Strictly Professional… and interview with author Christina Jones
I’m so happy to have an interview with new author Christina Jones on ye old blog today. Christina is a talented author, blogger who is also a busy working wife and mom. It’s a treat to get to pick her brain for a few moments.
Hi Christina thanks so much for being here on ye old blog today. It’s a real pleasure. First off can you tell us a bit about your current work?
My latest work, Strictly Professional is the story of a 20-something, Gabi, who is trying her best to gain her independence and make her mark on the world, despite the efforts of her family and a (quite frankly) crazy ex. In the midst of this, she develops a crazy level of chemistry with someone (Terrence) that it’s probably not a very good idea to become romantically involved with. On the other side, we have Terrence, who is very focused on his career, and definitely not looking for love. They both have to decide if they’re willing to risk not only their hearts, but their careers in order to pursue what could be happily every after.
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always known that I had a passion for writing, and storytelling, but I did not know that I wanted to be a writer. I started out writing in long hand, back in high school. I would put together these folders of stories, and pass them around amongst my class. There was a situation where someone I really cared about wasn’t supportive of it, and I stopped writing for a long time. I actually hadn’t written in years, and started back up on a whim, writing fan fiction, just as a way to put my work out there, and get feedback from other people. Then, I found out that I could publish my own work, and I just decided “Hey, I’m gonna write a novel!” So I did.
Wow good for you, going for it and putting yourself out there. That’s brave! Do you feel your works are more character or plot driven?
I feel like my work is definitely more character driven. Before I even put a single word on the page, I get to know my character. What motivates them, what makes them happy, what pisses them off, etc. Once I know them well, I’m confident in putting their story down on the page, and I won’t change my character to fit something that I want to happen in the story. It’s not my story, it’s theirs!
What made you choose this genre to write in?
I chose my genre (Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction) because it is one of my favorite genres to read. The other genre is Fantasy, and I am absolutely not equipped right now for the type of detail and world-building that goes into Fantasy! I love to be able to escape into a book with characters and situations that I can relate to, and I want to create that type of feeling for other people.
Tell us a bit about your writing schedule. Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
I am absolutely a Pantser! I have a graphic design business, two small children, a husband, and I’m in college full time, so during the semester, I just have to get in where I fit in! Anytime I can grab thirty minutes here, an hour there, I take it and do what I can. I’m definitely more productive during the short breaks from school.
LOL so just a little busy. Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today. Lastly, what can readers expect next from you?
My latest WIP is going to be a bit more fast-paced and fun that Strictly Professional. It’s a story of two sisters, and their struggles with family, career, and of course relationships. These women are in their 30s, so it will be a little more grown up as well. It’s untitled as of now, and I have no idea when I’ll finish, but I’m hoping I’ll be done and ready to start on the second part to Strictly Professional by this Summer.
Once again thanks for being here. It was a real treat and a pleasure!
Readers you can find Christina at these sites just a few clicks away.
Blog- www.beingmrsjones.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BeingMrsJones
Twitter – www.twitter.com/beingmrsjones
And your can pick up your copy of Strictly Professional here.
All the best,
KMJ
Scribbling for a Cause
Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The temperature is still set to Brrr here in the Northeast. Though I know we’re still firmly in Winter I’m starting to have long Summer daydreams where all the scenes in my head feature warm breezes, open toed shoes and guys who don’t care all that much for shirts. Time to get to writing.
And speaking of writing today I’m beyond the moon to announce the sale of Scribbling Women and the Real Life Heroes Who Love Them. I am so thrilled and honored to be one of the writers asked to be in this anthology where for the first time I’m not writing fiction, but giving a glimpse into my own real life romance (one word: Spooning) and I’m doing it for a wonderful cause. Here is a bit about Scribbling Women:
In Scribbling Women and the Real-Life Romance Heroes Who Love Them, twenty-eight popular romance fiction writers reveal their real-life stories of how they met, wed and love—and are loved and supported by—their spouses and life partners. At times whimsical and laugh-out-loud funny, at others poignant and bittersweet, all unfailingly inspiring, each essay celebrates that most powerful and sacred of human bonds: love.
Happily Ever After isn’t only the stuff of romance novels and fairy tales. It is every woman’s birthright.
All net sales of the anthology support Win (www.winnyc.org)
You can pick up your copy of Scribbling Women at these major E-tailers: Kindle, Nook & Smashwords
I hope you enjoy!
All the best,
KMJ
Bounce-iversary and a trailer debut!
It’s a Bounce-iversary (of sorts) with today being the 1 month anniversary of the release of BOUNCE!
And to celebrate I’m debuting my spanking new book trailer made by the fantastic Darin Kent (Thanks so much Darin). I’m in love with it and think it captures the feeling of BOUNCE so well. I hope you enjoy it too.
Also if you have not yet entered my giveaway there is still time to enter or enter again. Just click on the links below for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. Thanks so much for the support and have a wonderful weekend!
All the best,
KMJ
Jumping off the page…
Today I’m excited to say that my main character, Sabrina Jacobs from BOUNCE was “interviewd” by the fantastic M.J. Schiller over on her blog. You can check it out here. Thanks so much for having us M.J.!
And if you’re over here in the deep freeze like me I hope you’re keeping warm and dry.
All the best,
KMJ
And the nominees are… (wait, that’s all you’ve got?)
So a lot has been said these past few days about the USA TODAY Top Books of 2013 list (Big congrats to all that made the list. Good for you. There are some great books there).
Also sidebar to me and giving myself a back pat for BOUNCE having gotten a mention on the USA TODAY HEA blog. Huge thanks to Michelle Monkou for the lovely review. It was called a “great book club pick”. Loving that! You can check out the full review here.
But back to matters at hand. So much has been said about the fact that there are no self-pubs on the USA TODAY list this year, which is huge, but I do think in many ways speaks to the power of having a backer and big marking behind you (and the possibility of a TODAY show appearance doesn’t hurt a thing). But this hybrid woman writer of color is asking another question: where are the fiction writers of color on the list?
In this big global writing world, why are the top spots in publishing as rare as getting an Academy Award nomination? What are your thoughts? Why are so many writers of color turning to self-publishing? How can there be more visibility for these writers? Also who do you think, writer or publishing house, is getting it right? I’m sure there are some.
This is a day of celebration so things have to start looking up. I’m all about the positive. Have at it.
All the best,
KMJ
Let it Shine! Happy MLK day
Happy MLK day!
Let this day that we remember Dr. King be one of service and kindness where we let the best of our hearts shine through.
All the best,
KMJ
Ch-ch-ch-Changes… Happy Birthday Dear Twins!
So it happened…
No matter what my feelings or your father’s. No, we couldn’t slow it down or stop time.
The teenage years are done and twenty is here.
Happy 20th Birthday My dear, Our Dearest Twins!
On this day our wish for you is the same as it’s been since the very first. For you both to be full of happiness, and peace, to be safe and live a life full of love and joy. To continue to do your best as you go out in the world and reach for the stars.
All we ask in return is that you cut us some slack and know that, though you’re truly young adults, for as long as we live you’ll be our babies and the two most precious people in the world to us. Continue to make us as proud as we are today.
Changes… yep, they happen and we can’t change that just like you can’t change our love.
Love forever,
Mom & Dad
P.S. Check out my DD’s (Little Twin B) Next semester Paris Dreams here and wish her luck and she goes on her way!
Hello Monday, What brings you here?
See me trying to be nice with that lovely “hello” though I’m darned near loopy enough to growl as I write this at 2:46AM after a weekend of Bat Cave copyediting. There I go looking up at the clock and BAM! I’m hit by Monday morning. Can I get a re-wind?
Can I also get a forklift to get me off this basement couch and up my stairs to my bed? How did you spend this weekend? I hope unlike me you got outdoors and maybe took in some fresh air or are you in need of a forklift too and maybe that extra cup of coffee.
Have a fantastic Monday!
Oh and just a reminder my BOUNCE giveaway is still going on. Have you entered yet?
Had to add a little edit here as it’s now 9:30 and I’m just blinking my eyes open to find out about BOUNCE getting an fantastic review on the USA Today HEA blog! This Monday is looking up! You can check out the review here
All the best,
KMJ
image from here
It’s Complicated… Guest Post from author Reese Ryan & a giveaway!
Today I’m thrilled to welcome to ye old blog as a guest author, the super fab, Reese Ryan here to talk The Complicated Character and her latest work Love Me Not out from Carina Press. Take it away Reese!
The Complicated Character
I’m a complicated girl. It’s okay. I’ve come to terms with that. At this stage in my life, I heartily embrace it. Not surprisingly, I’m fascinated by other complex characters; both real and fictional. Of course, living with a complicated person can, at times, be taxing. (Just ask my husband.) But peeling back the layers is part of the fun. Like unstacking one of those Russian nesting dolls or finally getting to the center of a Charms Blow Pop.
Jamie Charles, the heroine in my latest release, Love Me Not, is definitely a complicated character. In response to her difficult upbringing, she’s developed a tough outer skin. Like a callous that forms to protect the raw, damaged layer underneath. She can be bristly, judgmental and sometimes downright mean. Yet, she’s bright, talented and fiercely loyal to her adopted family, the Gordons.
She’s made a conscious choice not to get emotionally involved with anyone, believing that she is incapable of ever being that girl. The kind that falls in love and stays with someone forever. But when Miles Copeland comes along, he doesn’t buy that for a second, and he’s determined to prove her wrong.
Miles is also a multi-faceted character. Though in many ways, he’s the exact opposite of Jamie. Her past has driven her to put an electrified fence around her heart, but deep down she has a capacity to love deeply. Miles is all sunshine and charm, but below the surface he is dealing with a painful past of his own.
Jamie can certainly be hard to love. After all, it’s the one thing she believes she doesn’t want. However, Miles is determined to show her that he’s just the man for the job.
Do you like complex characters in books, television and movies? If so, tell us who your favorites are in the comments below. If complicated characters drive you crazy, tell us why. Then be sure to enter the Rafflecopter contest below for your chance to win the tour Grand Prize: $25 GC for your e-reader; $10 Starbucks e-card and a digital copy of my Bad Boys Gone Good Series.
Summary
Tortured artist, Jamie Charles’ life is a careful balance between flashes of brilliance and self-loathing. Her art is as dark and dramatic as her painful past. Her resentment of the biological parents—who were too preoccupied with their addictions to bother with her—fuels her ambition to succeed as an artist, but also takes a heavy, personal toll.
Miles Copeland climbed to the top of his advertising agency because he isn’t afraid of taking risks and because he has something to prove to the father who betrayed his family. But when he falls for a moody, Gothic beauty with zero interest in anything but a purely physical relationship, he finds himself in dangerous territory.Jamie prefers living hard and fast without the complications of love, but finds it impossible to resist the stunningly handsome, yet incredibly sweet man who is determined to have every piece of her–including her heart. Miles shows Jamie the beauty of being loved madly and deeply, but is it enough to make her finally learn to love herself, and open her heart to him?
Love Me Not Excerpt
“You’re not the only person who can read people, mister.” She crossed her arms and stared at him.
“Okay, so maybe I can afford pricey shoes and—”
“A black BMW.”
His mouth gaped open. “How’d you—?”
“It’s a gift,” she said proudly, leaning in a little closer. “I could tell you were a BMW guy two minutes after we met. Took me another fifteen minutes to figure out you’d probably go for classic black, probably a high-end five series…maybe the six series. Definitely not the seven, ’cause that’d just be flaunting it.”
He let out a low whistle and ran his fingers through his hair. “No way. The valet must be acting as your secret informant.”
“Nope. I told you, it’s a gift.” She rested her elbows on the bar and leaned even closer to him. Her voice was a husky whisper. “Don’t look now, but the older guy coming in the door with the chick in the tiny sequin skirt who’s young enough to be his granddaughter…bet he drives a wee little Corvette in some wildly inappropriate color like lemon yellow.” She backed away from him and headed to the other end of the bar to refresh another customer’s drink. When she was done she returned to Miles and whispered, “So whadya think? You think I’m right?”
He had that ridiculously sexy grin plastered on his face again, the wattage decidedly turned up a notch. “That guy is staying at my hotel. You’re only half right, though. He drives a nineteen sixty-five Corvette Stingray, but it isn’t yellow, it’s Incredible Hulk green.”
Jamie shuddered. “Even worse. And the guy should be taken behind a woodshed and beaten for mutilating an American classic like that. Not to mention the fact that he’s corrupting a minor.”
“Agreed.”
They giggled like naughty schoolchildren making fun of the substitute teacher’s ten-buck toupee, and something about it felt good. Familiar. Like having an inside joke with an old friend.
“You’re a bad influence on me.” She swiped underneath her eye with the heel of her hand, careful not to ruin her makeup. “I shouldn’t be making fun of the customers.”
“You’re telling me you wouldn’t have slammed that guy’s superhero-inspired midlife crisis on wheels if I wasn’t here?” He smiled at her. “Then I’m really glad I came. Face it, you might not want to talk about it, but you needed a good laugh tonight.”
Bad Boys Gone Good Series
Love Me Not explores the story of Jamie Charles and Miles Copeland. When these characters were introduced in Book #1–Making the First Move–they were already a couple, and Jamie had undergone a transformation. In that book we were given glimpses of what led to that change. Love Me Not steps backward, to tell the story of how Jamie met Miles.
If you haven’t already read Making the First Move…don’t. Read Love Me Not first.
Comment on this post, follow this blog, or choose one of the other available options to enter the Love Me Not blog tour contest below for your chance to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card, a $10 Starbucks e-Card and both books in the Bad Boys Gone Good series to date–Love Me Not & Making the First Move.
Bio:
Reese Ryan writes sexy, contemporary fiction filled with colorful characters and sinfully-sweet romance. She secretly enjoys torturing her heroines with family and career drama, reformed bad boys, revealed secrets, and the occasional identity crisis, but always rewards them with a happily ever after.
Born and raised in the Midwest, she now resides in Central North Carolina where she has happily declared herself a Bohemian Southern Belle. Visit Reese online at ReeseRyan.com. Follow her on Twitter @ReeseRyanWrites. Connect with her on Facebook or Goodreads.
Love Me Not Blog Tour Grand Prize
- $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card
- $10 Starbucks e-Card
- Digital copy of Love Me Not by Reese Ryan
- Digital copy of Making the First Move by Reese Ryan
Thanks so much for being here Reese!
All the best,
KMJ
P.S. Don’t folks don’t forget to enter my BOUNCE contest running throughout this month!
Bouncing into 2014 with a Giveaway!
Happy New Year once again friends (ok I’ve taken my tree down and it’s been a week so I don’t think we can say that much longer). Anyhoo!!! So here we are and still we’re not all flying about in our Jetsons like cars (now there’s a bit of a letdown for you from the old Saturday morning cartoons). Oh well, if that’s all we have to complain about with the flipping of the calendar, I’d say we’re pretty lucky. As it is I’m sure we could each go on with lots but I’m feeling like now is the time to celebrate, count blessings and look to the future or BOUNCE to the future. Kicking the old to the curb and welcoming the new.
2014 should be quite the busy and exciting year with my 1st self-published novel: BOUNCE just released and come February I will have my final book in my Crimson Series called THREADS OF DESIRE out (can’t wait for you all to read that one).
Yep, so there is much to celebrate going forward and I want to share the joy of my new ventures with you my friends and followers with a BOUNCE with me into 2014 Gift Card Giveaway! So click away for your chance to win.
Entering is easy. Just click away for easy entries, you can tweet about it, follow me on Facebook, sign up for my newsletter to keep up with my happenings for another and answer the question: what are you Bouncing towards in 2014 for another.
Please share this link and tell all your friends about my BOUNCE giveaway. I hope you’ll take a chance and give BOUNCE a try. It’s an exciting new voice for me and I can’t wait to share Sabrina’s story with you all.
Bounce
Growing up as a young girl, Sabrina Jacobs could only dream her life would be this good. She has a successful career, a famous sexy husband, two children, a house in an affluent Westchester suburb and a shoe collection worthy of a magazine spread. Too bad it’s all a façade.
It has been almost a year since her husband admitted he had an affair with a younger and bouncier coworker. Follow Sabrina as she tries to rein in her out-of-control life by kicking her husband out on his rear, chucking her career and even firing her too-cute-for-the-job nanny. But how will she survive as a stay-at-home mom in the land of designer clothes, designer kids’ parties and designer babies? Hmm… maybe the hunky young French teacher, who has been flirting shamelessly with Sabrina, is just what she needs to take her mind off her problems. Well, not if her husband has something to say about it. Will Sabrina be able to forgive and still be true to herself?
Now let’s BOUNCE into 2014 with a renewed pep in our steps!
All the best,
KMJ answer
