Interview with @KaylieNewell – Sizzlin PR blog tour
Welcome Kaylie! It is a pleasure to have you here. Can you tell us how you got started in this industry?
I started writing short stories in elementary school. I remember attempting to write my first novel with a lined notebook and purple sharpie. That lasted only a few pages before I had to abandon it for my homework. About three years ago I decided to try it again, and ended up with A Death That Lingers, my very first book which was released digitally in November of 2011 and will be available in paperback this July.
Do you have any recent or upcoming releases?
My second book, Falling In Danger, was just released on Monday! It's about a young journalist who stumbles onto an underground dog fighting organization inLos Angeles. Although the ring is eventually busted, she can't forget what she's seen. She's driven to do a story on the dogs that were left behind, and the sexy detective who ended up saving them. In the process, she discovers layers of her heart she never knew existed.
I'm proud to say that my amazing publisher, Beachwalk Press, has agreed to donate 40% of the proceeds from Falling In Danger to The Pixie Project animal rescue in Portland, Oregon. It's my hope that this gift will end up touching the lives of some very special animals in need of a forever home.
To learn more about The Pixie Project and the wonderful work they do, please visit their website at http://www.pixieproject.org
Who is your favorite character from any of your books? (Can you include an excerpt involving this character?)
I love Jessica Brady. She's the heroine from Falling In Danger. I think I love her so much because she's such a great mixture of neurotic, fearful, spunky and brave. She eventually learns to overcome her issues to be the woman she really wants to be. Go Jessica! 
Here's an excerpt:
Peeling off her clothes, she stepped into the warm torrents of water and tilted her head back until her hair was soaked. She closed her eyes and leaned against the tiled wall, forgetting for a moment where she was, and letting the shower lull her into a kind of stupor. Slowly, the tension in her exhausted muscles began to ease. The water ran from her shoulders, over her breasts, and down her belly in hot little streams, whose miniature currents twisted and turned from the texture of her skin.
She must have fallen asleep, at least for a minute, because when the door opened, she didn't hear it consciously.
"Hey."
She jumped and nearly hit her head on the showerhead. Fitz stood outside the frosted door, holding a towel and averting his gaze.
"Oh my God," she panted, trying to cover her chest and other unmentionables.
"I knocked. You didn't answer," he said matter-of-factly. "Here's your towel." Setting it down on the counter, he didn't make any move to leave. Instead, he stood there, head down, large shoulders hunched, his hand resting on the white terry cloth fabric.
She stayed absolutely still, the water pouring over her body and pooling at her feet before disappearing down the drain. Her heart quickened as she took him in. But not for all the logical reasons it should have. She should have been panicking. After all, she was completely naked. Completely exposed. And he was a deviant. A low life. He kept company with thugs. But it was as if something in her brain had clicked off. All she could wrap her thoughts around at that very moment was how he had looked standing over Albert. And how he'd felt when she'd curled in to him afterward.
"Do you think you can hold on for just a few more hours?" he said, his voice so low she could barely hear it. "I'm going to get you out of here. But you have to trust me."
She stared at the side of his face, unable to make out his exact expression, but sure it was serious. Hard.
Trust him. Two little words, but how complicated they were. How intricate.
She didn't know how, or why, or even when she'd started to change over the last twenty-four hours, but of one thing she was certain—she already did trust him. Completely. God help her.
She opened her mouth to answer, the water streaming down her face, her saturated hair just barely touching her shoulders.
He turned to her, his movements deliberate and measured. Her pulse thumped in her neck, her body heating in areas it shouldn't have. The tops of her breasts swelled over her arm which attempted to cover them, and she was aware of every single inch of exposed skin that he'd be able to see, even through the cloudy glass of the shower door. Still, she didn't move, the words that she wanted to say thick and catching in her throat.
Condensation dripped down the glass, creating jagged lines of clarity where there weren't any before. She could tell his eyes were moving over her. He didn't bother hiding it. They took her in, from her ankles, up the curve of her legs, over her hips, and toward her dripping chest. The knowledge sent a thrill through her. She was painfully self-conscious by nature; never in her life had she stood naked in front of a man. And certainly not one like this, a brooding, dangerous stranger. Yet she could feel the incredibly erotic, feminine power she had over him, simply by standing in one spot and staring right back. It was enough to make her body tremble in places she didn't even know she had.
Just when she couldn't stand the tension one second longer, just when she thought she might actually open the shower door and pull him in with her, he turned away.
"I'll take that as a yes," he said, and walked out the door.
And a great name, too. What is your favorite book that you've read?
Oh, gosh. I don't know if I can name just one. There are so many- Some of my favorites are The Help, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Pillars Of The Earth, Bag Of Bones, Superstition, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon…Whoa. I could go on all day!
Who is your favorite character from any of the books you've read?
I love Mike Noonan, the narrator from Bag Of Bones. He's got the tormented writer thing down pat. Very sexy.
Do you belong to a critique group or have critique partners? If so, what have you learned from them? How has it affected your writing?
I have two of the most wonderful critique partners ever! More than just critique partners, they've become friends. They've been there to comfort me on the bad days, and are there to celebrate on the great ones. They've helped me improve my writing and they've also helped me find my voice as a romance novelist. I think connecting with these ladies was one of the most important things I did for my career early on. And it's the biggest piece of advice I can offer a new writer. Find a core group of writer friends early on. You'll be very glad you did.
Oh, I can completely relate. I love my CPs just as much. Where can my readers find you?
I love to hear from readers! You can find me on my blog at http://www.kaylienewell.com, Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/kaylienewell or Twiter, @KaylieNewell
Where can my readers find your books?
A Death That Lingers and Falling In Danger can both be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Beachwalk Press.
Thanks, Kaylie! Here's the blurb for Falling In Danger:
A journalist stumbles onto the story of a lifetime. And finds herself falling in danger…
When young, naïve reporter Jessica Brady is kidnapped and held for ransom by the head of an illegal dog fighting organization, undercover police officer Ian Cole realizes he's got his hands full. He's on the verge of busting the ring when he's assigned to babysit her, which isn't an easy feat. She's neurotic, feisty, and also happens to be scared to death of dogs. Now he has to figure out a way to get them both out alive.
Jessica has no idea the thug she's becoming attracted to is actually a cop, but it's clear he's not like the rest of the men in the organization. Particularly Albert Mancini, the disturbed only son of the ring boss, who has an appetite for alcohol and women. Especially Jessica.
When Ian's cover is blown, he's forced to bust the ring early. Weeks later, Jessica can't stop thinking about the experience that has changed her forever. She wonders about the tall, sexy detective who saved her life. And the mobster's prize-winning pit bull, Bruta.
An idea for a story is born. What if these dogs were given a second chance at life?
As Jessica digs deeper into their troubled world, she ends up falling for the police officer who rescued them. And discovers layers of her heart she never knew existed.
But when Albert escapes from jail, her happiness turns to terror. He hasn't forgotten about the detective who put him behind bars. Or the beautiful young woman whose every move has become his obsession.
