Monday, September 25, 2017

Seelie Kay @SeelieKay, Author of Kinky Briefs #ContemporaryRomance, #EroticRomance, #BDSM




I’d like to welcome Seelie Kay, author of the Kinky Briefs series to my blog today.

RW:   Tell us about yourself, your family, where you live, etc.

KS:    I am a former attorney and journalist, now a full-time writer. I was born and raised in southeastern Wisconsin, and after attending school and living around the country, I returned to raise my family here. It takes a village to raise a child, and everyone in my village was in Wisconsin.

RW:   How many hours a day do you spend writing?

KS:    I write when inspired. I have no set schedule. Somedays, I write for eight to ten hours; other times, I write nothing at all.

RW:   Has your life changed since you became a writer? What’s the best thing about being a writer?

KS:    I have been writing since I was in third grade, when I won my first national essay contest. I love to write. It is very much my “comfort food.” I stopped doing it when I had eight surgeries in five years, simply because I was in an “anesthesia fog.” The day I picked up my pen and began writing again was one of the happiest of my life.

RW:   Who are your favorite authors? Who influenced your writing?

KS:    J.D. Robb, James Patterson, Lisa Scottoline, and David Balducci are among my favorite authors. And my writing was most influenced by my mentors—journalism teachers, and newspaper and magazine editors and publishers. However, I have always been a voracious reader. I think it is safe to say that any writer I have read—good or bad—influenced me in some way. Dr. Seuss, for example, taught me that writing should be fun. And for me, it is!

RW:   Who are your favorite characters among the books you’ve written?

KS:    While I try to include lawyers of all ages in my stories, the ones who move me the most are the ones closest to my age who find love later in life. However, one younger character really stands out for me: Katia “Munk” Hrulata, a civil litigator newly diagnosed with MS. We share a journey that many cannot understand—searching for love after the diagnosis of a very cruel and fickle disease, Multiple Sclerosis. She appears for the first time in Kinky Briefs, Thrice and will continue in future books.

RW:   What’s your most embarrassing moment?

KS:    My water breaking in Wal-Mart. Everyone thought I had wet my pants!

RW:   Hunky heroes or average Joe?

KS:    Men with brilliant minds who provide scintillating conversation. Looks mean little to me. When all else fails (ahem) that ability to communicate is going to carry you through.

RW:   Party life or quiet dinner for two?

KS:    Totally depends on my mood.

RW:   I’m always ready for (fill in the blank).

KS:    Adventure.

RW:   I can never (fill in the blank) because (fill in the blank).

KS:    I can never turn away from someone truly in need, because I firmly believe that we have a responsibility to help, not kick, those who are down.

RW:   Those are all the questions I have for you. Thank you for speaking to me.

KINKY BRIEFS, THRICE

The Plot

Take a kinky romp through lawyerland!

Lawyers get their kink on in this sizzling collection of short stories. Through the eyes of a lawyer toiling away in the backroom of a law firm, a wicked window into the legal world opens as she spins her outrageous tales of lawyers in love, cranky judges, and those who serve them. From a randy AG who uses his cycle to woo a young law firm associate to a Sheikh and lawyer in a fight for their lives, or a kinky lawyer struggling to adapt to a diagnosis of a crippling, chronic illness to a rowdy fantasy about a new sheriff in town, each lawyer attacks life with humor and passion, always ready to embrace just a dash of kink. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you might even blush, but one thing’s for certain, when you’re done reading, you’ll run out and buy a set of handcuffs!

An Excerpt:

From Chapter 10: “The One Who Got Away”

“The elegant champagne flute slipped through my fingers, shattering as it struck the floor.

“My God, Cari, are you okay? You look like you have seen a ghost.”

I turned to Martin Dunning, the esteemed Governor of Missouri, and muttered, “Ghosts are dead. Unfortunately, this man is not.” I tried to smile. “Sorry about the flute. You can add it to my tax bill. Tell Molly I’ll call her tomorrow.” I turned to leave, but a hand on my right shoulder stopped me.

“I dinna come all this way to watch the back of you, Cari,” said a soft voice with an Irish lilt.

My best friend’s husband stood by, looking chagrined. Martin clearly did not know whether he should intervene. “It’s okay, Martin,” I said quickly, my voice strained. I turned to the Irish interloper. “Ian O’Leary, meet Martin Dunning, the Governor of Missouri.”

Ian smiled and extended a hand. “Very pleased to meet you, sir,” he said, a charming grin crossing his face.

Martin looked at us, puzzled. “I don’t believe you’ve ever mentioned an Ian, Cari.” He looked directly at Ian, his steely blue-gray eyes sizing up the man before him. “How do you two know each other? Did she sue you or something?”

I could not help it. A bitter laugh just slipped out. “No. I haven’t mentioned him because he’s the one who got away.” I turned and walked toward the door. I had not seen the man in twenty years, and I did not want to see him now. I walked as fast as I could toward the exit. I needed to get out of there.

Allow me to backtrack a bit. I met Ian O’Leary in New York City. I was attending an annual law meeting. He was working as a bartender at one of the many clubs my friends and I frequented on our little field trip. As stupid as it sounds, it was love at first sight. He was tall and lean, his genial face framed with short blond hair that tended to fall into his bright blue eyes. Ian had a wicked smile that stirred the heat in my loins, and as I listened to his banter with other customers, I became entranced.

I was young and naïve, barely out of law school. It was a time when I still believed in passion and romance, a time when my heart still ruled my head. Back then, I trusted easily, even a handsome stranger with an amazingly sexy Irish lilt. We went out the next night and the next. A week later, I returned to Chicago and he followed me there. Less than two weeks later, we were talking about marriage and I was standing in line at the U.S. Passport Office trying to convince a government official to expedite a passport so I could return to Ireland with Ian.Ten days later, I dragged myself off a plane at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, my heart shattered, my soul crushed beyond recognition. It took me a year before I finally crawled out of that rabbit hole, older, wiser, and vowing to never again give my heart to any man. I never did.”

SEELIE KAY

Seelie Kay engages in flights of fancy about lawyers in love, drawing on a vivid imagination, an inquisitive mind, and more than twenty-five years in the legal world. After stints as a journalist and lawyer, Seelie hung out her shingle as a freelance writer, editor, and author. When not spinning her kinky tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine. Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. We will find a cure!

Book Links:

BN: TBD

Contact Seelie At:

Twitter: @SeelieKay  https://twitter.com/SeelieKay

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Anna James @authorannajames Author of The Chasing Memories #ContemporaryRomance #ForevermoreSeries #Suspense




I’d like to welcome Anna James, author of Chasing Memories to my blog today.

RW:       Tell us about yourself, your family, where you live, etc.

AJ:        I’m happily married with five wonderful children and a loveable rescue dog. I live in New England and work full time. I write every chance I can, and love creating stories with strong heroes and heroines who conquer life’s trials and find their happily-ever-afters.

RW:       Why did you decide to write? When did you submit your first manuscript and what genre was it?

AJ:        I decided to write because I love creating stories. I chose romance because I love reading them and I love that they always have a happy ending. My first manuscript, a contemporary romance, was published in 2010.

RW:       How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

AJ:        I’d say there’s probably a little bit of me in every book I write. I’m and engineer and I once wrote a female engineer heroine (To Love and Trust Again). When I was younger, I wanted to design wedding dresses. A dream I fulfilled when I designed and made my daughter’s wedding dress. Nicole Bradford, the heroine from Keeping Her Guilty Secret wanted to design wedding dresses. I like cooking. Ashley Bradford, the heroine in A Love Worth Saving, likes to cook.

RW:       Tell us about your latest book. What motivated the story? Where did the idea come from? What genre is it? Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?

AJ:        I have two novels from Entangled Publishing releasing on August 21, 2017. Even better—they’re both on sale for just $0.99.

They’re The Business of Love, and Chasing Memories: Books One and Two in my Forevermore series.

RW:       How many books have you written, how many have been published?

AJ:        I’ve written four full-length novels, five novellas and one short story. All but one of the full-length novels has been published. My latest novel is out on submission.

RW:       If I were a first-time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

AJ:        Banking on Love, because I loved writing that story!

RW:       Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

AJ:        It’s a little bit of both. Sometimes they surprise me and act in ways I never planned on!

RW:       What can we expect from you in the future? Where do you hope to be five years from now?

AJ:        I’ve started two new contemporary romance series. The first takes place Texas and the second in Maine. As for where I’ll be in five years? Still writing and creating stories readers love to read.

RW:       What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

AJ:        I love going to the lake or the ocean and relaxing in the sun for a few days.

RW:       What is your secret guilty pleasure?

AJ:        Chocolate! Also, listening to a great audio book (probably a romance novel) while lying in the sun.

RW:       City life or country life? E-Book or paperback? Zebras or elephants?

AJ:        If I have to choose between the city or country, I’d probably live in the city. The country is too quiet for me, but I’d like visiting for some peace and tranquility once in a while. I don’t live in a big city, though. I live in a suburb. Close enough to visit a major city when I want, or drive to the country for a quick getaway. I’m more of a paperback kind of girl, but I find audiobooks even more enjoyable. Haven’t thought much about whether or not I prefer Zebras to elephants!

RW:       Those are all the questions I have for you. Thank you for speaking to me.

AJ:        Thanks for hosting me today!


The Plot:

After a hit-and-run kills his grandmother, Lucas Morgan knows the truth behind the accident is locked in India Leone’s head. He’s determined to help her memory return or trip her up in a lie—depending on which side of the truth she’s on. She’s at the top of his suspect list, so he offers her a job at one of his luxury hotel properties to keep her close.

Interior designer India doesn’t remember how she ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, or what happened in the accident that killed Lucas’s grandmother. The police say she isn’t responsible, but amnesia has left her with many questions.

She takes Lucas up on his job offer, thinking a new start will be good for her, not for a moment thinking she might fall for the man keeping secrets that could break her heart and endanger her life.

Anna James

Bio

Anna James writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels with strong, confident heroes and heroines who conquer life’s trials and find their happily-ever-after.

She is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America), CTRWA (Connecticut Romance Writers of America), and CORW (Charter Oak Romance Writers).

Anna is married to a wonderful husband who spends countless hours picking up the slack around the house so she can pursue her dream of writing, is the proud mother of five fabulous children, and a big, loveable rescue dog the entire family adores.

Although she’s lived in several locations throughout her life she now calls Connecticut home. When not writing, reading, or plotting, she can be found spending time with family and friends.


Contact Anna:


Buy Links:

Chasing Memories