Kelly’s interview with Jennifer Lyon + a tourwide giveaway

I am so excited to have Jennifer on the blog again and to be talking about the Winged Slayer Hunters. I fell in love with these guys a few years back (Key is my favorite :D, but don’t tell Phoenix). So when I heard that Jennifer was returning to the world the Winged Slayer Hunters to say I was excited would be a little but like saying a firework is just a sparkler. I was super excited. If you have not started this series I would highly recommend. But enough about me. Let me introduce you to Jennifer.

Jennifer, can you please share with us a little about yourself

Hi Kelly! Thank you for having me back on Books-n-Kisses. So about me, I write under two names: Jennifer Apodaca, which is my real name and Jennifer Lyon is the name I took when I started writing paranormal romance. It can be confusing to remember which Jennifer I’m supposed to be, LOL! I originally published in mystery and soon transitioned to romance although there’s usually some mystery or suspense in my books. Writing is my passion, and when I’m not doing that, I enjoy baking, hanging out with family and friends, wine, chocolate and often, I’m thinking about the next book I want to write.

Learn more about Jennifer here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Pretty much, although it took years for me to get the courage to try it, and more years to publish.

Can you share with us your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have while writing?

Depends on where I am in the book. The beginning is always slow as I’m getting to know the characters, then the pace picks up the book moves along. I usually get up early, 5:30ish (unless I’m at the end then it can be 4:30), make coffee, checked email and handle anything pressing. Then I write or plot for a while until my husband gets up. I stop to clean up and dress, eat and exercise, then back to it. I generally write the rest of the day until four or five, then have a glass of wine and cook dinner with my husband. After that, I usually have an hour or two of more emails, social media, etc. But if I’m up against a deadline, I’ll ignore all that and write until 9 or so at which point I’m brain dead until the next morning when it starts all over again.

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?

I get to do what I love every day! That and the fans are the most rewarding part. The challenge is that I wish I wrote faster, and juggling real life with the demands of my career.

Can you please tell us about your latest book?

I’m happy to! CAGED MAGIC is the book I’ve promised readers for a few years, and I’m so pleased to finally deliver it. Linc and Risa desperately need each other to battle back a dark curse and to find Risa’s missing goddaughter. What begins as a deal between two people who need each other grows into a love so powerful, Linc gambles everything—his heart, soul and life—to save Risa from a demon. This story was hard to write, but I fell in love with the Linc and Risa’s fierce ability to fight for what they love, their sheer loyalty, and am pleased to have given them the happy ending they deserve.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

Linc appeared in earlier books, and I always knew his handsomeness and charm were hiding a torturous past. And I knew his heroine had to be very special and unique. The idea for the plot of a demon spawning on Las Vegas Boulevard, well my husband has asked me that same question: Where do you come up with this stuff? I don’t know exactly. At some point, I thought – wouldn’t it be cool if someone who appeared to be human spawned into a demon right in front of a witch? And Oh! What if it’s right there in the middle of Vegas, the city of sin? That would be a huge challenge to the Wing Slayer Hunters and their witches. And then…a story was born.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

Well at the moment I’m promoting this book, and EXPOSING THE HEIRIESS, book three in my Once A Marine series written as Jennifer Apodaca. That book releases August 4^th, so it’s a bit wild around here. But next up I’m beginning a new contemporary series that I am excited about, and then after that, it’s Primal Magic, Eli’s story in the Wing Slayer Series.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I have so many! My early loves were Jude Deverux, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, Diana Gabaldon…I could go on forever!

Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?

I imagine so. If nothing else, they inspired me to go after my dream – both in writing and in never settling for less than I’m worth in my life. For that, I am very grateful. But when I’m writing, I’m focusing on the story in my head and not much else. The lovely thing about writing is the premise of a book might be similar to others, but it’s the writer’s voice that makes it unique.

Open your book to a random page and please reads us a few lines.

Here’s a few lines between Linc and Risa:

“But there’s a price.”

She jerked her gaze up. “What?”

He lifted her hand to his mouth, his warm lips sliding over her knuckles. “You’ll let me kiss you first. A deep, owning kiss.”

Her heart started to pound. “You want to kiss me?”

“I want to kiss you so hard you’ll go to sleep and wake up with the taste of me. No one else, Risa. Me.”

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

Oh! I can’t even remember all the books I’ve preordered lately. My one-click finger has been twitchy. Off the top of my head: SERVICING THE TARGET (Masters of the Shadowlands series) by Cherise Sinclair. WICKED EDGE (Realm Enforcers series) by Rebecca Zanetti, and BEGGING FOR IT by Lilah Pace are a few.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you for having me here today! I’m absolutely thrilled to bring lovers of paranormal romance CAGED MAGIC. While it’s the fifth book in the Wing Slayer Hunter series, it can also be read as a standalone.

CAGED MAGIC

CagedMagic Cover

Order here: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | GooglePlay | Kobo

Risa Faden is a witch whose ultra-powerful shield magic is slowly breaking her mind. But when her beloved goddaughter is snatched by a demon, she’ll risk anything to rescue the baby—including lying to the handsome, intriguing stranger who has the power to help her keep her sanity, save the child…and steal her heart.

Linc Dillinger is a Wing Slayer Hunter whose sexy, rich, bad-boy charm hides a treacherous betrayal that left him emotionally scarred. As a result he risks his life to protect innocents, but is incapable of love—until he meets a beautiful witch who can save his cursed soul. Risa’s fierce courage and loyalty reaches past his barriers and he begins to believe she has the magic to free his caged heart.

But Risa’s lie explodes into dark danger that forces Linc into a hellish high-stakes gamble: He must either win the witch he loves and her godchild…or endure a loss that will destroy them all.

Make sure to check out Kelly’s review HERE

About the Author

Jennifer Lyon, who also writes as Jennifer Apodaca, lives in Southern California where she continually plots ways to convince her husband that they should get a dog. After all, they met at the dog pound, fell in love, married and had three wonderful sons. So far, however, she has failed in her doggy endeavor. She consoles herself by pouring her passion into writing books. To date, Jen has published more than fifteen books and novellas, including a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances under the name Jennifer Apodaca. As Jennifer Lyon she created a dark, sizzling paranormal series, and The Plus Once Chronicles, an emotionally sensual adult contemporary series. Jen’s won numerous awards and had her books translated into multiple languages, but she still hasn’t come up with a way to persuade her husband that they need a dog.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY TIME

There are 3 tour wide giveaways!

Open to US, CAN, UK

(1) grand prize $50.00 electronic gift card (Amazon or B&N)

(2) runner up winners of one $25.00 electronic gift card each (Amazon or B&N)

Entry -Form

September 23, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 17 part a: Tips to Build in Emotional Stakes in Your Book by Jennifer Apodaca

Tips to Build in Emotional Stakes in Your Book

by Jennifer Apodaca (Also writes as Jennifer Lyon)

The emotional stakes in a story will hook a reader and keep her invested in the book to the very end. An action-packed plot is fantastic—but all the action or twists in the world won’t keep the reader interested if she isn’t invested in the characters.

Let’s ramp up the emotional stakes so the reader is living out the story right there with our hero and heroine! We want her to feel their hopes and dreams, their fears and heartbreaks. We want readers to be rooting for the characters to triumph.

We do this by weaving together the external conflict that drives the plot, and the internal conflict that drives our characters and their decisions. That way the character’s goals mean more to the reader. She will know the heroine’s desperation to save her baby from a brutal ex stems not only from a mother’s love, but also from the fact the heroine lost her family to a house fire at six. The heroine’s baby is her only family. Now the reader is deeply invested with the heroine, nearly as desperate as she to keep the baby safe.

To understand our characters internal conflict, we need to understand their goals (usually part of the external plot), their deepest desire, and their greatest fear. I’m going to use my recent release HER TEMPORARY HERO to illustrate how internal conflict increases the emotional stakes, and ramps up the overall tension in the story because the readers are more invested in the characters.

Here is the opening set up: Logan Knight, a former Marine struggling with PTSD comes home to his ranch to find a beautiful woman and baby hiding in his house. He quickly learns that Becky Holmes is a desperate woman on the run from a brutal ex and needs a temporary hero to help her get full custody of her baby. She could be the answer to his problem as he needs a wife before his thirtieth birthday to secure the land he wants to build Camp Warrior Recovery for veterans suffering from PTSD. The problem? Logan’s trigger for his PTSD is children, especially babies. He can’t ever have a real marriage and family because of that.

But if he can manage a temporary marriage, then they can both achieve their external goals: Logan will get his land and Becky will get full custody of her baby.

I have three main tropes in this book. Tropes are easily recognizable themes repeated over and over. For example; billionaires, cowboys, secret babies, marriage of convenience, best friend’s little sister, redemption, vengeance…you get the idea. Here are the tropes in HER TEMPORARY HERO:

1.) Marriage of Convenience

2.) Baby on Doorstep

3.) Tortured Alpha Hero

Now to deepen the impact of the story we weave the external conflict (tropes/plot) with the internal conflict and motivations. To do that we must ask ourselves what are each character’s deepest desires and greatest fears, and why?

In HER TEMORARY HERO the heroine and hero’s greatest fears are:

Becky lost her father, brother, home and way of life in a house fire when she was six. Her greatest internal desire is a family, and her greatest fear is losing her family.

Logan spent his first eight years with his mom, then his rich and powerful father decided he needed a son and fought for custody. Logan’s mom gave up the fight, choosing her career as a singer over her son. After that, Logan never really fit anywhere. His greatest secret desire is to be loved enough to fight for, and his greatest fear is abandonment.

Now we take these two characters and put them in a marriage of convenience with a baby on the doorstep. Then to bring out the emotional stakes we do this:

1.) Tempt them with their greatest, possibly secret or unrecognized, desire:

–Becky: She desperately wants a family. A marriage of convenience gives her that, at least temporarily.

–Logan: To be loved enough to stay. Note: Logan doesn’t fully realized he wants that, but this time with Becky is showing him the temptation of love. By the end of the book, he knows that’s what he truly wants.

2) Terrify them with their greatest fears:

–Becky: Losing her family. She’s suffered that before, and family is more precious to her than ever.

–Logan: Abandonment, not being loved enough, and now he’s so damaged now by PTSD, that he can’t see how anyone would love him. Note: This is Logan’s perception and it’s very real to him even if we don’t see him that way.

3) Lure them into false hope that they might actually get their dream, making them want it all the more. They can taste, feel and touch it:

–Becky tells Logan she loves him attaining her family.

–Logan wants to try, believing that he might really be enough to be loved. He’s hopeful and trying, but can’t quite commit. Fear holds him back.

4) Destroy them with the Black Moment: This should be where the external plot explodes and collides with the character’s internal conflicts.

–A secret is revealed and Becky comes face-to-face with losing her family again. She’s emotionally devastated and desperate to save her baby from her brutal ex, and that forces her into actions she wouldn’t normally take. Logan had told Becky over and over to trust him, and she did…now she’s worse off.

–Logan comes home from his business trip and is faced with his greatest fear of abandonment. He’s furious that Becky would do this to him, that she didn’t trust him…until he realizes that this is really his fault (not entirely but he needs to shoulder his part of the blame). That moment is an absolute turning point for him. And he’s forced into action.

A note about the black moment: This is where characters are backed into a corner and will make a decision that their internal fear would have prevented them from making previously. Change is NEVER easy for humans, so we force them into it with the black moment. Logan is now willing to sacrifice his original goal at the beginning of the book (securing his land to build his camp for veterans suffering from PTSD) to save Becky and the baby he has come to love. It’s a light built moment fraught with tension because we don’t know if Logan will be in time to a) save Becky from the external plot and b) will she be able to forgive and trust him again?

5) Payoff Scenes: Bring it all together in a Happily Ever After

–I won’t reveal how it works out in this book, but this is where the external and internal conflicts are resolved into at least a potential happily-ever-after for romances. The payoff scenes are the reader’s reward—that sigh moment when all the strife and pain they experienced through the hero and heroine is worth it.

In closing, to ramp up the emotional stakes, use your characters internal conflict to:

–Tempt them with their deepest desire.

–Terrify them with their greatest fear.

–Lure them into false hope.

–Destroy them with the black moment.

–Then save them with the payoff scenes in a happily-ever-after.

Building the emotional stakes creates memorable characters that will live on in readers memories long after they finished the book.

*****

Make sure to check out Jennifer’s latest release

Her Temporary Hero

Once A Marine #2

Amazon|B&N

Former beauty queen Becky Holmes and her baby are on the run from her dangerous ex. With her dreams of love and marriage destroyed, she’ll do anything to protect her child…even agree to hide out in her boss’s cousin’s house while he’s away.

Wealthy, sexy, and emotionally haunted Logan Knight needs a temporary wife to get his land, per his dad’s rules. No wife, no inheritance. But when that wife lands on his doorstep and comes with a baby, his darkest memories are triggered. He tries to keep his distance, but his efforts are shattered when he starts to have real feelings for his fake wife and child.

Just as Logan begins to think he may have a future with Becky, his attempt to have it all backfires into a betrayal that forces Becky into a heart-wrenching choice no woman should ever have to make.

A little about Jennifer:

Award winning author Jennifer Apodaca grew up in Southern California and met her very own hero at the dog pound. She worked there, he came in on a business, and it was puppy love. They married and had three wonderful sons.

While her husband worked on his master’s degree, Jen did the mom thing by day and went to college at night with the intention of perusing a marketing degree. But her true passion was writing. With time at a premium, she had to make a choice.

Choosing writing, and with the full support of her husband, she poured herself into her dream. A mere eight years later, she published her first book DATING CAN BE MURDER. In her career, Jen has written a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances. Taking the pen name of Jennifer Lyon, she also created a dark, sizzling paranormal series, and most recently, The Plus One Chronicles, an emotional and sexy adult contemporary series.

Jen has achieved many of her dreams except for attaining a self-cleaning house, a latte delivery service, and finding the holy grail of nonfattening wine and chocolate. She can live with those disappointments as long as she can keep writing the stories she loves to share with readers.

Jennifer would like to giveaway e-copie of The Baby Bargain and Her Temporary Hero to one lucky reader!

To Enter for a chance to win.

Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Apodaca.

Along with your email

(please use (AT) and (DOT) we don’t want any spam)

*this giveaway is sponsored by the author*

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

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July 24, 2014July 14, 2014

Spotlight feature of Jennifer Apodaca’s Her Temporary Hero + a tour wide giveaway

Her Temporary Hero

by Jennifer Apodaca

Amazon | B&N

Just as Logan begins to think he may have a future with Becky, his attempt to have it all backfires into a betrayal that forces Becky into a heart-wrenching choice no woman should ever have to make.

About the Author: Jennifer Apodaca is an award-winning author and an unrepentant coffee-and-book addict. She’s written mysteries, romances, paranormals and grocery lists under the names of Jennifer Lyon and Jennifer Apodaca. She loves creating powerfully sexy alpha heroes and the heroines who tame them. You can learn more about Jennifer and her books here: Website | Facebook | Twitter @JenniferLyon | Goodreads

Learn more about Entangled Indulgence here: Facebook | Twitter: @IndulgenceBooks | Steals and Deals

Make sure to check out all the stops on Jennifer’s tour HERE

Giveaway:

$100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

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June 3, 2013May 31, 2013

Interview & Tour Wide giveaway with Jennifer Lyon

Can you please share with us a little about yourself

Thank you so much for having me on Books-n-Kisses today! So about me, I grew up mostly in Southern California, met my husband at the dog pound and considering the competition—dogs—I got his attention pretty fast J. We married and have three great sons. These days, I work long hours. In my free time, I hang out with family, occasionally drag myself to the gym, and every once in a while, I get out and see real people instead of the characters living in my head.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I’ve always loved reading and storytelling, but it was after I was married and we had our three sons that I got serious about the idea of writing. I tried going back to college to pursue a marketing degree, but my passion was writing and I am fortunate enough to be married to a man who supports my dream in every way possible.

Are you a plotter or a punster or combo of both? And you explain the difference?

I’m both. If I’m writing for a publisher, I always have a general outline, and as I work, I’ll add in layers of emotional depth as well as strengthen the conflict and plot.

If I’m working on my Indie books (like The Proposition and Possession), then I start with even less of an outline. It’s more work that way in the long run, but I love the freedom of letting the characters show me what they need in their story. I revise more often, but I think the story can be richer and more authentic for it.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I don’t see much about my process as interesting <g>, most of it is frustrating. Maybe that when I’m deep in a book, I don’t process what people (the real ones) are saying to me? My husband will tell me he’s going to the store, then when he returns I blink and say, “You were gone? Where’ d you go?” Now he makes me repeat back to him what he said, LOL!

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

I’m happy to! I’m releasing the second installment of The Plus One Chronicles; POSSESSION. In book one, THE PROPOSITION Sloane sees Kat Thayne and he’s more intrigued than usual. He goes out of his way to get her to agree to his plus-one arrangement, offering her the one thing she can’t turn down—a chance to learn self defense so she will never be a victim again. By the end of the book, it’s clear something powerful is happening between them. But Sloane convinces himself it will burn out and die off.

But in the second book, POSSESSION, everything begins to change. Sloane is facing the brutal reality that Drake, his mentor who has been like a father to Sloane, is dying. It’s ripping Sloane apart and there’s nothing he can do to change it. Although he does move Drake into his house and care for him, but to Sloane, that’s not enough. The more he feels Drake slipping away, the more he’s driven to hold onto Kat. Even though he knows the best thing for her, for both of them, would be to end it before they get in too deep.

In the meantime, Kat’s struggling with her fears from an attack she can’t remember, and coming to trust that Sloane won’t betray her as her ex-fiancé had when she discovers Sloane’s dark side that could destroy them both.

You can read an except here: http://jenniferlyonbooks.com/the-plus-one-chronicles/possession/

How did you come with the idea for this story?

Most of this entire trilogy came to me after my son suffered a very serious injury to his leg. Through his months of recovery, Kat and Sloane took shape in my mind. Kat is much like my son, a determined survivor fighting to get stronger. And Sloane…he’s the hero I have always, always wanted to write. He’s strong and damaged but not a jerk. He may make some bad decisions, but he’s not cruel or mean to people who don’t deserve it. And he sees Kat as a beautiful survivor. I think Sloane has been developing in my mind ever since I was young, maybe 8 or 9 and hanging out in the karate studio my brother owned, watching all those powerful men spar.

As for The Plus One Chronicles part of it, that came from a family member who has a good friend and they “plus-one” for each other when they aren’t in relationships. I began to think: What if a rich, powerful man never dates, never has relationships, but only has a plus-one? A woman who will go to events with him and warm his bed? Who is his man, why is he that way?

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I’m working on Obsession, book 3 in The Plus One Chronicles, which is the explosive conclusion to the trilogy. I’m also going to be starting on the second book in my Once A Marine Series written under my Jennifer Apodaca name. The Baby Bargain was the first book in that series.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

Stephen King, I just think he’d be fascinating. I don’t even read him much anymore, but I began reading his books in high school.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Learn to finish the book! When we get bogged down in the middle of the book we’re writing, it’s so easy to get distracted by a new, fresh ideas. Jot down those ideas somewhere, then go back and finish that first book. I also encourage writers to join groups, maybe Romance Writers of America, or an online group. We learn so much that way, and it helps us to stay inspired and motivated.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

That always makes me smile. I don’t really have a bucket list. This year is so crazy, I’m just trying to get it all done!

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

Laura Wright has a cowboy series coming out, I can’t wait for BRANDED! I can’t remember when it releases, I think it’s late 2014. But I wish she’d hurry up!

What is one book everyone should read before they die?

Good question! I don’t know the answer as I think it’s different for each person. For me, it was TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. I read it when I was young and it exposed me to concepts I knew nothing about.

What is your favorite time of year & why?

I like different times of the year for different reasons. But summer just because we enjoy having BBQs and hanging out by the pool.

Who is your Celebrity crush? And what would you do if you ever meet them?

Does the French bulldog from the Modern Family sitcom count? Otherwise, I usually say Hugh Jackman, and if he could meet me as Wolverine, that’d be perfect!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you so much for having me today! I love books and always enjoy the opportunity to chat about them!

*****

The Plus One Chronicles

A wicked proposition…

A sensual possession…

A dark obsession…

The Plus One Chronicles: Searing passion and fiery vengeance collide in three explosive books.

*****

THE PROPOSITION

The Plus One Chronicles, Book 1

Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes

Rich, sexy and volatile, Sloane Michaels has a dark agenda that keeps his heart on ice. His extreme wealth gives him the control he craves and his skills as an ex UFC fighter the tools he’ll need to extract his ultimate revenge. But when the woman he never believed he’d see again crosses his path, Sloane is caught between the vengeance he needs and a sexual conquest he craves.

Kat Thayne has been in survival mode for six years, hiding behind the sweet creations for her bakery. But when a random carjacking brings her face-to-face with her darkest fears and hottest fantasy, Kat is forced out of hiding and offered a dangerously passionate proposition. One she knows she isn’t strong enough to refuse.

Book Trailer:

*****

POSSESSION

The Plus One Chronicles, Book 2

Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Smashwords

**Please note: Possession is book two of a three book series. Readers should start with The Proposition.**

Savagely sexy billionaire Sloane Michaels ruthlessly controls his life and everything in it. Even his sex partners are carefully negotiated plus-one arrangements, including his latest, the fiery bakery owner, Kat Thayne. But Sloane’s control is challenged when his mentor becomes seriously ill, and his need for Kat, his need to possess her at all costs, rivals only his single-minded goal of vengeance for the murder of his sister.

After surviving an attack six years ago, Kat Thayne escaped her fears in the protective world of her beloved bakery. Then Sloane Michaels storms into her life, making her feel beautiful, strong and sexy. Yet as Kat pushes her boundaries and uncovers a dangerous secret in her past, Sloane’s controlling side emerges. Worried that Sloane will possess her mind, body and soul, Kat fights to keep her hard won independence. But just as Sloane demands her complete surrender, she discovers he has a dark side that could destroy them both.

**Possession is an adult contemporary novel and is not intended for younger readers due to mature content.**

*****

OBSESSION, Book 3 – Coming 9/24/13

A little more about Jennifer:

Jennifer Lyon grew up under the shadow of the Matterhorn at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. She attended Walt Disney elementary school and her very first playmate was her beloved dog, Duke, who was cast in the role of hero in all their adventures.

Clearly Jen was born to daydream. But it took her years to figure out how to turn her imagination into a career as an author. After marrying and becoming a full time mom to three sons, Jen launched her career with the award winning Samantha Shaw Mystery Series and other romantic mysteries under the name Jennifer Apodaca. Later, she took the name Jennifer Lyon, combined her love of witches, alpha males and sizzling romance into another award winning series, the Wing Slayer Hunters.

Jennifer has several new releases coming out this year. THE PROPOSITION, the first book in her new Plus One Chronicles was just released on February 24 and following later in the year will be Book Two: POSSESSION – Coming 5/28/13 and Book Three: OBSESSION – Coming 9/24/13.

Writing under Jennifer Apodaca she will be releasing the first book in her Once A Marine series, titled THE BABY BARGAIN which will be out in March 2013 from Entangled Publishing in their Indulgence line.

For more information on Jen or her books, please visit her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jennifer is giving away a $50.00 gift card to Amazon or B&N (winners choice) on the tour.

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Jennifer Lion’s POSSESSION Blog Tour

May 27 – June 9

5/27 – Book Monster Reviews (Guest Post, series spotlight)

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

5/ 27- Wicked Readings by Tawania (series spotlight)

http://www.wickedreadingsbytawania.blogspot.com/

5/28- United by Books (series spotlight)

http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/

5/29- Romance Junkies (interview & review bk 2)

http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/

5/29- Buffy’s Ramblings (series spotlight & review bk 1)

http://buffy-kennedy.blogspot.com/

5/30- Salacious Reads (series spotlight & reviews)

http://www.salaciousreads.com/

5/30- The Reading Cafe (guest post, series spotlight & review bk 2)

http://thereadingcafe.com/

5/28- Ramblings From This Chick (series spotlight & reviews)

http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/

5/31- Mimmi’s Musings (series spotlight)

http://mimmismusings.blogspot.com/

6/01- Underworld Love Addiction (series spotlight & review bk 2)

http://underworldloveaddiction.blogspot.com/

6/01- Riverina Romantics (series spotlight)

http://riverinaromantics.blogspot.com/

6/02- Page Flipperz (series spotlight & review bk 2)

http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com/

6/02- Toot’s Book Reviews (interview)

http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

6/03- Cocktails and Books (series spotlight & review bk 2)

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/

6/03 – Books-n-Kisses (interview)

https://books-n-kisses.com

6/04- Flirting with Romance (Interview)

http://flirtingwithromance.blogspot.com/

6/04- Books, Books and More Books (series spotlight & reviews)

http://booksbooksmorebooks.blogspot.com/

6/05- Book Lovin’ Mamas (guest post and review bk 2)

http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com//

6/05- Under the Covers (guest post & reviews)

http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/

6/06- Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies Oh My! (Interview and reviews)

http://vampireswerewolvesfairiesohmy.blogspot.com/

6/06- Offbeat Vagabond (series spotlight & review bk 1)

http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/

6/07- Night Owl Reviews ( guest post )

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5

06/07 Hesperia Loves Books (series spotlight & reviews)

http://www.hesperialovesbooks.com/

6/08 – Scorching Book Reviews (interview)

http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.com/

6/09 – Reading Between The Wines (guest post)

http://www.readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.com/

March 25, 2013March 24, 2013

Interview & giveaway with Jennifer Apodaca

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to have the WONDERFUL Jennifer Apodaca on the blog today to chat about her newest release (which by the way is really good) THE BABY BARGAIN.

Jen, can you please share with us a little about yourself

Sure! I grew up in Southern California very close to Disneyland and attended Walt Disney Elementary School. Years later, I met my husband at the dog pound—a story that cracks up our kids. I was working there, and he came in to do an audit looking suave and sexy in a business suit. Obviously it was puppy love at first sight, LOL. We soon married and produced a house full of boys (three sons). I loved being a full time mom, but I needed something more, and that’s when I started writing. I published my first book in 2002, DATING CAN BE MURDER, which was the first book in The Samantha Shaw Mystery Series. Since then, I’ve published over 15 books and novellas.

Learn more about Jen here: Website | Blog |Twitter | Goodreads | Jen Lyon’s Goodreads Page

Have you always wanted to be an author?

When I was very little I wanted to be a princess so I could have my two older brothers locked in a dungeon. That whole princess thing didn’t work out. Then I wanted to be a witch like Samantha on Bewitched so I could turn my brothers into frogs. Once again, I was doomed to disappointment.

The truth is that deciding to write was more of a process. My father passed away suddenly when I was 13, and life got tough. Books were my escape, and I dreamed of writing. But it seemed an impossible dream for an average girl like me. It wasn’t until after I married and had my sons that I developed the confidence to go after my desire to write books. I had a lot of support from my husband and sons, and also from my mom and sister. I credit them for encouraging me to not only try, and keep trying.

I lost my mom before DATING CAN BE MURDER (my first book) hit the bookstores, but her belief in me lives on in my heart.

Can you share with us your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have while writing?

Time! I need time to write. Time to just sit with the characters and let them tell me their story.

My typical day varies. If I’m starting a book, I procrastinate a lot. If I’m at the end of a book, I write from morning until night only stopping to eat or do essential things. My typical day starts off with me going to the gym a few mornings a week (so early my husband thinks I’m nuts), or doing things like grocery shopping. I’m usually at my computer between 8 and 9. I take care of email and whatever needs to be done. Then I write and try to resist the lure of the Internet.

In the eveings, I uusally write blogs, do interviews, work on copyedits or do whatever needs to be done.

These days I work very long hours. Sometimes, I start at 6:15 am and don’t end until after 8pm. But I think everyone is working harder, not just authors.

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?

Getting the story right is always the most challenging part. Diving deep into the characters and their lives, finding their innermost fears, and hidden desires. And then making sure the plot is working both to move the story along and reveal the characters to the reader. It’s a layered and time-consuming process. But it’s also a labor of love.

I find two things most reward. Finishing a book is an awesome feeling of accomplishment. And nothing is as gratifying as when a fan tell me how much they love the story.

Can you please tell us about your latest book?

THE BABY BARGAIN was fun, challenging and surprisingly emotional for me to write. I started off with the idea of former Marines coming home, but not quite fitting back into civilian life. Battle can leave emotional and/or physical scars, and I wanted to give them the love of a heroine to help them heal and find happiness. After all, who deserves it more than men (and women) who have put their lives on the line for their country?

Here’s is the blurb for THE BABY BARGAIN:

Seeing Adam Waters is the last thing veterinarian Megan Young expects. Ex-Marine. Ex-boyfriend. And still extremely dangerous territory. But Adam doesn’t know the secret Megan has been keeping from him. The secret that was created three years ago, after their last night together…

Now the only way Megan can protect her child is to strike a bargain with Adam. And it’s a bargain that looks a lot like blackmail…

How did you come with the idea for this story?

The idea came to me when I watched several news stories about soldiers returning home. You know those video clips where they surprised their loved ones? Well…what if they came home to nothing? What if they didn’t have loved ones waiting for them? They really just had each other so they banded together to form Once A Marine Security Agency. What if the battle scars they carried were just a little too deep for these men to believe they could have happily ever after? That’s how I came up with the idea.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

I’m working on two things: I’ve outlined the next two books in the Once a Marine series. In book two, Logan Knight goes home to his beloved plot of land on his family’s cattle ranch—only to find his house occupied by a desperate woman on the run.

And I’m desperately trying to write POSSESSION, Book 2 in The Plus One Chronicles written under my Jennifer Lyon name. That book is keeping me up nights. People can see more about that series on my website here http://jenniferlyonbooks.com/the-plus-one-chronicles/

Please open The Baby Bargain to a random page and read us a few lines.

Okay, a random few lines between Adam and Megan:

He laughed. “I want to show you my offices on my laptop. Not drag you to my room and pressure you into sex. I told you, tonight is just for getting reacquainted.”

“And touching.”She remembered him saying that.

“And kissing,” he said. “Anywhere you want me to.”

Tingles shivered over her skin, while her belly warmed. It had been so long since anyone had touched her with desire, since anyone had made her feel like more than a mom and a vet…like a woman. “Tempting offer.” She held her breath, her nerves pulling tight.

He dropped his gaze to her mouth.

Blood rushed through her and desire pooled between her legs. She wanted him to kiss her. Needed it almost as much as she needed her next breath.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

Oh! So many books! I want to read Rebecca Zanetti’s AGAINST THE WALL. Laura Wright’s ETERNAL DEMON, Georgia Cates BEAUTY FROM SURRENDER.

I’m currently reading COLLIDE by Gail McHugh. I have so little time to read right now that it’s extremely frustrating.

Who is your Celebrity crush? And what would you do if you ever meet them?

Gerald Butler and his oh-so-sexy Scottish accent J

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Just that I am grateful for all the support for THE BABY BARGAIN and The Once A Marine Series. I appreciate each and every fan-friend. You guys are the reason I keep writing!

And thank you Kelly for having me on Books-n-Kisses and being so completely awesome!

*****

The Baby Bargain

by Jennifer Apodaca

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBookstore

Adam returns to Raven’s Cove to sell his home in a final break with the town and memories that haunt him. The problem is that his attraction to Megan is as blazing hot as it ever was. But when a vicious smear campaign against Megan turns ugly, Adam learns the truth he never knew—he has a son.
Now the only way Megan can protect her child is to strike a bargain with Adam. And it’s a bargain that looks a lot like blackmail…

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 184 pages
Release Date: March 2013
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62266-073-5
Imprint: Indulgence

Tour Wide Giveaway!

Jennifer is offering a $50 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner! Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to be entered.

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