Please welcome Jackie Braun!
Jackie is a
RITA award and National Readers’ Choice Award finalist. She has penned over 29 romances
for Harlequin. Her latest book, “Must Like Kids” is part of Harlequin’s new and
exciting line KISS.
She has
generously offered to giveaway a copy of her KISS novel to one lucky commenter.
So make sure you leave a comment before you go. We’d love to hear from you. J
Thanks for
stopping in and chatting with us, Jackie. And congratulations on being chosen
to head up the new Harlequin line KISS. There’s lot of exciting buzz going around
about this fun and flirty line. And let me tell those covers really catch a
person’s eye—they’re beautiful!
Could you
share a little with us about your first KISS novel, “Must Like Kids”?
Alec
McAvoy is the single CEO of a fictional company called for Best For Baby. After
a seemingly anti-child remark that Alec makes goes viral, his company’s board
of directors brings in an image consultant to do damage control. Julia
Stillwell is a widowed mom of two. She’s not looking for love, but she can’t
deny the sparks that fly whenever she and Alec are alone. Thanks to her
efforts, she eventually has the public believing that Alec will make the ideal
family man. But is the transformation only skin-deep?
And could you
tell everyone a little about the KISS line? What should the reader expect between
the colorful covers of a KISS novel?
These are
fun and flirty contemporary reads with varying heat levels. They’ll find a
little sass. A little humor. And a lot of sexual tension.
How does KISS
differ from the other Harlequin lines?
It’s the
writers’ voices, I believe. Our writing is very contemporary and in the moment.
Are KISS
novels steamy? Or sweet?
They’re both! Each month readers will find two
steamier novels and two that are more “closed door” when it comes to sex. The
titles and covers are good indicators of the heat levels readers will
find.
Now, tell us
a little about yourself:
I am a Michiganian born and raised. Other than a
summer in New York City as an intern at Good Housekeeping magazine and 10
months at The Niagara Gazette in Niagara Falls New York, I have lived in “the
Mitten” my entire life. I’ve wanted to write since I was in grade school, and
followed my dad’s advice to “get a day job.” I chose journalism, since it
involved writing, and have spent the past 25 years working in various
capacities for newspapers. For the past nine years, however, my full-time gig
has been writing books. I’m married, with two kids, and we recently added a dog
to the mix.
I read on
your website that you spent six years writing your first really, really long
manuscript. Talk about determination. It never took me quite that long but
sometimes it sure felt like it. J How do you manage your writing now
that you have deadlines? Do you have a regular schedule? Any quirks?
Before I
was published, I foolishly waited for my muse to inspire me. I had plenty of
excuses for not sitting down at my computer, sometimes for weeks at a time.
That all changed when I went to my first RWA conference, pitched that
abomination of a book to an agent and realized it was, well, crap. When I got
home, I started another book. This one took me a few months to write. It eventually
sold to Silhouette Romance. More sales followed until I was writing about three
books a year in addition to regular freelance work for the local newspaper.
Now, I usually write every day—yes, even weekends and sometimes even holidays.
What does HEA
mean to you as an author for the KISS line?
It means
the same thing it always has, I guess. My hero and heroine ultimately overcome
all of the obstacles I cruelly place in their way and wind up together. Whether
that means getting married or finally admitting their love, they know there’s
no one else on the planet more perfect for them.
If you could
only share one bit of advice with an unpublished writer, what would it be?
Don’t give
up. And don’t keep massaging those first few chapters trying to make them
perfect. Write the entire book and THEN go back over.
Before you
go, could you tell us a little about your next release and when we can expect
to see it on store shelves and the Internet?
I have two
releases coming up, both in September at this point. One is another KISS titled
Greek for Beginners. It’s about a woman who finally works up the courage to
dump her dud of a fiancé and then goes alone on her honeymoon in Greece, where
she meets and falls for a sexy Greek businessman.
The other is a novella in an anthology from Entangled Publishing that
includes stories by Susan Meier, Barbara Wallace and Shirley Jump. I’m not sure
of the title yet, but it features a matchmaking Jack Russell terrier named
Charlie who helps reunite my hero and heroine.
Jackie, it’s
been wonderful having you. Thank you so much for stopping by The Hot Pink
Typewriter!!! We hope you’ll stop by again soon.
Thanks for
having me! I enjoyed being here. And I’m eager to give away a copy of my book
to one lucky reader!
And readers,
please don’t forget about the chance to win a copy of “Must Like Kids” by
leaving a comment. The winner will be announced tomorrow.
"Children have a place and it's anywhere I'm
not!"
It was one
off-the-cuff remark. But when it goes viral, Alec McAvoy is labeled the playboy
CEO of Best for Baby—who hates kids!
Enter Julia
Stillwell, image consultant extraordinaire. The widowed mom of two has a knack
for changing public opinion, and she'll teach Alec all he needs to know. But
once they start this makeover, they don't want to stop…and that's when one
little kiss leads to many, many others!
So now Julia's
worked her magic, but is Alec's transformation only skin-deep? Or can this
hunky executive convince her that he is ready to become a family man—so long as
it's with Julia?