishing authors that will be released Oct. 19th.  The anthology is a dark, steamy, and edgy erotica about a carnival troupe.  It is a Moulin Rouge meets Crique De Soleil meets paranormal.  Lots of hot, sexy naughtiness going on J.
Q6) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Ava: We were given some ideas as far as characters to choose from and I thought it would be fun to write about a Magician’s assistant who is actually the one who holds all the magic.  Once I figured out the characters, the rest just kind of fell into place.  Because it is a paranormal, I needed a “creature of the night,” and it only seemed fitting that the magician’s assistant would be a shapshifter.

Q7) What is your current work in progress?
Ava: I am working on a new series called Jackson Valley which is erotic cowboy style.  I also am working on a book called Coffee Shop Affair.  They are both works in the beginnings, but as I stated earlier, I am also a full time student so that has given me little writing time at least for the next month or so.

Q8)  Best piece of advice to share with budding authors?
Ava: I think my best advice would be to follow your heart and write what you want.  Too many authors write what they think others what them to write and it’s not from their hearts.  Stay true to yourself and your writing.  Also, as far as the business, don’t ever give up.  There are so many genres, so many points of view on the same kind of story, and so many different readers and you just have to push past any negativity and focus on the positive.

Q9) I love to know what authors are reading. So what have you recently read that you loved or what is an upcoming release that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
Ava: Well, I just read Girls Who Bite which is an anthology of Lesbian Vampire Erotica.  This is a genre I don’t usually read, but read it for reviewing purposes and I actually really enjoyed it.  I am looking forward to A Taste of Midnight by Lara Adrian.  The Midnight Breed Series is my all-time favorite and Lara is one of my favorite authors.

Q10) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Ava: Yes J.  I am one of 18 authors who have gotten together to raise money for a young man in the UK who has an inoperable brain tumor.  His name is Harry Mosley and he has recently slipped into a coma.  To read his story you can go to: http://www.helpharryhelpothers.com/.  An anthology called Author Moments was put together with advice and antidotes from authors just starting in the business to NYT Bestsellers.  The book is available at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/91305 and Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Author-Moments-ebook/dp/B005PHSOLK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317416115&sr=8-1 and ALL the proceeds go to fight cancer.

Books-n-Kisses: Ava, thank you for taking the time out of your busy scheduled to sit down and talk with me about your books. What do you say we give away a copy or two of Indulgence to a few commenters? (US ONLY)
Ava: That sounds wonderful to me.  How about they tell me what their favorite book of all times is (any genre).  I’m always looking to expand my library. 

Want to learn more about Ava?
Check out her website HERE
To enter fill out the Rafflecopter form below. (US ONLY)




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Interview with Saewod Tice


Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Young adults author Saewod Tice to the blog today.  We are looking forward to learning a little more about Saewod’s new book The Chronicles of 2020: Amongst the Ruins.

Saewod Tice lives in Central Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.  A self-proclaimed foul mouthed, book nerd who loves reading genres ranging from Young Adult to Horror to Erotica. 
To escape the structured, methodical confines of her day job, she delves into her overzealous imagination producing dystopian worlds and romances.  When not writing or spending time with her family, she embraces her Computer Geekdom through the internet. Including being a member of Writing.com, TextNovel writing forums, and RWC group

Q1) Can you each tell us a little about yourself
Saewod:  Living in Central Pennsylvania, I’m the wife of one, mother of two, and glorified spreadsheet maker for a Canadian sales team – .  My writing began as short stories, journals, and poetry.  After a stint writing fanfiction, I moved on to original works.

Q2)  How did you become an author?
Saewod: After much coaxing from my family and friends, I finally took the leap and submitted my young adult novel to Noble Romance Publishing’s new Young Adult division.  I was extremely lucky that the submissions editor fell in love with the story and the rest is history.

Q3) What are your writing rituals anything you have to have will writing?
Saewod: I don’t have any that are truly strict, but my IPod, post-it notes, and snacks are typically at my side.

Q4) Tell us a little about your book Amongst the Ruins
Saewod:  Amongst the Ruins is book one in The Chronicles of 2020 series.  It’s a dystopian book with action and romance.
In the year 2220, only about 15% of Earth’s population have survived and thrived after the Nuclear Disaster of 2020.

With the collapse of modern society, the population has regressed into eight clans.

Amongst these clans, an unusual girl grows from child to adult.

Raised on the run and in hiding, Shilo wants to be free of the expectations of women. But in a ruined world where anyone could be an enemy, only the radiation-twisted mutants are clearly identifiable. A fertile female is a precious treasure, and any lapse in caution can mean a loss of the freedom she longs for.

Training as hard as a soldier would, in order to free herself from social constraints, she finds herself faced with an offer from a new clan–an offer that provides her with what she desires. But her recently found independence brings discovery, and discovery brings two very different men from her past—and each of them is determined to claim her.

One is obsessed with owning her, the other desires her as the only person who can make him love again


Q5) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Saewod:  Believe it or not, from watching back to back episodes of ‘Life After People’ on the history channel with my then 8 year old daughter.

Q6) What is your current work in progress?
Saewod: Being plagued with multiple character personality, I have multiple works in progress.  However, I’ve been working on an adult novel titled ‘Vegas Follows You Home’.  It’s currently a finalist in the TextNovel writing contest and I’ve been trying to tighten up the chapters and rework the final chapters.

Q7)  Best piece of advice to share with budding authors?
Saewod:  Don’t fear the submission.  So far, in my experience- as little as it may seem- submission editors are pretty lenient when it comes to a new author.  Just follow those submission guidelines like it’s your bible.

Q8) I love to know what authors are reading. So what have you recently read that you loved of what is an upcoming release that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
Saewod: I do reviews on a website, so I have the advantage of reading amazing books so frequently it’s wonderful.  The two books I recently read which have stayed with me are Touch by Jus Accardo – a fabulous young adult book; and Where The Rain Is Made by Keta Diablo – a great time travel historical romance.
As for upcoming releases, I am salivating to get my hands on the third book in the 50 Shades of Grey Series by EL James.
Currently, I’m reading Once A Witch by Carolyn Maccullough & Valiant by Laurann Dohner.

Q9) Is there anything else you would to add?
Saewod: Keep your eye out for book two in The Chronicles series as well as for my upcoming release- Live In Position coming from 48fourteen publishing (adult romance).

Books-n-Kisses: Saewod, thank you for taking the time out of your busy scheduled to sit down and talk with me about your books.
Saewod: Thank you so much for having me today.  I’ve really enjoyed speaking with you and your blog readers.

Come talk with me:
Blogging at www.saewod.webs.com
www.thechroniclesof2020.webs.com
Twitter:  @saewodtice
Facebook & Goodreads:  V Saewod Tice
Buy link: 
https://www.nobleyoungadult.com/Books/329/Amongst-the-Ruins
Also available at Amazon –
http://www.amazon.com/Amongst-Ruins-Chronicles-2020-ebook/dp/B005OZIIVE/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_3
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Interview & Giveaway with Donna Grant

Books-n-Kisses is very pleased to welcome back the Wonderful Donna Grant.  I am honored to have been asked to be part of Donna’s blog tour for the re-release of her ebook Shadow Magic (bk#1 Sister of Magic Trilogy).

Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories.  She’s the author of more than twenty novels spanning multiple genres of romance—Scottish Medieval, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal, and erotic.  Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Sword, features a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats in Texas.  To learn more about Donna and her books, please visit www.donnagrant.com.
Books-n-Kisses:  Hi Donna, Welcome back. We learned so much about you and your Dark Swords series last time you were here I am excited to learn more about your Sister of Magic Trilogy re-release.
Donna: Thanks so much, Kelly.  I’m so happy to be back here and to talk about a backlist series that I get to release again. J

Q1) How does it feel to be re-releasing the Sisters of Magic Trilogy?
Donna: Really great, actually.  I loved the first covers, but these new ones seems to really capture the trilogy, and I’ve gone back in and added a bit more to the books as well as changing a few slight things that always bothered me about the books.

Q2) Tell us about Shadow Magic, book #1 in the Sisters of Magic Trilogy (re-release Nov 1, 2011)

Donna: SHADOW MAGIC shows us our first witch – Serena.  She’s part of a dying race of witches that were cursed by one of their own to never hold the love of a man.  Part of what the witches can do is look into someone’s future and see paths they can take.  Serena, however, only ever sees people’s deaths.  And she’s seen her friend’s death.  She knows there’s only one way for her to save them, and that’s with the help of Drogan of Wolfglynn.
Drogan is a battle-hardened knight who was in the king’s service for years tracking down – and eliminating – traitors to the crown. But what began as a position to be coveted turned into one that brought Drogan and his two companions face to face with Hell because of their deeds.
Serena is able to convince Drogan they need to help their mutual friends, and though Serena tries to guard her heart, passion – and love – won’t be denied.

Q3) I see that Echoes of Magic, book #2 of the Sisters of Magic Trilogy will be re-released on Nov 29, 2011.   Can you share with us a little about the second book?

Donna: Sure!
This book is about Adrianna, another witch, who has already felt the cruel touch of her race’s touch.  Not only did her man leave her, but the child she was left with died as well.  She’s prepared to spend the rest of her lonely life with the gypsies.  Until she finds a half-dead man in the forest, a man she’s compelled to help.
Grayson has been hiding from evil his entire life. After helping Drogan and Serena, he decides its time he face his past and discover what happened to his mother. Only, he never expects to fall prey to the evil so soon.  Or to be saved by a witch. Yet, the more he’s around Adrianna, the more he realizes just how dangerous it is for her to be with him.  Because he evil has marked Grayson, and it won’t be denied.

Q4) And Wow!!!  Dangerous Magic book #3 in the Sisters is scheduled for re-release on Dec 27, 2011. Can you tell us more about the third book?

Donna: DANGEROUS MAGIC is my favorite out of the three.  Maybe its because it features a hero who is so sunk into the darkness there doesn’t seem to be a way out for him. 
This book features Francesca, a witch who knows her destiny is tied to those at Wolfglynn.  She is prepared to offer whatever it takes to aid her friends, but when she gets her first look at Cade, she isn’t prepared for the immediate attraction.
Cade has watched and helped defeat the evil plaguing them, but he’s the one the evil is truly bent on killing. There’s no way Cade can defeat something that isn’t wholly human, and with the darkness riding him so hard, he doesn’t know how much longer he can hold onto the last threads of his humanity.
Until Francesca. She pushes back the darkness, and though Cade knows its wrong to be near her and bring such evil to her, he cannot deny the overwhelming hunger for her touch.

Q5) I love that you are re-releasing them all in such a short period of time.  What was the hardest part about re-releasing these books?
Donna: Reading back over them and wincing at what I found.  Lol.  My writing has changed so much in the years since they were first released.  I’m so thankful I’ve had time to read over them again and make the changes I feel they need. 

Q6) How do you feel your writing has grown since the original release of the Sisters of Magic Trilogy?
Donna: I think I go much deeper into the characters than I ever did.  I also feel as if my writing is sexier, the tension tighter than it used to be. 

Q7) Will we ever see these characters in future books now that you have revisited them?
Donna: I don’t know.  I don’t want to say never, because I don’t know what stories or characters will visit me in the future.:)

Q8) What is up next for Donna Grant?

Donna: Oh, so much.  lol.
I’ve got releases every month for 2012.  Beginning January 31, 2012, the next Dark Sword book is out in stores – DARKEST HIGHLANDER. 
Then in February I’ll begin to re-release the first 3 Shield series books.
May 22, 2012 is the first in the Dark Warriors series (spin off from Dark Sword) – MIDNIGHT’S MASTER.
June 26, 2012 is the second Dark Warriors book – MIDNIGHT’S LOVER
Then in July – August will be the final two Shield books.
Besides two more Dark Warriors books to be released in November and December, MIDNIGHT’S SEDUCTION and MIDNIGHT’S WARRIOR, I’ll also be re-releasing my Royal Chronicles series.  I haven’t firmed dates yet.
However, my big year is in 2013 where I’ll be releasing 7 – SEVEN – Dark Warriors books, all back to back from June – December.  Two fulls, three novellas, then another two fulls. J

Books-n-Kisses:  HOLY COW you are a busy girl… But all the better for your fans.

Q9) Looking at your fun facts, I see that your favorite movie is the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  What are you feelings on them making the Hobbit?
Donna: I’m both anxious and nervous about it.  I will seem really weird to watch it without seeing Aragorn. :S  But I love the world, and I can’t wait for them to take me back to it.  I’m so thrilled they’re making two movies out of it instead of trying to fit it all in one.

Books-n-Kisses:  Donna, as always thank you so much for stopping by the blog.  I have enjoyed having you visit again and I am looking forward to your re-release of the Sisters of Magic Trilogy.
Donna: Thanks so much for having me again, Kelly.  I hope I see you and others on Facebook, Twitter, my blog, or even my forum. 😉 
May the magic always find you!

Now for the giveaway.  I have one e-copy of Dragonfyre:

She’s the only one who can pull him from the darkness…
As Commander of the Fae army, Aimery is used to tracking evil and putting an end to it. When one of the rare and treasured blue dragons is killed and an egg stolen, Aimery is ordered to find the murderer. He never expects it to be one of his closest friends…
Kyndra is a priestess of the Dragon Order sworn to protect all dragons in the Realm of the Fae. She is sent by the high priestess to accompany Aimery and return the killer for execution. Aimery is instantly drawn to the sword-wielding priestess, but he knows he cannot have Kyndra. Her life is sworn to the dragons, to be touched by no man. Neither expects to find desire and unyielding passion in the other. Yet when they track the killer to another realm, Aimery’s life is at stake and Kyndra gives herself to him and the love she cannot deny in order to save him…
Read Excerpt HERE
To Enter Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.



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Interview & Giveaway with Josee Renard

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Josee Renard to the blog today.  We are looking forward to learning a little more about Josee and her book Kiss Lonely Goodbye. 

Q1) Please tell us a little about yourself
Josee:  I, like many if not all writers, split my life into many small pieces. I work (freelance and hopefully part-time – sadly, not as often part-time as I would wish), I teach, I spend time with my friends and my partner and our families. I write, as much and as often as I can (though seldom often enough). I do all of the other things that early on in a writing career you don’t realize are part of being a writer – promotion, attending conferences, giving workshops, going to meetings, etc. etc. etc. I am two people in my writing life – a writer and a business person. I am also two people in my writing – Kate Austin (who writes women’s fiction) and Josee Renard (who writes erotica).
            I live in Vancouver a block from the beach, which I love. I travel as much as I can – almost always to big cities with great art galleries, which I also love. I’m getting better at avoiding the biggest pitfall of multi-tasking – which is not doing your best work because you’re thinking of the next thing you have to do – and enjoying the best part of it – which is focusing completely on what I’m doing at that moment, no matter how short a time I have to do it. I’m trying very hard to be in the moment rather than ruining it for myself by worrying about the next one.

Q2)  Tell us a typical writing day for you
Josee:  I wish, constantly and desperately, that I had a typical writing day. I don’t. I work part-time as a freelance paralegal (as little as 12 hours a week a few times a year to much more than full-time way more weeks than I want to), plus I teach paralegals. And working freelance means that I almost never know when, how long, where or when I’m going to be working from one week to another. I try – though rarely succeed – to write every day. I do try to write every evening that I’m home when my partner is working – he works in a restaurant so is generally at work five nights a week. One of these days I’m going to win the lottery and then I can set my schedule and stick to it.

Q3) Have you always wanted to be an author or what made you become an author?
Josee:  I actually haven’t always wanted to be an author. What I am, have always been, is a reader. I read somewhere between 350-400 books a year and my idea of a perfect weekend is nothing to do, no one around, and hours and hours of reading time. Over a weekend like that I might read 4 or 5 books, sometimes more if they’re short. But when I went to university – late – I had an English professor who said to me at one point, you write essays like they’re fiction, maybe you should try writing a short story. I did and I was hooked. I wrote and published short fiction and poetry for many years before I decided to start writing novels and I’ve been writing mostly novels and novellas, as well as a few short stories (and the occasional poem) for almost 10 years. My first novel, Dragonflies and Dinosaurs, got published in 2005

Q4) Tell us a little about your book Kiss Lonely Goodbye
Josee:  Kiss Lonely Goodbye is the third story in a 10 part serial (and yes, I feel like Dickens) called Part Time Lovers. Part Time Lovers is a website where people who are interested in sex can find a like-minded partner. Jules and Mercy, best friends since grade school, run the website and they link the 10 parts together with their relationships – with each other, with clients and with others.
Kiss Lonely Goodbye is about Annabelle and Sam, both lonely, both scared to death of a relationship. Annabelle’s sex life is in her own hands and toys but she’s lost the weekly bet with her sister, who hands her a printout from Part Time Lovers. Her penance for losing the bet is to find a man and have sex, after a very long dry spell. Sam was burned badly by his last relationship, so when someone tells him about Part Time Lovers, he’s immediately interested. Sex without strings. They both insist it’s only sex, but their emails become more and more intimate. When they finally meet, more than sparks fly. What if it’s love?

Q5) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Josee:  I had a title long before I had even a line for the story. I started with a Stevie Wonder song title for the website and all of the titles of the stories (except one) are Stevie Wonder songs. So I guess somewhere in the back of my head I had the idea of two lonely people getting together. But, actually, I think I have to blame this story on Glee, to which I am addicted. I never come up with ideas, I come up with a first line. And here it is: Sam’s week wasn’t going well. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong, for as long as he could remember. And that’s kind of what Sam’s life on Glee was like for a long time. And then I had to find a woman who could make Sam’s life – at the very least his sex life – better. Annabelle just showed up and the story unfolded from there.

Q6)  What is your current work in progress?
Josee:  As always, I have two or three things in progress. I’m easily bored, so if I get stuck somewhere I move on to something else. The urgent things (because of deadlines) are the last two stories in the Part Time Lovers serial – If It’s Magic and What Christmas Means to Me – which will be out on November 30 and December 7 respectively. I’m about halfway through each of them. And then I have to write a very short Christmas story called Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me (are you getting the song title theme? I seem to be obsessed with song titles this year) which will be out in December.

Q7) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Josee:  Because I read so much and across so many genres, my list of favorite authors is very long. Stephen King because he writes so beautifully. I just finished Duma Key and have Full Dark, No Stars on my massive TBR pile. Anything and everything by Suzanne Brockmann. Michael Ondaatje is one of the few writers I buy in hardcover. I love Susanna Kearsley, who writes great women’s fiction/romance that reminds me of one of my favorite childhood authors – Mary Stewart. Jayne Ann Krentz. Nora Roberts’ romantic suspense. Barbara Kingsolver and Alice Hoffman – I love the way they meld magic realism into their books. I like J.R. Ward very much – hers are the only vampire books I read. I love Emma Holly – her books are so very sexy. And then there’s Guy Vanderhaege and Margaret Atwood and Pat Conroy and… Are you sorry you asked? I could go on forever.

Q8) Have to ask because I am nosey.  What is in your to be read pile that you are dying to read next?
Josee:  It’s not actually in my TBR pile but I’m dying to read it when it comes out in the next couple of weeks. I’ve just discovered a brand new writer – Kylie Chan. She’s from Australia but lived in Hong Kong for many years. Her trilogy, Dark Heavens, is a terrific paranormal romance and I love it because it uses Chinese mythology and it’s mostly set in Hong Kong (with detours to Paris and London and Australia). Book 3 – and I’m dying to know what happens – is out in November and I’ve got it on my radar every time I walk into the bookstore.

Q9) Is there anything else you would to add?
Josee:  Thanks so much for having me. It’s amazing how often I learn something I wasn’t conscious of – about myself or about my writing – when I sit down at a computer and answer these types of questions. What did I learn this time? That I am getting better at being in the moment and that makes me feel good about myself.

Books-n-Kisses: Josee, again huge thank you for stopping by the blog to day to chat about you and your books.  I hope the readers enjoyed. 

Where  Josee can be found:
Website: http://www.joseerenard.com/
Blogsite:  http://joseerenard.wordpress.com/
Email: joseerenard@yahoo.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Josee-Renard/163055307086304
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/Josee_Renard
Where to buy: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/author/joseerenard.htm
Giveaway Time:  
Josee has given me an e-copy of her book Knock Me Off My Feet.  

If you would like a chance to win please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  Giveaway will end Nov 7th. Winner announce Nov 9th. 





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Interview & Giveaway with Lisa Renee Jones

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have Lisa Renee Jones on our blog today.  I am so excited to have you here to talk about her new release (yesterday) The Storm that is Sterling.  I have been looking forward to Sterling’s book since I finished The Legend of Michael. *sigh*

Award winning author, Lisa Renee Jones, has published more than fifteen novels in several different languages, spanning multiple genres of romance – contemporary, romantic suspense, dark paranormal and erotic fiction. In each book the hero is dark, dangerous, and sexy. She debuted for both, Nocturne and Blaze, on the Bookscan bestseller list. You can find Lisa onTwitter, Facebook, and her blog for regular updates. Lisa now has a Fan Page at Facebook.

Lisa: Thank you so much Kelly. I finished writing Michael and was eager to write Sterling’s story. He really came to life for me as I wrote Michael.
Q1) Let me start by saying that I love Sterling’s cover.  What did you think when you first saw it?
Lisa:  I was really please with the Sterling cover and it’s my first blue cover so I thought that was a cool thing!
Q2) Let’s talk Sterling.  Tell us a little about Sterling’s book.  Perfectly named The Strom that is Sterling.
Lisa:  Sterling has had a lot of pain in his life. He’s very damaged yet he is so willingly to put himself out there for those he loves. He reminds me of Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon. He has a secret death wish but he keeps going because what if someone he loves needs him 
Q3) Sterling’s book is book 2 in your Zodius Series.  How did you come up with the idea for this series?
Lisa: I am a Vegas addict. I love it! I’ve always been interested in the secrets of Area 51 and my now deceased father-in-law was at a famous cleanup site. He told us tidbits before he died and it was enough to really spark ideas about Area 51 and Super Soldiers.
Q4) What has been the most challenging and rewarding part of writing Sterling’s book?
Lisa: The end is always the most rewarding and the most challenging. I never want to let go of the characters and I struggle for days to get into my new characters as I cling to the old.  
Q5) I know that Damion’s book is next: The Danger that is Damion (Release date is May 2012).  Can you tell us a little about this next book?
Lisa:  Damion is a character readers will meet in Sterling’s book and he is a very by the book kind of guy. He believes there are rules for a reason. Suddenly, to save a woman he loves, he might have to break those rules.
Q6) What is up next for the Zodius Series after Damion’s book? 
Lisa: You will meet Chale in Damion’s book. He is my next planned story feature.
Q7) I know you write in other genres besides the paranormal. Do you prefer one genre over another?  If so, can you explain why?
Lisa: No I like the mix. Paranormal suspense is intense and dark and emotional to write. Then I write a Blaze and its light and fun. I find the shift back and forth keeps me fresh and excited and challenged.
Q8) What kind of research did you have to do for the Zodius series?
Lisa: I have lots of military family connections so those are questions I direct to those connections. My cousin’s husband is active Special Forces. My fiancé is going to med school so the genetic stuff he helps me with or he’s gone to an instructor for me before.  
Q9) Who is your all-time favorite author and why?
Lisa:  Oh I have a lot of favorites. I can’t pick just one. I love Karen Moning and Galean Foley.  I love a good historical because I don’t write that genre so it’s just an escape.
Q10) Tell us three things about yourself that we can’t find in your bio or on your website.
Lisa: I am a Starbucks addict – white mocha!
I am a chocolate addict – any but Godiva is a fabulous indulgence – if only it wasn’t priced like gold.
I’m a gym rat. I workout 6 days a week and even on vacations
Q11) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Lisa:  No. I was into acting before the corporate world stole me away and I actually got back into independent film quite heavily right before I started writing books.
Q12) Do you prefer writing series or stand-alone books?
Lisa: I like series because I don’t like to let go of my secondary characters
Q13) What trait do you like best in your heroes and heroines?
Lisa: They are all different, and like people, those differences make them special.
Q14) Do you ever base your characters off of people that you know?
Lisa: Not really. In Santa Baby the heroine was very me which was not the norm. For some reason, she just took on a lot of my character traits.
Q15) Name one movie that you think everyone should see.
Lisa: You know—I love movies but I rarely see them twice. I’m a big television person. Everyone should have a Sam and Dean Supernatural addiction!
Q16) If you could spend a whole day doing anything that you wanted to do with one of your characters.  Who would it be and why?
Lisa:  Whoever I am writing at the time. I have to be in love with the character while I’m writing him/her.

Q17) Do you ever get writers block?  If yes, what do you do to get unblocked?
Lisa:  Yes and it always means something is wrong with the story. I beat myself up until I figure it out and probably I should step away but I rarely do. Once I figure out what is wrong I am always amazed it took me so much fretting to come to that answer.
Q18) What if anything have you learned from your characters?
Lisa: That unique is good and it makes us special.
Q19) What are you currently reading? Or what is your next read?
Lisa:  I’m listening to one of the Bones/Frost books. I love that series and enjoy it on audio book.
Q20) Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Lisa:  Just huge thanks to my readers and to you Kelly for all of your love and support!
Books-n-Kisses:  Lisa, again thank you so very much for letting Books-n-Kisses being a part of your blogging tour for Sterling’s book.  I really enjoyed reading Sterling’s story and looking forward to reading Damion’s book.  I would love to have you back again. 
Lisa — I would be thrilled to return!!
Books-n-Kisses: Hey Lisa, How about we do a giveaway? 
Lisa:  Sounds good.  How about a goodie bag of books and Bath & Body Shop stuff.
Giveaway, To enter for a chance to win Lisa’s goodie bag.  Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway will end November 7th.  Winner Announced Nov. 9th.




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Interview with Avril Ashton

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Avril Ashton to the blog today.  We are looking forward to learning a little more about Avril and her book Till Abandon. 
Avril: Thank you for having me over. I’m quite happy to make your acquaintance J and those of your followers

Q1) Please tell us a little about yourself
Avril: Sure. Since I have yet to come up with something funny and quirky to say about me, I’ll give you guys my ‘official’ bio.
A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y with a Spousal Equivalent of eight years. Together they raise a 7 y/o daughter who loves reading and school (wonder how long that will last). Avril’s earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing plot points of The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother  
Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing in August of ’09 and never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril’s stories, but there’ll always be a happy ending; Avril remains a believer of love in all its forms.

Q2)  Tell us a typical writing day for you
Avril: There’s nothing typical about my writing days. I get it in when I get it in. I recently had a huge amount of downtime, since Nettie, my trusty netbook got busted…the Mr. sat on it. I have two other computers in the house, but I’m not comfortable writing on them. I got a laptop now, so I’m back in business. My writing days are like this: I write from about 7:30 am to midday on Tues-Thurs. On Mondays it’s promo. On Fridays I sleep in since I work 4pm to 12 midnight and don’t get home til 1am and I’m back up at 5am to get the kid ready for school. At work Thursdays and Saturdays, I write the most. That’s when the bulk of my writing gets done.
So, you see. Nowhere near typical. 

Q3) Have you always wanted to be an author or what made you become an author?
Avril: I’ve always been in love with books, but never really thought about writing myself until a few years ago. I read ‘Like Silk’ by Mary Lynn Baxter while at work and cried like a baby. Then I kept thinking, this is what I want. This reaction, those tears. I want to make at least one person feel this way.  

Q4) Tell us a little about your book Till Abandon
Avril: Sure…Till Abandon is my first steps into the Paranormal genre, it’s shifter really. I love those stories. Till Abandon is book #1 in my Paranormal Security Council series with Total E Bound. Here’s the blurb:
They call her ‘The woman in white,’ whisper ‘Death-Bringer’ with their last breath, but no one knows exactly what she is. Not even Voltaire herself. The deadly magic within her is a living thing, able to crush anyone and everything with a blink. Abandoning the blood-soaked world she’s used to, Voltaire seeks out the one constant in her tired life—the green-eyed wolf in her dreams. She’s ignored the wolf’s call for years, afraid to surrender, but danger haunts her mate. He needs her.
Wolf-shifter Blake Montez is in the middle of a war, battling the usurpers intent on taking over his territory. Unfamiliar magic hums in the air, unnoticed—it seems—by everyone but him. He finds the source already under his nose, in his home. The delicate woman in white knows things no one should know, and the heat simmering between them is unlike anything he’s ever felt. His wolf recognizes her as his mate, though Blake remains unsure he can trust her.
Voltaire sets out to prove herself with time running out, enemies are on the prowl, some foreseen, others remain cloaked in shadow. She and Blake team up, fighting side by side, but in the end Voltaire might be the biggest threat to their love.
Available now @ TOTAL E BOUND:  http://bit.ly/pyBzg9
Q5) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Avril: Like most of my stories, Voltaire appeared to me in flashes. She was in the midst of slitting a man’s throat and I wanted to know why. Who was she and what brought her to the point at which she appeared to me? I wrote that first scene, which turned out to be the opening to the story, and waited as she revealed bits and pieces of herself.

Q6)  What is your current work in progress?
Avril: LOL I have at least three WIPs I’m juggling at the moment. I’m 1/3 finished with Jayce and Wes’ story from Make Me Sweat, in the still-beginning phases of Wicked is his Touch, bk#4 in my Wicked series, and writing another M/M story Love The Sinner. I’m busy, but it’s a good busy.

Q7) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Avril: I’m all about romance, so if you write it, I read it. I’m partial to Nalini Singh, Christine Feehan, Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter. Just a few…  

Q8) Have to ask because I am nosey.  What is in your to be read pile that you are dying to read next?
Avril: I’m dying to read Red Fire-Surrender by an author friend of mine, Cassandre Dayne. It’s an M/M para that I’m salivating over. 

Q9) Is there anything else you would to add?
Avril: More information on me and my work can be found at my
Website: http://avrilashton.webs.com
My Blog: http://avril-ashton.blogspot.com
I’m on Twitter: @AvrilAsh
Facebook: http://facebook.com/writeravrilashton I’m also on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/oynRSI
My Books are at:
AllRomance: http://bit.ly/quHdmm
Amazon: http://amzn.to/oUSyhs
Bookstrand:   http://www.bookstrand.com/avril-ashton  

Books-n-Kisses: Avril, thank you for taking the time to stop by the blog today to chat about yourself and your books. 

Avril : It’s been fun and I loved the questions! Thank you guys again for inviting me over to play J
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Interview & Giveaway with Keri Arthur

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome one of my favorite authors, Keri Arthur to the blog today.

The Official Bio: Keri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson Guardian series, has now written more than twenty-five books. She’s received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards and has won RT’s Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She lives with her daughter in Melbourne, Australia.







Welcome to Books-n-Kisses. I am very excited to have you here today to talk about your new Dark Angels series.
Keri: Very happy to be here. Thanks for inviting me.
Books-n-Kisses:  shall we get started? 
Keri: I’m sitting here with a hot cuppa tea, all ready to go 🙂
Q1)  Tell us a little something about yourself that we can’t find in your bio.
Keri: Um….I’m a bit of a gamer, but I only play first person shoot ’em ups. Love them! Right now, I’m working my way through Crysis 2, then I have Black ops lined up. When that’s done, I plan to buy Rage and the new Call of Duty/Modern Warfare
Q2) Have you always wanted to be a writer?  If so, how did you get started?
Keri: I’ve always written. I started writing when I was 12, and never really stopped. But I didn’t get serious about trying to get published until my daughter was born. The first ‘proper’ book I wrote was Dancing with the Devil, but it was ten years and lots of rewrites before it was actually accepted for publication.
Q3) What are your writing rituals? Anything you have to have while you write?
Keri: I always—always have music on, and these days it’s usually the same disk—Eco Zen 2. It a very mellow CD, and tends to fade into the background, but I just can’t write without it. Silence drives me insane. Lol
I also always write in the afternoons—in the morning, I walk the dogs and then head of to the gym for a couple of hours.
Q4) Are you a plotter or a panster?
Keri: I’m a natural pantser who has become something of a plotter. The first four books of the Riley Jenson series were written without an outline, but the fifth crashed and burned (it needed major rewrites), so I’ve been doing outlines ever since. I tend to have an overall series outline, and also an outline for each book—but these are generally only a couple of paragraphs long.

Q5) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel they have influenced your writing?
Keri: Most of my favorite authors don’t write the same genre as me. I love Dick Francis, James Herbert, Anne Gracie, Eloisa James & Julia Quinn.  It’s not so much an influence, because he writes in a totally different genre to me, but I’ve always wanted to write like Dick Francis. He writes such fantastic characters and his books always draw you in from the very first page.  That’s what I try to achieve with my books.
Let’s talk books:
US Cover on left/ UK cover on right

Q6) Darkness Unbound was released on Sept 27th. Congrats, I love this cover.  This is the first book in the Dark Angels series, which is a spin off series from your Riley Jensen Series.  The main character in the Dark Angels series is Risa Jones.  Can you tell us more about this Darkness Unbound?

Keri: Darkness Unbound leaps 25 years into the future, with Risa now 28 years old. She runs a cafe with her two best friends, and occasionally helps her mom out by using her ability to see souls. At the beginning of the story, Risa is asked to uncover why a little girl remains in a deep coma on life support, but what she discovers shocks her. The little girl isn’t sick–someone has stolen her soul. And, worse still, not only is Risa being followed around by a reaper, but someone wants to permanently close the gates to heaven and hell, and they believe she can help them achieve this. Needless to say, things go rapidly downhill from there.
Q7) When you were writing Risa in Riley’s series did you know that she would have her own book, let alone a series?
Keri: When she first appeared in Tempting Evil, neither she nor Dia were meant to be more than one book wonders. But by the time she became a precocious toddler sweet talking her Aunt Riley into giving her Coke and cake, I knew she would have her own series.
US Cover on left/ UK cover on right

Q8) Darkness Rising (bk2) was released on Oct 25th.  Huge Congrats Again!!!   Can you tell us a little more about this second installment of Risa’s story?

Keri: Darkness Rising revolves around the quest to find the first of the three keys to the gates of heaven and Hell, as well as Risa working for Hunter and the vampire council to uncover who is cursing council members to whither, go mad, and die.

UK cover.  US cover not out yet

Q9) Darkness Devours will be book 3 and is scheduled for release July 5th 2012 (which I have to say seems so far away).  Can you share anything with us about this story? 

Keri: Darkness Devours deals with the fallout of their quest to find the first of the keys to the gates of heaven and hell, as well as Risa continuing to work for the vampire council—this time to catch and kill the creature who is eating vampires alive.
Q10) Keri, do you have any idea how many books will be in the Dark Angels series?
Keri: there was meant to be five, but as I said above, I tend not to stick to outlines, so there’s at least seven

Q11) I have to ask about your Myth and Magic series is there another book coming in this series? If yes, can you share anything about it with us?

Keri: There was a third book planned, but it’s not contracted and I doubt it will get written. Right now, I’m concentrating on my Dark Angels books, as well as a ‘secret’ project—not contracted—that features a phoenix.
Q12) Will we ever get another Riley Jensen book?
Keri: No, sorry. I’ve tortured poor Riley enough. She deserves her peace and quiet.
Q13) What is your current work in progress?
Keri: I’m currently working on Darkness Hunts, the fourth book in the Dark Angels series. The unconfirmed release date is the end of 2012.
Q14) I love to know what authors are reading. Can you tell me what you just read or an upcoming release that you are very excited about?
Keri: I actually tend to listen to audio books more than I read these days. I can’t wait to listen to Matthew Rielly’s new Scarecrow book, and I’d also love to read Lilith Saintcrow’s new book (it comes out Aug next year), The Iron Wyrm Affair.
Q15) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Keri: Just another round of thanks for having me here  🙂
Books-n-Kisses: Keri, HUGE thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with me and chat about your books.  What do you say we giveaway a signed copy of both Darkness Unbound & Darkness Rising to one lucky commenter?
Keri: Sounds like a good idea to me!

To enter for a chance to win the first 2 books in the Dark Angel series please fill out the form below: 






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Interview with Aiden & Kelly from Lisa Renee Jones Hot Vampire Seduction


Books-n-Kisses:  Hi Aiden, Hi Kelly, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses.  I am so glad that you both agreed to sit down and talk with me today.
Aiden:  Lisa says you love vampires and we are vampires.
Kelly: I still can’t get use to hearing that. We are vampires. I am a vampire.
Books-n-Kisses:  Can I get either of you anything before we get started?
Aiden: Don’t suppose you have any blood handy?
Kelly: Aiden! Forgive him. He’s joking.
Aiden: Lisa said she likes vampires.
Kelly: He’ll take coffee and so will I. Thank goodness vampires really don’t live on blood and blood alone. I don’t know what I’d do without my pizza and Starbucks.
Books-n-Kisses: Okay, let’s get started then
Book 1
Q1) Aiden, can you give us a little of your history?
Aiden: I was a human bitten by a vampire with blood lust and left for dead.
Kelly: Blood lust happens when a vampire drinks too much blood.
Aiden: We’ve evolved. We need no more than a monthly feeding.  When we overindulge, it’s like a drug. We are stronger and faster, on a high, so to speak, but we are also violent killers.
Kelly: He was saved by one of The Wardens who are like the law of the vampire world.
Aiden: Right. I was given the opportunity to hunt down and kill monsters or die myself. I was all about killing monsters.
Q2) Kelly, What was your first reaction when you learned what Aiden was?  Where you ever scared?
Kelly: I’m a coroner so I see dead people all the time. Not much scares me but I suspect if I hadn’t already felt the good in Aiden before I found out it would have been harder to accept. It’s some of the monsters he hunts that rattle me though. Wolves infected with a rabies like virus. Vamps with bloodlust. They scare me. (Looks at Aiden) It scares me that he hunts them.     
Q3) Aiden, this one is for you.  How has your life changed since Kelly came into it?
Aiden(Taking Kelly’s hand): I actually care if I live or die when I go into battle. I realized after Kelly came into my life that a hundred years of battle had taken a toll. I’d stopped caring if I woke up the next day.
Book 2 Aiden & Kelly’s Book 
Q4) Have either one of you wondered what life would be like if Aiden had never walked into Kelly’s office?
Aiden: I’d still be miserable
Kelly: I’d be dead. The vampires I’d exposed for killing innocent humans would have killed me.  
Q5) Kelly, tell us something about Aiden that he would not let Lisa share with us in your story?
Kelly: He likes bubble baths.
Aiden: Only when you’re in them.
Q6) Aiden, same questions.  Tell us something about Kelly that she would let Lisa tell us in your story?
Aiden: She can convince me to do about anything. Including bubble baths.
Kelly (laughing): You know you love them.
Aiden(kisses her forehead) I love you.
Q7)  Kelly, has Aiden leaved up to his promise to let you bite him?
Kelly (smiling):  Now he begs for it.
Aiden(laughs) Who begs?
Q8) Umm, how do I ask this?  Umm are things ever a little awkward with Troy after… well you know?
Aiden:  He’s gone. He took off and not because of anything that happened between the three of us.
Kelly: We’ll find him Aiden.
Book 3 Troy’s book
Q9) So speaking of Troy…  How is he doing?   I know his story is next do you think that your little brother is ready for all the attention?
Aiden: Troy is in trouble and has been since a wolf bit him and he began some odd hybrid vampire wolf mixture. Or I guess that’s what’s happening. Vamps are immune to the wolf virus so I just don’t know. Al I know for certain is that Troy is in deep deep trouble and I don’t know how to help him.
Kelly: We’ll find a way to help him.
Aiden (scrubbing his jaw) : I wish I believed we really could.
Kelly (takes his hand): I’ll believe enough for both of us  
Q10)  What do you think the one thing the readers should take away from your story?
Kelly: That there is always hope – for you, me, and (giving Aiden a pointed look) even Troy
Q11) Is there anything else either of you would like to add?
Kelly:  There’s some interesting things happening in the werewolf civil war. Check out Wicked Werewolf Night to find out just how intense it’s getting. December 13th!
Books-n-Kisses:  Aiden, Kelly, again a huge thank you for stopping by my blog so that we can learn a little more about you and your book.  And can I say that Aiden, you are my favorite of the brothers and love that your lady love is names Kelly.  *winks at Kelly* It is a really good name. 
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Interview & giveaway with debut author Joan Swan

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome the wonderful Joan Swan to the blog today.  I am SO EXCITED to share Joan and her debut novel Fever with my followers.

Author Bio:
Joan Swan is a triple RWA® Golden Heart finalist, and a double Kiss of Death Daphne Du Maurier finalist. She writes sexy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist, and her first novel, FEVER, debuts with Kensington Brava February 28, 2012.  BLAZE releases October, 2012.

Currently, Joan works as a sonographer at a one of the top ten medical facilities in the nation, and lives in magnificent wine country on the central coast of California with her husband and two daughters.

Kelly:  Welcome Joan. 
Joan: Hey, Kelly!!!!!!! Love that shirt!!  **For those without webcam it says “I ‘heart’ Delilah Marvelle<scribbled out by moi> Joan Swan”** Sorry, D, you know I love you, but…you have to share.


Kelly : Can I get you anything before we get started? Coffee, tea, water?
Joan: Good God, I could use a Margarita. Midori.  Blended. Brain-freeze thick. Sugar, no salt.  Triple tequila.  Por favor, bonita…or is it Bonita por favor? 

Q1) Joan, your bio pretty much covers who you are. So tell us something off your bucket list.
Joan: I have to admit—I didn’t see The Bucket List, but the way I understand it is that is a list of things you want to do before you die.  I’ve been so very blessed with a keeper of a husband for 21 years and two absolutely fabulous, intelligent, healthy daughters.  My parents are still happily married and healthy well into their 80’s, my 3 sisters and 1 brother are all happily married with healthy children and my husband and I have been lucky to have had stable jobs that have paid most of the bills. 
And because I know how fragile life is and how lucky we have been, what’s at the top of my bucket list at the moment?  Quitting the day job so I can stop looking, touching and examining strange men’s mangled private parts.  I mean, seriously?  The fact that I can still write hot sex scenes after that sh…stuff is a testament to my warped mind!

Q2)  Tell us about your typical writing day. Are there things you have to have?
Joan:  The only thing routine about my writing these days involves breakfast at my neighborhood McDonald’s, email, Twitter, blog posts and lots and lots and lots of procrastination.  It’s an unfortunate pattern I’ve developed over the past few months that I plan to change. 
Maybe tomorrow.

Q3) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Joan:  No.  Just about every other profession under the sun.  Never an author. 

Q4)  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Joan:  The authors I would consider favorites have changed as I’ve changed.  Before I wrote, I wasn’t as demanding as I am now.  I admire the writing skill of Dean Koontz, Sandra Brown, Harlan Coben, Tami Hoag and Ted Dekker.  For decades I’ve loved Suzanne Brockman, Barbara Delinsky, Kat Martin, Joanne Ross, Cindy Gerard.  I’ve more recently fallen in love with Darynda Jones and just discovered Robert Crais.  My critique partner, Elisabeth Naughton, has inspired my writing with her strong story structure and amazing talent for world building.

Let’s talk about The Phoenix Rising Series:

Q5) Book one Fever will be coming out in February 28  2012.  Tell us a little about this book
Freak love this cover this man is HAWT!!
Joan:  FEVER is the first of the Phoenix Rising series. 
The overarching series plot broils around a government conspiracy after the explosion of a military warehouse injuries a team of seven hazmat firefighters, killing one.  The contents of the building, extremely confidential and dangerous radioactive chemicals used by the Department of Defense in secretive scientific experiments, have inflicted the team with various paranormal abilities.  Abilities the government wants to study covertly.  Abilities the team wants to understand and expose.  With military advancement and national power at risk on one side and personal health and freedom at stake on the other, each group is fighting for precious stakes.
FEVER is about one of the seven firefighters, Teague Creek, convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, framed by a government threatened by his prying questions into the warehouse explosion.  Teague has been denied an appeal, lost the daughter he lived for, and the career as a firefighter he loved.  With no hope left, he plans an escape.  But his plan goes wrong when the woman he kidnaps as leverage to get his daughter back turns out to be someone else.  And this woman quickly clues into the abilities he tries to hide, creating a bond neither can afford while they’re on the run from both the cops and undercover operatives who want Teague silenced.  This time, permanently.

Q6) Book Two Blaze is scheduled for Fall 2012.  Can you share with us anything about this book?
Joan: Blaze is rather special to me.  I’m not sure why, but the main characters, Luke and Keira, just seemed to speak to me.  Maybe because it’s a reunion story – I am such a sucker for those.  Maybe because both Luke and Keira are tortured in so many ways, which is also a character element that pulls me in.  I can also see advancement in my writing skills and storytelling abilities in this work which I’m proud of.  Whatever the case, this story remains very vivid and close to my heart.
Blaze takes place several months after Fever concludes.  While the immediate threat to Teague has been remedied for the time being, the team is clearly not out of danger.  And when a member of the government’s team makes a bad decision and messes with the wrong team member in just the wrong way, all hell breaks loose.  Again.
Blurb:  When a simple child custody retrieval turns into a Waco-slash-Jonestown rerun in the remote Nevada desert, former firefighter turned ATF agent Luke Ransom is paired begrudgingly with his ex, Keira O’Shay, also a former firefighter but now one of the FBIs sharpshooters.  Thrust into the depths of a conspiracy they’d suspected, but couldn’t prove, they uncover a deeper, darker force at work, one that is somehow linked to the destruction of their former firefighting team and the development of strange paranormal abilities every team member has struggled with since the mysterious warehouse fire five years before that changed their lives forever.
What neither Luke nor Keira have forgotten in their time apart, is that their paranormal abilities are enhanced by the power of their relationship. Keira’s clairaudience blossoms with empathetic qualities and even a touch of clairvoyance. Luke’s gifts come back full force and not only is he immune to burns, his skin is impenetrable, his bones unbreakable. Each utilize their powers toward the success of their mission, but don’t expect the bond their interconnected powers create in their relationship.
And when the shadow agency that has been tracking them decides they’re getting to close to the truth, repressed passions and unspoken regrets won’t be the only thing keeping Luke and Keira apart. Now, they’re in a race not only to save a child’s life, but to save each other’s as well.

Q7) Book 3 is Inferno. Can you share more about this book?
Joan: Inferno is my heartbreaker. The one firefighter killed in the original warehouse fire that started this whole nightmare, Quaid Legend, was the new husband of another firefighter on the team, Jessica Fury.  Watching her husband die ripped Jessica’s life apart.  She’s lived without him for five years when the team discovers proof of life in Blaze. Quaid has spent five years living in a cell, being tested like a rat.  The governments experiments have wiped out his memory.  He trusts no one.  He remembers no one.  Which of course causes heartache and huge conflict when the team, and Jessica, finally get him back.
Blurb: JESSICA FURY once had everything to live for. Now, she lives for one purpose: revenge.
Five years ago, Jessica witnessed the death of her newlywed husband, QUAID LEGEND, when their hazmat firefighting team stumbled upon an illegal chemical stash in a government warehouse set aflame. Since her recovery, Jessica has slowly pieced together a plan to implement payback, and she’s just one piece of information away from achieving that satisfaction when she receives the biggest shock of her life: Quaid may still be alive.
Recent events involving other members of her team in BLAZE turn up evidence that Quaid has been held as a prisoner in a secret military laboratory. Jessica utilizes her scrying abilities—using an item to view events at a distance or in the future—to help find and free Quaid from the custody of the shadow government agency, only to discover that all the experimental testing he’s undergone over the years has wiped his mind clean, and he has no memory of her.
Utilizing the clustered paranormal abilities they developed within Quaid, the government scientists have created a powerful weapon for the U.S. military. When his former firefighting team rescues him from the secure facility, the government goes on an all-out mission to retrieve what they consider an extremely valuable element to national security.
With their past shadowed and their future threatened, Jessica and Quaid face the ultimate battles of freedom–one for life, one for love.

One of your prizes
Q8) Do you see the Phoenix Rising Series going beyond these three books?
Joan: Absolutely. There are 7 original members of the hazmat team: Teague, Luke, Quaid, Kai, Seth, Keira and Jessica.  In book one, FEVER, I introduce the heroine’s brother, Mitch, a smartass, headstrong, brilliant attorney.  I definitely see Kai, Seth and Mitch having their own books.  And who knows what other strong characters will popup within those stories demanding their own book as well.  Of course, the government is endless fodder for the roll of villain.


Q9) How did you come up with the idea for the Phoenix Rising Series?
Joan: Here’s the short version:
The kernel of an idea for a straight romantic suspense came from working as a sonographer and scanning a large population of prisoners.  “What if a hospital employee was taken as a hostage in an escape attempt?”
When the hero in that story turned out to be a fireman, I knew he’d have a team—firemen are never loners.
My critique partner, Elisabeth Naughton, suggested I make Teague’s team members future heroes in a series.  At the time I’d only written stand alone single titles and couldn’t fathom writing a series.
After the manuscript was rejected by a dozen agents, Elisabeth suggested I add a paranormal element to tailor the book to the current market.
I rewrote the manuscript with the paranormal element, which also meant changing the plotline.  And it sold.  The Phoenix Rising Series was born.

Q10) What is next for you?
Joan:  I’m pretty excited about what I’m working on now.  It’s another paranormal, but ventures deeper into the genre, exploring witchcraft, demons and true evil.  It’s complicated, dark, gritty and sexy.  Very fun!

Q11) I love to know what authors are reading. What have you read recently or what new release are you most looking forward too?
Joan:  I actually read quite a bit, but not in the traditional way.  Since I work 4 hrs from where I live, I spend a lot of time listening to audiobooks.  I always choose the unabridged versions and if I particularly love a book, I often buy the Kindle or print version as well.
I just finished my first Robert Crais book, The Watchman.  Really, really loved it—the poetry and freshness of his prose, the pacing and tension, but especially the amazing character arcs. I recently went on a Karin Slaughter binge where I read her Will Trent series one after the other, I just couldn’t get enough.  Another strong character driven suspense.  I’ve also become an avid fan of Darynda Jones’ Charlie Davidson series and can’t wait for Third Grave Dead Ahead to release.

Q12) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Joan: Yes!  I’m having a BIG give away to celebrate FEVER’s availability for preorder and I hope everyone will enter!  I’m giving away a week’s stay at a 2br/2b condo in Lake Tahoe with a value of over $3000!  All you need to enter is your name and email.  No strings, no gimmicks!  Escape & Enjoy Mega Giveaway: http://www.joanswan.com/escapeandenjoy.htm.

Books-n-Kisses:  Joan, Thank you so very much for taking time out of your busy writing schedule to sit down and talk with me about your upcoming releases. 
Joan: Thank YOU, Kelly!  So glad we connected on twitter and can’t wait to meet you at the next conference!  Thanks to all your readers who came out to chat with me today!

You can order your copy of FEVER at the following locations:
Amazon (print & Kindle)Barnes & Noble (print & Nook)Booksamillion

Want to learn more about Joan and her up coming books please check her out here: 

Now for the Giveaways: 

1 winner will get a custom made Fever Bookmark 
1 winner will win a $10 Amazon Gift card and a Fever Bookmark 
and 
The Grand prize is an author copy of Fever & a Fever Bookmark (please note winner of the Grand Prize will have to wait until close to the end of the year or early in 2012 for book to become available)
To Enter please use the form below.