When I tell people I’m a stay-at-home mom to five kids I get all sorts of comments. “Lucky you.” “Wow. Five kids? How do you do it?” “Five kids? I hope you’ve figured out what causes that.” “Bless your heart.” “I wish I could stay home with my kids.” “You’re so lucky to have a husband to support you.”
Then I add that I’m also a writer and I get comments like: “I wish I could stay home all day and write.” “I’ve always wanted to write a novel.” “I suppose you’ve gotta do something to fill your time.”
And of course I get the normal questions, too. “What do you write?” “Have you gotten anything published?” “Why did you decide to become a writer?”
Okay, that last question always stops me cold. First of all, I didn’t decide to become a writer. I was destined to be a writer. Ida Tarbell, America’s first great woman journalist, has a branch on my family tree. My Aunt Betty and my mother are both writers. Writing is in my blood.
So, why do I write? Every writer has a different answer to this question. Some do it because they like to. Others because they feel they have to; that the voices in their heads won’t give them peace unless or until they write. And some do it in the hopes of achieving fame and wealth. I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to make money, but it’s not the reason I write.
I write to inspire.
Now I know how crazy it sounds that an erotic romance author wants to inspire. But it’s the truth. When I’m feeling down, or feeling like I’ll never finish a particularly difficult scene, or feeling that my writing just isn’t good enough, I’ll pick up a book. And by the time I’m finished, I’m always left feeling inspired. It doesn’t matter what genre the book was, I’m inspired because the author achieved something that is very difficult to do. They wrote a book, edited a book, got a book published, and got it into my hands. Any author will tell you that’s not an easy feat.
For any aspiring author out there, for anyone who has always had the dream of writing a book, but don’t think they can, I want them to close my book and feel like they can do it. I want to be somebody’s inspiration. That’s why I write.
Author Bio: Born and raised in the small town of Mexico, New York, Kara was an only child who was forced to find ways to entertain herself. Playing make believe with her Barbie dolls and
stuffed animals was her first real taste of storytelling before she became old enough to develop a love affair with the written word.
In early 2010, Kara picked up her very first erotic romance novel, and she was instantly hooked. She loves to write contemporary romance, erotica, and young adult romance. Currently she has several full-length novels in the works, a series of novellas, and a handful of short stories. Kara is an active member of the CNY
Creative Writers Café and the CNY
Romance Writers.Today, Kara resides in New Haven, New York with her husband, five kids, and three cats. When she's not reading or writing, she's thinking about reading and writing. And when she's not doing that, she's spending time with her family and friends.Please feel free to visit her on her
Website,
Facebook,
Goodreads, or on her
Amazon Author Page!
Available Books:
Never Date a Cop (October 2012 – Books to Go Now)
Blurb: A woman in the late stages of labor screams down the hallway of the maternity ward at Oswego Hospital with her three ill-behaved children in tow. Nurse Kynlee Paige rushes to her aid and is saddled with the task of babysitting these monstrosities called children. She doesn’t get paid enough for this. And to make matters worse the man of her dreams-Cooper Grant-comes to claim the children. Perfect. The man Kynlee has fantasized about since high school is now married with four children. Could things get any worse? Cooper Grant can’t believe his eyes when he goes to pick up his nephews and comes face to face with Kynlee Paige-the woman he’s spent his life chasing. She disappeared on him right after prom and again after they’d spent one hot night together several years prior. He was going to make sure she didn’t get away from him this time. There’s only one problem though: Cooper is a cop and Kynlee has a strict rule to never date a cop. Can Cooper convince Kynlee to give him a chance or will she run again?Excerpt:
PROLOGUE
May 1996Junior PromKynlee glanced at the clock. Her excitement dwindled as she realized she had less than an hour left before prom was over and before she had to say goodbye to her date. She still couldn’t believe he’d asked her to the prom. Cooper Grant—star basketball player, top in their class, and one of the hottest guys in the entire school. But, soon, she’d have to say goodbye to him, the few friends she’d made, and the City of Oswego which she’d grown to love in the short time she’d been there. She cursed her father for taking a job with the FBI.“Why so serious?” Cooper asked as he sat beside her, the too-large papery tablecloth crinkling around his knees.Kynlee smiled. “Just can’t believe prom is almost over.”“I know,” he said with a smile that melted Kynlee’s heart. “Bryce is having a post-prom party. Wanna go?”“I’d love to, but I can’t. Curfew,” she said with an apologetic shrug. She still hadn’t told him that tomorrow morning she was boarding a Virginia-bound plane and that this would be the last time they’d see each other. What was the point? It wasn’t like she owed him any explanation. Prom would be their first and last date.“Dance with me?” He stood and held out his hand.Kynlee followed him to the dance floor and savored the feel of his arms around her as they swayed back and forth to the slow song. That night had been perfect. She couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend her last night in New York. Kynlee sheepishly looked up at Cooper—who stood a full foot taller than her—and saw the twinkle in his eye a moment before he pressed his mouth to hers. March 2000“Hey, sis, you coming?” her brother, Josh called from the car.“You go ahead. I’ll catch up later,” Kynlee said, staring at the hole in the ground they’d just put her father in. He’d died a week ago and it was the first time she’d shed any tears. She was just so damn angry at him. Angry that he’d joined the FBI, angry that he’d spent more time in the field the past two years than with her, angry that he’d let himself get shot. And her brother was going to join the NYPD. In honor of their father, he’d claimed. “Yeah, right,” she mumbled.“Kynlee?”She spun around in her chair and came face to face with those unmistakable baby blues. “Cooper?” She nearly gasped.“I saw the obituary in the paper. I wanted to pay my respects and, well…” He looked down. “I was hoping I’d get to see you again.”He wanted to see her again? Kynlee’s lips started to tremble and for the first time since her father’s death, she cried. Cooper hugged her and she buried her face in his neck. He stroked her hair and she cried harder.“Do you want me to give you a ride somewhere?” Cooper asked after a while.Kynlee wiped her eyes and nodded. “We’re staying at the Holiday Inn next to Dunkin’ Donuts,” she said. “But I don’t want to go back there.”“My parents are out of town.”“Okay.”
***
Kynlee tip-toed around the room and gathered her clothes. She stopped at the bed and glanced down. A small red spot stained the sheets—proof that she’d given her innocence to Cooper the night before. She smiled. It’d been so much better than her friends in Virginia told her it would be. They’d all told her it would hurt; that she wouldn’t enjoy it until after she’d done it a few times, that it would be quick, and that she wouldn’t have an orgasm because the man would be too worried about himself. It had been nothing like that with Cooper. He’d been so gentle and attentive.“Bye, Cooper,” she whispered to his naked sleeping body before leaving the room. She got dressed in the hallway before digging out her cell phone and calling a cab. Her heart broke as she left his house and instructed the cabbie to take her to the airport. Tears coursed unbidden down her cheeks. For the second time in her life, she was forced to leave the one and only man she loved.Where you can get your copy:Books To Go Now | Amazon
Love by Number--The Aurora Island Resort Series #1
(September 2012, Cobblestone Press)
Blurb: Two years ago, Ashleigh Malone had her heart ripped out by her then boyfriend, Mark. He stole all of her money, left her in debt, and slept with her best friend. Thanks to him, she lost her house, her job, and her dreams of opening her own resort. He destroyed her ability to trust anyone--especially men. She did the only thing she could--she took a job as the manager of a growing, luxury, private island resort in Hawaii. Far away from Mark and the pain he caused, Ashleigh throws herself into her job and after two years she finally feels normal again. For her, life is good. Until she meets Ryan Blake. In a matter of days he manages to turn her world upside down. Ashleigh reminds herself that she has sworn off men and no matter how sexy Ryan is or how he lights her insides on fire, she can't get involved with him because he's her employee and the boss's son.As a forensic accountant for the FBI, Ryan Blake was unfortunate enough to be the one stuck going to the Aurora Island Resort to determine who'd been stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. To anyone else, being assigned a job on a tropical island would be a dream come true. But this tropical island happens to be owned by Richard Blake--Ryan's father--who is convinced that the resort manager is the one stealing. Ryan vows to get the job done as quickly as possible so he can go home. Until he meets Ashleigh Malone--the woman his father thinks is stealing. She's smart, sexy, and cold as hell towards him. Ryan now had two missions: prove to his father that Ashleigh isn't stealing and get her into his bed. Hopefully forever.Excerpt:
Chapter One
Ashleigh MaloneWhat the hell had I been thinking? There was no way I could be both the manager and accountant for a growing luxury resort. Yet, every time I thought about handing over the finances to someone else, I broke out in a cold sweat. Mark had done a number on me financially, and after two years I still wasn’t over it.Unfortunately, it wasn’t my call anymore. The owner and my boss, Richard Blake, had decided to hire a professional accountant, and I’d all but begged him to let me hire Meghan MaCayan—my best friend from college who ran her own successful accounting firm. It hadn’t flown. I was told that it was a conflict of interest to have a friend working in the accounting department. I remembered laughing at him. Not my proudest moment, but the absurdity of his statement had shocked me. Letting a respectable accounting firm take over the finances was a conflict of interest, but allowing me—the resort manager—to handle the finances had been fine. I’d learned that the decision had been made yesterday. Richard had hired an accountant to take over, and they would send him to see me. I guess I had no choice but to deal with it.“Excuse me, Miss Malone? There’s a Mr. Blake here to see you. He claims he’s the new accountant,” my secretary, Claire, said from where she stood in the door.I rolled my eyes. “Send him in.” Richard wasn’t wasting any time, was he? I moved stacks of paper from one side of my desk to the other in a feeble attempt to make it appear neat and organized. It was more than just a nervous habit. I thrived on order and organization and schedules. I knew that and did nothing to quell it. In fact I was so preoccupied that I hadn’t noticed him walk in. But when I finally did notice…boy did I notice. I’ll be the first to admit that my social life leaves a lot to be desired, but I do like to read. A lot. Mostly romance, and even though I’d read about it hundreds of times, I still wasn’t prepared for my reaction to him. My jaw hung slack, and my throat went dry.He was tall, well over six feet, with brown, wavy hair that just barely grazed his broad shoulders, and he had naturally tanned skin. Black pin-striped Dolce and Gabbana slacks hugged his hips. A black silk tie hung down the front of his white button-up shirt that was pulled taut across his muscular chest. There was no denying the stir I felt south of my waist. He was a gorgeous man—a man who belonged in a place like this. And I knew that there was no way he could be the new accountant. Accountants didn’t look like that. Accountants were weak looking, geeky, and wore glasses. Didn’t they?Deep brown eyes stared at me intently as a self-assured smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. I hated smirking men. But what I hated even more was that he looked damn sexy doing it. Confidence, arrogance, and the hint of being a smooth operator oozed from his pores. He reminded me too much of Mark. I disliked him immediately.“Are you Ashleigh Malone?” he asked.I cleared my throat. “Yes, and you are?”“Ryan Blake,” he said, stepping farther into my office.I stood, and an involuntary grimace contorted my face as I shook his hand. An accountant with rough, calloused hands? I couldn’t help but wonder what he did in his free time to make his hands so rough. A shiver worked up my spine, and I pulled my hand from his. “Please, sit,” I said, nodding at the chair across from me as I sat.Once he sat, I studied him for a moment. Ryan Blake. And then it hit me. Richard Blake. Ryan Blake. I couldn’t believe Richard had hired his own damn son! “So, Mr. Blake, tell me a little about yourself.”He grinned. “What is this? An interview? I was assured that I had the job, Miss Malone.”I gritted my teeth. “Yes, I’m sure you were.” There was a sneer to my voice that I hadn’t intended. “And I’m sure you were told that I would be your direct supervisor.”He nodded.“I like to know who is working for me. Now if you don’t mind,” I said as I began to move papers around on my desk again.“Well,” he said, folding his hands in his lap. “I attended Harvard Business School where I received my doctorate in accounting and finance. Upon graduating, I worked for Congressman Bouchard and then took a position with the University of Hawaii.”“Why did you decide to leave the university and come here?” I met his gaze and noticed he was watching me shuffle papers. I stopped and folded my hands on top of my desk. He shouldn’t make me so nervous.“It was time for a change. I don’t like being cooped up in an office. I prefer to be outside. The Aurora Island Resort just seemed like a good fit,” Ryan said.“If you like the outdoors so much, why did you devote your life to a career that requires you to be cooped up inside?” I asked with a smile.“Because numbers don’t lie. They are simple and constant.”He had a point that I couldn’t argue. “As I’m sure you know we are very customer oriented, and even though you won’t have any direct contact with our guests, you are officially an employee and therefore eligible for a bungalow rental on the other side of the island. Shall I set you up with one?”“Is that where you stay?”His question caught me off guard, and I blinked several times. “Uh, yeah. Why?”“Then yes, I’d like one.”My heart rate accelerated, and I had no idea why. Sure, he was sexier than any man I’d seen in a long time, but so what? He wasn’t a piece of meat, and I wasn’t looking to get involved anyway. Besides, he was my employee. And the boss’ son.“You’ve been handling the books thus far, correct?”I nodded.“Then it looks like for the next few days we’ll be spending a lot of time together.”I stared at him. “Excuse me?” Why did the idea of spending time with him excite me so much?“You’ll have to bring me up to speed on the books and how things work around here,” he said.I sighed. “Right, of course.” I hoped my disappointment wasn’t too obvious. Then an idea struck me. It was something I knew I shouldn’t have said, but I just couldn’t stop myself. “It’s company policy that bungalows are for employee’s only. Spouses, children, and pets are not allowed.” Okay so that was an outright lie, but what were the chances he knew that?Ryan smiled at me. A full, wide, bright-toothed smile that touched his eyes, making them lighten a shade, and sparkle. It was breathtaking. “Good to know,” he said.I stood. “Shall I showyou to your bungalow or will you be making other arrangements?”When he stood, he towered over me. It should’ve been intimidating, but it was oddly comforting.“Lead the way.”“You first,” I said. He walked in front of me, and my gaze drifted to his ass. It was firm and very well showcased by his slacks. He’s my employee and the boss’ son. He’s my employee and the boss’ son. Those words would quickly become my mantra. Buy Links:Cobblestone Press | Amazon | All Romance eBooks
Title: The Preacher's OutlawAuthor: Patricia BatesGenre: Western, Romance, HistoricalPublisher: Decadent PublishingEbookWords: 15,000Purchase: Decadent Publishing |Book Description:Escaped convict Abigail Murphy’s on the run while plotting revenge on the man responsible for her imprisonment and the deaths of her parents. When she gets to Freewill,Wyoming, she gets lost in the bustle until she comes face to face with Daniel Yuleman, a man who could ruin everything.Daniel is a man wearing two hats. Preacher and lawman, he’s been in Freewill for a couple of months waiting to pick up the trail of two killers when Abigail arrives. Told to watch her, he’s drawn by the shadows in her eyes. The closer he gets to her, the more dangerous it becomes. As her secrets come out, he finds himself fighting to keep her and their burgeoning love alive.Can an outlaw capture the heart of a preacher turned lawman, or will they both end up on the run?
Patricia Bates currently lives in a small city inCanadawith her husband, son, and a multitude of four legged friends. An avid reader, she loves historical movies, books...and is hard at work on the next book.
