• authors,  blog hop,  blogs,  book clubs,  Books

    Tis the season …

    Here we are in the most wonderful time of the year and for the most part I’ve been missing it by spending all my time indoors not quite working, but, chasing deadlines. Not that that chasing deadlines is the worst problem to have. Honestly, it’s only a problem when, like now, I’m blocked. Twisted and tied up in knots, the words having to push through this ridiculously convoluted maze of brain sludge before making onto the page.

    But this weekend I happily and literally saw the light. I got out out the house and attended Kimberly Rocha’s Book Obsessed Chick’s annual holiday party out on Long Island. A grand time was had by all.  It was so wonderful to get out in the not so seasonal weather and see old as well as make some new friends.

    Thanks Kim and all who helped make a wonderful afternoon.

    BOC 2015

     

    pictured:   Kimberly Rocha, Falguni Kothari, Sara Humphreys,

    Lyla Bellatas, Damon Suede, Kit Morgan, Katana Collins

     

    And in keeping with the holiday spirit please head on over to the Smutketeers blog today where I’m one of the authors featured on their 12 days of Christmas Blog hop and enter their giveaway! I’ve got a gift card up for grabs!  🙂

     

    Threads of desire 200 X 300 B

    Abstract Christmas background.Holiday abstract background
    Abstract Christmas background.Holiday abstract background

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • authors,  blogs,  Books,  giveaways,  happy holidays

    It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like… time for a X-MAS Giveaway!

    It’s beginning to look a lot like…

    It’s time to PANIC, is what it’s beginning to look a lot like. How in the world is it this close to Christmas? I’m so far behind right now that I might as well count it as December 26th and start in on next year. Oh well, I’m never one to give up so I’m going in full force now.

    Don’t you stay here and hang out with whiny old me, head on over where things are a lot more holiday cheery. Go on over to the Smutketeers 12 Days Blog Hop.

    12 Days 2014 Banner_600x900

     

    Today is Day 10 and I’m one of the featured authors with a giveaway up. Leave a comment to be entered to win a 20.00 Amazon Gift card & an e copy of Through The Lens. And while you there enter for all the days to be in for the big 300.00 value Grand Prize. hey it’s Christmas, or at least that’s what the calender is telling me. Click here to stop by!  Oh and did you happen to see the fun video?

     

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • blog hop,  blogs,  K.M. Jackson

    Holiday Longings… 12 Days of Christmakwanzakah Blog Hop!

    12 Days Revision

     

    Hi Friends and Happy Holidays once again. I’m so thankful to my RWA Chaptermates Alyssa Cole and Julia Kelly for inviting me to join this fun 12 Days of Christmakwanzakah Blog Hop where a bunch of us authors share original short holiday themed stories.

    Today I’m doing something a little out of the norm for me and going back in time a bit to Christmas in the Roaring 20’s. I hope you enjoy …

     

    Holiday Longings

     

    December 1923

     

    She could do this. She could and she would because she had to, Rosemary, thought as she stepped shakily onto the nightclub’s raised stage.

    bigstock-Beautiful-lips-and-eyes-11827739 (3)Rose swallowed, then winced a bit as the harsh glare from the bright stage light pivoted and hit her eyes. In an instant, the deceptive, almost reserved class of the place disappeared and Rose chided herself for being momentarily sucked in by the superficial opulence of the underground club. The snowy white tablecloths, the glittering crystal chandeliers, even the surprising touches of the holiday season, the sprigs of holly, the pretty wreaths that lined the back mirror of the bar, they were all a façade. A rouse, designed to suck her and more importantly, those with money in, their pockets full until those pockets were good and empty.

    But no, this was no homey Christmas wonderland. And as the bright light hit her eyes and brought an unwelcome chill down her spine, Rose was indeed reminded of just where she was and what type of place she was standing in. Paradise 57 was an underground speakeasy, albeit one with a better address than some, and above ground no less, out in the open for all to see, but a speakeasy all the same. In its official capacity it was a nightclub and a restaurant, but all in the know in New York knew it was run by the latest up and comer on the New York crime scene, Stone Donnelly. And those in the know also knew that Stone made his fortune taking over the illegal liquor trade for his late uncle, the notorious Shawn Donnelly.

    At the thought of Stone, Rose felt the knot in her stomach tighten just a little more. She couldn’t believe she was actually standing in his club, coming to him for help, but life and the circumstances of the day would bring many to bend so why should she be an exception?

    The spiral downward spiral started a month ago and seemed to pick up speed from there.  But unlike the never ending flow of liquor, Rosemary’s money had come to an end officially three days ago and she didn’t know how much longer she could hold, Mrs. Davis, her land lady off. The woman was all walking Christian kindness when there was a crowd gathered but as soon as she got her chance and caught Rose alone, coming back from her volunteering over at the mission, she quick as she could, pulled her aside and got in her face with that hot whiskey breath of hers going on about the rent being past due.

    God fearing her ass. Rose inwardly winced once again, this time at the unkind thought. Her mother would be so ashamed of her. Her father, the late reverend, even more so. Be it a saint or a sinner, we were all were God’s children in the late Reverend and Mrs. Longings eyes. But Lord help her, in that moment, in that cold hallway, Rose had to step back from the stench and pray for her strength as she tried as politely as she could to pull her arm away from her landlady’s tight grasp and not haul off and give Mrs. Davis a what for right across her lip as she leered at Rose’s open collar and suggested she give up her time down at the mission for more lucrative time spent on her back.

    “God does for those, that do for themselves dearie,” Mrs. Davis had said by way of a thinly veiled threat with a bit of scripture sprinkled on top to make the stench and the leering at Rose’s undone collar just that much more unseemly.

    After finally pulling away and closing the door behind her to the now hollow feeling fifth floor walkup apartment, Rose let herself slide to the floor as the tears fell and the loneliness took over her. Frustrated, she wiped at her face. Maybe it wasn’t loneliness. Maybe she it was just hunger. She hadn’t had dinner at the mission that night as there was hardly enough to go around to the children. “Hell!” She clapped a hand over her mouth at the improper language then dropped it. “Dammit to hell!” She yelled. The old lush was probably right. It was time she stepped out and did for herself. Both mother and father were now gone. Taken by the illness that had stricken so many, them plus eight children at the mission this past month alone. And if truth be told, at times Rose wished the sickness had taken her too. But she couldn’t let that happen. She wouldn’t that that happen. That would be the worst sin of all. If she let herself slip off and die where would that leave the other children left behind?

     

    “You ready miss?”

    The kindly voice of the piano player brought Rosemary back to the here and now.  It was time to pull it together. She had to put the past behind her and live in the reality of the moment. And in this moment she was on stage, in a secondhand dress, showing too much below and way too much on top, but it was all part of the act. And act she would do. The time for sweet Rosemary Longings was no more. Today she had a role to play. One that Mama and Daddy may not be too proud of, but if they were looking down on her, it was one she would hope they would at least understand. It may not feel like Christmas, but still she prayed for a miracle all the same. If she could get a job here in his club maybe she could make enough money to continue to stay in her home and maybe, just maybe she could keep up the work at the mission that her father had started.

    Reverend Clancy, who’d taken over, was all well and good, but sadly he didn’t seem to have the same passion for the children’s well being her parents did. She could already see where his efforts were being directed elsewhere and she feared the children would soon be phased out. Besides, she’d sung on street corners plenty of times before, asking for donations and such. How was singing here so very different? Rosemary blinked against the glare of the light and let out a breath. This may be a far cry from a Harlem street corner and these would not be hymns she’d be singing, but still she’d sing them all the same and in the end she’d sing them for the Lord.  She bit at her lip. Well, in a way.

    Rosemary looked down at the sparkling black and white checkered dance floor as the piano player begin to tune. Her heart skipping with every odd note. It was probably for the best that Stone wasn’t there for her audition. On the one hand with him she’d get the humiliation over with quick and easy. And with him there would be no hiding who and what she was as a mulatto. She knew this club was whites only and only hired Negroes as servers and kitchen help. Sure she was stepping way over the line auditioning to be a performer, but the fact was the performers here made more than a server could ever dream of and her desperation had her dreaming big right now. Besides, it wasn’t her fault that the big beefy guy at the back door took only a quick glance at her pale skin, mostly the parts below her face, and assumed she was white. Normally she would correct him but right now she was hungry. Hungry and desperate. Now if she could only make it past the manager, Mr. Bonner maybe by the time she got to running into Stone, if she ever did, she be fully hired and working and he wouldn’t kick her out on her ear for breaking his club’s rules.

    The piano player coughed at the same time as the club’s manager, Mr. Bonner spoke up sharply, bringing her out of her thoughts. “You going to blow or not, girlie cause I ain’t got all day and there are plenty of other chippies just waiting their turn?”

    Rose’s chin came up at his tone and she felt her nostrils flare. But she paused at the unnerving sight of his leering gaze, the slight narrowing of his eyes. Something in that hard stare made her skin go all prickly. Rose knew that look. This would not go well.

    A tall dark skinned waiter came and whispered something in Bonner’s ear and he nodded then laughed while still giving Rose that glare. His eyes narrowing further, he leaned back and licked his thin lips. Though she was fully clothed, Rose suddenly felt naked and exposed and her stomach churned disgustingly. He saw through her and she knew it. If this was just a waste of time and she should head uptown. She’d heard about a new club up there that was looking for girls like her. The pay wasn’t as good but she could give it a try.

    Just when she was considering grabbing her coat, the piano player again this time with the first strains of the popular standard that she told him she could audition to but suddenly the words escaped her. That was it. It was a sign that she had no business being here in this den of inequity and needed to turn tail and run.  Apologizing and running off the stage was on the tip of her tongue when the manager shook his head beating her to it.

    “Just stop. It doesn’t matter anyway, Girlie. I can’t believe you’re wasting my time. Where the hell is Tony at?” He yelled now pushing up from his chair. “It’s not like we’re gonna start hiring ne—,” suddenly he was quieted when a hand came to rest easily on his shoulder.

    “Let her sing.”

    “But Stone,” the manager started.

    “I said let her sing.”

    Rose was paralyzed by the deep voice that was soft, but so strong that it traveled clear and easy across the room. It was dark and commanding and had a slight Irish lilt that she had come to know from her time spent working with her father when he would do his once weekly missionary afternoons down by the docks. But there was more. This voice was one she knew all too well. This was the voice from her past whisperings and her never ending late night dreams. But it had changed. Oh my, how it had changed. Gone was any hint of the playful mischievousness that would coax a laugh out of her at the most inappropriate times, causing her father to send a stern glance their way and her mother to take on a worried expression. No, this voice was all shadows and smoke and if she imagined its taste she’d think it tasted of the illegal liquor he was rumored to be the king of smuggling into the New York underworld.

    When Bonner didn’t protest any further, but instead took his seat, the hand smoothly lifted from the manager’s shoulder and the rest of him moved into the light.

    Stone stepped from the shadows like the beacon of the hope she had been longing for, but despite it something made Rose take a take a step back at the same time her body seemed to tensed up and lock tight.

    She knew in that moment that she had indeed made a huge mistake. This wasn’t the boy she knew. This was a man who could break her with the slightest touch.

    His eyes held her transfixed as he started to glide forward. And a voice in her head told her to run while her heart thudded in her chest stealing her breath making the task impossible.

    Run. That’s what they were supposed to do. At least that’s what he’d told her on that snowy afternoon so many years ago when he’d kissed her goodbye and stolen her heart along with her grandmother’s gold cross after he’d been nursed back to health at the mission run by her father and taken care of by her and her mother. Nothing had been said of his mysterious appearance at the back door far after closing time. Nothing said of the police who came looking for him, but where not told of the young man still passed out from the apparent bullet to the shoulder in the storeroom behind the Reverend’s office.

    When he was healed and back to his sly talking, slow charming self, he said he’d take her, his Sweet Rose as he called her. Take her and run away with her to a place where they could be together and not be judged as her parents were for their mixed love. He left with her gold cross and promises to return for her, but once he was gone he was just gone.

    And now here she was standing before him literally ready sing for her supper.

    Well, she couldn’t do it. Her pride wouldn’t let her.

    Rose took another step back and  hit the edge of the piano just as he made it to the stage and with his long legs took a wide step up to stand in front of her. His blue almost grey gaze hitting her like an iceberg and freezing her heart.

    Breaking away from her gaze for a moment he gave the piano player a curt nod and a now haunting melody swept over Rose as he looked into her eyes once again.

    “You going to sing me a tune like you used to my Sweet Rose?”

    “My name is Rosemary Longings and I was never yours.”

    He smiled at that and Rose sucked in a breath as the swift memory of first love and stolen kisses never forgotten rushed to her mind.

    “If you say so Miss Longings but in my heart I know the truth.”

    Her eyes narrowed as a surge of hot anger happily replaced the chill running through her body. “Your heart can burn in hell, sir.”

    His laugh was loud and surprising. “No doubt it will, my dear, but that doesn’t change the moment at hand. Will you sing or have you lost your voice?”

    He raised a brow and Rose wanted nothing more than to tell him where he could take his audition. But something in his eyes wouldn’t let her. She looked around and saw Bonner looking so smug, half expecting Rose to do just want she wanted, turn tail and run. No way, she wouldn’t do it.

    She looked back up at Stone. His eyes so icy and clear that she felt for a moment as if she could walk through them and enter into forever. She shook her head and saw the corner of his lip quirk up. Knew in then and there that forever was long gone and all they had was this moment.

    With that thought, Rose tilted her chin, opened her mouth and filled the room with a melody of lost loves, times forgotten and memories that can never be relived again.

    When the song ended she was spent and Stone was silent. Yes, Stone was silent. Bonner was silent. The whole room was hushed.

    Unnerved, Rosemary finally turned away and went to reach for her coat on the piano when Stone reached out, his hand touching her elbow with a gentle caress. She looked up at him. It was warmer than she expected giving the chill of his eyes. He then took her hand and placed something in her palm. She opened it and looked down shocked to see her grandmother’s old cross now cradled in her palm.

    “Welcome to Paradise, Sweet Rose. Merry Christmas.”

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

     

     

  • authors,  blogs,  happy holidays,  Uncategorized

    Holly Hopping!

    Happy Holidays! I hope you all are having a wonderful start to the holiday season. I’m hopping into it with bells on with a bunch of my favorite writer friends by participating in not 1 but 2 holiday blog hops! And of course I’m reluctantly pulling Jack along for the ride.

    20141128_121240

     20141202_171155

    The 1st will be a fabulous Christmakwanzakah Blog Hop from December 8-19 (My day is Dec 12th) where me and other fabulous authors will be sharing original holiday themed short stories. How fun! Look out for tweets and notifications from me and be sure to stop by all the author’s blogs for a new story every day!

    12 Days Revision

    The next is a blog hop with the fabulous Smutketeers! This hop runs from December 9th -21st and I’ll be up on their blog on the 18th where you’ll see my greeting and can enter for a chance to win a 20.00 Amazon gift card! Stop by to see all the authors and enter every day and you’ll be eligible for a chance to win their big grand prize worth 300.00!

    12 Days 2014 Banner_600x900

    Whew, that’s a lot of hopping. I’m sure by the end you and me both will be ready for a spot under the tree with Jack.

    Jack under tree

     

    Have a wonderful week and see you back here during the Holidays!

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • beauty,  blogs,  my view

    Happy Monday and sharing Beauty Secrets

    Happy Monday friends. I hope you had a wonderful long holiday weekend if you were celebrating the 4th and if not I hope you had a lovely weekend anyway. I had a great time relaxing with family. I chilled hard, laughed a lot and ate maybe just a little too much but it was all delicious so I’m not going to feel bad about it.  Now it’s Monday and back to the grind so limbering up my writing/editing fingers.

    monday a

     

    I’m also happy to say I’m featured to today for something not bookish but very different and quite flattering for me. I’m over on Brown Beauty blog. Please click over and check me out sharing what’s in my makeup bag! I adore talking beauty products so this was so much fun for me.

    brown beauty

    Have a fantastic day.

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

    images fm Pinterest & Brown Beauty Blog

     

     

  • blogs,  Books,  Bounce,  interviews,  K.M. Jackson

    It’s a Scandal! Not really but I’m on a podcast…

    I’m so excited to be making my way in a couple of places around the net talking about BOUNCE today. 1st I was super honored when BOUNCE was chosen by Tia and Nia for their June read along book on their blog Two Writers One Book. Today I’m there answering some of their questions abut BOUNCE you can check it out and join in the convo here.  Thanks  ladies.

    two writers

     

    Am also excited, honored and biting my nails a bit over my 1st Podcast interview over at Scandalicious Book Reviews. The Scandalicious ladies are fabulous and made me feel quite a home. I thank them so much for having me. You can click on over here to listen.  Thanks so much!

    Scandal podcast

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • blogs,  interviews,  K.M. Jackson

    Strolling along…

    Happy new week! I hope you all had a lovely Holiday weekend. Mine was very nice and now I’m ready to go back deep in the writing cave. I can’t believe how fast time is going and how slow I seem to be working. Eek! I think my mind is somewhere in Paris with my DD taking strolls down the Champs-Élysées. If you could take a stroll anywhere this week where would you take it?

    champs

    Oh and speaking of strolls, I’m blog strolling over at Night Owl Reviews and have an interview over there. Please stop on by if you have moment and check me out. Thanks!

    All the best,

    KMJ

     

    image Antoine Blanchard

  • authors,  blogs,  Uncategorized,  writing,  writing life

    A Writing Process Blog Tour

    The fabulous and super talented Michelle Monkou tagged me in this writing process blog tour and as I do with all tag type things I froze but then realized we were not playing freeze tag so there you have it. I’m it… So RUN! No don’t run, sit a bit and read on about my process and how this writing thing works for me….Enjoy.

    Creative hearts 1

     

    What am I working on?

    Right now the world is my oyster since Threads of Desire is now out and Bounce is too (psst the print version is soon to come).

    But the thing about the world being your oyster and all means the possibilities are endless and oh boy pretty shiny thing over there. But no, I must focus and work on one project at a time (Well maybe two). This year I’ve got a fun romantic comedy brewing and I’m working on a sequel for BOUNCE so there is all sorts of sexy fun suburbia intrigue coming that way.

    Bounce perfection ad 2

    How does my work differ from others of its genre?  I think the difference in my work, like what others have said before me, is voice. People say all the stories have been told and I don’t know, for the most part that may be true. But I do know the stories have not been told my way. It’s always fun for me to find a new author with an exciting and new voice and I hope that now some folks are getting that feeling in my works too.

    Why do I write what I do? I’ve always been a dreamer, making up stories in my head. I’ve also always been a fan of romance and contemporary women’s fiction so writing in this genre was a natural fit.

    How does your writing process work?

    Can I just say it’s a mystery?

    As for work? I don’t know how well it works. I’m always looking for ways to streamline it and write now I’m taking a fantastic Scrivener class given my Gwen Hernandez to help me get my many writing thoughts into a more organized contained place.

    I’d like to get to the point that I wake, up sit at the keyboard and the words flow like spring rain and not my usual open laptop, sit and stare. Blink. Go to kitchen come back. Sit, stare some more, reach for the faraway word. Write a sentence. Stare at screen. Walk to kitchen again. Go back to computer. Turn away. Flip TV on then Off.  Check emails. Oh wait, Twitter! Look at clock an hour later panic then write a few hundred words. The character’s voices now too loud to be ignored a moment longer so I must write and quiet them down until the next day’s noise.

     

    Yeah I’m thinking this process can be improved on dramatically. There are many stories to write and a smooth process will help it a bunch.

    And now with me being it an all I have the fun job of tagging other writers so that they can share their processes with you. So I’m now tagging…

    Synithia Williams: Synithia Williams has loved romance novels since reading her first one at the age of 13. It wasn’t until 2010 that she began to actively pursue her publishing dreams. Her first novel, You Can’t Plan Love was published in August 2012 by Crimson Romance. When she isn’t writing, this local government gal, works to improve air and water quality, while balancing the needs of her husband and two sons. www.SynithiaWilliams.com

    Jeanine McAdam : : Jeanine McAdam is a writer of twenty-five romantic short stories, a few spicy anthologies and three cowboy books. Telling stories about imperfect people finding perfect love is her thing.  She’s currently writing about bull riders and the spunky urban women who love them in her Skirts and Spurs Trilogy.  www.JeanineMcAdam.com

    Falguni Kothari: Born and bred in Mumbai, Falguni Kothari currently lives in New York with her family and an utterly spoiled dog. She’s the author of BOOTIE AND THE BEAST (April 2014 via Harlequin Mills and Boon,) IT’S YOUR MOVE, WORDFREAK! and SCRABBULOUS IMPRESSIONS, a short story.   www.FalguniKothari.com

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • blogs,  Books,  writing life

    Happy 6th Blogiversary to Me!

    Happy 6th Blogiversary to Me over here at ye old blog!

    6thbirthday1

     

    I hope all who celebrated had a Very Merry Christmas. Mine was wonderful with family coming over and a fun time of food and festivities had by all. I want to thank each of you on your well wishes with the debut of BOUNCE. I’m so grateful to each person that commented here, on Facebook or on Twitter. It means so much to me. This has been quite a year, a total speed rollercoaster ride and honestly if I had my way I’d do a little re-wind bringing it back to September or October where my heart tells me the calendar should be set. But, alas it is what it as and I’m ever so grateful to be where I am today. Now a published author of 1,2… 3 books and a 4th on the way!

    Through The Lens Final Cover

    Seduction's Canvas cover 5-6

    Latest release!

    Bounce-by-KM-Jackson250x382

    My mind can hardly get around it. But I know I have so many of you to thank for where I am now. Thank you.

    Cheers from me and The Jackster and here’s to a fabulous 2014!

    Jack 1

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

     

    candle image from here

  • blogs,  Books,  K.M. Jackson,  Seduction's Canvas

    50 Shades of Sexy

    I’m hopping for hump day. And by hopping I mean hopping over at my local chapter’s blog the fab RWA/NYC blog for the 50 Shades of Sexy Blog today. It’s a full month and then some of excerpts from our fabulous chapter members. And yay, I’m lucky enough to be up today. So head on over here and get a little glimpse into the world of SEDUCTION’S CANVAS.

     

    Seduction's Canvas cover 5-6

     

    Have a great day!

    All the best,

    KMJ