JK Beck Gets Lost in a Story...or Two

I'm thrilled to bring you JK Beck to the blog today! JK, also known as Julie Kenner, is a member of my local writers' group. She's been such a prolific writer in the time I've known her, but she has always found time to be a great help to so many of us over the years. Please help me welcome her.

 J. K. Beck spent more than ten years as a litigator in Southern California and Central Texas, using her rare free time to indulge in her passion for writing. Now she uses her legal background as inspiration for her paranormal romantic suspense series, The Shadow Keepers, set in and around a secret judicial system hidden within and mirroring our own. J.K. Beck is one of the secret identities of USA Today bestselling author Julie Kenner.  Julie and her alter egos live in Texas with a husband, two daughters, two cats, and far too much imagination.  Visit her

Website, Twitter as Julie Kenner and as JK Beck,

Facebook, Whine Sisters Blog, and Julie's Blog. 

THE STORY BLURB:

When Passion Lies

Tiberius is a vampire dedicated to protecting his kind—and the secrets of the shadow world. Now, as his quest to become head of the Alliance draws within reach, a shattering new threat puts him to the ultimate test. It’s a nightmare of grim proportions: a dark plot to bring about the mass extermination of human and shadow alike. And it forces Tiberius to turn to the woman he loved and lost, the lover he still desires but doesn’t trust.

Caris was Tiberius’s mate for centuries—until a fateful mission changed her forever. Her tortured secrets drove her into the arms of his rival, but desperation has brought her back. As a horrifying new weapon of mass destruction is about to be unleashed, Tiberius and Caris harness the power of their immortal and passionate love. But will it be enough to battle devastating odds and a ruthless enemy with the ambition to destroy them all?

To read an excerpt, visit here.

And now for the dirt....

ALEXA: How often to you get lost in a story?

JK: Oh my gosh. All. The. Time. Like, all the time. Did I mention all the time?

Seriously, I get lost in my stories, other people’s stories, stories that aren’t actually my stories yet, but just snippets. Stories that form the underpinnings of sappy commercials.  You name it, I get lost in it.

ALEXA:  Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

JK: You just knew that question was relevant to my author-y life right at this very moment, didn’t you?

ALEXA: (chuckling) Of course!

JK: Is it cheating if I say both?  How about if I say “both, but that’s only because I’m really two people?  Or maybe just one person, but with different facets?  Let’s just say I’m indecisive and leave it at that, shall we?

The hard part, of course, is that my life is beyond crazy (homeschooling mom, full-time writer (ha! I wish! See that homeschooling thing)), and so sit-down-and-read time is tough to find. But I manage.  I steal moments whenever I can (I love my Kindle iPhone app!).  And I am probably Audible.com’s best customer.  I have no idea what’s going on in the world because I never listen to the radio anymore.  No politics, no pop culture music.  Just me and The Book Thief or Game of Thrones or Fallen or The Killing Floor or Tsar or The Help or The Hunger Games or … well, the list goes on an on.

Seriously, I love action-adventure stuff, and the Shadow Keepers series is filled with action, adventure, fights, chases, bad guys, edgy good guys, and heroines who know how to kick butt.  Caris from WHEN PASSION LIES is a primo example.  She’s definitely a woman who can take care of herself, and she’s as comfortable on the battlefield as she is in a ballroom.

But while I love, love, love action, I also love a fairy tale tone, especially if it has a bit of a twist.  (I’m a huge fan of Sondheim’s Into the Woods musical, if that gives you any indication of what I love.)  My recently re-issued novel, THE CAT’S FANCY, explores fairy tale themes.  In that story, the heroine, Maggie, is head-over-heels in love with Nick.  The only hitch – she’s his cat.  But through the power of magic (and with a little inspiration from Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid) Maggie’s given the chance to be human…and to stay that way.  If she can make Nick fall in love with her before her time is up.

THE CAT’S FANCY was my first published single title novel, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.  I hope folks check it out! 

ALEXA: Whats the first book you remember reading? 

JK: Considering how central books are to my life, you’d think I’d have a good answer for that.  I don’t.  I remember a mish-mash of books from Dick and Jane on up.  The two that were the first to really impact me, though, were A Wrinkle In Time (though even before that, I was addicted to Half Magic and the other books by the same author) and the Nancy Drew series.

I think Nancy is the reason I love series books so much.  I got the first one for my tenth birthday.  I read the whole series, checking off books from the list printed in the back.  I’d glom stores and make my dad go out of his way so I could search for one I needed in random bookstores.  Kids have it so easy now!  My daughter needs the fourth Fablehaven book?  No prob.  Poof! It’s on her Kindle!

ALEXA: What's your favorite movie of all time?

JK: I used to say Star Wars, and it’s still true, but I’m not quite as intense about that anymore.  Now I’d have to add Raiders of the Lost Ark, Gone with the Wind, Singing in the Rain, and a number of other movies into the queue.  But Star Wars will always have a special place in my heart.

ALEXA: Which of your characters would you most like to invite to dinner, and why?

JK: Either Kate from the Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (because I don’t actually want to be her, but at the same time think it would be fun to be her) and Maggie from THE CAT’S FANCY, because who wouldn’t want to chat with someone about how the world looks from a cat’s point of view?

ALEXA: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

JK: I’m fortunate to get to work at home and I love it, particularly as it gives me the freedom to homeschool my kids, which is absolutely priceless to me.
ALEXA: What's next for you,JK?
JK: Book 6 of Julie's popular demon-hunting soccer mom series, PAX DEMONICA, and Book 5 of the Shadow Keepers series, WHEN DARKNESS HUNGERS.

ALEXA: Lastly, JK, got a question you'd like to ask your fans?

JK: If you could be any supernatural creatures, what would you pick, and why?

(Folks, JK is offering a signed copy of WHEN PASSION HUNGERS AND CARPE DEMON to one lucky commenter!)

ALEXA: JK, thanks for joining us today.

JK: Thanks so much for having me!!!

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author   may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.