Hey there lovelies. It’s a great day at ye old blog today because we have with us my fellow Crimson writing sister, Becky Flade here to tell us about her spanking new release from Crimson Romance: Fated Souls. Just released on Monday, April 15, right in time to perk you up after those pesky taxes.

Here is a bit about Fated Souls: Investigative journalist Maggie O’Connell went from hard hitting exposés to alien abductions in the blink of an eye, but she did it with style. Her next big lead takes her to northern Minnesota hot on the trail of a werewolf and straight into the arms of Aidan Gael, a horse rancher with way more secrets than he has friends. Maggie may get the story but the man who shares the wolf’s compelling green eyes may end up with her heart – provided they can keep each other alive.

 KMJ: Wow Aliens, werewolves, oh my! It all sound pretty fantastic what got you into writing paranormal romance?

BF: I have a seriously over-active imagination and three brothers. I sat through every horror, sci-fi, superhero, mutant, alien invasion movie, television show, cartoon, you name it, that you can imagine growing up; the majority ruled. We did not watch a lot of pretty little pony and princesses at our house as kids. Ha! And I’d put my own spin on things. What can I say…I like football, a really cold beer and the supernatural.  I’ll take Batman over Carrie “what’s her name in the city” any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  

KMJ: Have you always been a fan of romance? When did you first fall for the genre?

BF:  Yes, always a fan of the genre. I’m a hopeless romantic thru and thru! I still have the first Harlequin Presents I read. My mom tells this story of me as a toddler playing on the floor as she was watching Barbra Streisand’s “Funny Girl” and at the end of the movie I burst into tears. She scooped me up and I wailed, “She loves him and he doesn’t love her!” It probably started then.

KMJ: So you have your pick: an alien, a werewolf or a rancher and they are all hot, which one do you choose?

BF:  In this post-Patriot Act environment the poor little hot alien would have mean-Mulder after him 24/7 and I’m sorry but I’m a homebody, a nester, I need a guy that can settle down.  And as for the werewolf, well frankly, I live in the city; we have leash laws….need I say more? Well, hold on, he’s hot, there’s a leash, hmmmmm…. No, no, scoop laws too that is not sexy no matter how you phrase it.  Rancher.  Definitely the rancher.

KMJ: Good pick!  Tell us a bit about your writing process are you a plotter or a pantser or a little bit of both?

BF: I’m a little bit of both.  When I start I have a very good idea of what’s going to happen when and where, some might even refer to it as a plot. But I’ve never had a story go where I thought it would.  Fated Souls started as a short, comic piece and that little scene is smack in the middle of the book.

KMJ:  And now for my favorite question, can you tell us the story of your ‘overnight’ success?

BF: One of my brothers recommended I get on Twitter because an actor we both enjoy is ‘actually really funny.’ I was home from work with my youngest who was sick with the flu, messing around online while she was napping, bored. I remembered what my brother said and went on Twitter to check out that actor’s Tweets and I saw that Crimson Romance was accepting tweet pitches. I figured it would be a good opportunity to network and treated it like a writing assignment.  You could have knocked me over with a feather when they contracted Fated Souls.  That was January of this year.

KMJ:  What can we expect next from you?

BF: I’m currently working on a contemporary romance about would-be high school sweethearts that get a chance at love nearly twenty years later.  

KMJ: That sounds lovely. Now please tell us, where can our readers pick up Fated Souls and find you on the web?

Fated Souls is available at www.crimsonromance.com and everywhere E-books are sold.  It will also be available Print-On-Demand later this year. And you can find me on my blog, Facebook or Twitter. 

You can also pick up Fated Souls on Amazon here

Thanks so much for being here today. It was a real treat!

I loved it! Thanks for having me.

Go Becky!

All the best,

KMJ

So I was tagged by fellow Crimsonista, the lovely, Lynn Crandall and given a Liebster Award.  What is a Liebster? I’m not sure so let’s go to the old cut and paste for that shall we?

“The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers. Liebster, I’m told, is German and mans sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome, so it packs a lot of punch.” What?! Now I feeling extra special. Thanks so much Lynn

Here are the rules for receiving the award:

1. Each recipient must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, plus create 11 questions for the people you tag to answer.
3. Choose 11 people (or thereabouts) and link them to your post.
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged.
5. Remember, no tag backs!

Eleven Questions for You:
1. Favorite beverage? Diet Coke but I’m working on breaking the habit and subbing with the equally as addictive coffee so there’s that.
2. What makes you get up in the morning? Society.
3. Are you a countryside or city person? City.
4. Your best day was doing what? I’m living on the faith that my best days are still ahead of me.
5. What talent are you are willing to do in front of people? Not much. I’m in introvert. So I’ll say knit.

6. If you could go anywhere in time for a day, when would it be? That’s a tough one. I’d be tempted to go back to where I could prevent some sort of disaster but then you get into the whole back to the future thing and we know from Marty how that can turm out. 

7. Favorite color? Green- ish or black.
8. Longest you’ve lived in any one place? New York area all my life.
9. Favorite number? 4
10. Favorite book from childhood? Little Women
11. Best advice for others regarding anything? Get up.

And now for my 11 questions to my Leibsters:

1. Heels or flats?

2. If you had your choice would you go out to dinner or stay in?

3. Savory or sweet?

4. What’s your favorite current earworm song?

5. Did you watch the Superbowl for the game or for the halftime show?

6. Drama or comedy?

7. Breaking it down Real Housewives style. Beverly Hills,  Atlanta or New York?

8. Do you have a green thumb?

9. What is your favorite reading genre?

10. Wine or beer?

11. What are you grateful for today?

Now as for tagging… well since this has been going around and I’m late to the party I’m sending this out to all of you my bloggy friends as you are all true “Leibsters” in my book. So if you’ve not been tagged and would like to take on my probbing questions, please say so in the comments. I’d love it if you played. Have a happy and if you’re in my neck of the woods watch out for the evil Snow Miser!

All the best,

Kwana

Everyone who follows me here on ye old blog knows how much I love a tagging game. Ok, stop making that face people. A girl can turn a new leaf. But really, this one was fun. The lovely Synithia Williams author of You Can’t Plan Love tagged me in this cool The Next Best Thing Game. The Next Big Thing? Wow, what a lofty name for a little game, but ok here goes… I’m in!

You ARE America’s Next… oops wrong show.

Here goes for real now…

What is the working title of your book?

Through The Lens

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It’s hard to remember but most likely a pretty busy day and I may have been craving an escape so I decided I’d write one. I also have a love and past history with fashion so it all just sort of came to me.

What genre does your book fall under?

Contemporary Romance/ Multi-Cultural Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

For Mika I had a Nia Long from her Love Jones days in mind and for Ale, he has gone through a few stages and many actors, first there was the actor Kamar de los Reyes who played Antonio Vega on the now defunct soap One Life to Live and more recently the ultra hot William Levy.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Mika Walters is a normal woman working in the not so normal world of New York Fashion, as the long time assistant to photographer Alejandro Vargas she’s tired of being the girl in the background and is ready for Ale to finally view her with the same passion as he does his photographs.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It will be published by Crimson Romance and available in ebook form everywhere September 3^rd.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I did a rough 50,000 words of this book during a NanoWrimo month then I put it away for a long while. After picking it back up and looking it over I realized  it was a mess and it took a long time to finish the last 10-15,000 words. It then took extensive editing to turn it into a story that made what I hope is some sense.

 What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The thought of comparing my book to anyone’s makes me nervous. I will say I’d love it if I can give the reader a feel good heartwarming story that makes them smile.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

What always inspires me to write all my books is the need to get the character’s story out there. In this case with Mika and Ale I wanted to show the difference between how others see us and how we view ourselves.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Well, the fact that my hero, Alejandro has been described as hot may pique the reader’s interest. To get that note totally made me smile.

Thanks so much for tagging me Synithia. And now I’m passing the fun along. Let’s see… who should I snag? I’ll go with Suleikha Snyder, Laura Simcox, Megan Caldwell and Heather Rodney-Diaz. Have fun ladies!

Best,

Kwana

Today I’m proud to have fellow Crimson Romance (I still love saying that) author , Elizabeth Meyette on ye old blog. Elizabeth’s novel Love’s Destiny is a historical romance and part of Crimson’s official June launch. Go Elizabeth!

Before I get into the questions here is a bit about the book:

When Emily Wentworth’s father dies at sea, her father’s friend—and Emily’s appointed guardian—Jonathon Brentwood arrives at her home in London to take her with him to the colonies. Emily, just 17, has decided that she is fully capable of taking care of herself and sets out to prove that to her new guardian.

Emily’s one chance to remain in London is to marry, but when the opportunity arises, she knows she would rather follow Jonathon across an ocean to a land in upheaval than to stay safely in London.

But Jonathon’s involvement in patriot activity against England disturbs—and threatens—Emily, a loyal subject of the king. The colonial rebellion is the backdrop for misunderstanding, fear, mistrust, and danger. Will love’s destiny ensure that Emily and Jonathon stay together, even in the face of death?

Thanks so much for being here Elizabeth. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself? Have you always known you wanted to be a writer?

Hi, Kwana! Thanks for inviting me to your blog. I grew up in upstate New York, and now I live in Michigan with my beloved husband, Rich.  We have a lovely family: our daughter Kate and her husband Todd, son Matt and his girlfriend Rachel, and daughter Kristin, her husband Tedd and our grandchildren Tommy and Molly.  I know I was always a frustrated writer because when I taught all that wonderful literature to my high school students, I knew that writing books was what I really wanted to be doing. I retired from teaching early to pursue my writing career and I haven’t looked back.  I say I “failed” retirement because I work hard every day. But it doesn’t feel like work because I love it so!

What drew you to writing historical romance? I’m a big fan of the genre and can’t wait to give Love’s Destiny a go.

I love learning about other places, and I am fascinated by the past.  Imagine what it was like to eke out a living on the frontier or not have all the conveniences we have today.  I always wonder what it was like for people back then and think of how strong they must have been. I had recently visited the Jamestown and Williamsburg Virginia area when I started writing Love’s Destiny, and I knew that was the setting I wanted. Plus the romance of the beginning of our nation…I couldn’t resist it! And I’m a sucker for a happy ending.  When I finish a novel, I want to feel satisfied, sort of like justice was served, the good guys won, and the lady got her man.

Going from the blurb I can see that your heroine, Emily is young by today’s standards at 17, but I’m thinking appropriate for the time period. What made you choose that age for your heroine?

I did extensive research while I was writing this, and it was typical for young women to marry by age 17, even younger.  But it was also common for men to be considerably older as Jonathon is at age 28. Because childbirth was so difficult, and infants often died, women had many pregnancies throughout their adult lives. Starting young was necessary.

If you were not writing what would you be doing?

Well, I would probably still be teaching, but my secret dream was to be a torch singer, dressed in sequins, draped over a baby grand singing in a husky voice in a smoky lounge.

LOL. I love that answer! Now my favorite bit, please tell us the story of your “overnight success”.

I’m so glad you put that in quotation marks to signify satire!  My overnight success took 30 years.  I wrote Love’s Destiny on a dare when my daughter Kate was an infant.  Then it sat in my closet, as many manuscripts do, until I retired.  Now I feel like I am giving life to my characters and I am so excited! I’ve been getting positive feedback and reviews from readers, and some good local press.  It’s all a dream come true!

Wonderful! What can we expect next from you?

My friends who helped with editing and reviews are clamoring for a sequel, so I am working on Love’s Spirit.  I think this might become a trilogy with Love’s Freedom as the third novel. Also, on our recent trip back to New York my d.a.m. inspiration (divine attendant muse) hit me with an idea for a suspense/paranormal set in the Finger Lakes region of NY.  I’ve got the first page and some notes written on it and it’s haunting me already!

That sounds fantastic. Thanks so much from being here today and I’m wishing you much success with Loves Destiny!

Thank you, Kwana. And best of luck to you with the release of Through the Lens!

Thanks so much. You can find Elizabeth on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elizabethfmeyette and her blog http://elizabethmeyette.blogspot.com

And you can get Love’s Destiny over at Crimson Romance here

Best,

Kwana

The first was the Over The Top award from Christine from over at The Happily Ever After.
The Over The Top Award is given to blogging friends whose blogs you consider over the top, in a complimentary way, of course. As in, they are “far more than usual or expected; extraordinary.”
Now receiving this award tell me I need to go even further to be a little more Over The Top. Look out world I’m coming for ya! Thanks so much Christine. You can visit Christine here.
Before passing this award on I have to complete this little survey. Okay. I’m game.

Your cell phone? Blackberry Storm

Now of course all things come with a little catch and you have to pay in order to play so here are the rules behind the award:
1. Thank & link to the person that gave you the award
Thanks so much Tia. You really are the fairest of them all. Link here.

2. Pass this award onto 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered & think are fantastic.
15? I agree with Tia. These folks are not playing around but ok. Check out these cool peeps. Some may be a bit older than the rest but you won’t be sorry. Click away:

Ina J. Offret- Who knew Alaska could be so hot or have such cool peeps? Did you know they drink champagne there every Thursday just because it’s Thursday? Loves that!

Ladies please follow the rules and pass on the love to 5 blogs that you think are fab too.

Please be sure to check these fab blogs out. You won’t be disappointed.

What’s Jack up to? Once again he’s working my nerves by going for the trash. You may think I’m nuts but I swear Jack knows how to push in the latch that locks the trash. That dog is too freakin’ smart for his own good.

So I’ve gotten an award. Little ol’ me. Can you believe it? Elizabeth from Scandalous Women was kind enough to bestow on me the Premio Dardos award. What’s that, you ask (I know, I asked the same thing) well, here’s the official rundown:

This award is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing…that’s the general idea.

Here it is, more eloquently, in Portuguese:
O conceito deste prémio passa por reconhecer valores culturais, éticos, literários e pessoais, transmitidos de forma criativa e original nos pedacinhos rabiscados por cada blogueiro que o receba. Ahh pretty!

The rules of this award are as follows: show the image of the award on your blog, link back to the blog that gave the award, and nominate 15 other blogs that you consider deserving the same.

Now 15 seemed liked a lot to me but I put some serious thought into this and here are 15 blogs in random order that I really do j’adore and visit everyday. Shhh! Don’t tell the DH. I’m supposed to be writing, ok? Check them out. You’ll love them too.

i suwannee

Decorno

Brown Girl Gumbo

Adventures In Renovating A Brooklyn Limestone

Megan Frampton

pve design

confessions of an it girl

lovemomworklife

Kristen Painter

Melissa Francis

A Cup of Jo

High-Heeled Foot In The Door

Ramblings on Romance

Aurea

Best,
Kwana

P.S. I’m off for the New Jersey writers conference with the PIC this weekend yippee!!!

Have a great weekend!