Feb 7, 2024 | Authors Dish, Blog, January 2024, Regina Kyle
Welcome to Authors Dish – a time to connect with your favorite authors or discover new ones as they share a little bit about themselves. I’m always so appreciative when they take the time to chat and hang out a bit while writing all the adventures we crave. I’ll be sharing their links and bio so if they are a new author for ya, you’ll have all the info you need to check them out.
If you’re an author and interested in dishin’ comment below or hit me up on any of my social media platforms.
While January might be over we’ve got one more Authors Dish too good not to share -are you ready for a little author fun?
Today we’ve got Author Regina Kyle ready to dish!
Rae: With the new year underway, do you have a “word” of the year or do you set monthly goals?
Regina: For the last few years I have chosen a word of the year. This year, it’s “curious.” I picked it because just after Christmas I had a dream about this sleeping bag I used to own as a kid. I was made to look like denim with all these patches all over it—very late 1960s-early 1970s. One of the patches said, “I am curious, but yellow.” As kids, my siblings and I never really understood what that meant, but it always stuck out to us. Then I remembered Ted’s speech to Rupert in one of my favorite shows, Ted Lasso, where he lectures Rupert about being curious, not judgmental (as he kicks his butt at darts LOL). That’s how I want to approach life this year. My writing, my family, my friends, my day job. Curious, not judgmental.
Rae: If you’re a snow lover what is your favorite thing to do outside in the winter months?
Regina: If you prefer the sunny beaches and warm sand …. where would you rather be?—I’ve lived in the northeast all my life and I am soooooo not a winter weather gal. My idea of a winter activity is curling up in front of our gas fireplace with a cup of tea, a warm, blanket, a good book, and one of more of my cats. Or escaping down down south on a Caribbean cruise. Sadly, my next one isn’t until July.
Rae: It’s January and we’re all thinking about staying organized and setting our goals, what are the top five things you’ve found to help motivate you and keep you on task?
Regina: —Top five? Hmmm … 1. Make a daily task list. I’m a big fan of lists and crossing stuff off. This year, I’m trying to get better at making my daily tasks achievable and not biting off more than I can chew. It’s about baby steps, whether I’m writing or decluttering my house. 2. Stay off social media. I love social media and I love connecting with readers, but it can be a real time suck. I try to limit my time on there and use a social media blocker when I’m writing. 3. Use the pomodoro method. Set a timer, work on whatever task I’m working on for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. That seems to work well for me in getting stuff done.
4. Noise cancelling headphones. These are especially useful when I’m writing at home. When they’re on, hubby knows not to bother me unless the place is burning down, and I can listen to music or some mindless background TV show or movie through my phone while I’m working. 5. This isn’t really a productivity tool, but as Becca Syme says, QTP. That stands for question the premise. What it means is that when you see someone post about what they’re doing, or what things help them reach their goals, ask yourself whether that will work for you, too. Everyone is different, and just because something works for someone else doesn’t mean it will do the same for you.
Rae: If you could create a winter drink what would you call it and what would be in it?
Regina: —I’d call it something like the Sleigh All Day and it would have egg nog, kalua and Fireball whiskey. Three of my favorite things!
Rae: Do you have a winter bucket list?
Regina: —not really. Like I said, I’m not really a winter weather kind of gal. My bucket list for this winter is to get through these massive edits on my second Mediterranean Millionaire book, How Not To Marry A Millionaire. At least I get to fictionally spend the cold months in Spain with Miguel and Perri LOL.
Rae: You just found out a snowstorm is headed your way and you need to run to one store to pick up provisions to last for three days. Where are you shopping and what are you putting in your cart?
Regina: —One store? Dang, that’s tough. I’ve already got tons of books at my fingertips thanks to all the reading apps on my phone, so that’s taken care of. We’re pretty stocked with booze, so I’m good there. So I’m going to say that I’d head to my latest obsession, Aldis. Seriously, that place is addictive. Their produce is great, that have lots of good cheeses and dips, all different kinds of trail mix (they have this one with craisins and dark chocolate that I adore), and you never know what you’ll find in the infamous aisle of shame (fleece jammies, socks, Squishmallows, kitchen gadgets, there’s always something you don’t need but really want). And the prices are great, so I know I won’t have to break the bank to stock up.
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Sep 29, 2023 | Blog, Coffee With, Dirty Dozen, Regina Kyle, September 2023
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Rae: Welcome to the blog. With fall just around the corner I’m having a Spiced Almond Milk Latte with a drizzle of caramel in my mug. What is in your cuppa?
Regina: Well, I’m kinda weird in that I love to drink iced coffee year-round. Decaf, with 2% milk and more artificial sweetener than I care to admit LOL.
Rae: I find that reading is best when I have a beverage and a snack, what do you need to have for yourself when you are settling in to read?
Regina: I’ve been on a health kick this past year, walking more and eating healthier. Right now one of my favorite snacks is coconut chunks. Sweet and tasty and easy to snack on without making a mess while I read (or write).
Rae: In a few words, can you describe the type of books you write?
Regina: I think Kristan Higgins said it best when she inadvertently gave me my tag line: fast, sassy, and laugh-out-loud funny.
Rae: When was the moment you knew you wanted to write “steamy romance with heart and humor?”
Regina: I had just gotten an e-reader and was devouring free books on Amazon and from my local library. One of the books I got from Amazon was Leslie Kelly’s Slow Hands, a Harlequin Blaze.I was like wow, this is so not my mother’s Harlequins LOL. I read through her backlist and a lot of other Blaze books by authors like Jo Leigh, Tawny Weber, Samantha Hunter, and Sarah Mayberry. I knew then that those were the kind of books I wanted to write, and I was lucky enough to get a contract writing for the Blaze line two years later.
Rae: What are your writing rituals? Do you prefer pen and paper or type away?
Regina: I’m definitely a typing kind of gal. I write in a program called Scrivener which lets me organize my scenes into chapters and has a corkboard where I can pin inspirational pictures. I’m almost attached to my MacBook Air, which, sadly, is in the shop right now for a few days. Meaning I’m typing this in Word on a PC and it’s killing me!
Rae: The attention to details in your books provides a reader with a story filled with adventure, drama, and yes, a bit of spicy heat. If you could go back and chat with your 2014 self when you released your debut book, what words of wisdom or advice would you offer?
Regina: So much has changed in publishing in the just over ten years that I’ve been writing. I think I’d tell myself to not take anything for granted and celebrate every victory, no matter how small, because some days it seems like they are few and far between.
Rae: When you start writing the first book in a new series do you plot out how many books there will be?
Regina: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. My first series for Blaze was always four books. My Worthington Sisters series for Entangled was originally three books, but we couldn’t agree on the plot for the first book, so we ended up contracting for just two. I have a single title series that I’ve been noodling for a while that started as three books in my head, but then one of the second characters I hadn’t intended writing a book for started screaming for her own story, so now it’s four.
Rae: How extensive is your research before beginning a new story in a series?
Regina: That depends. My first book Triple Threat was set in the world of theater, a world I’m very familiar with having performed on stage since I was ten years old and then being the parent of a professional child actor (my daughter was in the national touring production of Mary Poppins). One of my two current works in progress, Close Quarters, is set in the world of Formula One racing, and I’ve had to do a lot more research for that one than I typically do. I did some before writing, but as I write I always find that more questions pop up in my effort to be as true to the real racing world as possible.
Rae: What is next on the horizon? I hear you might be working on a new series that involves Formula One and is a M/M romance? Perhaps a Mediterranean Millionaire? Can you share more with us?
Regina: Yes and yes. The second book in the Mediterranean Millionaires series has been a long time coming, I know. Truth be told, I had a very difficult couple of years mental health wise, but thankfully am back on track again thanks to a great therapist and supportive family. Side note: if you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. By far one of the best things I have ever done. Anyway, long story short, I turned in Miguel’s story, How Not To Marry A Millionaire, to my editor, and now we are in the process of doing some extensive revisions that are painful but I know is going to make this book better and exactly what I want it to be. Meanwhile, I’m also in the final stages of drafting Close Quarters, a MM romance set in the exciting, fast-paced world of Formula One racing. This one is proving to be a blast to write and has definitely helped me regain my mojo. It’s a grumpy/sunshine age gap romance between a rookie driver and his grizzled crew chief, and it’s part of a shared world with two other amazing authors that I met while writing in Sarina Bowen’s Vino and Veritas world, Victoria Denault and Leslie McAdam. We hope to release in October or November.
Rae: Were there any unplanned events or characters that you did not intend on while crafting these story?
Regina: Well, there are always unplanned events in my stories, as I usually plot out only the major plot points and let a lot of the stuff in between happen organically as I write. For example, in Dirty Work, one of my favorites of the books I have written, the whole Ferris Bueller theme was not originally planned. What I did plan was that they would attend Hudson River Flicks, where they show movies in Hudson River Park in New York City. When I researched what kinds of movies were typically shown, I learned that they show a lot of family-friendly 1980s flicks, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was the first movie that came up when I Googled 80s movies. Then when I went to write Jake and Ainsley’s interaction in that scene, I realized that their reaction to the movie would be very different and essentially a reflection of the main conflict in the book: workaholic Jake would view Ferris as a slacker, while reformed workaholic Ainsley would view him as a role model. That wound up leading to an argument that foreshadowed the black moment and even changed what the grand gesture was going to be.
Rae: What was your biggest obstacle while writing these books?
Regina: Well, to be honest, my mental health struggles. As a major extrovert, the pandemic was particularly hard on me. Combine that with day job pressures and family changes (my daughter moved across the country), and I found it hard to write for a time. And what I did produce was not up to the standard I wanted. I’m happy to say that I’ve rediscovered the joy in my writing and am regularly getting words down again, and I have several projects in various stages of development for once Close Quarters and the final two Mediterranean Millionaire books are done, including a super-secret single title series and a gay holiday romcom.
1. What is your must read book? Why? Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry. Textbook example of enemies to lovers. And Ilya Rosonov is one of the most well-developed characters I’ve ever read. A complex chaos gremlin who just sticks with you. He and Shane get a second book, too, The Long Game. Both are must reads for me, and I reread them often. No cliffhangers: they get their HFN in one book and their HEA in the second.
2. If I visit your hometown, where are you taking me, and what’s the best place to grab a bite? You’ll definitely have to come in the summertime so we can take you out on our boat, Casting Call, to the Thimble Islands. After a day of relaxing, noshing, drinking, swimming, and gawking at the beautiful island homes, we’d go to our favorite Italian place, Rosso Vino, for a fabulous meal including the best Caesar salad I’ve ever eaten. I swear, I don’t know what they put in their dressing, but it is the best!
3. What is one thing readers would be surprised to know about you? I don’t know about surprised, as I’m pretty much an open book online LOL. Some people are surprised to learn that my day job is as an assistant district attorney. I’ve been an amateur actress since the age of ten, and after a long hiatus have started performing again in the past few years. (Favorite show to be in: Mamma Mia. I played Rosie, one of the Dynamos.)
4. What is your guilty pleasure? I don’t really have a pleasure I feel guilty about. Although I have watched Red, White, and Royal Blue way more times than I want to admit. And it’s entirely possible that all of my heroes in the foreseeable future will bear a striking resemblance to Taylor Zakhar Perez.
5. What are you afraid of? Any and everything creepy and crawly. Bugs. Spiders.
6. Tats or No Tats? If tats, how many and what did you choose for your first one? None, but I’m not ruling out getting one.
7. Binge watcher or weekly viewer? Which show(s)? Binge when I can. Right now hubby and I are working I way through Good Omens and Only Murders In The Building. I also recently binged Heartstopper and Young Royals, and I’m reliving the 1980s and 1990s by rewatching LA Law, which was big when I was in law school.
8. Is there a book you have read that you would love to see made into a movie (besides yours)? Well, since I’ve been reading a lot of MM romance lately, and since I think there needs to be more queer representation in media, I’m going to say Nic DiDomizio’s The Gay Best Friend. Super fun romcom that I can totally picture on the big screen.
9. What is the one thing you cannot live without? My MacBook Air LOL. As I said earlier, I’m dying here without it!
10. What is the one career that gives you the shudders? Teaching. Not because I think badly of it. To the contrary, it’s an honorable and amazingly difficult and challenging profession. My husband is a high school psychics teacher, and honestly I don’t know how he does it. It takes a lot of patience and understanding, especially in today’s environment. I just know I don’t have the temperament for it.
11. If I opened your handbag/bag/briefcase, what item would I be shocked to see? A stash of Royal Caribbean pens and highlighters. I love cruising, and am the queen of cruise trivia, where they give pens and highlighters as prizes. I’m also the proud winner of Dancing With The Stripes on my last cruise, where they paired passengers with crew members. My partner was a lifeguard from the Maldives, and we totally rocked it! I didn’t get a pen for that one, though, but I did get dinner for two at one of the specialty restaurants and a bottle of champagne.
12. What app on your phone/ipad gets the most use? It’s a three-way tie between Kindle, Hoopla, and Libby.
Rae: Thank you so much for hanging out with me today.
Regina: Thanks for having virtual coffee with me!
Regina Kyle knew she was destined to be an author when she won a writing contest at age 10 with a touching tale about a squirrel and a nut pie. By day, she writes dry legal briefs, representing the state in criminal appeals. At night, she writes steamy romance with heart and humor. She is a three-peat winner of the Booksellers’ Best award: in 2016 for Triple Dare, 2018 for The Billionaire in Her Bed, and 2020 for Dirty Work.
A lover of all things theatrical, Regina lives on the Connecticut coast with her husband and a highly destructive cat with an unfortunate (read: profane) nickname. When she’s not writing, she’s most likely singing, reading, cooking, rooting for her beloved Pittsburgh Penguins, or watching bad reality television
For more info on Regina Kyle you can find her:
Website: https://reginakyle.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReginaKyleauthor
Instagram: www.instagram.com/romancebyregina
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@romancebyregina
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8144022.Regina_Kyle
Dec 8, 2015 | Blog, December 2015, Jennifer Bonds, Nalini Singh, Regina Kyle
Once Upon a Power Play by Jennifer Bonds is a must read hockey romance packed with action, comedy and fantastic characters. Jennifer has written a story that will leave you begging for more from these lovable characters.
Ryan Douglas loves hockey and enjoys when he can be out and about without being recognized. Chloe Jacobs has sworn off men, forever. So, when a crazy chance encounter leaves Ryan and Chloe hot and bothered will it lead to something fulfilling or just another one night stand?
Once again I’m in love with a grocery store scene and a piece of produce. I was hooked from the beginning as I’m sure you will be too! The chemistry between Ryan and Chloe is fun both off and on the ice.
What will Chloe do when she discovers that Ryan has a few secrets and the tabloids are ready to expose them all? Who will she believe? Pictures don’t lie, do they?
If you’re looking for a read that’s packed with hockey, romance and a little Christmas sprit than this this book is for you.
This story is pretty hot with content for mature readers 18+.
I received this ARC from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
Author Info:
Jennifer Bonds writes sizzling contemporary romance with sassy heroines, sexy alphas, and a whole lot of mischief. When she’s not writing or wrangling toddlers, Jennifer can be found curled up with a good book and a bottle of wine. Jennifer lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where her overactive imagination and a weakness for reality TV keep life interesting. She’s lucky enough to live with her very own real life hero, two adorable children, and a pair of rambunctious dogs. Loves Buffy, Mexican food, the Winchester brothers, and all things zombie. Sings off-key.
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Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh is a musical journey between a troubled performer and the woman who can’t seem to get his attention.
Kathleen Devigny was once in love with rockstar Noah St. John until he broke her heart. All Noah wanted from Kathleen was friendship but when that was gone everything changed.
Now, when the paparazzi declare they are in love can they fake it to save Noah’s career? So many secrets threaten to destroy them. Is he really the bad boy the media has made him out to be?
When a stalker threatens to take away everything will this troubled rock star figure out what matters?
I received this ARC from the publisher for a fair and honest review. While this is part of the Rock Kiss series it can be read as a stand alone. However, I’m sure the other books in the series are just as great and I look forward to reading them soon!
This story is pretty hot with content for mature readers 18+.
Author Info:
For more information check out her blog: https://nalinisingh.com/about-nalini/
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A Triple Dare (The Art of Seduction) by Regina Kyle shows us that sometimes even firefighters need a little help. This Harlequin Blaze sizzles from the sexy cover to the very last page.
Cade Hardesty and Ivy Nelson are childhood friends that would do just about anything for each other. When a dare is declared to finally get rid of Cades ex what will he do when it involves the one person that used to crush on him as a kid? Will their friendship survive?
Will Ivy finally be pushed to confess her true feelings to Cade after all these years? Can one simple baseball game change everything?
What happens when Ivy’s big brother finds out that Cade, his best friend, is actually interested in kid sister?
Worlds collide, relationships are questioned and Ivy is about to test her career as a photographer in this smokin’ hot must read!
This three pepper spicy latte must read is 
pretty hot with content for mature readers 18+.
I received this ARC from the publisher for a fair and honest review. This was the first book I’d read from Regina and I look forward to others in her backlist. Happy Reading 🙂
Author Info:
check out https://reginakyle.com for more information
