SPOTLIGHT ON JENNA KERNAN ( Liberty States Fiction Writers, Create Something Magical Conference Author) & Giveaway

WELCOME TO BOOK OBSESSED CHICKS' SPOTLIGHT ON AUTHOR JENNA KERNAN. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO MEET JENNA AT THE LIBERTY STATES, CREATE SOMETHING MAGICAL CONFERENCE IN NEW JERSEY, A FEW YEARS AGO. THIS VERY TALENTED AND VERSATILE AUTHOR WRITES BOTH WESTERN HISTORICAL AND PARANORMAL SERIES AND SINGLE TITLES FOR HARLEQUIN. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE WELCOME JENNA KERNAN

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Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

I just had my 10th anniversary of receiving “The Call” and have authored over sixteen Western historical and paranormal romances published by Harlequin. I’ve been twice nominated for the RITA Award from Romance Writers of America.

In 2010, I won the Book Buyers Best Award for my debut paranormal in The Tracker Series.

When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I never really thought about being a writer or even that I wanted to write.  What I wanted to be was a story teller.  Writing is the best medium for me now but I began my story telling back when I was a counselor at summer camp.  Rainy days were always a horror.  Can you picture 80 kids trapped in a boat house or bath house.  You can only play Simon Says for so long.  So I started telling stories.  These were not my own creations, but versions of fairy tales from The Blue Fairy Book.  It was a powerful experience to captivate that many children with stories.  I was hooked.  I’ve been telling stories ever since.

Tell us about your upcoming work?

My next Harlequin Nocturne launches a new series.  The heroes of these stories are all Marines who are also werewolves.  In my world, vampires are the enemy, the most dangerous assassins, while my werewolves are their natural enemy.

My July release, THE VAMPIRE’S WOLF, is the first in this series.

My heroine is a fairy fleeing these vampires by seeking protection from a werewolf unaware that has sworn to hunt and kill her kind.

Brianna Vittori is the daughter of a Leana-Sidhe (deadly fairy) and is unaware that she has the abilities to drain the life-force of any human lover.  When vampires try to capture her, she runs to the only being she knows can protect her —a werewolf.

Travis MacConnelly, a Marine Captain and a werewolf, is a member of a secret force sworn to protect human world leaders from paranormal mercenary assassins.  When one runs into his arms and begs for his protection, he knows he should kill her.  Instead he kisses her.  If he’s immune to the powers of the female blood-suckers, then why is he thinking of saving her life?

He promises to keep her alive long enough for her to learn to use her gifts.  In the meantime, he’ll have to keep her from discovery by his commander, keep his comrades from killing her and defend her from her enemies.  Oh, and one more thing, he has to keep himself from falling in love with her.

For more about this release and for a short excerpt please visit me on my website www.jennakernan.com

Do you have any heroes?

My mother is my hero.  A single mom, she put two daughters through college on a teacher’s pay.  She also is a staunch supporter of my writing, though she prefers literary fiction to romance.  It makes me so happy to know she is proud of me.

My husband is my hero, too.  He does so many things to give me time to write and supports my efforts to attend conferences and reader events.  I feel I can’t fail with him in my corner.  I once watched him hand sell one of my romances to a stranger in a bookstore.  Isn’t that romantic?

Can you tell us your favorite character from your books so far and why?

I do fall in love with all my heroes.  But if you make me pick, I’d choose Thomas Nash, the hero of my first romance, and RITA nominee from WINTER WOMAN.  He’s a trapper and carrying quite a lot of baggage with his fur traps.  I’d also mention Sebastian, my first paranormal hero (DREAM STALKER) and a shape-shifting grizzly bear with Native American ancestry.  Finally, I’d mention Johnny Lam, the hero of an upcoming Nocturne.  He’s a werewolf who can’t change back to human form.  How can you not fall in love with a hero with that kind of challenge?

Was it difficult for you to get published?

Yes.  Like many writers, I had to learn the craft, market expectations, genre conventions, how to plot and what makes a character compelling.  And I am still learning those things.  It took me many complete manuscripts and a binder full of rejection letters (they used to come in the mail) before I received my first contract offer.

Who are your favorite authors/reads?

Lately, I love Ken Folliet, Kristen Higgins, Stephen King, JR Ward and Suzzanne Collins.  For non-fiction, Bill Bryson.  I’ll also read anything about the American West or Native Americans.  I specifically love the Plains Indians.  I also read period documents from the 1800s,  books, diaries, journals and magazines.  I even have a text book from the 1860s where some long ago student used a fountain pen to draw a mustache on George Washington.

Hobbies?

Fossil hunting, rock hounding and gold prospecting. I’ve been to Alaska looking for gold with the use of a metal detector.  I’ve dredged in rivers in the south for gold.  I’ve also looked for diamonds, topaz, garnets and other precious and semi-precious stones all over the US.  In addition, I’ve done some fossil hunting in the rivers in the Southeastern United States.  My most recent find was a five-inch long fossilized shark’s tooth.

I also love beachcombing, scuba diving and snorkeling.

Tell us a bit about your workshop(s) at the conference?

The workshop is titled STORIES THAT SELL and I’ll be giving it with my friend and fellow author Laura Bradford.

This is an interactive workshop that will explore the important components of every story, Enticing Hook, Compelling Characters, Gripping Internal Conflict, Riveting Plot, Satisfying Payoffs and Engaging Author Voice.

We will be using video clips from The Devil Wears Prada films to help illustrate different selling components of story.

Do you have any favorite TV shows?

 Dexter, True Blood, Project Runway, What Not To Wear, The Colbert Report

What’s next for you?

I’m currently doing my final edits for my July release, THE VAMPIRE’S WOLF from Harlequin Nocturne.  I’m also finishing up revisions on my Christmas novella, A FAMILY FOR THE RANCHER which will appear in the WILD WEST CHRISTMAS anthology from Harlequin.  Finally, I’m sending in a proposal this month for a new Western Historical.  Can you say multi-tasking?

12. What would you like readers to know about you?

I collect Native American art and artifacts.  Some are quite old and some modern.  These objects surround me as I write and make my office look like it belongs to a disorganized museum curator.  I have a small Inuit raven mask, a war shirt and drum on my walls, several Zuni fetishes on my desk and a tin of rattlesnake rattles and arrowheads in my desk drawer.  Doesn’t everyone?

If you would like to hear more about my adventures readers can follow me on Facebook or on Twitter @jennakernan.

GIVEAWAY ALERT

2 COPIES OF BEAUTY'S BEAST UP FOR GRABS

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SPOTLIGHT ON ELIZA KNIGHT ( Liberty States Fiction Writers, Create Something Magical Conference Author) & Giveaway

WELCOME ALL TO MY SPOTLIGHT ON AUTHOR,ELIZA KNIGHT. AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, ELIZA IS NEW TO ME. SHE WRITES MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE GENRE OF ROMANCE, HISTORICAL ROMANCE, SO I HAVE GRABBED ALL OF HER AMAZING LOOKING HOT HIGHLANDERS. NOW LET'S MEET ELIZA KNIGHT!

1. Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

I am obsessed with history. I love everything about it. Always have. As it also happens, I am obsessed with books. My dream is to build this two story library addition on my house—I would LIVE in there. Seriously. One of my favorite time periods is the Braveheart era of Scotland, which is when the majority of my books take place. I have three little princesses at home, a crazy Newfoundland puppy and my own man in a kilt.

2. When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I think it was something I was born with. I’ve always had an avid imagination, and I was writing stories as far back as 1^st grade. I had my first short story published in 3^rd grade. It wasn’t until I’d been introduced to historical romance though in high school, that I fell in love with the genre. My friend and I used to write stories back and forth.

3. Tell us about your upcoming work?

I’m finishing up the prequel to my Stolen Bride series—THE HIGHLANDER’S TEMPTATION—and I’m so excited about it! There are six books in the series, and you’re introduced to the hero and heroine of the prequel in the first chapter of the 1^st book—THE HIGHLANDER’S REWARD. I chose to write the prequel after hearing from readers how much they wanted to see Lorna and Jamie’s story. Here’s the cover blurb:

Desire tempted them, but love conquered all…

Laird Jamie Montgomery is a warrior with a mission. When he travels to the northern Highlands on the orders of William Wallace, temptation in the form of an alluring lass, could be his undoing.

Lady Lorna Sutherland can’t resist the charms of one irresistible Highlander. Though she’s been forbidden, she breaks every rule for the pleasure of his intoxicating embrace.

When their love is discovered, Jamie is tossed from Sutherland lands under threat of death. But danger can’t keep the two of them apart. No matter what perils may try to separate them—Lorna and Jamie swear they’ll find a way to be together.

4. Do you have any mentors? Heroes?

Julie Garwood was the first historical romance author I’d read (not including the classics, which I read all of and LOVE!) I had the pleasure of meeting her in person last year at the Romantic Times Conference in Kansas City. I was totally having a fan girl moment!

5. Can you tell us your favorite character from your books so far and why?

I really love all my characters, and I’m usually madly in love with the ones I’m writing at the current moment—so that would be Lorna and Jamie. But if I had to choose overall, I would be compelled to choose Magnus as my favorite hero and Heather as my favorite heroine.  Magnus because he is the ultimate alpha hero—fierce, loyal, powerful, sexy, and he wears a kilt. He’s got some baggage, lots of responsibilities to his clan, his siblings, but when he meets his heroine, he goes above and beyond to keep her safe. He loves her desperately and is willing to make sacrifices for her. He goes out of his way to make her happy. They open up to each other and share a level of intimacy both mentally and physically that makes me sigh with pleasure.

Heather is my favorite heroine because she is so much like me. Feisty, mouthy and yet still so full of heart. She loves going on adventures and proving herself every bit as talented as the next guy. I just loved writing her, and I couldn’t wait to see what would come out of her mouth next.

6. Was it difficult for you to get published?

My publishing journey has been a bit different than most. I started out in 2008 with a small epublisher after attempting to get an agent/editor’s notice. From there I published about a dozen novellas with small presses/some bigger presses, and had two great agents. But then I chose to take the self-publishing route, and that is where my career took off. When I took my future into my own hands, when I held all the power (muahahaha), I saw real growth. That doesn’t mean I eschew publishers, I still plan on submitting in the future so my books can come out in print. I really like being a hybrid. Means I have the best of all the worlds.

7. Who are your favorite authors/reads?

I pretty much love all the classics. For romance, I have a few staple authors—Julie Garwood, Jude Devereux, Nora Roberts. But I also love historical fiction and my fav authors are Ken Follett, Margaret George and Diana Gabaldon.

8. Hobbies?

Reading, cooking, watching movies, family game night, hiking, wine tasting, traveling, drinking coffee, shoe shopping…

9. Tell us a bit about your workshop(s) at the conference?

I’m doing a few things at the conference! The first is a panel on writing sensual tension (Seven Steps to Sensual Tension)—so important in romance! But it’s not all about sex (even though that’s fun!). We have to be able to write a scene that is filled with sensual tension, even if they never touch.

Secondly, Book Cover Bingo! So much fun!

And finally, I’m doing a reader panel called – Naughty Party Games for Wicked Readers. Get ready for some fun! We have a lot of naughty things planned *wiggles brows*

10. Do you have any favorite TV shows?

Oh, yes! Loved the Tudors, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead. Currently watching Grimm, Almost Human, Intelligence, Sean Saves the World, Blacklist, Pretty Little Liars.

11. What’s next for you?

I am going to be editing two of my historical fiction novels that take place in the Tudor era, and then I’ll be working on a new Scottish historical romance series!

12. What would you like readers to know about you?

Hmm… That’s a loaded question, haha. I love to interact with readers! Friend me on Facebook/Twitter, visit me at signings J Do that, and you’ll know pretty much everything about me!

Website: www.elizaknight.com

Blog: www.historyundressed.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizaknightauthor

Twitter: @ElizaKnight

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2881569.Eliza_Knight

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SPOTLIGHT ON LAURA KAYE ( Liberty States Fiction Writers, Create Something Magical Conference Author) & Giveaway!

GOOD MORNING ALL AND WELCOME TO MY SPOTLIGHT ON AUTHOR, LAURA KAYE. I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY GETTING TO KNOW HER ALONG WITH ME AND DON'T FORGET TO STOP BY THE BOOK OBSESSED CHICKS FACEBOOK PAGE TO ENTER TO WIN A DIGITAL COPY OF LAURA'S HARD AS YOU CAN, 

OR ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER

Hi Laura and welcome to Book Obsessed Chicks!

1. Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Sure! And thanks so much for having me! I write contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense and have four series underway—the Hard Ink series (romantic suspense), the Heroes series (contemporary), the Hearts of the Anemoi series (fantasy romance based on Greek mythology), and the Vampire Warrior Kings series (paranormal). My thirteenth novel releases on February 25^th, Hard As You Can (Hard Ink #2). I’m also a wife, mom of two daughters ages 9 and 7, and a total nut for all things vampire!

2. When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?

In 2008, I had a minor brain injury and as I healed from that I developed a very strong creative urge. Within four months I’d written my very first novel, and then I had to backtrack and actually learn more about the craft of writing and the business of publishing. Once I wrote that novel I was a changed person and knew I couldn’t go back.

3. Tell us about your upcoming work?

Hard As You Can releases on February 25 and is the second book in the Hard Ink series that features the surviving members of a disgraced Army Special Forces team as they struggle to investigate the circumstances that led to their discharge and regain their stolen honor. In this book, hero Shane McCallan’s personal mission to save a woman who risked everything to help him and his teammates intersects with the team’s mission to clear their name.

4. Do you have any mentors? Heroes?

Author Stephanie Dray (also, Stephanie Draven) has been an incredible mentor to me throughout my whole writing career, so she’s one, for sure. And author J.R. Ward is my absolute favorite and definite writing hero.

5. Can you tell us your favorite character from your books so far and why?

This is such a hard question! I have thirteen favorite heroes and heroines! LOL All right, I’ll narrow that down by half since my heroes are always my favorite and they’re always the characters that talk to me first and most when I’m working on a book. Picking among the guys, though, is much harder. Marco Vieri from Her Forbidden Hero probably has the most of me in him because of the brain injury from which he’s recovering in the story, so he’s always been a favorite. But Hearts in Darkness’s Caden Grayson and North of Need’s Owen Winters are so damn sweet and sexy that it’s hard not to want to pick them, too!

6. Was it difficult for you to get published?

Hmm. There are a lot of ways to answer this question. I queried a lot of agents with my first book and got a lot of looks but no takers. And then the first epublisher I submitted the book to made an offer. That whole process took about 16 months from the time I finished the first draft of the manuscript in October of 2008 until the time I received an offer in January of 2010. It seemed very difficult at the time, but in the grand scheme of things I was lucky to get my first book published. Even after that publisher acquired my first two books, I was turned down by other presses on new manuscripts I wrote. So the difference between getting one book published and becoming an established author was another step along the road. Still, when I think about my first book being published in April 2011 and less than three years later I’ve published thirteen books with four different publishers and achieved some major career milestones along the way, it feels more lucky than difficult, even though there was a ton of hard work that went into it all.

7. Who are your favorite authors/reads?

My absolute favorite author is J.R. Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I’m also a huge fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters series and Maya Banks’s Scottish Highlanders. I’m a new fan, too, of Cherise Sinclair’s Masters of the Shadowlands series. I like a lot of different things!

8. Hobbies?

Honestly, I used to have more time for hobbies before I was a writer. Now, writing is my hobby and my job! When I’m not writing, I’m spending time with my husband and kids, reading, or watching the occasional TV show!

9. Tell us a bit about your workshop(s) at the conference?

I’ve got events in both the writers’ and readers’ tracks of the conference:

Writers’ Workshops:

Writing at All Lengths: Novella, Category, and Single-Title Romance

Just me!

Seven Steps to Sensual Tension

Laura Kaye, Christi Barth, Joya Fields, Eliza Knight

Readers Events:

Book Cover Bingo Game

Laura Kaye, Christi Barth, Joya Fields, Eliza Knight

Romance Family Feud Game

Laura Kaye, Damon Suede, Elisabeth Staab, Stephanie Julian

10. Do you have any favorite TV shows?

Oooh! The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Sons of Anarchy, and the audition and competition parts of American Idol and The Voice are my faves.

11. What’s next for you?

I have seven books releasing in 2014 and seven to write, so this year is going to be back to back. My next release is East of Ecstasy (4/22/14) which is the last book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series. And then I’ll have more Heroes and Hard Ink books releasing, too.

12. What would you like readers to know about you?

That I’m truly grateful that they’ve made it possible for me to do this thing I love! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”

~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets

About Hard As You Can:

Five dishonored soldiers.

Former Special Forces.

One last mission.

These are the men of Hard Ink.

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed. 

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can--and never let go.

Read an Extended Excerpt of Book 1, Hard As It Gets

Buy Hard As You Can at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Hard Ink Puppy FB | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

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J.KENNER COVER REVEAL

 http://www.randomhouse.com/book/234808/ignited-by-j-kenner

The Men

Evan Black. Tyler Sharp. Cole August.

Brilliant, fierce, determined. Sexy as hell. And utterly dangerous.

They make their own rules, find their own way, and to hell with anyone or anything who tells them otherwise, be it a cop, a court, or a woman.

They’ve spent over a decade watching each others’ backs, protecting each others’ secrets, and relying on each others’ talents.

They’ve taken risks, said “fuck you” to the law, and made a tidy profit in the process.

There’s not a scheme they’ve concocted that they haven’t pulled off, not a desire they haven’t achieved.

And there sure as hell isn’t a woman they’ve pursued that they haven’t caught.

None, however, have captured their hearts.

None, until now.

The Women

Angelina Raine. Sloane Watson. Katrina Laron.

Three completely different women, each with a unique way of looking at the world.

Each with secrets and ambitions she holds close to her heart.

And each more than capable of standing on her own two feet.

None are looking for a man. But whether because of lust, greed or duty, each woman finds herself in a forbidden bed with the one man

capable of crashing through her defenses and taking her—both physically and emotionally—to her breaking point and beyond.

It’s a dangerous game—and what’s at stake is everything.

Book One - Wanted-

He is everything I crave, all I desperately want—and he is everything I can’t have.

 Evan Black embodies my every fantasy. He is brilliant, fierce, and devastatingly handsome. But he is also headstrong, dangerous, and burdened with secrets.

My family warned me to stay away, that I could never handle Evan’s dark dealings or scarred past. Maybe I should have listened. Maybe I should have run. But our desire is undeniable, and some temptations you just can’t fight.

And from the moment we touch—the passion between us consuming us both—I know that I will never be the same.

On sale now http://www.randomhouse.com/author/169248/j.-kenner?sort=best_13wk_3month

      Book Two- Heated -

I know better than to trust him, that I should never risk my heart.

But fierce passion comes at a high price.

I grew up believing in right and wrong, good and evil, black and white—that there were some boundaries that could never be crossed. And then I met Tyler Sharp.

Bold, charming, and dangerously sexy, Tyler always gets what he wants. But his smile can be deceiving, his dealings sordid, his ambitions ruthless. I thought I was the one woman strong enough to resist him, but our need for each other is too urgent to deny.

One look and I’m in trouble. One touch and I’m hooked. One night and I’m his. And once I fall, there’s no going back.

http://www.randomhouse.com/author/169248/j.-kenner?sort=best_13wk_3month

                                     And now Ignited, Book Three  . . . .

Learn about J Kenner's books here http://www.randomhouse.com/author/169248/j.-kenner?sort=best_13wk_3month

SPOTLIGHT ON CAT JOHNSON ( Liberty States Fiction Writers, Create Something Magical Conference Author) & Giveaway!

HOWDY ALL AND HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.

 I AM EXTREMELY EXCITED TO HAVE MY AMAZING FRIEND AND FABULOUS AUTHOR, CAT JOHNSON WITH US TODAY ON THE BLOG. CAT WAS ONE OF THOSE BRAVE PEOPLE THAT CAME TO MY BOOK CLUB WITHOUT HAVING MET ANY OF US AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME! SINCE THEN CAT HAS SUPPORTED THE BOOK OBSESSED CHICKS IN EVERY ENDEAVOR AND WE AIM TO SUPPORT HER AS WELL. I DESCRIBE THIS LADY IS BY COMPARING HER TO A MINI TORNADO. SHE IS QUITE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH AND I AM PROUD TO CALL HER FRIEND.

1.       Hey Cat, How's life up where you live?

Cold and snowy! But it's the perfect weather to stay inside where it's warm and work.

2.       Tell us about your workshop at Liberty States?

If I remember correctly, which is always up for debate, I'm doing a session about being a hybrid author. I think I'm also doing a fun Pictionary event with Stephanie Julian and a few other authors.

3.       Favorite dessert?

Keylime pie. OMG, so good!

4.       Favorite drink?

Kind of boring, but red wine. I keep trying other things and still go back to the old standby. Though I do enjoy sipping on some bourbon concoctions at times, such as the Nutty Cowboy I invented (Frangelico mixed with bourbon) or the Honey-flavored bourbon you can buy.

5.       What kind of car do you drive and why?

For utility I drive an SUV but for fun I drive a Thunderbird 2-seater convertible. Why? Because even when I get so old that no man will want to look at me, they'll still look at that hot sexy little car!

6.       What are your favorite genres or sub genres to read besides those you write?

I read YA sometimes. Crazy as it sounds, I preordered and plowed through every Harry Potter. I'll read suspense too. I love Lori Foster's Men on the Edge of Honor books. And sometimes I'll proofread Eliza Gayle's shifters or BDSM new releases for her.

7.       Guilty pleasure?

Watching TV--whether actually on the television or doing a series catchup on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. It feels like such an indulgence to close the laptop *gasp* and actually watch something without multi-tasking.

8.       Mentor?

I turn to the movers and the shakers of today's industry, both in person and online, to learn from and to steer me in the right direction. Women such as Bella Andre, Liliana Hart, Tina Folsom and others.

9.       Do you have a favorite book from your childhood?

I loved A SECRET GARDEN. The problem was, I always wanted the three characters to grow up and have a love triangle. How perfect, right? The poor heroine, the rich but damaged hero, and the bad boy. Perfect romance novel right there!

10.   Favorite place in the world and why?

I don't think I can pick just one! I loved York in England, and parts of Scotland. I love the Intercoastal region of the American South-East, but I love the snowy beauty of New England (and this year, New York!). Then there's Rhode Island and Montauk, NY where I go on beach vacations annually. Each has its own appeal.

 

11.   Book boyfriend… Is there a hero in either your books or someone else’s that you would love to be real and know more.

Probably Roarke from JD Robb's "In Death" series.

12.   Do you have a pet peeve?

OMG, getting unsolicited sales calls on my phone makes me irrationally angry. LOL

13.   Are you superstitious, if so what is that superstition?

I don't worry about the number 13 or black cats. However, when we released the Alpha Bad Boys bundle last year and it looked like we might hit the NY Times and USA Today best seller lists with it, we refused to say anything about it until we saw the list, and if we slipped and did, we'd knock wood quick to undo any bad ju-ju speaking about it before it happened might have done. I also used to never tell anyone about a new contract until it was signed by both parties because I was convinced it would fall through. I've gotten over that one recently.

14.   What would you like readers to know about you?

I am so perfectly average that readers should never be afraid to come up and talk to me. That said, when you see me at a convention there is a good chance I haven't slept for a few days and I'm walking around smiling on the outside, but a total zombie on the inside, so please forgive me if I don't remember anyone's names. I suck at names on a good day and always have.

15.   Famous last words?

One of my favorite writerly type quotes is "you can't edit a blank page". For my favorite non-writerly quote, it's "What comes around, goes around" which is NY speak for "Karma's a bitch".

Thanks so much for having me and I look forward to seeing everyone at the Liberty States event in NJ next month

GIVEAWAY ALERT
DIGITAL ARC OF CAT JOHNSON'S THROWN (STUDS IN SPURS) IS UP FOR GRABS

HEAD OVER TO THE BOOK OBSESSED CHICKS FACEBOOK PAGE, SHARE AND COMMENT AND YOU'RE ENTERED! CONTEST ENDS ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16 AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17

SPOTLIGHT ON JUDI FENNELL ( Liberty States FW, Create Something Magical Conference Attending Author)

FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO WISH JUDI FENNELL A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! I ADORE THIS LADY. I MET HER A FEW YEARS AGO AT MY FIRST LIBERTY STATES CONFERENCE AND FROM THERE WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER COME ON OVER MY HOUSE FOR BOOK CLUB ALONG WITH HER AWESOME CRITIQUE PARTNER AND FRIEND, AUTHOR STEPHANIE JULIAN. JUDI AND STEPHANIE HELPED ME  MAKE EMPANADAS BEFORE THE CROWD ARRIVED. WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY,  THE LADIES BOOK OBSESSED CHICKS BOOK CLUB ARE HUGE JUDI FENNELL FAN GIRLS AND I HOPE YOU BECOME FANS OF HER AS WELL.

1.      Can you please tell us a bit about yourself? I’m finally growing up to be what I’ve always wanted to be: a writer. And a mom. And that order change on any given day because, ya know, I have teenagers…I write romantic comedies, to the complete surprise of my high school classmates. As one of them said, “You’re funny?” Apparently so. I guess she doesn’t get my brand of humor, but then she was the who asked in History class (completely honestly, mind you): “Which came first World War One or World War Two?”

2.      When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer? Always have written. I still have my first story about a raindrop talking to her friends as they fall to the ground, written on that lined yellow paper from elementary school with the drawing area above it. In 9th grade, a friend and I challenged each other to write a romance novel (we’d shared our stash of books through the year to the great amusement of our classmates for reading those books…) I finished the book; she didn’t. And no, you will never see that book. I think I actually wrote: He kissed the valley between her breasts. and blushed to the roots of my hair while doing so. If 9th grade me knew then what I’m writing now, I don’t know that she would have believed it.

3.      Tell us about your upcoming work? What a Woman Wants is book 1 in the Manley Maids series, where three brothers lose a poker bet to their sister who owns a cleaning service and they owe her a month of cleaning service. Book 1 is Sean Manley’s book – he is planning to buy a mansion to turn it into the flagship property in his resort business, except the former owner changed her will and made her illegitimate granddaughter her heir. Livvy Carolla wants to get the most she can for the place so she can keep her barn-animal rescues with her and get her organic bakery off the ground. She’s not about to sell the place for less than it’s worth, which is exactly what Sean wants to pay. But the cost might be worth it in the end.

4.      Do you have any mentors? Heroes? Mentors: every author I grew up reading. To me, they were always those authors. A special group who knew the secret of getting published. In my head, not just anyone could have a book published. I honestly never thought I’d do it. Oh, I’d wanted it, but you had to be someone special to do this. Then I met some of them and realized they’re regular women like me, and I knew that I could do it. Heroes? They know who they are.

5.      Can you tell us your favorite character from your books so far and  why? I love all my characters for various reasons; they are like your kids. You can get frustrated with them, sometimes you don’t like what they do, but in the end, you love them. I don’t have a favorite child (overall—they change depending on who’s doing what wrong), so I don’t have a favorite character. That being said, I have a lot of fun writing the secondary characters who can say anything they want that maybe wouldn’t be the best thing to come from the hero or heroine. Characters like Obo the cat in I Dream of Genies, or Livingston in Wild Blue Under. The sparrows, Maybel and Adele from that story as well. Their filters are quite different from the main characters so I can give them a bit more freedom and I just love hearing what comes out of their mouth.

6.      Was it difficult for you to get published? I don’t know many people for whom it was easy. You pay your dues. My first book had to be re-written for one significant detail: Reel, my first merman originally had a tail. When you read In Over Her Head, you’ll see that he doesn’t. When I was told to get rid of his tail, I was like, “Um, okay,” because, of course, you aren’t going to tell a bookseller and editor no if you want to sell the book. SO how the heck do you cut off a merman’s tail and keep him a merman, which is the whole premise of the book? There was some wailing and keening and moaning, a couple rounds of hair-pulling and teeth-gnashing, countless tears, and many many rewrites. That was tough. Book 2: Wild Blue Under’s heroine needed a complete overhaul. In 1 and a half months. I restarted that book 24 times in the space of 2 weeks. I had no clue how to change it and make it work. (This book later won a PRISM award, finalling with a NYT best selling author and a USA Today best selling author). AND these rewrites were being done between Thanksgiving and New Years. As far as snagging an editor, that took me four years, countless pitch appointments at conferences, those rewrites I mentioned. In addition to this, you need a great story and a little bit of luck. Thankfully, mine coalesced within four years of joining RWA, but I wouldn’t be where I am if I hadn’t joined a writing organization and taken full advantage of all the benefits of belonging by attending conferences, networking with industry professionals and having a kick-ass critique partner to run my stories by.

7.      Who are your favorite authors/reads? Jill Barnett wrote, hands down, my favorite book of all time. Bewitching. It’s the only book I have that I haven’t broken the spine on the signed copy. And Jill gave me a fabulous quote for my book and my website, so that was a total fangirl moment. I also like to read Romantic Suspense, and will pick up Karen Rose, Kate Brady, Lisa Jackson and Cindy Gerard, just ot name a few.

8.      Hobbies? Who has time? Writing is my hobby. I also have a formatting business to help authors get their books up online: www.formatting4U.com, so that’s pretty much all my free time.

9.      Tell us a bit about your workshop(s) at the conference? My critique partner, Stephanie Julian and I are presenting a writer’s workshop: Ultimate Submission: Create the Perfect Query & Synopsis, which is fairly self-explanatory. I’m lucky in that writing synopses comes easy to me and when I analyzed how I do them, I found a pattern that I can pass on to other writers, and Steph taught me how to write a query letter. She’s brilliant at it. We’re also doing a readers track based on an adult version of Pictionary. ;}

10.  Do you have any favorite TV shows? When I do have time to watch TV, I’m a HUGE Real Housewives fan. There’s just something about watching women who supposedly are friends take each other down publicly for their fifteen minutes of fame. I’ve said that someone ought to do a sociology thesis on the phenomenon of people willing to throw their families and friends under the bus for the fame. It’s like a train wreck: you just can’t look away. And recently, my kids and neighbor got me hooked on Breaking Bad. I can’t say that I liked the show in that I was not rooting for the main character, but the writing was brilliant. Utterly compelling and their use of cliff hangers was just terrific. Writers might want to check it out to learn how to hook your audience.

11.  What’s next for you? Finishing up the fourth book of the Manley Maids series, What a Woman (the sister’s story). Then working on a proposal for the next books in the series. Also working on Beefcake & Retakes, Tanner’s story in my BeefCake, Inc series (about male strippers), and trying to get Marianna’s story for the Mer series out. And my alter ego, Raven Morris, needs a few more erotic novellas out. So, again, I ask you, what hobby?

12.  What would you like readers to know about you? That I appreciate every single book you read, every comment you send me, the way you know my worlds and want more of them. Writing is a creative outlet for me, and to have people appreciate it, is a humbling and wonderful experience.

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