Category: Interviews

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Interview & Giveaway with Margaret Ethridge

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have Margaret Ethridge on the blog today.  We are looking forward to learning more about Margaret and her book Contentment
Margaret’s bio: A graduate of Illinois State University, Margaret Ethridge migrated to Chicago where she attempted to make a living as a professional spinster. She met a Southern man with a sexy drawl and big chocolate brown eyes, and her career plan went down the tubes. Now, Margaret lives in Arkansas with that sweet-talking Southern gentleman, their two children, three spoiled dogs, ten hungry goldfish, and one impertinent house rabbit.  
Hi Margaret, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses
Margaret: Hello!Thanks so much for having me here, Kelly.
Q1) Margaret, can you share a little bit about yourself

Margaret: Well, let’s see… Each day I roll out of bed with my make-up already applied and every hair in place, hop in my sports car and zip through a traffic-free commute to my office. There, I count bottles of booze. Literally. My mother is proud. I have her dream job.
When I return to my spotless abode each evening, my loving husband greets me at the door wearing nothing but black mesh boxer briefs and a smile, asks about my day, and leads me to a candlelit table laden with Steakburgers from Steak ‘n Shake, heaps of McDonald’s fries, bowls of candy corn and Smarties, platters of Krispie Kreme crullers, and a convoy of Route 44 Diet Cokes from the Sonic. I consume them all without ever gaining an ounce or getting a zit whilst Colin Firth climbs out of the pond in our back yard wearing a wet white shirt…
Yeah…Um, where was I? Oh! Me? I write fiction. I like to spin stories of ordinary people living extraordinary romances. The statements above were a dramatization. I cannot actually eat Krispie Kreme crullers without gaining weight. Do not try this at home.
Q2) When did you decide you wanted to be an author?
Margaret: I think I’ve always wanted to be an author, but it was always one of those amorphous ‘someday’ things. I started writing about four or five years ago, and I haven’t been able to stop since.
Q3) Can you tell us something that is on your bucket list that might surprise people?
Margaret: Ha! Well, I just did one thing on my list yesterday. I ran in a 5k race. I know it may not seem like much to some people, but I smoked for 24 years. I just quit in April, and one of the goals I set was to start running. Like the ‘someday I’m going to write a book’ thing, the running was always a ‘someday’ thing to me and this someday happened to be yesterday.
Other than that? I hope to travel to Scotland with my friend Michelle. We have plans to peek under kilts and stalk anything remotely connected to James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser (From Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series).
Q4) Can you tell us about your book Contentment 
Margaret: Contentment is a story that’s near and dear to my heart. It’s the story of the slow disintegration and rebuilding of a marriage. It’s not a pretty story, it’s not always exciting, but I believe it is a real-life romance. Here’s the blurb:
Tracy Sullivan seems to have it all, a handsome, devoted husband, three beautiful children, a steady career, and the perfect suburban home; but she isn’t happy.
The petty resentments that have built over fifteen years of marriage surface when Tracy tells her husband, Sean, that she is no longer interested in sex, and their marriage threatens to implode.
For the sake of their children, Tracy and Sean agree to lead separate lives under the same roof. With the help of a healthy dose of adult-rated fiction and some gentle prodding from a good friend, Tracy begins to rediscover who she is, what she wants, and the reasons she fell for Sean once upon a time.
After two years of soul-searching, Tracy is finally ready to embrace her happily ever after having learned that while happiness may be fleeting, contentment can last a lifetime.
Q5) How did you come with the idea for this story.
Margaret: To be perfectly honest, many of my friends were living this story. They may not have been living it to the extreme of living separate lives under the same roof, but I think most had reached that point where they looked around and asked, ‘Is this all there is?’
It’s natural. The feelings that Tracy wrestles with throughout the book – dissatisfaction, ambivalence, insecurity – those feelings of inadequacy are lurking in the back of everyone’s minds.
Q6) Can you tell us about your current work in progress
Margaret: I am in the process of editing Commitment, which is a spin-off from Contentment. I say spin-off because it isn’t really a sequel. Commitment runs concurrent to Contentment (how was that for alliteration?) and tells the tale of Tom Sullivan – Sean’s playboy older brother. Commitment should be available from Turquoise Morning Press in early 2012.
I’m also writing a sequel to my first book, Paramour, which will be called Inamorata (TMP-June 2012) and I’m editing my first book for The Wild Rose Press – a contemporary romance featuring mature hero/heroine – Spring Chickens.
Q7) Does your family read your books?
Margaret: My husband and kids do not, and it boggles my mind. I am from a family of readers. Both of my parents and all seven kids – we consume books like candy. My husband will read my short stories and he has skimmed most of my novels, but he does not read for pleasure in any form. Weirdo.
Q8) Best piece of advice you would share with budding authors?
Margaret: Keep writing. No matter what anyone says or writes, and despite the silence that speaks volumes, keep writing. I think we all get better with every word we type. This is an incredible roller coaster of a ride. I’m just starting out myself, so know there are many more dips, twists, and turns to come, but what a ride!
Q9) is there anything else you would like to add?
Margaret: One of the best things about being a writer is hearing from readers. Thank you so much for your messages. Whether through email, Facebook, or Twitter, there is nothing that puts a smile on my face faster than hearing from a happy reader!
Books-n-Kisses, Margaret: it has been a pleasure to have you here today. Please come back any time.
Margaret: Thank you so much for the opportunity to ‘meet’ your readers, Kelly. I truly appreciate you! Happy reading!

Giveaway Time
Margaret has offered to give away an e-copy of her book Contentment. 

To Enter: 
Please leave a comment or questions for Margaret
Please leave your email (NO email, NO entry)
Being a follower of my blog is good. 

Extra points for each place you share this interview & giveaway
Facebook, Twitter, Good reads, Your blog.  
Please leave link

Giveaway ends Oct 14th
Winner announce Oct 17th

What to learn more about Margaret? 
Find her here: 
Website: http://www.margaretethridge.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMargaretEthridge?sk=app_4949752878
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MKEthridge
Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4465188.Margaret_Ethridge
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Interview & Giveaway with Carrie Pulkinen

Hi Carrie, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses.  I am happy to have you visiting today so that we can talk and learn more about you and your books.

Carrie: Hi! Thanks so much for having me!

Q1) Tell us how you got into writing Erotic Paranormal stories?

Carrie: I’m a hopeless romantic, so I’ve always been drawn to romantic elements in stories. As for the paranormal, I grew up next door to a cemetery. Literally. As a child, I thought my parents owned it. So, I’ve always been fascinated by ghosts and anything paranormal.

Q2) Have you always wanted to write in this genre?

Carrie: I guess I have. I never really thought about a genre when I started writing fiction. This is just what came out, so I suppose it’s meant to be.

Q3) Do you think you will write in other genres?

Carrie: I really enjoy reading suspense novels, so one day, I may venture into that genre. But, it will probably be romantic suspense.

Q4) Share with us a little about your newest release. Her Guardian Lover

Carrie:  April is a small town high school teacher with big plans to achieve the American Dream. But, her future is derailed when she’s caught in the middle of a school shooting. The only person who can help her recover from the tragedy is her sexy coworker Damian—but she despises him. Will she accept all he has to offer and follow her destiny? Or will she fall back into her old life?

Q5) How do you come up with these steamy sex scenes?

Carrie: I really get into my characters as I’m writing. I sort of “become” them. So, when it’s time for a sex scene, I write what feels natural for the characters.

Q6) Best advice you ever got about becoming an author

Carrie:  The best advice I’ve gotten is to never give up. Just because someone rejects a manuscript, it doesn’t mean that someone else won’t love it.

Q7) Favorite all-time author and why

Carrie: My favorite author is Paulo Coelho. He writes in a completely different genre, but his stories and so compelling I can’t put them down. He’s truly inspirational.

Q8) Your thoughts on e-books vs. paper books

Carrie:  I don’t know if paper books will ever go away, but I definitely think they are becoming less and less popular. Especially with teens and young adults. Everything else they do is electronic, so why not reading too?

Q9) What is your current work in progress?

Carrie: I’m currently polishing up an urban fantasy/paranormal romance that I wrote a while back. It’s full of magic, romance, vampires, and reincarnation.

Q10) Anything else you would like to add?

Carrie: Thanks for interviewing me. It was fun!

Books-n-Kisses: Carrie, again Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with me and share your story.  I look forward to reading more of your books in the future. 


Her Guardian Lover 
by Carrie Pulkinen

Guarding April isn’t easy. Loving her could be the end of life as he knows it.

April May Carter, a twenty-nine-year-old small town high school teacher, dreams of finding a man to whisk her away from the hickville she’s stuck in. She wants it all—the husband, the house, the kids, the car. But her dreams of living the perfect life are shattered during a school shooting.
Damian is supposed to keep her safe. But a tragic event in his past has left him so bitter and resentful, he’s blindsided by the angelic beauty who’s awakened a part of his soul he thought had burned out long ago. He won’t let anyone get close enough to care about him. April should hate him. But she sees through his abrasive exterior and finds the compassionate, loving man beneath. Can Damian let go of his past, accept his responsibilities, and let her love him? Or will he spend the rest of his existence alone and miserable?

Excerpt:

She turned back to Damian, but the moment was gone. The overwhelming need to lay it all out for him gave way to her practical side. He’d have to let go of his past before he could make a future with her. Besides, she wanted to hear him say it first.
Sitting across the table from the most beautiful Angel in Heaven was like a dream. He knew about her desire to travel, and bringing her here was the perfect setting for their first official date.
Her smile brightened the entire room, and her eyes sparkled as she admired the architecture. “When was this place built? It’s incredible.”
“Around the twelfth century. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? And it really hasn’t changed much since then.”
“You were here when this was built?”
He shrugged. “Sure. I told you, I’m as old as dirt.”
She giggled until she was gasping for air. Her laugh was like beautiful melody in his ears.
“Wow. I’m on a date with a geezer. How gross.”
“Well, maybe I shouldn’t be robbing the cradle. Isn’t there a law about that?” He winked, and they both laughed.
“I am not a child, mister. I’m more woman than you could handle.”
“Mmm…We’ll see about that. You ready to get out of here? See the sights?”
“I’d love to.”
He savored one last bite of his meal, and then led her out into the street. They ambled, hand-in-hand, through a courtyard and down three blocks of cobblestone. The Leaning Tower of Pisa stood just across the street, and he paused to watch her reaction.
But she wasn’t looking at the tower; she was gazing up at him. Her eyes were more beautiful than the Italian countryside, and he forgot all about the sights of the city. He forgot about everything else in the world when he leaned down to kiss her.
Her lips were so soft, her taste so sweet, his head spun. He shouldn’t have been kissing her. He needed to take it slowly, but he didn’t care. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was having April in his arms.
She slid her hands over his shoulders and pulled him closer. He could have drowned in her essence right there on the sidewalk. The need to be with her surged through his body, and he had to pull away before he took her to his bedroom and made love to her all day.
He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and tried to find his voice. But what could he say?
Her expression was one of anticipation. Longing. She looked at him like she wanted him. “That was…nice.”
“Yeah, it was.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. “We should do it more often.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Oh my gosh! It’s the Leaning Tower of Pisa.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. That’s what I brought you here to see. Want to get a closer look?”
“Uh, yeah.”
They darted across the busy street and walked up the path to the tower. She put her hand over her heart as she admired the structure.
“It’s amazing that the foundation shifted so much for it to lean like that. But it still stands. They just don’t make ’em like that anymore.” She grinned and tousled his hair. “But I bet you remember when it stood straight.”
He felt the heat rush to his cheeks, though he didn’t know why he was embarrassed. He shrugged and kicked at the dirt with his foot. “Yeah. I guess I remember. But it’s no big deal. A thousand years from now, we’ll be looking at present day skyscrapers and saying, ‘Remember when’.”
“True. But I bet skyscrapers won’t be around a thousand years from now.”
“Wanna put money on it?”
She flashed a mischievous grin. “Okay. I’ll give you a trillion dollars if they’re still standing in a thousand years.”
“You’re on.”
“But that means you’ll still have to be speaking to me. No more games.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon lazily roaming the city. They strolled along the river bank and settled on a patch of grass in a secluded spot to watch the sunset. If only Angels had the ability to freeze time; he could have lived in that moment forever.
With his arms wrapped around her, she snuggled into his side and sighed. “Thank you for this. The whole day, you, everything. It was perfect.”
He closed his eyes and inhaled her sweet scent. The day really was perfect. She was perfect, and he didn’t want it to end.

Giveaway Time:  
We are going to try something new….. Please use the following forms to enter. 






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Interview & Giveaway with Virna DePaul

Books-n-Kisses is very happy to welcome back Virna DePaul to the blog today.  

Virna DePaul is a former criminal prosecutor whose debut paranormal romantic suspense novel, Chosen by Blood (Book 1 in the Para-Ops series), came out May 3, 2011 by Berkley Books. Chosen by Fate (Book 2 in the Para-Ops series) launches October 4, 2011.
In addition, Virna writes contemporary romantic suspense for Harlequin Romantic Suspense (Dangerous to Her, September 2011) and HQN (Shades of Desire, April 2012).
Visit her at www.virndepaul.com

Books-n-Kisses:  Hi Virna, Welcome back to Books-n-Kisses. Last time you were here we talked about Chosen by Blood.  But today we are going to talk about book two in your Para-Ops series Chosen by Fate.  Thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and talk with me about your book series.
Virna: I am so happy to be back!  Thank you for having me again.
Books-n-Kisses: Last time you were here we learned a little about you. Let’s learn a little more
Q1):  Can you share with us something off of your bucket list?
Virna:  I’d love to be able to spend months at a time in Europe.  Right now, I’m thinking France!  J

Q2):   Let’s talk about your newest book Chosen by Fate.  Can you tell us a little about your book without giving away too much?
Virna: The Para-Ops team, the first special ops team formed by the FBI to recruit both humans and Otherborn, was introduced in Chosen By Blood.  In that book, we met Wraith and Caleb O’Flare, who tried very hard to deny the sexual attraction between them. Wraith and Caleb are the hero and heroine of Book 2, Chosen By Fate.  Wraith is the walking dead with no memory of her human life.  She has blue-tinged skin, hazy-eyes, and can’t be touched without feeling pain.  Caleb is the team’s human psychic shaman.  He wants only to heal Wraith.  Wraith and Caleb have to deal with the tension between pain and pleasure, a dichotomy that is brought to the forefront when they set out on their next mission, investigating a series of crimes in the feline community.


Q3):  What did you find the hardest part about writing Fates?
 Virna: The story is much more relationship-based than the first, so I really wanted to delve into the relationship while still giving the reader the action, complex world, and fast pace of Book 1.


Q4):  In 140 characters or less tell us about Wraith.
Virna:  A prickly, foul-mouthed ghost with blue skin and hazy eyes can’t be touched without feeling pain but desperately wants to belong to someone. 

Q5): Wraith’s Awakening, is a prequel to Para-Ops series.  I really enjoyed this free read; it gave me a great insight as to who Wraith is going to be. Where can the readers find this free read? 
Virna: I’m so glad you enjoyed it!   It’s the first story I’ve written in the first person and I loved getting so “close” to Wraith.  Here’s the link: ttp://hipwritergirls.typepad.com/justsoldabook/2011/06/free-prequel-novella-to-chosen-by-blood-wraiths-awakening.html


Q6):  What would you say is the most challenging & rewarding part of being an author?
Virna: The most challenging part is the self-doubt and having to hear how you’re vision of the story didn’t quite work for someone else.  The best part, of course, is hearing that a reader loved the story and connected with the characters.


Q7):  What gives you inspiration? Places, Music, Pictures, People?
Virna: All of the above.  I love beautiful surroundings and all kinds of music, but nothing beats being around the people I love.


Q8):  Do you have any writing rituals, things you have to have while you write?
Virna: Other than my laptop, no.  I am so amazed by people who can write out their stories.  I get too distracted by trying to be neat and can never write fast enough to keep up with my thoughts. 


Q9):  If you could sit down and ask any of your characters and ask any questions and they HAD to answer.  Who would you ask and what would you ask?
Virna:  Well, that’s easy. I’ve created a goddess, Essenia, in the Para-Ops Novels.  So I’d ask her the tough questions about creation and death. 

Q10):  Have you ever thought about co-writing a book? If yes, with who & why
Virna: I’ve thought about it several times.  Many of my friends are writers who have different strengths than I do.  It would be fun to see the different directions we could take a story.  However, I’m more of a “binge” writer.  I write in huge chunks rather than a little everyday.  I’m not sure that’s conducive to co-writing.


Q11): Who has been your most challenging character to write?
Virna: Knox Devereaux, the leader of the Para-Ops team, because he is a bundle of contrasts.  He reveres duty but yet feels deeply, and his desires don’t always coincide with his duty.  He’s a powerful leader who goes after what he wants, plus he’s an immortal vampire; it was a challenge to make him relatable to a reader. 


Q12):  Do you ever get writers block?  What do you do to get past it?
Virna:  I definitely get stuck.  Usually it’s because something about the characters or plot is eluding me, and I need to figure it out before I can really become immersed in the story.  I have a lot of good friends I can brainstorm with and that’s invaluable.


Q13):  What would you say is your biggest vise? Books, Shoes, Coffee, Hershey Kisses
Virna:  Books, definitely.  I have a Kindle, but I still prefer print books.  I have a hard time letting go of books even if I know I probably won’t get around to reading them. 


Q14):  Do you prefer to write series or stand-alone books? And Why?
Virna: I love writing series because I get to amp up the layers and subtleties, weaving them into the current story while at the same time knowing they will gain even more significance as the series continues.  I also love the idea of readers becoming attached to the world and characters I’ve created.  With each book, I’m challenged to create something that fits what came before but also has its own unique and compelling presence.


Q15):   Favorite Supernatural creature and why?
Virna: I love how vampires are often portrayed as both elegant and primal.  Weres are great because they are more overtly savage, but vampires have more of a seething, mysterious quality.  Maybe because I’m quiet but also complex, I like that vampires are multi-faceted.


Q16):   When did you decide you wanted to try your hand at writing a book?
Virna:  I first tried writing a novel after the birth of my first son in 2000.  I wrote about seven pages and then let self-doubt stall me.  I didn’t begin writing again until years later, when I was miserable at my law job and unwilling to let insecurity derail me.  

Q17):  Best piece of advice you ever received?
 Virna: Move forward despite your fear.
Q18):  What is the one book you think everyone should read?
Virna: I was going to say Macbeth, but I honestly don’t think there’s one.  People can read the exact same book and have totally different interpretations and experiences.  In a way, books mirror not only the author but also the reader—each is going to relate to the characters through their own unique circumstances. 
Q19):  What is next in the Para-Ops Series
 Virna:  I’m currently working on Chosen By Sin, which is about the team’s werebeast, Dex Hunt. 
Q20):  Is there anything specific you’d like to say to your readers and fans while we have you with us today?
 Virna: Just that I appreciate anyone who takes a chance on me, whether it’s by reading me for the first time, or reading my next story.  I’m a huge reader who has been inspired and empowered by books, and I would love to bring that experience to others.  
Books-n-Kisses:  Virna, it has been a pleasure to get to know you better thank you so much again for joining us today!  We have really enjoyed hosting this web Event for you and getting the word out about the new Para-Ops series.
Virna:  Thank you so much for having me, Kelly!  Sometimes I can’t believe I’m actually writing stories that others are reading.  I hope to do it for a long time!
Giveaway Time:
Virna is going to be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card.
To Enter:
Be a follower of Books-n-Kisses blog
Please leave email address
Extra entry for each place you share this giveaway Facebook, Twitter, Your Blog.  Please leave link
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Interview& Giveaway with Maggie Wells

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have Maggie Wells on our blog today.  We are looking forward to learning more about Maggie and her book Seducing Steve
Maggie’s bio:
By day Maggie Wells is buried in spreadsheets. At night she pens tales of people tangling up the sheets. She’ll tell you she’s a deep down dirty girl, but you only have to scratch the surface of this mild-mannered married lady to find a naughty streak a mile wide. The product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt, she just can’t help herself…
Hi Maggie, welcome to Books-n-Kisses 
Maggie: Hi, Kelly, thanks so much for having me here. You are an absolute doll!
Q1) Maggie, can you share a little bit about yourself

Maggie: Well, I’m just your typical wife and mom. The only difference is, I sometimes type my naughty thoughts out and share them with the world.
Q2) When did you decide you wanted to be an author?
Maggie: I’ve always been an avid reader, but I never really wrote anything until about five years ago. Writing is a little like kissing boys, once I got started, I couldn’t stop.
Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Maggie: Wow. So many. I am in awe of Sarah Addison’s Allen’s talent. Each time I read one of her books, I’m just dumbstruck by the simple beauty she creates with her descriptions. Of course, Nora Roberts popped my romance cherry when I was a teen. I tore my way through Judith Krantz, Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught… So many.
More recently, I have been enjoying books by Susan Andersen, Sarah McLean, and Victoria Dahl.
Order Here 
Q4) Can you tell us about your book Seducing Steve 
Maggie: Oh, Steve. I love Steve. I love friends turn into lovers stories. I think it’s interesting to watch two people who already know each other well – too well in some circumstances – make the transition. Here’s the scoop:
Erotic romance novelist Sara Wright yearns for passion that leaps from the page. After a marriage that proved to be more fizzle than sizzle, Sara’s writing reflects her growing frustration and also her secret passion for her best friend and muse, Steve Larson.
Steve is anything but your typical romance hero. A redheaded computer nerd with a slow, southern drawl, he is neither a cattle baron nor a titan of industry. The one thing he does have going for him is that he has loved Sara from the moment he met her.
Sara confesses that he has long served as her inspiration and Steve leaps at the chance to take things to the next level. Determined to be the man to make her fantasies come true, he takes a page from her books and plots a passion so intense it threatens to consume them and the friendship they both cherish.
When friends turn into lovers, love can get lost in the shuffle. Fact becomes tightly cocooned in fiction as both Sara and Steve learn to balance their desires with the needs of their hearts.
Q5) How did you come with the idea for this story.
Maggie: As I said before, I love the friends into lovers bit. I also love hot nerds, and that is exactly what Steve Larson is – an alpha male in beta clothing. Also, I think Seducing Steve is a very realistic erotic romance. Their encounters are not perfect. They get tangled up in their clothing, noses bump, elbows fly, and once in a while one beats the other to the finish line.
I just thought it would be fun to write about a couple who has lots of hot sex, but not necessarily hot romance novel sex.
Q6) Can you tell us about your current work in progress
Maggie: I have two short stories coming as part of the Sapphire Nights Books Dirty Bits series. Hopefully those will be available in late 2011, or early 2012. These stories are a little different as they are more erotica than erotic romance. One is a spanky story, the other involves voyeurism.
I have a possible series in the works for late 2012 throughout 2013, but nothing is set in stone yet.
Q7) What are your writing habits. Anything you have to have while writing?
Maggie: I have to have background noise when I write. I come from a large family, so I have always worked better amidst a bit of chaos. I usually will have music or the television on while I write. Other than that, all I require are fuzzy socks and massive amounts of Diet Coke.
Q8) I always want to know what authors are reading or looking forward to reading. So can you share with us what you are currently reading or the next new release you can’t wait to get your hands on.
Maggie: I am currently reading Baby, I’m Yours by Susan Andersen. I just finished Keri Ford’s Making Her Nights. There are a number of books I’m denying myself at the moment. They are the carrots I’m dangling so that I make my deadlines. I can’t wait for the third book in Jill Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor series.
Q9) is there anything else you would like to add?
Maggie: Just a thank you to everyone who has given SeducingSteve a try. I’ve received so many fabulous messages from readers via email and social media. I can’t tell you how wonderful that makes an author feel. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Books-n-Kisses, Maggie it has been a pleasure to have you here today. Please come back any time.
Maggie: Thank you for having me here, Kelly, it’s been a treat! *blows kisses*

GIVEAWAY TIME: 
Maggie has offered an e-copy of her book Seducing Steve

To Enter: 
Please leave a comment of question for Maggie
Please leave your email (No Email, No Entry)
Being a follower of my blog is good. 

Extra Points for each place you share this interview & giveaway 
Facebook, Twitter, Good reads, or  your blog. 
Please leave link

Giveaway will end on Oct 7
Winner announced Oct 10


Want to learn more about Maggie? 
Check her out here
Website: http://maggiewells.weebly.com/index.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Wells/175597205824257?sk=wall
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MaggieWells1
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Interview & Giveaway with Shayla Black

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Shayla Black to the blog. 

Bio: 
Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the New York Times bestselling author of over 30 sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances for multiple print and electronic publishers. She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading and listening to an eclectic blend of music.
Shayla has won or placed in over a dozen writing contests, including Passionate Ink’s Passionate Plume, Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and the National Reader’s Choice Awards. Romantic Times has awarded her Top Picks, a KISS Hero Award and a nomination for Best Erotic Romance.
A writing risk-taker, Shayla enjoys tackling writing challenges with every book.

Hi Shayla, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses.  I am beside myself to have you here today.  Thank you so very much for taking time out of your very busy schedule to sit down and talk with me about your newest book Belong to Me 
Shayla: Thanks for having me. It’s great to be here!
Books-n-Kisses:  Shall we get started?
Shayla: Absolutely!
Q1) Can you tell us a little more about what makes Shayla Black tick?
Shayla: Where to start? On the surface, I live a seemingly normal life. I take care of my family, enjoy friends and laugh, have favorite TV shows, coddle my spoiled cat. I think once you get to know me, you realize that I have this whole life in my head that’s literally non-stop. I’m constantly thinking about something—what I want to achieve, what I’m working on, what’s next on my plate. A former co-worker once told me that he realized that I lived an entire cerebral experience in my head without any other human input required. My creative energy is particularly fed by music, and I’m always looking for new tunes that spark me.
Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Shayla: Actually, no. I HATED to read until I was about 19. When I discovered romances, I finally realized that I didn’t hate reading; I just hated what they made me read in school. Then I began devouring books, about 4-6 a week. My mother, not a reader, started to worry that I wouldn’t graduate college. I did, but I told my parents often that I wouldn’t be using my marketing degree much. I did for a while, but finally became a full-time writer in January 2009. It was the sweetest event when, just earlier this month, my dad told me that he thought I was crazy in college for reading and tapping away at my keyboard during every spare moment. He said, “I was wrong, and I’m damn glad.”
Q3) Can you share with us your typical writing day?  Things you have to have while you write?
Shayla: I typically write Monday – Friday from 9am until 6pm, sometimes later. I do work a bit on weekends if we get any time after house and family stuff has been tended to. My typical day starts with conversations with my BFFs, Sophie Oak and Kris Cook. We “sprint” together most days, meaning that for 20-30 minute timed intervals, we write flat out. No editing, no thinking too hard about it. Just write the first thing that comes to mind next in the story. It’s really working wonders for my productivity. If I’m on it, I can do a chapter a day. If not, I agonize over every word. I’m great at overthinking. J In order to write, I MUST have my laptop because I refuse to write long-hand, my playlist, and instant messenger (so Sophie, Kris and I can compare totals at the end of a sprint). The system works for me.
Q4) What is the most reward or challenging part of being an author?
Shayla: On both parts, fans. On the one hand, it’s great to know that people are enjoying your work or that you’ve touched someone’s life. On the other hand, it’s sometimes daunting to know that readers have huge expectations for the book you’re working on. It can seem a bit paralyzing. For instance, after I received a great review recently for Belong To Me, several fans on Facebook said, “Of course. You’re always brilliant.” While I appreciate the vote of confidence, I don’t always feel brilliant. It’s nice to hear such things. I try really hard to earn them every day.
Q5) Let’s talk Belong to me… I know that Belong to Me book 5 in your Wicked Lovers series.
This is Logan’s book and let me tell you I am excited. *EEKKK Logan*  Would you like to tell us a little more about Belong to Me?
Shayla: It’s the 5th book in the Wicked Lovers series, about the very hot Logan Edgington (Kimber’s brother from DECADENT and Hunter’s brother from SURRENDER TO ME). Here’s the official blurb:
She’s undercover and in over her head…
When FBI analyst Tara Jacobs’ fellow agent and best friend goes missing while investigating a sex ring, Tara goes undercover as a submissive in a Dallas BDSM club called Dominion. But no man can top a woman with Tara’s moxie convincingly enough—until an edgy, dangerous Dom takes control of the scene and sets her heart racing with a single, commanding glance. Too bad he’s also the man who stole her innocence years ago—and the one to whom she will never submit.
He’s got everything under control…until he falls for her again.
Navy SEAL Logan Edgington once left the woman he loved to save her life. He knows Tara will never forgive him, but he has no doubt that he possesses the knowledge to master her fears and the strength to guide her through an unfamiliar world of pleasure and pain. He alone can protect her on a dangerous mission that reveals both wicked depravities and terrible secrets. Logan relishes the exquisite torture of holding her again, feeling her uninhibited response. No matter how much Tara insists their fling will end after this mission, he’s determined that she will be his again—and this time, he’ll never let her go.
Q6) What was the hardest part of writing Logan’s book.
Shayla: Doing justice to this fabulous story I could see in my head. The rapport between Logan and Tara was so strong, and there’s a little part of me and my past in this book, and I desperately wanted to get it right. I’m really excited about the final product.
Q7) Shall we share a little excerpt of Logan’s book to whet people appetite.
Shayla: Absolutely. This is fairly early in the book, just as Tara and Logan are reunited.
 Axel cleared his throat. “It appears that you and Agent Jacobs are acquainted. That’s my cue to back off and let you sort this little reunion out. Agent York?”  The tattooed Dom turned to the male agent. “Let’s go to Thorpe’s office and talk.”
York speared Tara with a concerned glance that rubbed Logan the wrong way. Just as he was about to offer to rearrange the agent’s face, Tara sent the man a decisive nod.
“Xander, you, too,” Axel said. “Something tells me Logan won’t need your help with this one.”
His one-man cleanup crew shrugged and followed Axel to the door. “We’ll see.”
Beating back his annoyance, Logan watched the trio file out. The door closed behind them with a soft click. Now could he push Cherry up against the wall and bury himself inside her? One look at her face told him that she was less than amenable to that idea. But now that he was training her, he’d have time alone with her. Get to touching her. God, he couldn’t have planned this better if he’d tried. Tara stormed across the room, her hair loosening from its clip after his manhandling. She removed it. The fiery tresses fell half-way down her back as she grabbed a robe out of the armoire against the far wall and thrust it on.
“What are you doing here?”
He hadn’t given her permission to put that little silken robe on, but they’d get to that. He had questions, and was sure that she did, as well.  Logan shrugged.
“I spend a lot of time here, actually. At least when I’m on leave.”
She frowned. “I’d heard you joined the service. Army?”
“Navy,” he corrected. “SEAL.”
That had her raising her delicate ginger brows. “From jock to soldier. That’s a stretch. Still a team player, I guess.”
Oddly, her razor-sharp sarcasm, even in high school, was one of the things he’d missed most about her after their split. The other thing had been her compassion.
A dozen years ago, he’d hurt her badly—and it had nearly killed him to rip her heart out. The fact that she could still spare him even a shred of anger after all these years he took as a good sign. If he was irrelevant to her now, she’d have no emotion beyond mild surprise. She certainly wouldn’t bother to bristle and clutch that robe like a shield.
“From budding author to FBI Agent. That is a stretch.”
Then it dawned on him; he would be training his Cherry to go into the field, to submit to some unscrupulous asshole who sold females for a living, a man who would touch her, maybe hurt her. One agent had already disappeared, might even be dead. She’d volunteered for immense danger. And he wouldn’t be there to guide her. Beta York would. Damn it.
He crossed his arms over his chest. Maybe that way she wouldn’t see how hard his heart was pounding at the idea of her volunteering to walk into a snake pit. “Since you’re FBI, I presume you’re proficient with a gun and hand-to-hand, but if you don’t have the time or guts to fully prepare for a potentially dangerous BDSM environment, then I won’t train you for this mission.
“Oh, I have the time and the guts, but you’re right; you won’t train me. I’ll find someone else. But I am going to do my job. Darcy Miles, the missing agent, is my friend. And what I do is none of your business.”
Because he’d thrown away the right to say anything when they’d been sixteen, near the end of their sophomore year. She didn’t spit out that she was no longer his, but the unspoken words hung brittle in the air, taking him back to that terrible day . . .
Q8) Can you tell us about Wicked to Love (release date scheduled for Nov 1, 2011)
Shayla: It’s a short e-novella for those Wicked Lovers fans who asked me, “What about Brandon?” He’s Morgan’s half-brother from Wicked Ties and he ended up all alone. Some fans really wanted to see him happy, so here we are! This is the official blurb:
Just when Brandon Ross gave up on the woman he’d always wanted, he found the one he needed—right under his nose.
A politician’s son, Brandon reined in his desire to serve his community for years after a former friend blackmailed him for desiring the man’s wife. Years later, he’s still haunted by Kayla, holding every woman to her standard. And Brandon’s secretary, Amberlin Evans, knows she can’t measure up.
Amberlin would do anything to make her boss notice her. But when one phone call from Kayla sends Brandon running after her, she knows it’s time to stop waiting for him to see her and move on. Funny how her resignation gets Brandon’s attention in a way short skirts didn’t.
When Brandon confronts Amberlin, he realizes that he’s been blind to his feelings for her—and that the way she always calls him Sir and says “please” has his thoughts turning wicked…
Q9) I also noticed that you have a title for book 6 Mine to Hold (Tyler’s story) & book 7 Bound to You (Xander’s book).  Can you tell us a little about each book?
Shayla: MINE TO HOLD, Wicked Lovers book 6, is about a fan favorite, the mischievous Tyler, I’m just about done writing it now for a next June release. Here’s the official blurb:

A friend’s duty.
Tyler Murphy was an LAPD detective, single and happy—until a near-fatal tragedy crippled his friend, fellow detective Eric Catalano. While he supported Eric, he also became a shoulder for Eric’s wife, Delaney, to lean on. But with one naughty suggestion from Eric, a drunken night with Delaney spilled into erotic abandon. Before it was over Tyler saw his best friend’s wife as a woman and yearned for more. When Eric struggled to deal with the aftermath, Delaney begged Tyler to leave. Crushed, he fled to Louisiana, hoping to escape his longing for the one woman he could never have again…and unaware of what he’d left behind.
 A lover’s desire.
After two years of living with regret, Tyler finds Delaney on his doorstep, her husband having abandoned her long ago. She’s protecting a shocking secret and desperately needs refuge from a killer determined to see her dead. As they fight to stay alive and catch the stalker, they struggle to resolve the guilt of their past pleasures. But they can’t deny that what was once a spark is now a flame burning out of control. To possess Delaney—body and soul—Tyler must heal her pain and thwart the evil that’s a mere breath behind her…
Book 7 in this series, BOUND TO YOU, is about a character you’ll meet in both books 5 and 6 named Xander. I love, love, love Xander. He’s playful on the outside, but has a lot of problems under the surface. For a billionaire, he’s both complicated and fun. And his heroine has NO idea what’s about to hit her. *grin*
Q10) How many books do you foresee in this series?
Shayla: I don’t know, in all honesty. In BELONG TO ME, besides introducing Xander, I also introduced a Dallas BDSM club owner named Mitchell Thorpe. He’s got a story, I can feel it. I’m digging through his head to find out what it might be. And that’s how the series continues. I introduce people who intrigue me. Then fans say they’re also intrigued and ask me to write about them. I’m happy to do it. No idea where the end is.
Q11) Who would you say has been the hardest to write in you Wicked Lovers series and who has been the easiest or should I say least difficult?
Shayla: The hardest book in the series for me to write was SURRENDER TO ME. There was a lot going on in my life then, and the interruptions were constant. It all made focusing really challenging, and I already knew the book was late. The added pressure got under my skin, which made me freeze at times. And Hunter was probably the most complicated hero in that series. Clear in his thinking because he was so single-minded, but there was just so much running around in his head, it was hard for me to filter through all of it.
I think the easiest book in the series to write was DELICIOUS. I had an extremely clear vision of where Luc and Alyssa both were emotionally all throughout the book, which makes it lovely and linear when I sit down to type. I knew what character growth they both needed to make in order to be happy. I knew Alyssa’s wrenching backstory would make a poignant tale. As I wrote Alyssa telling Luc about her past, I cried with every keystroke for those two days.
Q12) How did you come up with the idea for the Wicked Lovers series?
Shayla: I didn’t, really. Wicked Ties was designed as a stand-alone book. Then Deke walked onto the scene, and intrigued me. I got email about him. He lingered in my head…and DECADENT was born. But by then, I’d introduced Luc and the Edgington Brothers, and they all needed books, too. In the middle of that, I brought out Xander and Thorpe. Knowing me, there will be more to come. Hot men just ooze from my thoughts. J
Q13) So, I was looking over your book list on your blog you are a busy writer.  Tell us what is up next for you?
Shayla: I’m staying really busy! After BELONG TO ME, here’s my schedule:
Sometime in October – STRICTLY SEDUCTION – historical re-release.
November 1 – “Wicked To Love” – electronic novella
December 24 – THEIR VIRGIN’S SECRET – Masters of Ménage, book 2 (with Lexi Blake)
February 2012 – EMBRACE ME AT DAWN – Doomsday Brethren, book 5
Spring 2012 – STRICTLY FORBIDDEN – historical re-release
June 2012 – MINE TO HOLD – Wicked Lovers 6
July 2012 – “Arresting Desire” – HOT IN HANDCUFFS anthology
Q14) I know that it is not part of the Wicked Lovers series, but I have to say I can’t wait for Embrace me at Dawn (book 5 in the Doomsday Brethren series)  Would you care to share an excerpt of Embrace me at Dawn?
Shayla: I don’t have anything to share just yet except what’s in the back of book 4, ENTICE ME AT TWILIGHT. But I’m also really excited about this book. I’ve been waiting to write this book for a very long time. The emotional richness of this love triangle is something I absolutely cannot wait to sink my teeth into!
Q15) Is there anything else that you would like to share with our followers?
Shayla: I really appreciate readers and all the wonderful support you’ve given me over the years. If you’d like to interact with me more, I have a very active Facebook page. Please “like” Shayla Black/Shelley Bradley if you’d like the latest scoop from me. I’m always posting parts of my playlists for books, excerpts, new covers, favorite lines of the day as I write them—whatever is top of mind.
Books-n-Kisses: Shayla, again thank you so very, very much for stopping by my blog. Still super excited that you are here. So why don’t we share the excitement with my followers and do a giveaway.  Maybe a giveaway of one of your back list books?
Shayla: Thanks for having me. Sounds great! I’ll be happy to give away the Wicked Lovers backlist book of the winner’s choice.

Giveaway Time: 
To be entered in to Shayla’s giveaway please swing by her website and look at the Wicked Lovers back list (HERE) and then come back and tell me which book you want. 
Leave me the name of the book you want. 
Leave a comment or questions for Shayla
Leave your email (No Email, No Entry)
Be a Follower of Books-n-Kisses Blog
Extra points
+1 Like Shayla on Facebook 
+1 share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Your blog, Good reads (please leave link)

Giveaway will end Oct 7th
Winner announced Oct 10th

Want to learn more about Shayla? 
You can find her here
Website: http://www.shaylablack.com/index.html
Facebook: http://www.shaylablack.com/index.html
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Shayla_Black


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Interview & Giveaway with Gena Showalter

Books-n-Kisses and The Qwillery are happy to team up to bring Gena Showalter to both of our blogs. Gena, we are both extremely excited to have you here today.  Happy Release Day Gena!!!

Gena:  I’m so happy to be here! Thank you so much for making it happen!

Q1)  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Gena:  I wouldn’t say ‘interesting’ so much as ‘frustrating.’ *g* I am over the top OCD about my books. Once I start one, I can’t stop. I eat, breathe and totally live the characters and their story. Seriously, I don’t think about anything else until the book is done. And yes, I’ve even called family members by character names. A terribly unbalanced way to live, but I honestly adore my job—even when the characters are naughty. Okay, especially when the characters are naughty.

Q2)   Have you always known you wanted to be an author?

Gena:  Actually, no. I played around with nursing for a while, but I had a terrible bedside manner so . . . that was a no go. But I had always loved to read romance novels, and I was always picturing scenes in my head, so ultimately writing seemed like the better fit.

Q3)  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Gena:  Pantser. I like to find out what happens when the readers finds out.

Q4)  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Gena:  I adore Kresley Cole, Karen Marie Moning, PC Cast, Jill Monroe, Nalini Singh, Larissa Ione, Jeaniene Frost, Meljean Brook, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Deidre Knight, Jessica Andersen, Shannon Butcher, Shelly Laurenston, Jennifer Cruise, JR Ward, and so many more! But my early influences were Johanna Lindsay, Julie Garwood, and Linda Howard

Q5)  Gena, you have so many great series. How do you come up with so many great stories?

Gena:  Something I hear, see, or read will cause me to say “What if.” With the Lords — what if men opened Pandora’s box? Alien huntress – what if (sexy and, okay, predatory) otherworlders walked among us? With the Intertwined series – what if a teenage boy had four human souls trapped inside his head? Everything grows from there.

Q6)  Do you have a favorite character out of all your series? If so who & why?

Gena:  I have several favorites J From the Lords, I am head over heels for William. He’s a narcissistic womanizer who thinks torturing his enemies is fun, but oh, is he sexy! I can’t wait to see him tamed. And by tamed I mean just as naughty but in love. From Alien Huntress, I want to run away with Hector. He’s as badass as a guy can be, with arms that morph into flame-throwers (literally), but when he falls for his woman . . . shiver! There is no one more loyal, no one more determined to protect.

Q7)  One of your newest releases is Dark Taste of Rapture (Alien Huntress Series 6) Can you tell us a little more about this book?

Gena:  Would love to! Here’s the blurb:


With one caress, he can give unforgettable pleasure…or unending pain…
Hector Dean is shaved, tattooed, and totally ripped — and he has a deadly secret. He is a walking weapon, capable of killing with a single brush of his fingertips. Little wonder he’s determined to remain on his own. But Noelle Tremain is a temptation like no other. She is beautiful and rich, with a party girl smile that hides a shocking vulnerability, and from the beginning his sizzling attraction to her is undeniable. For the first time, his stone-cold resistance is tested. But to be with her, he risks destroying her.
When a wealthy businessman is murdered in New Chicago’s seediest district, the two are partnered, and there’s no escaping what they both want: each other. Yet neither Hector nor Noelle knows what to fear more—the killer case, or their own lethal desires. . . .

Q8)  Another new release is Lord of the Vampires. Which is the 1st book in a 4 author series titled Royal House of Shadows. The other authors include Jill Monroe (The Lord of Rage, Sept 27), Jessica Andersen (The Lord of Wolfyn, Oct 25), and Nalini Singh (Lord of the Abyss, Nov 27). Can you tell us a little about your book.


Gena:  Once upon a time, the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with a need for vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.

Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who can help him.
When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey. She’s drawn to his dark sexuality and into his magical realm. But for this human, all is not a fairy tale. For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she’s ever craved…

Q9)  You have a great explanation on the Royal House of Shadow’s website of how the four of you came up with this idea. Would you like to share that idea with us?

Gena:  We wanted tell our favorite fairy tales with fun new (and sexy!) twists! Jill Monroe retells Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jessica Andersen retells Little Red Riding Hood and Nalini Singh retells Beauty and the Beast. Me? I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Alice in Wonderland. A young girl wakes up in a whole new world, with no idea who (or what) to trust, fantastical magic around every corner, and her curious nature getting her into all kinds of trouble. I used to put myself in Alice’s place, wondering what I would do, where I would go. And of course, anytime I insert myself into a scene, I also insert a very sexy guy.
But I digress. This time, when I sat down to retell Alice, it wasn’t myself that I saw but Jane Parker, a studious scientist with a haunted past. One morning she wakes and finds herself trapped in mythical realm with Berserkers, shifters, and evil sorcerers. But the most dangerous creature of all? The vampire prince who has an insatiable hunger for her blood. Yeah, this wonderland has fangs—and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Q10)  What is next?

Gena:  I have a bang, bang, bang of releases! There’s Dark Taste of Rapture, my sexiest Alien Huntress novel yet (Aug 23rd), Lord of the Vampires (Aug 23rd), Twisted, the darkest of the Intertwined novels, (Aug 30th, and it’s about a human boy who finds himself crowned king of the vampires), The Darkest Surrender (Sept 27th, Strider’s story and my personal favorite of the Lords of the Underworld novels), and Dating the Undead (co-authored with Jill Monroe, coming Jan 2012) This book teaches women how to date creatures of “myth,” and we had such a blast writing it!

Q11)  Is there anything else you would like to add?

Gena:  Thank you so much for having me! This was a blast!

Huge thank you to Gena for stopping by Books-n-Kisses and The Qwillery to talk about her newest releases.
About Gena’s Latest Books

The Darkest Surrender

Lords of the Underworld
(HQN, September 27, 2011)
Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain. For him, nothing stands in the way of victory. Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.
Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die. Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he has an agenda of his own—steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named. But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter—the love neither had thought possible.…
Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million



Twisted
Intertwined 3
Harlequin Teen, August 30, 2011

Sixteen-year-old Aden Stone has had a hell of a week. He’s been:
Tortured by angry witches. Hypnotized by a vengeful fairy. Spied on by the most powerful vampire in existence. And, oh, yeah, killed—twice.
His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he’s never felt more out of control. There’s a darkness within him, something taking over…changing him. Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last.
Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker—just like his girlfriend. The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened.
Life couldn’t get any worse. Could it?
Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million


Lord of the Vampires
Royal House of Shadows 1
Harlequin, August 23, 2011
Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out….
Nicolai the Vampire was renowned for his virility, but in a twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” had become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remained was a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who could help him.
In her dreams, a wanton vampire called to Jane Parker, drawing her to his dark sexuality and his magical realm. But for a human, all was not a fairy tale in Delfina. Jane was the key to Nicolai’s memory…but exploiting her meant dooming the only mortal he craved.
Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million
Dark Taste of Rapture
Alien Huntress 6
Pocket Star, August 23, 2011
New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter captivates with a dark, tantalizing world of humans, otherworlders, and a powerful AIR agent consumed by his desire for a woman he can never have. . . .
With one caress, he can give unforgettable pleasure . . . or unending pain. . . .
Hector Dean is shaved, tattooed, and totally ripped—and he has a deadly secret. He is a walking weapon, capable of killing with a single brush of his fingertips. Little wonder he’s determined to remain on his own. But Noelle Tremain is a temptation like no other. She is beautiful and rich, with a party girl smile that hides a shocking vulnerability, and from the beginning his sizzling attraction to her is undeniable. For the first time, his stone-cold resistance is tested. But to be with her, he risks destroying her.
When a wealthy businessman is murdered in New Chicago’s seediest district, the two are partnered, and there’s no escaping what they both want: each other. Yet neither Hector nor Noelle knows what to fear more—the killer case, or their own lethal desires. . . .
Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million

The Giveaway
THE RULES
What:  One commenter at Books-n-Kisses will win a signed copy of  The Darkest Surrender from Gena Showalter. Head over to The Qwillery and enter for a chance to win there also! Two copies of the book will be given away – one at each blog. US mailing addresses only.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

What is your favorite book by Gena 
or 
which of her books are looking forward to the most?

Please remember – if you don’t answer the question your entry will not be counted.
You may receive additional entries by:
1)  Being a Follower of Books-n-Kisses.
2)  Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter and/or your blog. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter or your blog multiple times.
Note:  It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.
There are a total of 3 entries you may receive: Answer the question (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter and/or personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.
Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.
Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 4, 2011. Void where prohibited by law. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.
*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*
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Interview & giveaway with Pamela Palmer

Books-n-Kisses is extremely pleased to welcome the wonderful Pamela Palmer to the blog today. Pamela has stopped by to talk about her Feral Warriors and maybe we can learn a little more about her too.

Pamela Palmer is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Feral Warriors shape shifter series, the Esri series and, under the pseudonym Pamela Montgomerie, the Jewels of Time time travel series. When Pamela’s initial career goal of captaining starships didn’t pan out, she turned to engineering, satisfying her desire for adventure with books and daydreams until finally succumbing to the need to create worlds of her own. Pamela lives and writes in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. 



Pamela: Hi Kelly! Hi everyone! I’m delighted to be here.

Kelly: Can I get you anything before we begin?  Coffee, tea, soda?

Pamela: Ha! Tea, please. A spiced chai, if you have it.

Kelly: One spiced chai tea coming up.. Shall we get started? 

#1  Feral Warrior Series

Q1) What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?


Pamela: Hmm. My most interesting quirk. Probably that I need music to write. Instrumentals only. Usually I write to Keiko Matsui’s new age jazz, sometimes to soundtracks. Some of my favorite soundtracks lately are Inception, HALO 3, Pirates of the Caribbean (which I always pull out when I’m writing the climax of the book), and the scores for the Twilight movies. I’m very Pavlovian about the music. I have to turn it off the moment I do anything but write (answer the phone, check my email, even get up and get another cup of tea). The moment I turn the music on, I’m in the zone.

 #2 Feral Warrior Series

Q2) Have you always known you wanted to be an author?


Pamela: No, I had no idea. Growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut until I realized space travel in my lifetime was never going to get me on the Starship Enterprise. Instead, I majored in industrial engineering and went to work for IBM. I hated English and Literature classes in school and avoided them like the plague. I hated the books they made us read. But I’d always been a voracious reader (mostly romances) and a constant daydreamer. It wasn’t until one of my daydreams got too big for my head that I was compelled to head to the computer and try writing it down.

 #3 Feral Warrior Series

Q3) Are you a plotter or a pantser?


Pamela: I’m a little of both. The engineer in me wants to be a plotter. I’d love to come to the writing with the book figured out, in detail, down to the last chapter and scene. But when I’ve tried to write that way, it’s never worked. Usually, by the first turning point I’ve found a scene that won’t work the way I’d envisioned, sending the story off in a new direction and my careful plotting notes into the trash. I liken that process to plotting your journey through the city on a map. From the map it appears a simple matter to get from point A to point B—drive three blocks and take a left. But it’s not until you actually get into the city and try to drive that route that you see the detour, or the one-way street going the wrong way, or the sign that says, “No left turns.”

So what I do now is figure out the big picture of the story—the characters (what they need to learn, what they think they could never do), the villain and what he wants, the conflicts (both internal and external), how the story starts and how the story will end. I usually have three or four big, important scenes in mind. My tent poles. And then I start writing. It’s in the writing that the story ultimately unfolds.

 #4 Feral Warrior Series


Q4) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?


Pamela: That’s a tough one. My current favorite UF/PNR authors are Nalini Singh, Keri Arthur, JR Ward, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Petterssen, Larissa Ione, and Karen Marie Moning. My favorite historical romance authors are Anna Campbell and Sarah MacLean.

I’m not sure I can answer the second question. Everyone and everything influences my writing in one way or another. But no one in particular.

Let’s talk books:
 #5 Feral Warrior Series

We could be here all day talking about all your dreamy Feral Warriors so let’s jump to your newest release Hunger Untamed.


Q5) Hunger Untamed (book 5)  is your most current release of the Feral Warrior series.  Can you tell us a little about Kougar and Ariana’s story?

Pamela: Kougar has always been the coldest, most dangerous, most mysterious of the Feral Warriors. Kougar keeps his past to himself, including the fact that his mate, Ariana, Queen of the Ilinas, betrayed him, leaving him to suffer a ruptured mating bond and to believe the love of his life was dead for a thousand years. He knows now she’s not dead and while she’s the last person on earth he wants to see again, she’s the only hope for Tighe and Hawke, two Feral Warriors who’ve been trapped in a deadly spirit trap with no way out.

#6 Feral Warrior Series

Q6) Pamela, Ecstasy Untamed (book 6) of the Feral Warriors series is scheduled for release on October 25th can you tell us a little about this book?


Pamela: In Ecstasy Untamed, Hawke is free of the spirit trap, finally, but not free from it’s damaging effects. He’s suffering a dangerous break with his animal, one that will kill him if he doesn’t find a way to heal the rift. But distraction arrives at in the form of Faith, a darling Therian woman with a smile that lights him up inside. The problem is, she’s the intended mate of the newest Feral Warrior, Maxim.

Q7) How did you come up with the idea for the Feral Warriors Series?

Pamela: The idea for the series sprang from a single scene: a woman finds a huge, gorgeous man standing in her kitchen—a man who tells her she’s not only immortal, but the only one who can save his race. That scene was one of the first in Desire Untamed. From there I had to figure out who he was and what he was, but the rest started spinning and weaving together and the Feral Warriors were born.

Q8) After looking at your blog it looks like we are going to get at least 8 Feral Warrior books.  Do you foresee the series going past 8? Do you know whose book 7 & 8 will be yet?

Pamela: I actually know the heroes of books 7, 8, and 9. So, yes, the series will be going past 8. That said, I won’t be sharing that information any time soon. I’ve promised readers that I’ll reveal the hero of book 7 on Dec. 1st. That will give people a chance to read Ecstasy Untamed before I spill the news.

#1 The Esri Series

Q9) Can you tell us a little about your Esri Series, published by Harlequin Nocturne.  (bk1: The Dark Gate(2007), bk2 Dark Deceiver (2008),  bk3: A Warrior’s Desire 2/2012)


Pamela: The Esri series is the story of an invasion of the human world by a race of immortals who are at the heart of the old legends of fairies and elves. But these creatures, the Esri, are man-sized, malicious, and bent on the enslavement of mankind. Only a handful of humans can see them for what they are and can’t be enchanted. They’re the only ones who can save us. The series will be four books in all. Book 3, A Warrior’s Desire, will be out in February and Book 4, Warrior Rising, comes out in April.


#1 in the Time Travels Series

Q10) Tell us a little about your Time Travels Series by Pamela Montgomerie.


Pamela: I wrote two Scottish historical time travels for Berkley a few years ago under the pseudonym Pamela Montgomerie. I actually adore these books. They’re a little lighter than my others, though both have non-stop action, adventure, and romance, of course. The first, Sapphire Dream, is about Brenna who travels to Scotland in our time only to awaken aboard a pirate ship off the Scottish coast, called there by the mysterious dwarf, Hegarty. The pirate captain, Rourke, knows precisely who she is but wants nothing to do with her or the prophesy that Hegarty’s called her to fulfill, a prophesy that’s already destroyed his life once.

In Amethyst Destiny, Hegarty’s machinations are at work again when Talon, who he rescued years ago with the gift of a magic ring, accidentally uses that ring to call Julia from the future to help him on his latest quest. Julia’s not amused, but she has no choice but to stick with the charming con man if she wants any chance of getting home again.

Q11) A Blood Seduction (scheduled release May 2012) is the first book in a new series titled the Vamp City Series.  Tell us a little more.

Pamela: Yes, I’m finally writing a vampire series and I’m having a blast with it. The Vamp City series is my first multi-book romance, which means the hero/heroine will be the same for all five books. Think Jeaniene Frost’s Cat and Bones books or Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. Vamp City is a magical dark city created long ago by a sorcerer, a vampire utopia where the sun never shines and where the vampires can live and hunt in the open. It was created by duplicating Washington, D.C. and is, in fact, Washington, V.C. (Vamp City). The story starts when Quinn Lennox and her brother Zack accidentally stumble through the portal while searching for Zack’s lost friend. Little does Quinn realize she’s the one they’ve been waiting for.

#2 in the Time Travels Series

Q12) You are a very busy girl these days.  Tell us about your typical writing day.


Pamela: I am busy! Right now, I’m plotting Feral book #7, revising A Blood Seduction, and working on the page proofs for A Warrior’s Desire while I wait for the copyedits of Warrior Rising. Plus I have a To-Do of other things a mile high. But I like being busy and I love a challenge.

My typical writing day is pretty much every day since I work at home and don’t have an outside job. I see my dh off to work, then start working by 8:00 unless it’s an exercise day, in which case I don’t get started until closer to 10:00. I write/work on and off all day, interspersing an hour of writing with a half-hour to hour of laundry, To-Do list items, etc. I generally don’t stop until about 9:00 at night. After that I either read or I watch one of my taped tv shows or a movie until bedtime.

Q13) What is the best piece of advice you would give to a budding author?

Pamela: Keep writing, keep studying the craft (it takes a lot of work to learn story structure, character development, conflict arcs, etc.). But mostly, don’t give up.

#2 The Esri Series


Q14) I always like to ask what authors have in their To Be Read pile… Tell us the one book you are dying to read.


Pamela: Larissa Ione’s Eternal Rider

Q15) Is there anything else you would like to add?

Pamela: If you’re interested in learning more about any of my series, take a look at my website, www.pamelapalmer.net. You’ll find excerpts, more about the books, more about the worlds, etc. Also, in conjunction with the upcoming release of Ecstasy Untamed, I have some fun things planned including a pajama party at Feral House! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter (on my website), ‘Like’ me on FB, or follow me on Twitter so you won’t miss anything!

Website: www.pamelapalmer.net
Twitter: @Pamela_Palmer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PamelaPalmer


Books-n-Kisses: Pamela, thank you so very much for taking time out of your very busy schedule to sit down and chat with me about you and your books.  I have enjoyed getting to know you a little better and I am looking forward to reading Ecstasy Untamed.

Pamela: Thanks so much for having me, Kelly! Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

Books-n-Kisses: Oh Pamela, One last thing before you go….. What do you say we giveaway a copy of Hunger Untamed to one of my followers?

Pamela: Absolutely! I’ll sign it and send it out.

GIVEAWAY TIME: 
To enter: 
Please leave a comment or question for Pamela
Please leave your email (NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY)

Extra points: 
+1 share this post on Twitter, Facebook or your Blog (please leave link)

Giveaway will end Sept 28th
Winner annouced on Sept 30th


Posted on

Interview & Giveaway with Liz Crowe

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to Welcome Liz Crowe to the blog today.  We will be talking about Liz’s new upcoming book The Tap Room.

The Tap Room by Liz Crowe

Erin Brady’s life has turned inside out.

Her Alpha banker husband, Bradley, has left, claiming she pays more attention to her microbrewery than to him and their two sons.
One business partner, Trent, (The Rookie)  is attempting to re-kindle an old flame between them.
Their amazing success has demanded they hire a new brewer, Jeff, (Jockey Box) who takes one look at his new boss and is determined to be something more than an employee.
The daily stresses of running a small business, plus the ongoing turmoil  in her personal life are more than she can take.  Escaping to Denver for an industry event, she meets Landon, a brewery rock star turned consultant who has been watching her company–and her– for a while.
When family trauma requires an early return to Michigan, Erin is faced with even harder realities plus a thoroughly contrite Bradley, wishing for a reunion.  Then, the ultimate sign of success:  a buy out offer is tendered from a much larger brewery, just as the owners of Winter Street Brewing are about to be honored by Inc. Magazine as Top Entrepreneurs.
Finally, Erin turns to her other partner, Owen, who has watched the woman he loves suffer long enough and is determined to step in and be the one.
WHO WILL SHE CHOOSE????
Guess what?  YOU get to decide…..September 30, 2011 from Breathless Press.

Want to know the exciting part?  You the readers will get to choose who Erin ends up with…. Yes you heard me right.  You get to pick. What do you say we learn more about Liz and The Tap Room.


Hi Liz, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses.  Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and talk with me.

Liz :  Greetings all!  Thanks for having me B-n-K.  I’m delighted to be here (virtually). It’s a crazy month to be sure, but I’m so excited to have The Tap Room ready for release.  It’s been a long time coming.

Q1) Tell us a little about yourself.


Liz: I own a small business by day (and most nights). The Wolverine State Brewing Company is a craft microbrewery, in a state that ranks fifth in the nation (behind California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado) in the number of licensed breweries and brew pubs. I am one of three owners and handle all aspects of sales, marketing, promotions and distributor relations.
 My first three published short stories were pulled from this longer book (The Tap Room) and published by Breathless Press.  The Rookie was pubbed last fall, XXXMas Ale last December and Jockey Box last spring. 
I have 3 teenaged kids, one in college, one who plays Olympic Development level soccer, 2 standard poodles and a spouse who can’t decide if it’s cool to have a brewery owning erotic writer around or just annoying. 
I’m a HUGE fan of football, both American and European so needless to say “fall” is my favorite season.  From Nashville Tennessee originally I got an English degree at the University of Louisville and love BOTH of those amazing cities. I currently live in Ann Arbor.  Go Blue.

 www.breathlesspress.org/Book/178

Q2) What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?


Liz: Once a story is “head written,” usually on a day I’m in the car traipsing around SE Michigan in the name of beer sales, I MUST get in front of a computer and get it out.  If it’s a short story, it will take me about 48 hours.  A novel, of course takes longer.  I don’t set daily word count goals.  I can’t write every day unfortunately.  But once I’m on a new project, you’re lucky if I realize you are even in my general vicinity.  Just ask my family. 

Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?


Liz: I think Gone With The Wind, which I read at 13 years old is the seminal romance and I still can “hear” lines from it that stick in my head.  I also adore Margaret Atwood, Stephen King and Anne Tyler for their amazing magic with prose.   As for romance, I’m a huge huge huge fan of both Shayla Black and Lauren Dane. I’ve also recently come to enjoy Lee Brazil, Anne Mayburn, Desiree Holt, Em Petrova, Katalina Leon and Cindy Spencer Pape.

Q4) The Tap Room is your newest Release.  Tell us a little about how you came up with the idea for this book.

Liz: This was literally a serialized project on my blog, brewingpassion.com.  I would add to it as the mood struck me and time allowed over the course of about 18 months.  As I said, I pulled 3 of what I thought were the hotter, stand alone chapters and submitted them.  Breathless Press took a chance on me and then optioned the entire story.  I’ve spent many many hours turning it into the “choose your romance” format.  It’s been an amazing exercise of the writing and revision and editing muscle I can assure you.

  www.breathlesspress.org/Book/287

Q5) How does it work asking the readers choose who she ends up with?


Liz: Readers will follow Erin’s story from one year after she’s split with her husband.  She is six years into a successful run as part owner of a microbrewery.  One business partner, Trent, and she have a history dating back to high school.  They lost touch, then when he asked her to join the company as marketing director, she jumped at it.  The other partner, Owen, has developed a very serious crush on her, but doesn’t want to push her.  They’ve all experienced the difficult break up of hers (and Trent’s) marriages over the time they put into their brewery. 
The story unfolds over the course of the following six months.  Readers will be introduced to Owen, Jeff (the hot, young, new brewer they’ve hired who also is smitten with his boss) and Landon (the rock star brewery consultant who has befriended her on line and later on a more, um, direct contact basis).
At a crucial point in the story after all men are introduced, Erin must make a choice.  That’s where the reader will choose a path: 1, 2, or 3 and finish the last ¼ of the book to the end with that man.  I have made each man pretty distinctive in traits, desires, and personality.  It’s a tough choice and NO she can’t have all 3—it’s not that sort of book, sorry!  But I believe readers will identify with one or the other man and want to see her with him.  There will be an option (I’m told) to go back and read the others of course…

www.breathlesspress.org/Book/284

Q6) Do have a favorite you want Erin to end up with?


Liz: yes.  Ask me after it’s released and I’ll tell you who.


Q7) What is up next for you?

Liz: In addition to this novel, I have another novel coming out from Rebel Ink Press, Vegas Miracle—a really romantic m/f/m (Oct. 17) plus a short cougar story in their Claw Marks Anthology on Oct. 1.  There will also be 4 novellas with Decadent Publishing, three of them as a trilogy as part of their 1NightStand series. Those will all release in Nov/Dec.

Q8) Is there anything else you would like to add?


Drink craft beer.  Anything else and the terrorists win.  Seriously, if you are a fan of craft beer I also blog at www.a2beerwench.com which has gotten me national notice.  My website is www.lizcrowe.com.  And I’m on the Breathless Blog every Friday usually using the Eff word a lot about various topics in writing and life.  www.breathlessblog.com.
And while this is not an entirely autobiographical story, it does pull from many personal and unique experiences I have had working in the man’s world of beer. 
Books-n-Kisses: Liz, Thank you so very much for stopping by and talking with us. I enjoyed learning more about you and your books.  I look forward to reading The Tap Room and finding out who Erin will end up with.

Liz: Don’t forget—you get to choose her man.  I’m sure your choice will be a good one!
I’m happy to be here.  The short stories already published with Breathless are all available on their site www.breathlesspress.org, on Good reads, Amazon and ARe. Just search by name:  Liz Crowe.


Get a head start on The Tap Room Brewing Passion Series with The Rookie, Jockey Box, XXXMas Ale

Liz’s buy links for:
The Rookie: www.breathlesspress.org/Book/178
Jockey Box:  www.breathlesspress.org/Book/287
XXXMas Ale:  www.breathlesspress.org/Book/284


Pre-Order The Tap Room: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thetaproom-601713-144.html 

GIVEAWAY TIME
Breathless Press is offering an e-copy of The Rookie book on in the Brewing Passion Series

If you would like a chance to win
Please leave a comment/question for Liz
Please leave your EMAIL (NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY) 
Be a follower of my blog is good too
Extra Points for
+1 sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter or your blog
+1 Friend Liz on Facebook
+1 Like Books-n-Kisses Facebook page

Giveaway ends Sept 24th. 
Winner announced Sept 26th


Posted on

Interview & Giveaway with Kathleen Gallagher

Learn more about this tour click pix

Hi Kathleen, Welcome Back to Books-n-Kisses. Last time you were here I let you take over the blog and talk about your book Echoes at Dawn’s play list. Shall we talk some more about you?

Kathleen: Hi Kelly, It’s great to be here. Thank you for inviting me back to Books-n-Kisses. I had an amazing time on my last visit. I’m happy to have the opportunity to chat a little more.

Q1) Tell us a little about yourself

Kathleen: Well, let’s see… I’m a woman who has many roles, as so many of us have today. First, I’m a wife, mother and grandmother of three boys. I’m also a registered nurse, who works in an emergency room. The rest of the time, I write romance and women’s fiction. We have two furry friends, a lovable dog Chaz and a feisty cat, named Cairo. They give us unconditional love, especially when we offer them extra treats.

Q2) Describe Echoes at Dawn in 140 characters or less.

Kathleen: Echoes at Dawn is my debut novel released by Decadent Publishing.
It is a story about a man and a woman who find each other in the midst of change and struggle to free themselves from their tumultuous pasts.


The strangely intertwined lives of a widowed woman, and a charismatic bachelor come together in order to show that in life, there are no coincidences…only destiny.


Waterfront restaurant chef Madeline Young adores her job. If only her love and family’s lives were as successful as her career. With a teenage son, who spends time in the emergency room for alcohol poisoning and a dementia-plagued mother, Madeline doesn’t know how much more she could handle. Then her mother enlists the help of her deceased twin sister, Mary, to guide Madeline to find happiness. An early dawn visit from the spirit directs Madeline to volunteer at the local hospitals center for addiction recovery, where she comes alive for the first time in many years under the attention of Nat Griffin.


Nathaniel Griffin, a part-time counselor and contractor, fascinates his clients with his lectures. In keeping with his philosophy of professionalism, Nat prefers to keep his personal life private. When attraction tests his beliefs, Nat must confront his marred past. Is he willing to face his demons or take the easier path and remain isolated?


Can unworldly ghosts save this couple from their own self-destructive behavior? Will they be able to accept change and move forward, or allow secrets to stand in the way?

Q3) How did you come up with the idea for this story?


Kathleen: Old black and white photos have always fascinated me. One day while rummaging through the basement, I came across a family portrait from the early 1900’s. I’m not sure what the occasion was, but the relatives gathered together adorned in their fancy outfits. The expressions on their faces lacked enthusiasm and were absent of smiles. The little girls in the front row even looked somber. No matter how I tried, I could not get the people in the snapshot out of my mind. Eventually, I found a vintage frame for it and displayed it in my house.


As time went on, I began to wonder more about the lives of the people in the picture. Were the little girls anxious to return home to play with their dolls? On the other hand, were they tired from doing their chores? Could they be anticipating a party afterwards? Were the husbands and wives arguing, or exchanging fond embraces earlier in the day? After staring at the girls wearing party dresses with high top shoes, my imagination took over. They became sisters with a special bond. Do sisters have a connection unlike other siblings? What would happen if one of them left this world early? I began to piece together what turned out to be the premise for my paranormal romance, Echoes at Dawn.

Q4) What did you find most challenging about writing this story?

Kathleen: I found the character of Nat Griffin quite a challenge. He’s a complex guy who has a rough exterior, yet a tender heart. To create a balance between the two was not easy. His strong independent nature did not want to follow the path I created for him. You’ll simply have to read Echoes at Dawn to find out more.

Q5) Have you always wanted to be an author?

Kathleen: Actually, I wanted to be an actress when I was younger. I would gather my group of girlfriends and arrange a show production in my back yard. When I got a little older, I turned to reading and wrote poetry and short stories. The dream of being on Broadway ended quickly, especially since I couldn’t sing. I suppose I’ve always been a writer at heart. I adore romance and all the challenges the characters face in an attempt to find love.

Q6) What do you do when you are not writing?

Kathleen: Besides spending time with my family, one of my favorite things to do is to relax on the beach with a good book. I could sit on the water’s edge with a romance novel for the entire day. Since I live in the state, I can visit the wonderful Jersey Shore often.

Q7) Favorite book and why?

Kathleen: My favorite book is The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. He captivated me with his beautiful tale of endless love. When I read the tender story of Noah and Ali, the passion of a love that lasted a lifetime touched me deeply and inspired me to attempt to do the same for my readers.

Q8) Favorite inspirational quote and why?

Kathleen: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller

This is a simple statement, yet powerful and true!

Q9) What is your current work in progress?

Kathleen: Thanks for asking that question, Kelly. I’m working on a contemporary romance entitled, A Single Word. It’s a story about an aspiring anchorwoman, Savannah Mason, and the challenges she encounters while faced with the disapproval of her career by her affluent family.


Savannah dreams of being a headliner on the evening news, but her estranged father Dr. Stuart Mason will not accept it. He had big plans for his only child to take over his medical practice one day.


The last thing Savannah wants is to meet a doctor; however, an opportunity to advance her career and interview the bestselling author Dr. Rob Sinclair takes her on a journey to places in her heart that have been closed for years.


Rob Sinclair may be a top cardiac surgeon, with a new book about to be released, but his doubts as a parent escalate after his wife abandons her family for a hippy musician she dated in high school.


Will Savannah be able to offer her heart, as she battles the recurrent nightmare of a life changing decision she made in college? How does a man who has always placed his work above his personal life, learn to love again, and will he ever be able to trust a woman?

Q10) Anything else you would like to share with us?


Kathleen: Echoes at Dawn was released as an e-book in March 2011 and the paperback copy of Echoes at Dawn was released on August 28. It has been so exciting and I look forward to hearing what people think of my story. It is available HERE

I enjoy making new friends.
Blog: http://kathleensplacetoreflect.blogspot.com/?zx=254bc48f9a5c4876
Website: http://kathleenanngallagher.net/Home.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000735541011
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Kathleenwrites

Kelly: Kathleen, Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with me and share your story. I look forward to reading more of your books in the future.

Your welcome and it’s always a pleasure to visit Books-n-Kisses.

Giveaway Time
Kathleen has been very generous and is offering one follower a paper copy of her new book Echoes at Dawn

if you would like to enter please leave a comment of question for Kathleen
PLEASE leave your EMAIL address 

Extra Points: 
+1 Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter
+1 Like Kathleen’s FB page


Giveaway ends Sept 26th
Winner announced Sept 28th
Posted on

Interview & Giveaway with Leslie Dicken

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have Leslie Dicken to the blog today.
Welcome Leslie, I am so excited to finally have you here.

Leslie: Hi, Kelly. Thanks so much for having me. I really appreciate your interest in my books! 🙂

Q1) Leslie, Can you tell us a little about you?

Leslie: I’m a mother of three and work full time. I also enjoy making jewelry when I can manage to find time!

Q2) How did you get into writing?

Leslie: Like many authors, I read a lot as a child and a teen and decided one day (while still in high school) that I wanted to write my own book. And so I did – a whole book, long hand. I’m sure it’s dreadful but I’m still proud of it.
Also, there are other authors in my family, so I believe that like “athleticism,” the desire to write can be inherited.

Q3) What do you find the most rewarding part of being an author?

Leslie: When a reader tells you how much they enjoyed your story. NOTHING tops that! I wish more readers would feel comfortable sending an email or somehow letting me know their thoughts.

Let’s talk about your books

Q4) Tell us where you came up with the idea for Taboo?


Leslie: Believe it or not, the core of TABOO started with a dream. I dreamt of a large building, which was impassible in the central floors. So there were people who lived on land and the sea and others who were stranded at the top. From there, I developed a background, plot and characters.  The theme is like Romeo & Juliet, with lovers from opposite cultures.

Q5) Will we see more of these characters?

Leslie: Honestly, I had intended to write more of this world, but life and job and kids took over and by the time I could get back to it, my muse had switched to a different story idea.  One day when I have more time…

Q6) The Price of Discovery, is a little more sci-fi-ish (is that a word).  Tell us about this book.  


Leslie: This book also started out from a dream. A pretty Victorian house in the middle of no where, but it had no bathroom! LOL! My mind couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I created a reason for this house and developed my humanoid aliens. The hero, Drakor, does not like Earth but is responsible for his family and a disease that is ravaging the people on his planet. My heroine is a reporter, just the right character to expose these aliens.

Q7) A Tarnished Heart.  This is a great story of an accidently in love.  Can you tell us a little about this story?


Leslie:  This story idea came from the first RWA conference I attended in 2000. Jo Beverly said in a workshop that a bastard son could not inherit a title from his father. What a conflict! So my hero in this story thought he was the true earl until his father’s death, when he learns that the local vicar changed the birth records to conceal his bastard birth.  This vicar has a daughter he wants to marry off to the aristocracy and so he blackmails the hero to court the heroine and have her fall in love with him. But nothing is ever that easy!

Q8) Beauty Tempts the Beast.  I have not read this one yet but it is on my kindle to read.  Tell us a little more about this story.


Leslie:  This story finalled in RWA’s Golden Heart contest as MARK OF THE MONSTER.  It was a blast to write. I have always had a mad love for Gothics and finally had the perfect plot to write one. My scarred (literally and figuratively) hero keeps himself isolated in his manor with only a handful of servants, his son and his son’s tutor. But then the heroine arrives and she refuses to believe in monsters or the rumors. Her presence changes all of their lives in ways none ever expected.

Q9) Do you have a favorite book that you have written? If so which one and why.

Leslie: Gosh, that’s like saying which of my kids I like best! LOL! I think BEAUTY might edge out the others because it seems to be the most popular one.

Q10) What is the one piece of advice you would give to anyone just starting out as a writer?

Leslie: It sounds cheesy, but it’s really the basics: believe in yourself, keep writing, learn all you can, and never stop reading

Q11) What is a typical writing day like for you?

Leslie: Unfortunately, I don’t often have “typical writing” days anymore. Now that my kids are older, they stay up later and need more help with homework, etc.  My goal is grab moments when I can throughout the day: on breaks at work, when kids are watching TV, after they go to bed.  Eventually, the pages pile up and a book is written.

Q12) What is the one book you think everyone should read?

Leslie: I’m assuming you mean a book that is not my own? If so, I’m a HUGE Harry Potter fan. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as an author, I am beyond impressed by the world JK Rowling created. She has probably a hundred characters to keep straight, plus charms, spells, creatures, and more. And in all that she’s created character arcs and conflicts and resolutions. I’m completely amazed by the scope of it all.

Q13) can you tell us what your Current Work in Progress is?

Leslie: I’ve just started a new Gothic, A TOUCH OF MADNESS. My heroine has spent time in an asylum and still questions her sanity. The hero is a doctor who has come to care for her schizophrenic father. Of course, they both have many, many secrets to hide. 😉

Q14) I always like to ask what are you currently reading or what new release are you most excited for?

Leslie: I’ve just picked up my friend, Terri Garey’s DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE. I can’t wait to start it!

Q15) Anything else you would like to add?

Leslie: I have a new release, THE IRON HEART, coming out Valentines Day, 2012. It’s my first foray into Steampunk and includes murder, deception and automatons. 🙂
Books-n-Kisses:  Leslie, Thank you so very, very much for sitting down and talking with me a for a little while.  I look forward to reading more of your work.

Leslie: Thanks again for having me. These were great questions. I’m happy to come by anytime.

GIVEAWAY TIME..
Leslie is going to giveaway one e-book of the winners choice. 

If you would like to have a chance to win:
Please leave a comment or questions for Leslie

Please leave your email 

Giveaway will end  Sept 21st. 
Winner announced Sept 23rd


Want to learn more about Leslie? 
Check her out here: 

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Interview & Giveaway with Jaye Raymee

Hi Jaye, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses.  Thank you for taking time to sit down and talk with me about your new story Get Away Weekend
Jaye: It’s a pleasure to be here!  I really like your site and I’m happy to share my love of books and writing with you and your visitors.
Q1) Tell us a little about yourself.
Jaye: I’m a bit of a world traveller, and have just recently settled back in the US after living  in Dublin, Ireland.  I’m a regular at coffee shops and cafes in the small town I live in near the California coast, and your readers in that area have probably crossed paths with me and never realized it.  I’m the one sitting in the corner scribbling away in my notebook, as I imagine all the things that brought the people I can see to that particular point in their day.

Q2) Describe Get Away Weekend in 140 characters or less.

Jaye: Cara invites herself on a trip with the older Jack, who tries to keep his feelings at arm’s length. She has three steamy nights to convince him that love has no age limit.
Q3) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Jaye: I was asking a young woman to tell me about some of the music and trends that were popular with her peers, and her response was “I have no idea what my ‘peers’ listen to.  I don’t really connect with anybody my own age, all my older friends are much, much more interesting.” 

So I started wondering what kind of man she would find attractive, and what would happen.
Q4) What did you find most challenging about writing this story?
Jaye: Jack and Cara take a path together that is both physical and emotional.  It was tricky to make sure that the reader got to experience both aspects of that journey, and not get lost in either the intense heat of the love scenes or the more internal emotional voyage.
Q5) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Jaye: I absolutely have.  I recently uncovered some school essays from my early teens where I talk about wanting to be a writer, and the first time I filled a notebook with a story was in 5th grade.  It was about a knight, a lion, and a damsel in distress.
Q6) What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Jaye: I do a lot of hiking, I love wine tasting, and I drink a lot of coffee.  I’m fortunate to have a job I love that pays the bills and I can follow my writing passion wherever it takes me, whether or not a story is “marketable”.
I also try to challenge myself to learn new things and stretch my personal experiences.  I recently completed a sprint-distance triathlon.  My goal was not to win, it was to finish without drowning.
Q7) Favorite book and why?
Jaye:  It depends on my mood, but my two top books are Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist, and Lynn Eisenberg’s My Life, Uncovered.
The Alchemist is such a beautiful fable of self-discovery, listening to the universe, and being true to one’s nature that I re-read it at least once a year and always find something new in it.  I always buy it for friends who are starting to question their lives and their choices.

My Life, Uncovered was the book that reminded me that I needed to write what I was inspired to write, even if that was something that somebody else might think was too explicit or not “the right kind” of writing.  It taught me that there is one, fundamental thing to being a writer.  Just. Write.
Q8) Favorite inspirational quote and why?
Jaye: “Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self” (Cyril Connolly).

The quote keeps me honest.  When I write something and I start thinking “Gosh, what if nobody likes it?” I remember that what’s important is that I like it, and then I’m happy even if the story never gets read. 

The secret, of course, is that the more the writer loves what they have written, the greater the odds are that readers will love it, too.
Q9) What is your current work in progress?
Jaye: I’m working on an urban paranormal romance about the Dubh Sidhe, or the Fey Folk of Dublin.  A prince is about to lose his throne to his evil brother, and only the action of one human woman can save it and the power of his clan.  If she chooses to.
Q10) Anything else you would like to share with us?
Jaye: I love reader feedback, and I welcome everybody to follow me on Twitter @JayErotica and get some free peeks at my writing on Jaye’s Erotic Notebook www.jayeraymee.blogspot.com.
Books-n-Kisses: Jaye, Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with me and share your story.  I look forward to reading more of your books in the future.

Giveaway Time: 
Breathless Press is offering an e-copy of Get Away Weekend. 
To enter: 
Please leave a comment
Please leave your email
Giveaway will end on Sept 19th
Winner will be announced Sept 21st
Posted on

Interview & Giveaway with Holden Granger

Hi Holden, Welcome back to Books-n-Kisses.  Thank you for doing a guest blog back in June.  Thank you for taking time to sit down and talk about your newest release Amateur Night.
Holden: Thanks, it really is a pleasure to be able to share my story with your readers.
Q1) Tell us about Amateur Night
Holden: I look at every erotic romance as the story of a seduction. The characters not only seduce each other, but also themselves by taking a chance that they may find something wonderful and exciting in the process. My heroine is a medical student who takes herself a little too seriously. She takes a cross-country road trip with the class party-boy that she secretly admires for his looks and his care-free style. When their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, she has the opportunity to be someone else for a night and embrace a care-free style of her own. The adventure has risks, but also comes with the chance of a red-hot reward!
Q2) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Holden: It was one of those rare inspirations that come almost fully-formed and put me into a fever-pitch of excitement to get it down on paper before it slips away!
Q3) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Holden: I started writing after I realized I was missing creative energy in my life. I’ve always enjoyed great writing, and I wanted to experience the process myself.
Q4) What is your most interesting writing quirk?
Holden: I can only write late at night. There’s something about the dark stillness of the night that brings out my inner storyteller.
Q5) Tell us 10 fun facts about yourself
Holden: I have traveled extensively in Europe and India, I am a certified SCUBA diver, I once worked as a private investigator, My favorite city is Miami (New Orleans a close second), I study the history of religions for fun, I had to sell my motorcycle because I drove it too fast, I am an ordained minister (bought online), My favorite writers include Patrick O’Brian and John Norwich, I’ve lived in seven states, and I am a man writing in a genre almost entirely written by women.
Q6) What is your favorite part of writing?
Holden: The best part of writing is finishing! When I write that last line it is like completing a marathon, I have to race to get it done while the inspiration is still with me.
Q7) Worst piece of advice you ever received about becoming an author?
Holden: Early on I was told to write for myself and it didn’t matter if anyone else ever read it. I want other people to read and be entertained by what I write, that’s my purpose.
Q8) If you had a super power what would it be and why?
Holden: As a writer, I would want the power to read minds. Understanding the motivations of people is what I find writing to really be about.
Q9) What is your current work in progress?
Holden: I have taken the plunge into the world of the paranormal. I felt the attraction of being able to create a world all my own.
Q10) Anything else you would like to add?

Holden: I really enjoy the feedback of my readers. I welcome comments at holdengranger@yahoo.com. Read Amateur Night and tell me how you like it!


Holden, again Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with me and share your story.  I look forward to reading more of your books in the future.

GIVEAWAY TIME:
Giving away an e-copy of Amateur Night

To Enter Please: 
Leave a comment or questions for Holden
Leave your email (no email, no entry)
be a follower of my blog is good. 

Giveaway will end on Sept 17th 
Winner announced on Sept 19th