Spotlight & Giveaway: The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar by Susanna Carr

Susanna Welcome back to HarlequinJunkie!

Susanna is here today to celebrate the release for her Presents Debut 

'The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar'

 Back cover blurb:
From one desert prison to another…

Jeweled veil weighing heavily on her head, Zoe Martin waits for her sheikh husband-to-be. The shame of her adoptive family, orphan Zoe has endured six years of being kept a slave--now she's being sold into marriage… to a man known as The Beast!

The stakes couldn't be higher… or more sinfully pleasurable!

Being discarded to the sheikh has one bonus--this could mean freedom! Zoe must play along with the three-day--and three-night--ceremony, but she isn't expecting the blazing attraction from just one stolen glance at playboy sheikh Nadir….


Sara: Tell us a few things about yourself.
Susanna: I have been a romance reader ever since I read a Harlequin Presents when I was ten years old. I’ve written sexy contemporary romance for several publishers and I’m currently writing for Harlequin Blaze and Harlequin Presents. I live in the Pacific Northwest with my family.


Sara: What inspired you to write your first book?
Susanna: My first print book, The Wrong Bride, was written ten years ago and it’s about a woman switching places with her twin sister on her wedding day. I like writing about twins because I am one and I think it really has influenced how I see the world.


Sara: Is this your first Presents Novel? What was your experience like writing for the Presents Line? Susanna: The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar is my first Presents and writing for the line is a dream come true. Working for Presents is intense but I’m lucky to work with incredibly supportive editors. I’m in awe with the other writers. Not only have I read their books for years, but they are also remarkable, creative and professional women


Sara: Which heroine from your books is most like you?
Susanna: There is one trait that I share with all my heroines: perseverance. You need it when you’re chasing a dream.
 
Sara: If you were stranded on an island…
Susanna: I would need sunblock, my Kindle, and a Navy SEAL.


 Let’s talk about your new release “The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar”


Sara: If you had to sum up “The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar”, what would you say?
Susanna: It’s a marriage of convenience story about a woman who needs to escape and a man who needs her to behave.


Sara: What sparked the idea for your novel “The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar”?
Susanna: This story was inspired by an Indian fairy tale I read many years ago. It’s about a woman who is sold into a marriage with a monster prince. I thought about this fairy tale when I decided to write a marriage of convenience story.


Sara: How did you come up with the characters for this book?
Susanna: I had the idea of Zoe. She’s an outcast and determined to escape a difficult life. She’s treated as a slave in a desert tribe and doesn’t meet the requirements of their idea for a perfect woman. She has a secret that could place her in great danger and she has tried to run away only to get caught. The only way to escape is to get married.


So then it was a matter of deciding what kind of husband I should find for Zoe. He had to be her biggest obstacle and her greatest challenge. I came up with Nadir, a sheikh who is also something of an outsider. He needs a suitable bride. Someone who is quiet, feminine and obedient. Everything that Zoe is not.


Sara: What were the challenges you faced in bringing this book to life?
Susanna: One of the challenges was going through a few sets of revisions. Each set forced me to rethink the story and make it stronger.


Sara: Are there any other books to be released in 2012? Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Susanna: My Harlequin Blaze, Suddenly Sexy, was released in June and readers can buy a print or eBook edition online. My next Presents, Her Shameful Secret, will be released January 2013.

Excerpt:

"Come, Zoe." One of her cousins unceremoniously pulled her from her chair and her female relatives surrounded her. "It's time to prepare you for your wedding night."

Her wedding night. Her stomach twisted sharply and she battled back nausea. Her aunts smiled and giggled as they swept her out of the courtyard and up to the honeymoon suite. She hunched her shoulders as corroding fear, thick and searing hot, bled through her body. It pooled under her skin, pressing harder and harder, threatening to burst through.

It suddenly sank into her. She belonged to the sheikh. A man they called The Beast. She was married to him. Married.

Her married cousins were offering words of advice, telling her how to please her husband, but Zoe didn't hear a word of it. There was a desperate energy among the women. Their laughter was a little shrill, their advice raw and uncoated.

Zoe didn't resist as the women settled her in the center of the bed. She knelt on the mattress, her hands folded in front of her, her head bent down. She wanted to jump out of bed and run, but she knew all these women would bring her back and guard the bedroom.

She closed her eyes and took a deep, jagged breath. She heard the women leaving the room, the laughter harsh and they tossed her more marital advice. She had always thought her wedding day would be different. In her daydreams it had been full of laughter and joy, not to mention love.

The reality was much bleaker. Zoe slowly opened her eyes. She was marrying because she was out of options and running out of luck. She was taking a leap of faith, believing she could use this marriage to her advantage. But she might have given up more than her freedom to a man who was a dangerous stranger.

What had she done?

Susanna will be giving away 2 copies of her book The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar

To enter the Giveway: Please enter your email in the Rafflecopter below and Leave a comment Telling us Which celebrity or actor do you think would be a good inspiration for a sheikh?

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Spotlight & Giveaway: Hajar's Hidden Legacy by Maisey Yates

I'm absolutely thrilled to have Harlequin Presents and USA today best selling author Maisey Yates here today to share with us her inspiration behind the book 'Hajar's Hidden Legacy'

Maisey Yates Welcome to HarlequinJunkie!

Over to Maisey....

What happens when you combine my love of tortured heroes, strong heroines and Disney movies? Hajar's Hidden Legacy is what happens.

Beauty and the Beast has been my favorite cartoon ever since my dad took me to see it when I was six. What's not to love? A strong woman who loves books sacrifices for her father, teaches the beast to love and ultimately breaks the spell!

I knew I wanted to write my own version.

The Beauty is Princess Katharine Rauch, princess of Austrich. She was promised to the future ruler of Hajar five years earlier. Until, a tragic accident took the lives of the royal family. The only remaining survivor was the second son. And he is...

The Beast. Sheikh Zahir S'ad al din is known as the Beast of Hajar. After losing his family in an attack on his country, the reclusive ruler has concealed himself in his palace, only making appearances when they can't possible be avoided.

 He's horribly scarred, both inside and out, and the last thing he wants is a wife.

But Katharine needs a husband to protect her country, and Zahir's honor won't allow him to go back on the bargain drawn up between their families years earlier.

I so enjoyed writing this intensely scarred man. Physically, he's damaged past the point of being called handsome. He's limited now, with a mostly blind eye and a badly wounded leg. But it's his internal scars, flashbacks of the attack that take over even while he's awake, that truly cripple him.

Zahir and Katharine have a lot to overcome. Katharine is living for honor, while Zahir is just living each day as a matter of survival.

I loved bringing this strong woman into Zahir's life to push him our of his cave, to help him overcome the issues in his life to become the best ruler, and the best man that he can be. And not only does Zahir find healing, he finds love.

And even though there's no transforming his outside, those scars will remain, he gets his healing inside. And that's what counts!

I have an excerpt I'd like to share with you. 
And one commenter will win a copy of Hajar's Hidden Legacy! (this is an international contest! Open to all!)

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Excerpt
They called him the Beast of Hajar for a reason. Katharine could see that now. Zahir S’ad al Din was every bit as frightening as they said. He was an entirely different man from the one she’d met so many years ago. Cold, completely forbidding.
But Katharine didn’t have the luxury of being frightened by him. Anyway, she was used to cold, forbidding men.
“Sheikh Zahir,” she began, taking a step toward his expansive desk. He wasn’t looking at her, his dark head inclined, his focus on a paper in front of him. “I have been waiting for you to contact me. You haven’t.”
“No, I have not. Which makes me wonder why you are here.”
Katharine swallowed. “To marry you.”
“Is that right, Princess Katharine? I had heard a rumor about that, but I didn’t believe it.” He lifted his head and for the first time, Katharine saw his face.
Yes, he was every bit as frightening as they said. The skin on the left side of his face ravaged, his eye not as focused or sharp on that side. Yet she still felt like he was seeing all the way into her, as if the accident that had served to cloud his physical vision had made him able to see more than a mere mortal man.
That he was a ghost, or a god of some kind was part of his legend, and looking at him now, she understood why.
“I did call.” She hadn’t exactly talked to Zahir, but she’d talked to his advisor. And she hadn’t really been invited, either.
“I didn’t think you would travel all the way from the comfort of your palace to have your marriage proposal turned down, as I was certain I had relayed my thoughts on the matter.”
She straightened her shoulders. “I thought you owed me a conversation. A personal one, not your relayed response. And I didn’t come to be turned down. I came to make sure the contract was honored. The deal was struck six years ago…”
“For you to marry Malik. Not me.”
Thinking of Malik always made her feel sad. But her sadness was for a young life cut short, nothing deeper. He had been her destiny, her duty, for all of her adult life, and while she had liked him, cared for him in some ways, she had not loved him.
At first it seemed like losing him had changed everything, that her horizons had opened, that she might have a different future before her. It was clear now that nothing had changed.
Instead of Malik, it would be Zahir. But she was still destined to be sold into marriage for the sake of her country. She’d accepted it. Ultimately she hadn’t felt that the change in groom had mattered all that much.
Although, looking at him now it became a whole different matter than it had been in theory. He was…he was something much more than she’d counted on.
This was never about you. Never about your feelings. You have to be prepared to see this through.
“That’s what I thought. But when I examined the documents a little bit closer…” Her father had handled most of the legal portion of the marriage agreement that had been drawn up between her and Malik.
It hadn’t really been of personal interest to her. Her relationship with him had been nothing more than political maneuvering by their parents. She’d only met him on a few occasions. She’d simply accepted that it was what she could do for her country, that the marriage was what she could contribute. She had never personally studied the agreement. Until recently.
“Well, yes. But really, if you look at the wording, I am promised to Malik. Unless he is not able to assume the throne of Hajar. In that case, it is his successor that I’m meant to marry. That’s…

Spotlight & Giveaway: Lusted in Las Vegas by Sandra Bunino

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome Sandra Bunino to HarlequinJunkie! Sandra thanks for stopping by!

Why do erotic romance readers love H/h conflict in their stories? 
by Sandra Bunino

Simple. It’s the make-up sex, baby. What’s better than plain old-fashioned make-up sex? Against the wall, door, over the sofa arm make-up sex, that’s what.

There’s nothing like the feel of tense, rippling muscles immobilizing you against a cool hard surface. Heated pants intermingling on a tear stained cheek. Mouths crushing, tongues battling, strong hands restraining…

Oh my, *fans self* let’s take a look at the beginning of exactly one of those scene’s from LUSTED IN LAS VEGAS while I take a sip of my iced non-fat latte:

            She let go of her suitcase and sobbed into her hands. Jason pulled her back into the villa, slammed the door and pushed her against it. Heat radiated from Jason’s body as he embraced her. Heavy breath steamed through her hair.

            Stephanie struggled to free herself from his grip. Her face was hot and her hair stuck to her cheeks from a mixture of tears and sweat. Jason held her even tighter.

            “No, Stef. I won’t leave you alone. I can’t.”

            Stephanie could barely breathe as his body crushed hers. She turned her head; ashamed of the tears she shed.

            “Look at me,” he said.

            Stephanie lifted her eyes to meet his. She stopped struggling and searched his eyes for answers. As though he understood her unspoken questions, he cradled her face into his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

            “I won’t let you go. Not now, not ever.”

            He greedily kissed her firmly and his tongue sought hers. Stephanie resisted for just a moment. Then in a show of acceptance she sighed and put her arms around him. The action fueled Jason’s yearning. He pinned her against the door and kissed her along her jawbone and down her neck. A day’s growth of stubble scratched at her neck and excited her senses.

            “Jason, but—“

            He placed his fingers to her mouth.

            “I’ll explain everything but not now. Right now, I am going to make love to you right here.”

Oh, there’s more, much more (and the arm of a sofa is involved) but you’ll need to read the whole story for the full effect. ;-)

So, what is it about make-up sex? It’s a hot topic! A clinical psychologist from Psychology Today even suggests it’s just as addictive as cocaine. It seems anger increases testosterone in both men and women. The more hot and bothered you become during the argument, the higher your sex drive becomes which leads to an explosive encounter.

Men’s Health lists Make-Up Sex as one of the 8 monumental sexual experiences you must have along with the ever-popular Vacation & Birthday Sex (note to self: write a Vacation Sex post).

Glamour Magazine adds some dos and don’ts to the mix:

DO: Resolve the argument before getting frisky.
 Having sex in place of resolving the conflict is not a good way to go. You don’t want to use it as a temporary cure, like a band-aid on an open wound, because the next time the issue arises, you’ll be doubly upset.

DON'T: Use it to reignite the passion in your relationship.
 It shouldn’t take a blow-out to get you two in bed. If fighting is the only way to create intimacy, then makeup sex is not the solution.

DON'T: Bring up the fight mid-hump.
 If you have an urge to say, “Oh, and one other thing…,” this is not the time. If you have something on your mind, wait until you're both calm and level-headed to discuss it.

DO: Have makeup sex to reconnect and enhance intimacy.
 Let it all out, girl. Take advantage of the surges of hormones and adrenalin pumping through your bod, and put it to good use.

So, go ahead and have that fight. Just make sure to end it right…what a way to make-up and move on…until the next time.  ;-)


I'm giving away a copy of Lusted in LasVegas to a lucky commenter! 

TO WIN: Please enter your email in the Rafflecopter below and Post a comment.

Sandra Bunino began a love of romance stories while penning a creative writing assignment in high school. The story ended with the heroine receiving a long stem red rose in her locker on Valentine’s Day. Since then, all of her stories feature the hero presenting the heroine with roses. Sandra is constantly searching for different ways to achieve a heart-pumping, stomach-flipping, breath-catching reaction from her readers.

These days, Sandra lives on a wooded mountaintop not far from New York City with her family. She always looks forward to hearing from her readers and she may be contacted at sbunino@gmail.com. Come back often to find out more about her current and future releases. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@sandrabunino). Remember, following is sexy!

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Spotlight & Giveaway: West Wing to Maternity Wing by Scarlet Wilson

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome Harlequin M & B Medical author Scarlet Wilson to HarlequinJunkie!

Scarlet talks to us today about her June 2012 debut US release 'West Wing to Maternity Wing'

June 2012 Release - US Cover

When it comes to writing medicals it can be difficult to break away from the traditional settings ie maternity units, children's wards, GP surgeries.  A few years ago I watching the inauguration ceremony of a new President and his wife.  And my first thought?  For the first time in over 50 years there is the possibility of a white house baby!

It hasn't happened in this term of office, but it happened in my imagination and subsequently in my book.  The President and First Lady have a daughter - a very premature daughter and they require a very experienced neonatologist to look after their daughter.  Cue Lincoln Adams.  He gets wakened up in the middle of the night by the President's Men in Black and spirited away to look after this baby.  In the meantime he's had a strange text.  From someone he hasn't seen in five years. 

Amy ducked out of Lincoln's life when she had breast cancer.  Now, she's pregnant and due to complications she knows this baby will arrive early.  So, just like the First Lady, she wants the best neonatologist in the world to look after her baby.  Due to her history, this might be the only chance she ever has at having a child.  He means more to her than anything.  She'll even take the chance of seeing the man she loved with all her heart.

Lincoln Adams is based on the gorgeous Patrick Dempsey and Amy Carson is the gorgeous Amy Adams.  Had I maybe been watching Enchanted too often when I picked my characters???

In truth, I already had my names and physical descriptions before I looked for inspired photos.  Lincoln is in a life-changing role and finds himself at a real crucial turn.  When he's told he can't look after Amy's baby, as well as the President's daughter he threatens to walk.  Lincoln is a man with principles and priorities, even if he doesn't understand them.  In the meantime, Amy is terrified.  Terrified that something will happen to her son and terrified that something will happen to her heart.  After all, a man as gorgeous as Lincoln Adams couldn't possibly love a woman that's had a mastectomy, could he?

Scarlet Wilson

I loved writing this book and it was really important to me to try and address these issues without skimming over them.  I hope I've managed it!

Scarlet Please tell us a few things about yourself...

Scarlet: I'm a nurse and a health visitor who is currently working in public health.  I still work full time and have two young boys so time is at a premium in my life!  I became serious about writing around three years ago, although I wrote my first book when I was 8.  

Sara: Do you have a fun "call story" to share with us?

Scarlet: I was working with an editor from Mills and Boon after a medical pitch contest on eharlequin.  I'd gone through four sets of revisions and was beginning to think I'd never make the cut.  I'd ducked home at lunch time as I was waiting for something to be delivered - needless to say it hadn't arrived and I drove back to work in a bad mood.  I got The Call as I was driving back to work, I was so stunned to hear the editor's voice I swerved and narrowly avoided hitting some poor man who was walking his dog!

UK Cover

Sara: What one Scene would you never cut from "West Wing to Maternity Wing?"

Scarlet: The one that was most difficult to write.  My heroine has had a mastectomy and hasn't ever accepted the changes to her body.  The hero stands her in front of a mirror, naked, and tells her what he sees when he looks at her.  It's entirely different to what she sees and it rocks her world.

Sara: What next in 2012? Do you have any other releases lined up?  If not - What are you currently working on?

Scarlet: I have another release in September called A Bond Between Strangers.  It's part of a two in one with Anne Fraser about an embryo being wrongly implanted.  I write it from the perspective of the father.  I also have another book due out in November called Her Christmas Eve Diamond.  I really, really wanted to write a Christmas story for Harlequin as they are my absolute favourites.  I'm currently finishing a cruise ship book which should be published around February next year.

Sara: What 3 things you never leave home without (apart from keys, cellphone and money)

AUS Cover

Scarlet: A red pen, my moleskin notebook and red lipstick!

Sara: If you were written about in the newspaper, on the front page, what would the headline say?

Scarlet: The scarlet lady strikes again!

Sara: where can readers contact you

via my website, www.scarlet-wilson.com or on my scarlet wilson author page on Facebook.

One lucky commenter will be chosen at random to win a copy of 'West Wing to Maternity Wing'

Please enter your email in the Rafflecopter below and Post a comment telling us...
How do you like your Medical Heros  - Dr McDreamy or Surgeon McSurly 

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SPOTLIGHT & Giveaway: Lilian Darcy

Sara, thanks so much for having me on HarlequinJunkie.

Lilian Darcy

 It's great to be a guest here on Harlequin Junkie. I've been writing for Harlequin for a long time - for so long, in fact, that when I first started, any author who proposed getting herself out there to interact with readers or share her interests or talk about the inspiration behind a book would have been frowned at, gently led back into her closet and given an expensive lunch. But times changed. Electric typewriters were invented. And horseless carriages. We blinked, and along came the internet and now I'm here, miraculously still only thirty-six years old. (My husband tells me this very firmly every time I ask, so it must be true.)

The biggest miracle, apart from my eternal youth, is probably the fact that I still love what I do, after more than eighty books. I love telling a story that for many people is the most important story of their lives, not just because of that wonderful, giddy feeling of new love but because finding the right person to share your life with really matters. Kingdoms have risen or fallen on the strength of it. Children have suffered or bloomed. I hate that this story is so often treated as trivial by the wider media. I love a romance story, and if you're reading this blog, I know that you do, too.

This year is a busy one for me, as I have three books out in Harlequin Special Edition, all part of the McKinley Medics trilogy. If readers respond to them, my editor is hoping for more in the series, featuring a different branch of the family. I loved writing each of these books for different reasons.

In Daddy on Her Doorstep, I really enjoyed torturing heroine Claudia a little bit, when parenthood didn't turn out to be the efficient and organized process she was expecting. Hero Andy seemed to find the whole thing somewhat amusing, too.

In A Doctor in His House I loved that the physical attraction and connection had come first for this couple, years earlier, when neither of them knew how to turn it into something more. We'd probably all like a second chance at something in our lives, and Scarlett and Daniel are lucky enough to get their wish.

Coming in July is the final book, A Marriage Worth Fighting For, which has to count as my favorite of the three, even though I love all of them. Alicia married eldest McKinley sibling MJ for his money and secure position. She had good reasons for doing it, but all the same it's not been a healthy bargain between them and it's not surprising that everything has come crashing down. I hope readers won't hate my Alicia, because I love both her and MJ very much!

As well as the trilogy, I'm also releasing Saving Gerda this month, in ebook, self-publishing it through my own company.

Why didn't I go with Harlequin on this one? Because it's too different. There's a marketing pressure that Harlequin is under to keep their branding consistent, and it makes sense for their business plan but not always for mine. I wanted to tell some more complex stories, still with the same level of emotion, the strong characters and the complex family relationships that I love to explore, and still with a major element of romance, but still... just different. For a start, Saving Gerda is set in Germany in the 1930s, while all my other books have been contemporary in setting. 

Still, I hope that any reader who enjoys my books in Harlequin Special Edition will give Saving Gerda a try, as well as my other ebook releases, Cafe du Jour and All Dressed Up.

Readers, to celebrate the Special Edition trilogy and the release of Saving Gerda, I'm giving away the eBook ' Saving Gerda' ~ Lilian

Enter your email in the Rafflecopter below and Post a comment for your chance to win.

Giveaway is open to readers world wide

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SPOTLIGHT & Giveaway: Redemption of a Hollywood Starlet by Kimberly Lang

Kimberly Thank You for visiting HarlequinJunkie Romance Review, I'm glad to have you here as the “Spotlight Author” this week

Tell us about Kimberly Lang....

I’m a suburban wife and mom. I eat too many jelly beans and drink too much Diet Coke. I love roller coasters but am afraid of heights. I wear very pretty, but very impractical, shoes. I am the Mouth of the South and love to talk to people about anything and everything. I own two tiaras and I’m not afraid to wear them.

Sara: Describe yourself in 3 words.

Kimberly: Trouble-making Southern Belle

Sara: What inspired you to be an author? Is it something you always aspired to be?
Kimberly: I actually wanted to be a ballet dancer, but puberty failed to deliver the required swan-like elegance. Then I got a couple of degrees in English and tried to be a teacher, but I really didn’t enjoy that much. I was late discovering that I wanted to write, but I love what I do.

Sara: What would you be doing it today if you weren’t pursuing your writing career?
Kimberly: I really don’t know. I know I wouldn’t be happy, though.

Sara: Have you ever suffered from a “writer’s block”? What did you do to get past the “block”?
Kimberly: Of course. I think every writer has a time when the words just won’t come.  Sometimes it’s something in my personal life that needs my attention, and the words come back once I work though it.  Other times, it’s really the fact that there’s something wrong with the book itself, and I have to find out and fix what that is to make the words come.

Sara: How do you conceive your plot ideas?
Kimberly: I wish I knew where the ideas came from, because then I might know where to go look for them.  I usually just find myself with a character or a scene that I like and build the book around that.  (The Power and the Glory started from the idea of an activist handcuffed to a politician. I wrote Magnate’s Mistress…Accidentally Pregnant! because I came up with what I thought would be a great first line for a book. I had to build a whole story from there.)

Sara: Which of the stories you have written to date has been the biggest challenge?
Kimberly: The Privileged and the Damned. Lily was a bad-girl heroine with a big secret. I wasn’t sure I could make it work, but I’m proud of the way it turned out.

Kimberly I have read all  3 books of the Marshall series and thoroughly enjoyed them…


Sara: Book three of the Marshall series “Redemption of a Hollywood Starlet” was just released what could you tell the readers about this book?
Kimberly: That I have a massive crush on Finn and I think it shows. J Finn was the hardest of the Marshall brothers to write, because he’s the black sheep of the family.

Sara: What sparked the idea for The Marshall series and this book in particular?

Kimberly: I’ve always wanted to write a book with a royal family, but all my books are American-set, and royals just don’t fit very well. I was watching a series on the History Channel about the Kennedys, and I realized that they were possibly one of the closest things we had in America to a royal family of our own.  The idea of the Marshalls grew from there.

Sara: How did you come up with characters for this series? Who is/are your Favorite character(s)

Kimberly: Because I’m not a plotter, the characters aren’t fully formed when I start to write. I have to write them to get to know them.  Because Finn and Brady both appear in Ethan’s book, I got to know all three bothers at the same time. As for a favorite… that’s very hard. I love them all equally but for different reasons: Lily was a challenge. Ethan was so sure of everything, I loved rocking his world. Aspyn made me laugh. Brady reminded me of a friend.  Finn was just impossible not to like and Cait was working so hard. As crazy as it sounds, The Grands just might be my favorite characters.


Sara: What were the challenges you faced in bringing this book to life?
Kimberly: Finding the right story and heroine for Finn was very difficult. He didn’t live in Virginia, and he wasn’t involved in the family business. I couldn’t put him a political situation, because that wouldn’t feel right for his character. I also couldn’t bring myself to set the book on the west coast, because part of the fun – for me, at least – in this series is the interaction of the brothers, and I’d lose that if they were on opposite coasts.  Plus, the family element is so strong, I needed the family around.  I had several false starts before I found Caitlyn, and I knew after I wrote that first scene for them that I’d found the right heroine for Finn.  Once I got the premise and the heroine, the rest of the book went pretty easily.

On a Lighter note... 

If you were stranded on an island…

Kimberly: I’d be dead in a week. I am an indoor girl who does not “rough it” in any way. 

What do you do to unwind and relax?

Kimberly: I read or veg in from of the TV with crime dramas like Criminal Minds (I have a little crush on Shemar Moore.). I also go get pedicures with my daughter for fun relaxation and mother-daughter bonding.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Kimberly: Reese Witherspoon. At least the accent would be correct.

Your favorite quotes?

Kimberly: My personal mantra comes from Max Ehrmann’s “Desiderata”: “Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should.” I remind myself of that to keep me sane.

What’s the deal with 'I before E'? 

Kimberly: Beats me. If I didn’t have SpellCheck, you’d think I was illiterate.

What books/authors have influenced your writing?

Kimberly: Reading Jenny Crusie helped me find my voice. Reading Julie Cohen helped me find my niche. My friend, the fabulous Rhonda Nelson gave me faith in both.

Red or white wine?

Kimberly: Yes, please.

What is the most romantic gesture or gift you have received?

 Kimberly: My Geek packed his life into one suitcase and moved to the US to be with me.

How do you keep the romance alive in your relationship?

Kimberly: We have very different interests and hobbies, so we always have something to talk about. My Geek is still the most interesting man in the world, and that’s very sexy.

Where can reader’s get in Touch with you?

Through my website at www.BookByKimberly.com, on facebook or on Twitter as @BooksByKimberly

One winner will get autographed copies of all three books in the Marshall series (The Privileged and the Damned, The Power and the Glory, and Redemption of a Hollywood Starlet) plus…
This beautiful three-piece jewelry set (made from glass pearls and crystals).

Post a comment telling us who is your Favourite Hollywood Starlet and why....

and

Email: kimberly@booksbykimberly.com with “HJ Contest” in the subject line before June 1st.  Include your name, email and shipping address.


Contest is open to readers world wide. Contest Ends: 05/31/2012