Feb 10, 2015 | Blog, Coffee With, February 2015, Jade Lee
First, if we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte đ What would you order? I usually drink a soy latte, but I’ve given up caffeine. đ On the up side, I’ve temporarily replaced it with sugar just to get over the doldrums. Or because I like sugar! So…it’ll be a decaf mocha or creme brulee or something amazing except for the no caffeine part. You know, I feel like I’m not nearly as sharp without the caffeine kick, so any tendency to ramble is completely blamed on that. Or because I generally babble…
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. You write so many different series, which one do you find the most challenging? I really enjoy the Bridal Favors Series – will there be any more books? If so how many books do you anticipate in this series? How much research did you do for this? What can we look forward to in 2015?
What I find challenging is staying in one genre for more than two books in a row. I guess I get bored easily. Historicals are more lyrical, slower paced, and really get deep into the characters. I’m also moving more funny with them, so it’s a real challenge to mix in humor without losing the epic feel. My Kathy Lyons contemporaries are light and fun with more action and less depth. They’re a good switch up before diving back into a lush historical.
And yes, I’m staying in the Bridal Favors world, but not calling it that. The next book is FIFTY WAYS TO RUIN A RAKE. It’s probably the best book I’ve ever written. It’s funny and sexy. They’ve given a new series name to it–Not Quite Ladies–and it’s the beginning of the new funnier Jade Lee. But it’s still got some favorite characters from the Bridal Favors series. Clear as mud? Oh, and there will be at least 3 more books, but probably more beyond that as well. Lots of people to make sure find love!
8 Tantalizing Tidbits:
1. A Must read book and why? Oh lord…I hate answering questions like this. People hand me books all the time and tell me that I must read this book because of one reason or another. But if I’m not in the mood or don’t like the topic, it’s not a must read for me. Going back to the classics, I loved THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING. But then I also adore the Dresden books by Jim Butcher. Want romance? I’m going to tell you that my books are the best because for me, they are. After all, who is my first reader? MYSELF! So I told myself a great story! How about mystery? Well, don’t look at me. I haven’t a clue. Which means — I’ve got no answer for you! Just read!
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? Worse and worse! I live near the University of Illinois which offers a huge variety of whatever thrills you. Pick a Big 10 sport –we got it! Want culture? Both the U of I and Parkland Community College offer theater, choral, and orchestral events. I love custom jewelry. So I often go to gem shows at Christopher’s Fine Jewelry. They’re fun just to hang out and browse. And then we have a couple big movie theaters and a ton of stuff I haven’t even thought of yet. What’s your pleasure? You can find something like it around here. We are the cultural capitol of the cornfields!
3. Castles or Beaches? Beaches! Sand, sun, and hot surfers to ogle. What’s not to love?
4. One thing readers would be surprised to know about you. I went pro in racquetball for two weeks before blowing my knees. I never even filled out the paperwork, but in my mind, I was a pro athlete. For a very short period of time…
5. What is your guilty pleasure? Plants vs. Zombies 2. OMG, I play too much of it. It’s an addictive game/ap. I’ve even sucked others into the addiction.
6. What are you afraid of? A meaningless life. Seriously. I’d like to have a positive effect on the world. Don’t know that I do that by writing romance, but I’d like to think so. I feel called to write–joyously and creatively–so hopefully that means something. Or it might just mean I like writing about happily ever after with a lot of hot sex…
7. Would you rather see a movie in the theatre or at home on DVD and why? I love the movie experience, but honestly…I’m a middle aged woman. I have to pee a lot. I love pausing the movie, going to the bathroom, then probably visiting the kitchen afterwards for some chocolate. (I’m a chocoholic). Plus, I have a cat who likes lap time while I watch. Can’t get warm lap kitty in a movie theater! So all in all–at home movies!
8. Do you love to cook or go out to eat? It would be hard to express how terrible a cook I am. Flat out AWFUL. So…out to eat whenever possible. Otherwise it’s hot dogs and yogurt cups. Sounds disgusting, huh? Yeah. That’s how bad I cook.
Bonus Tidbit- thank you đ
9. If you could invite 3 people to dinner (not friends and family – that’s too easy) who would you invite? It could be anyone past or present. I would love to sit down with Joss Whedon. OMG, he’s brilliant. As is Steven Moffat (BBC Writer/producer for Dr. Who and Sherlock) And then I’d love to add in Johnny Depp because he seems to be so eclectic in his art. I’d love his perspective. In short — three of the great artists of our day. I want to talk to them about their work. How they work. I want to learn from them. I want to absorb their ambiance. I want to get all fan girly on them. And then I’d just like to listen.
BIO:
Bio:
A USA Today Bestseller, JADE LEE has been scripting love stories since she first picked up a set of paper dolls. Ball gowns and rakish lords caught her attention early (thank you Georgette Heyer), and her fascination with the Regency began. And as a Taurus, she lives to pit a headstrong woman against a tortured hero just to watch them butt heads on the way to true love. Flesh wounds are rare, but the healing and laughter are real.
Now an author of more than 30 romance novels, she finally gets to set these couples in the best girl-heaven of all: a Bridal Salon! This way she gets to live out all her wedding fantasies, one by one. (Letâs be honest, what girl has only one idea for her dream wedding?) For more on the Bridal Favors series, visit Jade on the web at her website, Facebook or Twitter.
And donât forget Jadeâs other name, KATHY LYONS. Thatâs Jadeâs lighter, contemporary side. She writes for Harlequin Blaze merging hawt sex and funny relationships into really great reads.
Hereâs the link to her Bio Page:Â https://jadeleeauthor.com/bio
Feb 5, 2015 | Amanda Aksel, Blog, Coffee With, February 2015
First, If we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte đ What would you order? A soy latte đ
Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions.
How many books have you planned for this series? The Marin Test Series will be four books to conclude in 2016.
Was there anything that surprised you while writing a series with relationship issues? Nothing surprises me, but I think there were some things in The Man Test that surprised the readers.
What type of research did you do to prep for this series? I did a lot of San Francisco real estate research. There’s an apartment hunt in The Commitment Test. San Francisco is such a cool city.
Will we have to wait a while for the next book? I expect my next book to be out in the summertime, however it’s outside of the series and that’s all I can say for now. The next book in The Marin Test Series is expected to be out in winter 2015! Hope that’s not too long đ
Thanks so much for hanging out đ
8 Tantalizing Tidbits:
1. A Must read book and why? The Alchemist. It’s not women’s fiction, but it’s an incredible story that’s relevant to all people. One word. Amazing!
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? If you don’t live near an ocean, then definitely the beach. Last summer, I watched a group of dolphins play in the surf. It was pretty incredible.
3. What is your favorite movie of all time and why? I’ve had the same favorite movie since I was 5 years old. Dirty Dancing. It’s sexy romance, a coming of age, plus there’s dancing. And I love dancing. Why was I watching Dirty Dancing at 5 years old? I had a young, hip mother.
4. What is on your playlist when you write? I make a new list with every project I work on and add songs along the way. Here’s my spotify playlist for The Commitment Test: The Commitment Test
5. Do you watch a TV show weekly or binge watch? Both! I’m a huge TVÂ fan. In fact, I hope to write a TV one day. My dream job would be writing for Grey’s Anatomy.
6. What’s your guilty pleasure? Cheese. I know that sounds weird, but I’m a non-dairy pescatarian. Cheese is a treat and I absolutely LOVE IT!
7. Biggest celebrity crush? My best friend and I keep a running top 5 list. Orlando Bloom has been at the top for over a decade.
8. If you could invite FIVE people to dinner (not family or friends – that’s too easy) who would you invite? It can be someone from the past or present, living or deceased.
Daisaku Ikeda- He’s an incredible example of a global citizen and humanitarian
Sara Bareilles- I’m a HUGE fan
Michael Jackson- Enough said!
Larry David- Someone needs to bring the jokes
Marie Forleo – She’s super smart and seems like a lot of fun
BIO:
Amanda Aksel is an author with an affinity for love. Becoming a couples therapist was her âbackupâ career, and after completing her BA in Psychology she was on her way to solving loveâs most complicated quandaries one couple at a time. Now she plans to solve loveâs most complicated quandaries one novel at a time.
Social media links
Website: www.amandaaksel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandaaksel
Twitter: @amandaaksel
Instagram: https://instagram.com/amandaaksel
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Link to buy Amanda’s first novel The Man Test (The Marin Test Series: Book One)
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Feb 3, 2015 | Anna Sugden, Blog, Coffee With
First, if we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte đ
What would you order? A skinny latte with a shot of mint or a chocolate mint frappuchino â depends on how Iâm feeling.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. My pleasure â delighted to take part!
I LOVE books about hockey and your series about The New Jersey Ice Cats is on my wish list đ Aww thank you. And yay to finding another person who loves books about hockey!
How many books do you anticipate in this series? The plan at the moment is for six books, a few novellas and some shorts. Iâm currently writing book 4 and have book 5 outlined.
How much research did you do for this? Lots! Aside from watching a lot of hockey J, attending a number of NHL team hockey practices, I read a lot of hockey non-fiction, especially biographies, and watched some behind the scenes documentaries like 24/7: The Road to the Winter Classic. I was lucky enough that my favourite team (for whom we had season tickets) â the New Jersey Devils â graciously agreed to help me with my research. The then-owner, Jeff Vanderbeek, set me up with a âbackstageâ tour of the arena and an interview with former Devils great, Ken Daneyko. You can read about those on my website (www.annasugden.com/extras/readers) and even see me on my Zamboni ride!
Were you a fan of hockey before you started writing this series? Definitely!
What was the inspiration for writing a hockey series? It actually started with the inspiration for writing about one player, Jake âBad Boyâ Badoletti (the hero of A Perfect Distraction). I was intrigued by the difference between the on-ice and off-ice personas of several great hockey players â especially one of my favourite players, Scott Stevens. How someone who was a hard man of the ice and caused numerous concussions, could be a quiet, humble, generous and kind person off the ice. And once I got to thinking about him, the rest of the team followed!
I can only imagine how much fun that would be! The best!
Were you able to hang out with any hunky ice-hockey players? Oh yes! Of course, the best was actually hanging out with Scott Stevens himself!
8 Tantalizing Tidbits đ
1. A Must read book and why? OMG just one?! I canât even pick just one author or even one genre, let alone one book! Itâs hard enough to choose a top ten! So, Iâm going to cheat and give you two – Tess Gerritsenâs The Surgeon and Lisa Gardnerâs Say Goodbye. Both are beautifully crafted romantic suspense/thrillers which gripped me from the first word and which stayed with me for a long time after. They did what few books do and surprised me, with really clever twists.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? Cambridge is a beautiful, historic city and the colleges that make up the famous university are awe-inspiring. A tour of those would be well worth it!
3. Castles or Beaches? Beaches. Castles are interesting, but we have the odd one or two here in England J. I LOVE a beautiful beach. I think there is something about water that speaks to my soul because I feel at peace when Iâm on a beach with my toes in the sand and water lapping around my ankles.
4. Hard Rock or Classical? Favorite Band or Artist? Rock chick all the way â though I admit to having very eclectic tastes (which includes classical!). I donât have a particular favourite, but if there was one band I could have seen in its heyday, it would have been Queen.
5. If you had an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world for research, where would you go? Iâd actually like to do a trip which took in everywhere that penguins live, including Antartica. So Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Falklands etc.
6. What is your guilty pleasure? Hmm which one to choose? LOL shoes or opals? Probably shoes, because I canât feel too guilty about opals đ
7. Tats or No Tats? If tats, how many and what did you choose for your first one? I donât have any, but wish I was brave enough to have them. If I could have one, it would be a red gerbera daisy with a K in the middle (for my husband) and Iâd have it high on my thigh.
8. If you could invite 5 people to dinner (not friends and family – that’s too easy) who would you invite? It could be anyone past or present. Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn and Paul Newman. Wouldnât that be a fun evening?!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your time.
BIO:
Award-winning, Harlequin SuperRomance author, Anna Sugden, loves reading romance novels and watching films with happy endings. She also loves watching hockey and football, where she prefers a happy ending for her teams (Go Devils, Man UTD, Exeter, âSkins!). When sheâs not researching hockey players (for her books, of course), she makes craft projects and collects penguins, autographs and memorabilia, and great shoes.
A former marketing executive and primary teacher, Anna lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and two bossy black cats. Learn more about Anna, her books and her shoes at www.annasugden.com .
You can also follow her on Facebook (facebook.com/annasugden.romanceauthor) , Twitter (twitter.com/annasugden), Pinterest(pinterest.com/annasugden) and on the Romance Bandits blog (www.romancebandits.com).
Jan 27, 2015 | Blog, Coffee With, January 2015
First, If we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte đ
What would you order? Cappuccino! But I love lattes.
Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions.
How many books do you plan to write with the men of the New Jersey Sonics? THE BOYS OF SUMMER series will consist of four books.
What inspired you to write about a Baseball Team? I was inspired to do a baseball romance theory by the Philadelphia Phillies. My daughter and I had Sunday season tickets for years. I had written historical’s previously, but in watching those gorgeous baseball players, I realized no swashbuckling hero of the past had anything on these boys!
What type of research did you do to prep for this series? I became an avid fan, watched the games consistently, read about the players in the paper to understand more about their personal lives, interviewed an expert (my daughter), and actually met the team at a charity event which inspired the first book BRING ON THE HEAT.
Congratulations and Happy Release Day for TOO HOT TO HANDLE! How long will we have to wait for the next book? Book 3, the HEAT OF THE MOMENT will debut late spring.
8 Tantalizing Tidbits:
1. A Must read book and why? There are so many great books! But I’d have to say TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. It was written with such sensitivity, not only about the trial and racial issues, but even the scenes with some of the less fortunate people in town show such a keen understanding of human nature. It is one of my absolute favorites.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? The Log cabins and the lakes. There are 22 lakes and over 150 log cabins, most of which were built in the early 1900s. There are also two very talented psychic mediums in our area. The experience is amazing.
3. What is your favorite movie of all time and why? RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. I know I should say something more intellectual, but I can’t help it. I’ve been in love with Harrison Ford since I can remember and true love lasts a lifetime.
4. When you plot out your book do you know how it will end or do you figure it out as you go? I start with the general idea of the story and the characters. I then write the first couple of chapters to get a feel for these people, and the situation. I then write a synopsis. I’ve read Michael Hauge’s books about plot structure, and highly recommend them.
5. What is on your playlist when you write? I like the house quiet.
6. Do you watch a TV show weekly or binge watch? I am guilty of watching the Bachelor and Bachelorette. The tweets are awesome!
7. What’s your guilty pleasure? See above.
8. Â What is the craziest souvenir you picked up while traveling? Do you collect things when you travel? I have a Guinness pebble in my purse that you get in Ireland when you go on the tour. It says: Believe, and contains a drop of stout. It’s a good luck charm for me. I lost it one time, and my brother actually ordered a replacement for me.
Hire someone to do the job or fix it yourself? I have a handyman who has saved my life. I can’t paint without getting it everywhere, and if I attempted household repairs it would look an old Three Stooges episode.
Thank you so much I had a great time! Thanks again!
BIO:
Â
Katie Rose is the award-winning author of 12 historical, three novellas, and two contemporary romances published under the name of Katie Rose and Colleen Quinn. Katie made her contemporary debut in 2014 with a baseball romance series entitled the Boys of Summer. BRING ON THE HEAT was published in August 2014, and the second book of the series, TOO HOT TO HANDLE will appear January 27, 2015. A long time Phillies fan, Katie combines her love of baseball, romance, and fun in the sports themed romances. A graduate of Temple University with a BA in Journalism, Katie is the recipient of the Doug Perry award, and the Romantic Times Achievement Award. Katie lives on a lake in Medford Lakes New Jersey, and is hard at work on the next book of the series, the HEAT OF THE MOMENT
Jan 8, 2015 | Blog, Coffee With, January 2015
First, if we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte đ
What would you order? Ooh, I do love a good latte, but I’d probably get a plain old coffee with cream and sugar. I’m a creature of habit.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions.  What made you decide to write a story about a Breast Cancer survivor who is dealt the ultimate discovery when everything she wants is in her reach? I really wanted to explore what happens in a young, heady relationship when one person gets that devastating diagnosis â that they’re not going to be able to live the happily ever after. I suppose that sounds morbid, but I wanted to rise to the challenge of writing about a depressing topic, without making it too maudlin. It was important to me to be able to find the funny â even in such a dire situation.
For many readers this is a subject matter that’s very close to their heart via a friend or family member who’s is currently battling breast cancer (or any cancer). Sometimes those strong and courageous people pass away from that long and challenging fight. If those readers, the ones who were so closely affected decide to pick up this book, what do you hope they get out of it? What about the people who have never personally experienced a friend or family member battle cancer? My greatest hope for both people who have dealt with cancer and those who haven’t is that they have an emotional connection to the book. My favorite novels are the ones that make me feelâ the ones that make me cry, laugh, even scream in frustration at the characters’ choices. I would love for others to have the same experience with my book.
I admire you for tackling such a sensitive subject matter and look forward to posting my review this Saturday on my Blog.Â
8 Tantalizing Tidbits
1. A Must read book and why? Where’d You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple It’s brilliantly funny, and who doesn’t like to laugh?
2.What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? The Georgia Aquarium. Try to ignore the poorly placed seafood restaurant across the street, though (somebody did not think that through).
3. What is your favorite movie of all time and why?Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The genius concept, the acting, all the feels. It is everything a movie should be.
4. What was on your playlist while writing “Before I Go?” A lot of Mumford & Sons, Ray LaMontagne, Maxwell, The Lumieers, The Counting Crows, and Bruce Springsteen.
5. What’s your guilty pleasure? Gorging on moose tracks ice cream while watching The Biggest Loser.
6. First concert you attended? Hootie and the Blowfish
7. What are you afraid of? The usual heights. Snakes. That I have something in my teeth when I’m talking to someone.
Thank you so much for hanging out with me and have a great tour! Thank you!
BIO:
Colleen Oakley’s articles, essays, and interviews have been featured in The New York Times, Ladiesâ Home Journal, Marie Claire, Womenâs Health, Redbook and Martha Stewart Weddings. She’s the former editor-in-chief of Women’s Health & Fitness and senior editor of Marie Claire. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two painfully cute kids and a huge lapdog named Bailey. Before I Go is her debut novel.
Jan 6, 2015 | Blog, Coffee With, January 2015
First, if we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte đ What would you order? I almost always order a grande soy no water chai. The no water makes it extra yummy!
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions.  I’m a HUGE fan of your books. Your Christmas With the Duke’s Arms was published in October and is a collection of stories from four talented and amazing writers. What was it like to put this book together and what was the most challenging part of writing this Christmas book? I know this one was on many holiday wish lists including my own!
It was actually really fun working with Miranda, Grace, and Carolyn to put the book together. Iâm so used to working in isolation that itâs a pleasure to brainstorm ideas with other authors, especially writers as clever as they are. The best part for me was that the three of them are all good in areas where I lack knowledge. Carolyn knows so much about formatting and metadata and stuff like that. Grace is really smart about back cover copy and the craft of writing. Miranda is great with the financial stuff.
The challenging part for me was the cover. It was a long, onerous process, and it was tough to get us all to agree on pretty much every aspect of the cover.
Congratulations on your novella that released earlier today – Happy Release Day! I reviewed it yesterday and it was fantastic! (link to review) Your next book in the Covent Garden Cubs Series “Earls Just Want to Have Fun” will be released on February 2nd and I’ll be posting my review of that later this month! I’m impressed, you must write with super power speed!Â
I donât write particularly fast, I just donât sleep a lot.
8 Tantalizing Tidbits
1. A Must read book and why? Enclave by Ann Aguirre. What? Shana Galen is
recommending a dystopian YA? Yep. Itâs very historical in tone, and no
one does action and suspense like Aguirre. I learned a lot from reading the
Razorland series, and thoroughly enjoyed myself too!
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown?I live in Houston, and if
you come here, you should see NASA. I recently visited again after not having
gone for more than a decade, and itâs just so fascinating. If I hadnât been with my
daughter, I could have stayed for hours.
3. What is one thing readers would be surprised to know about you? Iâm a vegetarian and havenât eaten meat in 28 years.
4. When you are traveling do you prefer to road trip it or fly it? Definitely fly. I donât like driving or being stuck in the car. I want to get there fast.
5. If you had an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world for research, where would you go? No brainer. London. Iâd stay for six weeks and tour all of the UK. I just
love the UK, and I havenât been in 15 years.
6. What are you afraid of? Crickets are super icky to me. I donât like their black bodies
and legs. Surprisingly, spiders donât bother me much. Those are minor fears,
though. My real and true fear is that something horrible will happen to my
daughter. I think most moms fear for their childrenâs safety.
7. Organized or Free Floating? So, so organized. I have lists of lists. Nothing makes
me smile like checking something off my to-do list.
8. Do you love to cook or go out to eat? I am the worst cook. Itâs because cooking
doesnât allow for revision. I always mess something crucial up and then I canât go
back and fix it. I throw a lot out. I like to go out to eat.
Thanks for stopping by Shana! Thanks so much for having me!
***********NOW CLOSED *******Â Â GIVEAWAY***********
Shana Galen is giving away an e-book (Kindle, Nook, Kobo or Google Play) of The Viscount of Vice to one person who comments today. For your chance to win let us know – If you had an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
This is one book you will want to have in your e-reader đ
Â
BIO:
Shana Galen is the bestselling author of passionate Regency romps, including the RT Reviewers’ Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Kirkus says of her books, “The road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun,” and RT Bookreviews calls her books âlighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching.” She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston’s inner city. Now she writes full time. She’s happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers, so send her an email or see what she’s up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.
