What does @AuthorJMKelley do when she's not writing? (@GoddessFish Promotions)

Today, on Beyond My Writing Space, I'd like to welcome back the lovely J.M. Kelley, who came here a couple of years ago to talk to all about social networking. More recently, J.M. Kelley has released the beautifully written and easy to read Daddy's Girl, all the details are below. But first, I put the J.M.Kelley the Friday Feature question. What does a creative writer do when they're not creatively writing?

A gift basket of some of the J.M.'s favorite things to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour so don't forget to leave your comments below! (Including a $25 gift card from Amazon and a signed copy of the Foreign Affairs anthology)

What does J.M. Kelley do when she’s not writing?

That’s a frightening question to ask someone like me, mostly because I can never give one solid answer. My interests and obsessions are an ever-changing mess, so imagine the chaos in my own head.

Music is my main passion, outside of writing. Now, don’t lump me in with all the music snobs you know. I have my preferences and I have my musical convictions, but your average music snob would probably scoff at my iTunes collection. Queen is the ultimate in rock, in my world. Freddie Mercury is my god. I love hair bands, anything from the eighties, anything with some edge. Sure, hair bands are an obvious conclusion for me, but I also have a heck of a punk/new wave addiction. Then again, I’m quite open to new sounds and styles, and love discovering a band or musician I didn’t know about.

Because of this, I decided recently I really should know how to play the electric guitar…and on a visit home, my brother who is actually musically inclined, unlike me, was kind enough to set me up with a guitar. So, I’m fumbling through hideous renditions of Smoke on the Water and American Woman. I’ll bet my neighbors in the apartment below love me.

I am also the kind of person who can’t stand being indoors for long. I’m not athletic, but I love a little low-impact hiking. However, my true call in nature is to sit my tush by any body of water. The beach is my zen, as is a beautiful little lake located nearby. I often feel like I’m slacking off, when I find myself kicking up my heels yet again and doing nothing but watching the mountains in the distance. However, I was informed by a wise person that the biggest waste of time is feeling guilty about taking time to breathe. So I stopped fretting, and am learning to breathe.

I can’t go without pointing out that I love to read. I truly do not get enough time to do that. I am finishing up Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris, and am mulling over tackling some Stephen King classics again. Stories like It and The Shining…it’s been a very long time since I’ve read them. Sad, don’t you think?

Oh, my weirdest pastime is being a weather geek. Nobody understands it, and I usually get blank stares and eyerolls when a storm is approaching, and there are witnesses to my twitchiness. Now, my mother was always terrified of storms, so that rubbed off on me as I grew up. I still get a bit nervous when I see a big one building up, but I am equally fascinated. I am obsessed with getting a fantastic shot of a lightning bolt, so I end up acting as an amateur storm-chaser, driving around with radar on my iPhone, and my camera at my side. Unfortunately, storms like to die out when they get to my area, so I may have to find new chase territory so I can finally get my shot.

Is this a good point to put the question out to y’all (I’m so Southern now) following the tour? I’d love to hear hobbies and leisure activities you participate in. I can never have too many ideas for relaxation, after all!

Who is J.M Kelley?

Three years ago, native Pennsylvanian J.M. Kelley packed her bags and moved south. Now, the wannabe Carolina Girl can’t speak a single sentence without adding the word y’all at the end of it, and regards a blast of snow flurries as a doomsday-level event.  When the day job allows, and when she can pull herself away from George Takei’s Facebook fanpage, she likes to go on writing jaunts to her favorite lake, or a local coffee shop with delicious shakes and questionable Wi-Fi connections.

J.M. Kelley is a proud recipient of a Carrie McCray Memorial Literary award, and is a member of The South Carolina Writers Workshop and Romance Writers of America (PAN). Readers interested in more information may visit her website at www.jmkelleywrites.com.

 

Connect with J.M. Kelley

Email: readers@jmkelleywrites.com

Website: http://www.jmkelleywrites.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JM-Kelley/108021242585994

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorJMKelley

Daddy's Girl

Sometimes, returning home isn’t about confronting your past; it’s about discovering your uture.

Janie McGee, the black sheep of her family, is free-spirited, uninhibited, and never one to stay in the same place for too long. When Janie learns her father, Joe, is gravely ill, she reluctantly returns home to rural Pennsylvania to care for him. Joe’s neighbor, David Harris, sports a pocket protector, collects coins, and is addicted to Antiques Roadshow. Everything about him rubs Janie the wrong way, from his nerdy wardrobe to his enviable friendship with Joe. And to make matters worse, her father thinks they’re perfect for each other, proof positive of how little Joe knows his own daughter…or so Janie thinks. 

A shared devotion to the elder McGee begins to close the gulf between Janie and David, but a burgeoning romance opens the door to new problems and unexpected consequences neither could foresee. Joe, however, remains steadfast in his resolve to show Janie that Daddy knows what’s best for his little girl. Can Janie finally open her heart to David while watching the first man she ever truly loved fade away?  

 A Peek Inside...

Before he even opened the door, David knew something was off. Late night visitors, in his experience, rarely brought good news. When the visitor turned out to be Janie, his heart leapt into his throat. “Janie,” he said when he threw open the door. “What’s wrong? Is Joe okay?”

“Yeah. He’s fine.” Relief hit him so hard he took a step back and leaned against the doorjamb.

“You scared me.”

“I didn’t mean to.” Janie rubbed her hands up and down her arms and looked over her shoulder. “It’s cold out here. Mind if I come in?”

“Oh. Right.” David gestured for Janie to enter. “Come inside.” He followed when she slid past him and walked into the living room.

“It’s late.” As if she needed to tell him. The atomic clock on the wall, a Christmas gift from his mother, showed the time at almost two in the morning. Janie stood in the middle of the room and focused her gaze on the bookcase in the corner. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“I was reading. A little too wired to sleep, I guess.” David moved up behind her and raised a tentative hand to her shoulder. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

The sound of his voice jolted her out of her thoughts and she jerked her head toward him. Her movements were stunted. Wooden. “Ever have one of those moments when you’re convinced you may float away, and no matter what you do, you can’t keep yourself grounded? And you need to hang on tight to something until the sensation passes?”

Whatever was going on, he thought, she was not in a good place. David gently spun Janie toward him and gazed at her. “Tell me what you need from me.”

Janie closed her eyes and lowered her forehead to David’s shoulder. “Ground me, David,” she whispered and laid her hand on his chest.

Daddy’s Girl purchase links:

Turquoise Morning Press |  Amazon | Kobo | Smashwords | AllRomance | Omnilit

What do you guys think?

Erin

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J.M Kelley - Social Networking - The Do's, The Don't's and The Huh's? 

Legal Ease: Sutton Capital Series, Book One by Lori Ryan

Today on Beyond My Writing Space I welcome Lori Ryan. I can't wait to get my hands on this book. It sounds like a good one to me!

Lori is awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour so don't forget to leave your thoughts on this book below!

The Deets

Jack Sutton needs a wife and he needs one now. Jack loved his mother, but she really screwed him over when she set up her will. If Jack doesn’t have a wife by the end of the week, he’ll lose control of the largest chunk of voting stock in his company and will most likely lose his position as CEO as a result.

And Jack’s Aunt Mabry is waiting in the wings to make sure that the terms of the will are enforced. If he doesn’t find a wife, she’ll seize control of the stock so she can install her own son at the helm and she couldn’t care less that her son doesn’t want the job or that he probably won’t be any good at it.

Enter Kelly Bradley, a twenty eight year old college graduate with a spot at Yale Law School but no way to pay for it. Kelly and Jack’s eavesdropping secretary have discovered Jack’s secret need for a wife and Kelly comes up with a plan to fix both of their problems.

Just when Jack needs her, Kelly breezes into his office, introduces herself to his Aunt and cousin, and hands Jack an offer. She will marry him for a year so that he can retain the stock that will keep him in control of Sutton Development if he’ll pay for her to go to law school. Jack has no idea where his beautiful savior came from or who she is but he’s willing to take a chance to save it all.

           

The deal may have kept Jack in control at Sutton Development but his private life quickly spirals out of control. Just when Jack realizes that he wants more than a year with Kelly, his wealth puts her in great danger and he is left scrambling to save her life and their future together. 

A Quick Peek Inside...

Kelly whipped through the house and up the stairs, calling out for Mrs. Poole as she ran. “Mrs. Poole, come quickly! We have to move. We have to move.” Kelly continued yelling as she ran into her room and grabbed drawers full of clothes and piled hangers with slacks and dresses on them.

Mrs. Poole came up the stairs with a puzzled look on her face. “What on earth are you hollering about, Kelly?” she said as she tried to enter the room. She had to jump out of the way as Kelly made a mad dash to Jack’s room.

“We have to move all of my stuff into Jack’s room,” Kelly said, out of breath from her packing and running. “Jack’s Aunt Mabry is on her way here and she’s staying with us for a couple of weeks,” Kelly blurted out as she ran back down the hall to gather more of her belongings.

“Oh Lord,” Mrs. Poole rolled her eyes and followed after Kelly. She quickly grabbed clothes and toiletries and rushed down the hall to Jack’s room. She and Kelly repeated the trip half a dozen more times as they transferred everything and set it into place. Mrs. Poole cleared out half of Jack’s dresser and closet and made room for Kelly’s things while Kelly folded and put her clothing away to make it appear as though the two had been living in holy matrimony since day one.

Kelly put away the last of her things and took a deep breath. She turned to survey the masculine-looking room. There was a dark mahogany dresser and matching armoire against the deep green walls. Large windows looked out on the same beautiful waterfront view that her guest room windows had shared. She stopped suddenly and held her breath when her eyes landed on the king-sized bed in the center. Until that moment, it hadn’t occurred to her that she and Jack would now have to share a bed. Kelly’s smile fell away as she realized that keeping her attraction hidden from Jack just became a lot more difficult.

 Who is Lori Ryan...?

Lori has had a number of careers before embarking on her newest adventure of writing novels. After graduating from the University of Connecticut School of Law, she practiced law for three years, working primarily in the areas of utilities law and intellectual property litigation.

More recently, Lori owned and operated a dog training business in Austin, Texas, where she specialized in aggression and became an expert in the field of dog bite analysis. Lori sold her dog training business in 2013 and is now a full time writer and mother of two.

Lori still lives in Austin with her husband -- who is endlessly supportive of her changing career paths -- and her two children, one cat, and three dogs.

How can your readers follow you?

To follow me on Facebook, visit: http://www.facebook.com/loriryanromance

To visit my website, visit: http://www.loriryanromance.com/

Want to be a part of my online street team? Email me at Loriryanauthor@gmail.com and put the words ‘street team’ in the subject line. I’ll email you back with directions for joining my team.

 

To join my email list to receive updates and news, including sneak peeks and free giveaways or contest news, visithttp://www.loriryanromance.com/#!join-my-mailing-list/cdpp.

Erin


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I've Pictured Your Death a Thousand Times

I was going to post this a couple of weeks ago ... this character has a firm grip on my heart and isn't letting go!  He's the male lead from a single title which has been floating around in my mind but not going anywhere and then suddenly he was there! I ended up writing a very interesting and intimate scene that I was going to share it with you until my internet crash. And then when I woke up the following morning, he was there again and he was saying "I've pictured your death a thousand times".

I simply had to share what followed. Then my internet crashed. I guess you weren't meant to see inside Maybe Tomorrow at that time. But then I planned the entire novel and Keon and his entire family have me very much enthralled. He knows he's next on the list when Behind Closed Doors goes back to my very lovely editor.

 Maybe Tomorrow

Does a heart ever really heal from its first break?

On an unusually hot night in late September ER Doctor Keon McGowan is called away from a family gathering to a hospital emergency. Amongst his patients that night is a blast from his past he’d rather forget. He’ll certainly never forgive butterfly hunter Darcia Vilmere for the circumstances that left him a single father while she chased butterflies through the Amazon Rainforest.

Coming face to face with the woman who broke his heart after all this time leaves Keon exposed to the realization he never fully healed from it. But any chance of finding closure is ripped away when Darcy’s grave prognosis forces Keon to play by the rules. Their conversations are privileged. And then Darcy chooses to die amongst her beloved butterflies. Will Keon let her go one last time? Or will he fight for the tomorrow they may not have?

Maybe Tomorrow is an emotional journey of love caught between fate and destiny.

If you were on Facebook yesterday you'll have seen some of this already. I shared some of this chapter in my brief update. But I wanted to share some more with you. Here's some of what I've been working on while the migraine was being a nuisance and frying my brain.

Unedited excerpt

"I've pictured your death a thousand times." Keon confessed.

His whisper carried across the warm night air. He knew she'd heard him. Her response shivered across her broken expression before taking an age to die inside her dampened eyes. 

He didn't regret it. But Darcy still didn't take her attention from the city streets below. Keon hated seeing her like this. The Darcy he knew, the one he’d tried to pretend had never existed for the last ten years, was vibrant and full of the same elegant spirit as the creatures she sort. Her enthusiasm for the very thing that broke them apart could transform a conference room full of boring academics into rowdy students. Eccentric her peers called her. Infuriating, more like. It was impossible to pretend Darcy didn't exist.

But the woman sat before him, she wasn't the same woman who traipsed across Africa and Malaysia and wherever else she'd been in search of adventure. This woman, she hadn't stopped hugging her knees in the twenty minutes he’d stood trying to convince her all was not lost. Not even to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"You know" Keon stepped closer "you'd trip over one of your own moth traps, fall down a big hole and disappear into oblivion. Or you’d overreach with your blasted butterfly net and go over a jagged cliff edge. Or maybe you'd wander into a cave of hibernating bears or have something big and heavy fall out of the sky like a... like a..."

Words failed him and Keon felt as lost on this roof top as she was. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Life wasn't supposed to hand him everything he'd every wanted on a silver platter including his desire to see Darcy on her knees and practically at his feet all on the same day. And he certainly wasn't supposed to still care what happened to her. Thank God she wasn't listening to him. 

Those dampened cocoa eyes turned towards him for the first time since he'd disturbed her and the small lift at the corner of her lips hit him like a punch in his gut. "Like an anvil?" She suggested and then a quite chuckle bubbled in her throat. "You still watching kids' cartoons Keon?"

"Yeah" He scoffed at the remark. It was nothing to be ashamed of. "Perks of being a parent." He shrugged ignoring the way her eyes widened at that revealing bit of news. So she didn't know her parents had brought Lily to him after Darcy disappeared ten years ago? That explained why she'd never been in touch after she went back into the field leaving nothing more than signed adoption papers on her hospital bed five days after giving birth but it didn't explain why she didn't didn't tell him about their little girl in the first place.

Even the chilling memories from the past couldn't douse the warmth he felt towards her right now. Sure, his hatred for her and what she'd done to him and Lily ran deep but... a long slow and painful death? He didn't want this for Darcy. Maybe it was the shock of diagnosing her illness was why he wished so much that he was wrong.

"A thousand times huh?" She whispered.

"Give or take" Keon shrugged "another thousand." She smiled and he lowered himself to sit on the wall beside her. "It had to be something funny and ironic because..." He closed his eyes and let go of the sigh he didn't realise he'd been holding on to for ten whole years. "Well, you left me." He said turning to look at her, really look at the woman she'd become over the years they'd been apart. "You left me to chase those damn butterflies around the Amazon Rainforest." He paused for a moment and then added "Maybe one day, you'll tell me why."

Well, what do you think?

Erin

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