Get Lost With Julie Kenner!

Folks, please help me welcome Julie Kenner

back to our little home on the web!

 ABOUT JULIE

 
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Kenner (aka J. Kenner and J.K. Beck) has published over forty novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.  Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” J.K.  is also a two-time RITA finalist, the winner of Romantic Times‘ Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, the winner of the Reviewers International Organization’s award for best romantic suspense of 2004 and best paranormal of 2005, and the winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award for best mainstream book of 2005. She writes a range of stories including sexy and quirky romances, young adult novels, chick lit suspense and paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, is in development as a feature film with 1492 Pictures. Her current book, Release Me by J. Kenner, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and has sold to over a dozen territories/sub-rights. Julie lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and several cats.

THE STORY BLURB

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes an erotic, emotionally charged romance between a powerful man who’s never heard “no” and a fiery woman who says “yes” on her own terms.
 

He was the one man I couldn’t avoid. And the one man I couldn’t resist.

Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. He was sexy, confident, and commanding: Anything he wanted, he got. And what he wanted was me.

Our attraction was unmistakable, almost beyond control, but as much as I ached to be his, I feared the pressures of his demands. Submitting to Damien meant I had to bare the darkest truth about my past—and risk breaking us apart.

But Damien was haunted, too. And as our passion came to obsess us both, his secrets threatened to destroy him—and us—forever.

Release Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

CLICK HERE FOR AN EXCERPT OF RELEASE ME

 

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JULIE?????

Contact:  juliekenner@gmail.com

Website: http://www.juliekenner.com 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jkennerbooks 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/juliekenner
 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jkenner

Blog: http://www.juliekenner.com/blog

And now for the Q & A...

ALEXA: Who's your favorite villain?

JULIE: Oh, what a great question. I’m going to go with Hans Gruber from Die Hard. On the one hand, I just love Alan Rickman, but it’s more than that. I like that he’s smart, because if the villain isn’t clever there’s lessto admire about the hero.  So your hero can best a doofas; big deal.  But if your hero bests a villain who is brilliant—possibly even more brilliant than the hero?  Well, that not only says a lot about your hero, but it makes for some truly kickass drama.

ALEXA: Is there a Blooper in your story (it may have been changed before printing)?

JULIE: Nothing major. I’m just finishing up Claim Me right now, and I was halfway through before I realized I was writing a minor character with a name that I’d changed in Release Me before turning it in.  But that hardly counts as the poor guy didn’t even get enough screen time to qualify for his SAG card J

 

A fan ran across a blooper in one of my Demon Hunting Soccer Mom books after the book.  A character who was dead appeared in scene as was having coffee with Kate.  Obviously, I meant another character, whose name begins with the same letter.  But no one—not me, not my critique partners, not my editor, not the copyeditor, not the proofreader—caught the error.  Fortunately, it only appears in the trade paperback edition!  It was fixed before the mass market version came out and it’s not in the digital release!

 ALEXA: Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the heroines role?
JULIE: Hmmm.  I don’t know how many of the folks reading this interview have read Release Me, but let’s just say that, honestly, why wouldn’t I put myself in Nikki’s shoes? Ah, Damien …

 

ALEXA: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?

JULIE: You know, I don’t really have any traditions from childhood.  I was an only child raised by a single mom, and I can’t remember any daily or holiday traditions, probably in part because I never seemed to spend the holidays in the same place, what with traveling to see my dad on alternating holidays.

About the closest we had to a tradition was eating nachos on Christmas Eve, but even that wasn’t as regular as a tradition should be.  And though I’ve tried it with my kids, only one of my girls actually likes nachos! (Oh, the horror!)

But we do have a fun meal and watch a movie on Christmas Eve.  And when they lose a tooth, I leave very elaborate note from toothfairies in training.  Mostly, we just have a lot of fun together as a family!

 

ALEXA: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

JULIE: Sometimes.

I don’t tend to read reviews on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, because although I am so incredibly appreciative of readers who leave reviews (it really is important for helping make a book “discoverable,” so thank you to everyone who takes the time!), checking reviews and numbers and the like ultimately is like running on a hamster wheel—it doesn’t get you anywhere.  Much better to be writing that next book!

But when I have a situation like Release Me where a number of galleys were provided to allow for early reads, then yes, I did read the reviews because I used quotes from the early reviews to promote the book pre-release.

Which is the long way of saying: Sometimes I read them.  Do they influence my writing?  Not in the way I think you mean, as in, a review isn’t going to change the way I write a character or the way I have a plot planned out.  But if I run across several reviews all saying that they would love X’s story, then I will certainly consider doing X’s story if I hadn’t already planned to.  Or maybe let X star in a novella.  That kind of thing.

 ALEXA: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?
JULIE: I’m cheating a tiny bit on this answer because we would have done it even without the income from writing, but I was able to use the option money from a film deal to pay for the airfare, hotel, and other expenses associated with traveling to China to adopt my youngest daughter and then pay for her cleft palate repair surgery.  So I guess the dream of adopting a second child and starting her surgical treatment without ending up with credit card debt was realized!

ALEXA: What's your favorite kid joke?
JULIE: knock knock – who’s there?
banana – banana who?

knock knock – who’s there?

banana – banana who?

knock knock – who’s there?

banana – banana who?

knock knock – whose there?

orange – orange who?

Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?

ALEXA: Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most?

JULIE: The 1940s or 1950s.  I love the women’s clothes from back then.  Flared skirts, tight waists.  And hats! I love hats!

 ALEXA: Got a question you'd like to ask your fans?

JULIE: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

ALEXA: Folks, Julie is offering a $15 gift card from Amazon, B&N or iTunes for one lucky commenter, so get busy answering! 

 

ALEXA: Well, Julie, I'm going to let you get back to work. Thanks for visiting with us today!

JULIE: Thanks so much for having me!!

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.