Hear Ye, Hear Ye....

A brief recap of my releases:  All She Ever Wanted arrived May 2009.

I had another release in 2010, but I terminated myself from that publisher.  Look for more news of this book in April:)

Another was released in July 2011, but not with Freya's Bower.  So to remain true to this post, you can buy it here.

Teacher's Pet arrived Dec 2011, and is, to date, my best seller:)

And finally, after being in Freya's Bowers hands for the last two years (or is it 3?), Class Reunion, the long-awaited sequel to All She Ever Wanted, arrives on virtual bookshelves this Wednesday, Feb 6th:)  You can pre-order it here. 

I've got a busy week ahead, promoting this book, including a week-long contest on my blog, Kenzie's Place

What?  You want a sneak peek?  You got it:)

Blurb:

After being burned pretty badly by two different women in his past, Brian Vellinger has sworn off romance. Commitment-shy for the past fifteen years, he is stunned by his sudden attraction to a woman he's not seen since the last day of their senior year.

Natalie Collier thinks she's successfully put Brian Vellinger out of her mind. After harboring a secret crush all through high school and into college, she is both alarmed and thrilled when Brian makes his intentions known at their 25th class reunion. But will she succeed in softening his casual, 'sex only' policy, or will she end up just another notch on his belt?

Excerpt:

“Here’s the thing:  We’re both single, in our forties, and established in our jobs.  Just because we’re attracted to each other doesn’t mean there has to be a romantic connection, does there?”

“Gee, Brian, if you put it like that why not just hire an escort for the evening?”  Pushing her hurt feelings aside, she stared at him.  “We’re both caught up in the moment. Let’s just fuck each other and see you again in five years?  Sorry; I don’t operate like that.”

“Look, you live five thousand miles away in Boise, right?  My job is here.  What’s the problem with a mutually satisfying night; we both let off some steam and have great sex? On Monday our lives will return to normal and no one gets hurt.  Unless you’ve got a boyfriend or something and feel guilty.”

“No, no boyfriend.”  Natalie set down her glass and cocked her head to one side.  “What the hell happened to you? Are you afraid of commitment now, just because Tracy left you, and some bitch screwed you over?  When was the last time you actually lived with someone, Brian?”  Natalie kept her voice low, but leaned closer.  “Do you know that when I heard the news of your marriage, I went out and rip roaring drunk?  For years, I waited for you to notice me, and you getting married finally woke me up to the fact you weren’t mine.  Where’s the man who stood on that podium and proclaimed ‘sex without love is a dead-end street’?”

“Yeah, well, I was naïve back then.”

“We all were.”  Find your courage, Natalie.  It’s now or never.  “Yes, I’d like to sleep with you, to spend the rest of the weekend with you.  But only on my terms, Brian.  If this happens tonight, I expect you to be considerate, not just cast me aside when the sun comes up in the morning.”

“God.  You want fucking roses in the morning?  We are so past that.”  He shook his head and reached for his beer.

“I don’t expect flowers. I want to get to know you out of bed too,” she tried to explain and looked him in the eye.  “I don’t want us to have to pretend we’re strangers tomorrow morning.  I know you’ve got a golf match. I’ll do something with the girls while you’re golfing, and meet you at the picnic afterwards.  We can have a quiet dinner and you can take me to the airport Monday morning.  That’s what I expect.  We take it from there.”  She smiled inwardly as she observed his gaze drop from her face to her breasts again.  “Unless you have a girlfriend who couldn’t make it tonight, and I’m just a substitute?”  Natalie took another drink of her wine and tried to check her emotions.  Good Lord; was this the way weekend sex was discussed?  It sounded so…cold.

Brian leaned in again and brushed his lips against hers.  “Where are you staying?  I’ll follow you.”

Have a great week!

"Magic 8-Ball, Please Tell Me..."

"....What kind of future will there be?"

I didn't do so great on last year's goals:  I went up 3 pants sizes instead of shrinking; my walking progralm SUCKED until the spouse found his own route and dragged me along, which included going up and down 40 or so steps each morning.  He did take me out to breakfast afterward some days, so that wasn't so bad, but I drew the line once the temps dropped below 50.  But I digress....I'm still de-cluttering my house; my zombie story isn't finished; and we're still in the same crappy hellhole of a house.  But I DID accomplish a few things:
-Three books pubbed and two more subbed; plus finished final edits on another.
-Attended RT and got to meet several people who've encouraged me in the crazy writing venture
-Also attended another local conference and did some promoting/networking.

So what are This year's goals?

-Publish one of mine, two more of Molly's, or maybe even one more; finish writing #8 and begin #9 of Arbor U; finish Zombie story and also find out about Off The Clock.  Will current publisher accept it?  Or can I send it elsewhere?

-Make the break from the Publisher Which Shall Not Be Named and re-publish that book elsewhere. (Hoping they let me go; otherwise, I'll be writing that letter in July)

-Find out if there's a MEDICAL reason for my weight gain, not just the fact I'm sitting on my ass too much and eating too much Hershey Bliss.

-Move boxes in basement to storage (weeding through as I go) and find better place to live.

-I'm still hoping to attend RT in Kansas City (hubby has confirmed we're going!); Lori's (fee went up to $100); and RomantiCon.  Maybe the Powers That Be at the Grand Rapids one will move their date forward or back one weekend???

-Spend a week in Estes Park, Colorado celebrating my parents' 50th wedding anniversary.  It's not until October, but not everyone can get away in that month!  So late July/early August is the plan.

-Karaoke Goal:  Get all the way to the 'F' titles, or even the 'G' ones??

There:  That ought to keep me busy this year.  What about you?



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Friends and Family In A Small Industry

Conferences are approaching. That's nothing new. There are several big conferences a year that writers go to. Either to learn more about their craft, to help others, or meet and inter act with readers. The weeks leading up to a conference is generally chaotic for writers. Aside from their regular commitments, they also need to make sure they have any and all books and promo material together that they'll need. And that it is the right promo for them and for the conference. When you're organizing a conference of any size, you effectively are taking on another full time job. Talk about chaos. I'm sure many events meet themselves coming and going.

The publishing industry as a whole, is really not that big. When you look at e-publishing, it's even smaller. Or maybe not truly smaller, but tighter knit. I don't know if authors from the traditional New York houses get that same feeling or not. Writing is a very solitary occupation, and it can be hard to connect with people. Writing e-books, means there can be less opportunities for booksignings, after all the bookstores can't order them and stack them in a pretty display, but the flip side of that is that as we talk to each other. On Facebook. On Twitter. And on E-mail loops. Short conversations or word count accountability messages become conversations that become friendships. Then we get to go conferences and meet those people and friendships deepen.

I'm heading for GayRomLit in Albuquerque, NM to spend a week with old friends and new ones and to remember those that we lost this year. In the days leading up to GRL there are more and more emails that say things like  "I'm useless at work, is time to go yet?". It is an event that readers and authors alike look forward too. Earlier this year I received a heart-wrenching email from one of my publishers titled "A Death in the Family", informing me of the unexpected death of William Neale, a friend and fellow author. Writers and readers alike, we've become a close knit community. We mourn the loss of friends and family, cheer for successes and good news, send thoughts and prayers and words of encouragement to those in need. And when we're lucky enough to meet them in person and again, it's like coming home. Those emails have led to friendships, to families of friends.


To Old Friends and New....I can't wait to see everyone in Albuquerque!

Simone

"Just keep swimming..."

I saw this little gem today on Facebook.  It's something that I need to add to my mantra and maybe post on multiple walls in my house.  Heck, maybe I need to tattoo it on my body! :) 

I managed to get over my writing funk, at least partially.  That's awesome, but my weekly word count is still much lower than I wish it was.  See, I had this bright idea that I was going to write a novella that would be submitted somewhere when it was finished.  But I also had the not so bright idea to challenge myself and write it in third person. Yeah, yeah I know all about how people say you HAVE to write in third person in order to get published... whatever.  But the fact of the matter is that I generally write in first person.  It's what I love and what I'm comfortable with.  So instead of busting this novella out like I normally would with a new story, I open it up and struggle with it.  Every. Single. Time.

I've thought about going back and rewriting what I have, but that's just a big pain in the ass that frankly I'm too lazy to do. :)   Plus it's not like I can'twrite in third person, I just don't like to.  So I keep on working on it, slowly but surely. Very slowly. The important part is that I haven't given up, right?

So what do you do when you're stuck on something you're writing?

Happy Birthday America and My Daughter; Happy Anniversary to Me:)

Sorry I'm late in posting this; I've been derailed by a tooth extraction.  And being the super-healthy person I am, I thought I'd be back to normal activities within a day or so.

NOT!

I don't have a dry socket; I had a bone graft done for an implant after I pay for it.  But what I didn't count on was not being able to eat normally; having a swollen jaw for the past 5 days (and no relief in sight yet...); and having lortabs mess up my stomach.  Yeah, I know...bitch and complain.  I'm tired of it too.

But on the plus side, I'm getting large amounts of reading accomplished; I get to lay in bed while the family does the housework; and after the nurse assured my hubby that no, I was NOT being a wimp, he's actually been sweet about taking me to Dairy Queen and buying me Spaghetti-Ohs (the only foods which seem to agree with me at the moment).

My daughter turns 18 on Tuesday, and I don't care how long it takes me to eat some birthday cake; I'm going to have a slice!  (It took me an hour to eat 2 pieces of toast the other day, and half an hour to eat a tiny hamburger, cut up into small bites.)  Also, my granddaughter turns 4 weeks old this week, so we have some celebrating to do.

But what about the anniversary?

One year ago today, I was frantically doing edits on this book.  It originally had a September release date, but when I was writing my July newsletter at the end of June 2011, I slipped over to the 'Coming Soon' page to see if I'd been given a release date yet.

Imagine my shock when I saw 'July 6th'.  Screeching tires...WHAAAAT?

Turns out I was supposed to have been in edits the last month.  So Arianna, the senior editor, and I worked frantically round the clock to get this book edited.  She sent me the 1st round on Thursday; I sent them back on Friday the 1st.  Saturday, 2nd round arrived, and I sent them back later that night.  Sunday the 3rd, some minor stuff.  I finished it and had it back to her again that night.  Monday the 4th, I received the final copy.  I approved it.  Tuesday the 5th, I received the proof copy.  Again it looked okay, and I gave it my approval.  On Wednesday the 6th, it released.  That was the fastest amount of time I'd ever edited-approved-released a book!

So for your reading pleasure, here is one of my favorite excerpts from Appetite For Desire.  Enjoy:)


Blurb:

Dustin James is shocked to learn the sexy blonde he met two days earlier is none other than his father’s caterer who also works at the country club he’s recently joined. When he can’t keep his hands off of her, is lust for her sexy body all he wants, or is it love?


Courtney Bright defied the rules by admitting her attraction to the new customer at the country club. But when she realizes her feelings aren’t just sexual, will she take a chance on love, or is her job more important?


Buy link

Excerpt:
“Want to see the upstairs?” Dustin led her to the golden oak staircase, the risers carpeted in the same dark blue as the living room.


She nodded and followed him, poking her head into each of the five bedrooms, all decorated differently.


“There are two full baths on this floor,” Dustin explained as he showed her the master suite. “And two half baths downstairs.”


“Someone finally got smart.” Courtney looked at the glass-walled shower and the whirlpool tub. “Growing up, we only had one full and one half. My brother would often go outside and pee in the bushes if both were full.” She took one more glance and headed for the doorway. “Your friend hasn’t lived here very long, has he?” She lingered by the door.


“Why do you say that?”


“Well, look,” she gestured at the walls. “No photographs, no pictures, and everything looks as if it just came out of the showroom.”


Very perceptive. He chuckled. “That’s because this is one of the model houses for the neighborhood.”

Courtney blushed. “Oh. I should have realized…”


“No, no, don’t worry.” He leaned against the door jam. “So what do you think?”


“About the house? It’s lovely.” She looked at him, her eyes dreamy. As he watched, she shook her head. “Thank you for showing it to me.”


“My pleasure.” Dustin put a finger under her chin and brushed her lips with his.


Mistake.


His cock swelled as the memory of their night together flooded his mind.  He groaned and pulled her closer.


Like what you're reading?  Buy it here:


Sweet Cravings

Amazon

One Minute Quickie

I realized a moment ago that when my weekly post here is due, I will once again not be at home or somewhere that I can stop and blog. This time around I’ll be at Scrapfest which is a marathon scrapbook session that my friend Pam organizes. She rents a conference room at a hotel and sets up tables, provides lunch, dinner and snacks plus a few scrapbooky goodies then we pay for a spot at a table. We show up on Saturday morning, scrap all day, and all night, spend the night and then scrap some more on Sunday morning before going home. It’s wonderful… I get so much done and get to hang out with my best buds at the same time. :)

Of course seeing that this is a last minute post, I had NO idea what to write today. I did a Google search for blog prompts and came across a blog called, “The One-Minute Writer.” It’s kind of a cool idea, there’s a prompt and even a timer available on the blog. Today’s prompt was “Ticket.” Here’s my one minute writing:

I’ve got my ticket purchased and I’m anxiously waiting for the magic time of 5:55 PM when I along with a group of friends will get to finally see Magic Mike. Our ages span from 35 to 69 and I can’t wait to hear all of the giggling! My friends rock!

So yeah… one minute isn’t much at all. Frankly I think the people who shared their writing on the blog cheated. LOL I typed what I wrote and I’m a fast typist but only got 51 words. One of the people got 119, and other got 115. I call bullshit. :)

So I challenge you… in sixty seconds type something about a ticket. Then post the result in the comments!

Ready, go!

Oh and happy Magic Mike Day!! :)

Joe Manganiello ate my blog post.

One of the first things people ask me when they find out that I’m a writer is, “What do you write?”  But honestly, asking me to narrow down what I write into one genre is a lot like asking me to choose which race I identify most with since I’m biracial.  I can’t choose one parent over the other, and choosing a genre seems to be just as difficult for me.  Just one of my books can include romance, suspense, comedy, erotica, and paranormal themes in it depending on what I’m in the mood to write.   I just write and let the work decide what it wants to be as I go along.

According to some people I’m supposed to pick a genre by figuring out what my book is “mostly” and go with that.  But why can’t I just call it fiction?  My favorite part of the bookstore isn’t in the themed sections, it’s the plain old fiction aisles where there’s a smorgasbord of different types of books. The section that holds everything from the classics to Neil Gaiman to Sophie Kinsella and everything in between.  I’ve found some of my favorite books by looking through the fiction section and having a large selection to choose from.

Maybe I’m weird because I like to read and write so many different genres. Or maybe I’m just stubborn and don’t like to make decisions between things I love equally. I mean, I am bisexual and biracial, maybe I just like everything! :)  What I don’t like, however, is this blog post… I’ve been working on it way too long for it to be this short and crappy.  I also had a short intermission where I searched through Joe Manganiello photos which I consider writing research since in my head he’s the main character in most everything I write lately. :)

He’s quite lovely, isn’t he?

And on that note, I’m off to try and get some actual writing done!  Have a great week!

:)

Kel