Uncharted- Guest post with Micah Persell
Hi Peeps! I’m so happy to greet you all today and even happier to greet you with guest news! Today on ye old blog I’m proud to introduce to some, though many of you already know her, the incredibly talented writer, Micah Persell. Micah is here to tell us about and share a bit from her latest book, Uncharted Waters which was just released this week! Take it away Micah!
Hello, everyone! I’m so excited to be here today to talk about my latest book, Uncharted Waters. This book has a special place in my heart because the heroine works in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field as a scientist at the top of her field in gray water recycling systems. Women comprise 48% of the general work force, but we’re only 24% of the workers in the quickly growing STEM fields, and the representation of STEM heroines in romance is much, much less than even that. I couldn’t be prouder to have written Bethany Morgan, the woman who ends up snowed in with a sexy, virgin recluse in the Rocky Mountains. I hope you find this book just as sweet, sexy, and empowering as I did when I wrote it! Thank you so much, Kwana, for this opportunity to talk to your wonderful readers!
Here is an excerpt from Uncharted Waters:
“I promise not to touch you if you get more comfortable, James,” she said softly and firmly, more a warning to herself than anything else.
He hesitated, but she could tell he was longing to cool off. Suspecting pressing him would only keep him clothed, she stayed silent and simply watched him.
After what felt like an eternity, his hands began to move. Starting at the hollow of his throat, he began to undo his buttons one by one. Bethany’s gaze was riveted, watching as more and more skin was revealed and cursing—all over again—the dark. When she took a breath, she startled herself with how loud it was.
His fingers paused at their current button, and she glanced at his face. He was staring at her with wide eyes. She was certain he wasn’t breathing. In her peripheral vision, she saw him resume unbuttoning his shirt, and now she was certain she wasn’t breathing.
God, had she ever wanted any man as much in her entire life as she wanted this mountain hermit? It made no sense; it was so intense, she didn’t know if she would survive it.
He finished unbuttoning his shirt, and hesitating only a moment, he sat up and shrugged it from his shoulders and dropped it to the ground.
It had taken maybe two seconds, but Bethany had caught plenty an eyeful of flickering muscles across his shoulders in the fireplace’s dim glow, and when he turned back to her, her mouth was dry. She swallowed hard in vain.
He lay down again slowly and then rotated to his side, mirroring her. The glowing embers from the fire highlighted a sheen of perspiration over the curve of his naked shoulder, and Bethany pressed her knees together.
“B-better?” she rasped.
He pulled in an extraordinarily loud breath. “Very much not,” he said in a rumble.
She fisted her hands to keep from reaching for him. “I know,” she whispered.
That was fantastic! You can read more by ordering your copy of Uncharted Waters now:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2wpPExE
And you can find Micah on the web at: http://www.micahpersell.com/
Thanks so much for being here Micah!
All the best,
KMJ
Tell No Lies… Guest Post from LaQuette!
Today on ye old blog I’m thrilled to have my friend, chaptermate, and she just happens to be RWA/NYC’s Golden Apple Award Winning Author Of The Year 2016, LaQuette guest posting to tell us about her latest release LIES YOU TELL. Congrats and thank so much for being with us LaQuette!
Lies You TellbyLaQuetteBlurb:
A mob boss finding his dead lover alive six years after her
death, shocking. Learning they’ve got a
five-year-old son…deadly.
Six years ago Sanai Ward fled her life in Florida when her
lover’s infidelity nearly brings her life to a fiery end. Scared and devastated, Sanai starts over from
nothing, determined to create a safe and happy life for the child she discovers
she’s carrying.Single parenthood isn’t easy. But the joy of watching her
beloved Nazario thrive is more than enough motivation to ignore the ache in her
heart for the man that shattered her soul.Dante De Luca is a passionate man who’s had his life stolen
from him. Six years ago he was in love
and happy, until his woman was killed in a fire. Sanai was gone. There was nothing left in the ashes but the
locket he’d placed around her neck. Too
angry to deal with his loss, Dante seeks to make the rest of the world pay for
his broken heart by forming an unholy covenant with an unspeakable ally. He knows he’ll live to regret it, but signing
away your humanity to the devil seems meaningless when your soul is already
gone.When an accident involving a family member draws Dante to
New York, and forces an unexpected meeting between he and Sanai, Dante has to
decide what’s more important. His rage
and revenge, or the safety of the woman he once loved and the health of their
son?Just when Sanai’s deception is beginning to sting less,
Dante is faced with the fallout of his own lies. Will she forgive him? Will they survive them, or will their lives
become tragic casualties of the dangerous lies he told?
Excerpt:
He’d been overwhelmed with love. She hadn’t said it to him,
still hadn’t, but he saw it in every other way possible. The fact that she’d carved
out a space for him in her home—several spaces to be exact—marked his
permanence, his residence in her life.He sat next to her on the bed, hating the fact he couldn’t
remain there pressed against her. He leaned down and placed a loving kiss on
tender lips. “Take care of yourself. Take care of my boy.”“As long as you agree to get back here as soon as possible,”
she answered through their kisses.He kissed her again, deeply this time, savoring her taste. He
intended to be home late tonight or early tomorrow morning, but even that short
expanse of time was too much to be away from her.“Mi mancherà mentre
non ci sono…mi piace quando torno,” he whispered to her before stealing one
last kiss.“What does that mean?” she asked. “You say it every time you
leave.”He only spoke bits and pieces of Italian around her. He knew
Nazario understood quite a bit from spending so much time in Mrs. Rossi’s care.
He never wanted Sanai to feel as if he was excluding her, so he only ever spoke
English in her presence.“Miss me while I’m gone…love me when I return.”She pulled herself up, leaning against the headboard for
support. He could see there was so much emotion building up behind her open
stare. He didn’t press. The truth was he didn’t need the words. These moments
they shared together told him more than any words in any language could ever
convey. He was stamped across her heart, and no one and nothing would ever
change that.
Author Bio:LaQuette is an erotic, multicultural romance author of M/F and
M/M love stories. Her writing style brings intellect to the drama.
She often crafts emotionally epic, fantastical tales that are deeply pigmented
by reality’s paintbrush. Her novels are filled with a unique
mixture of savvy, sarcastic, brazen, and unapologetically sexy characters
who are confident in their right to appear on the page.This bestselling Erotic Romance Author is the 2016 Author of the
Year Golden Apple Award Winner, 2015 Swirl Awards Bronze Winner in
Romantic Suspense, and 2015 Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award Finalist in
Erotic Romance. LaQuette—a native of Brooklyn, New York—spends her time catering
to her three distinct personalities: Wife, Mother, and Educator.Writing—her escape from everyday madness—has always been a
friend and source of comfort. At the age of sixteen she read her first
romance novel and realized the genre was missing something: people that looked
and lived like her. As a result, her characters and settings are always
designed to provide positive representations of people of color and various
marginalized communities.She
loves hearing from readers and discussing the crazy characters that are running
around in her head causing so much trouble. Contact her on Facebook,
Twitter, her website, NovelsbyLaQuette.com, Amazon, her
Facebook group, LaQuette’s Lounge, and via email at LaQuette@NovelsbyLaQuette.com.Lies You TellBook TrailerbyLaQuetteThanks once again LaQuette and readers don’t forget to check out LaQuette’s latest and her incredible back-list!
All the best,
KMJ
Bounce Is Back plus a Giveaway!!! #BounceBack
So the big day has finally arrived…
BOUNCE IS BACK!!! Well, sort of. It’s release day for my long anticipated (at least in my mind) sequal to BOUNCE, entitled BOUNCE BACK. Once again we’re in scandalous fictional town of Edgewater, New York with Sabrina Jacobs and the oh-so desperate housewives that make sure there is never a dull moment.
Because sometimes more than love is on the line…
Book 2 in the Loving On The Edge Series
All Sabrina Jacobs wants to do is focus on building her new life, and that starts with rebuilding her marriage. Her husband has moved back into their home and thankfully, exclusively into her bed, she’s making a name for herself with her home based finance business and she’s even starting to master the suburban mommy mafia game. Too bad she didn’t factor in being assigned as co-chair in charge of the annual Cougar and Cubs gala with her town nemesis. As busy as Sabrina is, she definitely doesn’t have time to deal with the likes of one Cassandra Stanton.
Currently a Cougar in waiting, Cassandra Stanton is well on track to being Edgewater town royalty, that is, if she can keep it together and pull off the fundraiser of the year. Too bad she’s saddled with co-chairing the event with the chronically clueless Sabrina Jacobs. Not to mention the fact that her husband, Richard, has chosen now to have his most inconvenient, can’t keep it in his pants, mid-life crisis. Cassandra just doesn’t have the time to deal with coddling him and pulling off the party of the year. But maybe the town’s new contractor can give her the tools she needs to work out all her problems and rebuild her life, only this time on her terms.
Can these two unlikely allies come together for a cause and give the Cougars of Edgewater a night they won’t soon forget, all the while gaining control of the chaos their own lives have become?
You can pick up BOUNCE BACK here on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RtRers
And click below to enter the giveaway. Don’t forget to tell a friend! Thanks so much for your support!
All the best,
KMJ
Burning Bright with author Stacey Agdern
Tis the season and timing could not be more perfect for today’s author interview. I’m so excited to have my friend the super talented Stacey Agdern on ye old blog today to talk about her contribution to BURNING BRIGHT the new Chanukah Anthology out from Avon Impulse.
Thanks so much for being here today Stacey!
Thank you so much for having me. It means a great deal *hug*
First off can you tell us a bit about BURNING BRIGHT? How did this anthology come together?
I pitched a single title Chanukah story to an editor at a luncheon hosted by one of the two RWA chapters I belong to (waves to LIRW). Two months later, I was sitting with Tessa Woodward, hashing out how the anthology would work. Chanukah. Jewish Characters. Jewish authors. An introduction by Sarah Wendell, and we were off to the races. I recruited Megan, Jennifer and KK , sobbing all over each of them with excitement and pride. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Neither could they (they also probably wanted me to stop crying;).
They came up with some really cool stuff, no?
Blurb:
This December, take a break from dreidel spinning, gelt winning, and latke eating to experience the joy of Chanukah. When you fall in love during the Festival of Lights, the world burns a whole lot brighter.
It’s definitely not love at first sight for Amanda and her cute but mysterious new neighbor, Ben. Can a Chanukah miracle show them that getting off on the wrong foot doesn’t mean they can’t walk the same road?
Lawyers in love, Shari Cohen and Evan Sonntag are happy together. But in a moment of doubt, he pushes her away—then soon realizes he made a huge mistake. To win her back, it might take something like a Chanukah miracle.
When impulsive interior designer Molly Baker-Stein barges into Jon Adelman’s apartment and his life intent on planning the best Chanukah party their building has ever seen, neither expects that together they just might discover a Home for Chanukah.
All Tamar expected from her Israel vacation was time to hang out with one of her besties and to act like a tourist, cheesy t-shirt and all, in her two favorite cities. She definitely was not expecting to fall for Avi, a handsome soldier who’s more than she ever dreamed
What inspired you to write your story?
Three different elements-two happy and one sad. An anthology that never came to pass about characters celebrating thanksgiving in a New York apartment building (thank you Tamsin!), a Chanukah party that is becoming one of my favorite annual traditions( Latkepalooza) and the death of my great aunt Bernice. Mix them together with a bit of amazing New York food, and you have ‘A Home for Chanukah’.
This year especially diversity his caught on as a big word in romance and you have been a champion for more diversity in the genre. Tell us why is it so important to you and what does the word mean to you?
Diversity, to me, means a romance genre that reflects the world we live in. Books telling the stories where the characters (and authors) are of all races, sexualities and faiths. Where readers can see themselves in the lead roles and not just in the secondary characters we hope (and pray) will eventually get their own books.
It’s important to me for many reasons, but the most relevant for this piece is the following : I want to live in a world where a character’s Judaism doesn’t disqualify them from having a leading role in a romance novel and an on the page romance. I want there to be the possibility that the word ‘inspirational’ doesn’t mean Christian. I don’t want someone else writing an article about Jewish characters in leading roles in romance novels to have to struggle, like I did, to find 8.
Also, can I say how lucky the romance community is to have you, Kwana? You lay the groundwork for a diversity conversation that is genuinely inclusive of all types of diversity, whether it is based on race, sexuality or faith. That is a priceless gift.
You are so kind to say that. Thank you and thank you once again for it and all you do.
Tell us a bit about your writing schedule. Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
Mostly a pantser. When I start to write I need: 1.my general direction 2.a bit of knowledge about my characters. 3. The beginnings of my playlist. I don’t write in order either. I’ll write a bunch of scenes, and when I get to the point where I feel I have a story, I’ll start putting everything in order and filling in the missing pieces. I’m also not wedded to the beginning sequences; if I get to the point where one of the early scenes I’ve written is supposed to fit, but doesn’t, I’ve got no problem cutting it.
I’ll plot only when I get stuck, but only the barest minimum. If I plot too much, I get stuck Interesting fact : even if I write a synopsis before I write the book, I need to force myself to forget I’ve done this and proceed as usual.
What advice would you give other aspiring writers?
Pay attention to the market but write your stories. Keep your eyes open and take the opportunities that come your way. If you have a local rwa chapter, join. And READ. Always.
Do you mind sharing with our nosy readers (ok me) what you are working on next?
I’m working on a few different things, one of which is a hockey romance. “Icing the Puck’ comes out in April (no date yet) and it’s the second anthology of stories about the New York Empires hockey team. My story in ‘Icing the Puck’ features a hockey playing renchman, a violin playing heroine, tutoring sessions that slowly become more, interesting family secrets and 4/5 New York City boroughs during the holidays 😉
Sounds fantastic! Thank you for sharing.
And now here’s a short excerpt from ‘A Home for Hanukkah that makes a bit of a reference to my fictional hockey team. I love putting bits of afikomen-what most people call easter egg-references to other things.
She had more ideas in mind, but this was going to be his place when he got around to it, his idea. Which meant she had one more question to ask him. “Any colors?”
This was the one that seemed to catch him off guard. He shrugged his shoulders, then settled back in. “Don’t know,” he finally said, trailing off as he looked around the room. “Maybe blue, white. I’m an Empires fan.”
“Empires?”
“New York Empires. Semenov, Emerson, that new guy, they call him lucky seven?”
She tried to look interested, tried to muster a degree of understanding, at least.
“Hockey?”
She shook her head. “No …”
He raised an eyebrow, as if to say that of everything they’d talked about, this was the thing he was most surprised about. “You’re not interested at all?”
She shook her head. “Sorry. Not really.”
Interesting *fun* fact? The hero of my story in Icing the Puck? Lucky seven, of course 😉
Thanks so much for being here today. It’s been a real pleasure.
You can find Stacey at these locals on line:
@nystacey on twitter
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/staceyaagdern
And her pick up Burning Bright here:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062464841
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burning-bright-megan-hart/1122749513?ean=9780062464859
All the best,
KMJ
Just Her Type… in interview from author Synithia Williams
Today on ye old blog we have a very special guest. The super talented Synitha Williams was kind enough to use her insider clout and get her heroine, Janiyah, from her latest release JUST MY TYPE to stop on by and grant us an interview. I was lucky enough to read JUST MY TYPE in a sneak peek and so enjoyed Janiyah and Freddy’s story and I’m sure you will too. Now take it away Janiyah!
Hi, K.M! Thanks for inviting me to you blog for an interview. I hope your readers enjoy it, and that they’ll check out how I snagged the man of my dreams, Fredrick (a.k.a. Freddy) Jenkins in Just My Type. Our love was a long time coming, but it was definitely worth waiting for.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a virtual assistant and love it. I don’t have to punch a time clock, I get to work on a variety of projects, and many of my power conference calls are done from the comfort of my living room while I wear pajamas.
What is your greatest fear?
Being unhappy with my life. I’ve seen how miserable people are when they’re stuck in a situation that doesn’t fit their personality. I love to try new things and pursue a variety of interests. I don’t want to become someone stuck in a routine and too afraid to try anything different.
Who was your first love and what do you like most about them?
My first love is also my last love. I’ve been crazy about Freddy since the first day he come over to play basketball with my older brother. I love that he’s so calm and in control no matter what’s thrown at him. The highlight of my day is finding a way to ruffle his feathers or make him smile. If I can make that wonderful dimple of his pop out, then my day is perfect. Oh, and he kisses pretty good, too.
What do you find most appealing in a man?
I love a man who isn’t afraid to go for what he wants. Assertive men that are willing to approach me are usually who I fall for. Throw in a nice smile and a sense of humor and I’m all in.
What do you find most unappealing in men?
Arrogance. It’s one thing to be confident and proud of what you do, but when you look down on others it really turns me off.
What word makes you the happiest?
Sale! I’m a big consignment shopper and seeing a sale sign … let’s just say cancel all afternoon appointments if that’s the case.
What turns you on?
Freddy’s smile, seeing him without his shirt on so I can admire his muscles, and that dimple of his.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Both, really. I tend to work late on assignments for my clients, but I can’t sleep past eight. It’s like I have an internal alarm clock or something.
If you knew a zombie apocalypse was coming in one week, what would you do?
Umm … pack up my clothes.
Why should someone read about your love with Freddy?
Because we were so stubborn, it’s funny at times. I think readers will find how silly we were humorous, but they’ll also understand why it was so hard for us to admit we were crazy for each other.
Just My Type Blurb:
Janiyah Henderson may be an adult, but her dad doesn’t see it that way. Granted, she’s enjoying her post-college life of little-to-no responsibility, but when her dad announces at a family meeting that she can’t handle working a “real job”, there’s only one thing to do: land a desk job and prove him wrong. When her brother’s best friend, Fredrick Jenkins, needs a new assistant, she knows she’s the perfect candidate. So what if she’s had a crush on the conservative accountant since she was nine? She’s the last woman Freddy would fall for.
But Fredrick is far from impervious to Janiyah’s charms. Though he can’t help but be attracted to her, he knows Janiyah is more interested in eating his cereal and teasing him than viewing him as more than the good guy next door. When he offers her the job, he can’t imagine her giving up her late mornings and colorful outfits for 8:00 a.m. meetings and pantyhose for too long. But as Janiyah excels as his employee, he fears he’s in danger of falling hard for a woman he shouldn’t care for.
Pretty soon the attraction they’ve tried to ignore boils to the surface. And after Fredrick shows Janiyah the man behind the numbers, she’s ready to show him that she’s just the type of woman he needs.
Buy Links:
Crimson Romance (where it’s always 30% off plus get an additional 10% off using code FFSAVE
About the Author:
Synithia Williams has loved romance novels since reading her first one at the age of 13. It was only natural that she would begin penning her own romances soon after. When she isn’t writing, this local government gal balances the needs of her husband and two sons. Find Synithia Williams at www.synithiawilliams.com , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/synithiarwilliams , and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@SynithiaW .
Paperback Writer…
Talk about a dream come true. In addition to the digital version I’m so happy to announce that Through The Lens is now available in a Paperback edition. To have and to hold! Oh my goodness.
You can order your POD copy on Amazon here.
Thanks so much and please tell a friend.
All the best,
KMJ
Just a Nugget
I hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend. Today I’m happy to say that a snippet from THROUGH THE LENS is featured on Denyse Cohen’s site in her Dialogue Nugget Sunday feature. Denyse is another Crimson author and the author of One Hot Wonder which is available now from Crimson Romance. You can head over to her blog here to see more about One Hit Wonder and to read a Nugget from THROUGH THE LENS. Have a great day!
Best,
Kwana
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Happy Dancing over my happy news!
So I’m doing the Happy Dance today!
Why you ask? Come on just go along with me and ask… thanks. Well… I’m happy to announce that I just signed a new two book contract with Crimson Romance my publisher for Through The Lens (out September 3rd and available for pre-order now).
Yippee and throws confetti! The next two books will be loose follow ups to Through The Lens in what I’m now calling my Creative Hearts series. These will be all connected books that I’m happy to say can also stand alone since they will be the new love stories of characters that have turned up in the previous books. What fun! So something to look forward to (at least I’m hoping).
I’m so happy to announce this to you, all my bloggy friends. I feel like I’m really, finally on the move now and so glad to be on this journey (did I really just use that word from The Bachelor? Yikes.) with Crimson.
You can pre-order Through The Lens here and don’t forget it will be on sale in ebook form everywhere September 3rd. Look for lots of fun in store on ye old blog next week.
Thanks so much!
Best,
Kwana
