K.M. Jackson's Blog, page 40

Stepping Away…

Letting go is not easy, but this weekend I had to do it again. With a heavy, fast beating heart and a churning, hot burning stomach, I bit my lip, said my silent prayer (wishing I could get a receipt at the end) and added my goodbye peering through eyes that had seen little sleep the night before. This letting go thing, no, it doesn’t get easier for me and I doubt it ever will. But still, I do my duty, open my arms and step away. Next week I will do it all over again.

This is the joy of having twins.

Happy Monday!

Best,

Kwana

 

Oh and it’s not all melancholy over here. Through The Lens is out and 1 week. Did you hear that 1 week from today!!! Have you likes my FB author page yet? Becuase now would be agreat time to do that. Wheee!!!

Happy Dancing over my happy news!

So I’m doing the Happy Dance today!

Why you ask? Come on just go along with me and ask… thanks. Well… I’m happy to announce that I just signed a new two book contract with Crimson Romance my publisher for Through The Lens (out September 3rd and available for pre-order now).

Yippee and throws confetti! The next two books will be loose follow ups to Through The Lens in what I’m now calling my Creative Hearts series. These will be all connected books that I’m happy to say can also stand alone since they will be the new love stories of characters that have turned up in the previous books. What fun! So something to look forward to (at least I’m hoping).

I’m so happy to announce this to you, all my bloggy friends. I feel like I’m really, finally on the move now and so glad to be on this journey (did I really just use that word from The Bachelor? Yikes.) with Crimson.

You can pre-order Through The Lens here and don’t forget it will be on sale in ebook form everywhere September 3rd. Look for lots of fun in store on ye old blog next week.

Thanks so much!

 

Best,

Kwana

Love Between The Covers

I’m loving the idea of this documentary: Love Between The Covers and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Being a romance lover and novelist I’m all for women supporting women and there are now 4 days left if you’d like to get on board and support this Kickstarter project too. You can check out the details here.

Best,

Kwana

Nope you can’t plan it… Interview with author Synithia Williams

Don’t you just love finding new friends? I sure do and today I’m please to introduce you to a new writer friend and fellow Crimson author, Synithia William’s whose book YOU CAN’T PLAN LOVE has just come out this week.

 

Welcome Synithia and congratulations!

Thanks so much for having me over, Kwana! I love how the internet let’s me “meet” so many new people.

Now, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the book and loved it but can you tell the blog readers about YOU CAN’T PLAN LOVE?

Sure here’s a synopsis.

After several bad relationships, Kenyatta Copeland decides to control her love life with the same discernment she uses in her professional life.

Knowing firsthand the heartbreak that comes when desire and emotion rule a relationship, Kenyatta assumes marrying Brad Johnson will lead to a stable life. But as much as she believes she can plan her future, it’s hard to ignore the way her boss, Malcolm Patterson, ignites her passions with just one look. After Malcolm learns of her engagement, he makes a play for her heart and reminds her that passion between a man and a woman has its perks … but also its costs. When Brad suspects there’s more than work between Kenyatta and Malcolm, he works harder to keep Kenyatta by his side. Torn between her promise to marry Brad and her irrepressible longing for Malcolm, Kenyatta must decide if she can live her life in a passionless marriage of convenience or once again trust her heart. Yet Brad isn’t as perfect as he seems, and by the time Kenyatta realizes this it may be too late.

What drew you to writing romance, have you always been a fan of the genre?

I am a sucker for romance (as most of us romance writers are). I started reading romances in middle school and haven’t stopped since. Life is full of unhappy endings and negative emotions; I don’t see anything wrong with losing yourself in a romance novel and forgetting the harshness of reality.

You’re hero has a wonderful environmental connection. Is this something that’s close to your heart?

It is! In 2010 I was dubbed a “Green Queen” by our area’s largest newspaper. I spend my days working on sustainability projects (air, water, green business, etc.) when I needed a career for my main characters, it was easy to put them in the field of water quality. I felt most comfortable in my writing that way. I’ve noticed that in my other books, I throw in some type of “green” quality to the characters. I can’t help it, it’s ingrained in me.

Plus, Malcolm was a kind of fantasy for me. A tall, dark, handsome man who also loves the environment. Too often “greenies” are thought of as Birkenstock wearing, granola eating, tree huggers. I wanted to show that doesn’t have to be the case.

Now for one of my favorite questions: Please tell the story of your “overnight” writing success.

It feels like an overnight occurrence to me. I’ve written for years, off and on, without any real push to try hard. It was always a pipe dream to become a published writer. Then in 2010, a colleague packed up her stuff and moved her three kids and husband to Ohio so she could attend law school. It was a wakeup call. If she could go after her dream, then so could I.  If I wanted to be a writer I would have to actively pursue it. So that’s what I did. I finished my book in 2010, revised numerous times in 2011, got so many critiques that I can’t begin to thank everyone (but I can do a quick shout out to Ester, TJ and Danita), took webinars, read everything I could, noticed the trend in e-books and started querying e-publishers in 2012. I am so blessed that my turnaround was quick, because I know other writers are at this for years.

That is wonderful! Finally, please tell us what’s next for you?

I’ve finished my second novel about Malcolm’s brother and am awaiting feedback from beta readers. In the meantime, I’m writing my third novel about Malcolm’s best friend. Ideas keep popping up, so I have about three first chapters written to other novels I hope—no will—complete one day.

Thanks so much for being here today. It was a pleasure and I wish you much success with YOU CAN’T PLAN LOVE.

Thanks so much for having me, Kwana! Good luck to you, too. In case your readers don’t know, your hero (Alejandro) is hot!

Aww now I’m blushing. Thanks so much.

YOU CAN’T PLAN LOVE can be found here at: http://tiny.cc/x9k9hw or www.crimsonromance.com

And SYNTHIA can be reached at her website here: www.synithiawilliams.com

And on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/synithiarwilliams

And on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/@synithiaw

 

All the best,

Kwana

 

Eating down the line aka what I did on my Summer vacation…

Happy Monday!

Here I am back at my old laptop after a week away on the road with the family and finding it oh so hard to get back into the swing of work again. The DH, DD, DS and I were off to Savannah to visit with the DH’s kin and I have to say I think I ate my way down I-95 and back up again. Of sweet tea how I love thee! Now get back!

You can see the evidence of my gluttony which felt at times more on the edge of debauchery here:

So now I’m feeling like some serious Fall get in line action needs to be taken but then again… the summer’s not over yet. Check back with me on that action after Labor Day. Have a good one.

 

Best,

Kwana

Zoltar says…

That he’s seeing all your dreams coming true, all it takes is you seeing it too.

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Best,

Kwana

And we’re off!

Well, it’s for real now.

Through The Lens, my September Crimson release is up for pre-order at Amazon and can I just say… Oh Wow! You can check it out here.  Feel free to click away and be one of the first to get it while it’s hot, hot, hot and ‘like’ to tell all your friends that you did. Please don’t be shy.

Once again here is that link.

Now excuse me while I faint. Send someone on around in ten minutes to come and pick me up off the floor. Thanks!

 

Best,

Kwana

Shine on Through!

Happy Saturday!

Keep on Smiling. You never know who’s clicking.

 

 

Best,

Kwana

 

image fm here by Bert Stern

 

 

Coming Through!

Can I get a woo and hoo! Check out my be-u-te-ful cover for my September 3rd contemporary romance Through The Lens out from Crimson Romance. Isn’t it lovely? Gulp. This is feeling very real now.

Here is a little bit about Through the Lens:

Mika Walters is a normal woman working in the not so normal world of New York Fashion. As long time assistant to uber sexy photographer Alejandro Vargas she’s tired of being the girl in the background. Just once she wants Alejandro to look at her with the same smoldering look he gives to his willowy models and now she has her chance.

Stranded.

After a travel mishap where the rest of the crew and the models can’t make the remote location shoot for another three days Mika is taking her moment to catch Alejandro’s eye and put herself in front of Alejandro’s camera and if all goes to plan, his bed… at least until the real world catches up with them.

Alejandro doesn’t know what’s gotten into Mika maybe it’s the sand, maybe it’s the sun, but he doesn’t really care. All he knows is that he’s finally opened his eyes and is seeing her clearly for the first time as the smart, gorgeous and incredibly irresistible woman she is.

But why can’t she realize that what he’s feeling for her is not one of his usual one, well, three night stands. This is real. Real love, real passion. What’s it going to take for him to prove to Mika that she’s the woman he wants? Now and forever.

 

There you have it. Coming to a reading device near you September 3rd. Download it while it’s hot!

 

Best,

Kwana

 

Feeling Guilty?

So thanks to a post over at Dear Author my curiosity was riled up and I couldn’t stop myself from watching the POV  documentary: Guilty Pleasures. I have to say though it does have its uplifting moments I think it gives a bleak view of some of the romance readers out there. I did not see any of the vibrant women of the romance world that I know there but still, it’s interesting and worth a watch and available online until Aug 12th. I say check it out and please report back if you do. I myself am not feeling guilty at all.

 

 

Best,

Kwana