• awards,  book launch,  Books,  interviews

    Fated… Interview with the author: Becky Flade

    Hey there lovelies. It’s a great day at ye old blog today because we have with us my fellow Crimson writing sister, Becky Flade here to tell us about her spanking new release from Crimson Romance: Fated Souls. Just released on Monday, April 15, right in time to perk you up after those pesky taxes.

    Here is a bit about Fated Souls: Investigative journalist Maggie O’Connell went from hard hitting exposés to alien abductions in the blink of an eye, but she did it with style. Her next big lead takes her to northern Minnesota hot on the trail of a werewolf and straight into the arms of Aidan Gael, a horse rancher with way more secrets than he has friends. Maggie may get the story but the man who shares the wolf’s compelling green eyes may end up with her heart – provided they can keep each other alive.

    Fated Souls KMJ: Wow Aliens, werewolves, oh my! It all sound pretty fantastic what got you into writing paranormal romance?

    BF: I have a seriously over-active imagination and three brothers. I sat through every horror, sci-fi, superhero, mutant, alien invasion movie, television show, cartoon, you name it, that you can imagine growing up; the majority ruled. We did not watch a lot of pretty little pony and princesses at our house as kids. Ha! And I’d put my own spin on things. What can I say…I like football, a really cold beer and the supernatural.  I’ll take Batman over Carrie “what’s her name in the city” any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  

    KMJ: Have you always been a fan of romance? When did you first fall for the genre?

    BF:  Yes, always a fan of the genre. I’m a hopeless romantic thru and thru! I still have the first Harlequin Presents I read. My mom tells this story of me as a toddler playing on the floor as she was watching Barbra Streisand’s “Funny Girl” and at the end of the movie I burst into tears. She scooped me up and I wailed, “She loves him and he doesn’t love her!” It probably started then.

    KMJ: So you have your pick: an alien, a werewolf or a rancher and they are all hot, which one do you choose?

    BF:  In this post-Patriot Act environment the poor little hot alien would have mean-Mulder after him 24/7 and I’m sorry but I’m a homebody, a nester, I need a guy that can settle down.  And as for the werewolf, well frankly, I live in the city; we have leash laws….need I say more? Well, hold on, he’s hot, there’s a leash, hmmmmm…. No, no, scoop laws too that is not sexy no matter how you phrase it.  Rancher.  Definitely the rancher.

    KMJ: Good pick!  Tell us a bit about your writing process are you a plotter or a pantser or a little bit of both?

    BF: I’m a little bit of both.  When I start I have a very good idea of what’s going to happen when and where, some might even refer to it as a plot. But I’ve never had a story go where I thought it would.  Fated Souls started as a short, comic piece and that little scene is smack in the middle of the book.

    KMJ:  And now for my favorite question, can you tell us the story of your ‘overnight’ success?

    BF: One of my brothers recommended I get on Twitter because an actor we both enjoy is ‘actually really funny.’ I was home from work with my youngest who was sick with the flu, messing around online while she was napping, bored. I remembered what my brother said and went on Twitter to check out that actor’s Tweets and I saw that Crimson Romance was accepting tweet pitches. I figured it would be a good opportunity to network and treated it like a writing assignment.  You could have knocked me over with a feather when they contracted Fated Souls.  That was January of this year.

    KMJ:  What can we expect next from you?

    BF: I’m currently working on a contemporary romance about would-be high school sweethearts that get a chance at love nearly twenty years later.  

    KMJ: That sounds lovely. Now please tell us, where can our readers pick up Fated Souls and find you on the web?

    Fated Souls is available at www.crimsonromance.com and everywhere E-books are sold.  It will also be available Print-On-Demand later this year. And you can find me on my blog, Facebook or Twitter

    You can also pick up Fated Souls on Amazon here

    Thanks so much for being here today. It was a real treat!

    I loved it! Thanks for having me.

    BF3

     

    Go Becky!

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • blogs,  Books,  contests,  interviews,  Through The Lens

    Double up Wednesday!

    Howdy Lovelies and Happy Wednesday and Happy Spring though the snow outside my window says something else. Today I’m in two places at once again but no worries I’m a mom of twins so I’m used to it.

    My first stop in hanging with one of my fellow Crimson sisters Elizabeth Meyette for an interview. It was so much fun hanging with Elizabeth and I really enjoyed her fantastic questions. Then my next stop in my world tour is with the cool Kim at Read Your Writes Book Reviews. Please stop on by her great blog to see what she has to say about Through The Lens and get another change to win a gift cars. Whew, what a wild Double Wednesday this is! Have a great one.

    Christy Turlington and Louise Vyent, 1987 by Gilles Bensimon

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

     

    image fm Tumblr

  • interviews,  my view,  writers,  writing,  writing life

    Just One More Thing…

    Happy Monday! Wishing you all a fantastic week as I go into my final push on finishing up book 2 in my Creative Hearts Series. I know that by my Friday deadline I’ll probably be resembling the walking dead myself. It seems the book is never done until it is out of your hands done, so it’s down to the wire for me. Are you like that with projects that you have to get out? Constantly, moving them around, fidgeting and re-arranging until the very last minute?  Be it a huge project or an intimate dinner party? Please chime in and share you last minute thoughts.

    And speaking of last minute… In these last few of Black History Month have you checked out the Black History issue of Shades of Romance Magazine?  I’m in there on page 32 plus a whole host of much more fab authors sharing their thoughts on Writing The Book and Black History. A wonderful read. Check it out here.

     

    Have a great one!

     

    All the best,

    KMJ

     

    image from here and here

     

  • authors,  interviews,  writing,  writing life

    A Writing Life… Interview with author Micah Persell

    I’m pleased to have on ye old blog a new writer friend of mine, and I’ve come to find out for myself a fantastic author, Micah Persell author of Of Eternal Life and Of Knowledge of Good and Evil , Books 1 and 2 in the Operation: Middle of the Garden Series. Now I’m not a huge paranormal reader, but I will say that Micah pulled me in right from the start with her fantastic descriptions of the frankly horrifying circumstances that her ultra-hot hero Eli found himself in. But wait, I think I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. I’m so excited coming off the end of Of Eternal Life. Slow down, Kwana, and let’s start the interview…
     Thanks so much for being here today Micah. Now can you tell us a bit about Of Eternal Life?
    Of Eternal Life is the first book in my series. It’s also the first book I ever wrote, so it has an extra special place in my heart. It follows the love story of Eli Johnson and Abilene Miller, but it’s also a suspenseful paranormal romance that focuses around what might happen if the government stumbled upon the ancient Garden of Eden in the Middle East. My theory is that we would turn it into a weapon, especially if it turned out that immortality was in the mix.

     Of Eternal Life is categorized as paranormal romance, but it does have some mystical and sci-fi elements. How would you categorize it?

    I’d love to categorize it as science fiction. A lot of scientific and medical research went into the making of Of Eternal Life. I think a lot of readers would be shocked to find out that the science in the book is all accurate. As far-fetched as it sounds to have an ancient tree’s fruit turn characters immortal, scientists have tested several methods of extending the human life, one of which is introduction of a substance that extends the Hayflick limit (the number of times a cell can reproduce before dying). I took their research and put a fictional spin on it.
     Wow real? That is so cool and interesting and a little scary. Now are you a Plotter or a Pantser? Can you please give us a glimpse into your writing routine?
    I started off as a pantser, but then Abilene’s best friend in Of Eternal Life, Dahlia Gutierrez, turned out to be the villain. Surprise! I turned into a religious plotter after that. Every single plot point in Of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was meticulously planned out. When I start a new project, I plot out all of the major turning points. Once I have a plot mapped out, then I write a first draft and revise, revise, revise until I’m moderately happy with the result. Then I revise some more 🙂
     Now for one of my favorite questions: Can you please tell us the story of your “overnight” success?
    I actually got “the call,” which for me was an e-mail, while on a field trip with my students. I’m a teacher in real life. It was a pretty special day, because I was able to share the news with the kids, and no one has a better reaction to good news than dramatic teenagers. I felt like a celebrity right away.
    I’m looking forward to the follow up to Of Eternal Life, Of Knowledge of Good and Evil; as a matter of fact I already have it on my Kindle. Can you tell the blog readers a bit about it?

    Well, even though Dahlia turned out to be the villain of book 1, I wasn’t ready to give up on her yet. Book 2 is her story. It’s a story of deep secrets and redemption. I’ve got to say, Dahlia is one of my favorite characters.
     What can we expect next from you?
    I’m putting the finishing touches on Emma: The Wild and Wanton Edition right now! I’m so excited about this book. It’s Jane Austen’s classic book, but with lots of steamy, steamy added in. Mr. Knightley and Emma definitely burn up the pages. Hopefully, it will come out some time in the spring.
     That sounds just wonderful and quite hot. Who doesn’t love Mr. Knightly?
     Thanks once again for being here. It was a fantastic treat, and I can’t wait to read more!

    You can find Micah on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, or check out her website for a special sneak peak of both Of Eternal Life and Of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

     

    All the best,
    KMJ

  • blogs,  interviews,  writing,  writing life

    Keeping Calm…

    Hey there lovelies. I hope you are all well and dry. As I write this the wind is kicking up and as it posts who knows if I will still have power.

    Let’s just hope I do and you do too! Please join me and some other fantastic writers over at the fabulous Ondo Lady’s blog as we talk changes in the publishing industry.

    Stop on by here and meet some virtual new peeps.  Laters.

    All the best,

    KMJ

     

     [Update fm random Shoprite: I haz no power. Let’s hope it’s back soon. Last night was a rough and scary night. One that I don’t want to repeat any time too soon with limbs hitting the house and transformers sparking all around. Still I feel grateful to come out unscathed. Thoughts and prayers to all truly touched. Hang in there.]

    image fm here

  • Books,  interviews,  my view,  Through The Lens

    Local Author-lebrity

    So it seems I’m local famous (ok maybe in my own head but let’s go with it for this here post). You see my town’s local paper did a piece on me and Through The Lens and it came out today with a photo and everything! Once I got over the shock of that and my huge head (man it’s large and in color) I conceded that it was pretty cool. I love the headline and the fact the owner of the town’s hardware store ran over to me right away when I was picking up leaf bags to give a nice congrats and say, “hey I know you!” That was really sweet. ‘D’ list here I come!

    All the best,

    KMJ

  • authors,  book launch,  Books,  interviews,  Uncategorized

    Date with a Siren… author interview with Jax Cassidy plus a Giveaway!

    Hello lovelies. Today on ye old blog I’m so honored to have one of my very good friends, the multi-talented and multi-published, Jax Cassidy! Jax is here to talk about and celebrate her newest release SIREN’S SEDUCTION. Welcome Jax.

    J.C.  Thanks so much for letting me visit your awesome site! I’m super stoked about being here.

    K.M.  Can you tell us about SIREN’S SEDUCTION?

    J.C.  I’m a sucker for love stories and this one is a sad one. It’s about two characters that are broken, have lived through hardships, that find each other through fate. There is a sprinkling of my Eastern beliefs woven into the storyline but the essence of the story is about overcoming obstacles, valuing yourself, and allowing yourself to give and be loved. This particular story is very special to me because it’s the first print contracted story that was released through a small press publisher. Recently, I got my rights reverted to me and decided to breathe new life into it. I also felt that because it had such a small distribution, it didn’t reach a wider national and international market…so now it will.

    SIREN’S SEDUCTION

    Niko Chow craves solitude. Only fate won’t leave him in peace. His desire to overcome his demons leads him to a promise made to a dying friend and into the arms of a seductive chanteuse.

    Donovan Matthews ignites a passion within him he has long denied. The more time he spends with her, the more Niko finds her spitfire determination and generous heart as sensuous and exotic as the lotus blossoms that bloom in his garden. Can she end his internal war and help heal his aching soul?

    K.M.  That sounds way sexy and Niko seems quite tortured. Tell us what are your favorite types of heroes?

    J.C.  Definitely the tortured hero but more on the gamma side. I love me some dark, brooding, and passionate heroes but I don’t want a wuss either. I’m also not a fan of alpha heroes simply because I like my men to have a sensitive side. I feel it gives him the advantage over an alpha hero who always sets out to prove he’s the man in any situation.

    K.M.  What made you take the step into self publishing?

    J.C.  Honestly? While I was waiting on contracts with New York publishers, I didn’t want my readers to forget me. Self publishing gives me a lot of control and since I am the publisher, I can put out the story of my heart every time without making sacrifices. I feel I have an advantage over the general writer who self publishes stories without having any prior experience or knowledge of the industry. I’ve spent almost a decade being involved and learning about publishing which allows me to make the right choices that are both professional and beneficial to me as a writer.

    I’m not out there putting up stories that I haven’t spent a great deal of time and effort into. I focus on re-writing, editing, layout, distribution, and everything in between while channeling the publisher’s mindset. There is a lot of time intensive labor involved and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. There’s not a product I would put out without being proud of the final product. I’m not saying it will be perfect but it will be as perfect as I can possibly make it. However, it’s still trial and error and I’m sure I’ll get dinged along the way but I’m prepared for it. All I can do is keep learning the craft and putting my best foot forward.

    A lot of my NY published author friends have done exceedingly well and they’ve even passed on NY contracts to self publish, but that’s not my goal. Self publishing allows me to have the best of both worlds and helps build my readership for when I have books back in the brick and mortar bookstores.

    K.M.  Now I know you are a woman of many talents. Besides being an author you are a web mistress and graphic designer. How has this helped you with stepping into the world of self publishing?

    J.C.  I’ve worked many years as a marketing/art director for a successful international company as well as for a publishing company that prepared me to tackle self publishing. Being an artist and designer helps with the overall branding and packaging of my products. Right now it may be a one-woman show but I’m a control freak and I like things just right. Web design and cover or product design is therapeutic. It makes me happy to create something that is eye-catching and even prouder that my clients love it. I wouldn’t hand off a project without loving it completely because I am all about creating something special that I would do for my own self. It’s got to have a lot of love in it and I hope it shows through.

    K.M.  For fun can you give us a song that would be on Niko and Donovan’s playlist?

    J.C.  THE STORY by Brandi Carlisle. It’s such a heartbreaking song but totally defines what a person will do for love. It’s one of those songs that make me a weepy and the ballad is so haunting and emotional that I can’t stop listening to it.

    K.M.  What can we look for next from you?

    J.C.  There’s several stories in the works including a Christmas story for December, and of course, the upcoming release of SAIGON SUMMER in 2013 which is part of my charity fiction reads. I decided to release a book each year (if I’m not buried under deadlines) in which all author proceeds go to charity. This particular story is dear to my heart since it goes to my home country of Vietnam. For this release, I’ve picked charities that focus on fighting human trafficking and helping the survivors integrate into society again. I have a huge marketing plan and will involve live events to help raise awareness and serious dollars for these amazing organizations.

    K.M.  Where can folks find you and pick up Siren’s Seduction?

    J.C.  Readers can purchase my book on my website and almost all major online venues. The eBook is currently available and the print book is expected to be released in December. Since I love connecting to friends and readers on my social networks,  I’m usually found frequenting Facebook or Twitter. I spend a great of time on Romance Divas since I co-founded the site. I wish I had more time in the day to add more social networks to my list but I figured my time should be spent wisely on trying to send proposals to my agent as well as writing regularly.

    Website:  www.jaxcassidy.com
    Facebook:  www.facebook.com/authorjaxcassidy
    Twitter:  www.twitter.com/jaxcassidy
    For writers & readers: www.romancedivas.com

    K.M.  Thanks so much for being here Jax! It’s been a real pleasure.

    J.C.  Thanks, Kwana! I’ve had such a fabulous time and I hope that folks will give me and my stories a chance! For those totally new to me, I have a few free short HOT reads available on my website, Smashwords, Kobo, B&N and more…

    K.M. Please leave a comment or question for Jax and 2 lucky folks will win a copy of Siren’s Seduction from Jax. Thanks Jax!


    JAX CASSIDY followed her dreams to Paris, then Hollywood to pursue a film career but managed to fall in love with penning sexy romances and happy endings—finding Mr. Right was just an added bonus. She writes contemporary & paranormal romances and is Co-Founder of Romance Divas, an award winning writer’s website and discussion forum. Jax is also known as one-half of the retired writing team of Cassidy Kent. She is represented by Roberta Brown of the Brown Literary Agency.

  • blogs,  interviews,  my view,  writing life

    Gumbo Time!

    Good day tweets. Thanks for all the great comments yesterday from my Reading a Multicultural Life post. They were so appreciated and made gave me heart-warming conformation on those old life decisions.

    Today I’m hanging over with one of my favorite bloggers, Karla from Brown Girl Gumbo. Karla has the most fantastic lifestyle blog. Please stop by and check out the interview and then stay awhile and see what else she has brewing. You won’t be disappointed.

    Have a fantastic day!

    BTW I let it slip by me that yesterday with the 1 month-inversay for Through The Lens! Have you gotten your copy yet? Thanks to all of you who have given it a read and a kind word. I love you forever. And if you haven’t gotten a copy yet just look to the right and click. It’s easy peasy. Thanks!

     

    Best,

    K.M.

    aka

    Me