K-lee Klein's Blog: Chaos in the Moonlight , page 8

The Writing Process blog hop

Hi guys. Today I'm involved in a blog hop based about what I'm currently up to and my writing process. I was invited to take part by fellow author Christiane France who posted last week. Check out her blog at:  ~~ Christiane France ~~

I'll try to answer these as best I can, but since I consider myself an ADHD-writer, it might be a little difficult. You'll see why.

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

Oh boy, this could be a long answer so I'll try to keep it short. I just finished Tabby's Pride - a cat shifter / rock 'n roll story so I'm waiting for edits on that. The release date for Tabby is May 18 from Amber Quill/Allure (insert of random promo plus lol). Last week I finished Never the Perfect Moment which is a SWAT story but with not a lot of SWAT, and it will be out in either June or July.

Currently, I'm working on Manny's Heart, the third book in my Family of Misfits. Manny is the sweetest and, perhaps, most naive character I've ever written so it's hard to break him like I know I have to in order to give him his HEA. I suspect his book will come out in late summer from MLR, and the cover will be done by the fabulous LC Chase again.

I'm also working on a free story for the M/M Romance group about a dancer, incorporating Lazy Sundays and Lazy Valentines into one book with the rest of Devon & Scott's story to be released in novel form, hashing out a long-ass sequel to Finally Home, and writing a Winter Olympics short. Lol, and that's not including the little plot bunnies my muse makes me write down for other characters daily.

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN MY GENRE?
I don't know that my work is all that different from others, but I have branched out into different sub-genres--rockstars, cowboys, paranormal, contemporary, fantasy. I don't write a lot of sex scenes, usually only one major one per book, and I try very hard to get inside my characters heads so the reader can see inside their hearts. I prefer to write the emotional and romantic angle of relationships more than the physical--unresolved sexual tension, kissing, little touches here and there. Lol. Lame answer. Yeah, I'm not really sure I can answer this question so I'll just leave it at that.

WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?

The first question people usually ask is why m/m romance. and I don't have a definite answer except that's all I've written or even read in the last five years or so. I love the emotional connection between two men, the possibilities that arise because of stereotypes and prejudices. I like to crack open the hard-shelled exteriors that society and history have put in a place, and redefine what being man can be and what it doesn't have to be. And I like to do it with the help of a loving male partner at said man's side.

So basically, I write what I like to read, as does everyone else I suppose.  My favourite stories are usually romantic, angsty, but  with light humour, and definitely the pain of hearts stinging before they become one. The fact that I tend to write with my heart instead of my head helps to do that. Trying to put a little lightheartedness into the angst is also something I do because I know first hand that drowning in too much sorrow is really hard on the soul. 

Writing is an emotional release for me so trying to write something I'm not comfortable with or fully into, does not make K-lee a happy girl. I tried doing that with a prompt for a free group story involving infidelity, Las Palabras de Amor, but I ended up spinning it my own way so I didn't have to deal with the issue in such a harsh manner. 

In keeping with writing what I like to read, I'd never try to write BDSM, threesomes or scifi because none of those particularly appeal to me most of the time. I stick to my emotional fluffiness and always hope the reader cries during the same parts as I did when I was writing them.

HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?

Did I mention writer's ADHD? I swear it's a real disorder just suffered by writers. I actually envy authors who can write one thing at a time, or even just two things at once. I just can't seem to do that. When in good form, my muse is a hyper-charged maniac and doesn't even give me the opportunity to try to be a plotter. It's pantser, flailer, and WTF-is-going-on-er all the way for me. I've tried outlining and being aggressive with notes, but most of the time everything ends up changing. Most times my characters write themselves and correct me when I've done something wrong. 

Most of my stories start with characters rather than plot, and I can honestly say that is the one bit of organization that stays firm throughout my process. I make character bios because I "must" know what colour eyes and hair my MCs have. Is it short or long, curly or straight? If it's long, do they wear it up? How tall are they? What sort of physical attributes do they have? Do they like their family? Do they have any quirks or squicks? What do they drive? You get the picture. For me, knowing all these little elements makes it easier for me to write my characters. Of course I keep adding to the bios as the story progresses but the original characteristics I stared with rarely change.

Some of my own quirks--
- I write scenes out of order just because they come to me that way, and forcing myself to write chronologically is writer's block just waiting to happen. 
- If I'm stuck or blocked, I find writing a scene of dialogue will help pull me through it, and then I add the details later and figure out where to put it within the story. 
- I cannot work on one story for longer than two days straight without delving into another that's gnawing at the back of my brain. If I attempt this, my muse explodes and either stops talking to me or whispers inappropriate things for characters from one book to do with ones from another. I kid you not. It's happened and it's not pretty.
- Some of my best and most focused writing occurs in the tub on my iPad. I can be blocked or anxious all day, but get me in the tub, and the words flow.
- I get up some mornings to find I've texted or emailed myself with strange notes and scenes that I don't remember writing or a lot of times even know where they go.

So that's it…it was almost painless. But now you need to mark the next three weeks in your calendar so you can check out my friends joining me in this hop. Make sure you stop by and ssee what their writing process is.

APRIL 19 - EMBRY CARLYSLE

Embry Carlysle has always had her head in the clouds or in a good book. Her dad always told her, her overactive imagination would get her into trouble one day. She certainly hopes so. Embry lives in the south with her family where she loves the warm weather, beach trips and writing to her heart's content…as long as she locks the door first. She believes in love at first kiss, and big alpha males brought to their knees by a sexy, funny, smart partner. She always wants the HEA…but they have to work for it. "Hey, Dad. Look at me now!"

APRIL 26 - ELOREEN MOON
Eloreen Moon is a pen name for a writer, reviewer, beta reader/editor, and reader of all things romance, including alternate lifestyle (LGBT) stories and novels.  In Real Life, she works full-time, has a blended family with children, and enjoys gardening, computer games, and nature.

MAY 3 - VJ SUMMERS

When not obsessing over whether her parents are getting enough to eat, obsessing over what kind of trouble the Godkid is getting into, making coffee, drinking coffee, or feeding and otherwise fawning over the cats who allow her to live with them, VJ Summers can be found obsessively reading or writing erotic romance – either solo as m/m author VJ Summers or as the shorter, more quiet half of the “Violet Summers” writing team (the tall half I Sierra Summers).

Rainbow Gold Reviews scavenger hunt

The  Rainbow Gold Reviews Scavenger hunt is today, but this is not the post you want to find in order to fill our your treasure cards. Hidden in one of my past posts is the picture of a pot of gold filled with a rainbow - the same one on the Rainbow Gold Reviews website. Your mission is to find it and all the ones hidden on participating authors and bloggers sites. And while you're at RGR, check out all the great reviews.


The scavenger hunt starts at 3:00 EST, 2:00 CDT, 1:00 MST - you'll have to remember where you saw the pot of gold on each blog but try not to give your answers away in public. Good Luck!

RGR is a new review site and I've been honoured to already have had two books reviewed by them - both 10/10 pot of golds. Click on the pictures for the reviews. 


I'm also doing a giveaway of my own. Comment on this post by telling me if you've read me before and you'd you'll entered to win an ebook copy of one of my backlist books OR a print copy of Unbreak My Heart, Lucius' Bite, or Ali's Intuition. I'll be giving away two different prizes so make sure you leave your email address so I can get in contact with you.

It's Release Day for Unbroken Hearts! And I have give-away winners.

Brett & JT are back! Unbroken Hearts is live on Amber Allure and soon to be released on Amazon and ARE. I hope it lives up to the love that y'all showered on Unbreak My Heart, and thanks so much for all your support. Click on the picture for the buy link from Amber. :)
I also have winners of the giveaway for two ebook copies of Unbroken Hearts - fresh from the random winner generator. Drum roll please…and the winners are…
Karen Lewisand Nova 
Congrats. I'll be in touch with you both, and thanks to everyone who stopped by. Happy Sunday.

New release giveaway - Unbroken Hearts

I can't believe I haven't dusted this old thing off since September but here I am. It's not really release day either, but I am doing a giveaway for a new release. To be honest I'm not having the best of days so this will be short and probably not too sweet. I'll be back soon with something more entertaining, I promise. AND I've finally updated my WIPs so you can see if what I'm working on. :)

Unbroken Hearts - an Unbreak My Heart story comes out on Sunday, March 2. I'm excited about it even if I don't seem like it at this moment. It's roughly 25,000 words which is quite remarkable for me since it had started out with a maximum word count of 10,000. Obviously, the boys had more to say that I thought - and when I say boys, I mean JT since it's in his POV this time. 
That doesn't mean you won't see and hear Mr. Brett Taylor but it's JT's turn to let you into his head a little more. I can honestly say the story is sweet and sappy, but will also tie up some loose ends from Unbreak My Heart and show the boys working things out in their own special way. 

Blurb

~~JT Campbell knows Brett Taylor’s proclamation of love a few months earlier was true and honest, and Brett’s nothing if not sweet and attentive. But when the most romantic day of the year rolls around and Brett seems to be ignoring it, JT finds himself drowning in disappointment. Growing up, JT was never allowed to celebrate Valentine’s Day and was taught to reject the sappy, fake sentiments of the holiday. But would it be too much to expect Brett to at least acknowledge the day?
On top of that, JT can’t help but feel uneasy about the one huge reminder still standing on the ranch of Brett’s old lover. JT tries hard to pretend it doesn’t bother him, but he worries that as long as it’s there, Brett will never fully be able to let Walt go and move forward with JT. Can an unexpected show of love and commitment soothe JT’s fears?~~
Available at Amber Quill - click here
So…I'm doing a giveaway for two ebook copies for anyone who sees fit to leave me a comment. I'm not making it a requirement but I'd really love it (and it would make my day better) if you told me what part of Unbreak My Heart you liked best - scene, character, circumstance, whatever. Or if you haven't read it, tell me how you feel about angsty stories which I believe Unbreak has been described as. Since I'm so late, I'll run the contest for only a short while - until March 3, the day after release date so get your entries in quick. 

I want to thank everyone who supported Unbreak My Heart and also share some of the fabulous fan art starring Brett & JT. These are very special to me. AND lastly, here's an excerpt form Unbroken Hearts. Hope you enjoy.

Excerpt - Unbroken Hearts - an Unbreak My Heart story


...JT Campbell felt like he had loved Brett Taylor every single day of his twenty-eight years of life. If given the chance, he would have burrowed beneath Brett’s skin like some all-consuming virus just to ensure he would always be with him. And if that wasn’t a statement of true love, or, in the least, the musings of a man completely under the spell of a former country singer with more issues than People magazine—he didn’t know what was.
In reality, six and a half months was no more than a drop in the proverbial bucket of relationships. But it was far longer than any other romantic liaison JT had ever experienced, and if he had his way, Brett would be the last lover he ever had…period. There just weren’t enough words to describe how much he loved his cowboy.
As for Brett himself, he was moody, sensitive, stubborn, caring, annoying, sweet-as-pie, and so damn beautiful it hurt JT’s heart. But despite the good, the bad, and the shameless sexiness that was Brett Taylor, he always came out on top—well, in a non-literal sense—even when it came to planning the worst Valentine’s Day dinner ever.
“G’morning, Darlin’,” Brett had said when they woke up. “I told Ray and Mama we’d have dinner with them at Bubba’s tonight. Old friend of mine is dragging his guitar out of storage for a one-night-only performance. I said we’d be there for moral support.”
JT didn’t really define himself as a hopeless romantic, and he hadn’t necessarily expected a sappy card or a vase filled with fabulous red roses—though that would have been really sweet. But what he had expected, or, yeah, wanted, was some adult alone-time with Brett on the so-called most romantic day of the year. Something private and intimate, that didn’t involve Brett’s foreman and friend Ray Durant barging in at any given minute just because, or revolve around being horizontal and sweating, at least at first. He wanted to hold hands across a table, have Brett gaze adoringly into his eyes as wine sparkled in fancy glasses, flowers scented the room, and goddamn cupids played tiny harps… So, yeah, that hopeless romantic thing was a possibility after all.
His gift for Brett wasn’t the most romantic thing in the world either—a book about foals or fillies or some kind of baby horses Brett had been talking about lately, plus a card JT had painstakingly picked out. The flaming red paper practically oozed just how much in love he was with Brett, and was the sappiest thing he’d ever bought, or even ever considered buying. Love did strange things to people, and JT had fallen hard for every single one of those things that involved Brett Taylor…

Unbreak My Heart tour winners!

Thanks to everyone for stopping by my Unbreak My Heart book tour. There was a fabulous response and some awesome comments. It was an overwhelming experience in the beginning but turned out so well. So the winners are listed below. Congratulations, and thank you all very much again.

I leave for New York on Friday for an eleven day New England/Canada (yeah, I'm cruising my own country - the Maritimes actually) so I'll see ya'll when I get back. :) (EDIT - No I'll be back to pimp Ali) And speaking of Ali, I have a link to share. Ali's Intuition - Family of Misfits 2 is on GoodReads now. Official release date September 20. I'll be doing a give-away later in the month for that. Take care.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ali's Intuition - GoodReads link

Unbreak My Heart on the bestseller list at ARE

I don't honestly know if I've had anything on the bestseller list at All Romance Ebooks before because I never checked or maybe didn't know how to check at all. Does that make me dumb or still learning? Lol.

Anyhow, I got an email from ARE saying Unbreak My Heart had made the list of the top 50 bestsellers, and I nearly hit the floor. I believe that I sat and looked at my computer screen in confusion for a few minutes until it finally hit me, and then I was high for the rest of the day.

I don't know if it was the fact it had only been released five days prior or that I'd never had anything on the list before. Maybe it was recognition for the work I'd done since Unbreak literally wrung me out sometimes during the process. Brett was a dear but draining character to write, and I've heard from a few people that they liked the realness of both his grief and his relationship with JT. That makes me feel exceptionally good especially since I worried that I'd gone too far with Brett's pain, too deep and engrained, and I'm sure some people will think that the book was too angsty or depressing. But I think I can handle that if-when- it comes along because I feel really good about what I wrote now.

My book tour ends on Saturday at the lovely S.J. Frost's blog where I'm talking about gods and goddesses in relation to my characters from Unbreak My Heart. I have to say it's been an interesting ride, but I'm pretty much done writing blog posts for a little while, at least ones that I fret and fidget over for days. I appreciate all the comments and entries, and my lovely friends who helped me out by giving me their time, and I'll be posting the winners of the tour on Sunday.

Here's a couple of buy links for Unbreak My Heart, just in case anyone's looking for it. ;) And the link to S.J. Frost's blog. Take care & I'll see you on Sunday. :)

S.J. Frost - book tour post

Amber Allure link

All Romance Ebooks link

First review for Unbreak My Heart - Yay!

I don't usually post reviews but I was excited to see this one this morning. I had one other review before and it was from a lovely friend that, although, doesn't review every one of my books, I still feel is probably biased. And I love her for it.

This one is from a complete stranger who'd never read me before and it made me speechless. :)


5 out of 5 stars
"OMG!!! This is one of the most beautiful stories I have read in a long time. Extremely well written. The story made me laugh and cry. Wonderful!!!" 
It was a nice way to start the day, and it makes all the wrung-out hell Brett put me through worth it. :D

Hope you're all enjoying the book tour. Still a few days to go. :) (links updated)


Unbreak My Heart Book Tour
Thursday, August 22 - Joyfully JayFriday, August 23 - Thorny, not pricklySaturday, August 24 - Tara LainSunday, August 25 - RELEASE DAYChaos in the Moonlight Monday, August 26 - Babes in BoylandMonday, August 26 - Amber Heat blogTuesday, August 27 - Dakota TraceWednesday, August 28 - Erica PikeThurs, August 29 - Coffee & Porn in the MorningFriday, August 30 - T.A. ChaseSaturday, August 31 - S.J. Frost

Release Day! Unbreak My Heart is live!!

  Unbreak My Heart  is out today! Colour me excited!

I've waited and been scared to death of this day, but I'm also so glad to finally have it released. My book tour will have eleven posts up in the span of ten days so I'm just going to make this short and sweet, then encourage you to visit the blogs of my lovely friends. ;)

I think there's something for everyone in the posts I've already done. On Joyfully Jay I talked about tropes, or more specifically, hurt/comfort which is a big element in my story. On Thorny, not prickly it was about my love for cowboys and a little about the city i live in - Calgary. Yesterday I shared ten things about the writing of Unbreak Your Heart with Tara Lain. For example, Brett Taylor was inspired by Christian Kane - what a shock right? Lol. Next up is Babes in Boyland tomorrow where I'll be doing an interview with the lovely Piper Vaught on my book.

The Rafflecopter app I've been using for my giveaway seems to be working well, and thank you to everyone that's already entered. Of course, you can keep those entries coming as long as you drop me a comment on whichever post you're on at the time. The question I've asked is simple - do you have a favourite trope or theme that you gravitate to most when you pick a book? So here again is the blurb for Unbreak My Heart. Are you tired of seeing it yet? ;)

*
UNBREAK MY HEART
Brett Taylor has been doing just fine living in his own little world for the past three years, thank you very much.  Losing someone special is life changing, and Brett doesn't understand why everyone and their damn dog thinks they can get all up in his business about him needing to move on. He managed to make the transition from musician to rancher without relying on anyone else's opinion or help, and he certainly doesn't need some city kid coming into his life to disrupt his routine--one that involves grief, isolation, and a whole lot of Jack Daniels.
Moving from one meaningless job to the next, JT Campbell is on a quest to escape his old life and figure out who he is and where he belongs.  He's not looking to save anyone, let alone a secretive, hotter-than-hell rancher who wears his heart on his sleeve.  JT likes working for Brett, but Brett's made it perfectly clear that any relationship between them other than a professional one will never see the light of day.
But when JT's lust turns to love, and he gives in to his desire to find out what makes Brett tick, will his interest push Brett away?  Or will he, through his patience and support, be the one who can finally unbreak Brett's heart?*
Now go enter the contest again then head to the next blog post tomorrow - and as always, thanks for stopping by. :D

Amber Quill buy link
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Unbreak My Heart Book Tour
Thursday, August 22 - Joyfully JayFriday, August 23 - Thorny, not pricklySaturday, August 24 - Tara LainSunday, August 25 - RELEASE DAYChaos in the Moonlight Monday, August 26 - Babes in BoylandMonday, August 26 - Amber Heat blogTuesday, August 27 - Dakota TraceWednesday, August 28 - Erica PikeThurs, August 29 - Coffee & Porn in the MorningFriday, August 30 - T.A. ChaseSaturday, August 31 - S.J. Frost

"Unbreak My Heart" Book Tour Masterpost

With the release date for Unbreak My Heart less than a week away, I thought it was time to post the links for my book tour. It starts August 22.

I've been fortunate in managing to rope enlist the help of and borrow some space from some wonderful bloggers. I appreciate the support and I hope you will drop by to take a look at what I've worked my ass off to post posted. It wasn't a simple task, trying to figure out what and where to post without being too redundant, boring, or duplicating. Hopefully I managed to do that in at least a few of them. ;)

Being that this is the masterpost for the tour, I'd be forever grateful if you'd pass it along to a friend. I'm not trying to pimp myself out or anything - okay, yeah, maybe I am but there's prizes (does make it less pimpish? lol) Also, if you'd like to display my tour banner with this link attached, much gratitude and pretty boys will come your way. :D

Unbreak My Heart Book Tour
Thursday, August 22 - Joyfully JayFriday, August 23 - Thorny, not pricklySaturday, August 24 - Tara LainSunday, August 25 - RELEASE DAYSunday, August 25 - Chaos in the Moonlight Monday, August 26 - Babes in BoylandMonday, August 26 - Amber Heat blogTuesday, August 27 - Dakota TraceWednesday, August 28 - Erica PikeThurs, August 29 - Coffee & Porn in the MorningFriday, August 30 - T.A. ChaseSaturday, August 31 - S.J. Frost(I know there are two on the 26th - sorry about that)
This is how it will be working - with the lovely Rafflecopter
a Rafflecopter giveaway Also, you can hop on by to Chris' Stumbling Over Chaos blog to enterthe give-away for Unbreak My Heart right now. :)

And here's the blurb (and buy link) to whet your appetite
Unbreak My Heart - buy link at Amber Allure
Brett Taylor has been doing just fine living in his own little world for the past three years, thank you very much.  Losing someone special is life changing, and Brett doesn't understand why everyone and their damn dog thinks they can get all up in his business about him needing to move on. He managed to make the transition from musician to rancher without relying on anyone else's opinion or help, and he certainly doesn't need some city kid coming into his life to disrupt his routine--one that involves grief, isolation, and a whole lot of Jack Daniels.

Moving from one meaningless job to the next, JT Campbell is on a quest to escape his old life and figure out who he is and where he belongs.  He's not looking to save anyone, let alone a secretive, hotter-than-hell rancher who wears his heart on his sleeve.  JT likes working for Brett, but Brett's made it perfectly clear that any relationship between them other than a professional one will never see the light of day.
But when JT's lust turns to love, and he gives in to his desire to find out what makes Brett tick, will his interest push Brett away?  Or will he, through his patience and support, be the one who can finally unbreak Brett's heart?

New cover, LHNB story link & give-away!

My Love Has No Boundaries story, Las Palabras de Amor, has been posted in the GoodReads M/M Romance group. Here's the blurb:

"I want you to meet my son…Lucas."

Only eight little words—but with so much impact. Two years ago, Lucas joined the Peace Corps so he'd never have to hear those words. He left so Danilo would be free to start the next phase of his life, and so Lucas could find a fresh perspective on his own.
But now that he's back in town, ready to kick-start his new life, will those eight simple words send Lucas reeling back into the past or smiling hopefully into the future?
It's a free read and you can read it on the group itself or download it in various formats.Read online               Download              GoodReads
And I'm very happy to finally be able to share the cover for Ali's Intuition - the second book in my Family of Misfits. Release date is September 20 from MLR Press.

I'm hoping to have another post up tomorrow with the links for my book tour for Unbreak My Heart. I'll be making ten stops, plus one on here as well. A give-away is already going on at Stumbling Over Chaos. Go take a look. :)  Unbreak My Heart Give-away