5/31/2012

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
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 dont actually want to be her, but at the same time think it would be fun to be her) and Maggie from THE CATS FANCY, because who wouldnt want to chat with someone about how the world looks from a cats 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. 



33 comments:

  1. Good morning! Thanks so much for having me here!

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  2. What a fun interview! If I could be any supernatural creature I'd have to say I'd be a panther shifter because I love panthers and it would be so much fun to be able to shift into one. :)

    annabananabug1@gmail.com

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    1. Ooooh! Anna, good choice!!! Thanks for coming by!

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  3. These are such good stories! If you haven't read them yet, you should check them out!

    Matthew

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  4. I would LOVE to have the ability to time-warp, more to go back and see things than forward. I don't want to know ahead of time what's gonna happen...but I'd love to know why things are how they are now, and how it got this way

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    1. I think stopping time would be super fun. Anyone else see The Girl, The Gold Watch & Everything?

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  5. Can't wait for Kate! And I would most definitely be a shapeshifter than could turn into anythings because demons are awful, getting hairy once a month sounds awful, I like to get places on time so shambling wouldn't be fun and even though vampires are sexy I don't think I want to drink blood.
    buffysfx@gmail.com

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  6. Great interview! I think I'd go with the ability to time travel as well. So many questions could be answered. :) Although I did like stopping time thing in The Girl, the Gold Watch, and Everything. :)

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    1. Now I have the urge to track that movie down and watch it again (and I'm embarrassed to say I haven't read the book!)

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  7. Thanks to everyone for stopping by! And thanks to Julie for visiting with us.

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  8. Welcome JK/Julie. Great interview, Alexa and what a fun question. Hmmm. if I could be supernatural I think I would be the Invisible Woman. I'd love to be a fly on the way, invade Washington DC and find our what's really going on behind closed doors. Good luck with your releases!

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    1. I like that answer! But can you turn it on and off? (The invisible Buffy episode is one of my favorites!)

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  9. Hi Julie *waves*!

    I love your books - in fact I attended my first RWA meeting because I knew you would be speaking (such a fan-girl).

    *Any* supernatural creature? I vote goddess! Why mess around with the lesser supes? I am the boss of all of you!

    Now, am I still bound by the laws of physics? Constrained by fate? Are there other gods and goddesses (what's the fun in that when I want to be all-powerful)? Eeep - world-building is hard! Trotting off to the e-book store to purchase a ready-made world built by J.K. Beck!

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    1. Waving back!!!!!

      Did you really??? I don't think I knew that. Wow! I think you just made my day, LOL!

      As for being a goddess ... if you're a goddess you can make the rules! And the other gods and goddesses. Woot!

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  10. Hi Julie!! :)

    oh wow...I think I would pick a witch..I would love to be able to throw fireballs and cast spells! ;)

    Froggy
    froggarita@gmail.com

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  11. Hey Julie! Nice to see you at GLIAS and welcome!

    "Stories that form the underpinnings of sappy commercials." LOVE IT ! I do the same thing.

    Great interview!
    ~Angi

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    1. Hey Angi! thanks so much! A and happy to see another commercial crier! Sorry for the typos. Had to switch to the iPad :)

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  12. Hi Julie!

    You are one of my favorite authors, I love you're books. I love Kate, she always makes me laugh. I read The Cat's Fancy and LOVED it. Such a cute story and I would love to read more about Hoop and Deena, they were so cute.

    I would want to be a fairy, I'd get to fly all the time and have some magic ability.

    Kel
    kdonovan221@gmail.com

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    1. Hey Kel!!!!!! Great to see you here! I'm so glad you loved Cat! Thanks for checking it out. I'm psyched that the new Kate book is just around the corner!!! Thanks for coming by!

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  13. HEY Julie! I guess it's the little girl in me but I would love to be a mermaid! Being able to breathe underwater and swim extremely fast just sounds so amazing. I know I would love getting to swim with the fish and dolphins too. :o)

    foreverbama@gmail.com

    I keep following you around to all of your interviews/giveaways in hopes I will eventually win one.So keep em coming LOL ;-)

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    1. LOL! Your wish is my command! I have a lot more in the pipe!

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  14. I just love your Shadow Keepers series and would love the opportunity to read some of your other stories. I think you have a great sense of humor. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. I would choose to be a vampire because I love the night, don't really like the sun, and the whole immortal thing seems pretty cool. Just think how many books I could read. :D

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

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    1. Ooooh! Vampirism as a way to read more. Love it!

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  16. Fun interview. I'd pick a witch because she can cast spells.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. That would be cool! I always thought Willow had it pretty sweet. Except for the turning evil thing .....

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  17. I love all the different types of books you write--AND that some of my favorites are being reissued.

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  18. Sdylion, you are the winner of Julie's signed books! Congratulations! Julie will be contacting you soon.

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  19. Hey, I answered this question just recently...the last time I stalked you on a blog LOL. And I STILL want to be able to time-travel, so I can go to the past and find out how we got to where we are now :)

    Bessieinthewell@yahoo.com

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