• blogs,  celebrations,  my view,  Through The Lens

    Happy Belated (really, Kwana?) 5th Blogiversary to Me!!

    Oh my goodness! Here it is my blog birthday has come and gone and I totally missed it. How like me is that one?

    But you see, like myself, ye old blog has become a woman of a certain age and as with women of a certain age it seems we’d rather forget such milestones and just keep things moving, you know going on with the day to day, no fanfare and all that. But you know these things must be noted and indeed celebrated just as the as the turning of the New Year.

    So please raise a glass with me to ye old blog and more importantly raise that glass to all of you! Cheers and thanks so much for hanging with me all these years and for your wonderful support of by debut novel Through The Lens! I’m currently deep into writing book 2. Working to make that an even bigger, better and sexier story so please look out for updates here and on my Facebook page. Big hugs and lots of smooches all around.

     

    In the year to come I hope to make ye old blog bigger and better and yes, I hope a bit more interesting. I also hope for myself, not to give resolutions and definitely not to be bigger, but I do hope to be better and maybe more interesting. Yeah, we’ll see how that goes but for a change I’d like to make it my plan to have more fun trying.

    Here’s to living your story in 2013!

    All the best.

    KMJ

     

    aka

    Kwana

     

    Images fm here and here and here

  • Through The Lens

    Cozying Up while looking… Through The Lens

    Is the weather outside frightful? Well, on this island it’s all delightful. Need a break? How about making Through The Lens your Holiday Getaway?

     

    Mika Walters is a normal woman working in the not so normal world of New York Fashion. As long time assistant to uber sexy photographer Alejandro Vargas she’s tired of being the girl in the background. Just once she wants Alejandro to look at her with the same smoldering look he gives to his willowy models and now she has her chance.

    Stranded.

    After a travel mishap where the rest of the crew and the models can’t make the remote location shoot for another three days Mika is taking her moment to catch Alejandro’s eye and put herself in front of Alejandro’s camera and if all goes to plan, his bed… at least until the real world catches up with them.

    Alejandro doesn’t know what’s gotten into Mika maybe it’s the sand, maybe it’s the sun, but he doesn’t really care. All he knows is that he’s finally opened his eyes and is seeing her clearly for the first time as the smart, gorgeous and incredibly irresistible woman she is.

    But why can’t she realize that what he’s feeling for her is not one of his usual one, well, three night stands? This is real. Real love, real passion. What’s it going to take for him to prove to Mika that she’s the woman he wants? Now and forever.

     

    In E book

    And

    Now on Sale in Paperback!

     

    Also available from these e-tailers:

    Barnes & Noble

    iTunes

    Kobo

    All the best,

    K.M. Jackson

  • contests,  Through The Lens

    Reading Good

    Tick tock pretty lovelies. The clock is winding down. There are less than 2 days left to enter my Goodreads giveaway. Please click on over for your chance to win a SIGNED copy of Though The Lens my debut ‘sexy island getaway’ novel. Whoo Hoo!

     

    And in honor of Goodreads and my 1st giveaway here’s a little Tears For Fears with my favorite video set in a library. Yeah I know this video has nothing to do with islands or my book but Goodreads is where I keep track of the books that I read so it’s sort of like a library to me. Just follow along people and sing. You know how my whacky mind works. Oh and enter the giveaway. Thanks!


    Tears For Fears – Head Over Heels by manon42

     

     

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

     

    P.S.

     

    Please share some of your favorite music videos that are set in libraries. I’d love to know more.

  • life,  my view,  Through The Lens

    Making Note Of It

    Check out this beautiful canvas print of my book cover that I got at Easy Canvas Prints.

     

     

    I’m not sure what I’ll do with it or where I’ll put it, but still I love it! I was feeling like I needed to document this milestone in my life in some way. Who knows, hopefully this will be the start of a collection.

    I’d love to know how you celebrate all the wonderful things you do? Now don’t be shy, because I know you all do quite a lot. Please share and give and give yourself that well deserved pat on the back!

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • jack,  jack pics,  life,  my view,  Through The Lens

    Friday Side-eye

    What’s Jack up to? Why he, like me, is totally giving this week the side-eye and wondering how it got to be Friday already. How in the world did Friday get here and the floors didn’t get mopped, the tree didn’t get up and my characters in my current WIP are still doing a little bit of everything but getting down to the business at hand. Yes, it’s side eyes all around over this way!

    Oh well, better to let it go and list of a few accomplishments: Christmas pics have been taken, Outside lights are up and the deep freezer has been cleaned and scrubbed after the horror of Sandy.  (Sidebar: There is nothing scarier than scrubbing a basement deep freezer all alone, at night. Yeah, I should have thought that chore out a bit more.)

    Next on my list, it’s back to those characters and getting them away from all the chatter and down to business. Of course in the back of my mind it’s the other Christmasy things to do, gifts to get, cards to write. But that will all, I hope, somehow happen It always does.  And I know that Jack with his reminder side-eyes will keep me on track. How do you stay on task during the Holidays?

    P.S. If you have a moment I invite you over to like my official Amazon author page. Just another way to keep up on all my book happenings! Also have you read Through The Lens please feel free to leave a review. I’d love and appreciate it. Thanks!

     

  • book clubs,  Books,  my view,  Through The Lens

    Going Clubbing…

    So what do I have in common with EL James, Meg Wolitzer & Thomas Hardy? Stop laughing, this is going somewhere people. You see as it now turns out all of our books have been read by the fantastic ladies of the Super “A” Reading and Cultural Society. Now that’s really not their name, it’s just a name I made up, I could also call them The Magnificent  Literary 7 or maybe the Lit Spice Girls, I kind of like the ring of that too. Either way they are just great and they were kind enough to break into their regularly scheduled programming to read Through The Lens and invite me to speak at their monthly gathering.

    I can’t tell you all how nervous I was, going in for my very first book club chat, but these kind ladies made me feel right at home. Turns out they had all read the book and from the feeling I pick up, liked it.  They asked fantastic questions about the characters, motivation, the way I craft a story and touched on some inside industry things, all of which I hope I gave coherent answers too. Hey, you never know with me.

     

     I got a wonderful insight into their reading habits and I was surprised at how many of them read on their phones, oh my poor eyes, but for sure the digital age is here to stay. We talked new and old books, favorite authors and genres and in the end I left with some gorgeous flowers and a magnificent group of 7 new friends. Oh yes, I’m a lucky girl indeed! And next they are on to a book that couldn’t be more of a shift from TTL … To Kill A Mockingbird. Really? Me, the opening act for Harper Lee who woulda thunk  it?

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • blogs,  my view,  Through The Lens

    Bowling Along!

    So this fabulousness happened at bowling yesterday… A lovely woman named Kim brought my book in to be signed! 1st time ever!

    That’s me with the shaky hands and the huge grin. The poor women must have thought I was crazy with the way I hugged her, but I couldn’t help myself, I was just so honored that she would 1) order the book and then 2) want me to sign it. What? That is something that I thought was just for other writers. I tell you I just about bowled myself down the lane.

    Then shock of all shockers… I got out of my below 100 bowling slump. I must be on a roll for sure. Whee!!

     

    Happy Monday! Did you enter the Wonderland Blog Hop Giveaway this weekend? Great prizes. Go Here and enter. Please don’t miss out!

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • blogs,  contests,  Through The Lens

    Let’s Go to The Hop!

    Not that kind of hop it’s a Blog Hop to a Crimson Wonderland! The Crimson authors are taking you away to a Crimson Wonderland with dozens of giveaways and 3 grand prizes!! One Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift certificate for $100!!! And two gift certificates for $50 each!!

    Every blog comment you leave during the hop is entered into a draw to win one of the grand prizes. So please don’t just stop here. Visit all the participating blogs and leave comments for your chance at a grand prize also!
    So what are we getting all hopped up about? Well, the Crimson authors what to know: When you read a book, do you feel like you’ve escaped to another world?

    I know when I read I sure want to feel like I’ve escaped for a while even if that book is set in the here and now. I love a book that takes me away from my every day even if it’s just for the few brief moments here and there that sometimes have to steal away to read when life gets a little hectic.
    That escape to another world feeling is what I hope I achieved when I took Mika and Alejandro to their almost deserted island paradise in Through The Lens. Who knows maybe at the time I was in need of a little island getaway myself. The sun on my back and sand in my toes. It was a cold winter when I was writing Through The Lens and at the time it was sure fun to imagine warm tropical breezes drifting across glistening skin as the threat of December snow was right outside my door.

    Tell me what are some of your favorite escape destinations? Is it the tropics or the big city? Do you like to go back in time? Or is a futuristic fantasy world more your speed? Please share. One lucky commenter will win a 20.00 Amazon or B&N Gift card! U.S. & CA residents only. Winner will be announced on November 23nd. Please leave your email in the contacts so that I can get in touch with you in case you win. Thanks!

    Now please go and visit the other fab Crimson Authors for your chance at more great prizes and more chances at the grand prize!

     

    All the best,
    K.M.J

    Images fm here and here

  • blogs,  Books,  holiday,  my view,  Through The Lens

    Keeping up?

    Do you ever feel like you just can’t keep up with it all? I know I sure do. Like the fact that Thanksgiving is in 1 week away. Who the heck went and snuck that one in, in what feel to me is week early? Is it just me feeling this way? Oh my goodness! The stores are already filled with the 12 days of Christmas and I’ve barely taken down my decorations from The Halloween that Sandy forgot. It’s all a hot mish mash of a mess around here. I’m sure my kids will be home in two days to say, what have you been up to mom? And my answer will be just living with the day to day.

     

    All that to say, in between the living with the day to day and to bringing this thing around to being a little bookish as I’m often to do, I have a question: Do you do Goodreads?

     

    Goodreads is a fantastic site for readers and a great place to share books recommendations. I’m on there and have been since way before Through the Lens. I find it a great tool to keep up with what I’m reading and have read since honestly, I can’t remember what I had for dinner 2 nights ago. Go and check it out. I’m hosting my first Goodreads giveaway since Through the Lens is now out in paperback so please feel free to enter if you like. Just click on the link in my sidebar to your right >>>>>> and you’re there!

    It’s a fun site and a great way to keep up. Now back to this Thanksgiving deal…Are you ready?

    All the best,

    KMJ

     

    P.S. Hint! Hint! Please come back on the weekend for the start of the Crimson Wonderland Blog Hop. HUGE Prizes!! Lots of great things happening starting this weekend with the Crimson Romance authors. Look to your left at the pretty blue square. <<<<<<<

     

    Image fm here

  • DH,  love,  marriage,  my view,  Through The Lens

    Signed With Love…

    Last night I waited impatiently for my DH to come home while the package sat on the table. It was there and I was going crazy! But still, I waited and waited as I was afraid to open it alone. Who knows it may have jumped out and bit me or something. Better to have a bit of back up. Or I might have fainted dead away and I don’t think Jack is one of those wonder dogs, you know, all inclined to dial 911 when things get sticky. More likely than not, he’d use my body as a handy stepping stool to the table where he’d be that much closer to his treats. But I’m now off course as you all know I’m often to be. Let’s get back to where I was waiting. And waiting.

    Then finally he came home, looked at me on the couch and said, “you’re still up?”

    “I was waiting to open my package. I think my book is here and I don’t want to open it alone.”

    He threw down his bag and said, “well what are you waiting for? Open it,”all the while excitedly going for his camera phone. I frowned, because by then I was looking a hot mess but inside I was grinning.

    Then it was open. We were wide eyed. There it is. A book. A bit smaller than I thought for all those words I made up. I shrug. Guess it turns out, I really can edit. The cover is smooth and cool to the touch. I flip through. No pages upside down. All seems good.  We kissed and hugged and laughed. Yay! My name is on the spine. Holla.

    But then there is another package to open. You see I ordered my book to see how it would turn out, but as I was doing that my DH was ordering his own copy and now I had my first book that needed an autograph.  And this one was signed with love. So worth the wait.

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

     

    P.S. you can get your smooth paper edition of Through the Lens here. Now in 2 handy dandy versions. Pick your pleasure!