M.J. Kane's Blog, page 11
October 25, 2015
#8Sunday Share! Nobody’s Business…Civil Conversation
Welcome back!
Last week, Trevon took advantage of his run in with Kai to clear the air between them. Their one-night stand with a stranger has turned out to be way more than either of them imagined. Now that the lie she thought he’d told has been clarified, the two of them can have a civil conversation. When she asks him if he has plans to get back together with Trina, the mother of his child, he tells her that it’s where he’s at in his life right now. His one focus is providing his son with everything he needs…including both of his parents, together. Kai respects his comment and gives him some great advice:
Snippet:
“We’re only on this merry-go-round once. Make it count.”
She stared into her drink, toying with the pink umbrella. She seemed sad. Then I remembered the brief encounter in the kitchen with Malik.
The arrogant son of a bitch.
He’d strolled into the kitchen and treated her as if she were nothing. As if they hadn’t had a relationship. To make matters worse, he decided commenting about Trina in her face would be the cherry on top. Why the hell she’d been with him in the first place was something I’d never understand.
####
There’s only one more #8Sunday left to share! Stay tuned!!!
Read about their first encounter in this FREE READ, Crossroads, the novella leading up to Nobody’s Business!)
About the novel….
Trevon Campbell’s world changed the moment his ex-girlfriend announced he was a father. Determined to make up for his past mistakes, he gives Trina what she wanted before their breakup, what feels like his soul, which means forgetting the woman he had a one-night stand with, the woman who stole his heart.
Kai Malone doesn’t want to play by her family’s rules. Instead of working for the family business, she became a firefighter. Being a female of multicultural descent, working in a field dominated by men, Kai focuses on her job to ignore the infidelity of her fiancé. Tired of his deceit, she gave in to a one-night stand with a complete stranger, someone she’d never have to see again…or so she thought.
When tragedy strikes, their worlds collide, leaving them no choice but to deal with each other again. It doesn’t take long for them to realize the attraction that brought them together the first time is stronger than ever, forcing Trevon to make the biggest decision of his life.
Buy It Now!
****For more #8Sunday shares, follow this link !****
####
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October 21, 2015
New Release Guest Feature: Chicki Brown…I’m Losing You (Book 4 of the Stafford Brothers Series)
Vic and Ramona Stafford have been together for fifteen years and married for twelve. To the outside world they have everything most people dream of – an attractive spouse, a beautiful home, two smart, good looking sons, and a half-million dollar annual income. But no one knows what’s really going on between them. Do they have what it takes to keep professional pressure, loneliness and outside temptations from destroying their seemingly perfect marriage?
Excerpt:
Just then one of the photographers Mona had hired to record the event stopped them and began snapping a succession of shots. Since the two of them were used to posing for the camera, they immediately assumed the position to make sure they wouldn’t come out looking crazy. Rayvon slipped his arm around her waist and flashed his dazzling grin. A minute later, another photographer Mona didn’t recognize positioned himself in front of them and did the same. Once the picture-taking was done, Rayvon signaled a roving waiter and took two glasses of champagne from his tray.
“Is your husband here tonight?” he asked nonchalantly as they sat at an unoccupied table.
“No. He’s out of town attending a conference.”
“Does he usually let you come to these things alone?” Rayvon asked with curious squint.
“He’s extremely busy,” Mona said as casually as she could manage.
He smiled. “He must be to leave a fine woman like you all by herself. Does he travel a lot?”
Goose bumps popped up on her arms at the way his gaze ran over her body. “Too much for my taste,” Mona replied, realizing she sounded snippier than she’d intended. “He’s the chief of surgery of the largest hospital in Atlanta. It comes with the job.”
“You don’t sound too pleased, though.” It was obvious he was fishing for information, but she didn’t take it as being nosy. As a matter of fact, she kind of liked the expedition.
“I’m not, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Rayvon angled his body closer and zeroed his rich umber gaze on her face. “If I had a woman like you, I’d never leave her all by herself.” His voice, deep and sensual, sent a ripple of awareness through her.
“And how would you imagine doing that?”
“I’d make sure she was so content, she wouldn’t want to go anywhere without me.” Mona shivered when he ran the back of his index finger over her cheek, down her neck to her bare shoulder. It seemed like ages since Vic had touched her like that. She took a deep breath in an effort to slow the pounding of her heart against her rib cage.
Well, he’d left no doubt in her mind about his intentions, but she wasn’t sure how to respond. It had been more than fifteen years since she’d had any romantic or sexual contact with a man other than Vic. She didn’t want to give Rayvon the wrong idea, but she felt as though she was floating on a cloud from the attention and compliments he lavished on her.
“Let’s dance,” he suggested, pulling her up by the hand after they’d sat silently for a little while watching the action on the dance floor.
Visions of the last time she’d danced before a crowd instantly rushed to her mind. The July Fourth barbeque was the last time she tried to get Vic’s attention, and she had gone about it the wrong way. All she wanted was to tempt her husband into joining her, only it backfired on her. Instead, Vic watched her from the sidelines until he exploded from embarrassment over the sexy twerk she’d done with his baby brother. He’d bellowed at her and stormed out of the yard. Her mother-in-law had quickly intervened and taken her inside for a probing heart-to-heart chat. This time she kept it as sedate as possible yet allowed Rayvon to see that she could move.
The photographers appeared to be intent on documenting Rayvon’s every move. Mona assumed their interest was because he was the new face of the Hawks. And a beautiful face it was. She watched him work his impressive body to the music then shook the thought out of her head when the song ended. She had no business entertaining sensual thoughts about this young man.
“I think I should get back to my duties. I am the hostess, you know.” She stood and smoothed the skirt of her gown with moist palms.
“I understand. I’ll let you get back to your responsibilities.”
When she turned to head toward the podium, he took her hand. “I’ll be calling you this week.”
####
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October 18, 2015
#8Sunday Share! Nobody’s Business…Clean Air
Welcome back!
Last week found Trevon and Kai together again, but this time there is no one around to interrupt. Trevon has finally had a chance to explain himself. The little boy she saw him with at the party was his son, and the woman was the mother of his child. He’s not married, engaged, or even in a relationship with her, only focused on getting to know his little boy and being a dad. He admits his desire to reestablish a serious relationship with Trina again, but he has to admit crossing paths with Kai is tempting…
Snippet:
I forced myself not to stare and realized that I was sitting next to the woman I dreamt about last night. A woman who was unattainable because neither one of us were in the same place we were when we met. Yet for me, our encounter meant something.
Apparently that night meant nothing to her.
I forced myself to focus on that fact and let it be. I had a plan that dealt with providing the right kind of environment for my son to grow up in. Convincing Trina to give me a second chance was more important than the surge of hormones I felt from being in the presence of Kai. My goal in coming over to the bar was to break the tension between us. Our initial run-in at Andre’s house months ago didn’t give either of us much time to explain ourselves.
Now that we had cleared the air, maybe we could be friends, or at the very least, be in the same room without being pissed.
####
Read about their first encounter in this FREE READ, Crossroads, the novella leading up to Nobody’s Business!)
About the novel….
Trevon Campbell’s world changed the moment his ex-girlfriend announced he was a father. Determined to make up for his past mistakes, he gives Trina what she wanted before their breakup, what feels like his soul, which means forgetting the woman he had a one-night stand with, the woman who stole his heart.
Kai Malone doesn’t want to play by her family’s rules. Instead of working for the family business, she became a firefighter. Being a female of multicultural descent, working in a field dominated by men, Kai focuses on her job to ignore the infidelity of her fiancé. Tired of his deceit, she gave in to a one-night stand with a complete stranger, someone she’d never have to see again…or so she thought.
When tragedy strikes, their worlds collide, leaving them no choice but to deal with each other again. It doesn’t take long for them to realize the attraction that brought them together the first time is stronger than ever, forcing Trevon to make the biggest decision of his life.
Buy It Now!
****For more #8Sunday shares, follow this link !****
####
Thank you for stopping by! I love to make new friends. Got questions or comments? Leave a comment, or connect with me online! If you’ve enjoyed this post, sign up for the monthly newsletter and follow this blog!
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October 14, 2015
Epic Book Cover Fail…The Do’s and Dont’s of Designing Your Next Book Cover
If there’s one thing I love about my job, it’s being around books. As a librarian, I see tons of books everyday. Books by my favorite authors, books by authors I’ve never heard of. Every genre, kids, adults, teens, fiction and non-fiction. As an author, one of my favorite things to do is to study book covers and see if the cover matches the books description. Most times they do…
Sometimes they are an epic fail…
Such as this lovely gem…
Partial Cover Reveal:
Now, if you saw just this picture alone, what genre would you think this book represents? As a Romance and Women’s Fiction author, if I saw just this portion of the book cover, I’d think ROMANCE. My mind takes me to a tale of a night spent in bed with this cutie and being the one who woke up first, snapping pictures with my phones camera.
Was that your first impression?
Now, let me show you the ENTIRE cover….
Full Cover Reveal:
Surprised? Yep, this is a children’s book, an Early Reader to be exact. The purpose of this book is to help new readers learn to read words that feature the letter U. At this point, my first thought is that ‘Uncle Russ’ is supposed to be mommies new ‘friend’ as she helps her young child navigate reading words that start with the letter ‘U’.
And it gets better my friends, here are a few more pictures from inside the book:
Book picture
Full book insert
Book picture
Full book insert
There are so many things I’d like to say about my personal thoughts on how much the publisher screwed up with this picture choice for a children’s book, but I’ll hold them back. (Though I had my fellow librarians cracking up!) I’ll chalk this one up to being a Romance author who’s mind is probably in the gutter to some degree because of working on a love scene in my current WIP.
Instead, I’ll share this advice:
Authors, if you have the opportunity to have a say-so in what images will be found on the cover of your books, take into consideration exactly what will be on that cover. You have to put work into what message will be conveyed to potential readers.
Here are a few of my DO’s and DON’T’s when designing your next cover.
What genre will this book be listed in?
DO: Every genre has specific types of covers. Romance typically has images of couples in a loving embrace, while Erotic covers revele a lot of skin and sexually explicit poses. Women’s Fiction has thought provoking images that key in to the books themes. Thriller or Mystery often feature blood or broken images. Science Fiction has what else, images of planets or fantasy locations, creatures, etc.
DON’T: Do not take images of a bloody murder scene and use it on a Romance novel. Don’t use a vase of roses sitting on a table to depit the character in an Erotic Romance…that would give the impression of a Women’s Fiction novel and not an erotic tale of seduction.
What message about the characters/plot/setting do I want readers to key into?
DO: Select a key scene that will best represent your character(s) and try and recreate it. Readers enjoy looking at covers and being able to have a visual representation of what happened on the cover.
DON’T: Depict a random scene that has nothing to do with the character(s) or stories. Readers will pick up on this and it will make them think twice about reading more of your work.
Does this image accuretly represent my character(s)?
DO: If your character is depicted on your cover, make sure you provide an accurate description to your cover designer so that they can be sure to truely represent the them.
DON’T: Purchase images of people for your cover that look nothing like the physical description given in the story. This will turn readers off. No one wants to read about a heroine that is full-figured with big breasts and dark skin, only to look back at the cover and see a light skinned woman wearing a size 2. Epic. Cover. Fail.
About My Book Covers:
I write Women’s Fiction and my covers are symbolic, using images and color to represent the characters and their stories. The colors and the mood they represent set the tone of the story. The butterfly represents the female characters and the evelution that they experience during the course of the story. The images (guitar, laptop, truck, white picket fience) represent the male characters, their jobs/dreams. All of these things come together during the course of the story. To learn about my series, The Butterfly Memoris, follow this link!
Good luck selecting your next cover, and when in doubt, ask your beta readers who know your story for their advice. You’ll be glad you did!
Until next time…happy reading and writing!
####
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October 11, 2015
#8Sunday Share! Nobody’s Business…The Truth
Welcome back!
Trevon is minding his business, working as a secret shopper to scope out the customer service of an Applebee’s restaurant. His mind is on his job, that is until Kai Malone enters the building. The look on her face when she saw Trina and his son enter the kitchen bothered him. He tried to explain away what she saw, but they were interrupted when her ex-fiance, Malik, entered the room. Knowing Kai is still thinking she’s been lied to bothers him. Determined to tell her the truth, he joins her at the bar, and of course, she’s not excited to see him again, but she has no choice but to listen.
Snippet:
“Trina is not my wife; she’s the mother of my son.” I raised a finger to stop her as she opened her mouth to speak. “I didn’t know about him until after you and I…met. So no, I didn’t lie.”
She sat back and huffed. “You didn’t know you had a son? What kind of father are you?”
“The kind who’s living up to his responsibility now that I do know.” Disbelief was in her eyes. “Look, Trina didn’t tell me she was pregnant when we she left me, okay?”
####
Read about their first encounter in this FREE READ, Crossroads, the novella leading up to Nobody’s Business!)
About the novel….
Trevon Campbell’s world changed the moment his ex-girlfriend announced he was a father. Determined to make up for his past mistakes, he gives Trina what she wanted before their breakup, what feels like his soul, which means forgetting the woman he had a one-night stand with, the woman who stole his heart.
Kai Malone doesn’t want to play by her family’s rules. Instead of working for the family business, she became a firefighter. Being a female of multicultural descent, working in a field dominated by men, Kai focuses on her job to ignore the infidelity of her fiancé. Tired of his deceit, she gave in to a one-night stand with a complete stranger, someone she’d never have to see again…or so she thought.
When tragedy strikes, their worlds collide, leaving them no choice but to deal with each other again. It doesn’t take long for them to realize the attraction that brought them together the first time is stronger than ever, forcing Trevon to make the biggest decision of his life.
Buy It Now!
****For more #8Sunday shares, follow this link !****
####
Thank you for stopping by! I love to make new friends. Got questions or comments? Leave a comment, or connect with me online! If you’ve enjoyed this post, sign up for the monthly newsletter and follow this blog!
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October 4, 2015
#8Sunday Share! Nobody’s Business…The Restaurant
Welcome back!
Now we’re on to the final chapter of snippets…Chapter 3! But first, lets review what happened in Chapter 2, Kai’s POV…
Last week ended with Kai being caught in the kitchen between the two men in her life…her ex-fiance, Malik, and the man she had a one-night stand with, Trevon. When they slept together, neither Kai nor Trevon realized their friends and family circles intersected. While he wasn’t friends with Malik, he did know him. Discovering Trevon could have been lying about having a wife and son, and of course, Malik’s crass comment about their once upon a time sexual relationship, left her ready to escape the party.
Chapter 3 brings us back to Trevon’s POV. The party is over and it’s back to business. Trevon is an Assistant Manager of an Applebee’s on the north side of Atlanta. He’s been sent undercover by the regional manager to give a review of service for a location that hasn’t been receiving the best reviews. He’s jotting down notes about the location and it’s employees when a flash of color catches his eye. He looks up and what do you know…Kai has entered the restaurant.
Snippet:
I watched as she looked around the place while being escorted to the bar by the hostess. She was alone.
Talk about déjà vu. I watched as she slid onto a bar stool. Unlike the last time we’d met, she wasn’t dressed up as if going on a date, but she still looked good. I wondered why she was here. Was she waiting for someone? Maybe that was the reason why she’d come dressed to attract the opposite sex at a one-year-old’s birthday party. She had other plans.
Plans that were none of my business.
####
Read about their first encounter in this FREE READ, Crossroads, the novella leading up to Nobody’s Business!)
About the novel….
Trevon Campbell’s world changed the moment his ex-girlfriend announced he was a father. Determined to make up for his past mistakes, he gives Trina what she wanted before their breakup, what feels like his soul, which means forgetting the woman he had a one-night stand with, the woman who stole his heart.
Kai Malone doesn’t want to play by her family’s rules. Instead of working for the family business, she became a firefighter. Being a female of multicultural descent, working in a field dominated by men, Kai focuses on her job to ignore the infidelity of her fiancé. Tired of his deceit, she gave in to a one-night stand with a complete stranger, someone she’d never have to see again…or so she thought.
When tragedy strikes, their worlds collide, leaving them no choice but to deal with each other again. It doesn’t take long for them to realize the attraction that brought them together the first time is stronger than ever, forcing Trevon to make the biggest decision of his life.
Buy It Now!
****For more #8Sunday shares, follow this link !****
####
Thank you for stopping by! I love to make new friends. Got questions or comments? Leave a comment, or connect with me online! If you’ve enjoyed this post, sign up for the monthly newsletter and follow this blog!
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October 1, 2015
The Real with Rachel D! Guest Feature!
September 25th was a fun day!
I had the opportunity to visit with the fabulous ladies of The Real with Rachel D for the second time! I love this show! I had the opportunity to be interviewed about my books, The Butterfly Memoirs, as well as share my opinions on trending topics. Listening to Rachel D talk about the latest trending topics in the world of entertainment, what’s going on in our hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. BJ’s thoughts about it all, and her voice impersonations, have me laughing my butt off! The Real with Rachel D can be found every Friday on Love 860 AM at 6 pm, then again on Saturdays on WWWE 1100 AM at 7 pm (both stations can be streamed online). Be sure to check out her YouTube channel to see the in-studio recordings like this one! Find the links below to Like, Follow, and Subscribe to The Real with Rachel D! Show my sisters some love!
The Real with Rachel D!
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September 27, 2015
#8Sunday Share! Nobody’s Business…Confrontation
Welcome back!
Last week was a shocker for Kai. The woman who entered the room appears to be Trevon’s wife and is carrying a little boy who is obviously his son. Kai is unable to get past the fact that Trevon lied to her about having a family. But, the minute the two of them are alone, Trevon tries to clear the air between them and let her know things aren’t as they seem. Before he can make his case, Kai’s ex-fiance, Malik, enters the room. He makes comments about her appearence before realizing they are not the only ones in the kitchen. Trevon isn’t happy about the interruption…not that Malik can tell; his mind is on other things.
Snippet:
“That’s a cute kid you got there. I’m surprised you kept him a secret. And his momma…”, Malik whistled. “She’s a ten, no doubt.”
Trevon’s jaw clinched. “Malik…”
His hands went up. “No offense, bruh, but as fine as she is, I don’t want to go anywhere you’ve been, dog.”
I shut my eyes and turned away. Even though he knew nothing about my night with Trevon, why did his comment make me feel like crap?
####
Read about their first encounter in this FREE READ, Crossroads, the novella leading up to Nobody’s Business!)
About the novel….
Trevon Campbell’s world changed the moment his ex-girlfriend announced he was a father. Determined to make up for his past mistakes, he gives Trina what she wanted before their breakup, what feels like his soul, which means forgetting the woman he had a one-night stand with, the woman who stole his heart.
Kai Malone doesn’t want to play by her family’s rules. Instead of working for the family business, she became a firefighter. Being a female of multicultural descent, working in a field dominated by men, Kai focuses on her job to ignore the infidelity of her fiancé. Tired of his deceit, she gave in to a one-night stand with a complete stranger, someone she’d never have to see again…or so she thought.
When tragedy strikes, their worlds collide, leaving them no choice but to deal with each other again. It doesn’t take long for them to realize the attraction that brought them together the first time is stronger than ever, forcing Trevon to make the biggest decision of his life.
Buy It Now!
****For more #8Sunday shares, follow this link !****
####
Thank you for stopping by! I love to make new friends. Got questions or comments? Leave a comment, or connect with me online! If you’ve enjoyed this post, sign up for the monthly newsletter and follow this blog!
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September 20, 2015
#8Sunday Share! Nobody’s Business…Surprise?
Welcome back!
Last week, Kai ran into Trevon, the one man who made her re-think past relationships. She learned a lot about him during that encounter, including the fact that he was a free agent with no attachments. Seeing him at her god-nephews birthday party wasn’t a surprise, but what happens next throws her for a loop.
Snippet:
“Let me guess, Junior did that.”
Laughter left his face, his attention going back to the door leading to the festivities. “No, it was my─”
“Tre?” A new voice entered the kitchen, and with it, a woman wearing a bathing suit and shorts. She carried an adorable little boy on her hip. She wiped water from his face. “Where is your daddy?”
It was a struggle to close my mouth.
The little boy was a spitting image of his father.
####
Read about their first encounter in this FREE READ, Crossroads, the novella leading up to Nobody’s Business!)
About the novel….
Trevon Campbell’s world changed the moment his ex-girlfriend announced he was a father. Determined to make up for his past mistakes, he gives Trina what she wanted before their breakup, what feels like his soul, which means forgetting the woman he had a one-night stand with, the woman who stole his heart.
Kai Malone doesn’t want to play by her family’s rules. Instead of working for the family business, she became a firefighter. Being a female of multicultural descent, working in a field dominated by men, Kai focuses on her job to ignore the infidelity of her fiancé. Tired of his deceit, she gave in to a one-night stand with a complete stranger, someone she’d never have to see again…or so she thought.
When tragedy strikes, their worlds collide, leaving them no choice but to deal with each other again. It doesn’t take long for them to realize the attraction that brought them together the first time is stronger than ever, forcing Trevon to make the biggest decision of his life.
Buy It Now!
****For more #8Sunday shares, follow this link !****
####
Thank you for stopping by! I love to make new friends. Got questions or comments? Leave a comment, or connect with me online! If you’ve enjoyed this post, sign up for the monthly newsletter and follow this blog!
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September 13, 2015
#8Sunday Share! Nobody’s Business…Unexpected Reunion
Welcome back!
For Kai, running into her ex-fiance Malik was not a surprise; she’d been prepared. But…seeing the man she spent one night with affects her in more ways than she expected…
Snippet:
I knew that voice. Though it was only one night, the smooth and sexy cadence had been burned into my memory. My body tingled as I bit my lip and forced myself to look over my shoulder. Damn, he still looked good.
“Trevon?” Somehow, I managed to be the one to speak first. I cursed on the inside.
A pair of eyes so brown that they drew me in every time I saw him turned in my direction.
“Kai?” His gaze ran over me before meeting mine again.
####
Read about their first encounter in this FREE READ, Crossroads, the novella leading up to Nobody’s Business!)
About the novel….
Trevon Campbell’s world changed the moment his ex-girlfriend announced he was a father. Determined to make up for his past mistakes, he gives Trina what she wanted before their breakup, what feels like his soul, which means forgetting the woman he had a one-night stand with, the woman who stole his heart.
Kai Malone doesn’t want to play by her family’s rules. Instead of working for the family business, she became a firefighter. Being a female of multicultural descent, working in a field dominated by men, Kai focuses on her job to ignore the infidelity of her fiancé. Tired of his deceit, she gave in to a one-night stand with a complete stranger, someone she’d never have to see again…or so she thought.
When tragedy strikes, their worlds collide, leaving them no choice but to deal with each other again. It doesn’t take long for them to realize the attraction that brought them together the first time is stronger than ever, forcing Trevon to make the biggest decision of his life.
Buy It Now!
****For more #8Sunday shares, follow this link !****
####
Thank you for stopping by! I love to make new friends. Got questions or comments? Leave a comment, or connect with me online! If you’ve enjoyed this post, sign up for the monthly newsletter and follow this blog!
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