Happy January with KIMBERLY RAYE!!!!!!

Today my guest is bestselling author Kimberly Raye!

Bestselling author Kimberly Raye started her first novel in high school and has been writing ever since.  To date, she’s published more than fifty-eight novels, two of them prestigious RITA Award nominees.  She’s also been nominated by Romantic Times BOOK reviews for several Reviewer’s Choice awards, as well as a career achievement award.  Her books have been featured in numerous magazines, including Cosmo and Better Homes and Garden.  Most recently, her DEAD END DATING series for Ballantine Books was optioned by Disney for a television pilot.  Kim is currently writing steamy contemporary reads for Harlequin’s Blaze line.  She lives deep in the heart of the Texas Hill Country with her husband and their young children.  She’s an avid reader who loves Diet Dr. Pepper, Twitter, chocolate, and alpha males.  Kim also loves to hear from readers.  You can visit her online at www.kimberlyraye.com.

And now…Kimberly!

R: Hello, Kim and welcome. What drew you to the PARANORMAL genre? 

K: Thanks, ROCCO!  Well, I’ve always been a huge Stephen King fan.  I started reading him when I was only ten years old.  A short time after that, I discovered Janelle Taylor and fell in love with the romance genre.  Pair the two and it doesn’t get much better!

R: What writers in your genre would you say have made the greatest influence on your writing?

K:  For romance, it has to be Susan Johnson.  When I read BLAZE, it literally changed my life and made me desperately want to write romance.  Along the way, I also fell in love with Janet Evanovich and Maggie Shayne.  All very different writers, but they all contributed in their own way.  Janet Evanovich for the humor, Maggie Shayne for the heart-pounding paranormal elements, and Susan Johnson for the pure, intense romance that she brings to every book.  I love them all!

R: The Human and I are both huge fans of your “Dead End Dating” series. How did that come about?

K:  I love the Stephanie Plum series and I wanted to find a paranormal equivalent.  A character who was personable, funny, and someone you would want to be friends with.  I came up with Lil who is a vampire and a closet romantic.  Very contradictory terms, but it works for her because she’s like your BFF, but with fangs.

R:  is there any of you in the character of Lil?

K:   I, too, am a die-hard romantic.  I cry during Mastercard and SPCA  commercials and I have a secret stash of MAC cosmetics.  Lil, however, tends to be a little more kick-ass than yours truly.  Sure, my secret self kicks a little ass imagination wise, but in reality I’m a pretty tame football mom.

R: Tell us about the latest entry in that series, Here comes the Vampire!  Why did you decide to self-publish it?

K:  Readers kept asking for it!  I wanted desperately to publish it much earlier, but Random House still owned rights to it and legally, my hands were tied.  I’ve read a lot of messages posted by various readers who were upset with me because they felt I was withholding the book on purpose.  Not true.  I finally received the official letter releasing rights back to me in October 2013, and I self-published the book in a matter of weeks in November.  I know it’s hard for readers to understand some of the legalities of publishing, but I couldn’t legally put the book out until I had an actual release in hand.  I hope readers will understand and know that I did my best!

R: Which of (your character)  adventures was the most fun for you to write? Were any of them the least amount of fun?

K: I love writing Lil.  She will always be one of my most favorite characters to write.  I also loved writing Jess Damon, the lead character in THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS, the first book in my new series for Montlake romance (Amazon).  Jess is a reformed succubus/wedding planner determined to find her own happily ever after.  Unfortunately, happiness isn’t all that easy to come by since her mother is the devil (no, really).  Both Lil and Jess are like my besties and it’s always fun to write a new adventure for them.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?  How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

K:   I actually sold my first book before I got an agent.  I’ll never forget—I had submitted my book to Silhouette Shadows (it had won several local contests and drew the attention of one of the editors who was judging)  and had been waiting for months before The Call finally came.  It was Karen Taylor Richman telling me that she wanted to buy my book.  I was at work that day and let out a scream that brought the entire office running.  Definitely a happy moment!  The agent came later (around book six) and was much easier to get because I was already a published writer.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

K:Diet Coke, Diet Coke and more Diet Coke.  Seriously.  I can down a six pack in less than two hours when I’m working.   Maybe it’s the caffeine.  Maybe I’m just thirsty.  Either way, it works, and if it ain’t broke . . .

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

K: I would travel back to the era of the Salem Witch Trials.  Then again, I’d probably be someone they would burn at the stake so maybe I should stick to the old south during the Civil War.  I’ve always been a huge fan of historical romances set during this time period.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

K:  I’m addicted to reality TV.  I’ve been an avid fan of everything from Jersey Shore and Teen Mom to Buckwild and Duck Dynasty, and while I can’t stand some of the characters, that’s part of the fun of watching.  It’s a love/hate thing.   That, and I LOVE Cupcake Wars.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?

K:  Quitting my job to write full-time.  Writing is such a hard field to actually make a living in and you’d definitely have to be crazy to try.  At the same time, I’ve always been a glass is half full type of gal.  In other words, anything is possible so if you believe in yourself and your work, then stop fretting and take a chance!   

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?  K:That life and love should be fun.  I like injecting humor into my writing and I hope readers will chuckle a little and have a few laughs!

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

K:  I’ve just finished up my next Jess Damon book, THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT, for Amazon’s Montlake Romance.  I also have a new Texas Outlaws trilogy out this month (January, February and March) with Harlequin Blaze.  It features a trio of hot, hunky cowboys desperately trying to outrun the legacy of their outlaw father.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

K:  A little of both.

 R: What book is on your TBR shelf you can’t wait to get to?

K:  I just bought the new Jennifer Probst book.  Can’t wait to start it!

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Night.

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)   Dog (I have a spoiled Red Heeler named Dakota and rabbits—I have two).

Beach or Pool?  Beach!

Steak or salad?  Steak

Favorite Drink?  Diet Coke

Favorite Book?  Susan Johnson’s BLAZE

Favorite TV Series?  Sons of Anarchy

Favorite Movie?  Madea’s Xmas (just saw this and laughed my a#$ off)

Favorite Actor:  Brad Pitt

Favorite Actress:  Jennifer Lawrence

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada?  Dirty Martini

Hawaii or Alaska? Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Brad Pitt (I know I’m shallow, but he’s SO hot)

If I had just one wish, it would be to end world hunger (I know it sounds uber pageant-like, but it’s true.  I hate to see suffering.)

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be Angelina Jolie (what?  I told you he was hot!)

Folks, you can find Kimberly  on-line at www.kimberlyraye.com or friend her on Facebook (and no, there’s no page to Like—you can be her actual friend!)

Kim will be giving away three autographed copies of my new Montlake book THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS featuring reformed succubus Jess Damon, and two autographed sets of my new Texas Outlaws trilogy .  So that’s FIVE giveaways in all, folks! To enter leave a comment below WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS and which book you prefer.  Contest closes midnight, Jan. 12.  For extra entries, you can:

·       Follow moi on Twitter @RoccoBlogger

·       Friend the Human, ToniLotempio, on FB

·       Friend Kimberly Raye on FB

·       Follow our blog

·       Tweet or FB about this giveaway (3 extra entries)

Be sure to mention all you do in your comment. Good luck!
Up Jan. 21: Annie Knox!

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH...DEBRA WEBB!

What a super way to close out a great year! My guest is USA bestselling author Debra Webb!

DEBRA WEBB wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the military behind the Iron Curtain—and a five-year stint with NASA—that she realized her true calling. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Since then she has penned more than 100 novels including her internationally bestselling Colby Agency series. Her debut romantic thriller series, the Faces of Evil, propelled Debra to the top of the bestselling charts. Visit Debra at www.thefacesofevil.com or at www.debrawebb.com.

R:  Hello, Debra and welcome to my blog! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

Hi, Rocco! I’m so excited to be here! I grew up on a farm in small town Alabama and I’ve been writing stories since I could string sentences together. I live in a house that’s over a hundred years old and I love finding and repurposing old things.

R: What drew you to the romantic suspense genre?

From watching Hitchcock movies and the soaps my mother loved when I was growing up, I developed a real sense of scary stuff and the cliff hangers soaps are so well known for!

R: What writers in your genre would you say have made the greatest influence on your writing?

Karen Robards, Iris Johansen, and Tami Hoag definitely!

R:  Your bio says you also worked at NASA. What was that like?

It was an amazing time! I worked in the Shuttle Program. I worked many Shuttle launches. It was during those years when I came to realize anything was possible and decided to give publishing a try.

R: Tell us about your Faces of Evil series. How did that come about?

Many years ago I watched a documentary about the levels of evil. I was intrigued by the idea that the same crime committed by two different people could be very different on the heinousness scale. It’s all about motive. The Faces of Evil grew from there. Each book is about a villain from the next level of evil. In addition to each book’s villain, there is one serial killer, Eric Spears, who works against my protagonist, Jess Harris, throughout the series. They will have a final face off in the twelfth book!

R: Which of your characters’ adventures was the most fun for you to write? Were any of them the least amount of fun?

I love Jess Harris and her interaction with the other characters. I think those interactions are the most fun to write. The least, I think would be that devil Eric Spears and the way he works behind the scenes to destroy the people Jess cares about.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?  How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

Rocco, I was really lucky that my agent came highly recommended by a friend. I spoke with her by phone, exchanged some emails and then had a meeting in New York. She’s amazing.

I can tell you that when I got “the call” I cried like a baby! I was so happy I could hardly speak. It was on Friday and the editor told me to take the weekend to celebrate (and calm down lol) and give her a call back on Monday!

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

Music and my dogs (sorry Rocco)! My Beagle and Maltese follow me to my office and curl up on their beds to watch.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

Gosh, that’s tough. I think I would love to be in Scotland during Medieval times! But only for a day or two!

R:  If a movie were to be made of one of your books, which one would you want it to be and who would you pick for the lead roles?

Definitely OBSESSION (the first book in the Faces of Evil). I think I’ have to leave the casting to the professionals. I say someone different every time I’m ask this question.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

That I’m a neat freak! Everything has to be in its place!

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

I think I’ll take the Fifth on that one, Rocco!

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

Hopefully a good story, worth their time and money, with strong characters.

R: Where can we find out more about you and your work?

Visit me at www.debrawebb.com and www.thefacesofevil.com!

R: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

Never give up! Keep writing and exercising your “voice”!

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Day! I love gardening and working around the house!

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  I guess I’m in trouble here! I love cats and dogs but we only have dogs right now.

Beach or Pool?   Beach for walking and a pool for swimming!

Steak or salad?  Salad any day!

Favorite Drink?  Coca-Cola!

Favorite Book?  Too many to name!

Favorite TV Series?  REVENGE

Favorite Movie?  Long Kiss Goodnight

Favorite Actor: Samuel L. Jackson

Favorite Actress:  Julia Roberts

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? Pina Colada

Hawaii or Alaska? Alaska!

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be ____Thomas Harris_______________

If I had just one wish, it would be____that my older daughter would wake up without her physical challenges_____________________________________

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be __I like being me because I have the best family and friends in the world!_____

Thank you for a great interview, Debra! What a great way to close out 2013!

Folks, you can find out more about Debra and her books at:

www.thefacesofevil.com

www.debrawebb.com

https://www.facebook.com/#!/debra.webb.587

@DebraWebbAuthor on Twitter

As our New Year celebration, Debra will be giving away  a Faces of Evil tote bag and the first three paperbacks (OBSESSION, IMPULSE and POWER)  in the series to one lucky reader! To enter, leave a comment below with your email address. (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck!

The HUMAN and I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our readers for following our blog!  We are grateful for your support.  This past year was an especially good one – the HUMAN is contracted by Penguin for her cozy mystery series (Guess who was the inspiration, meow!) and her romantic suspense/paranormal will be out from Entangled Summer 2014!

Keep following the blog in 2014! Not only will the HUMAN have giveaways and surprises of her own with her releases, but we will have some wonderful guests, including:

MaryJanice Davidson

Kate Collins

Liz Mugavero

Heather Graham

Brenda Novak

And, of course, our annual 2014 KIDS NEED TO READ fundraiser promises to be bigger than ever! (Hint: it will feature an autographed item from Castle himself – Nathan Fillion!)

Here’s to a wonderful 2014 for all!  See you January 7 when my guest is bestselling author Kimberly Raye!

MEROW!

ROCCO

Incredible Blogging Cat

and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

MEOW!

ROCCO HERE, WISHING ALL OF YOU A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS AND JOYOUS NEW YEAR!

WE HAVE LOTS OF GOOD STUFF PLANNED FOR 2014, PARTICULARLY IN JULY AND DECEMBER, AS THAT IS WHEN THE HUMANS TWO BOOKS COME OUT......  WE WILL ALSO HAVE OUR ANNUAL KIDS NEED TO READ FUNDRAISER - NOT QUITE CERTAIN IF IT WILL BE JUNE OR SEPTEMBER YET, BUT WATCH FOR DETAILS.  THIS YEAR'S AUCTION WILL FEATURE AN ITEM PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED BY NATHAN FILLION (DONATED GENEROUSLY BY MS. DENISE GARY).

THE WINNER OF OUR "HAMLET" GIVEAWAY WAS: TONETTE!  CONGRATS!

TOMORROW, RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH DEBRA WEBB!!!!!!!!


SALUTATIONS!

ROCCO
INCREDIBLE BLOGGING CAT

I get down and dirty with HAMLET, star of the Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries (by Ali Brandon!)

MEOW!

Today my guest is HAMLET, the star of the Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries by Ali Brandon (aka Diane A.S. Stucklart)!  If you haven’t tried this cool series, yet, you are really missing out!

Ali Brandon is the national bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. Writing under her real name, Diane A.S. Stuckart, she penned the popular Leonardo da Vinci historical mystery series—also from Berkley—which has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, as well as a Florida Book Award. Additionally, she is the author of five critically-reviewed historical romances which will soon be re-released as ebooks. A native Texan with a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, Diane a/k/a Ali now lives in South Florida. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and the Cat Writers Association. Visit her at www.dianestuckart.com or www.alibrandon.com.

HAMLET is the black cat extraordinare star of Ali’s Nationally Bestselling Black Cat Bookshop mysteries.  The latest, WORDS WITH FIENDS, debuted on November 5^th!  Hamlet enjoys lounging on bookshelves, chasing mice, stirring up trouble….in other words, he’s a real cool cat!

And now…I interview HAMLET! (courtesy of Ms. Ali Brandon/Diane Stuckart)!

R: Purr…welcome, Hamlet! For all our interested readers out there – particularly the female felines – describe a typical day in your life.

          H: Thank you for having me, ROCCO! As you know, I am a very busy feline, since I am in charge of Pettistone’s Fine Books (even though the human, Darla Pettistone, claims that she owns the establishment). After a breakfast of kitty kibble, I go down to the bookstore and make sure that all is ready for the place to open. This is exhausting work as I must lie down on multiple shelves to be sure that no books are out of place. Afterwards, I take a mid-morning nap to regain my strength.

          Later, if I am so inclined, I may greet a customer or two and make certain that Darla is not slacking off in handling store matters. This is also strenuous labor and requires an afternoon nap. In the evenings, I usually have some free time, which means pretending to play with the toys that Darla brings me. And do not tell her, but some nights I sneak out of the brownstone to wander the streets a bit. After all, you cannot keep a free spirit such as myself trapped inside all the time! Purrrr!

R: How did you and Darla get together?

          H: I have lived at the bookstore for most of my ten years, ever since I was a kitten. Darla arrived almost a year ago to take over when my previous caretaker, Dee Pettistone (her great-aunt) went to that big litter box in the sky. Darla is a pale substitute for Dee, but she attempts to do her best.

R: Tell us about you and Darla’s latest adventure, WORDS WITH FIENDS

          H: This is a very exciting story. Darla decides that, since she has no proper claws, she must learn to defend herself from evil humans in another fashion. She takes what she calls martial arts lessons, but unfortunately things do not go well in the dojo. Murder ensues (though this time I was not there to witness it…I had to learn the details from a canine). Darla and the police are not able to solve the murder that happens, so once again I must employ my keen feline intellect to point a paw at the killer. Oh, and I am subjected to the most embarrassing situation. Because I am slightly off my kitty kibble, I am forced to speak to what Darla calls a cat whisperer.

R: How do you cope with Darla’s penchant for getting involved with murder?

          H: She is a human. That is enough said.

R:  What do you love most about Darla?  Dislike most?

          H: Love is an extreme term. I do admire the fact that she has an almost feline ability to stick with a problem, even when she is not clever enough to solve it on her own. And I do not dislike anything about her, though I do find it annoying that on occasion she will refer to me as “Hammy.” That is NOT my name, hisssss.

R: What’s the story behind your name?  Are you a Shakespeare fan?

          H: I started this particular life as a kitten living in a nearby alley, but I got hungry one day and decided to see if I could convince a human to feed me. Dee let me in the store and gave me a nice bit of her lunch. Of course, that required a nap afterward, so I pulled down a volume from one of the shelves and proceeded to sleep upon it. It so happened that the book was one of the human Shakespeare’s plays, so Dee decided that Hamlet should be my name. She said something about an “inked cloak” that I do not understand.

R: So tell me how you feel about this woman, Ali Brandon? Does she portray your adventures accurately?

          H: Ali Brandon is quite clever for a human. I believe that she portrays me in a very positive manner. Purrrr.

 R:If you could change one thing about Darla,  what would it be?

          H: She would be a feline, Meow Out Loud!

R:  Any chance of your getting a “sidekick” in these stories- like maybe a handsome tuxedo cat – anytime soon?

          H: I know that Ali Brandon likes tuxedo felines; however, I’m afraid that if I get a “sidekick” it will be a, growwwwl, canine!

R:  Just for fun…

Catnip or scratching post? Catnip is undignified. Scratching post.

Tabbies or Tuxedos? Both are equally fine.

Fish or Steak? Fish!

Shakespeare or Stephen King?  Do you need to ask, Meow Out Loud!

Thank you, Hamlet, for a great interview, and to your creator, Ali Brandon as well!

You can find out more about Ali/Diane/Hamlet and the Black Cat Bookshop mysteries here:

www.alibrandon.com    (=^;^=)   www.dianestuckart.com

www.facebook.com/blackcatbookshopmysteries

Folks, Hamlet and Ali will give away a copy of WORDS WITH FIENDS to one lucky commenter! Leave your comment and email address below.  For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 3 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 3 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 3 point)

Follow Ali/Diane on Twitter or FB!  (+ 1 point) (Link: www.facebook.com/blackcatbookshopmysteries)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck!