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Author Interview with Bev Irwin aka Kendra James

By Barb Drozdowich

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel

Today we are welcoming author Bev Irwin to the blog.  Bev also writes as Kendra James and she’s here to talk to us about her books!  Sit back and enjoy learning about this Canadian author!

 

Barb – Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing.sugarbeat's books romance novels romance book reviews historical contemporary erotica author interviews promotions

Bev – Hello and happy Easter Monday. This is Bev Irwin (aka Kendra James) waving from London, Ontario. Thank you Barb for inviting me to Sugarbeats Books.

A bit about me? Well, I’ve had one wonderful career as a registered nurse working in many areas of nursing, another career as a mother of three wonderful, now adult children. Thank God we all made it through alive and relatively unscathed. Another career was as a sales representative. Now I am hoping to succeed at the career that has taken a backseat. That is my writing career. How long has that been on the back-burner? Forever.

The writing bug bit me early in life. A poem I wrote in grade three was published. After that, I wrote poetry for years that I kept hidden away. In my late twenties I finally shared some and even found the courage to enter some contests and had several published in anthologies. Can you make a career of writing poetry? Only in your dreams.

When I broke my hand getting a horse on a trailer, I think God said. “Here, I’m giving you some time to develop that writing talent I gave you.”

So I a started a real novel. It was a romance I named CITY SLICKER. It wrote about 20,000 words and sent it off for a critique. Not a good idea. I should have finished the whole thing and then sent it off. I should have joined a writing group. I should have taken lots of writing courses. I should have entered writing contests. I have taken care of the should’s and now it is paying off. CITY SLICKER remains a WIP. I will publish it one day.

So that’s my life now, writing, rewriting, editing. But I still find time to spend with my three cats, my three children, and my wonderful granddaughter, Jasmine, and work part-time with my nursing.

Barb –  What is your favorite part of writing?

Bev – Starting a new project. It is always so exciting to play with a new idea or meet new friends that audition for a part in the book.

Barb – What part of writing do you find the most challenging?

Bev – Keeping at it and finishing. There is always a new idea that wants to draw me away.

Barb – Tell us a bit about your soon to be released – Ghostly Justice.sugarbeat's books romance novel romance book reviews historical contemporary erotirca author interviews promotions

Bev – Fifteen-year-old Daria Brennan doesn’t want to hear people’s thoughts. She doesn’t want to see ghosts—or talk to dead people. And she definitely doesn’t want to help solve a forty-year old murder.

But Amanda wants revenge, and Daria is the first human contact she’s had since the day she died. Now the killer is after Daria and her friends. Can they solve Amanda’s murder before becoming his next victims?

Barb – What challenges did you face bringing this book to market, if any.

Bev – Well, as a new author starting out, it is always hard to get any one to look at your work. So many rejections. But now it has found a great home. A major challenge with any youth or children’s novel is getting the ‘voice’ right. It’s been a long time since I was a teenager. So after I had written the book, I had a couple of teens read it an ‘teen’ down the voice.

Barb – Do you have a favorite character in Ghostly Justice?

Bev – I love my ghost, Amanda. Despite being a tragic figure, I mean who isn’t tragic when they’re dead, she’s stubborn, spunky, and has a sense of humor. She wants revenge but being dead has its drawbacks. No one has been able to see or hear her since the day she died. That is until Daria walks by the house. She suddenly feels a jolt of electricity and it is like ‘her heart almost starts to beat again.”

Barb – When you write, do you start with an outline, or do you let the characters take the story away?!

Bev – Oh, I wish I could outline. I am trying to, really I am. It would be so much easier, like a map that helps you know where you are going. Mostly, I think of a scene and start writing something. I use Scrivener for Mac and it is great as I can give a scene a heading, write a few words or a whole scene.
I do a lot of scribbling on pieces of papers, or small notebooks so I won’t forget any great ideas for a scene, or something about the characters, or ‘what if’s’ for plots.

Usually a idea of plot comes and as it festers in the back of my brain, characters come and audition for their parts.

Barb – What is your favorite all time book – or is there more than one?

Bev – I’ve been an avid reader since I was a young child and it is so hard to pick out one. Anything by Taylor Caldwell, like WICKED ANGEL, or BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER. Also MY SISTER’S KEEPER, by Jodi Piccoult. Did anybody see that ending coming?

Barb – Where can your fans keep in touch with you?

Bev – Fans can leave me a comment at www.bevirwin.com

Barb – What do you have in the works, and when can your fans expect your next book?

Bev – MISSING CLAYTON, a woman’s suspense, is coming out in June with Black Opal Sugarbeat's books romance books romance novel reviews historical contemporary erotica author interviewsBooks. One of my own favorites of my books, LOL.
I have also been offered another contract with Black Opal for WITHOUT CONSENT, a medical/police thriller. Much more graphic than my other books, reader be ware. As a registered nurse I like to add a medical touch when I can.

Barb – Do you have anything else you’d like to add?

Bev – To all aspiring authors, keep writing, keep churning out those pages, smother your inner critic, let the words loose. Reading something by Natalie Goldberg, or Annie Dillard.

One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time.
Annie Dillard – in her book The Writing Life
~~
Let the words flow and let the inner gold come out.

Buy writing books (my shelves are full of them), take writing courses, join critique groups. My warning on critique groups is to start off with gentle ones, where everyone is supportive. As you advance with your writing and your writing improves, you will need to move to a harsher critiquing group. This is necessary if you want your writing to improve but hopefully by that time your writing will be a higher quality and you will have developed the broader shoulders it takes to: listen without justifying, accepting that maybe they have a point, and then taking their advice, sitting on it, letting it simmer, and then going back and seeing your piece with new eyes and deciding what advice is really important to make your piece the best it can be.

Then when you have it the ‘best it can be,’ take a big breath and send it out there and start working on something else. But keep your shoulders broad, as there will still be rejections.

For myself, I have been writing for several years and now that I finally have an editor, two in fact, that believe in my work, I have novels to send them and several more ‘WIP’s’ (works in progress) that are ready to be finished off and find a home.

I kept writing, learning, revising, submitting. One book that Mills and Boon almost accepted is now out there with another publisher. It is an ebook but will be out in print later this year with a much more gorgeous cover than I ever would have gotten from the medical line at Mills and Boon, and now, the shelf life is unlimited.

This is GHOSTLY JUSTICE COMING April 14TH!!!!

Here is an excerpt

PROLOGUE

AMANDA

After all these years, I could finally feel something. It was as if a jolt of electricity surged through me, and my heart almost began to beat again.

At first, I didn’t know what caused it. I only knew an undeniable force drew me to my bedroom window. With each step, the tingle of fingernails tracking down my spine increased. The thought passed through me, maybe I should be afraid. But really, what was there to be afraid of? It couldn’t get worse. What’s worse than being dead?

I floated toward the window. Two girls were walking in front of the house. They looked about my age, maybe younger – fifteen, sixteen. I was drawn to the one with the dark curly hair. Her friend called her Daria. I reached out my hand, called her name. She looked up at the window. She sensed me. I knew it. I saw her shudder, but she kept walking.

I watched until they turned the corner at Colburn Street. Then the energy vanished and a profound sadness filled me. Even playing the piano held no joy that day.

I have to talk to her. But how?

I gave up trying to contact the living years ago. It became so tiresome—appearing in front of them, touching them, talking to them, yet never being noticed.

Until now.

Every day, I watch for her. Every day, I try to make contact. Every day I plead for her to look up at my window again. Two weeks have passed now. And every day, she hurries past; her gaze focused on the street ahead.

I must talk to her.

Daria is the first person I’ve been able to communicate with since the day I was murdered.

And here are pre pub blurbs

KUDOS for Ghostly Justice

Ghostly Justice by Bev Irwin is one of those books that can easily span the bridge between YA and adult fiction. Though the characters are teenagers and still in high school, like Harry Potter and Twilight, the story is fascinating enough to appeal to much broader audiences. Our heroine, Daria, is young, but she’s also spunky, creative, clever, and reluctantly courageous—my favorite kind of gal. And she is most definitely not pleased when she discovers that she is psychic and can talk to ghosts. Well, one ghost, at least…Irwin has added a well-rounded cast of secondary characters to help Daria in her quest, and together with a strong plot, excellent dialogue and a few surprises along the way, they all combine to make this book a very enjoyable read. – Taylor, Reviewer

Ghostly Justice was not quite what I expected when I learned it was YA. Even though the characters are teens, the subject matter—some of it anyway—was very adult. However, Bev Irwin seems to be a talented author and handled the sensitive issues with the same aplomb with which she did the scenes where her teenage characters break into an abandoned house. Daria, our very reluctant heroine, doesn’t want to be special. She especially doesn’t want to talk to dead people or to hear her best friend’s thoughts. She wants to keep clear of her mom’s creepy boyfriend, snag a hot, sexy boyfriend of her own—who doesn’t—and to be left in peace…The other characters in the book are equally well-developed and three-dimensional, the plot has some very nice twists and turns, and Irwin’s writing is superb. – Regan, Reviewer

GHOSTLY JUSTICE will be available on April 14th!!!!

www.blackopalbooks.com
www.soulmatepublishing.com
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.bevirwin.com

Also coming from Black Opal Books in June.

Sugarbeat's Books romance novel romaance book reviewsBlurb: MISSING CLAYTON

Where is Clayton? There is no answer when Jenny calls. The sandbox is empty, the backyard is empty, the gate is open, where is her six-year old son. Will she be able to find him in time?

MISSING CLAYTON came third in the Gateway to the Best in the Suspense category, and second in the TARA for Women’s Fiction.

Other books by Bev Irwin writing as Kendra James?

Available from

www.kendrajames.net
www.soulmatepublishing.com
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com

Thank you everyone for coming to see me today. Happy Easter Monday!

I’d like to thank Bev for dropping by and sharing!  It’s always nice to have a fellow Canadian visit the blog!

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Interview with Nana Malone, author of Reluctant Protector

By Barb Drozdowich

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today we are welcoming Nana Malone to the blog.  She is the author of several books, but the one we will be talking about today is Reluctant Protector.  She’s answered some questions for me and we will be learning more about her and her writing.  I’ve included a blurb at the end so you can see if this book is for you.  Enjoy!

Barb – Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing.
Nana – My writing career started with Bridget…Jones that is. I was in New York hating pretty much every aspect of my PR job but the writing when I picked up Bridget Jones’s Diary from the library. After I stayed up all night to finish it, I wished I could do that, put words to paper and make people laugh or cry or cringe. Then I thought, why not. It took me a little while but I published my first novel in 2010 with The Wild Rose Press. I just published my latest novel, Reluctant Protector in December.

When I’m not writing, I’m a hyper-organized project manger who drives my husband, daughter and Scottish Terrier crazy with my lists and plans.

Barb – What is your favorite part of writing?

Nana – The story. Before I ever write a word, the characters become part of me. They feel like friends. It’s the real thrill of writing for me.

Barb – What part of writing do you find the most challenging?

Nana – Oh God. The edits by far. By the time I write the story, I’m so connected to the characters, I’m loathe to change a word. But at the end of the day I want a great product so I throw myself into them.

Barb – Tell us a bit about your new release – Reluctant Protector.

Nana – Reluctant Protector is the first in a series of Superhero Romances.
For five years, Cassie Reeser has been her brother’s personal lab rat. Peter’s experiments have made her a stronger, faster, better human. And she’s not the only one. For five years, escape has eluded her. Until now.
Seth Adams is used to sifting through lies to find the truth. As a former war correspondent he knows what evils lurk in the world. When he finds Cassie hiding out in his car trunk, her story sounds like a fantastical dream. But, before long, he witnesses firsthand the evil she’s running from.

Barb – This book is listed as a “superhero romance”. Can you please explain what you mean by that label?

Nana – Well, I love the idea of love, so romance is where it’s at for me. I love nothing more than a happy ending. And god, I’ve dreamt of having super powers. The ability to fly or move things by mere thought. Imagine that. Now imagine you have the responsibility to do good, or evil…or at least not do things for personal gain. Lol.

For a superhero romance I wanted to explore a different way of getting superpowers. I wanted to look at the emotional changes normal human beings would have to go through to accept such a drastic change. It’s not all fun and willing money out of a bank vault. Add to that a relationship development and I think it’s a compelling story.

Barb – What challenges did you face bringing this book to market, if any.

Nana – Well for starters, this isn’t really a genre, so trying to figure out how to categorize is a challenge within itself. Then add that it’s something unexpected, and sometimes it’s a hard sell.

Barb – Do you have a favorite character in Reluctant Protector?

Nana – God, I love Seth. He’s sexy and fun, and sarcastic, but charming. He was fun to write.

Barb – When you write, do you start with an outline, or do you let the characters take the story away?!

Nana – Well, the very first novel I ever wrote took me eight years to complete. I had no idea where I was going and wrote, then rewrote to fix things. It was a mess. And given my hyper organized nature, I thought a hyper organized outline was the answer. My first published novel took a year. I’ve since learned that I really prefer a blend. A very skeletal outline, then I just go. It works for me.

Barb – What is your favorite all time book – or is there more than one?

Nana – OMG, you can’t ask a writer that question! Okay, if I must then it’s a toss up between Pride and Prejudice and To Kill a Mockingbird. I read each of those at least once a year.

Barb – Where can your fans keep in touch with you?

Nana – All kinds of places 🙂
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nanamalone
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nanamalone
My website: www.nanamalone.com
And I love to get fan mail: nana@nanamaloneromance.com

Barb – What do you have in the works, and when can your fans expect your next book?

Nana – Funny you should ask that J My next novel, titled Sexy in Stilettos is a fun, flirty contemporary and will be available this April. The sequel to Reluctant Protector, Forsaken Protector, will be available in the early part of summer.

Barb – Do you have anything else you’d like to add?

Nana – Besides, thank you for having me? I’m really excited about my writing journey this year and I hope some of your blog followers join me on the journey.

I’d like to thank Nana for dropping by and sharing about this interesting book!  Keep reading and see if this is something that might appeal to you.  Drop by Nana’s site and say hi or follower her on Twitter!

sugarbeat's books romance novels romance book reviews historical contemporary erotica author interview promotion

Bio: My love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense I borrowed from my cousin on a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana at a precocious thirteen.  I’ve been in love with kick butt heroines ever since.  With my overactive imagination, and channeling my inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before I started creating my own characters.

Waiting for my chance at a job as a ninja assassin, I, meantime work out my drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as I thinks I am.  Though, until that ninja job comes through, you’ll find me acting out scenes for hubby and puppy while catching up on my favorite reality television shows in sunny San Diego.

sugarbeat's Books romance novel romance book reviews historical contemporary erotica author interviews promotionsTitle: Reluctant Protector
Genre: Superhero Romance (So Paranormal elements and erotica)
Author Name: Nana Malone

Book Blurb:
For five years, Cassie Reeser has been her brother’s personal lab rat. Peter’s experiments have made her a stronger, faster, better human. And she’s not the only one – he’s been experimenting on others as well. For five years, escape has eluded her. Until now. When she finds out he plans to sell her as a human weapon she knows it’s now or never. To make her escape she’ll sacrifice family bonds and leave behind the one person who’s ever helped her. Cassie’s learned to shrink from kindness and to never trust anyone. She knows the day Peter finally captures her will be the day she dies. To elude her brother and save the others, she’ll have to risk her body and her heart. What she doesn’t expect is a chance at a normal life.

Seth Adams is used to sifting through lies to find the truth. As a former war correspondent he knows what evils lurk in the world. When he finds Cassie hiding out in his car trunk, her story sounds like a fantastical dream. But, before long, he witnesses firsthand what she’s talking about when they’re attacked by a group of Peter’s soldiers. As a result, he goes through his own transformation into a super human and realizes the extent of what Cassie is running from. Cassie might not think she needs his protection, but he’ll die before he lets her brother have her back.

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Guest Post with Gail DeYoung, author of Decadent Delights

By Barb Drozdowich

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today we are welcoming author Gail DeYoung to the blog.  She is a multipublished author of some nice steamy stories!  Today she is going to entertain us with her thoughts on her two favorite things!

Guest Post and Giveaway with Gail DeYoung,

Author of “Decadent Delights”

Chocolate and Sex – My Two Favorite Things

Writers are often told, “Write what you know.” That advice makes a lot of sense. When you write about a topic you know, you draw upon your own experience and knowledge of that topic to make the story believable and interesting. However, that doesn’t rule out the requirement to do research. There’s always more information that can be discovered about most any topic, as long as one is willing to go that extra mile.

As a “romantica” author, I get offers from my boyfriend to “act out” sex scenes — all in the name of research, of course — to make sure things work the way I wrote them. During the first draft of “Decadent Delights”, I accepted his offer. I actually thought it might be interesting to have the heroine blindfold the hero and drizzle chocolate on his chest so she could lick it off. I went a little further with my boyfriend and tied his hands behind his back as well as his ankles. Unfortunately, he lost his balance while I licked the chocolate off of him, and he fell and hit his head. Afterward, we had a good laugh about it, but at the time, it ruined the mood. It made me rethink that scene, which I eventually deleted from the book.

Readers like their fantasy based on reality. That is why it helps to have a victim — I mean partner — who is willing to put up with acting out scenes in order to ensure one hasn’t strayed too far in the “suspension of disbelief”. Most important is that the person helping with the research should have a good sense of humor. Thanks to my boyfriend’s help with research, I have revised several stories.

I imagine others have had similar experiences. I’d love to hear what they did to test the validity of actions scenes in their stories.

Your browser may not support display of this image.

DECADENT DELIGHTS
ISBN 9781419962899

PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
Released: September 14, 2011

sugarbeats books romance book romance novel reviews interviews author promotion  gail deyoung

Chocolate and sex—two of life’s most decadent pleasures—are the marketing tools Dana Evans uses to lure customers to her erotic candy store. Her sexy dancing gets her customers hot and bothered for her confections and Trevor Stanton, owner of Trevor’s Treasures, realizes he’d rather be on her side than competing against her. He pursues her with wit, charm and an offer to model nude for one of her statues.

Dana can’t believe her luck when she discovers the hunky ex-model has an identical twin brother. Little does she know that her strong attraction to Trevor will cause conflict between the two brothers, especially because she wants both of them to model nude for her.

When the competition gets hot, Dana is caught in the middle. What’s a girl to do?

 

 

Snippet from “Decadent Delights”

The sign on the door to Decadent Delights read, “Mature audiences only. Anyone under eighteen not allowed.”

“What the…” Trevor Stanford shook his head. A candy shop with a disclaimer—well, that was a first!

The crowd of customers surrounding him pressed close together as the store owner unlocked the latch on the front door. Like a herd of wild animals, they burst into the interior of the shop, propelling him along with them. He’d never seen such a frenzy at a candy store’s Grand Opening. But the moment he entered the interior, he understood their craze. It smelled like chocolate heaven and was decorated like a sex addict’s dream. As if that wasn’t enough to set their mood, Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love played in the background.

Every aisle had a unique array of candies crafted into sexy shapes or what could only be described as toys for the uninhibited. He stopped by one display of red licorice straws fashioned into whips of varying shapes and sizes. Looming above the display was a chocolate sculpture of a perfectly round behind. His eyebrows rose appreciatively.

“Welcome y’all! I’m Dana, owner of Decadent Delights. Thank you for coming to the store’s Grand Opening.” The petite blonde stood upon a raised platform next to a cellophane-covered chocolate statue of a well-endowed male figure.

“I’d like to introduce you to David.” She walked slowly around the life-size confection, her painted fingernails scraping along the sculpted muscles of his chest and over his biceps. “Isn’t he yummy?”

In sync with the music, the store owner sensuously moved her lower body against the chocolate statue with a slow, deliberate rotation of her hips, a look of pure ecstasy on her face. Her white short-shorts barely covered her bottom when she bent forward to rub against him and the buttons holding her blouse together strained across her generous bosom.

“Did I mention he’s good enough to eat? He’s made of hollow milk chocolate. Mmm.” She wrapped her full lips around her pointer finger and sucked it all the way into her mouth with agonizing slowness, then dragged it back out, not once, but twice. Her eyelids drifted closed and a smile of deep satisfaction crossed her lips.

Trevor couldn’t stop watching. He was hooked, just like the rest of the crowd. This was better than a scene out of a strip club show. The woman made all the rest look like a bunch of amateurs.

She walked behind the statue and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her hands moved steadily down his abdomen and circled the cock. Once she had him in her grip, she peeked around him, a sinful smile lifting the corner of her mouth.

“If he’s too big for you to handle,” she winked at her audience, “you can also just buy your favorite parts, like this one.”

The audience clapped and whistled.

Trevor swallowed hard. With her every stroke of her fingertips over the statue’s cock and balls, the tension in his body wound a little tighter. Perspiration dotted his upper lip.

God, she’s good. So very good.

His cock twitched and swelled. Damn! It was difficult enough to concentrate on his reason for visiting Decadent Delights without the added distraction of its owner putting on an outrageously erotic show. Her mischievous behavior, the sparkle in her blue eyes and her sexy little smirk gave him the impression that doing it in front of an audience was an everyday occurrence for her.

She stepped down from the stage and smiled at her customers while tying an apron around her waist.

“Join me for a tour of the store and I’ll introduce you to my collection of naughty confections.”

The perky blonde tossed a smile over her shoulder as she led the way. Damn if she wasn’t dancing down the aisles and the women, caught up in her enthusiasm, were joining her! The way she mesmerized the crowd reminded him of the Pied Piper with women parading behind her. Trevor wanted to get closer, but his every move was blocked.

“Samples anyone?” He heard her lilting voice above the music. Once again, the crush of bodies overwhelmed him. This time, instead of participating in the rush, he stepped back to lean against a wall so he could observe the action.

The women bit into the candy and moaned. Trevor’s brow furled. Could the chocolate really be that good? After all, it was just candy, wasn’t it? Perhaps he needed a closer inspection of the merchandise.

Trevor had come to the Grand Opening because the owner’s flyer had piqued his interest. Now he understood why she was the talk of the town.

The audience’s reaction made him want to know a lot more about his newest competitor. Was the novelty of this store something that would wear off? Or did she truly have the “it” factor that could claim his customers forever?

 

Bio: Gail DeYoung works as an Administrative Assistant during the day and a romance author at night. Needless to say, her night job is much more exciting. She resides in Florida, which has inspired many of her books. You can find her on Twitter as AuthorGail, visit her website, www.gaildeyoung.com, or check out her blog at www.authorgaildeyoung.blogspot.com

Her books are available from Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble as well as many other fine e-tailers.

I’d like to thank Gail for dropping by and sharing!  Be sure to check out her books and pick up a copy of one that interests you!

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Amazon Purchase Links for Decadent Delights

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