Tuesday 21 August 2012

Playing 20 Questions with Kristine Cayne!

Today I am joined by the fabulous Kristine Cayne!

EM: Welcome to My World. Thank you so much for stopping by to play twenty questions with me :-)

Before we begin, could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Elizabeth! The key thing about me is that I love romance. I’ve been reading romance novels since the first stirrings of puberty, and I haven’t stopped. I love almost all romance sub-genres with romantic suspense and paranormal romance being my favorites. I’m originally from eastern Canada, but I now live in the US Pacific Northwest.

EM: Are you ready to play 20 questions? *rubs hands together*

Which do you find harder to write?

1. First person POV or Third? 

I’d have to say I find first person more difficult to write, mostly because it is the POV that I like the least. All my published stories (so far) are in third person. It’s very difficult to write a convincing romantic suspense when the entire story is told from the perspective of only one character.

2. As a male or female?

Oddly enough, I find writing the female characters more difficult. Perhaps because instinctually, I want to write heroines who are like myself, which doesn’t make for a very interesting story. So, I need to force myself to create a character who is as different from me as she needs to be. In my most recent novel, Deadly Addiction, the heroine is a kick-ass police officer. Yes, she is not me J

3. Beginning, middle or end of the story?

For me, the beginning is usually the hardest part of the story to write. It’s often very challenging to get those first few scenes written. Fear and self-doubt nag at me until I have enough written that I can show it to my critique partner, who, with luck, likes it. Another reason the beginning is difficult is that the characters can feel like new friends, people I can’t quite read yet. It’s only after I’ve been writing a story for a while that I feel comfortable enough with my characters that I know – yes, this is what he’d say or no, she’d never do that.

4. Fight scenes or smex scenes?

The fight scenes are definitely harder for me to write than the smex scenes. I’ve never fought but I’ve—  Okay, let’s just say that fight scenes take a lot of research and choreographing so that they at least seem somewhat realistic. J

5. Synopsis or blurb?

The synopsis is the bane of most writers and I’m no different. How can you boil down a 120K story into 3-5 pages? It’s very difficult. A blurb is just a taste of the story, just enough to raise a question and entice the reader to want more. They aren’t easy to write, but they are usually more fun.

As a writer, do you prefer:

6. Writing in the morning, afternoon or evening?

I’m not a morning person at all, but I have a family so evening is that great either. I love to write in the afternoon when time permits.

7. Writing with music, or in peace?

I like to write with music, although it has to be the kind of music that will blur into a white noise. If I’m singing along, then I’m not able to concentrate on my writing.

8. Planning, or Improvising?

I prefer to plan. It takes away some of that fear of the empty page because I can look at my notes and know what the scene is supposed to be about. Besides, the more I plan/plot, the faster I write.

9. Juggling a few projects, or concentrating on one at a time?

I can have several projects going, but, up to now, they’ve all been in different phases. For example, I can be in the plotting phase of book three, writing book two, and polishing book one.

10. Sticking to one genre, or exploring many?

I prefer to stick to one genre. Having said that, I am starting a new series that is contemporary with a suspense angle as opposed to being straight romantic suspense. It will also be hotter than my current series, closer to light erotic romance.


As a reader, do you prefer:

11. Story being told from female view or male?

I prefer a mix of both. I need to connect with the hero as well as the heroine. I like to know the thoughts and feelings of each. This is why my least favorite POV is first person.

12. Good guys or bad boys?

I prefer bad boys. I like my heroes to be alpha, which means they aren’t always the nicest, most polite men. These are guys who often have to make the tough choices that others can’t—or won’t—make.

13. Feisty females or fragile damsels?

Feisty females for sure! I like female characters who are tough on the outside, but soft on the inside. This doesn’t mean they need to be military or law enforcement. It just means that they need to have some back bone. Bad boys don’t want or need doormats J

14. Stand alone stories or series?

I do love a good series. For me, reading a book is a time investment. If I like the book, I want to know more about the characters, and good series will give me that.

15. Quick reads or long stories?

I love long stories. The Outlander series is one of my favorites of all time. I’ll keep reading about Jamie and Claire as long as Diana keeps writing about them.

16. Romance as a side dish or the main course?

Romance is a main course for me. If there isn’t enough focus on the romance, I usually won’t like the book. I do enjoy the occasional straight suspense as a side dish, but not too often. It’s not good for my girlish waistline.

17. Erotica or soft romance or something in-between?

I like hot, steamy romances. I’m not a fan of erotica, but I do enjoy erotic romances. It’s important to me that the romance story be well integrated with the rest of the plot lines. If the story is all about sex, or, conversely, if there is no sex, then I probably won’t like it.

18. More action or humor?

This isn’t really an either/or for me. The best action stories and movies have a lot of humor in them. My romantic suspense stories have quite a bit of action, but the characters use humor to alleviate tense situations, just like real people do.


Just for fun:

19. Vampires or Angels?

Oh now that’s a tough one. A few years ago I would have said vampires in a flash. Lately though, I’ve read some really good angel stories. Got to love those fallen angels!

20. Werewolves or Demons?

Demons! Have you read Larissa Ione’s Demonica series? I’ll never think of demons in the same way again.


What are you currently working on?

I’m working on a novelette called “Aftershocks,” which will be released as part of the Romance in the Rain anthology this fall (September if all goes well). This novelette will then be incorporated into a full novella which will be the first in my new hot series about firefighters. In a few weeks, I’ll be having a contest on my blog to name the series. It should be a lot of fun!

Do you have any current release?

My most recent release is Deadly Addiction. This is the second book in my Deadly Vices romantic suspense series.

Blurb:

A proud people. A nation divided.
Rémi Whitedeer, police officer turned substance-abuse counselor, dreams of restoring order to his tribe. Violence and crime are rampant throughout the unpoliced Iroquois reserve, and a civil war is brewing between the Guardians, a militant traditionalist group, and other tribal factions. As the mixed-race cousin of the Guardians’ leader, Rémi is caught in a no-man’s land—several groups lay claim to him, but all want him to deny his white blood.

A maverick cop on an anti-drug crusade.
When she infiltrated the Vipers to take down the leader of the outlaw biker gang responsible for her brother’s death, police sergeant Alyssa Morgan got her man. But her superiors think she went too far. Her disregard for protocol and her ends-justify-the-means ethics have branded her an unreliable maverick. To salvage her career, she accepts an assignment to set up a squad of native provincial officers on a reserve.

A radical sovereigntist bent on freeing a nation.
Decades of government oppression threaten the existence of the Iroquois Nation. But one man, Chaz Whitedeer, is determined to save his people no matter what the price, even if it means delving into the shadowy world of organized crime.

When Rémi and Alyssa uncover the Guardians’ drug-fueled scheme to fund their fight for true autonomy—a scheme involving the Vipers—Rémi must choose between loyalty to family and tribe or his growing love for Alyssa.

Can Rémi and Alyssa leave everything behind—even their very identities—for a future together?

Purchase link:
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/KnfjgL 
Amazon ebook: http://bit.ly/Mi7GH3
Amazon print: http://bit.ly/MA9tE7
Apple/itunes: http://bit.ly/MXYCuO
Barnes and Noble:  http://bit.ly/M0PNMI
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/JwCb8f
All Romance eBooks:  http://bit.ly/JZS5ra

~ * ~

Excerpt:

Closing her eyes, Alyssa pressed the glass of water to her neck. “I can do the talking if that makes you feel any better.”

Although Rémi heard the words, it would have taken an act of Parliament to get him to respond.
The heat of her skin caused the condensation on the glass to liquefy. Like a tractor-beam, his gaze followed a drop of water as it slid down the long pale column of her neck, followed the curve of her right breast and slipped under the collar of her blue cotton T-shirt into the V of her cleavage. Oh fuck. He wanted to be that drop of water. He wanted to be snuggled between her warm ripe breasts. His cock swelled and lengthened, letting him know that it wanted to be there too.
He squeezed his eyes shut and willed his hard-on away. This wasn’t the time and certainly not the place for Mr. Happy to make an appearance. But the more he tried not to think about where the drop had gone, the more he did. He’d thought he was a leg man, but he knew the truth now. It had slapped him in the face. He was a breast man. An “Alyssa’s breasts” man, and he fucking wanted to see them, to feel them, to taste them. Right now.

 ~ * ~

 If you are new to my writing, you might want to start with Deadly Obsession (book one in my Deadly Vices series). It’s currently on sale for only $.99 or £0.72 in the UK.

Blurb:
- RT Book Reviews 4 1/2 Top Pick!
- 2012 eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards - Winner for Best Romance
- Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2012 - Semi-Finalist in Romance

When an Oscar-winning movie star meets a department-store photographer…
Movie star Nic Lamoureux appears to have a playboy’s perfect life. But it’s a part he plays, an act designed to conceal a dark secret he carries on his shoulders. His empty days and nights are a meaningless blur until he meets the woman who fulfills all his dreams. She and her son are the family he’s always wanted—if she can forgive a horrible mistake from his past.
A Hollywood dream…
Lauren James, a widowed single mother, earns barely enough money to support herself and her son. When she wins a photography contest and meets Nic, the man who stars in all her fantasies, her dreams, both professional and personal, are on the verge of becoming real. The attraction between Lauren and Nic is instant—and mutual. Their chemistry burns out of control during a photo shoot that could put Lauren on the fast track to a lucrative career.
Becomes a Hollywood nightmare
But an ill-advised kiss makes front-page news, and the lurid headlines threaten everything Nic and Lauren have hoped for. Before they know what’s happening, their relationship is further rocked by an obsessed and cunning stalker who’ll stop at nothing—not even murder—to have Nic to herself. When Nic falls for Lauren, the stalker zeroes in on her as the competition.
And the competition must be eliminated.

Purchase link: 
Amazon ebook: http://bit.ly/zryWQP
Amazon print: http://bit.ly/Ot8EQJ
Apple iTunes: http://bit.ly/KUXUrB
Diesel ebooks: http://bit.ly/L48YD1

 ~ * ~

Excerpt:

Lauren rolled her eyes. “Fine. Do it.”
Nic bent down and brushed his lips against hers. For the first few seconds, she didn’t kiss him back, but she didn’t push him away, either. Then, on a sigh, she leaned into him and her arms locked around his neck. His tongue darted out to taste her bottom lip. Mmm… cherry—his new favorite flavor. When her mouth opened, he didn’t hesitate.
He dove in. And drowned.
He’d meant this to be a quick kiss, only now he just couldn’t stop. His lips traced a path to her throat. Cupping her bottom with his hands, he lifted her up, grinding against her. She moaned. It was a beautiful sound, one he definitely wanted to hear again.
A loud noise pierced the fog of his lust. He raised his head from where he’d been nuzzling Lauren’s apple-scented neck to tell whoever it was to fuck off, but as the sexual haze cleared, he swallowed the words. The paparazzi had gathered around, applauding and calling out crude encouragements. Some snapped photos while others rolled film. Shit. He’d pay for this fuck-up and so would she.

~ * ~

Where can readers find you on the internet?

I love talking with readers online. You can find me at any of the following:


  
EM: Thank you so much for joining me!

KC: Thank you so much for having me on your blog today. I had a blast answering your 20 questions!
~Kristine

5 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for hosting me, Elizabeth! I really enjoyed answering your 20 questions :)

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    1. It was my pleasure, hun. Glad you had fun, and I hope you swing by again. :-D

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    2. I will for sure, Elizabeth :)

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  2. I'm intrigued by your new book, Deadly Addictions. It will be on my list of books to read next. I'm heading on over to amazon to buy a copy right now.
    And, for me, it's always been the Vampires over the Werewolves. I have dogs, big dogs, German shepherd. So all I can think of is the line from the campy show Van Helsing (starring Hugh Jackman) "Why does it smell like wet dog in here?"

    Keep writing,

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    1. Lily - thank you so much for adding Deadly Addiction to your TBR. I hope you'll enjoy it :) And I love that line from Van Helsing! Thanks for sharing :)

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