Tag: Sourcebooks

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Interview & Giveaway with Rebecca York

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to welcome Rebecca York to the blog for the first time.  We are talking about her newest book “Bad Nights”.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERARebecca, can you please share with us a little about yourself

RY:  I started writing romances in the early eighties  when they first became “the next big thing” and quickly found  out that I needed more of a plot to keep my interest—which is why I write romantic suspense.  Luckily, dumb little eighteen-year-old me was smart enough to marry the right guy. He loves being married to a writer, always supports my career, and loves going to conferences with me.  He takes care of all the business stuff I hate, and I keep his clothes clean, cook for him, and manage all the tasks he hates, like gardening. We’ve got two kids. One’s a Foreign Service Officer and the other is a librarian turned massage therapist.  Our three cats sit on our laps when we’re trying to work at the computer.

 Have you always wanted to be an author?

RY:  I always loved making up stories, but I thought I could never be a writer because I’m dyslexic and can’t spell.  My husband takes care of that for me. I started my career writing for a local newspaper, but I did want to write fiction.  I couldn’t imagine writing anything as long as a whole book, so I began with a kids’ science fiction novel. It’s not easier to write for kids, but it’s shorter.

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

RY:  I get up, feed the fish, and get myself a cup of coffee.  I read the paper and the news online, check e-mail and browse my social media sites until I realize it’s almost lunchtime, and I haven’t written anything.  Then I get to work and write ten pages.  If I haven’t done them, I may still be working until ten p.m.

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing? 

RY:  I love getting a synopsis finished.  I hate looking at a blank screen, and I like editing best.

Can you please tell us about your latest book?

Bad Nights Cover

RY:  My latest book is Bad Nights in which a hard-bitten Navy SEAL, Jack Brandt, and a woman college professor, Morgan Rains, go up against an evil militia leader and his men.   Jack and Morgan seem totally unsuited for each other, but as they escape through the woods, evading the bad guys, they come to trust and respect each other.  It’s the story of two people falling in love against a background of suspense and danger.

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

RY:  I wanted to find a plot that would lean on the talents of a Navy SEAL.  I saw two people escaping through the wilderness, having to work together to survive.  Of course, that turned out to be only part of the book. I also had to deal with how Jack and Morgan react to each other when they get back to civilization and what happens when she is kidnapped by the bad guys. By that time, Jack has fallen in love with Morgan and will do anything to save her.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

RY:  Every since I saw the movie, The Naked Jungle, I wanted to write a book with a virgin hero  who was effective in every way except that he wasn’t quite sure how to cope with a wife.  The Naked Jungle’s set in the Amazon in the 1800’s.  To make a virgin hero plausible, I knew I couldn’t write a contemporary.  So I wrote Nightfall as science fiction romance set on a dangerous planet far in the future that was colonized only by men and their sons.  I’ve had a lot of fun writing it.  I’m editing it now, and it will be out in October.

 Who are some of your favorite authors?

RY: Ken Follett, Clive Cussler, Lee Child, Mary Jo Putney, Lisa Kleypas
      

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

RY:  I read Ken Follett’s Key to Rebecca just as I was starting to write romantic suspense, and I loved the way he wove a romance and a suspense plot together. I’ve written a lot of werewolf books, and two of them got me into the field—Darker than You Think by Jack Williamson and The Wolf’s Hour, by, Robert McCammon.  But most of McCammon’s books were too hard-core horror for me to enjoy.  Again, his The Wolf’s Hour was a great blend of suspense and romance.  I think of my actual style as unadorned—pretty straightforward without dwelling a lot on the description of the characters.  I’m more interested in what’s going on emotionally with them than how they look.

 Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s happening.

RY:  Okay, I’ve turned to the page where Jack and Morgan are wet and cold and have to share a sleeping bag in a cave, and he can’t stop himself from getting turned on.

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

RY:  I want to read the next book in Marcus Sakey’s Brilliance series, but he hasn’t written it yet.  I also want to read the next book after The Fifth Wave, by Rick Yancey, but that’s also not out yet.  And I just bought the second and third books in Hugh Howey’s Wool series. I’ll read them next. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

RY:  Yes, if someone who was constantly bullied by her teachers for her awful spelling can become a writer, anyone can.  I love my life as a writer.   I get to make up stories for a living, and I can work at home which means I can putter around the house and garden when I want.  (I just went away to pull weeds for fifteen minutes.) I can also get up and start a pot of soup or bake lasagna while I’m in the middle of my workday. 

 

*****

Bad Nights

by REBECCA YORK

Bad Nights Cover

N STORES SEPTEMBER 2013

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca York’s newest series will keep you on the edge of your seat

When Professor Morgan Rains goes out to investigate a strange sound coming from her backyard, the last thing she expects to see is a naked man covered with burns and bruises. Jack Brandt is a former Navy SEAL on an undercover mission, and he’s barely managed to escape from a terrorist militia’s torture. Jack and Morgan are thrown into a pressure cooker of danger and intrigue, and they soon find themselves falling in love. When Morgan is captured by the terrorists, Jack must rescue the woman whose life now means more to him than his own.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca York’s writing has been compared to Dick Francis, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Maggie Shayne. Her books have been translated into twenty-two languages and optioned for film. She lives in Maryland, near Washington, D.C., which is often the setting of her romantic suspense novels. Rebecca’s next romantic suspense novel from Sourcebooks Casablanca, Betrayed, will be in stores in July 2014. For more information, please visit http://rebeccayork.com/.

 

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Interview & Giveaway with Shana Galen

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome back Shana Galen to the blog.

Shana Galen PhotoCan you please share with us a little about yourself
SG: Of course! Thanks for having me back. I write adventurous historical romances set in the Regency period and featuring spies, pirates, courtesans, and the like. I live in Houston, Texas, and I write full time. I live with my husband, two cats, and my daughter.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

SG: I didn’t know that author was a profession until I was about 28. Even then I never thought of writing books for a living (and it was a good thing I didn’t expect that!). I did always have stories to tell, stories in my mind that needed to get out. If you don’t believe me, ask my little sister. I used to make her stay awake and listen to my stories when we were kids and shared a room.

Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
SG: In the historical genre, I read Anna Campbell, Vanessa Kelly, Kate Noble, Robyn DeHart, Margo Maguire, Sophie Jordan, Kieran Kramer, Erin Knightley, Katharine Ashe, Theresa Romain, Miranda Neville, and Sarah MacLean. Contemporary favorites are Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Nora Roberts, and Tera Lynn Childs. Marsha Canham, Joanna Bourne, and Julie Garwood have really been the largest influences on y writing style.

How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
SG: Oh, I blame it on Julie Garwood. I picked up one of her historicals and had to read them all. When I finished, I didn’t know what else to read, so I wrote my own. Yes, I would like to write in other genres, but right now I don’t have much time since I have a young child, plus I have a lot of historical books contracted.

What are some of your writing rituals?
SG: I like to write early in the day. I have difficulty focusing in the evening. If I can sit down at my computer when it’s still dark outside, sip some coffee, and write a thousand words before everyone wakes up, I’m happy.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
SG:  TRUE SPIES is the second in the Lord and Lady Spy series. It’s about Winn and Elinor, who are married but estranged. Winn is a spy, and Elinor has no idea of his secret identity. If it sounds a bit like the movie True Lies, that was the inspiration.

How did you come with the idea for this story?
SG: Readers asked for another book in the Lord and Lady Spy series, so I started re-watching some of my favorite spy movies, and I knew True Spies was one that would translate well to the Regency period.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
SG: I’m actually writing the third in the Lord and Lady Spy series, LOVE AND LET SPY. It’s a nod to the James Bond films, except the heroine is Jane Bonde.

Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s happening.

SG: Here you go. In this scene Winn (Baron) is consulting with Adrian, the hero from LORD AND LADY SPY, about what to do about Elinor.

Baron raised his brows, looking skeptical.

“All you have to do is talk to her.” There. Adrian folded his arms across his chest. He felt rather proud of himself, actually. Sophia wasn’t the only one who could be sympathetic or solve others’ personal problems.

“Talk to her?” Baron said, sounding less than enthusiastic about Adrian’s advice. “And tell her what? I overheard her chatting about bedding another man?”

“I don’t know that I’d take that tack…”

“Oh, perhaps I should reveal I’m a member of the Barbican group. Even if I hadn’t pledged to keep that a secret, I can imagine her reaction when she realizes I’ve been lying to her for years.”

“Yes, well—”

“Or how about this idea? I go find this Rafe and beat the hell out of him…”

What would you be if you were not an author?

SG: A frustrated author. I’d have all these stories in my head, driving me nuts.

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

SG: I was asked to read an advance copy of Vanessa Kelly’s SECRETS FOR SEDUCING A ROYAL BODYGUARD. I cannot wait to get to it.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

SG: Thank you so much for having me again!

 

 

TRUE SPIES

by SHANA GALEN

True Spies Cover

IN STORES SEPTEMBER 2014


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He’s Getting Tired of Deception…

Baron Winslow Keating is honor-bound to finish one last mission as an elite spy for the Barbican group even though he just wants to go home and be with his family. But after years of secrecy and absence, his daughters hardly know him and his wife has given up on him…

She Wants to Try a Little Intrigue…

Lady Elinor has had enough of domestic boredom. She contemplates an affair with a rakish spy, only to discover a world of intrigue and treachery that she never knew existed. Even more shocking, her neglectful husband is suddenly very attentive—quite the jealous type—and apparently there is much more to him than she ever knew…

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shana Galen is the author of fast-paced adventurous Regency historicals, including the Lord and Lady Spy Series, the Jewels of the Ton Series, as well as the Sons of the Revolution Trilogy. A former English teacher in Houston’s inner city, Shana now writes full time, and is working on more regency romance novels! She’s happily married to the Ultimate Sportsfan and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers: visit her website at www.shanagalen.com or see what she’s up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.

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Interview & Giveaway with Elizabeth Chadwick

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome 1st time guest Elizabeth Chadwick to the blog

Susan Hicks (Elizabeth Chadwick) photographed by Charlie Hopkinson. © 2007Elizabeth, can you please share with us a little about yourself

I was born in the north of England in the county of Lancashire.  The family moved to Scotland when I was 3 years old and I lived there until I was 11, when we returned to England, to Nottinghamshire.  I now live with my husband and three fun-loving terriers in a lovely beamed cottage in the country.  On a clear day, we can just about see the turrets of Belvoir Castle (pronounced Beevor) from the landing window!

Have you always wanted to be an author?

From the age of 15, yes.  As a very small child I wanted to be a farmer, or marry one – neither of which happened, although my husband does grown all our own fruit and vegetables!   Serious careers I hadn’t thought about and then when I wrote my first novel as a teen, I realised that this was the job I wanted to do.  I worked in shops to earn money, but it was always a job and just a way of supporting myself until eventually I was published.

Who are some of your favorite writers?

Historically speaking they would be Sharon Penman, Dorothy Dunnett, C.J. Sansom and Diana Gabaldon.   I always enjoy Peter James for his modern police procedural novels.  I love Nora Roberts’ romantic suspense novels.  Charlaine Harris is a favourite.  Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman.  I tend to like books that take me somewhere different than my own doorstep.

Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

My inspirations and influences before I was published include Mary Stewart (I wanted to write as well as she did in The Crystal Cave – no chance!),  Roberta Gellis, Sharon Kay Penman and the late, great Dorothy Dunnett.  I loved their writing and just reading it taught me a lot.

How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?

I wasn’t interested in historical things as a child beyond a general interest that any curious person has.  That changed when I saw a TV programme called Desert Crusader.  It was a costume drama about a gorgeous knight having adventures in the Holy Land.  I fell for him and started writing what I guess was a fan fiction piece, but it gradually changed into a work of fiction of its own kind.  It ended up a full 500 page novel, and I realized that this was what I wanted to do for a living.  I had to research the Middle Ages because I didn’t know anything about them, and the more I researched the more interested I became, and the more I wanted to write stories set in that era.  And here I am! If I wrote in a different genre, it would probably be either fantasy or horror.

What are some of your writing rituals?

Before I begin writing I always pop into my Facebook page and update that for my readers; the same with Twitter.  I will usually have a mug of tea or coffee at my side and a tub of spearmint chewing gum.  I tend to write better in the evening and at night than first thing in the morning, so you’ll quite often find me at my desk after midnight.  It’s getting on that way now.  Other than that I don’t really have any rituals.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?9781402274626-PR

THE OUTLAW KNIGHT is the story of an English knight called Fulke FitzWarin, who lived on the Welsh borders in the 12th century, and who quarrelled with King John who declared him an outlaw with a price on his head.  It’s also the story of his turbulent marriage to Maud Walter, whom King John wanted to make his mistress (against her wishes).   Much of the story is true. Indeed, some historians think that the origins of the famous Robin Hood legends began with Fulke FitzWarin.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

THE OUTLAW KNIGHT grew out of my research.  I was looking up something in a book for an earlier work in progress when I came across a 13th century chronicle detailing Fulke’s life story.  It was so fascinating and exciting that I knew it would make a great subject for a future novel.

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

THE SUMMER QUEEN has recently been published in the UK and will be coming to the USA next year – it’s the first part of a trilogy about Eleanor of Aquitaine. (Called Alienor in my novels because it’s the original medieval spelling).  I am currently writing the middle book in the trilogy, titled THE WINTER CROWN, and that too will be coming Stateside in due course.

 Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s happening.

Since I don’t yet have my USA copies of THE OUTLAW KNIGHT, I’ll do it in the UK paperback version.  Page 218.

Fulke has just been warned that his lands have been given away to someone else  in the King’s court, and Fulke is preparing to go and have it out with the King.

What would you be if you were not an author?

I’ve always rather fancied being an archaeologist!

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

I’m very eager to read King’s Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman. I’m also looking forward to Knights of the Hawk, the new release from James Aitcheson.  I would have said Dead Man’s Time by Peter James, but I’ve just read and loved it!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you for inviting me onto your blog of course!  I would also like to add just in case anyone becomes confused, that THE OUTLAW KNIGHT appears in the UK as LORDS OF THE WHITE CASTLE.  The reason for the change of title is a cultural one.  I understand that The White Castle is a hamburger chain in the USA and my publisher felt that THE OUTLAW KNIGHT was a more appropriate title and fitted the bill perfectly.

 

Learn more about Elizabeth and her books here

Email: elizabethchadwick@live.co.uk

Twitter: twitter.com/ChadwickAuthor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizabeth.chadwick.90

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ECAPBCJFM

Blogger: http://livingthehistoryelizabethchadwick.blogspot.com

 

9781402274626-PR

 

He should have known better than to fight with the future King John. Ruthless and feared, John is not one to forget or forgive. But Fulke FitzWarin couldn’t help himself, and now the vindictive John has insured that Fulke will never become lord of the castle he loves. Instead of accepting his fate, Fulke rebels. He begins an affair with Maude Walter, the wealthy widow desired by John himself. Negotiating a maze of deceit, treachery, and shifting alliances, Fulke’s route to success is blocked at every turn. And when the turmoil of the Magna Carta rebellion combines with a shocking tragedy, everything Fulke has fought for is thrown into the path of destruction.

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Interview & Giveaway with Terry Spear

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have for the first time Terry Spear to the blog today.

Terry, can you please share with us a little about yourself
TS: I’m originally from California, lived in eight states and make my home in the heart of Texas. What I love about that is that it gives me all kinds of wonderful places to base my stories. I’ve served in the military, which also has given me lots of neat experiences to use in my books. I’ve vacationed in a lot of different places, which also has given me some worlds to use for my stories. Do you see a pattern here? Fantasy IS reality. Or…reality IS fantasy. However you want to see it. I’m totally goal-oriented and focused (except when emails and searching for photos distract me), so for years I was busy with working in the military, completing advance military courses and earning a Master’s in Business Administration. After that, it was raising kids and teaching them (I homeschooled), and creating Wilde and Woolly Teddy Bears that won awards and found homes all over the world. But when I was teaching the kids to read, I was thinking up my own children’s stories, so in the beginning, that’s what I wrote!

Have you always wanted to be an author?
TS: I think a more accurate way for me to describe it was that I’ve always been a storyteller since I was a kid. The idea of actually being an author didn’t happen until I retired from the USAR. And then? At that point, I wanted to not only be an author, I wanted to earn a living at it. So I put my heart and soul into it and years and years later, finally was published! For some of us it takes longer than others!

Are you a plotter or a panster? And you explain the difference?
TS: The story unfolds as I’m creating it. Which means, I’m a pantser. I always have an idea of what I want to do initially—how the hero and heroine meet (sometimes it changes if I’m not getting them together early enough, or it’s not interesting or exciting enough), what their main purpose is in the story (see, they have to have goals just like me), and what drives them to seek these all important goals that will carry them throughout the story. It helps to also give the characters an occupation. It defines their character better to readers right off. For instance, in Savage Hunger, Kathleen returns to the jungle to locate Connor to thank him for saving her life. Initially, they met while she was under attack on an Army mission gone bad. He and his sister run a garden nursery in Texas. Kathleen’s an Army officer. If I had that he was a SEAL, how would readers view him? Differently. If I had where she was an exotic stripper, same thing. Beyond that? The story just evolves as the characters battle man, the environment, each other, and themselves until they finally find that happily ever after.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?
TS: I’m not sure I have any, and that means I’m totally character-less. Sometimes I listen to music; sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I write by hand; sometimes I don’t. I edit on the screen and on paper. I drink green tea during the day, but cut it off before five so it doesn’t keep me up at night. That’s it. When I’m writing, I’m just quirk-less. I’ll have to work on that.

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

TS: Army officer Kathleen McKnight is on a drug mission in the Amazon when her team is ambushed and she’s in bad shape. Sometimes a woman needs a hero. But what she doesn’t expect is Connor Anderson to come rescue her, who is rumored to have a pet jaguar he runs with in the jungle. He saves her life and she later returns to the jungle to thank him, but the same drug lord who ambushed her mission wants her taken down. In the meantime, her guide abandons her, and she’s lost, when she comes upon a jaguar, then two. What’s a girl to do? Climb a tree? They can too. Run away? NOT a good idea. Big cats love to chase. Connor wants to get her to back to civilization as quickly as possible. His sister has other plans.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

TS: Savage Hunger is the FIRST in the jaguar shifter series and I’m so excited! When my editor at Sourcebooks, Deb Werksman, asked me to propose something different from the wolves, I balked. Mainly because I’d only sold four wolf stories at that point and new readers were constantly just finding the series. So I proposed the Highland wolves, something near and dear to my heart because I have a lot roots in Scotland and wanted to write about it. Fun! But Deb wasn’t to be thwarted! So after I sold another three Highland wolf stories to Sourcebooks, she still wanted me to write about something else. So I decided to make it a shifter story still—only this time the opposite of dogs. Cats. Big cats. Sleek cats. Predators. I wanted to make them similar to the wolves in as they’re as real as they can be. Which means they like to return to their natural habitat—the jungle.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
TS: I just turned in Jaguar Fever (August 2013), the 2nd jaguar shifter story, this one featuring Connor’s sister Maya and Wade Patterson, and the trouble they get into over the exotic smuggling market. And I just turned in A SEAL Wolf Christmas (October 2013), that one featuring Anna Johnson, undercover operative, and Bjornolf Jorgenson, SEAL, the mission they had in the jungle before that, the sparring between them in an earlier book, A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing, and now they’re at it again as they try to solve a couple of Christmas tree farm murders and deal with a teen runaway while Anna tries to avoid anything Christmas. So right now I’m working on Silence of the Wolf, which is Tom’s story, one of the Silver brothers from the pack featured in Destiny of the Wolf. I’ve had tons of requests for his story, so it will be coming out Feb 2014.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
TS: Keep writing, keep editing and keep submitting! Start the story where the world has turned upside down for the characters.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
TS: I want to visit Prince Edward Island, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England and Germany! I also want to learn how to Photoshop so I can create fun pictures, and I want to learn how to take better pictures. *sigh* Too many projects, so little time!

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
TS: I picked up about 70 books at the RWA National Conference in July and can’t wait to read them all! But I’m so busy with deadlines and an extensive virtual tour for Savage Hunger, that reading is on the back burner for the moment!

What is one book everyone should read before they die?
TS: Books are like movies or meals. What one would love, another might hate. I worked in a library and saw this all the time! I’d be asked for recommendations, but what I might like, they might not. 🙂

What is your favorite time of year & why?
TS: I love Fall, although we barely have any. But when I used to live in places that had fall colors, I loved it! I love spring also because of the crocuses, and the new green leaves on trees, though I have a ton of trees and shrubs that are evergreen, but spring is so short here, just like fall, that it seems like a blip on the screen and then it’s gone. Plus I have a ton of flowers all summer long with crepe myrtles and roses so I don’t really miss the flowers until winter. Why fall and spring? The temperatures are still mild and we have cooler days and nights, and if I have time, I can actually garden. I hope to actually write outside this fall for the first time. I was too busy working full time to do this before.

Who is your Celebrity crush?  And what would you do if you ever meet them?
TS: Am I the only one in the whole wide world that doesn’t go all fan-girl crazy over celebs? Okay, I admit seeing Gerard Butler and Sean Connery in a kilt in the flesh would make me more than smile…

Is there anything else you would like to add?
TS: If you had a choice…it might not happen because if a wolf or jaguar shifter has the hots for you, well, watch out, since they’re extremely persistent if they want you for their very own—but if you had a choice between a hunky wolf or a sexy jaguar, which would you hook up with and prefer to be???

 

SAVAGE HUNGER BY TERRY SPEAR – OCTOBER 2012

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has captured hearts worldwide by wrapping the realities of nature into the glorious romance of the wild. Now, she turns her award—winning imagination from the sexy werewolf hunt to the intense sizzle of jaguar shape-shifters.

As a jaguar he is graceful and gorgeous…

Speedy and stealthy…

Fierce, independent, and wild…

As a man he is passionate and powerful…

Willful and wonderful…

And he’ll stop at nothing to protect what’s his…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terry Spear has written a couple of dozen paranormal romance novels and two medieval Highland historical romances. Her first werewolf romance, Heart of the Wolf, was named a 2008 Publishers Weekly’s Best Book of the Year, and her subsequent titles have garnered high praise and hit the USA Today bestseller list. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry lives in Crawford, Texas, where she is working on her next werewolf romance and continuing her new series about shapeshifting jaguars. For more information, please visit www.terryspear.com, or follow her on Twitter, @TerrySpear. She is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/terry.spear .

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Interveiw & Giveaway with Judi Fennell

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Judi Fennell to the blog today.  We are chatting about her new release “Magic Gone Wild”

Judi, can you please share with us a little about yourself
JF: I was a princess in a former reincarnation who’s desperately trying to get back to that time. LOL. Nah. But I wouldn’t mind it. I’m finding it hard to believe I’m my chronological age and that my these kids who live in my house who are now driving could have come from me… I love romantic comedies (and walks on the beach…), and believe in happily-ever-afters. Yes, I’m a huge Disney fan and think the Magic Kingdom really is magical. And, someday, I WILL get to the Neuschwanstein Castle to see the real one Walt designed Cinderella’s after.

Have you always wanted to be an author?
JF: Always. I still have my journals from elementary school and the first story I ever wrote was about a talking raindrop. But only “those people” get to be authors, so I never really thought it was possible. I’m so glad I was wrong.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?
JF: I don’t know that I have quirks. I need peace and quiet, or some innocuous white noise. Typically, I turn on classical music because I need something I can’t sing to. If I can sing to it, I’m pulled out of the story. I like to write on my sofa, at a coffee shop, or at a fast food restaurant – hey, they have free WiFi and good (if bad for me) food.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
JF: Magic Gone Wild is different from my other 5 books in that there’s really no “magical” setting. All of my other books take you to these fantastic places that come right out of my imagination. Not in this book. This one takes place in a Northeast PA small town, so I had a challenge in keeping the feeling of magic readers enjoy in a Judi Fennell book. Turns out, I made the characters—every day furniture, dishes, etc—magical and had a blast doing it. Think Fantasia – a movie which frightened the dickens out of me as a child, but it’s the perfect analogy. And, yes, I do know Disney did that movie. 🙂

How did you come with the idea for this story?
JF: You know, I don’t know. Sometimes I know how the story came about and others, I just get a character/scene in my head and go from there. That’s what happened with this story. I saw the prologue and the opening chapter. I knew the human hero would end up in the magical world and have to figure out what was going on. I knew the genie would be inept. Wasn’t sure why, but knew that she didn’t quite have a handle on her magic. That was about it when I started writing. The prologue is necessary in this book because it gives you insight into the story that both the reader and I needed. My editor said she’s not big on prologues, but in this story, it’s necessary. I did have a lot of fun writing that scene, though I had to go back and tweak it as the story progressed to make events fit later events. And then, of course, there are my sidekick characters. Merlin was a hoot to write—he just showed up and started talking and wouldn’t shut up at all.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
JF: Current WIP is my first straight contemporary book, entitled Beefcake & Cupcakes: Magic Mike has nothing on Gage Tomlinson and his guys, as cupcake baker Laura agrees when she meets up with the strip-club owner during a bachelorette party. But can she deal with the jealousy that comes from having the hottest boyfriend in town who strips down at the drop of a dollar bill? Look for it at the end of August 2012.

I also have a light-hearted contemporary paranormal that was all over the internet a few years ago in several online contests, titled, Beauty and The Best, that’s now available online. It’s the story of personal-chef-romance-writer-wannabe Jolie Gardener, and reclusive-widowed-artist Todd Best who get a little help from a guardian angel named Jonathan who shows up as a kitten.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
JF: Jude Devereaux. I have a very short list of “keeper” books: Bewitching by Jill Barnett, When He Was Wicked, by Julia Quinn, and A Knight in Shining Armor, by Jude Devereaux. I’ve met and chatted with the first two (Jill gave me a cover quote for my website and my books!), so she’s the last one to meet.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
JF: Pour all of your heart and soul—all of your emotions—into the book. Write it. Then divorce yourself from it and give it to KNOWLEDGEABLE people to critique. Yes, “critique.” Not “read.” You don’t want your mom’s feedback of, “It’s wonderful, dear!” to be your guiding force in this industry. Get other writers’ opinions, listen to what they have to say, see what works for you, and revise until it’s ready to send out.  Then start writing the next book.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
JF: Touring Western Europe. I lived in Spain in college, but never got around to seeing the rest of the “Continent.” 

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
JF: Stephanie Julian’s By Private Invitation. Look for it in the Winter of 2012 from Berkley. Erotic romance that sizzles!

Is there anything else you would like to add?
JF: Thank you so much for having me!

 

MAGIC GONE WILD BY JUDI FENNELL – IN STORES AUGUST 2012

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Every Time She Uses Magic Something Goes Terribly Wrong…

Vana wishes she hadn’t dropped out of genie training. Now she’s determined to get a grip on both her genie magic and her life. But the harder she tries to fix things for her intriguing new master, the more she drives him crazy…

 Except There’s Nothing Ever Wrong About Him…

Pro–football player Zane Harrison finally has control of the family estate and is determined to put to rest his grandfather’s eccentric reputation. Until he discovers that behind all the rumors is a real, live genie who stirs feelings in him he’s never known before. The more Zane tries to help Vana harness her powers, the more her madcap magic entangles his heart…

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judi Fennell is the award-winning author of six light paranormal romances, including a trilogy of mermen-inspired love stories, and three genie-inspired romances. She lives in suburban Philadelphia where she’s working on her next magical romance! For more information, please visit www.judifennell.com, or follow her on Twitter, @JudiFennell.

Sourcebooks has given me 1 copy of Magic Gone Wild to giveaway.  To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter form below
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Interview & Giveaway with M.L. Buchman

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome 1st time guest ML Buchman to the blog today to talk about his new release “I Own the Dawn”

ML, can you please share with us a little about yourself
MB: I love to eat. Italian, Chinese and Mexican especially. Food carts, cheap restaurants, good ones, don’t care, I love them all. I love to cook, see same 3 above. I love mushy movies, I cry before my wife does, and also crappy science fiction ones. When I’m not writing, I’m probably talking about writing. And when I’m doing neither, I’m either out walking with my lady, teasing my step-kid, or riding around on the bicycle that I traveled around the world on many years ago during a mid-life crisis on wheels.

Have you always wanted to be an author?
MB: I came late to writing. I started my first piece of fiction at 35 while on a plane with my bicycle from South Korea to ride across the Australian Outback. By the time I hit the Great Barrier Reef, I was totally hooked and haven’t looked back since.

Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
MB: The authors who I’ve gone out of my way to read cover to cover (book 1 to book latest) include: Arthur C. Clarke, James Clavell, Herman Hesse, Ayn Rand, Anne McCaffrey, and a whole mess of Nora Roberts, Kristine Grayson (Rusch), Susan Wiggs, Stephen King & Robert A. Heinlein. Who influenced me? That’s easy, every single author I’ve had the good fortune to read since I first discovered the novel at age

How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
MB: My first fiction effort was a short story about a freshman roommate who killed alarm clocks. He really did. I meant it to be a little non-fiction vignette. It turned into my first fantasy novel which I sold 3 years later. I love science fiction and fantasy, I’ve written a foodie thriller, and a half-dozen romances. I’ll always write in all three. It keeps my thoughts and my writing fresh and fun.

What are some of your writing rituals?
MB: Rock ‘n’ roll, usually loud (except opera on Sundays for reasons I still can’t quite ascertain). Anywhere. Anytime. I’m a night owl who will write until 2 or 3, get woken up by the book, and write more from 5:30 to 6:30, when I need to get headed out to work. I like a good piece of chocolate and a lot of water. I don’t get out of my chair often enough. When I get the time, I’ll write until my bladder’s screaming and my joints hurt (but just let me finish this scene, then I’ll go).

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
MB: I Own the Dawn, Book II of “The Night Stalkers.” (No, not vampires.) They’re a real-life, U.S. Army secret helicopter regiment called SOAR. Their fliers are all men. So, my series takes the nastiest helicopter of them all, the DAP Black Hawk, and I started putting women in the seats. One per book. Book II is about Kee (don’t be callin’ me Keiko) Smith from the streets of L.A. She’s learned that the only thing that serves her well is a fighting attitude and an exceptional sniper rifle. She runs over men who never knew what hit them, until she runs headlong into Bostonian copilot Archibald “Archie” Stevenson III (can’t believe they let people with names like that into the army). The one man she can’t get around may turn out to be the one man she needs, if they don’t kill each first. Only after they’ve faced death side-by-side can they finally confront life together.

How did you come with the idea for this story?
MB: My stories start from any number of places, a title, a scene, an image, or even a final scene and then I have to build it backwards. I started this book with a secret helicopter outfit and a tough, feisty woman like I’d never written before. I saw her clear as could be and I just started writing. Some books I just start and it is as much a voyage of discovery for me as for the character. It makes it immensely fun to write… and often immensely frustrating.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
MB: “The Night Stalkers” is a series, and that takes some doing. About three weeks ago I: finished the first draft of book IV, did the copyedits for book III, and got to hold the first copy of book II all in a one week period! Made my head spin being in 3 different books so closely together. I’m working on a “Night Stalkers Christmas Story” that will be out this fall and the second book of my contemporary romance series “Angelo’s Hearth” (book I, Where Dreams are Born, is already available.) And there’s this SF series that I’m just dying to get to. (Day jobs so get in the way of life sometimes.)

What would you be if you were not an author?
MB: A pilot. I always wanted to fly. Got my private pilot’s license and was well on my way to an instrument rating before it was discovered I was partially red-green colorblind. Not too bad to fly, but not good enough to ever make a career of it. Would I trade it? Not a chance!

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
MB: Manuscript by a friend of mine, two more helicopter memoirs as part of research, a Lee Child thriller (great stories and a wonderful place to study character and pacing), the latest Susan Wiggs (because she’s just so fun).

Is there anything else you would like to add?
MB: Thanks for having me. Thanks for letting me talk about something I love doing so much. So tell me, what makes you stay up late and wake up early. (Not talking about the newborn, I’m talking about the thing you love to do.) I’ve showed you mine, c’mon, show me yours. 🙂 And please check out the contest page on my website: by following along my blog tour for the month of August, you will have multiple chances to win a signed copy of I Own the Dawn: http://www.matthewlieberbuchman.com/?p=294

I OWN THE DAWN BY M.L. BUCHMAN – IN STORES AUGUST 2012

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Name: Archibald Jeffrey Stevenson III

Rank: First Lieutenant, Dap Hawk Copilot

Mission: Strategy and execution of special ops maneuvers

Name: Kee Smith

Rank: Sergeant, Night Stalker Gunner and Sharpshooter

Mission: Whatever it takes to get the job done

You Wouldn’t Think It Could Get Worse, Until It Does…

When a special mission slowly unravels, it is up to Kee and Archie to get their team out of an impossible situation with international implications. With her weaponry knowledge and his strategic thinking, plus the explosive attraction that puts them into exact synchrony, together they might just have a fighting chance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M. L. Buchman has worked in fast food, theater, computers, publishing, and light manufacturing. It’s amazing what you can do with a degree in geophysics. At one point he sold everything and spent 18-months riding a bicycle around the world. In 11,000 miles, he touched 15 countries and hundreds of amazing people. Since then, he has acquired a loving lady, the coolest kid on the planet, and lives in Portland, Oregon. For more information, please visit http://www.matthewlieberbuchman.com/.

Be sure to check the Contest page for a chance to win a free, signed copy of I Own the Dawn.

Sourcebooks has given me one paper copy of I Own the Dawn to give away. To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter from below.
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Interview & Giveaway with Julie Ann Walker

OMG!!!! I can’t even tell you how excited I am today!!!! I mean SUPER excited…  
*tries to slow down my racing heart*  
Why you ask?  
Well my newest author crush is on the blog today.  
Did I mention how SUPER EXCITED  I am right now?????  Did I?  


Who might be my newest author crush?  


Why it is the amazingly talented and super cute Julie Ann Walker and her fabulous, I could not put the books (yes, I have read the 1st three books) down for anything, stayed up way to late, bawled my eye out and am totally in love with her Black Knight Inc series…  Okay so enough of me talking… Let me introduce you to Julie…… 

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

JW: Ha!  Only a little?  Well, here goes… I grew up in rural Oklahoma riding horses and wearing cowgirl boots.  I received my degree in mathematics – yes, you read that right, mathematics.  Doesn’t quite gel with romance writing, does it?  I married my college sweetheart.  From Oklahoma, we moved to Michigan and then Chicago, and the Windy City is now my home.  I’m a recovering shoe-and-handbag-aholic – recovering, that is, until Nordstrom’s has another sale…  My favorite activity is riding my bicycle along the Lake Michigan shoreline.  I drink way too much coffee.  And, when I’m writing, my fifteen-year-old Labrador Retriever curls up around my feet.

Whew! Who knew a life could be condensed down to a few sentences?

Have you always wanted to be an author?

JW: My father calls me a natural-born story-teller.  As a kid, I was perpetually relating this anecdote or making up that story – lots of hand gestures included.  But, no, I didn’t always dream of being an author.  In fact, I fancied myself more of a reader than a writer.  But that’s not to say the stories weren’t in my head; they always were – at least that’s what I tell people to account for the pesky voices without admitting I’m completely cray-cray.  But, seriously, one day I decided to write one of those stories down and a thought kept spinning through my mind during the process.  That thought was, “this is what I was meant to do…”  HELL ON WHEELS was born and the rest, as they say, is history…

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

JW:  My typical writing day starts with coffee.  Then I sit down and take care of the business of writing, the answering of emails, phone calls, etc.  Afterward, I usually procrastinate a little and get on Twitter and Facebook and Pinterest.  *Wince*  Don’t tell my editor and agent.  And finally, sometime before lunch and after my third cup of coffee – did I mention I like coffee? – I dig in to my current work in progress.

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?

JW:  Oh, by far the most challenging part of writing for me is actually getting the words on the page.  Like I said, the stories are already in my head, usually fully formed, so why bother taking the time to write them all down?  Oh, so you guys can read them?  Okay, I suppose… LOL!

As for the most rewarding part of writing, that would have to be the readers, people who  come up to me or email me and say they loved my book.  There’s nothing better than knowing you brought a little joy and entertainment into someone’s life.

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

JW:  The second and third books in the Black Knights Inc. series are being released in the next couple of months.  IN RIDES TROUBLE, the story of BKI’s head hancho, Frank “Boss” Knight, and spunky mechanic, Becky “Rebel” Reichert, starts off in the middle of the Indian Ocean with Becky having been abducted by Somali pirates.  It’s a thrill-ride and Becky and Boss set the pages on fire.  The third installment, REV IT UP, centers around Michelle Carter and Jake “The Snake” Sommers.  Those two have a history that will make you laugh and cry in turn, and Michelle’s holding on to a secret so volatile there’s no way to avoid explosions.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

JW:  It’s total confession time here.  Because the idea for HELL ON WHEELS began with my two favorite fantasies, the military man and the man on a motorcycle.  We all know there’s nothing sexier than a guy in uniform and, for me, the concept of the rebel outlaw mounting up on a half ton of steel and heading for the open road is a total turn-on.  Once it occurred to me that there might be a way to combine the two, the story just wrote itself.  And is there anyone hotter than Nate?  I fan myself just thinking of him!

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

JW: I’m currently working on the fourth book in the Black Knights Inc. series.  It’s the story of smoking hot Cajun operator, Richard “Rock” Babineaux, and Vanessa Cordero, the sexy communications specialist who won’t take “no” for an answer.  It starts off in the jungles of Costa Rica and I can tell you this, it’s hot and steamy and oh-oh-oh so delicious.  I can’t wait for everyone to read it because I’m having an absolute blast writing it!

Who are some of your favorite authors?
JW:  I love Suzanne Brockmann.  Her stories are complex and intricate.  I’m a total fan-girl.  Stephen King can raise the hairs on my arm like no other, and John Grisham is always a pre-order for me.

Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
JW:  Oh, I definitely think Suz Brockmann is an inspiration.  Her characters are so diverse and unique.  And I absolutely love the way she handles internal dialogue.  Plus, her pop-culture references always resonate with me.  (Probably because I watch way too much TV.  Shhhh.  Don’t tell my mother.)

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
JW:  My To Be Read Pile?  Oh, you mean that tower of books over in the corner?  The one that will likely kill my dog if he brushes against it and it falls on him?  Ooph.  Where to begin?  I guess I’ll start by saying that last year I came upon an article about the 100 Best Works of Fiction of the 20th century, and I’ve been endeavoring to work my way through that list ever since.  So currently, I have waiting for me, BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley, BELOVED by Toni Morrison, and A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway…

Is there anything else you would like to add?

JW: Thank you so much for having me on Books-n-Kisses.  This has been wonderful.  Now I’m off to get another cup of coffee!

 

HELL ON WHEELS BY JULIE ANN WALKER – IN STORES AUGUST 2012

Black Knights Inc.—Behind the facade of their tricked–out motorcycle shop is an elite special ops team assigned the jobs too hot for anyone else to handle.

Hold On Tight…

Ex–Marine Nate “Ghost” Weller is an expert at keeping his cool—and his distance—which makes him one hell of a sniper. It’s also how he keeps his feelings for Ali Morgan in check. Sweet, sexy Ali has always revved his engine, but she’s his best friend’s baby sister…and totally off limits.

Rough Road Ahead

Ali’s never seen anything sexier than Nate Weller straddling his custom Harley—or the flash of danger in his eyes when she tells him she’s in trouble. First something happened to her brother, and now she’s become the target of a nasty international organization. With Nate, her life is in the most capable hands possible—but her heart is another story altogether.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deep in the heart of the Windy City, three things can be found at Julie Ann Walker’s fingertips: a keyboard, a carafe of coffee, and a sleepy yellow Labrador retriever.  They, along with her ever-patient husband, keep her grounded as her imagination flies high. Look for the next two books in her fast-paced series: In Rides Trouble (September 2012) and Rev It Up (October 2012). For more information, please visit www.julieannwalker.com or follow her on Facebook www.facebook.com/jawalkerauthor or Twitter @JAWalkerAuthor.

 

GIVEAWAY TIME:

Sourcebooks has given me one copy of Hell on Wheels.

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Interview & Giveaway Leanna Ellis

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome first time guest Leanna Ellis to the blog.  

Leanna, can you please share with us a little about yourself
LE: Hi, y’all! First, thanks so much for having me here today! I love books and words and the written language. Nothing thrills my soul like a well-turned phrase or an amazing story that takes me on a journey. I simply love to read and write. I’m a total book-aholic. I have been ever since I was a little girl and read Charlotte’s Web. There is something about reading that opens our imaginations and helps us to soar.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

LE: I actually never dreamed of the possibility. It wasn’t until I was a teacher, searching for something else to do (LOL!) that my sister said, “You’re always writing in that journal of yours. Why don’t you write a book?” When I was a kid, I thought all writers were dead. Not true! We’re alive and well (some of us anyway) and busy writing. Anyway, when my sister planted that seed, I quit teaching and struck out on this crazy path of writing. And I love it!

Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
LE: There is no typical writing day. Not for me anyway. I’m in that very busy season of life with two young teenagers who are very active. So I stay busy running them from place to place. Much of my time writing is sitting in a car, waiting for my kids to get out of their rehearsal or practice. Have laptop will write. I suppose I could say that I need my laptop but even at times when I don’t have it, I can write the old fashioned way: pen and paper. Peanut M&Ms are always useful too.

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
LE:  The first draft is always the most challenging part of writing for me. Staring at a blank page and conjuring up something to say is never easy. I love when I have the first draft down and can then begin massaging the story and fine tuning it. The most rewarding part of writing is hearing from readers, especially when a book has really meant something to them, helped them over a hurdle, or touched them. That is what its all about!

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

LE: FORBIDDEN is the second book of my Plain Fear series. Rachel Schmidt Nussbaum, a young Amish widow, is now seven-and-a-half months pregnant with her first child. She blames herself for her husband Josef’s death and believes she is being punished by God for her past sins.
So when a stranger arrives claiming to be an old friend from her wilder years, saying only she can fix things for him, for Josef, and for herself, she makes an impulsive decision to follow him. It is a decision that will send Rachel on a dangerous journey—one that will lead her to the depths of ultimate danger, the potential for new love, and a battle that will decide both the fate of her soul and the life of her unborn child.

How did you come up with the idea for this story?
LE: I was sitting in church one weekend and had been struggling with my agent’s request to turn my one book idea into a trilogy. After the sermon, my church always has a time for folks to come down and pray if they have something they need to pray about. Folks pray for their jobs or about troubled relationships or whatever, and so I went down to pray, because at the time I was praying for guidance about whether God wanted me to write this story. So I met with someone, quickly told them my prayer request, and we prayed. The man who prayed for me said, “I just know ideas are going to pour down on you.” Sure enough, before I reached the parking lot, the whole plot for book #2 Forbidden came to me and I sat in the parking lot scribbling down the plot. I must say that does not always happen.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?
LE: I am working on book #3 of the Plain Fear series called FORGIVEN. In fact, I just reached the end of a very rough draft, and so I can’t wait to start getting it ready to send to my editor.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
LE:  Oh, my! That is such a hard question. There are so many wonderful current authors, some I am blessed to know and call friends. Reading gets me so jazzed! There are so many authors who have passed on who inspire me with their work. One is Ray Bradbury, who recently passed away, and he was truly a master.

Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style? 
LE: Absolutely! Amazing writing pushes me to be better and work harder at my own craft. Stories with heart that move me to tears remind me of the power of story and inspire me to be a better person and writer.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
LE: My To Read pile is very high as I am always way behind, but I have a couple of upcoming trips and so I’m hoping to be able to relax and read until my brain is saturated with words.  One book that I am going to reread is Gone With the Wind. Its been a long time since I read it and I am wanting to read it again.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
LE:  Thanks so much for having me today! I hope all of your readers have a great summer, with plenty of sunscreen and lots of fabulous books!

 

 

PLAIN FEAR: FORBIDDEN BY LEANNA ELLIS – IN STORES AUGUST 2012

 

How Long Must We Pay for the Sins of Our Past?

She blames herself for her husband’s death. But for Rachel Schmidt Nussbaum, redemption may only lie in the ultimate sacrifice.

When a stranger arrives claiming only she can save him, Rachel’s impulsive instincts lead her on a perilous journey, one that leads her to a battle that will decide both the fate of her soul and the life of her unborn child.

A far–from–ordinary story of love and desperation, sin and sacrifice, Amish faith and vampire lore, Plain Fear: Forbidden is an imaginative thrill ride that’s like nothing you’ve ever read before.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leanna Ellis is the winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award and Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award. She has written numerous books for Harlequin/Silhouette and has published four books with B&H Publishing. With her husband, two children, and wide assortment of pets, she lives in Texas. For more information, please visit www.leannaellis.com, follow her on Twitter, @LeannaEllis, and “like” her on Facebook.
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Interview with Kristine Grayson

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome first time visitor Kristine Grayson to the blog.  We are chatting about her newest book Thoroughly Kissed.

1. Have you always wanted to be an author?
As long as I can remember, I wanted to write. My mother kept my first book, which I wrote (and, sadly, illustrated) at seven. It was about a pony. I was such a girl.

2. Who are some of your favorite writers?
Currently, I’m enjoying Julia Quinn, Mary Jo Putney, and Mary Balogh. I also like Laura Griffin’s Tracers series. And in urban fantasy, Ilona Andrews, P.N. Elrod, and a host of others.

3. Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Well, that’s tougher. I reread F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca every year, but what I write is nothing like their works. I have a hunch my influences for these books are the 1930s & 1940s screwball comedies. I love Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, His Gal Friday, and all of those witty romantic films.

4. How did you get into writing this specific genre?
Accidentally. Under my real name, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, I published a short story called “The Strangeness of the Day,” and my husband, writer Dean Wesley Smith, told me that it was really a novel. I wrote the novel, which became Utterly Charming, and decided to publish it as a romance under a different name for commercial reasons. It’s been a fun ride ever since.

5. Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
I do write in a different genre. In fact, I write under different  names in almost every genre. Kris Nelscott for mystery, Kristine Dexter for romantic suspense, Kris DeLake for futuristic romance, Kristine Kathryn Rusch for pretty much everything else, including nonfiction. I’ve been nominated for everything from the RT Book Reviews reviewer’s choice award to the Edgar award, and I’ve won the Hugo award and the Herodotus Award for Best Historical Mystery among other awards. Plus my short stories have ended up in (at last count) 18 years best collections.

6. What are some of your writing rituals?
Tea. Cats. Cats. Tea.

7. Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Thoroughly Kissed follows Sleeping Beauty ten years after she woke up in our world. She’d been asleep for 1,000 years. She’s managed to thrive by learning everything, ending up as a history professor of the Dark Ages (which she lived). Now she’s come into her magic without training and she needs help. Unfortunately, her mentor can’t travel to her, so she has to go to him. And she can’t fly or take public transportation because her magic is out of control and she might kill someone. Through a series of mishaps, she ends up traveling with her handsome boss and—well—you can figure out the rest.

8. How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Sleeping Beauty was a side character in Utterly Charming—back when she woke up. And I couldn’t stop thinking about her, wondering what happened next. I finally had to write the story to answer that question for myself.

9. Can you share your current work in progress?
I’m working on the next book in the Assassins Guild series that I write as Kris DeLake. These are futuristic romances set in the far future. I just finished the latest Grayson novel, Charming Blue, which has (of all people) Bluebeard as my hero. (He’s horribly misunderstood.)

10. What would you be if you were not an author?
Hopeless.

Seriously, a composer, probably. Something in the arts.

11. What is in your TBR pile that you are dying to start or an upcoming release that you can’t wait for?
I’m waiting for the next Michael Connolly mystery and the upcoming Jeffrey Deaver Kathryn Dance novel. Tonight, I’m going to start Julia Quinn’s latest, A Night Like This. The book arrived today; I can hardly wait to finish work so I can read.

12. Is there anything you’d like to add?

Just a thank you for asking me to participate in the blog.

Twitter: @KristineRusch

Facebook: Kristine Grayson page

Website: www.kristinegrayson.com

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Interview & Giveaway with Tamara Hogan

Books-n-Kisses is excited to have Tamara Hogan for the first time on the blog today.  We are getting to know Tamara a little better and learning about her newest book Chase Me.  Please make Tamara feel welcome. 

Can you please share with us a little about yourself:

TH: my partner Mark and I live on a small hobby farm in southern Minnesota with two cats. I have a day job, telecommuting as a technology process analyst for a Silicon Valley-based company that makes network gear. Though I studied creative writing through high school and college, I didn’t write my first book until five years ago. Taste Me, Underbelly Chronicles Book One, is that book!

Have you always wanted to be an author?

TH: I knew I wanted to try to write a book someday, but let’s just say that ‘someday’ took many more years than I thought it would when I was younger. When I got an idea for a series – this one – I decided it was time to put up or shut up. Since that book was ultimately acquired by Sourcebooks’ Deb Werksman in a three-book deal, I guess I put up.  😉

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

TH: Nalini Singh. Old-skool Anne Rice. Frank Herbert, Anne Stuart, Stephen King, and of course, Nora Roberts. Maybe it’s an English major thing, but I can read for pleasure and analyze craft simultaneously; it’s not unusual for a paragraph to literally bring me to tears, and through the tears, for me to identify the exact turn of phrase—the exact WORD—that set off the waterworks, and why. I think I’ve learned something from nearly every book I’ve ever read, for better or worse, but in terms of specific influence, Nalini’s level of craft with emotional description and saturation continues to astound me—and pushes me to improve. Nora Roberts taught me everything I know about dialogue tags and beats. (Thanks, Nora!)

How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?

TH: I’ve always been a feral cross-genre reader, and started reading romance novels when I was ten. People who read my books will likely find elements of science fiction, psychological thriller, and mystery in my work. In terms of writing in another genre…CHASE ME is my second book —heck, my second manuscript —so right now I love where I’m at. My voice is still developing, still emerging. I want to feel confident before even considering branching out into a different direction.

What are some of your writing rituals?

TH: I telecommute for my day job, so an important aspect of my writing routine is simply getting up with the alarm and getting out of the house. I write at my local coffee shop, drinking three cups of black coffee with cream. I slap on my headset, dial in my music for the day, pull out either notebook or net book, and get cracking. This is a job, and I have to make the most of my limited daily writing time if I want to make my deadlines.

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

TH:  One of the continuing strands in this series is the paranormal creatures’ origin story: how did these paranormal creatures come to share the planet with us? In Chase Me, Valkyrie archaeologist Lorin Schlessinger has finally found evidence that the remote dig she and her mother have been working for years is the crash site of their ancestors’ ship. Due to a rather serious screw-up, her professional nemesis, werewolf geologist Gabe Lupinsky, is assigned as her dig manager.

How did you come with the idea for this story? TH: Lorin and Gabe shared a short scene together in TASTE ME, establishing their professional conflict and some massive sexual sparks. What could I do but throw them together? From a storytelling perspective, I was also interested in flipping some common paranormal tropes upside down. She’s the rough and tumble, sexually aggressive alpha badass, and he’s more cautious and deliberate, the one with a health issue/disability, who’s in touch with his feelings and looking for love. I wanted to explore the concept of masculinity through this lens. 

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

TH: I’m just about to turn in the manuscript for Underbelly Chronicles Book 3, TEMPT ME, featuring reformed human hacker Bailey Brown and hedonistic incubus sculptor Rafe Sebastiani—Lukas’s brother.

What would you be if you were not an author?

TH: or a technologist? 😉  My friends tell me that I suspend judgment so completely sometimes that I should train as forensic psychologist and profile serial killers for the FBI. I find many shades of gray in my villains, who, after all, are the heroes of their own stories—in their own minds, anyway. It’s all in the motivation.

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

 TH: My TBR pile is completely out of hand. One thing no one tells you when you sign a book contract is how much writing cuts into your reading time. That said, I’m excited about Kresley Cole’s “Lothaire” and Nalini Singh’s “Tangle of Need.” I’m still inching up the library wait list for J.R. Ward’s “Lover Reborn.” Yeah, I’m a complete hoor for the brothers.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

TH: if you happen to read either TASTE ME or CHASE ME, please contact me and let me know what you think! If you HAVE read the books, which couple would you like to see get their own HEA in an upcoming book?

Want to learn more about Tamara or her books?   You can find her here:

Website |    Facebook  |   Twitter |  Goodreads      

CHASE ME BY TAMARA HOGAN – IN STORES JUNE 2012

THE SECRETS SHE’S UNCOVERING WILL BE HIS TO KEEP…

Centuries ago, when their ship crashed to Earth, paranormals of all types settled secretly into our world, quietly going about their business with humans none the wiser. Self–ruling and careful to stay below the radar, all is threatened when Valkyrie archaeologist Lorin Schlessinger and her werewolf geologist partner Gabe Lupinsky inadvertently draw evil attention to Earth and its treasured natural resources.

As the threat intensifies, Lorin and Gabe struggle to contain the chaos they’ve unleashed, and to resist their explosive mutual attraction…

“Hogan’s sharp, funny dialogue and strong but subtle character development elevate both the story and the fierce chemistry between insecure, bespectacled Gabe and lusty, aggressive Lorin. Paranormal fans will enjoy this fresh take on the genre.” — Publishers Weekly

CHASE ME Buy Links: (Amz | BN | Sourcebooks | Powell’s | BAM | Sony | Kobo)

Read an excerpt here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tamara Hogan loathes cold and snow, but nonetheless lives near Minneapolis with her partner Mark and two naughty cats. When she’s not telecommuting as a quality and process engineer for a global networking company, she enjoys writing edgy urban fantasy romance with a sci-fi twist. A feral reader with an unapologetic television addiction, Tammy is forever on the lookout for the perfect black boots. Her debut, Taste Me, was a 2009 Daphne Paranormal Winner and 2009 Golden Heart Finalist.  For more information, please visit  www.TamaraHogan.com or follow her on Twitter, @TamaraHogan1.

GIVEAWAY TIME

Sourcebooks has given me one copy of Chase Me to giveaway. 

To enter for a chance to win please fill out the Rafflecopter form below (US/Canada Only)

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Interview & Giveaway with Joanne Kennedy

Books-n-Kisses is please to welcome for the first time Joanna Kennedy to the blog.  We are excited to learn more about Joanne and share her and her newest book with you.. So enough of my talking lets talk Hot Cowboys……

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

JK: I’m a romance writer who loves cowboys, horses, and the West. I’m lucky enough to have found my niche writing contemporary Westerns, and I find plenty of material here in my hometown of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?

JK: I’ve always loved books and I wanted to write, but like a lot of people, I talked about it a lot and didn’t actually sit down and do it until I hit my midlife crisis (it was a doozy!). I realized that if I didn’t make the effort, I’d never get it done—and I sat down and wrote the book that became Cowboy Trouble.

Q3) What is your most interesting writing quirk?

JK: When I write, I like to be surrounded by reminders of good times in my own life, so my office is scattered with odd little mementoes. There’s a wind-up chicken that poops out jellybeans, an elk vertebra, a plastic dinosaur, and a Chihuahua bobble-head, among other things.

Q4) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

JK: Cowboy Crazy is about rodeo cowboy Lane Carrigan, who is the black-sheep heir to an oil fortune, and Sarah Landon, who manages publicity for his family’s company. Sarah thinks she left her small-town past behind, but when Lane goes public about his fight to save the town of Two Shot from his family’s development plans, she’s forced to return to her hometown and face some long-buried secrets.

Q5) How did you come with the idea for this story?

JK: I do a lot of traveling around the state of Wyoming, and I’ve watched a lot of small towns change as the mining industry goes through its boom-and-bust cycle. Lane and Sarah are both concerned about the town of Two Shot, but they’re on opposite sides: Lane wants to keep the town from changing, while Sarah wants the prosperity development will bring. They’re both right, and both wrong; part of the story is how they come to realize what the community really needs.

Q6) Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

JK: I just finished Cowboy Tough, which is about a rodeo cowboy who has to go home to help save the family ranch by turning it into a dude ranch. His first guest is a big-city artist who is leading a painting expedition, and his job is to guide them through the backcountry. It was a fun book to write because of the clash of cultures between the art world and the cowboy world.

Q7) Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

JK: I would love to meet Larry McMurtry. I think Lonesome Dove is the greatest Western ever written. I love his characters, his voice, and his ability to spin history into a story you can’t put down while respecting the reality of the old West. There’s no sugarcoating in a McMurtry book—he celebrates the real West!

Q8) What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

JK: Learn to accept and learn from criticism. No matter where you are in your writing journey, you can always get better. It’s easy to get defensive when someone criticizes your work, but take a step back, breathe deeply, and listen.

Q9) Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

JK: Okay, this is weird, but I have always wanted to get to know an elephant. I had a dream years ago where I was a mahout, riding my trusty pachyderm in the jungle. I worked with the elephant to move logs, and we were in perfect harmony. It was the best dream ever.

Q10 What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

JK: I am really looking forward to Carolyn Brown’s upcoming women’s fiction book. She’s a good friend and a terrific person, and reading her books is just like sitting down and visiting with her. They’re funny and sweet and very entertaining.

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

JK: Just a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to interview me! We writers owe a debt of gratitude to bloggers like you, who connect us with readers and help us add another level to the reading experience. And thanks to the readers out there, too, for inviting my characters into their lives.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanne Kennedy is the author of four contemporary Western romances for Sourcebooks: Cowboy Trouble One Fine Cowboy, Cowboy Fever, and Tall, Dark and Cowboy. She brings a wide variety of experience, ranging from chicken farming to horse training, to her sexy, spicy cowboy stories. She is a 2011 finalist in the prestigious Romance Writers of American RITA© Awards, for One Fine Cowboy. Joanne lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where she is working on her next book, Cowboy Tough (Fall 2012). For more information, please visit http://joannekennedybooks.com/. To purchase Joanne’s latest release, Cowboy Crazy, please visit ganxy.com/p/62834.

 

To purchase Cowboy Crazy by Joanne Kennedy, please visit ganxy.com/p/62834. 

 

COWBOY CRAZY BY JOANNE KENNEDY – IN STORES JUNE 2012

Sparks fly when sexy cowboys collide with determined heroines in a West filled with quirky characters and sizzling romance. Acclaimed for delivering “a fresh take on the traditional contemporary Western“ Joanne Kennedy’s books might just be your next great discovery! 

From stable to boardroom…

Sarah Landon’s Ivy League scholarship transforms her from a wide-eyed country girl into a poised professional. Until she’s assigned to do damage control with the boss’s rebellious brother Lane, who’s the burr in everybody’s saddle. He’s determined to save his community from oil drilling, and she’s not going back to the ranch she left forever. Spurs will shine in this saucy romp about ranchers and roots, redemption and second chances.

 Giveaway Time!!!

I have one copy of Cowboy Crazy to giveaway… To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

Open to US Only.  Giveaway sponsored by Sourcebooks.

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Interview & Giveaway with Shona Husk

Books-n-Kisses is SUPER excited to have Shona Husk on the blog today.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A civil designer by day and an author by night, Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Drawing on history, myth and imagination, she writes about heroes who are armed and dangerous but have a heart of gold—sometimes literally. You can find out more information about Shona and her edgy romances at http://www.shonahusk.com/ or follow her on Twitter, @ShonaHusk. 

Can you please share with us a little about yourself
SH: My twitter bio sums me up very succinctly: I design roads, write paranormal romance, read books and eat chocolate—not all at the same time.
In my day job I’m a civil designer which is road and drainage design; I often joke that working in an office of technically minded guys is the reason why I write romance. It’s the perfect escape, and the men are always heroes in romance—unlike in real life. I also buy too many books and I probably eat too much chocolate, but dark chocolate is almost a health food, right?
Have you always wanted to be an author?
SH: Even though I wrote as a child, I pursued a more usual career path before returning to writing as an adult. I have always been a reader though and that has never stopped and even when I wasn’t actually writing I was still making up stories for my own amusement—they just never made it onto paper.
What is your most interesting writing quirk?
SH: I use pen and paper a lot. To plot, to brainstorm and to write. I’ve written a whole book longhand sitting by the side of the pool at my kids swimming lessons (Dark Vow) and plotted another while sitting in an airport.
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
SH: Kiss of the Goblin Prince is book 2 in the Shadowlands series, which is a trilogy about cursed Celtic heroes and their struggle to be free of the Shadowlands—a place where goblins roam and nightmares are born. Dai was once a prince but now he is human again in a world that has changed even if he hasn’t, and all the misdeeds he’s committed over the years catch up with him. There’s magic, and danger, and romance as Dai and Amanda help each other heal and move forward. There’s also a visit back to the Shadowlands to save an old friend…
How did you come with the idea for this story?
SH: Dai had a supporting role in The Goblin King. He was Roan’s younger brother. Incredibly clever and well versed in all kinds of magical lore, but he also harbored a few secrets of his own. I knew I had to write about him next, so I actually spent some time fleshing out his character while I was writing The Goblin King. I didn’t realize he was going to be interested in Amanda until I wrote the last scene of The Goblin King, but from there Dai’s story unraveled.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
SH: I’m doing edits on the last Shadowlands book, For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, and also Enchanting Absinthe. But I’ve also been working on a new erotic fantasy romance for Ellora’s Cave (magic and demi-gods) and a new trilogy in a totally new world for Sourcebooks which has been a lot of fun.
Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
SH: I love Katharine Kerr’s Deverry series, so to meet her would be great. Another author whose work I like is Jim Butcher.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
SH: Read a lot and read widely, and write. Write everyday even if it is only a paragraph and don’t be afraid to try different things—you never know where it will take you.
Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
SH: I’ve just done something off my bucket list which was take the kids to Disney and see some of America. It was a great holiday—my credit card doesn’t agree. Most of my bucket list involves travel, although I’d love to take a spin in a race car. There’s a place a few hours from where I live that does hot laps, but I just haven’t gotten around to doing it. I should, maybe I could call it research…
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
SH: I’ve been working my way through my TBR pile while I was on holiday. The Hawk of May is on my ereader, it’s an Arthurian re-telling (love them!) and Hounded by Kevin Hearne which I have in print, he had me at “tattooed Irish dude”. After reading Mariana by Susanna Kearsley, and loving it, I’m looking forward to reading Shadowy Horses.
Want to learn more about Shona or her books?  You can find her here.  
Website~~http://www.shonahusk.com 
Twitter~~www.twitter.com/ShonaHusk
Facbook~~www.facebook.com/shonahusk
Goodreads~~ http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3464665.Shona_Husk

KISS OF THE GOBLIN PRINCE BY SHONA HUSK – IN STORES MAY 2012

The Man of Her Dreams…
He is like a prince in a fairy tale: tall, outrageously handsome, and way too dark for her own good. Amanda has been hurt before, though. And with her daughter’s illness, the last thing she needs right now is a man. But the power of Dai King is hard to resist. And when he threads his hands through her hair and pulls her in for a kiss, there is no denying it feels achingly right.

In a Land of Nightmares…
After being trapped in the Shadowlands for centuries with the goblin horde a constant threat, Dai revels in his newfound freedom back in the human realm. But even with the centuries of magic he’s accumulated, he still doesn’t know how to heal Amanda’s daughter—and it breaks his heart. Yet for the woman he loves, he’d risk anything…including a return to the Shadowlands.


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