Kristin Daniels: Fierce New Member of Our Blog

Hi, Everyone, I'm happy to introduce you to a new member of Fierce Romance today... Kristin Daniels!!

Kristin has always been a reader of romance, but it wasn’t until she discovered the erotic romance genre that she finally figured out what had been missing from all the books she'd read before. The heat, the passion, that was it! Her love of reading (any genre, any format... really just anything) led to her taking a chance on writing something of her own, and she’s been hooked ever since. Kristin calls the suburbs of Chicago home, where she lives with a hero of her very own and their three great kids.

Welcome, Kristin!! We're thrilled to have you here. First, please tell us about your books, one of which is being released TODAY! (Congratulations!)

Nameless Surrender – April 2009 from Red Sage Presents

No names. No words. Just Sex.

After months of blindfolds and secrets, after countless encounters without a single word spoken, Dean Lucas knows what his mysterious partner at the adult-only club Entice wants and gives her everything she physically desires. But now he hungers for more than just her body. He craves her heart, too.

Zoe Grant has finally found a way to let go of past betrayals, a way to sate her long-hidden desires. And the fact she doesn’t know the man’s name, has never seen his face, suits her just fine.

But, when the two are unknowingly brought together outside their mutual comfort zone, will Zoe be able to set aside her past and surrender her trust once again? And can Dean convince Zoe, nameless or not, that love knows no bounds?


Resisting Reed, Ellora’s Cavemen Anthology—Flavors of Ecstasy Volume I – March 20, 2009 from Ellora’s Cave

Are lustful thoughts of your best friend’s son a sinful pleasure or an act of betrayal?

Reed has never hidden from Marilee the decadent passions he wants to share with her. Now that she’s free from her cheating ex-husband, she’s finally able to let her resistance slip and give in to temptation. But when their relationship is exposed during an afternoon of sensual self-discovery, will Marilee lose a treasured friendship, or will she be able to keep it all, including the man she loves?


Lily’s War – Coming soon from Ellora’s Cave

Everyone knows war is hell…

Friends for years, lovers only weeks, Lily is devastated when Eric tells her to not wait on him when he’s involuntarily recalled to active duty in Iraq. Now, after eighteen long months, he’s finally come home.

But lives have changed, Lily has changed. All it took was one unexpected night in the arms of their best friend to make her see the light. Yes, she still loves Eric, but she’s fallen in love with Zach, too. Waging her own private war, she sets out to prove to Eric that what she wants—what the three of them need—is to take a chance at building a life together.

Nobody ever said she had to fight fair to win…



Mystic Charm – now available from The Wild Rose Press

Is a chance meeting true love or a mystical spell?

When Mia Bryant inherits an antique pearl choker from her late grandmother, the last thing she expected to see was a pair of sensual eyes shimmering in the largest pearl. Certain the vision was a figment of her imagination, she sets the necklace aside, pushing the image from her thoughts. Months later, when she dresses for a party, the pearl choker calls to her. Helpless to resist, she slips it on, unaware that by doing so she would soon fall for the man behind those sensual eyes.

Logan Thomas is mystified when he meets Mia. A fierce pull draws him to her, and before he can stop, they’re kissing under a full moon. But when the revealing of a magical spell has Mia pulling away, Logan knows he must convince her—magic or not—they were meant to be together…

Nicole: Wow, you have several hot stories being released close together! Congrats! (Awesome covers too!) Why did you choose this particular subgenre?

Kristin: You know, I’ll read just about anything, but romance is at the top of that list. A few years back, I was out camping with my family and—gasp—I finished the only book I had with me. So off to the local country Wal-Mart I went, hoping they had something good. That’s when I picked up my first Linda Howard book. Now please understand, Linda Howard does not write erotic romance—but the sex scenes in that book… Wow. I knew right then that I’d found something that had been missing in all those other ‘sweet’ romances I’d read before. Within a couple of weeks I’d read everything Ms. Howard had ever written, and the search was on for authors just like her. When I decided to try my hand at writing, the choice really was an easy one. Erotic romance combines a well thought out plot with steamy moments between the hero and heroine. It’s a perfect mixture for me, and judging from its popularity, I’m not the only one who feels this way!

Nicole: Absolutely! Luckily, lots of readers love a hot romance. What element of story creation is your favorite?

Kristin: I love creating my characters, and I especially love to create the hero. We all have our idea of the perfect man, and I have the best job because I can create and re-create him over and over. The male point of view is my favorite to write—alpha males in particular. There’s just something about a rugged, handsome, well-built man that gets me every time.

But the love I have for character creation is not just about me being all gooey over a hot guy. To have my characters (both hero and heroine) grow and learn to deal with whatever problems I decide to throw at them is both exciting and cathartic for me. Everyone has dark, chewy chunks inside them (thanks Jen, for the use of that term—a favorite of mine!), but to bring those to the forefront and show them being dealt with, to show the story arc from trouble to resolution, now that’s a huge thrill for me.

Nicole: Ahh yes! I'm with you there. When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Kristin: Most people who write say they’ve done so since they were little kids. Not so for me. I came about writing later, but the idea was planted when my kids were young. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and would lose myself from the everyday realities of being a stay-at-home mom in all the books I’d read. Contemporaries, mysteries, romances, sci-fi—the genre didn’t matter. My husband would always know when I was into a great book because we’d end up having soup and sandwiches for dinner. Then one day he said to me, “Why don’t you write a book, since you love reading so much?” I laughed! No way, I couldn’t do that… could I? Well, several years later circumstances changed and my kids didn’t need me 24/7. I figured, what the hell, why not? So I dabbled a little, and learned a ton. I’ve been writing for a couple years now, and I love every minute of it.

Nicole: That's so inspiring! What is your writing process or method?

Kristin: I’m not sure if this is an actual method, but I write in layers. Now, I’m not talking about writing the story and going back over it after I finish to edit. I’m talking about writing something completely bare bones, then going over it 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6, LOL) times within one day, adding, deleting, changing. I know it seems like a lot of repetition, but it works for me. I’m one of those that can’t move on until the chapter I’m working on is the way I want it. And I usually have about two different books I’m working on at any one time, so it can be pretty chaotic—but I like it that way!

Nicole: I'm a layerer too, in some ways. :) Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

Kristin: Just keep writing. Learning how to write is a craft, and the business itself is tough. If you want to succeed, you need to take advice well and apply everything you learn. Attend seminars, take workshops, just keep at it. Know that rejection is part of the process, and don’t take it personally. Listen to that little voice inside you, write from your heart and most importantly, submit without fear. Just push that send button or drop that MS in the mailbox, and walk toward your next project. By doing that, you’ve actually done what thousands of people only say they want to do. That alone is a huge step, and one you should be proud of!


Nicole: Fantastic advice! Thanks for telling us about you and your books, Kristin!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Kristin is giving away an ebook today, Mystic Charm, to one lucky commenter! So please leave a comment and welcome Kristin to Fierce Romance. And drop by often to read her posts which are sure to be entertaining and insightful.

Please visit her website http://www.kristindaniels.com/

Now for more entertainment, her creative and stylish (and of course SEXY) book videos! :)










18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Look at your releases! Must be so exciting after all your hard work. Is it difficult working with multiple publishers/editors?

Carol Burnside aka Annie Rayburn said...

Congratulations. You've joined a great group here. I look forward to reading your books. They all sound good. :D

Kristin Daniels said...

Annie--Thanks! And yes, it's very exciting! And to answer your question about working with multiple publishers/editors, so far (knocking on wood here, LOL) it's not been difficult at all. One release has flowed into the other, and I've been very lucky to have it that way. Thanks for your comment!

Carol--I'm so excited about joining Fierce Romance, they're a great bunch of very talented authors, so to join in along with them is a thrill! And I'm glad you think my books sound good. They all hold a place near and dear to me! Thanks for your comment!

kerribookwriter said...

Hey Kristin!

Great to see you here. Love the cover and story idea for Mystic Charm. How did you come up with the premise?

Also, seeing as how you are "multi-published" can you give any advice to a newly published author who is still stinging from rejections on her 2nd and 3rd book?

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed reading the comments. Your books sound so good that I have added them to my TBR list.
JOYE
JWIsleyATaol.com

Carly Carson said...

Hi Kristin,

Congrats on all the releases. I'm particularly intrigued by the first one, lol. I read somewhere that "stranger" sex (ah, sex with an unknown person, not weird sex, lol) was a top fantasy for people. So then of course I had to start thinking about it, haha.

Good luck with all of them!

Carly

Anonymous said...

Wow! That is a lot of releases in a short time. Congratulations on them. I look forward to checking them out.

Liane Gentry Skye said...

Outstanding interview, Kristin! Like you I have to have the chapter darn near perfect before I can move on. It seems to slow me down, but it certainly does prevent much in the way of editing at the end!

Congrats on your new publication at Red Sage!

Kristin Daniels said...

Hi Kerribookwriter! Mystic Charm was a fun one to write, and I actually did it in 3 weeks, LOL! The premise came about after a brainstorming session with one of my critique partners (**waving to Jen!). We had a lot of back and forth 'well, what if *this* happens...?", that sort of thing. Critique partners, for me, are so invaluable. As far as the rejections go, all I can say is just keep plugging away. I know, it's so hard to get over the sting! But if you were lucky and got advice along with the rejection, by all means take the advice and run with it! Editors know what they're talking about. But if you didn't get a reason or any advice (like one of those unhelpful form rejections), I think my next bit of advice would be to get a critique partner if you don't already have one. Like I said before, they can be so invaluable.

Anonymous/Joye--I'm thrilled you added my books to your list! I really hope you enjoy them!

Carly-- Nameless Surrender is a favorite of mine. The idea came about after I pondered what kind of career my heroine may have. She was going to be a professional woman, I knew that, so that got me thinking about what that sort of woman may do to let go, relieve her stress. I figured what better way to do it than with a blindfold and and a little bondage--with a stranger to boot! **sigh. The way my mind works... LOL.

Chris R-- Thanks! I hope you like them!

Liane-- You're right, editing at the end is much easier with my 'layering' method. So the time we spend on each chapter really saves time on that end, don't you think? Glad I'm not the only one who writes that way!

Thanks for all the comments!

Anonymous said...

I can rightfully say that Ms. Kristin's writing is HAWT! Congrats, my friend! You deserve it!
Jen

Carol Ericson said...

Welcome to our blog, Kristin. It's great to have you here! Is Resisting Reed an older woman/younger man setup? Hmm, sounds enticing, not that I'm an "older" woman or anything....

Natasha Moore said...

Congrats on all your new releases, Kristin! Especially your Cavemen release. My first sale to Ellora's Cave was for a Cavemen anthology. :)I'm looking forward to reading it.

Kristin Daniels said...

Jen-- Thank you! As one of my first critique partners, you've seen me through a lot, and knowing you're always there means the world to me. Hugs!

Carol-- Thanks for the warm welcome! Yes, Resisting Reed is an older woman/younger man setup. And like you, I'm not an 'older' woman either. Heck, I've been in my twenties for... hmmm, about twenty years now! LOL

Natasha-- Thanks! I really am excited about the Anthology! And that it coincided with my first day here is very special.

Tracey Devlyn said...

Hey Kristin!
Congrats on your new position and your new releases. So much good fortune in such a short amount of time. I'm so happy for you!

Unknown said...

All the books sound great! Welcome to the blog!

Caffey said...

Hi Kristin! So nice to meet you! I love meeting and reading new to me authors and just reading about yours I'm thrilled!

Nicole North said...

Thanks so much, everyone, for stopping by to meet Kristin and welcoming her so warmly!!

Kristin Daniels said...

Tracey! Thanks for stopping by, hon! And for the warm wishes, too. Looking forward to our next Wed. night cocktail-after-meeting get-together. See you soon!

Amy-- Thanks, I hope you enjoy the books!

Caffey-- I'm thrilled that you're thrilled! I'm like you, I like to get to know the personal side of authors, just to have that little insight. Thanks for the comment!

Nicole-- I had such a great time with this. I look forward to all the fun I know we'll have here!

Thanks for everyone's comments and questions. I'll be announcing the winner of the pdf copy of Mystic Charm soon!

Hugs,
Kristin