Please Welcome My Guest

Please welcome my guest, author J.C. McKenzie. Born and raised on the Haida Gwaii, off the West Coast of Canada, J.C. McKenzie grew up in a pristine wilderness that inspired her to dream. She writes Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.

Today J.C. is allowing me to interview a character from her new novel, The Shucker's Booktique. Make sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of the interview.

 Now on to the interview: 

What is your name?
Willa Eklund

Can you give us a little background information about yourself? 
I’m originally from Lewiston, but recently moved to Lobster Cove, Maine, to run my aunt’s bookstore. She’s gone missing, but I hope to keep her business afloat while I search for clues for her whereabouts.

Do you have any siblings? Any pets?  Do they play a large part in your story?
Yes, unfortunately. I have an overbearing mother and a gaggle of overbearing sisters just like her. They brow-beat me into almost every decision I’ve made. I’ve learned it’s just easier to give in than put up a fight.

How would you describe yourself? 
I like solitude and time away from my mother and sisters. I know I should be more assertive, but what’s the point? My opinion and what I want doesn’t really matter in the end.

Describe what your typical day is like.

After I get up and get ready, I head downstairs to the main floor of The Shucker’s Booktique. I read the news on my tablet and have coffee with my breakfast before opening up the store. There’s a little boy who loves the comic book section and there’s an over-the-top Irish lady who loves her romance novels. After close, I have some tea or a wine with my dinner to unwind and then head for bed. I love this new life of mine and feel I’m finally relaxing.

What was your first impression the hero?  Did it change as you grew to know him?
Lon? Oh my. He’s huge and there’s something fierce about him, like a hurricane. Sometimes I get a glimpse of otherworldly about him, but that’s just silly! Isn’t it? It must be the light and his pale, almost translucent complexion. He somehow scared and attracted me at the same time when I first saw him. My brain said, “run,” but my heart said, “leap forward.”

If you could do something forbidden, what would it be?  Why?
I would follow my heart and leap forward…to Lon.

What is your favorite time of day?  Why?
It used to be the quiet afternoons on Monday, the only day I get off now that I run the bookstore, but not anymore. Now I find I’m looking forward to the dark, stormy nights.

·        MISSING AUNT? MYSTERIOUS STRANGER? STRANGE TOWN? WILLA’S GOT PROBLEMS BIGGER THAN A BARCODE 

Blurb:

After her fiancé dumps her and her beloved Aunt Jenny goes missing, Willa Eklund travels to Lobster Cove with a broken heart to search for Jenny while running her bookstore. When a mysterious man visits the Shucker's Booktique on a stormy night drenched in rain and covered in mud, Willa's heart melts under his stormy gaze. She wants Lon and the answers he may have, but he also has a secret. Can Willa trust him?

Lon Devlin is a Tempest, a water sprite who can only take a human form during stormy nights. He rides the waves, lives by the tides, and nothing can hold him down, not even a beautiful woman. When he visits his mortal friend, he discovers she's missing and her intriguing niece has taken her place. He wants Willa, but he also wants answers. What happened to Jenny?

Excerpt:

Thump! Thump! Thump!

No! She gasped. It couldn’t be. The banging on the front door of the booktique had to be a figment of her imagination. She couldn’t will Lon into existence. Why would he come back? Especially if he was involved. Unless…cold ice prickled up her spine…unless he needed to eliminate her to take care of loose ends.

No. Crazy thoughts, Willa. He could’ve taken care of her the night before. No, her heart hammered against her chest for a different reason. But it didn’t matter. The knocking on the door wouldn’t, couldn’t be him.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Could it? She clutched her hot mug in both hands and turned toward the doorway leading to the bookstore. From the kitchen in the back room, she had a clear view through the store to the front door, but not who stood on the other side.

“Willa!” Lon growled. “Wake up and let me in!”

Willa gasped and almost dropped her cup. The tea sloshed around and some spilled over her hands. It burned, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. Somehow the air got trapped inside her throat. Why was he here? What did he want?

Oh God, let it be me!

Buy Links:  

Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

You can get in touch with J.C. at any of these places:

J.C. McKenzie’s Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | The Wild Rose Press | Amazon

Giveaway (October 15-22 only):

Rafflecopter Link 

Please Welcome My Guest...

Please welcome my guest, J.C. McKenzie. Born and raised on the Haida Gwaii, off the West Coast of Canada, J.C. McKenzie grew up in a pristine wilderness that inspired her to dream. She writes Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.

Today we're spotlighting her new release, Shift Happens. 

·        SHE NEEDS TO CLEAR HER NAME. HE NEEDS TO CHAPERONE. CAN THEY KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL?

 

Blurb:  Andrea McNeilly's job as a government agent is not asking questions, but then a routine assignment turns into a botched assassination of a Master Vampire's human servant. Answers become a priority. Her search to discover the truth is riddled with obstacles, the largest being an oversized Werewolf who resembles a Norse god. Andy can't afford the distraction he offers, because if she fails, she faces eternal enslavement.

Wick's job is to monitor Andy, but he prefers more intimate activities, none of them G-Rated. His choices, however, are often not his own. His ability to help Andy is limited by his bond to the Master Vampire.

Facing many trials and challenges along her path to redemption, Andy learns the value of her freedom might be set too high.

Excerpt:

A large black wolf trotted into the clearing to confront me. He had a white-tipped snout, white boots and mitts and would have looked cute had he not been the most intimidating Werewolf I’d ever seen. Standing tall and solid, power rolled off of his body. His eyes bore into mine. I sniffed the air. The strong Werewolf scent of rosemary swirled around me, strong and seductive, laced with sugar. A weird fuzzy sensation spread out from my chest. Whoa.

Alpha.

My other form growled low, demanding release, straining against my skin. The energy of the wolves built—layers upon layers of excitement and impatience. The air pulsated with anticipation. They could sense the imminent kill.

Let me out! My other form repeated, throwing her power against my built up walls, howling in defiance.

When the energy of the Werewolves surged, I finally released her. My wolf form flowed out fast, wiping out the feline in little more than a heartbeat. Smaller, weaker and the size of a natural wolf, a Shifter in this form was no match for a Werewolf, especially a dominant one. I had time to meet the eyes of the Alpha for only an instant before the pack leapt forward. My limbs shook. It went against every instinct ingrained within me, but I rolled onto my back—submissive.

Buy Links:

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com.au

 Available in print and all other electronic formats on July 16^th, 2014  

          

You can check out the trailer for Shift Happens here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvQ79fXVrj0

You can contact J.C. at any of the links below:

            Website: www.jcmckenzie.ca

            Blog: www.jcmckenzie.blogspot.ca

            Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/j.c.mckenzie.author

           Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/JC_McKenzie

           Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/jcmckenzie

          Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JCMcKenzie

Please Welcome My Guest...

Please welcome my guest, Lisa Rayns.  Lisa is an author of wonderful paranormal romance novels and I'm thrilled she's consented to an interview.  So without further ado, let's get this interview started.

Hi Lisa, tell us something about yourself both writing and not writing related.

The strangest thing about me is that I come from a family of non-readers. They might read magazine articles or the paper but they don’t read novels so they have a hard time understanding why I spend so much time doing what I do. I’m the black sheep, I guess. 

Do you have a writing routine?  Where do you usually do your writing?

I don’t really have a routine. I write whenever I can and when I’m not writing I’m usually thinking about it until a scene strikes me. Then I’m writing again.

I work in a bright pink room with things around me that inspire me. On the wall, there’s a picture of an artist painting an enchanting scene which always reminds me to “paint it beautiful.”

I love that - "Paint it beautiful."  Why do you write in the genre/sub-genre that you do?  Any plans in the future to write in a different one?

I write in the paranormal genre because I found it was more fun than the regular romantic suspense. I do write in other genres. I have an urban fantasy novella out and a psychological suspense in the WIP stage.

I'll have to look up your urban fantasy novella. It's a genre that's new to me but that I'm enjoying it immensely.  How do you stay motivated when writer’s block hits or your muse won’t cooperate?

I don’t. I find it helpful to take time away from writing when my muses don’t want to play. If I’m not into the story, readers won’t be either.

I agree. I feel if I'm bored by what I'm writing then the reader certainly will be. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

That’s an awesome question and one that requires thought. Hmm, I think it was Googling how blood changes when someone dies. That would also qualify as the most morbid.

What’s the best writing advice you were ever given? 

Read.

That's advice I won't have any problem following. :o)  What do you like to do in your leisure time?

In my leisure time, I like to hang out with my family. Watching my boys grow is an exciting experience in itself. I learn a lot from my kids.

Tell us about your current release in a couple of sentences.

Wanted: Vampire - Free Blood is a dark paranormal romance with many surprises. Alexis Hall wakes up married to a handsome man with a major secret but a simple misunderstanding sends her running into the arms of a vampire.

Sounds fascinating. I'll be adding it to my TBR list. Can you tell us a little about your next project?

I’m planning four books in my Wanted: Vampire series and right now I’m working on the second book which is centered around Tara, Alexis’ best friend. She’s a witch with more problems than she cares to admit. The third book returns to Alexis and the fourth…well, I’m going to leave that a surprise for now.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Sure, I’d like to invite you all to stop by website or blog or friend me on facebook. I’d love to meet all of you!

Website: http://www.lisarayns.com

Blog: http://lisarayns.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisarayns.author

Check out the blurb below for Wanted: Vampire - Free Blood.  It's great! 

Blurb: 

Three years ago, death blew out the candle in Alexis Hall’s life and left her devastated. Nothing could replace what she’d lost, not even the sexy stranger she awoke married to. Still, she finds it hard to ignore the dangerous sparks he triggers within her. She knows Bradley Cox took advantage of her. What she doesn’tknow is he holds a secret that will change everything.

But Bradley isn’t her only concern. In a moment of desperation to somehow reclaim what she had lost, Alexis made an offer to a vampire––free blood. Her blood. 

In a story of heartbreak and obsession, a simple ad changed Alexis' life forever and on one fateful night her dreams and her nightmares will collide. Can she trust Bradley? Or is he her worst mistake? Can she retract her offer to the vampire? Or will she fall under his deceptive spell? 

Buy eBook at The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4952  

Or at

 

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B0091JCWWK

 

 Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Katherine!

You are very welcome.  Thanks for being my guest.