Interview with guest author: Kenzie Michaels

Please welcome my friend and fellow author, Kenzie Michaels. I had fun asking lots of weird questions which she graciously answered. If you leave her lots of comments and questions, a good fairy will bestow your fondest wish. Kenzie will be at the Reader's Retreat on Coffee Time Romance until Sept 20th. Don't miss it. Mark your calendars. Here's the link:

http://www.coffeeti meromance. com/board/ forumdisplay. php?f=14

Oh! That's a fairy tale. But it will make Kenzie and I very happy. Now for my interview with Kenzie: If you could be any shape-shifter you wanted to be, which one would you pick and why? (Only one)

Since my favorite scene in Disney’s Sword in the Stone is the Wizard’s Duel, can’t I simply be a shifter who can morph into any animal, like Anny Cook’s Ardent Angels series?

If you could go anywhere in the world you wanted tand do anything you wanted to (pretend you have money, time, and health enough) where and what would it be?

I’ve always wanted to travel to Greece and Italy, to see the historic sites. Also Paris, to see the artwork and taste the food. After travelling, I’d retire to a beach house where I could enjoy the warm weather all year round.

If you were all-powerful, what would you do with that power?

Restore common sense and courtesy to people.

If you could interview God, what would you ask?

Hahahaha…why do allergies exist? Which denomination of Christianity comes close to ‘getting it right’? Seriously, I think once I meet Him, all questions will instantly be answered.

If you could live in any time period, when would that be? Why?

Although I love the Civil War era, I’m too fond of modern conveniences.

When you were a kid, what did you want to grow up to be?

A nurse, an archaeologist, an entertainer. In college, I was going to save all the abused children in my little corner of the world. But as an author, I get to be anyone I want.

What annoys you most about stories you read? Have you ever thrown a book against the wall? Why?

The only time I’ve come close to throwing a book against the wall is when the main characters refuse to listen or talk to each other. Sometimes I want to insert myself into the story, lock both characters in a room together, and not let them out until they’ve resolved their misunderstanding.

What is your favorite type story to read?

I’ll read anything which catches my attention. Contemporary, historicals, Regency, medical thrillers. It just depends on my mood.

What does your family think of your writing?

My mom is proud of my writing ability, though she’s not cracked up about the language I’ve used. My kids refer to my books as ‘Mom’s Porn’, and my husband can’t wait until my royalties allow him to get a new truck. On some level, they’re proud of me.

What do you do to promote your books? Do you find promoting easy or difficult?

I promote on chat loops; I’ve done blog interviews, and been interviewed on blog talk radio. And when my alter-ego does book signings, she very nicely hands out my bookmarks and excerpts of All She Ever Wanted.

The most time consuming part is the chats, so I try to pick times when I’m not having family issues. And sometimes my husband gripes about the booth rental fees at the festivals, plus the long hours. But I enjoy meeting people and talking about my work, as well as encouraging other writers.

If you decided not to write any more, what would you do in its place? Why?

If I had the money, I’d open a bookstore/coffee shop. And I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing; my head threatens to explode when I don’t get a chance to write down my thoughts or ideas for stories.

What was the most difficult thing you ever found about writing?

The waiting. Waiting for the acceptance/rejection. Waiting for sales info. Waiting for feedback. Waiting for inspiration to return.

How do you come up with names for your characters?

Most of the time the characters tell me their names. But I’ve been known to use the phone book or HS yearbook for a random name.

How long did it take you to get published?

LOL…from the time I sent off the first submission letter to acceptance letter…five months. Which is rare. My alter-ego tried for ten years before going the self-publishing route, and now she’s been trying for two years on the electronic publishers. She’s getting close, and it’s a friendly rivalry that my first one was snapped up so quickly.

What type of music do you like to listen to? When you're writing? Reading? Relaxing?

Musically, I’m all over the place. I mainly listen to Top 40 or soft rock, but occasionally I’ll get into the mood for heavy metal, alternative, or thanks to my father’s influence, classical. So I’ll listen to Def Leppard, Journey, Neil Diamond, Mozart, Amy Grant, or even Frank Sinatra in any given day. And my son also got me hooked on Disturbed and Six Days Grace.

What is your biggest obstacle to writing (if any)?

I have a tendency to wait for the mood to strike before I’ll sit down to write.

Where can your readers find you online? In person?

I have a blog http://kenziemichaels.blogspot.com and am posting at least once a week; I share a website with my alter-ego www.mollydaniels.com (it’s currently under construction, and will hopefully be up and running soon) as well as Face book www.facebook.com/mollyjdaniels and MySpace www.myspace.com/mollyjdaniels. Molly also posts daily on her blog www.mollyjdaniels.blogspot.com and shares my news with her readers. In person, they can catch me at hopefully the RomantiCon Convention in October, or at any festival here in southern Indiana. Read my newsletter; watch my blogs for details.

If you could sum up yourself in one word, what would it be? (mom and writer excluded) Why?

Creative. Work in progress is three words. If I don’t write, I get crabby. I also like to cross stitch, sing and dance to music, and I’ve even been known to be happy with a coloring book and crayons or paint when my kids were little.. I can’t draw, but I used to love paint-by-number sets.

About how much do you write in a typical week?

My goal is at least 500-1000 words a day, but I’m happy with whatever amount comes out of my fingers!

What is your favorite activity (besides writing and reading)? Your favorite color? Your favorite food? Your favorite animal?

Watching TV or going out to eat. My favorite color is yellow; favorite food is a tie between pasta and chocolate; I’m a cat and dog lover.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell your readers?

I welcome feedback! Let me know what you like and don’t like about my stories. And if you’ve been bitten by the writing bug, go for it! Don’t let anything or anyone get in the way of your dream. I’m living proof that perseverance pays off.

Blurb:

When Amber Johnson agrees to fill in as a last-minute chef of a dinner party, she is surprised to learn the client is none other than her ex-boyfriend, Marc Denton. The kitchen sizzles with their unfinished business; will the flames of love reignite, or will Marc’s scheming father succeed in keeping them apart?

Marc and Amber are furious when they discover lies that have kept them apart for three years. With Amber by his side again, will Marc find the courage to stand up to his father and hold on to his true love?

Excerpt (R rated):

“Shhh….” She bent down to kiss him. “Morning.”

“Morning,” he yawned. “What the hell?” He tugged his left hand.

She intercepted his right hand as he reached for her breast and bound it to the

end of the blue belt. “I’m holding you hostage for a few moments. Is it okay?”

Marc grinned warily, shifting onto his back. “What are you doing?”

Amber pushed the blankets aside and straddled him. “Just relax.” She kissed

him lightly, the tips of her breasts grazing his chest. She nipped at his jaw line

and rubbed her cheek against his morning stubble. “You always have that dark

and dangerous look in the morning.”

“That’s me; dark and dangerous,” he echoed. “Is that why you tied me up?”

“Every time you touch me, I melt,” she complained good-naturedly. “So, I

made sure you couldn’t touch me until I had my way with you.”

“You begged me to touch you last night,” he reminded her, groaning when she

sucked lightly on his neck. “Am, no hickies—”

“Don’t worry. I won’t leave any marks.” She moved lower, scraping her teeth

over his flat nipples, hearing him gasp. “Like that?”

“Yes,” he groaned.

Amber felt his member swelling against her inner thigh and smiled to herself.

But this was her show; she wasn’t going to let him rush her. She moved to his

other nipple, giving it the same attention as the first. Her hands passed lovingly

over his ribs, stroking the light fur tapering off from his navel to his groin area.

Marc flexed his arms as she repositioned her body lower. “Am…my arms are

going numb.”

“Just keep doing finger flicks,” she instructed, and licked her way to the base

of his swollen cock, beads of pre-cum bubbling to its surface. She gave it a

perfunctory kiss, dipping her finger into the moisture and tasting him. “Hmmm,”

she said playfully. “Someone had chicken, rice, and whiskey last night.”

“Very funny,” he said testily. “You fed me. Now hurry up!”

“Naughty, naughty,” she scolded, sliding a finger between his balls and

watching his cock twitch. “Impatient, are we?”

“I didn’t inflict this much torture on you last night,” he panted. “I believe you

said ‘Fuck me’? So put your mouth on me.”

“Say ‘please’.”

Marc swore under his breath. “Please.”

She turned her head and licked his inner thigh from groin to knee.

“Amber!” he bellowed.

Thanks so much for being my special guest Kenzie This was a lot of fun.

Thank you for having me Ashley! You’ve asked some unique questions.

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

What makes you want to read a blog?

I have a question: What makes you want to read a blog? I don't mean just once, but to frequently visit? Like returning to a favorite vacation spot, such as Miami Beach? Sometimes I blog hop - when I'm blocked from writing or just want see what everybody's doing. If I find a new blog I really like, even if I've never met the blog's author, even if we have no friends in common, I'll add it to my blog roll. My requirements for this is: 1) There are frequent recent blog posts. If the last post was a month ago, or worse, monthS ago, I probably won't bother to check it out again much less add it to my blog roll. 2) The posts have to be interesting. They don't have to be earth-shattering, just pleasant or fun to read. One thing I'm not thrilled with even if there are frequent and recent posts, is if the blog is only promotional. For instance, some authors only post excerpts and reviews of their books. There's no other meat to the blog. I might as well visit a book review site or a publishers' for sale pages and read them. I don't mind, and even like to read excerpts and reviews - IF there's more than ONLY that. That's pretty much my only requirements. I don't think that's being too hard on anyone. Or do you? I don't only read mommy blogs, or author/writing blogs, or how to blog better blogs. I like some variety. Heck, I even (sometimes very much) enjoy reading blogs about the gay lifestyle even though I'm not gay. So, what do you like to read/see in blogs and on the flip side, what don't you like to see or read on a blog? Does something annoy you? Is there something you'd like to see but don't see enough of? Or that you require to return? Do you ever lucky enough to find a blog where you can't wait for more? Where the entries are so enticing, you get addicted and go back for more and more? After I wrote this post (I usually pre-schedule my posts as I'm a big believer in being prepared and with the day job demanding lots of overtime, often without warning, and with being the Mom Taxi to several kids, there are some nights I can't blog or do anything I planned) I found this really cool blog that's talking about the same subject. In fact, it offers a valuable service: critiquing your blog. The name is: Critique My Blog You don't have to ask - yes, I put my blog in the queue and hope to receive a critique. And I hope he'll like my blog or at least not find much that needs to be fixed. Inquiring minds want to know :) You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, and Sandra Cox are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :) You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

I don't care who started it...

I can sooooooooooooo relate.

So very often I feel just like this parent.

DD1 and DD2 fight with DS3 all the time. At least it feels like it.

Everybody except my kids think I'm pretty easy going. But my kids can really get me going when they're yelling and fussing at one another. It can ruin the best day when I come home from this. If it's already been a crappy day, then the kids had better watch out. I probably look and sound just as bad as this lion when they get me going. You'll want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, and Sandra Cox are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

TV remotes and DVD players

This looks sooooo like our house. Hubby's always complaining that the remote is missing and it's always close by like in the couch cushions or on his nightstand or on the floor by his side of the bed (never by my side of the bed, um...) The hubby's really mad this week. The new DVD player is broken. he blames DS#3 but as I keep telling him, there's 6 people in the house, he can't just assume without proof. Plus electronic things sometimes break on their own. It's not always human doing. Anyway, the DVD player is on its way to Pennsylvania to be repaired so we'll have to rough it without. Now we only have the choice of 500+ satellite stations until it returns. Poor, poor us. Like I watch that much TV anyway. Hubby usually monopolizes it anyway plus I'm usually writing or reading and I need to get back into my nightly walking. You'll want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, and Sandra Cox are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

I not has a PMS!!!!

Um, this lioness pales in comparison to DD#2 when she's PMSing. Hint, the poor lion should throw chocolate at the lioness. That's the only thing that helps my daughter. I don't think I suffer from PMS, at least not often and not nearly as bad. I feel for DD#2, though. Poor lion. Poor lioness. Yikes! I thought I scheduled this to post at 7 AM this morning. But I see it was onlhy saved as a "draft". Good thing I checked. Not that this is any world-enlightening wisdom but I like to have a daily post. It also gives me the chance to add something else on my mind. Why are the gay and menage romances so popular right now? Why are women eating up gay (or as we call them in the industry "M/M") romances? I came out of the closet a few months ago for those of you that remember. I admitted I was once engaged to a man, "D", who came out to me as being gay and how shocked and hurt I was. That experience, that individual, tainted my view of this group of people for years. It wasn't until I met my friend M at my current day job that I got a better, hopefully more acurate glimpse, of gay men as people like everybody else. M is a great person. He's loving and caring to everybody. He's funny and smart and a good friend. He's in a committed and loving long-term relationship, probably one of the strongest I know. When he talks about his SO "K" it's always with love and adoration. When I'm with them, I can feel the love and respect between them and for others. M and K are universes apart from D. So after all these years I finally realize that it was just D's personality, to me he was sleazy - sleep around, lying and cheating, that was the real issue. I feel terrible for judging other people on the basis of him. I can only say I was very young, 17, and that that situation with D set off a horrible chain reaction in the rest of my life that also added to my bad feelings. Anyway, getting back to the topic in general, one of my writers' groups is discussing why they think women like M/M and menage romance. I think they're off base and so I'd like other opinions. At least one of them think it's because the women who read them (or any romance) is because they're too old and too scared to go after a real man for themselves, so they fantasize with our books. I don't buy this. When my mom found herself single in her fifties, she dated a lot. She joined groups of other singles her age and they all dated a lot. I also know a lot of married women who like to read and write romance books and watch romantic movies. Just because I'm married doesn't mean I don't melt at the prospect of a good romance. I still adore them. I don't like to peg people anymore. I feel badlyl I ever did. I'd like to think I've finally grown up. What do you think? Why are M/M and menage romances so popular presently? You'll want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, and Sandra Cox are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Thursday Thirteen: edition 16 - 13 funny cartoons and pics

Thirteen Funny Cartoons & Pictures I'm not feeling very well today so I'm going to do this the easy way. Following are 13 cartoons and pictures I think are funny. Enjoy!

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At least I've not had a donor do this to me...yet.

That's all 13, but here's one more bonus picture, just because I love it. :)

Next is the picture of a man with mere seconds to live.

You'll want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, and Sandra Cox are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Author pics - to glam or not to glam

You may (or may not) have noticed that I changed my author pic on blogger a few days ago. Heck, you may never have noticed my author pic even if you visited every day. Not that you needed to. But IF you did, you'd see that my glamor shot photo has gone bye bye. Oh, it's still saved on my hard drive and still on one of my many web pages somewhere. However, it's not here, on my main web page (www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com). Why not? A famous author has been giving me some suggestions and one is to lose the glamor shot. Supposedly it's not professional and isn't something the bigger name authors do. Is this really so? I'm not sure. Usually, I'd research by going web page to web page of the best selling authors at the big publishing houses and do a survey. I probably will soon and post the results here. But I've been a bit busy between overtime at the day job and edits out the ying yang. Anyway, I changed it. I was tired of that pic anyway and personally I do prefer pictures showing us as our normal selves in our every day attire and make-up. I didn't hop to change it right away. I wasn't being reluctant or obstinate any more than I was rushing to comply. But I didn't have any good recent shots of me. Then I finally (duh!) remembered I had my MySpace pic I could use for blogger. So, I've finally done it. I hope this is more acceptable. Let me ask you, other authors and readers: Does it matter to you what kind of picture an author posts of herself (as long as it's not criminal or immoral?) Would it affect sales to readers or getting a contract with a publisher? Does it bespeak of professionalism? Opinions are welcome. If you're an author, what kind of picture do you have posted of yourself? Or do you post your pic and if not, why not? I see that a lot of authors don't post any picture but instead, they post one of their book covers. You'll want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirsch, Molly Daniels, and Sandra Cox are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

The many uses of an ordinary brick

I'm continuing this discussion from Brynn Paulin's Litergasm chat last Friday night, when the chatters got a little creative and a whole lot raunchy. LOL, it was fun. Brynn asked the question: "Give me five uses for a brick." Sooooooo, what were some of the answers? 1. pillow 2. foot warmer (if it could be heated) 3. weapon 4. birth control ??? (one said to threaten her hubby away with it) 5. sleep aid (as in hit yourself in the head and knock yourself out so you can sleep) 6. tie it around a man's balls??? (what the??? MAJOR OUCH!!!) 7. decoration 8. hold up tv 9. book mark 10. hat 11. door stop 12. paper weight 13. spider killer 14. extra chair (why not an entire couch or table? throw a cloth over it and use gingerly) 15. husband and teenager motivator (sadistic???) I'll add a couple. How about: artwork? you could do tole painting on them or build statues build an entire couch or table (my idea) build a tower and see how many bricks it takes till they fall? an outdoor oven (let food cook on them in the sun???) shoulder pads shoulder straighteners (to make them even if you're hunchbacked) shoes (tie them on with string - they'd look like wedgies, be all the rage) sound effects door knockers musical instruments (percussion of course) Okay, it's your turn. What other uses can you think of for bricks that's out of the ordinary? You'll want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirsch, Molly Daniels, and Sandra Cox are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)