M.K. Meredith's Blog, page 9

Empowering Women One Romance at a Time

Bree Ervin interviewed me about my first release, Malibu Betrayals.

I was touched by the depth of her questions. She got it. And she got my intent. 

Here is her interview:

"I’m not a romance reader. Haven’t been for a long time. But recently a friend of mine got her first book contract, a romance contract. As much as I love this woman, I didn’t plan on reading her books. Supporting her, encouraging her, buying her books for other people who like that genre – absolutely, but reading them? Not my genre, why read something I wouldn’t enjoy and then not know what to say next time I saw her?

But then in April we were at a conference together and I heard her talking about her books and why she wrote them and why she chose the romance genre and I remembered – this is MK f’ing Meredith, and she is BADASS.

MK F’ing Meredith
Badass Romance Writer & Hardcore lover of peanut butter.

So if she’s writing romance, maybe… just maybe, I’m wrong about the genre, at the very least maybe I’m wrong about lumping her books into my preconceived and outdated notions of what the romance genre is – maybe, just maybe, I should get over myself and give them a try.

So, I did. And THANK THE ODDS for being willing to look past former biases and give things a try with an open mind and an open heart because, GOD DAMN I loved this book – and… (Don’t tell MK this) now that I’ve been shown the light, I’m reevaluating my notions of the romance genre entirely and have even (shhhh…) bought a few more novels in the genre to try out.

See, I bought into the lie that the romance genre is all fluff and happily ever after and brain candy – you know, pink frilly girl stuff – a guilty pleasure. (Yes, that’smy female chauvinist pig showing. I’m working on it.) And I needed someone to knock that silly notion out of my head. As MK so eloquently reminds us, THERE IS NO GUILT OR SHAME IN EXPERIENCING PLEASURE.

As soon as I finished MK Meredith’s book, Malibu Betrayals, I wrote to her asking if I could interview her for this blog and share my revelation with all of you.

She was generous enough to let me, so without further ado, let me introduce you to the amazing MK, and her romantic notions...

Click here for the rest of the interview.

                              Click the cover for more information about Malibu Betrayals...

Meet an Author Monday ~ Marni Bates

Welcome to Meet an Author Monday!

Ohmygosh! If you don't know Marni Bates, you need to...yesterday.
She has incredible energy and the happiest megawatt smile I've ever seen! It's so powerful, you FEEL it.

 

 

 

Marni Bates began her writing career at the age of 19 with her autobiography, Marni, for HCI’s Louder Than Words series. Her debut fiction novel, Awkward, has been translated into Portuguese, Spanish and Hungarian and has been optioned by Disney Channel as a made for TV movie. She has three other novels with KTeen; Decked with Holly, Invisible, and Notable, as well as short stories in Ambush Books’ Magical Mayhem and Love Stinks Anthology.
In her free time she can be found reading romance novels, rollerblading, singing really loudly (and off-key) in public and . . . watching copious amounts of television.
And I have to mention, that this rockstar travelled the world for two months with a single backpack!
You can find out more about Marni and her books in the comments. I've included links to her website, amazon, and facebook!

Check out Marni's website!

Follow her on Amazon!

Follow her on Facebook!

 

Meet an Author Monday ~ Susan Andersen

I am so happy to introduce you to a talented writer and whom I'm lucky enough to call, friend. 

Susan Andersen!

"As you can see, I clearly come from a long line of stylish folk. They don't call M'ma the Queen of Accessories for nothing. This is a woman who's never been afraid to dance right out there on the edge, but it works for her, y'know? Daddy, of course, had that trademark gleam in his eye working for him- it was the only accessory he ever needed.

"Well, sure," say those of you who've seen me on my less than fashionable days, "her parents have pizzaz. What does that prove?" Hey, I come from a family simply crawling with style. If my parents aren't enough to convince you, then how about my cousin Colleen, who's the closest thing I've got to a sister? Colleen knows makeup. In fact, as you may recall from my old webpage, I strongly suspected she was born with a lipstick in each hand. I was pretty sure it was Clinique Earth Red base, with a Golden Brandy topcoat. But not long after I posted that I got an email from her. "SusieQ, please," it said. "Get with the program. I switched to Estee Lauder ages ago."

Hmm. Perhaps that's not the best example I could've come up with. And this photo in my big hair phase should probably be kept under wraps, considering I actually thought it was a good look for me.

Okay, maybe the style gene skipped right over me. But I have a really good excuse for my occasional lapse in fashion judgement. I grew up in a household with two brothers, a daddy, and my grandfather. Too many men, in other words. They diluted M'ma's influence by diverting my attention to things like the danger of answering nature's call in the dead of the night. I've got a hint for those of you raised in a less spit-and-scratch world: check before you sit, because chances are that seat is gonna be up. And they don't even have the grace to be embarrassed about it. According to my sweet baby boy, if you're the minority sex in the household, you oughtta be putting it up for them. Sigh.

Having brothers was a mixed bag. When anybody messed with me they were always quick with an offer to beat them up. That was sorta nice, although I personally believe it had more to do with the fact that guys just like to fight than with any towering concern for my welfare. You might think that's cynical but guess who the target was if no one else was around and they were tired of fighting each other? I must've spent half my childhood locked in the bathroom, screaming, "Dad's gonna get you when he gets home." I know, I know, nobody likes a stoolie. But it was either that or have my block knocked off on a regular basis, and trust me, Daddy was the best deterrent going.
A smart woman probably would've gone away to an all-girl school or moved in with some girlfriends at the first opportunity. Me, I got married to my high school sweetie. And the tradition continues. Our only kid (who hasn't been a kid for quite some time now) is the aforementioned sweet baby boy, and except for an Irish setter we had for eleven years a long time ago, even our pets have all been male. I just try to stay afloat whenever I find myself in the deep end of the testosterone pool, and if you don't think that isn't a trial sometimes, I'm here to tell you- it can be hell.

Then again, it can also be heaven. In fact, it mostly is. But listen, don't tell my guys I 'fessed up to that, okay? Trust me, it's difficult enough already, just trying to stay one step ahead of the game.

Fall In Love Like a Romance Writer, Susan shared her personal story of real-life romance in the lovely collection, Fall in Love Like a Romance Writer."

You can learn more about Susan on her website!Like her on Facebook!Follow her on Amazon!

Giveaway #1 Tempting Her Best Friend by Gina L. Maxwell

Hello there my lovelies!

This is the start to my slew of giveaways leading up to the release of my next book, Seducing Seven, a What Happens in Vegas story! Follow this link to Facebook to comment for a chance of an personally autographed print book of the first book in the series, Tempting Her Best Friend, by Gina L. Maxwell!

Have a great week! 

Lots of fun coming this September and October!

Fun giveaways  heading your way!

Meet an Author Monday ~ Marina Adair

You know how you meet someone and have an immediate connection? That's how it was when I met Marina for the first time. I was introduced to her through our mutual love bug, Marni Bates, and now I have a wonderful friend who can never run fast enough to get away. LOL! Marina is an incredible writer and one of the most generous women I know.

Marina Adair is a #1 National best-selling author of romance novels. Along with the St. Helena Vineyard series, she is also the author of the upcoming Sugar, Georgia series and Tucker’s Crossing, part of the Sweet Plains series. She currently lives with her husband, daughter, and two neurotic cats in Northern California.

As a writer, Marina is devoted to giving her readers contemporary romance where the towns are small, the personalities large, and the romance explosive. She also loves to interact with readers and you can catch her on Twitter or visit her on Facebook. 

Connect with Marina on Facebook!

Follow Marina on Twitter and Amazon!

Learn more on her Website!

Meet an Author Monday ~ Sherri Shackelford

Welcome to Meet an Author Monday!
I want to introduce you to one of my favorite women in the universe. You know how some people have a gift to make people laugh? That is Sherri. From the first day I met her, she made me laugh, and every time I think of her, she makes me smile.

Sherri Preble Shackelford is an award-winning author of inspirational, Christian romance novels for her dream publisher, Harlequin.

A wife and mother of three, Sherri’s hobbies include collecting mismatched socks, discovering new ways to avoid cleaning, and standing in the middle of the room while thinking, “Why did I just come in here?” A reformed pessimist and recent hopeful romantic, Sherri has a passion for writing. Her books are fun and fast-paced, with plenty of heart and soul.

Sherri is putting the final touches on three more books for her Cimarron Springs series, and will release all the details as soon as they are available.
Check out her website, follow her on facebook, and follow her on amazon! See the links in the comments below! 

Follow Sherri at Amazon!

Check out her website!

Follow her on Facebook!

Meet an Author Monday ~ Cheryl St.John

Hello my lovely friends! I am so happy to introduce you to Cheryl St.John. Cheryl has been a beloved friend and mentor since I joined Romance Authors of the Heartland years ago.  If you love sweet romances that pull you through from page one, you'll love Cheryl's books. 

When not writing, Cheryl enjoys family, friends, movies and strolling antique malls. She’s an avid collector and often shares photos of special finds and decorating/refurbishing projects. She keeps in touch with readers on social media and always appreciates a chat.
She is the author of numerous novels, both historical and contemporary, print and indie published. Her stories have earned numerous RITA nominations, Romantic Times awards and are published in over a dozen languages. One thing all reviewers and readers agree on regarding Cheryl’s work is the degree of emotion and believability. Words like ‘heart-warming, emotional depth, touches your soul, tugs your heart, endearing characters and on my keeper shelf’ are commonly used to describe her work.
In describing Cheryl’s stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real life situations.” Amazon and Goodreads reviews show her popularity with readers.
In 2015 her Webinar Blockbuster Fiction was featured in the Writers Digest Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. She has a chapter in Creating Characters, Writers Digest’s 2015 release. With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, Cheryl’s bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital. Cheryl is an avid movie buff, and Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict reflects that by using examples from popular films to show examples of emotion and conflict.

Learn more about Cheryl on her website

Follow Cheryl on Facebook

Have fun with Cheryl on Pinterest

Check out all of Cheryl's books on Amazon

Congratulations to my fellow Entangled Authors!

A huge congratulations to our authors!
Colorado Romance Writers 2015 Award of Excellence Winners

Paranormal Romance
WINNER!!! --- Blood Moon ~ Lisa Kessler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Young Adult w/Romantic Elements
WINNER!!! --- Going Down in Flames ~ Chris Cannon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Erotic Romance
WINNER!!! --- Staking His Claim ~ Tessa Bailey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Adult
WINNER!!! --- Eyes Turned Skyward ~ Rebecca Yarros
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Novella
WINNER!!! --- One Night of Sin ~ Elle Kennedy

Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt ~ $100 Grand Prize!

Hello, Lovelies!

I'm one of the sponsors of the Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt.

Entering the hunt is fun. The grand prize is a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

Click the image to enter the Scavenger hunt...

Or...

Enter Now at: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Summer-Fun-Scavenger-Hunt-Aug-2015

Good luck and have fun!

Hugs, loves, and peanut butter!