WRITER MARKETING SERVICES AND MY BOOK ADDICTION AND MORE PRESENTS…….
“A Hopeful Romantic” Erotic Paranormal Romance author….
K.D.GRACE!!
WELCOME K.D.!!
Good morning K.D. and welcome to My Book Addiction and More today….
MBA&M: K.D. please tell our readers a few tidbits about yourself?
K.D.: I’m totally and completely obsessed and addicted to writing. Really! I get twitchy if I don’t write every day, plus I get to be a real bitch, which is not fun at all for my poor husband. He likes to keep me writing for his own good health and peace of mind. And when I am writing and the story is flowing I’m a happy little camper. When I’m taking a brief time out from writing, I’m usually walking in the lovely English countryside or I’m veg gardening, which I’ll probably be doing a LOT more of these days, since we just got an allotment!
MBA&M: What if anything made you decide to write erotic paranormal?
K.D.: Actually, Body Temperature and Rising started life as my NaNoWriMo project (National Novel Writing Month) several years ago. Back then I was just trying to see if I COULD write erotica, and that it was paranormal came from an experience of nearly getting lost in the mist while walking on the high fells in the Lake District. One of my favourite novels of all time is Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Mists of Avalon, so how could I not think of calling down the mists? How could I not think about the magic of the land being tied to the people who walk it. That meant witches, ghosts and demons. And sex magic, of course. Lots of sex magic. Having said that it was another two years and two contemporary erotic romances later before I go the confidence to put Body Temperature and Rising out there. At the time, I never dreamed it would magik itself into a trilogyJ
MBA&M: What are the challenges in writing an erotic paranormal?
K.D.: I think the challenge in writing paranormal erotica is finding just the right balance between sex and terror. I don’t care what anyone says, if you were to meet a ghost or a vampire or a werewolf, no matter how sexy they may be, the element of terror, the element of something outside the normal world of existence, the element of ‘otherness,’ of something that shouldn’t be there would most likely scare the sh*t out of you. In my opinion, walking that edge between fear and attraction is what makes a paranormal erotic story work.
The best paranormal erotica rides a very tight edge between unbelievably hot and bone shaking terror. I think there’s a good reason why so many horror novels and film have a sex scene just before the unsuspecting couple bite the big one in a horrible way. Finding that balance, in my opinion, is key. I think Laurell K. Hamilton was the first to so graphically get that balance right, and since then the whole genre has exploded with way more emphasis on the sexy and less emphasis on the horror. BUT I think for paranormal erotica to work well, there really needs to be a very edgy balance, and if it’s not there, the story will be bland. That’s the challenge.
MBA&M: How hard or what are the challenges in gaining readers from across the ocean, such as the U.S.?
K.D.: I’ve been lucky enough to work with Xcite Books and now also with Harper Collins’s Mischief Books, both of which do a lot of marketing in the US. Having said that it’s still essential for the writer to promote. I promote my a** off, and the internet and social media make that possible. I have a blog and a website and I keep a heavy schedule as a guest blogger on other sites as well as having guests on my site. I reckon I spend about a third of my time doing PR, but it’s worth it. I’ve worked way too hard on my novels to put them out there and not support them and try to make sure they get all the attention I think they deserve. I can’t stress enough how important social media and using the internet for promo is. With it, distance becomes irrelevant.
These days unless you’re J K Rowling or E L James, the only book tours you can afford are virtual ones, and they work pretty well, actually. Plus, they’re especially great for us introvertsJ
MBA&M: Who is your greatest hero,be it character,animal,or person?Why?
K.D.: At the moment that would have to be the fabulous planetary scientist, and leader of the imaging team for the Cassini–Huygens mission, Carolyn Porco. It’s not just her knowledge and research and the way she presents it that’s astounding and fascinating, but it’s her complete and total enthusiasm for her work. She probably knows more about the outer planets, their moons and rings than anyone alive. I can’t think of Saturn without thinking of Carolyn Porco and what she’s done to bring a planet that’s 1.2 billion kilometres away into our living rooms. Now THAT’S magic!
MBA&M: What’s next for K.D. Grace?
K.D.: At the moment, I’m working to complete Riding the Ether and Elemental Fire, the second and third books of the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy. The romp has been way more fun and excitement than I ever bargained for when I started Body Temperature for NaNoWriMo. It’ll be really hard to let go and walk away when I’m finished because I’ve had such an enthralling experience with the Elemental Coven and their lives and struggles in the Lake District.
After that, I’m contracted for another novella and have a couple of short stories I’d like to write. Beyond that I’ve got several other novel projects incubating in the back of my mind. I don’t think I’ll get boredJ
MBA&M: Tell our readers where to find you and where to find “Lakeland Heatwave Book 1: Body Temperature and Rising”?
K.D.:You can buy Body Temperature and Rising at any number of places, including all bookstore chains. Here are a few of the links.
eBook
Amazon UK
Amazon US
All Romance eBooks
Barnes & Noble
eBook Eros
Xcite Books
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Waterstone’s
Barnes & Noble
The Book Depository
Powell’s
Xcite Books
Lovehoney
MBA&M: K.D. is there anything you would like to add?
K.D.: I’d just like to thank My Book Addiction for having me as guest on their fabulous site. It’s been a real pleasure to chat with you. I hope you’ll stop by and say hi at my site when you get a chance, http://kdgrace.co.uk/ We’ll have a chat and a virtual cuppa! Again, what a pleasure it is to be here!
Thank you K.D. for taking the time out of your schedule to visit with My Book Addiction and More and our readers today!!
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MEET K.D. GRACE….
*Image from the author’s website*
K D Grace was born with a writing obsession. It got worse once she actually learned HOW to write. There’s no treatment for it. It’s progressive and chronic and quite often interferes with normal, everyday functioning. She might actually be concerned if it wasn’t so damned much fun most of the time.
K D’s critically acclaimed erotic romance novels, The Initiation of Ms Holly, The Pet Shop and Lakeland Heatwave Book 1: Body Temperature and Rising are published by Xcite Books and are available from all good paperback and eBook retailers.
Her erotica has been published with Xcite Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Harper Collins Mischief Books, Black Lace, Erotic Review, Ravenous Romance, Sweetmeats Press and Scarlet Magazine.
Find out more about K D Grace on her website, http://kdgrace.co.uk. She’s also on Facebook and Twitter.
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Lakeland Heatwave: Body Temperature and Rising
K.D.GRACE
Paperback:224 pages
Publisher:Xcite Books (May 10, 2012)
Language:English
ISBN-10:1908086874
ISBN-13: 978-1908086877
GIVEAWAY!
*Sponsored by the publisher*
K D Grace is offering one lucky winner a chance to win one of her previous novels. Winner gets their choice of a PDF of either The Initiation of Ms Holly or The Pet Shop.
How to win? Just leave a comment with your email address on this post – and a lucky winner will be chosen and notified…
Giveaway will run from today May 10 until May 17,2012.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE AND HAPPY READING!!
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We hope you have enjoyed your visit with our guest today! Please spread the word!!
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*COMING SOON**
Our “Thoughts” on “Body Temperature” by K.D. Grace.
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As always thank you for visiting with us and our wonderful guest!!
Thanks for the great interview. I find it interesting that you get "twitchy" if you don't write everyday. Congrats on your allotment. Can't wait to read Body Temperature and Rising. Sounds fantastic.
So true, the Internet has made distance irrelevant. Who knew writing was so much work, along with it you become a PR person!
Your book sounds great, hope it does well for you.
Great interview….I can see where finding a balance between hot and scary can be extremely difficult…you do a great job!!! Looking forward to more Lakeland Heatwave…..
Very nice interview and books.
Love the interviews about you and your books. I will definitely try reading them.