A Secret Celeb I Based a Male Lead on

This week at the SFF Seven, we’re talking about real life people (or celebrities) we’ve based characters on.

That phrasing makes me laugh a little because I’m pretty sure celebrities are still real life people. It puts me in mind of some of my ongoing themes of reminding readers that their favorite authors are still people who get sick and have life drama. But I digress.

I don’t know if I’ve talked about this openly, but in UNDER HIS TOUCH, the second Falling Under book (and this series is contemporary erotic romance, not SFF, fair warning), I totally based the male protagonist on a celebrity. I wanted a Brit man, one who was brooding and not conventionally handsome, full of smoldering sexiness. Guess who I based him on?

Neil Gaiman.

Yeah, yeah – I know. Only a book nerd like me would pick someone like that. I don’t think it’s at all obvious in the text to the reader, but he was the guy I envisioned when I wrote it. I even threw in a little Amanda Palmer easter egg, just for fun.

Serendipity and Success – Acknowledging the Reality

A lil reminder that my FALLING UNDER trilogy is now re-released and on Kindle Unlimited! These books are NOT fantasy, but are contemporary erotic romance. If that’s the kind of thing you like, then you may like these!

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is hard work vs. luck as applies to authorial success.

One of my least favorite pieces of advice from successful authors is when they declare something along the lines of “Just write a good book!” This happens a lot with debut authors, happily reveling in the out-of-the-gate success of their first effort. I say this because authors who’ve had lots of trunked books or only midlist success almost never say this.

Why?

Because they know that writing a good book isn’t enough.

Yes, writing a good book is key. Improving our craft as authors is critically important. That’s where the hard work comes in. At least, one kind of hard work, the foundational kind. If the books aren’t written and revised and polished to the best of our ability, there’s nothing to sell.

On the other hand… luck is a huge factor in publishing. It just IS. That’s why I roll my eyes at any successful author who fails to acknowledge the role of serendipity in their rise to (relative) fame and glory. As human beings – especially ones with egos sufficient to withstand the slings and arrows of creative life, which is rife with downs as well as ups – we like to credit ourselves with being awesome. Are we fortunate or are we just that good?

We’d all like to think we’re just that good.

The thing is, lots of creators are really good. And lots of good books go nowhere. Acknowledging the role of serendipity in success not only keeps us humble – remember that ego is the enemy! – but also should reassure us when things don’t go our way. Authors careers, as previously noted, are rife with ups and downs. We can’t control the luck. What we CAN do is work hard and put ourselves out there so the luck can find us.

Best of luck to you all!

 

 

THE FATE OF THE TALA Not Yet – But Close!

This is the time of year when kitties display their cunning in knowing when and where the rising sun will hit – and their wisdom in knowing to be ready for it. Also: tongue baths and sunbaths go together. Jackson, cat guru, at your service.

So, today is January 15, 2020. But no, it is not the release day for THE FATE OF THE TALA.

For those who don’t follow the podcast, I can officially announce that THE FATE OF THE TALA is done, done, done!! It came out at just shy of 109K and is in the hands of my fantastic editor, Rebecca Cremonese. I told her not to bitch at me about how long it is; she said not to bitch at her about how long it takes. So we’ll see. As soon as I get her edits, I should be able to turn that around and get it formatted within a couple of days. I’m hoping to get it uploaded and on sale the last week of January.

And wow: that book was a difficult write. Some books go slower than others, and that one was determined to unspool at its own pace. With a Prince

It’s not just me, either, because I’ve switched over to moving some other projects forward and those are speeding right along. One thing I’ve noticed – in trying to figure out why my overall wordcount production has dropped – is that some genres also write faster for me

than others. I could see from my handy charts that 2014 and 2015 were my highest wordcount years. I went to writing full time at the end of 2015, so this was NOT the trend I expected. What I’ve realized, however – and what the chart doesn’t show – is that I also moved to writing a LOT more fantasy, and much denser fantasy, and pretty much stopped writing any erotic/contemporary. The closest I came was writing books two and three of the Missed Connections series, WITH A PRINCE and SINCE LAST CHRISTMAS, in 2017 – and, notably, 2017 was my third-highest wordcount year. It’s anecdotal data, but the correlation is enough to satisfy me.

I’d forgotten that I used to alternate writing Fantasy stories with Erotic/Contemporary ones. And that worked for me. Many of you know I hadn’t finished the last two books I’d planned for the Missed Connections series because they just weren’t selling as well as the Fantasies. But, heck, even books that don’t sell amazingly well are better than books I haven’t written! Besides which, some of my other erotic stuff – PETALS & THORNS, the Falling Under series, and the Facets of Passion books – have all continued to sell steadily. Clearly writing those has served to keep my words flowing all around.

Also, the Missed Connections books have very nearly earned out my investment – I’m only about $500 in the hole on the three books so far – so those of you waiting for Julie and Ice’s stories may yet be in luck! Also, I think I’ll write more short erotic stuff, if only as a palate cleanser. Dark Wizard, anyone? You know I’ve been stewing over that one for a long time.

For the sharp-eyed among you who noticed that 2019 was the lowest wordcount year since I began tracking (*sigh*), I attribute that mainly to taking off most of July and all of August from writing – the longest break I’ve taken in ten years! Also, everything I did write was Fantasy, one project worked up an entirely new world in a new-to-me genre, and one was the very slow moving THE FATE OF THE TALA. So it goes.

Now, off to write something erotic… ~rubs hands together in glee~

Under Contract Release Day!

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Under Contract

The kinkier the sex, the higher the price tag…

Ryan Black has admired Celestina Sala from afar for years, her lush body and sensual nature calling to the dominant in him. For just as many years, Celestina was off-limits—married, proud and self-sufficient. But all that has changed, and now Celestina is in debt and in need…and available. Ryan proposes a contract: he’ll pay off her debt if she gives herself to him in bed, yielding control in exchange for the pain and pleasure he’ll bring them both. 

There are words for women who take money for sex, and none of them are nice ones. Celestina never thought she’d have to sink this low, but giving up control sounds more enticing than ever before. And suddenly it’s not about having to give in to Ryan. It’s about wanting to. 

But when Ryan’s dark past comes to light, they may both be in over their heads. The terms of his contract say her body is his…but her heart may be another story.

One thing is for sure—now that Ryan has Celestina, he can never let her go. 

Available July 13, 2015

Read More…

“Recommended for fans of the 50 Shades trilogy.“… “Kennedy handles her subject matter with authority (if you can forgive the pun) and makes the premise and choices of her characters entirely believable, all while grabbing her readers by their hearts.“

– LJ on Library Journal

Meet My Precious

Classic Car pic 2Did you know today is Collector Car Appreciation Day?

Come on – yes, you did! No? HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW THIS??

Apparently it’s a moveable feast, too, as in not *always* on July 10. Last year it was July 11. In 2016 – it’s unknown.

Okay, okay. I didn’t know this either. To celebrate the release of UNDER CONTRACT, my publisher, Carina Press, asked me to choose a celebration from the month of July on this site. You’ll no doubt be pleased to note that you can also register your own National Day through them! The possibilities are endless!

So, this is a bit of a cheat, because I don’t really collect cars. I just have the one Precious. It’s a 1996 Jaguar XJS convertible. It’s actually my second XJS. I had an ’88 one that was totaled when the engine caught fire. As I was pulling into the garage. *cough* Lucas wiring anyone? I didn’t set out to get a fancy, older car, necessarily. I wanted a convertible. I love fresh air and sunshine. I saved up my money. And I researched convertibles.

I test-drove A LOT of convertibles. The things we suffer for research! See, not all convertibles are created equal. They vary considerably in what I think of as the “blowiness factor.” You know what I mean – how much the wind buffets the people inside while driving. Jaguars were the best by far in low BF. As for buying older cars… well, I hadn’t saved THAT much money.

Yes, I love my Precious.

It’s a super fun car to drive – like flying an airplane. Smooth. Tremendous torque. WAY too easy to exceed the speed limit in, as 95 mph feels the same as 55. Gotta keep an eye on that speedometer. Cruise control is my friend.

What I didn’t expect about having this car is how it kind of admitted me to a secret society. Other Jag lovers stop me to talk cars. It snags peoples’ attention like crazy. Everywhere I go in it, someone comments on what a pretty car it is. We took the pic above on the 4th of July, after I drove it in our community parade, which is just a kick to do.

So that’s my car. She’s much happier living in New Mexico than in Wyoming, as she gets out much more. If you see me driving by – wave!

For a fun spinoff story from Under Contract, check out Literary Escapism’s fun MIDNIGHT GAMES series!

Celebrating that Tenth Book Anniversary!

Under ContractI’m over at the Contemporary Romance Cafe, talking about unusual anniversaries – the imminent release of my tenth Carina book! – and how we observe them.

What unusual anniversaries do you all celebrate – and what’s your favorite way to do it?

Under Contract

 The kinkier the sex, the higher the price tag…

Ryan Black has admired Celestina Sala from afar for years, her lush body and sensual nature calling to the dominant in him. For just as many years, Celestina was off-limits—married, proud and self-sufficient. But all that has changed, and now Celestina is in debt and in need…and available. Ryan proposes a contract: he’ll pay off her debt if she gives herself to him in bed, yielding control in exchange for the pain and pleasure he’ll bring them both.

There are words for women who take money for sex, and none of them are nice ones. Celestina never thought she’d have to sink this low, but giving up control sounds more enticing than ever before. And suddenly it’s not about having to give in to Ryan. It’s about wanting to.

But when Ryan’s dark past comes to light, they may both be in over their heads. The terms of his contract say her body is his…but her heart may be another story.

One thing is for sure—now that Ryan has Celestina, he can never let her go.

 

 

All The Things! #RT15 Bound

UnderContractYesterday I revealed the cover for UNDER CONTRACT, the third book in my FALLING UNDER series. I’m really loving this one – particularly because this is exactly how I picture my Los Angeles heroine, Celestina Sala. I had the idea/fantasy of this book a long time ago, but when it came to writing it, the execution was not easy. Early reader reports are that I got the power balance and compliance questions just right. Such a relief!

The kinkier the sex, the higher the price tag…

Ryan Black has admired Celestina Sala from afar for years, her lush body and sensual nature calling to the dominant in him. For just as many years, Celestina was off-limits—married, proud and self-sufficient. But all that has changed, and now Celestina is in debt and in need…and available. Ryan proposes a contract: he’ll pay off her debt if she gives herself to him in bed, yielding control in exchange for the pain and pleasure he’ll bring them both. 

There are words for women who take money for sex, and none of them are nice ones. Celestina never thought she’d have to sink this low, but giving up control sounds more enticing than ever before. And suddenly it’s not about having to give in to Ryan. It’s about wanting to. 

But when Ryan’s dark past comes to light, they may both be in over their heads. The terms of his contract say her body is his…but her heart may be another story.

One thing is for sure—now that Ryan has Celestina, he can never let her go.

This week I’m prepping to leave for the RT Booklovers Convention and, speaking of delicate execution of consent issues, one of the many, many (oh, so many!) things I’ll be doing there is giving a craft workshop on Walking the Line of Consent. I’ve given that workshop online before, but it should be very interesting to do in person.

You can see all of my appearances here. Not on that list is the Giant Book Fair on Saturday, May 16. It runs from 11 to 2 and is open to the public! So, even if you’re not going to the convention, you can still come by the fair! There will be TONS of authors signing both your keeper books and ones for sale. There will be maps, so you can find specific authors easily – including me! If you’re in the Dallas area, come on by and visit. I’ll have prezzies to give away. 🙂

See you in Dallas, I hope!