Author Interview: Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Hi everyone! 

Kimber Leigh Wheaton has wonderfully given me the chance to interview her and since she is very well known for horror novels, I decided to interrogate her on that. I also got some more information about Bitter Envy, her new book. 

Check it out below: 

Where do you come up with the ideas for your books?

Everywhere and anywhere. I have very vivid dreams, so lots of ideas come from those. Some ideas come to me while driving. Another thing that helps when I’m looking for a certain plot twist is some music or a walk in nature.

What made you a big horror fan?

I’ve been a horror fan for as long as I can remember. I’ve always liked thrillers- not necessarily horror movies- like Jaws and Alien. My first adult read was Whispers by Dean Koontz. I also remember reading a chapter book about a haunted doll when I was 9 or so that ruined me for the rest of my life- no dolls in my house. Ever.

Is Bitter Envy along the same lines as The Orion Circle series?

They are similar in that both are urban fantasy. Bitter Envy is darker psychologically while The Orion Circle has a touch of mystery. Bitter Envy follows Envy Davis, an enchantress who was sold into servitude to a shifter crime lord. It is about her coming to terms with the immoral things she’s been forced to do and finding herself in the chaos.

What is your favorite horror movie and why?

The Silence of the Lambs was one of my favorite horror movies. Hannibal Lecter was completely chilling as was the crazy serial killer Clarice was hunting. There are scenes in that movie that I will never be able to forget.

Author Interview: RC Boldt

On average how long does it take you to write a book?

It takes me about a month to write the first draft of the book. Then, I usually take at least a month and a half to do what seems like a billion rereads, refine it, add to it, etc.

Have you written a book that required a significant amount of research?

The one I’m currently working on, Laws of Attraction, includes a former combat pararescue jumper. Since I don’t have anyone friends who are or have been in that field nor have I ever met a former PJ, I want to be sure to portray them as accurately as possible. I’ve watched numerous documentaries and read much about them.

Excerpt:

There was no mistaking the glaring ‘Return to Sender' stamps on the letters I held in my hand. Staring down at the letters I'd just retrieved from my mailbox in the commons area on campus, I couldn't ignore the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Miller and I had begun dating during our senior year of high school and it had been nothing short of spectacular. When the popular quarterback of our school's undefeated football team had slid into the vacant seat beside me in AP Biology, asking if I'd be his partner, I had been surprised, as the two of us normally gravitated in completely different circles. No, he wasn't a dumb jock; I had noticed him in some of my other AP classes, but still. I had been the Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook staff. Not exactly scintillating by high school standards.
We had grown closer, become friends, as we dissected animals and I'd discovered that we worked well as lab partners. Far better than I'd ever expected. We began studying for our tests and, little by little, I warmed up to him. When he'd asked me to go to the Homecoming Dance with him, I had been decidedly cautious.
"I don't know …" I had hesitated. "Don't you think you'd be better off taking Kalli? Or Stephanie?" I offered up names of the two extremely popular cheerleaders at our school. These were girls who showed absolutely no hesitation in fawning all over the tall, handsome Miller Vaughn with his sparkling blue eyes and dark hair. He was extremely muscular, even for a high school senior, and with his six foot three frame, he appeared intimidating to many.
Miller had given me a patient smile. "Tate, if I wanted to ask someone else to Homecoming, I would have. But I didn't. I asked you."
Looking up into his eyes, I had thrown caution to the wind. "Okay. But if it turns out to be like a scene from the movie Carrie, I'm going to be really pissed."
His head was thrown back in laughter before gazing down at me with a tender smile. "Tate, I promise I won't let anything happen to you."
And he hadn't. We had gone to the dance and he'd been a perfect gentleman, opening doors for me, holding my hand, his shoulders thrown back with pride as he walked into the gym with me on his arm. I'd had more fun than I had ever expected. And when it came time for him to bring me home, his soft lips pressed against mine in the sweetest kiss.
From that point on, we'd been inseparable. And by the time graduation came around, he had told me he loved me and wanted to be with me, for us to go to the same college. When we had both been accepted to UMU, it had seemed like it was meant to be—like we were meant to be.
Until the end of our freshman year.

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Author Interview: Carly Phillips

Where did you come up with the Dare series?

I was looking for a way to write a long series without 12 siblings from one mother… I was also looking for meaty conflict that could sustain those books. The Dare series lets me show how each child reacted to the father’s ultimate betrayal.

What do you like to do on your free time?

I think I’m always working in some way. Internet is a time suck and it’s working even if I’m on Facebook. I love hanging out with my dogs, my husband (not in that order LOL), my girls/daughters. I like to shop. I love makeup so that’s always a fun trip to the mall!

Are the characters based off of anyone that you know? If so, who?

The characters are made up, purely fiction. Although I do believe that just by living life, I learn things that inevitably end up in my writing. I can’t say it’s conscious or that I ever based a character on a real person – except years ago a set of books, Kiss Me If You Can, was loosely based on quirky family/my grandmother.

Promotion: Dare to Take - Carly Phillips (Dare to Love #6)

Dare to Take by Carly Phillips

Publication Date: May 3, 2016

Blurb

She was off limits,
But he couldn't resist.
There are just some guys you don't touch--even someone as innocent and inexperienced as Ella Shaw knows that. But when her brother's best friend is up for grabs and willing, she can't resist. After all, she's wanted him for years...
On leave from the army, Tyler Dare WAS just looking for a little fun, but his best friend's sister is off limits. Yet unable to deny how sexy and alluring she is, he finds it all too easy to succumb to a night of passion and heat that ends the next morning in the worst way possible.
Now years later, Ella is stranded on a tropical island with a hurricane bearing down, and only Tyler can save her. It's his chance to make amends for the past and show the woman he's never forgotten that he's coming after her . . . in more ways than one.

Available From

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About Carly Phillips

After a successful fifteen year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She's a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she's a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at www.carlyphillips.com.

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Teaser

The sun shone overhead, the temperature neared ninety, and the humidity was hair-curlingly high on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, making it hard to believe a hurricane was coming soon. Ella Shaw glanced up at the blue sky, knowing it wouldn't remain pristine for long.
The calm before the storm.
She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and headed out of her hotel, determined to hit the local gift shop she'd caught sight of on her way to the photo shoot yesterday. She'd seen long, draping, blue-beaded necklaces from the storefront window, but she hadn't had time to stop. Her boss was a stickler for getting the right shot in the exact light, and they'd worked well past dark. By the time they'd wrapped for the day, the store had been closed.
As an assistant for Angie Crighton, a fashion designer based in Miami, Ella was responsible for the little details involved in a photo shoot. And though Angie, the photographer, and models had left the island this morning, Ella had stayed to make sure the shooting site was clean, the hotel pleased enough to allow them back another time. And if she were honest with herself, she liked the downtime after the craziness of a photo shoot, the rushing around of the crew, the bossiness of some of the models and, of course, of Angie herself.
Ella appreciated the fact that she had time to souvenir shop for her best friend, Avery Dare. How ironic was it that the two girls from very different worlds had met at all? But they had. And it was Avery who'd introduced Ella to the finer things in life, leading her to seek out a job with an haute-couture designer. Whereas Avery came from a wealthy family, Ella had been raised firmly middle class, but the two girls had bonded instantly. They'd even shared an apartment until recently, when her best friend had moved in with her rock star boyfriend, Grey Kingston.
Yep, two different worlds, even now, Ella thought wryly. But their friendship was solid. Which reminded her, she needed to let Avery know she might not make it back to the States tomorrow as planned.
When Ella had heard about the storm changing course, she'd tried to book an earlier flight out, without success. She shivered at the possibility of being stranded here alone during a hurricane and knew Avery would like the news even less. Her best friend suffered from severe anxiety, and Ella didn't like to make her worry.
She'd just buy Avery an extra gift to make up for it, she thought, walking into the shop. She immediately headed to the turquoise-blue beads she'd seen through the window. The shopkeeper claimed they were Larimar beads. Even if they were fake, the beads, popular in the Caribbean, were said to have healing powers. Ella purchased two dozen, a mix of bracelets and necklaces, so she could share with the children at the cancer treatment center where she and Avery volunteered.
Avery had been nine, Ella ten years old when they'd met at a Miami hospital, both donating bone marrow, both there at the behest of a parent. Neither of them really understanding what was happening. All Ella had known was that she was doing a favor for her father, helping the stepmother Ella didn't like all that much to begin with. Even at a young age, Ella had been a good judge of character, a better one than her father, obviously, because shortly after Janice had gotten well, she'd left Ella's dad. And both her father and Ella's life had gone downhill from there. Ella shook off the thoughts of her past before she could go deeper and darker, and focused on the pretty jewelry.
She spent some time choosing a thick turquoise bracelet for Avery and a similar one for herself before paying for everything and waiting for the shopkeeper to wrap things up.
Bag in hand, she started back to the hotel, cutting through side streets and looking into the windows of the stores, soaking up the culture along the cobblestone streets before heading back to Miami tomorrow. At least, she still hoped she'd be home. Knowing she couldn't change the outcome, she pushed her worrisome thoughts aside. She'd deal with the situation as it came.
Sweat dampened her neck from the humidity of the island, and she contemplated taking a cab back to the hotel. She reached into her straw bag and pulled out her cell phone to make the call, when, without warning, she felt a hard jerk on her purse.
"What the—?" She spun around, but whomever wanted her purse was quicker.
She barely caught a glimpse of a tall guy with dark hair as he yanked harder, nearly pulling her shoulder out of its socket before slamming her against the nearby building with his other hand.
Her head hit the concrete wall, and spots immediately appeared behind her eyes from the impact. As she struggled not to pass out, the man grabbed her purse, along with her cell phone that had fallen to the ground.
She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her legs collapsed beneath her, and she fell to the ground, her head smacking the sidewalk before everything went black.

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Guest Post: Justice for Corrie - Susan Stoker (Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes #3)

Today is more or less a small post and I just wanted to share how amazing this response was when I asked Susan about this. 

Susan Stoker brought me Justice for Corrie and now added on more books onto my TBR list but I got the chance to talk with her and I asked if she knew how her stories developed and if she knew them right away.

Here is what I got. :)

STOKER: I get asked a lot if I know what’s going to happen in my books before I start them. The answer is “sort of.”. I have the basic idea of how the couple meets and then what the “drama” is going to be about three fourths of the way through the book, but otherwise I just let it flow as I write.
I also write way ahead of schedule…so by the time the book comes out, it’s been written and waiting for several months. This allows me to re-read it when it gets time to publish, and make it better. I can add in things that have come up with preceding books, and add in some “easter eggs” for the readers. (i.e. things to link the current book to past books, or even future ones).
It’s a process that works for me, but certainly doesn’t for all authors. I always tell people when they ask “how to write,” that they will have to come up with what works for them. You can’t do what others do, you can only do what is best for your creativity. And that is true for anything. 

Now personally I think that is not only inspirational but it is really deep and makes you want to strive and bring joy to people like she does. 

Blog you later, awesome book nerds and thank you Susan Stoker and Rock Star PR. 

Author Interview: Meghan March

Hi everyone! Please give a warm welcome to Meghan March. A brilliant writer who has brought us the Dirty Billionaire series and of course, another addition to our alpha male book boyfriends list! May I just say that I am in love with this series so far and it gives Christian Grey a run for his money? 

So let's get started right away!

1. What/Who inspired you to become a writer that everyone would fall in love with?

I wanted to tell stories that would offer people an escape from their everyday lives because, as a reader, that’s what I love. I’ll always consider myself a reader first and a writer second.

2. What is your favorite book series? 

I love the Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. It’s EPIC and her world-building is second to none.

3. If you could pick your favorite author, who would it be and why? That’s not a fair question! I have so many. Kresley Cole and Kristen Ashley are at the top of my list.

4. What inspired you to make the Dirty Billionaire series? I was on vacation in the Dominican and I had probably had a little too much coco loco, and this character’s voice popped into my head. It was Creighton Karas, and I wrote the blurb in less than two minutes. I haven’t changed it at all. The books grew from there. 

5. What is your favorite genre for books? I go through phases. For years, I read nothing but historical romance, and then paranormal, and then contemporary, and then erotic. Right now, I read anything and everything that strikes my fancy. 

Author Interview: Candace Blevins

I want to kick things off with how awesome freaking Candace Blevins is for joining us today for an awesome little blog interview. Her Bash series really made me squirm in my seat and you know, all that good stuff. 

I really do not know why I keep putting myself through the situation where I constantly feel paranoid when I read her books at school because you know how pretty graphic they are.

Well here's a small excerpt for you:

Eight years ago

Angelica

Kayla met me in the bathroom after last period, and watched as I changed out of my super tiny mini-skirt into jeans. God, if my dad saw me in this skirt he’d have an aneurism.

“I can’t believe you lost Brain. God, Ang, he’s the best biker-bitch you’ve had yet.”

Speaking of aneurisms, my dad nearly had one when he found out Kayla called me Ang. He calls me Angel, but says no one else is allowed to shorten my name. One of the reasons I love Kayla is she isn’t afraid of my dad, or any of the other bikers, and she just kept calling me what she wanted.

I shrugged as I buttoned my jeans and stowed the skirt in my backpack. “I got one of the new guys, I’ve only met him a couple of times. He looks like he’s pissed at the world, and I seriously doubt he’s going to be any fucking help at all with my calculus or chemistry homework.”

“He have a cool name?” she asked as we left the bathroom.

“Bash, and best I can tell, it isn’t ‘cause he’s bashful. And damn, the boy is beautiful.” And he’d be so fucking pissed if he knew I’d called him a boy.

“How you gonna break him in?”

I shook my head. “Haven’t decided. He’s actually kinda scary, even for one of my dad’s men. Also, I don’t think he’s that much older than us. I know when he first came, he couldn’t have even the prospect patch yet, ’cause he wasn’t old enough. They treated him like one, which had to suck, but he didn’t get his first patch until a few weeks ago, so I think he just turned eighteen.”

“You know his story?”

I shook my head. “He has a fucked up accent though. He isn’t from around here.”

Kayla showed the assistant principal the note from her mom saying she could ride home with me, and he waved us to the RTMC vehicle waiting in the car line.

I got into the front passenger seat and settled my backpack at my feet as I put my seatbelt on and told him, “Bash, meet Kayla. She’s my BFF and you’re her ride now, too. Not just mine.”

He breathed deep, and I assumed he’d just realized she’s human and not wolf, and I added, “We have a problem, you take care of her first, then me. I can handle myself a few minutes, but she isn’t a fighter. Get me?”

He pulled forward and glanced in his rear view mirror at Kayla before looking forward again. “My orders are to keep you safe, Princess.”

I sighed and leaned my head back, looking at the road instead of him. “Those are your orders from my dad. Thing is, I can make your life a living hell if I want, or I can help make this a cushy assignment until you get your patch. I’ve grown up in the club, I know the drill. When Kayla and I became best friends in the fourth grade, our dads had a talk. Their agreement was she’d come to the house, but never to the club, and there’d be no parties at our house when she’s over. She hasn’t been around ya’ll much at all. Her parents have met my prospect chauffeurs over the years, and they’re mostly chilled about it now, but they’ll need to meet you sometime this week.”

“Basically,” Kayla said from the backseat, “you’re our bitch now. You’re our ride when we need one, and you go get stuff we need, even if it’s tampons at two in the morning. You’ll carry our packages for us when we go shopping at the mall, and if we ask if our ass looks fat when we try on clothes, you’ll be honest and tell it to us straight from a guy’s perspective.”

“And not,” I added, my voice low and deep, “from my father’s viewpoint.” I held my wolf in, so I didn’t growl at him in front of Kayla. “I know you’re supposed to cock-block us, but I also know you can’t actually hurt any of the guys.” He held his hand up, thinking he could silence me, and I said, “Fuck you, asshole. I’ll talk when I fuckin’ want to.”

Now that that is done, please join me in applauding Candace Blevins with us. WHOO! Yeah, I'm not a 'WHOO' kind of girl so just applaud in your head. Or aloud. Whatever works best for you awesome book nerds. 

Q: What is for you the perfect book hero?

I don’t think there’s a single description. I’ve fallen in love with good guys, bad guys, antiheros… I need them to be honest, but otherwise, I’m not sure you can put the perfect hero into a tidy little box.

Q: When you start a book, do you already have the whole story in your head or is it built progressively?

In the beginning I was a total pantser. Now, I’m kind of a hybrid pantser/planner. I know my characters inside and out before I start, and I know their backstories, as well as the main events of the book, and the basic ending. However, if I do much more than that, my muse gets bored. She often takes the stories in directions I hadn’t intended. We end up at the same ending, but there are often several fun detours, along the way.

Q: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I got my first decently-sized royalty check. 

I used to juggle professionally, and I didn’t consider myself a “professional” juggler until I made a good bit of money doing so, as well. For some, the fact they write everyday makes them a writer, and that’s fine for other people, but it wasn’t real for me until I was holding a check.

THANK YOU, CANDACE BLEVINS FOR JOINING US TODAY! It really meant a lot to have you as my first author interview.

Blog you later, awesome book nerds.