Wednesday 30 April 2014

Escape with MJ Meadows

Click Picture to Buy this fabulous book.

My Guest Today is the Fabulous MJ Meadows:

 MJ and I met recently on Twitter. I've been checking out her work, and man does she write some delicious heroes. Steamy, Helpful, and Alpha Male, they will move you.

Today she talks about the second book in her ESCAPE series.

Escape


In the beginning, federal witness Michelle Murphy was hiding out from the Russian mob. Now she’s hiding out from her own government.

After Michelle’s cover is blown, the former accountant is forced to leave her island paradise in Greece and travel overnight to Italy. Her new love interest Jake Dasher—a rugged young billionaire whose charm is just as plentiful as his resources—spirits her away to a farmhouse in Tuscany, where rainy days provide the perfect excuse to stay tucked inside their peaceful love nest.

But Michelle’s handlers don’t allow her to stay off their radar for long. After one glorious day in Rome with Jake, Michelle consents to go back into protective custody. But to keep their star witness safe, the government also wants to keep her away from her new high-profile lover. Is Jake and Michelle’s romance just beginning, or will it end after only one week of passion?      

Author Interview
What is your latest book about?
Escape Part Two: Italy is the continuing saga of Michelle Murphy, a federal witness who finds herself spirited from one luscious Mediterranean location to the next while trying to evade the Russian mob. Having a young, handsome billionaire as her traveling companion makes life easier for Michelle, but unexpected obstacles put their love in peril more than once.
What is the inspiration behind your book?
I’m fascinated by karma and chance encounters. More than once, I’ve met someone and felt an instant spark that led to either a friendship or a romance. I also love traveling, and decided to set this story in some of my favorite European locations. I named this series Escape because I want the books to transport the reader to another place, another mindset, where every aspect is exotic and tempting—from the food to the settings to the men.
What do you want to resonate with readers when they read "The End"?
That love and passion are intertwined, and that both are worth fighting for.
Coffee or chocolate? You can only choose one!
What a tough choice, but it would have to be coffee! I adore dark chocolate, but my brain can’t function without my daily two cups.
What are your addictions or secret pleasures?
Krispy Kreme doughnuts, bourbon, sushi, and foreign travel.
Book that made you laugh hysterically, shed tears, or want to change the world?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossieni. And despite its criticisms, The Bridges Of Madison County had a huge, life-changing effect on me.
If you could write in any other genre, what would it be? Why?
Humor, because it feels so damn good to laugh.
What was the first romance novel you ever read?
I’m not sure of the title, but it was one of the time travel romances by Tess Mallory. I read most of hers, so I’m not sure which one I grabbed first. She also inspired me to write romances set in other countries with her books about Scotland. Gotta love those men in kilts.
What do you think is the most important element a book needs to be successful?
A good book should show and teach the reader something totally new while also appealing to them with something straight out of their own head or heart. If you can do both things at once, you’ve really accomplished something.
How can readers connect with you and learn more about your writing?
Goodreads: as MJ Meadows
Email: authormjmeadows@hotmail.com
Twitter:  MJ Meadows @MJMeadows2
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMJMeadows

This one is definately going into my to-be-read pile.
I hope it joins yours too, because we all need an escape now and then!

Hugs
Katie 

Monday 28 April 2014

Bizarre and Twisted Research: I've Mastered It!

 Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all..... About our writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

This week's thought provoking questions come from the fabulous Dani Jace.

What is the most unusual thing you’ve ever done in the name of research for a book? 

I signed up for an adult dating site. I wanted to interact with people looking for a "hook-up". When people contacted me, I varied between being up front (letting them know i was researching) and pretending to look for commitment free sex. I found that if I was upfront, I tended to get extremely outrageous answers. Those wanting to 'date' me were a little more tame. I expect that the truth fell somewhere between the two camps. What shocked me most was the number of men out there with foot fetishes.

Name a nonfiction book you’ve read for research that you wouldn’t have read otherwise. Not including writing craft books. 

When I was focusing on writing erotica, I decided I needed to read something different. I chose "Secrets of Porn Star Sex." Brutal, awful book. But i did get a few laughs. Frankly, it read more like a work of fiction than non-fiction.

 

 

 

If you could travel anywhere to do research for a book, including back in time, where would you go? 

I would love to visit the future, just to see if it was post-apocalyptic, post-zombie or normal. I am curious as to how much personal interaction there is, or if the current trend towards less contact and more technology continues. I would also like to see what types of faster-than-light travel have been invented. (Yes, I'm a Star Trek Geek.)



Barring that, I would love to spend some time in the old west. Mmm, cowboys. I don't think I would like to live and work as hard as people did back then, but the time period does fascinate me.








Or maybe just to Trafalgar Square ... any time period. Such an interesting, inspirational place.

Thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to visit J.J. Devine at  http://definingjjdevine.weebly.com/ramblings-of-a-writer.html    She has a totally different set of answers.

Hugs
Katie

Saturday 26 April 2014

JJ DEVINE Bares All

http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/the-cheyenne-bride/
Today we welcome my good friend and amazing author J.J. Devine. You really need to check out her work! She tells wickedly good stories that have a way of drawing you in and keeping you intrigued.



And Without Further Ado ... Blurb for Cheyenne Bride
Murder is afoot in the Wyoming territory, forcing Chris Davis to make a matrimonial match he never would have taken otherwise. Especially when his bride-to-be is still in love with the man he holds responsible for his parents’ death. Torn between his morals and loyalty to his family, Chris Davis’ heart betrays him at every turn. Nichole lied about her heritage. Could she also be lying about not being a part of his parents’ death? He should just leave her to his enemy and be done with her, or kill them both. If only it were that simple.

Nichole Michaels, known to the Cheyenne as White Deer, grew up hearing her mother spin tales of the visions of the man she would one day marry. Believing them to be nothing more than myth, imagine her surprise when she finds herself standing face to face with a vision come to life. She is torn between the past and a man whose love is certain, and a man whose love promised to be the strongest tie she has ever known, yet may never be able to claim.  Chris needs her, but is that enough to make her deny her heritage for the rest of her life? Her heart aches to know the depth of the love claimed in her mother’s visions. Is she strong enough to withstand a rancher with a heart of stone to find it?

Excerpt From Cheyenne Bride
One Wolf paced the fence line like a caged animal. He should just bust down that door, rip White Deer from that man’s arms, and take her far away from here.
She should never have gone to the fort, never have found her way to the Bar D, to Chris Davis. Why had he been stupid?
The opening of the cabin door drew his attention. The cover of darkness hid him from view, but he could see her basking in the moonlight. Never had she looked more beautiful. Her dark hair flowed down her back. The doeskin dress molded to every perfect curve.
His body reacted, as it always had, growing hard and rigid. The taste of her lips filled his mouth, the innocent tenderness of her tongue against his own.
Damn, Chris Davis.
“What are you doing?” he demanded, drawing her attention.
“One Wolf, where have you been?” She glided down the steps coming toward him. His heart picked up its pace. Every part of his existence ached to claim his woman.
“You know where I have been, White Deer. Or have you forgotten the tribe you have wanted to belong to since you were a girl?” He spit the bitter words from his lips.
“I see you have now become this white man’s whore.” He nodded toward the cabin door. “I thought you had more pride.”
He grabbed her by the arms, pulling her inches from his face. “Is this what you want?”
“One Wolf, this life is my mother’s vision for me.”
“And your nish ki’s knowledge of your life had nothing to do with a white man.” He reminded her angrily.
“One Wolf, let her go.” Chris’s angry voice filled the night air.
“I asked you to do that once, Chris Davis. Did you not refuse?” His eyes never left hers as he roared his resentment.
“White Deer belongs to me now.” Chris’s tone was livid.
One Wolf threw his head back, a wicked laugh coming from somewhere deep inside him. “White Deer is it now? Only months ago, you could not accept the Cheyenne blood that runs through her veins. Are you telling me now you can accept that blood?”
One Wolf spun her around to face her lover, gripping her shoulders against his palms. “Look at her! Does she belong in your world? She dresses like us. She speaks our tongue. She is her mother’s daughter. She will please her husband as Cheyenne women please theirs. Is this what you want?”
Anguish strained Chris’s face as his eyes fixed on the image he was painting for him. With White Deer in his arms, shoving the truth back into this white man’s world, even Chris couldn’t deny where she truly belonged.
“One Wolf, let me go,” Nichole ordered, pulling hard, she gained her release.
“Chris and I are working to build a life together. You must learn to accept this.”
One Wolf laughed again. “Accept what I know is not right. He cannot even answer a simple question. Sure, he allows you to dress as one of us. He even calls you by your Cheyenne name. But can he truly say, in his heart, he accepts the Cheyenne blood in your veins?”
“How is he any different than you, who only wishes to see the Cheyenne half of my heritage?” One Wolf grabbed her up once again, pulling her roughly against his chest. Chris sprang into action. He ripped Nichole from his grasp, shoving him away from her.
“One Wolf, White Deer could be carrying my child, you’ll not touch her again.”
“A child she should be having of mine!” He shouted. The words penetrated his heart so deep, it felt like a hot knife twisting into his flesh.
“No, One Wolf, it was me her mother envisioned for her, not you.”
One Wolf laughed again. “You speak of visions as if you believe in them. Do you remember I have known you for many years?”
“She belongs to me, One Wolf.”
“Stop this,” Nichole ordered. “Do either of you care what I want? You both claim to love me, but do either of you care that this tears me apart inside? To see two men, who once claimed to be friends, go at each other like two dogs over a bone?”
“Chris, you must understand this is hard for both One Wolf and I. We’ve spent many years as friends, we’ve shared much of our life, and yes, at one time I fancied myself his wife.”
She turned to One Wolf. “But now, One Wolf, you must understand, with Chris is where I belong. I know this in my heart, as sure as I know you and I will always share our past. I have given myself to him as a woman gives herself to her husband.”
“There was a time when you were going to give to me this same honor, or have you forgotten?” The ground felt as if it were slipping from his feet. He had let this go too far. Now, it seemed, he had lost the only woman he would ever love.
“I haven’t forgotten,” she said softly. “But it wasn’t meant to be. Can’t you see this? We’re meant only to share our lives as friends, nothing more.”
Her words finished, shattering his heart. The pain in his chest was more unbearable than anything he’d ever felt before. He stared into those lovely dark eyes, and knew she believed what she said.
One Wolf turned on Chris.
“If you hurt her, I promise you, as I told you before, I will kill you,” he growled. “She deserves the acceptance she seeks. If you cannot give it to her, then I beg you now let her go with me. I can heal her heart.”
Something in the form of guilt flashed from Chris’s eyes, giving a short-lived hope to his heart. The moment Chris wrapped a protective arm about her shoulders, One Wolf knew he didn’t stand a chance against the one thing tying her to her mother. A vision.
His tone grew softer, as his eyes locked and held hers. “White Deer, I give you what you wish, in hopes one day you will come to me with the knowledge it is our hearts which belong together. It is something I have always known, and one day I know you will see it, too.”
He reached out, brushing the back of his hand against the soft skin of her cheek. His eyes drifted closed, as he took in the feel of her. “Nemohotatse, my little warrior.”
He left the couple standing in the darkness, his heart in turmoil. No matter what she told him, he would love her until his dying breath. For only when his heart stopped beating, would his love for her die.

INTERVIEW WITH J.J.


What is your latest release?
Right now I’m in edits for my up and coming release, Into the Darkness. It’s a vampire/witch romance that plunges my heroine, Raven, from her mortal world into the paranormal. Laying at her feet not only her fate, but the future of her hero’s vampire world and her other half, the realm of the witches.

Talk about rejection from traditional publishers and how it affects you.
This used to really deflate my ego. I would send in a manuscript I’d spent hours, weeks, months, years working on, sit on pins and needles forever waiting to hear something, anything, only to receive the proverbial form rejection letter if I heard anything at all. I would lick my wounds, pick myself up, dust myself off, and start the process all over again.
It was a few years into this when I realized maybe I needed to look at this as a learning process. Something wasn’t attracting my targeted publishers and editors, what was it? I began polishing not just my manuscript but the synopsis and query letter. Soon I was receiving requests for full manuscripts. I’d really thought I’d gotten somewhere…until the rejections started coming in again.
These rejections were different. They were in the form of actual letters explaining why they didn’t accept my works. At first their rejections took a chunk out of my hide, then I realized something. “They are giving me clues as to why my work isn’t ready for publication yet.” Light bulb going off.
I look at rejections now as a learning process to help me better my writing. Not just a publishing house telling me, ‘No!’ It has changed my way of thinking about rejections (which almost all of us receive those). I use them as a motivational tool to continue to work hard at getting my works published.

Many people don’t feel that Indie Authors are real authors. They believe that you have to be traditionally published to be considered a professional/valid writer. How do you feel about this?
I have heard from the moment I begun socializing with other authors, “Don’t self-publish!” as if this is a horrid thing to do. Now granted, I do believe there are ways of self-publishing that should be avoided, such as vanity press (not because the author’s works aren’t good enough, but because these companies take advantage of authors).
With that being said, I personally have not delved into this aspect of publishing, however, I do intend to try it.
I feel we should do our research with this angle of the publishing world, just as we do our research for our writings. We need to be well informed before embarking on self-publishing, because it is our writing reputation and our name we’re selling to readers.
I’ve read some amazing books put out by Indie authors. I’ve also read some I wished the author would have considered another round of editing and a good final read through. I feel this market has great potential to really give authors more control over their careers we just have to strive to give quality reads to our readers.

What genres do you write in? Do you have pseudonyms for them? If so why?
I write historical and paranormal romances. The Cheyenne Bride (recent finalist in the historical category of the 2014 Red Carpet Awards) is book one in my Acceptance Series. Based in the Wyoming Territory they take you on a journey through the eyes of the Davis family. They allow readers to experience their trials and tribulations as they make a life, on a ranch in the Laramie Mountains. 
Into the Darkness is the first in my Darkness series. These put my readers in the realm of vampires and witches. They also let readers experience the steamier side of J.J. Devine.
Yes, I use a pseudonym, J.J. Devine. I have many names throughout my daily life, author, wife, mom, grandma, you get the picture. Having a pseudonym helps me to keep this part of my life separate from those other responsibilities I have on a daily basis.
When I put on my J.J. Devine hat, I’m all about writing and writing business. So I guess you could say, it helps me keep things straight.

Do you have strong convictions on anything? Do you back them up with actions?
Yes, I do. Coming from an abusive childhood home I am firmly against abuse on all levels. I have spoken to Criminal Justices classes, foster parents, and also done interviews on the topic of abuse. I donate 10% of all my sales to Hands of Hope an organization that assists and helps mothers and children of abuse.
In a good many of my stories you will also find the occasional abused heroine, however, the story is not as much based on their abuse as their rise above it. 

Do you believe in love at first sight or do you think it takes time?
I do believe in love at first sight. My husband and I met on July 2, 1985 and we were married on August 31, 1985. Yeah, less than two months. It has been 29 years this August and we’re still together, still that couple people roll their eyes at because of how we click with one another even today.
A good deal of the time I write my hero and heroines much in the same manner, with the ‘love at first sight’ concept. Now, mind you, it may be love at first sight, but relationships take time to build and no one knows that better than my heroes and heroines.

Do you believe is soul-mates? Is there someone out there for everyone?
Oh most definitely! I watched my grandparents and their relationships and there has never been a doubt in my mind, soul-mates not only exist but I’ve witnessed their unions first hand. Now this doesn’t mean soul-mates don’t have rocky patches sometimes. They may be soul-mates but they’re still human.
In a good many of my writings I use the soul-mate theme. I like to portray that connection of soul-mates, in fact, one manuscript I’m working on, Soul Mates, is a more extensive viewpoint on this idea, actually having my hero and heroine remember times from other lifetimes where they were once lovers. It intermingles the concepts of soul-mates and reincarnation (which is a whole different topic, LOL). 

Get your own J.J. Devine Books:

About J.J. Devine


J.J. Devine grew up loving the written word.  She spent her days daydreaming and imagining what life would be like if she lived between the pages of the books she read.  Today, she still spends her days dreaming. Only now she pens them into the romance novels she enjoys writing to share with her readers.  On her down time, she enjoys spending time with her hubby, children, grandchildren, and pets. As well as helping to bring public awareness on the subject of domestic violence.

Author Links: (Click below to be redirected)






Thanks to J.J. for and all our visitors for stopping by.
Hugs
Katie