Not Your Mother’s Romance? Well, It’s MY Mother’s!… Guest post from author, Laura K. Curtis
I’m so happy to have my good friend, Laura K. Curtis, the super talented romantic suspense author of Twisted and Lost on ye old blog today guest posting to introduce us to her latest contemporary romance Toying With His Affections. It’s definitely not your mother’s romance. Take it away Laura…
Not Your Mother’s Romance? Well, It’s MY Mother’s!
My mother reads my books. I sometimes wish she wouldn’t, but she’s eighty years old and knows her own mind, and she’s my mother—it’s not like I can tell her not to! She read my first romantic suspense, Twisted, and said she enjoyed it. But one night right after Lost came out, I was on the phone with my father and he said “your mother is reading your book and she wants to know how you know all this sex stuff.” Uh, she what?
Needless to say, we took a few minutes while I cleaned up the water I’d spat all over the couch when he came out with that gem, which gave me a little time to gather my thoughts. “Uh,” I said oh-so-eloquently, “research?”
I mean, seriously. Those two books were romantic suspense. They had relatively little sex as far as the romance world goes. It didn’t bother her that I knew any number of ways to torture and kill people, that I had good ideas about where to hide bodies. Nope. She was only bothered by the sex.
So now I’ve released Toying With His Affections. No murders. No (serious) crimes to solve. Just a woman who sells sex toys for a living. Oh, yeah, I can’t wait to hear what she has to say about this one.
Here’s a little taste of what she’ll be reading…and what you’ll be getting should you choose to get to know Griffin Barstow and Evie Bell, the Sheriff and the sex toy saleswoman. In this little preview, she’s showing him her wares as she prepares to do a home party.
Evie set the papers aside and reached back into the box. This time, she held up a pair of pink, fuzzy handcuffs. “Want to take these on patrol with you, Sheriff?”
“Uh…not particularly.” He grinned, though, imagining the faces of some of his deputies if he showed up with those hooked to his duty belt. The next item wiped the smile off his face. Black and almost evil-looking, it was circle with small rubber spikes all around and one larger protrusion so that it looked a bit like the symbol for Mars. At the end of the prong, however, a perpendicular spike gave the impression that someone had twisted the arrowhead of the symbol to stand straight up.
“What is that?”
Again, Evie’s fair cheeks reddened. The contradiction between the woman who could passionately defend the use of creams and toys and the one who blushed attempting to explain the actual use of such products entranced him.
“Uh, that’s for men. I mean, it’s nice for women, too, if the guy wears it, but it’s more designed to increase his pleasure than hers.”
“Please tell me this doesn’t sell.”
She’d regained her composure. And her starch. “Everything sells. But no, that’s not a top ten item.”
“Thank God for small favors.”
She handed him a tube of something else. “This is, though.”
He practically choked as he read the name aloud. “Staze-Long?”
“Yep! Between that and the numerous offers I get in my email every day, I can only assume many men in this country have a premature ejaculation problem.”
“I don’t think I can take this.”
She dropped her head and glanced up at him through the screen of her thick lashes. “I didn’t say you could. I need it.”
He dropped the tube and rubbed his hand against his leg. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“Yeah, but you’re so easy to tease. Who’d have believed that under the bad boy of Fairview High lay a closet prude? Your reputation has suffered here today, Barstow.”
“Is that a dare, Bell?”
She cocked her head. “It may be. I’ll think about it.”
His heart pumped harder and he felt more alive than he had since the day he’d moved home to Fairview. You’ve always been addicted to danger, Bub, and it’s never done you a lick of good. Stay the hell away. But he had a sinking feeling he wouldn’t be able to take his own advice.
If you want another excerpt, there’s one up on my site at http://www.laurakcurtis.com/toying.php Come on by!
You can also find me on Facebook, gabbing madly on Twitter, or musing and giving things away on my blog.
Thanks so much for being here today, Laura. Everybody check out Laura’s books. And you can get Toying With His Affection Here and at all your favorite e-tailers. You won’t be disappointed!
All the best,
KMJ
Scribbling away…
Happy New Week and the summer flutters along, seeming to flitter away just out of my grasp, it’s going by so quickly. I hope it’s going a little slower and a bit more leisurely for you. This past weekend though I did get to enjoy a fun summer night heading to the Bronx to cheer on the Yankees and see The Captain #2 Derek Jeter in his final season. The family and I had a great time and the Yankees won too. It was fantastic all around!
Next week I have some more excitement coming up (and a bit of terror too if you know me). On Monday night August 4th I’m honored to have been invited to read at the fabulous Lady Jane’s Salon once again.
This time I’ll be reading my essay from Scribbling Women, the for Charity Anthology edited by Lady Jane founder Hope Tarr which I’m so proud to be a contributor to. If you are in New York please stop by. My essay is sure to embarrass my dear DH as it’s all about how we sleep together after 25 years. The poor man being married to a romance writer. LOL
But don’t just come to hear me, even better come to hear the other fantastic authors reading. There will be: Katana Collins, Alice Clayton and Sofia Tate making her Lady Jane’s debut! Yay!
All the best,
KMJ
Many Faces…
From me and all the many faces of Jack…
We wish you a wonderful week and hope it’s filled with laughter, joy and many great books. We’d also like to once again extend an invite to our new private TEAM KMJ fan page where this week on Wednesday, July 23rd at 9pm we’ll be having a group chat about THROUGH THE LENS. I’d love to have you join us where the team and I will be discussing beach reads, office romances and I’ll be answering all your probing questions. I hope so see you there!
All the best,
KMJ
Time won’t give me time…
Ain’t that the truth? Thanks for the wisdom Culture Club.
In my ever quest at somehow getting my uncontainable life contained and in some semblance of control, I spent the better part of the weekend reading a fantastic book called Write Every Day by Cathy Yardley. Now you think writing everyday would be easy since I’m a writer and it’s my job… and all.
But hold it there, Sparky, it’s not as easy as one would assume when you’ve got the husband, kids, Facebook, The blog, laundry, Twitter, dishes, The dog, The grocery store, The bank, Twitter, Cleaning well, everything, dinner, pick-ups, errands, family runs, did I say twitter?, oh and the dog needs to run out again all pulling for your attension just because you’re the one there and the one designed to be in charge of all the domestic stuff. Somehow it’s way too easy for the job of writing, that really is your J-O-B to get pushed to the bottom of the list when it should be at the very top. Especially if you want to make a living… and all.
In Write Every Day, Cathy suggests tracking your time for a week to see where what you’re really spending your time on in order to see where you can find more time to write. The challenge is on! It’s time to take a brutal look at how much time I really spend going in circles and clicking on links that have nothing to do with my WIP under the guise of research.
Tell me do you know how you’re really spending your time? Would you want to track your time for a week to see what your biggest time sucks are? As you think it over join me in a little Culture Club. I can’t seem to get this song out of my head now.
All the best,
KMJ
Nana knows best!
So this past holiday weekend we had Nana over and it was all pretty fantastic with us doing the usual … *Chilling on porch, eating lots of good food, playing cards and then eating some more. Like a knitting pattern cycle back to the * and repeat. At one point during our chill fest I put my sweet Nana on the spot and flipped the video camera on my cell phone and asked her to give 3 reasons why people should read BOUNCE this summer.
This is now my favorite endorsement ever! Enjoy.
All the best
KMJ
P.S. There is still time to enter Lauren Christopher’s Red Bikini Giveaway. Just click over and leave a comment!
A Perfect FIT… interview with author Rebekah Weatherspoon
I’m so happy to welcome for the first time to ye old blog, author Rebekah Weatherspoon here to discuss her recently self-published release FIT.
Hi Rebekah, thanks so much for being here on ye old blog today. It’s a real treat.
First off can you tell us a bit about your current work?
Hi everyone, and thanks for having me, Kwana! My latest release, FIT (#1 in the Fit Trilogy) hit digital shelves June 3rd. Here’s a little bit about the story.
Violet Ryan loves the delicious food she gets to eat on the reality shows she produces for The Food Channel. What she hates is her expanding waistline. Determined to drop the pounds, Violet hatches a plan to kick start a fitness regimen. But when her determination isn’t enough to get her through even one intense group class without breaking down into tears, she knows she needs a new approach and possibly a new trainer—one with a lighter touch.
Grant Gibson has always managed to mix business with pleasure, but now this trainer by day, and Dominant by night, is bored. Bored and lonely. Even though he owns one of L.A.’s hottest private gyms, his personal life is sorely lacking. After his last submissive tried to kidnap his dog and the contents of his bank account, he’s in no hurry to take a new lover under his wing. Not until the voluptuous Violet falls into his lap.
She may be wary of his unorthodox approach of using sexual gratification as a reward, but even before her initial weigh-in Violet can’t seem to stay away from the sexy fitness god. She may have to let Grant show her there’s more than one way to get in shape…
What inspired you to write this story?
I initially drafted this story for a specific publisher. Their rejection ended up being a blessing in disguise. I did a massive rewrite, changed Violet’s character completely and gave Grant a different backstory. I suppose I could have submitted it again, or to a different publisher, but when I came up with two follow-up stories I decided that I wanted to self-publish a trilogy. I had been planning to self-publish a trilogy of full length novels for a long time, but this cluster of stories was aching to get out. I have a great working relationship with my LGBT publisher, but I figure I would strike out on my own for a bit with my hetero titles.
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
No. I wanted to be singer/actor/dancer. Pretty much I wanted to be Janet Jackson.
LOL. So did I. Now can you tell us a bit about your writing schedule. Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
I am most certainly a plotter. I work quickly, when I actually sit down, to write, but I usually think about a story for months. The book I’m working on next, By Her Side, a spin off to my erotic romance, At Her Feet, I’ve been thinking about that for over a year. My plan is to write it in 4-6 weeks. That’s my schedule. Marinate on something for ages and then write like the dickens.
What advice would you give other aspiring writers?
Read, write, read, write and then read some more. Read outside of your genre. Check out stories you normally wouldn’t. Reread your favorite stories and think about why those stories are your favorite. Reread stories you absolutely hated and narrow down what ruined the story for you. Think about what YOU want to write and focus on that.
Lastly, what can readers expect next from you?
I have four releases hitting shelves before the end of the year.
Burn – a lesbian short to be featured in an anthology titled, All You Can Eat, will be out in August.
TAMED (#2 in the Fit Trilogy), the follow-up to FIT will be out in September.
Treasure, a lesbian New Adult romance will be out from Bold Strokes Books in October.
SATED (#3 in the Fit Trilogy) will be out in December.
Perhaps I’ll pause to take a nap in November some time.
In the meantime, here’s an excerpt from FIT:
Grant took the other seat and offered Violet an easy smile. He was dangerous, this one. “So tell me about yourself,” he said.
“Well. I’ve been wanting to get in shape. Actually, I have a goal weight I want to reach. I know it’ll take a long time. I can be patient, but I need to get started. I’m sick of looking this way and I’m sure, in some way I’m not seeing, these extra pounds can’t be good for my health.”
“That’s cool. So why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Grant repeated. He licked his lips, then smiled even wider. Violet almost kicked him in his stupid shin, but that grin he flashed her melted her reflexes. He was sarcastic. Okay. She could do sarcastic.
Violet leaned forward and mimicked his tone. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself. I’m fat. I want to pay you to make me unfat. Why don’t you tell me how you’re going to make that happen.”
Grant sat back and stretched his long legs out beside her chair. She thought about straddling him and kissing that look of satisfaction right off his face. But as fun as the brief fantasy seemed, it wouldn’t help her achieve her weight-loss goal.
“I’m not going to make anything happen. It’s on you, but here’s how I can help.”
“I’m listening.”
“I believe our outside reflects the way we feel inside, whether that’s good or bad, clean-cut or complicated. For some people, it’s about our weight. For others it’s about the way we dress or the way we sport our hair or the way we accessorize. Buddy of mine won’t leave the house without his gold watch.”
“That makes sense. So you want to know about my insides?”
Grant chuckled as he shifted in his chair. He had dimples under all that scruff. “Yes, Violet. I want to get inside of you.”
“Well, all you had to do was ask. My car is right around the corner.”
—
Rebekah Weatherspoon is from Southern New Hampshire and now lives in Southern California with her favorite human and their two feline children. She writes adult and new adult romance, both contemporary and paranormal. Her work can be found at rebekahweatherspoon.com
You can pick up FIT at these e-tailers:
And you can find Rebekah here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebekahwsm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebekah-WeatherspoonAuthor/184372138243421
Website: http://www.rebekahweatherspoon.com/
Meeting…(Once) Again: Interview with author Theresa Paolo
Happy new week! Today on ye old blog we have author Theresa Paolo here to talk a bit about her writing journey and her latest NA work (Once) Again.
Hi Theresa, thanks so much for being here on ye old blog today. It’s a real treat!
Thank you so much for having me!
Can you tell us a bit about your current work?
(Once) Again is the companion novel to (Never) Again and is about Josh a victim of a school shooting and his struggles.
The official blurb:
Josh will have to reconcile his past…
In order to make Kat his future.
After surviving a real-life nightmare, Josh Wagner is sent home from his dream college on crutches. Bedridden and tormented by flashbacks, he’s just seen his world shattered and his baseball scholarship go up in smoke. Josh’s family hires a health aide to help take care of him, but when he opens the door, the last person he expects to see is his biggest regret…
Katherine Singleton is the only girl Josh has ever loved. Now, even though she’s only taking care of him because it’s her job, Josh is determined to win her back. But Kat had to move on after their breakup two years ago, and despite her feelings for Josh, a lot has happened since he left…
When Kat’s past comes back to haunt her, Josh decides it’s his turn to take care of her. But protecting her—and redeeming himself—will put Josh in the line of fire again. Will he survive this time?
What inspired you to write this story and its predecessor (Never) Again?
Several years ago I was home and a Breaking News story came on TV. It was about a school shooting (Virginia Tech) and I kept thinking about the family and friends who were watching and couldn’t get any information. I decided I wanted to write from that point of view and that’s how (Never) Again came about. Then Josh’s voice was so strong I knew he needed his own story.
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
Pretty much. I wrote my first book when I was six or seven. It was a picture book and I still have it somewhere. I went back and forth though as to what area of writing I wanted to be in.
Do you feel your works are more character or plot driven?
Definitely character driven. It’s what I love to read. The plot could be amazing but if I don’t have a connection with a character I have a hard time getting into the story.
What characteristics are essential in a hero for you? And how about a heroine?
For both a hero and a heroine I like complexity and balance. If they are weak in one area I like to see them strong in another.
This is a favorite of mine. Care to share the story of your “overnight” success with my readers?
Because it’s a favorite of yours I have to answer! As much as I wish I was, I was not an overnight success. I queried for five years, 5 books and over 200 rejections before I finally signed with my agent. I signed with Penguin 3 months later.
Wow! That’s a wonderful story. I’m so proud and happy for your perseverance. Thank you so much for sharing it with my readers.
Lastly, what can readers expect next from you?
I would love to write another book in this series, but we’ll have to see about that. I do have a YA book coming out in July under my penname Tessa Marie that I co-wrote with author Cassie Mae aka Becca Ann. It is called True Love and Magic Tricks and is the prequel to our Beds Series.
Well we can’t wait for that one too. Thanks so much for being here today. It’s been a real pleasure.
Thanks again for having me! It’s been a blast ! See you on Twitter/Facebook!
Theresa can be found in the following places on the web:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Goodreads:
Pinterest:And (Once) Again can be picked up here:
All the best,
KMJ
Welcome Summer!
Time to get your relax on!
Tell me what books are in your beach bag this season?
Enjoy!
KMJ
image fm We Heart it
They Say It’s My Birthday!
And a big part of my wants to just sweep it under the rug or at least sweep myself under the covers, curl up go back to sleep and pretend this day didn’t even happen. It’s silly I know and totally wrong. I shouldn’t be focused or worried about the fact that I’m no longer the dewy faced young’un I used to be, in fact I should be celebrating the fact that I’m not. That girl was a hot mess and for the most part didn’t know if she was coming or going most of the time.
Now hold onto your laughter, I can hear it from here. You’re all saying but, Kwana, most days you still don’t know whether you’re coming or going. This is true, but it’s less days than it used to be and that’s a great thing. I may not yet be where I want to be and heck, I may not exactly have a picture of where THAT is, but I do know I’m closer to it than I was a year ago.
I have plenty to celebrate in my uncertainty. I have a wonderful family, great friends, a super DH, fantastic kids and still one terrible terrier. Hey, I’m not one to brag (snort) but when I take a moment to stop and think of the good, instead of focusing on the not so fantastic it doesn’t take long to realize how truly blessed I am (note to self: do this focusing on the good more often).
Happy Birthday to me indeed!
Another thing that’s pretty great about hanging now in the middle of the age pack is that I don’t feel the need to beat about the bush about the things I mean to say or the things I want. You’re not going to find me being all passive aggressive (subtweets aside) (though I was never much for that, maybe the shortest of times in my early 20’s during the odd newlywed stage). But now it’s now pretty much in my head then out my mouth and to that I’ll take a page from my mom and just say what I want for my birthday this year leave out any pesky guessing. The gift I’d like the most is for friends to pass the word on about my work this year past. As still a mostly under the radar author I’d love it if you’d tell someone who doesn’t know me about one of my books. That would make my day. More than that, tell 2 friends, and so on and so on… and it would make my year!
Either way just having you stop by as you have been has made the past year more special than I can say. Thank you for being one of my undeserved, but so thankful for blessings this year. Cheers to a fabulous year ahead.
Birthday Tweetable:
Because perfection is never what it seems… BOUNCE by K.M. Jackson is heating it up! #BounceNovel Pls RT http://amzn.to/1cOu9FS
All the best… with all my love,
KMJ
image from Tumblr
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.
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!
All the best,
KMJ
