Julie Kenner's Blog, page 89

Real Places in Fiction: Emilie Richards on Asheville, Research, and her Books (and a Contest!)

How does an author bring in real places into her fiction? Please welcome Emilie Richards, who shares her experiences in researching locales! Read on for a chance to win one of her books, Wedding Ring!

I love doing research.  One of the joys of writing is the freedom to choose subjects that interest me, followed by the thrill of finding out everything I need to know.  Okay, sometimes I just want to know things because I do.  I know, as I’m delving deeper and deeper that I’ll never use facts I’m uncovering, but I can’t stop.  It’s either too much fun or early signs of an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

I’m not taking any bets.

Here’s another research joy.  Travel.  For the past several summers I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Asheville, North Carolina.  Asheville is not unfamiliar.  For years our family spent weeks each summer in Western North Carolina, and a son moved to Asheville the moment he was old enough.  Now he’s a tried and true member of the community, with an extra bedroom for his parents when they need an Asheville fix.  Grown children settling in beautiful places are one of those childbearing bonuses no one mentions.

When I was planning my newest series, Goddesses Anonymous, my brainstorming buddies suggested Asheville as the setting.  Asheville is picturesque, multicultural, and unique.  The things I still didn’t know could be discovered.  Several Junes ago, I set out to see if our optimism was founded.  Would I be able to do a credible job of representing the area?

When they begin a story authors are faced with many tasks.  One of them is how true to life they’ll need to be.  Here’s an example: The opening scene of the first novel of the series, One Mountain Away, takes place at a playground, and I had to write the scene before I made my trip.  I described a typical park, with just enough detail that I thought I’d be safe.  But once I got there, no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find all those elements.  So, do I name a real park to give the scene more authenticity while simultaneously setting myself up for emails like: ”There is no Blankety-Blank in Doo-Dah Park?”  Or do I simply name a section of the city and hope nobody’s feeling picky?  This is fiction, after all, and my decision will not affect the city parks and recreation department.

Then there’s Trust and Luck, two real life mountain townships that fascinated me so much I set the second novel, Somewhere Between Luck and Trust, smack dab on the boundary.  That was the good part, but here’s the question.  Can I move actual townships?  Just a little?  Redesign roads leading off them?  Expand their boundaries?  What must I be true to?  What can I fudge?

These questions haunt me as I write, but what about the big one, the one that makes most authors break out in a cold sweat?  What about all the things I think I know that I really don’t?  All the mistakes waiting around the corner because I’ve never thought about them?  Those blithe convictions teetering on a mountain ledge as I lean over to erroneously name distant peaks, none the wiser?

I do love research.  I do love Asheville.  I do love fiction and this new series.  So what choice do I have?  I’ll throw all that in the cast iron kettle of my imagination and stir and stir.  The result?  A pack of lies or a sterling depiction?  I bet my readers will let me know.

To see more from Emilie, visit her website!

Much thanks to Emilie for joining the blog today! Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win her novel Wedding Ring!

P.S. - I have a new Protector (Superhero) novella out!  Check out Aphrodite's Embrace (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Paranormal Heroes: Scary or Sexy? Michele Lang Gives Her Top Five (Plus a Contest!)

Who are all those inhuman protagonists, those Vamps, Zombies, and Demons, filling up our bookshelves? Today I welcome Michele Lang to give her take on writing paranormal fiction! Keep reading for a chance to win one of THREE copies of her trilogy!

Heroes from a Bad Neighborhood

by Michele Lang

To paraphrase the hilarious Anne Lamott, my mind is a scary neighborhood where you don’t want to wander around alone. Because I write fantasy, paranormal romance, and science fiction, my inner neighborhood teems with furry, fanged and winged creatures, some of them terrifying, a lot of them strangely loveable.

I thought I would be your guide through the scary precincts of my imagination, and give you a list of my top five potential supernatural heroes. Because being scared and being in love not only don’t cancel each other out, they go together like chocolate and peanut butter!

5. Zombies.  OK, I know this is a big trend right now, but I have my concerns.  Did you see that zombie romance movie, Warm Bodies, that came out recently? Here’s the link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588173/  I heard it was adorable, but I’m still not sure a zombie can really qualify as hero material, at least the way I imagine them.  The last thing you want in a romantic embrace is for body parts to be squishy or rotten, or even worse, falling off!

I could see falling in love with a regular person while fighting off the zombies, maybe in a scenario like the Walking Dead, but there the fear factor would outweigh the romance, big time. Too grim. So I dunno.

4. Vamps.  What’s not to love you ask? So many sparkly, brooding, tormented vampire heroes already stalk their lovers.    But that’s the trouble, isn’t it? There are so very many vampire heroes out there already.  The vamp district of my brain is way, way too crowded. To make it work, you must make vampires your own.

Many writers have achieved this feat, but here’s another confession – vampires scare the daylights out of me!  I’m not a fan of needles, so the thought of some guy inserting his teeth into my neck does not make me swoon in a good way. I might get over my needle-phobia and write a vamp hero someday.  Maybe…

3. Werewolves. The idea of a wild, untamed, savage creature lunging for his mate and protecting her against all danger…I like it.  At least as I imagine them, werewolves are loyal to their pack, run outside society and its constraining conventions, and mate for life.  I know they are furry, they might be sweaty, they rip people apart, but personally I love the idea of a hero with an animal side.

2. Demons.  Talk about your dangerous, misunderstood hero.  I love demon heroes because they are rare, they are certainly bad-ass, and they commit a major transgression by falling in love.  Human beings are the ultimate forbidden fruit to a demon, they aren’t supposed to love but to destroy.  And I love the temptations they dangle in front of us.  So go demons!

1. Angels.  But my favorite hero for now is the Angel.  They are the mirror image of the demon hero – they aren’t supposed to love us either, and they risk a lot more than demons if they express that love.  An angel who chooses a human love gives up all of heaven to do it, and I think that is incredibly romantic.  They are strong, they are also pretty hard-core – look at the creatures they fight! – and what can I say?  I have a thing for big, golden, sheltering man-angel wings. . .

So, who are your favorite supernatural heroes?

 

About Michele:

Michele Lang writes supernatural tales: the stories of witches, lawyers, goddesses, bankers, demons, and other magical creatures hidden in plain sight. Author of the LADY LAZARUS historical fantasy series, Michele’s most recent book in the series, REBEL ANGELS, released March 2013.

Michele is also a lawyer who has practiced the unholy craft of litigation in both New York and Connecticut. She returned to her native New York shortly before 9/11, and now lives in a small town on the North Shore of Long Island with her husband, her sons, and a rotating menagerie of cats, hermit crabs, and butterflies.

Find her on the web at www.michelelang.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/michelelang

Thanks to Michele for her great post! Leave a comment if you would like to be considered to win a copy of her trilogy, including Lady Lazarus, Dark Victory, and Rebel Angels!

P.S. - I have a new Protector (Superhero) novella out!  Check out Aphrodite's Embrace (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Another Stark on Saturday! Excerpt from Claim Me (Stark Trilogy book 2)

Just one more Stark on Saturday before release day!
It’s #StarkOnSaturday again — and that means it’s time for other snippet from the upcoming Claim Me, book two in the Stark Trilogy that began with Release Me.

My top pic for Damien Stark

 

“It’s so pretty out here,” I say as we follow a flagstone path that twines away from the house.

“It is,” he agrees, but his eyes are on me.

“Watch the path, Mr. Stark,” I say.

“I’d rather watch you.”

I grin as he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a bone-melting kiss. The fire he set inside me only moments ago has not been fully extinguished, and now those embers burst back into flame. “Here?” I whisper, pressing my sex hard against his thigh, then moaning softly at the sweet torment of the returning pressure. “Outside? On these hard, cold stones?” My words may sound reluctant, but I know that my tone does not. Right then I think I want nothing more than the press of stone against my back and the feel of Damien, hot and hard, inside me.

His voice is low and sultry with just a hint of a tease. “What exactly do you want me to do to you, Ms. Fairchild?” His fingers brush my shoulder, sliding the spaghetti strap down my arm so that it hangs loose. “This?” he asks, as he bends to brush his lips over the swell of my breast.

I gasp, my chest heaving, the chiffon that still clings to my now erect nipple rubbing provocatively.

“Or maybe this?” He traces his fingers up my leg, higher and higher until he grazes the soft skin between my thigh and my sex.

“Maybe,” I whisper.

“It would be sweet, wouldn’t it?” he asks as his hand moves up again, tracing the trimmed line of hair on my pubic bone, then dipping down to tease the same soft spot on my other leg. “Here, under the stars. My hands on you and only the night around us. My tongue on your breast, the cool air grazing your erect nipple. A whisper of cool wind brushing over your hot cunt.”

My legs grow weak, and I close my arms around his neck to keep from melting beneath his words and his touch.

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” I say.

His smile is slow, and I draw in a ragged breath as he leans close. His lips graze the corner of my mouth, then my temple. Then my ear. I feel his warm breath, and then the softest whisper of a word. “No.”

 

 Claim Me will be on-sale April 23!

Pre-order Claim Me from Amazon!

Pre-order Claim Me from Barnes & Noble!

Pre-order Claim Me from Books-a-Million

Pre-order Claim Me from Random House

Pre-order Claim Me from your favorite independent bookseller

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Amazon

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Waterstones

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from WH Smith

Want more? You can even pre-order Complete Me from Amazon or from Barnes and Noble!  On-sale July 30!

And if you missed Release Me, you can snag your copy from your favorite retailers here:

Random House

Amazon (print)

Amazon (kindle)

Amazon United Kingdom

Barnes and Noble (print or Nook)

Books-A-Million

Kobo

iBooks

Indie Bound 

More soon,

XXOO

Meg Lacey discusses Her Own Fairy Tale, Writing, and her Personal Journey

Today I’m excited to introduce Meg Lacey to the blog! Ever wanted to know what’s it’s like for a writer behind the scenes? Looking to start your own writing career? Keep reading for Meg’s story and great tips!

Fighting my way back…

By Meg Lacey

I’m going to tell you a little story, a sort of fairy tale, of a woman, a computer and a writing career…sort of.  Note—there is a moral at the end, so stick with me.

Growing up, I read everything in sight, even the oatmeal box.  My mother was a great reader, and I came from a family of storytellers.  My grandmother would keep my brother and me enthralled in her true adventures, especially the ones about WW2 and her travels.  So I’ve always been surrounded by words, sentences, paragraphs, etc.  But I never thought of being a writer.

Yet I’ve always written.

My professional background is theatre, from there I moved into the TV and advertsing worlds by producing/directing and eventually writing scripts for commercials promotional projects and cable TV.  Then I read my first romance novel.  I’d read romance fiction along with everything else for years, but my big love was gothics and thrillers, followed by historical novels.  I’d never read a Harlequin romance, until one day I was bored and found one in a used book store.  It was ‘Dear Villian‘, by Jacqueline Gilbert, and it was set in a repetory theatre in England.  I loved the humor, the characters, and the setting, so  I read everything I could locate by the author. Then the big romance boom happened. Suddenly new companies were springing up like weeds, and guess what?  Editors were dying to read new authors.  So I wrote a book.

I sent it off and got a refusal, but also a lot personal letters from the editor suggesting revisions. I sent it in again, but… They asked to see the next.  Again, no dice.  I sent the book to other houses and editors, and again, received a lot of personal feedback and another, will you revise for us.  I rewrote that book four times until I’d written the life from the story.  During this time I also started a full service production business, marketing and advertsing in all media.  As that was my main focus, writing romance took a back seat.

I kept writing though. I finally sold my fifth complete book, and then I wrote and published 5 more. But, needing a new challenge, I’d left the first production company, and started a second.  Again—there went my focus on writing, which had started so well with Harlequin being promoted as a “Woman to Watch;” and my editor wanting to build me into a romantic comedy star.  It ended for a number of reasons, but the big one was my other responsibilities— to employees, clients, the bank, and most of all to my young family.  Thus, ended my first romance career.

Finally, in 2007, I decided to try again. I wrote another book for Harlequin, and was told everyone loved it.  The book came out, and I heard…. “Sorry, now we hate your writing.”  By then, the economy was in the toilet, my company was in trouble, and eventually I closed it.  My second stab as a novelist was briefer than the first.

In 2009, I decided to give my writing career one more shot—third time’s the charm, right?  But, now, another great thing was happening, the rules were changing for all authors—Ebooks.  Suddenly, tons of new online companies were available, and—wait for it—looking for authors. And, the market was also creating opportunities for Indie publishing for those books writers loved, but marketing couldn’t figure out how to sell.

So what have I learned so far, besides never stop learning?

For a writer the real point of this fairy tale is three fold:

Never start two demanding careers at once.  It never works the way you think it will no matter how much energy and drive you have.
You have to work for the chances you’re given.  I also put this one as ‘See an opportunity and take it, and if you don’t see one—make it!’
Use the 3D method:


Determination – want it badly and work your tail off to get it.
Discipline – learn all you can and get it done in a timely fashion.
Dump – dump your butt in a chair and stay there until you’ve finished what you need to accomplish for the day.

For a reader the point is even more simple:

1. Ebooks give readers the opportunity to try new writers without investing all of their grocery money.

2. Readers have a choice.  Today’s marketplace offers a wide variety of subjects, tone and complexity.  No longer do you have to read twenty stories about babies, because a corporate power’s discovered they’re profitable. (Don’t misunderstand—I adore babies, but I don’t want to read about them exclusively. The really strange thing about this approach is the more a specific market trend is followed, the faster the market narrows, which has also opened the way for new publishers and writers.)

So, here I am, starting over again, but this time I’m learning more than ever.  I’m working with people who love books, and love what I do. More importantly, I’m really loving it too. I don’t get that sick feeling everytime I see a note from an editor or agent, or read a bad review (and everyone has bad reviews).  Maybe that’s a feature of today’s new book reality.  With so many books available, every writer has to love what they do, and it has to show everytime.

I’m writing entertainment for people to enjoy, and some even tell me they do.  And, you know what? That is more rewarding than all the other things I thought were important in the beginning. I now have two book series, one a paranormal series with Imajinn Books, Tales of the Sparrow, with the first book, The Sparrow and the Hawk, 9/12 and the Second, The Sparrow and The Vixen’s Three, 11/13, and another with Samhain Publishing, Million Dollar Men, with the first book, Million Dollar Mistake, 10/12, and I’m working on the second.  And even more good news, my first book for Entangled Publishing, Something’s Cooking, will be out 8/13.

And the moral for my fairytale is (see, I told you there was a moral) —dream your own fairytale, but realize you’re the heroine of your own story.  You can determine how the tale is told.

Meg Lacey

Check out Meg’s website and Facebook!

 

MEG LACEY

I wrote my first novel in the sixth grade, but my fiction writing career didn’t last. I went into theatre for a bachelor and masters in acting/directing. I ended up in media as a writer-producer.

Over the years, I’ve been an actress, director, producer, creative director, CEO, copywriter, creative dramatics teacher, mime, mom, college instructor, and a school bus driver.  I’ve established two creative marketing/media companies, working as a V.P. and as CEO, working in all media: network cable programming to corporate initiatives; to video, games and interactive websites.

My past Harlequin and current books are all available online.

Great thanks to Meg for sharing her story! How are you living your fairy tale?

P.S. - I have a new Protector (Superhero) novella out!  Check out Aphrodite's Embrace (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Love a Strong Woman? Dana Marton Shares her Inspiration for Writing Heroines (and a Contest!)

What would the world be without women who can kick butt and save the day? I’m excited to welcome Dana Marton to the blog today to share her stories! Read on to win a copy of her series AGENTS UNDER FIRE!

About strong women…

When my great grandmother was young, she was home alone one day with two young children. They went into the house at the end of the day, and as she sat on the bed to take her shoes off, she saw, in the mirror across the room, that there was a stranger hiding under her bed. She kept calm and said to the kids, “You know how silly I am? I forgot to lock up the chickens for the night. Why don’t you put your coats back on and we’ll run out for another minute and take care of those hens?” And then she got herself and the kids out of the house. She ran to the neighbors who came home with her and got the vagrant out of her home.

My grandmother still tells this story all the time. It left a big impression on her as a kid. And every time I think of it, I hope I’d have the same presence of mind if I were ever in a spot like that. Talking about women being strong is very trendy these days. But I think, whether it was acknowledged in the past or not, women have always been strong.

I write strong heroines. That’s the only kind of women I know, from my brave-hearted great grandmother, to my grandmother who’d survived Russian bombs and the house collapsing on top of her in WWII in Europe, to my mom who went to work at a restaurant as a high school dropout, worked her way up to being head chef, and worked 16 hour shifts all her life.

Who were the strong women in your life? I would so love to hear some stories. I hope you’ll share here. As always, I’ll raffle off a free book among those who share, a romantic suspense trilogy: AGENTS UNDER FIRE that happens to feature a couple of pretty strong women.

Wishing you grace and strength to face all your challenges,

Dana (www.danamarton.com)

Many thanks to Dana for coming on the blog! What’s your idea of the perfect heroine? Don’t forget to comment to win a copy of AGENTS UNDER FIRE!

P.S. - I have a new Protector (Superhero) novella out!  Check out Aphrodite's Embrace (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Hump Day Books from Dee Davis, Jean Brashear, Sharon Ihle, Karen Sandler, Lauren Royal, Barbara Freethy, Brenda Novak, and Marie Hall

Need a pick-me-up read for the mid-week slump? Check out one of these great books!

 

Texas Refuge: The Marshall Brothers Book 1 (Texas Heroes)

99 cents only through April 18!

Learn more at Jean’s website!


Escape (Last Chance Series, Book 3.5)

Check out my friend Dee’s book in her Last Chance Series!

Learn more at Dee’s website!


The Bride Wore Spurs (The Inconvenient Bride Series, Book 1)

.99 Cent Bargain Book!

Learn more at Sharon’s website!


Awakening (Tankborn Trilogy)

Genetically engineered slaves fight for human dignity while a plague sweeps the planet.

Learn more at Karen’s website!


Violet (Flower Trilogy, Book 1)

99 cents today and tomorrow only!

Learn more at Lauren’s website!


So This Is Love (Callaways #2)

SO THIS IS LOVE, the second book in the Callaway family series by #1 NYT Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy is now on sale!

Learn more at Barbara’s website!


When Summer Comes (Whiskey Creek)

On Sale from $7.99 to $1.99 (limited time)!

Learn more at Brenda’s website!


A Moment (Moments Series, New Adult Romance: Book 1 Marie Hall)

A chance meeting, love born of pain, this is their moment.

Learn more at Marie’s website

P.S. - I have a new Protector (Superhero) novella out!  Check out Aphrodite's Embrace (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Join the Kickstarter campaign for Mr. Confidential, Soon to hit the Musical Stage!

One of my dearest friends (OMG, I’ve known him since high school!), Samuel Bernstein, is working to produce his fantastic book, Mr. Confidential, as a musical — and he’s started a Kickstarter campaign to fund the staged reading that is coming May 13 to the York Theater Co.  in Manhattan! Featuring Christine Ebersole and Howard McGillin, it promises to be fantastic!

“Fast, fluid and sexy—the show has a touch of burlesque mixed with the modern joy and peril of idol worship. It’s a giddy, vibrant story set in New York and Hollywood at their most glamorous and dangerous.”

With only a few days to go, the campaign is almost to it’s goal, and I’m happy to have contributed!

 

See the video, listen to the music from the amazing cast, and then please consider lending your support!

 

 

Samuel Bernstein is the author of the award-winning book from which the stage musical Mr. Confidential has been adapted. He grew up all over the world, living in Cairo, Honolulu, Austin, Phoenix, Albuquerque, New York, Los Angeles, and Ft. Collins, Colorado, while his family also traveled through Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. His writing life has branched out, by both necessity and design, into a writing, producing, and directing career, including the formation of Babyhead Productions with Ronald Shore.

 

Meet Shirley Hailstock- A Writer’s Use of Television

Please welcome Shirley Hailstock to the blog … discussing one of my favorite topics. Television!

I don’t watch much television.  At least I didn’t think I watched a lot of it.  But I’ve discovered I watch a lot of television.  I can write through the noise.  Growing up with a lot of sisters and one brother, the television, record player (we had records then), and radio could all be going at once, not to mention conversations.  I learned to either tune it out or work with it.

I thought working with television began when CSI-Crime Scene Investigation debuted on the small screen.  They would show what happened inside the body when an event occurred, like a bullet penetrating a lung.  I thought of it as research, giving myself permission to watch it for writing purposes.  But then I remembered back when I was in high school, I used to used Walt Disney Presents (Sunday nights at 8:00) to write my book reports.  It wasn’t until later that I discovered books and movies were different.  Luckily, I stuck with the legends, so I was all right.

Going to the movies was something a friend and I did often when I lived in D.C.  When the movie ended and everyone else was leaving the theater, my friend and I were still sitting there after the credits rolled, discussing the film, its meaning, what was true, possible, or impossible.  It wasn’t just what Hollywood had sent us.  We’d dissect it every part of it.  And this was long before I began writing and dissecting what made a good book.  I didn’t know it at the time, but sitting in that theater, analyzing what happened, was training for becoming a writer.

Movies also sent me to books.  If a story was intriguing, I often wanted to know more about the characters portrayed or I wanted to know what was in the book that didn’t translate to the screen.  By now I’d learned that what I saw was only a fraction of what a book could tell me.  These were often biographies.  I wanted to separate the truth from fiction.  Amadeus was one of the first ones I watched and went almost immediately to the library to check out several books on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  Mozart isn’t my favorite classical pianist.  That would be Chopin, but the story behind Amadeus was so intriguing that despite the wonderful music, I wanted to know more about the man and his relationship with his wife, his absent mother and his stern father.

Books also sent me to learn more about other people’s lives.  The book Emily’s Secret by Jill Jones led me to learn more about the Bronte’s.  Emily’s Secret, a work of fiction, was recommended by the publisher through a teaser booklet.  I read the teaser and then haunted bookstores until the book was released.  After reading it, I discovered it was one of those books that you tell everyone they have got to read.

But let’s go back to television.  I’m not a reality fan, but I watch some shows for the science or the technology.  McGyver and his ingenious use of whatever was available was one of my favorites.  I was a chemistry major in college and still wondered if some of the improvised concoctions he used would work.  Years after it went off the air, there was another program where they tried the physics and chemistry of McGyver.  Most of it didn’t work.  However, the takeaway from this is that there are things my characters can do with only what is available.  And before you ask, no, I never used anything I saw McGyver do on television in my books.  But he was certainly good to look at.  And still is.

Today I watch Scandal with Kerry Washington.  She’s a fixer.  Until I saw Michael Clayton with George Clooney, I’d never heard of a fixer.  I thought they’d have a sexier name.  I can’t think what, just that they would.  The problems they have and the solutions they come up with are amazing.  As a writer, it’s a not to be missed program.  And of course, NCIS is on my list program that I watch over and over again.

So, when readers ask me where did the idea for a book came from, sometimes it came from something I saw on television.  Of course, it’s not exactly the same, but the germ of the plot can spark an entire book.  Sometimes only one line in a movie gives me an idea for a story.  I have to quickly write it down, so I won’t forget it.  Once I got the idea for a book from a bumper sticker on the back of a truck.  All it said was Summer Thunder.  I thought of writing a book about the permanent residents of a summer resort.  They referred to the influx of hard bodies during the season as Summer Thunder.  It’s still in the idea file, waiting for me to write it.

The idea for my latest book, LEGACY, did not consciously come from any television program.  However, it’s about Michael Lawrence, a traumatized attorney, whose turned his back on the law and escaped to a solitary life in the Maryland mountains.  Discovering he is heir to a fortune, he can only claim it if he returns to the city and works with Erika St. James, the beautiful new president of a multinational corporation.  While his thoughts of her stray from the boardroom to the bedroom, someone else has plans to make him pay for past deeds.  And Erika is the pawn he’ll use to force Michael into his crosshairs.  If I think about the programs I’ve watch in the past, I could give a small amount of credit to Dynasty.  That’s only because of the money and the businesses they are running together.  And there is a combination of the women protagonist and antagonist in the character of Erika.

I hope you enjoy it.

Shirley Hailstock is the past president of Romance Writers of America.  She writes contemporary romance for Kensington and Harlequin and is the author of 30 novels and novellas.  Her latest e-book released is LEGACY.

Facebook – www.facebook.com/shailstock

 

Twitter – @shailstock

Website – http://www.shirleyhailstock.net

Newsletter – http://www.yahoogroups.com

 

Stark on Saturday – excerpt from Claim Me (Stark Trilogy book 2)

Counting down to release day!!
It’s #StarkOnSaturday again — and that means it’s time for other snippet from the upcoming Claim Me, book two in the Stark Trilogy that began with Release Me.

 

“But let’s be clear. She’s not the hostess in this house, and she never could be. Do you understand?”

I nod awkwardly. I am breathless. I am overwhelmed. And I want desperately to be in the circle of his arms.

The air between us crackles as Damien moves forward. He is close, so close, and yet he is not touching me. Not yet. It is as if he is punishing both of us. As if he is reminding us of why we should never be apart—because the coming together is just too damned explosive.

“Damien,” I say. That is all that I can manage.

Slowly, he strokes his fingertips down my arm. I bite my lower lip and close my eyes. “No,” he says. “Look at me.”

I do, my eyes meeting his as his fingers slide farther down, lower and lower until his hand is over mine, both resting lightly on my thigh over the hem of my dress. His palm is flat, his hand completely covers mine. Slowly, he slides our joined hands up so that I am lifting my skirt until it is at the juncture of my thighs and my ass. “You belong here,” he says. “Wherever I am, you belong. You’re mine. Say it.”

“I am. I am yours.” My breath is coming harder as his hand eases off mine, then begins to creep even higher, baring my thigh slowly, slowly, so goddamned slowly.

“I need you.” His raw voice sends ripples of desire through me. My sex clenches, and it takes all my self control not to grab my own damned hem and yank my skirt up around my waist. “I need you, now.”

“God, yes,” I manage, forcing out the words. “Damien, oh, please.”

Roughly, he pushes me backward until I am wedged into the corner. The glass case is beside me, and I reach out, clutching the polished wood for support as his mouth closes over mine. Our kiss is wild, fevered. I am starved for him and I take greedily everything he has to give.

 

 Claim Me will be on-sale April 23!

Pre-order Claim Me from Amazon!

Pre-order Claim Me from Barnes & Noble!

Pre-order Claim Me from Books-a-Million

Pre-order Claim Me from Random House

Pre-order Claim Me from your favorite independent bookseller

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Amazon

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Waterstones

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from WH Smith

Want more? You can even pre-order Complete Me from Amazon or from Barnes and Noble!  On-sale July 30!

And if you missed Release Me, you can snag your copy from your favorite retailers here:

Random House

Amazon (print)

Amazon (kindle)

Amazon United Kingdom

Barnes and Noble (print or Nook)

Books-A-Million

Kobo

iBooks

Indie Bound 

More soon,

XXOO

Another Claim Me (Stark Trilogy, book 2) Outtake!

 

Here’s one more outtake from Claim Me (Stark Trilogy, book 2)!  (I only have one left after this!).  And, since I can’t post a blog post without art, enjoy a bit of Matt Bomer while you enjoy Damien and Nikki!

 “What kind of lover would I be if I didn’t take the time to learn exactly how you like to be touched? If I didn’t explore all the various ways to make you wet?  If I didn’t make it a point to discover if you want to be gently made love to or roughly fucked?  If you want soft fingers or the sting of a firm palm?”

“I—“  I stop, because that is the only word I can manage. His hands haven’t moved as he’s spoken. His palms have simply cupped my rear. And yet my skin tingles as if I’ve been touched all over.

“So tell me, Nikki, what is your pleasure?  Shall I play the gentle lover and you the innocent maiden?” One hand moves up as he speaks, meandering again over the curve of my hip and the shape of my waist until he reaches the swell of my breast. My breasts are heavy, my nipples sensitive, and I silently bite my lower lip as he gently cups me, then uses his thumb to softly brush the hard, tight nub. My body trembles. I can’t take much more of this.

“Damien,” I whisper. “Please.”

He ignores me. “Or do you crave a firmer hand?” His other palm leaves my ass, only to return quickly in a quick, firm spank.

I cry out, and not from the combination of pain and pleasure he’s delivered, but from the orgasm that rips through me, rough and quick and so surprising it leaves me gasping.

“Well,” Damien says, the smile unmistakable in his voice as he gently rubs the sore spot on my rear. “I think we’ve answered that question.”

I am breathing hard and my legs are weak as I claw my fingers against the glass, anticipating another spank. When it doesn’t come, I force myself not to whimper in protest.

 

Did you miss the last Outtake? It was a Facebook exclusive!  You can find it here!

 Claim Me will be on-sale April 23!

Pre-order Claim Me from Amazon!

Pre-order Claim Me from Barnes & Noble!

Pre-order Claim Me from Books-a-Million

Pre-order Claim Me from Random House

Pre-order Claim Me from your favorite independent bookseller

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Amazon

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Waterstones

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from WH Smith

Want more? You can even pre-order Complete Me from Amazon or from Barnes and Noble!  On-sale July 30!

And if you missed Release Me, you can snag your copy from your favorite retailers here:

Random House

Amazon (print)

Amazon (kindle)

Amazon United Kingdom

Barnes and Noble (print or Nook)

Books-A-Million

Kobo

iBooks

Indie Bound More soon!

XXOO