Friday, February 10, 2012

Welcome June Kamin today


Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook, June Kramin. Please let my cabana boys get you a drink and make yourself at home. Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down to business.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. What you do, either for a living or for fun or both.

            Thanks for the drink & cabana boy! I work in a print shop in a very small town in southern Minnesota. I work alone at this branch. The jobs are all made in the “sister” store 20 minutes away. I only deal with the design end of things – not production. For fun I hop on my Paint horse and ride the great trails around our house or cuss at – I mean make something unique on my embroidery machine.

Q: Are you a by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer, or do you have to use an outline to put your collective thoughts into some semblance of common sense?
          By the seat of my pants for sure. I never know where things are going. I’ll read the last paragraph of where I ended the day before and continue from there.

Q: Tell us all about your latest or upcoming release. What inspired it?
          Hunter’s Find was an unusual write for me. I had no idea what I wanted to write, I just knew break time was over and wanted to write something. I had a man walking home from a bar and the whole story wrote itself from there. Even when the female MC said “When he finds out what I am he’ll want nothing to do with me,” I had no idea what she was at that point. There is a romantic element to the story but it classified more as a suspense/thriller which is sort of newer territory for me. It’s small town cop meet FBI agent and will keep you turning pages if I do say so myself. 

Q: If you had super powers, what would they be? Why?
          What do you mean if? I can piss people off via e-mail without even trying faster than you can blink. Hey, I didn’t say it was a good super power.

Q: What genre haven’t you tried yet but want to in the future?
          I have not yet written something sci-fi. I feel there’s one in me – I just have to wait for it to smack me in the head.

Q: What’s a fun fact about you? Something unique, a particular talent?
          I know the lyrics to every song I have ever heard. Even if I haven’t heard it for 20 years. All it takes is the first few beats and I’ll start wailing away. Cover your ears though. I said I knew all the words; I never said I could sing. 

Q: What is one thing readers might be surprised to know about you?

          The biggest shocker for people is that I grew up in Hawaii. The chin usually drops, the eyes get wide and they say, “What the hell are you doing in Minnesota?” (Then, “OMG, really? You’re so white! ;) I spent from age 4-27 there & met a guy in the Coast Guard. Minnesota is his home and where we decided to hang out hats. (And that’s about 50 on every hook in the house for hubby.)  

Q: If we asked your muse to describe you in three words, what do you think they might say?

          Lunatic, crazy, oh-look-a-chicken

Q: Which fictional character do you most wish were real?

            Of mine? Bix. Everyone should have a computer geek on speed dial.

Q: What authors can be found in your library of books (print, audio or e-books)?
          My 1st love is John Sandford. I would never have expected myself to be a cop/thriller kind of reader but it’s the characters that I love to follow. Another Minnesota author I like is William Kent Krueger. I didn’t seek out MN authors – it just happened that way. Since I started writing – the only other books I read are by my friends or fellow authors at my forum (Absolute Write) and publishing sites (Champagne & Musa). I have never been let down. It may leave me out of the “New York Best Sellers” conversations, but when one of them buys my books & needs to blog about it, I’ll reciprocate.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world (money and time and travel is no object), where would you go? Why? And for how long?

            I have no idea why Greece has always called to me. I’d love to go someday. Actually anything Europe intrigues me. I love old buildings and castes. As far as time, it’s hard to say when you have a house full of animals. I plan on our traveling when we have a complete “empty nest”.

Q: Is there anything you’re currently working on that you can give us a taste of?

          Right now, I’m beating Hunter’s Find 2- Amanda’s Return into shape. Mandy thought she retired from the FBI in number one but she didn’t plan on getting involved again. Silly girl. (Actually neither did I, but I do take kindly to threats.)

Q: When creating your characters, do you have models in mind or are they totally fictional?

          In all honesty, I don’t picture actors or anyone. When I have to describe the through the other’s eyes is when they takes shape. I have found someone after the fact & said “OMG! It’s Quentin!” That was years ago when I discovered Paul Walker. Loved him ever since!

Q: Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

          Oh – they totally control me. I never know what they will try to pull and I have shouted things like, “I told you not to sleep with him, but would you listen to me? Nooooo.” I have given up trying to take charge. They usually know what’s right. I tried to fix a time line once & I was the one that had it wrong! I always say this & get mixed feedback. To some it sounds like I have no clue what I’m doing & others have said when your characters take over is when your book is on the right path. I say to each his own. Do whatever you need to do to or not do get the book written. I respect plotters & outliners – I just can’t do it.

Q: If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

           Forget ‘Be careful and you’ll end up in my novel’. You’re already in it & I kill you in chapter 6. (Too close for comfort for hubby for a May release :D) I’m sure I stole that from a shirt, but it fits. EVEYONE makes their way into my books one way or another. ;)

Q: Please tell us where we can find you on the web.

          The website for my women’s fiction is: http://www.junekramin.com
Find my middle grade fantasy here: http://www.beforehappilyeverafter.com/

Thanks for popping by and I wish you continued success in your writing career.

Thanks for having me!


Double Mocha, Heavy on Your Phone Number by June Kramin
Musa Publishing
Contemporary Romance
Logline: Bix finally won Ellie’s affection. Little did he know, that was the easy part.
Heat level: 2
Back Cover blurb:

Unable to make it home in a snowstorm, Ellie seeks shelter at an old farmhouse. When the owner’s grandson shows up and happens to be the man she had given the brush off to twice, it takes all they have not to kill each other during the snowed-in days that follow.

The last thing Ellie plans on is the relationship outlasting the storm. Bix’s persistence at a relationship and attempts to help her at her job with his computer skills proves to be more than Ellie can continue to push away. She finds herself where she never wanted to be after losing her fiancé a year ago. In love again.

When Ellie’s twin sister shows up and puts all their lives at risk, they must now weather a different kind of storm together.

Half page teaser:
Bix was surprised to see Ellie standing in the kitchen when he walked in her house the following Monday. He was hoping to surprise her when she got home from work. She must have left a little early.
“You’re home?” He walked over admiring her hair then gave her a kiss as he ran his fingers through her hair. “What made you go dark?”
“I just felt like a change. You like it?”
“I do.” He kissed her again and weaved his fingers through her hair and to the back of her head.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him hard. Getting more aggressive in her kisses, she began pushing him backwards until he was against the wall.
“What got into you, babe?”
“I just missed you.” She kissed his neck then pulled at his shirt, sending buttons flying. Her hands stroked his chest and went down to his belt buckle.
He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall as she kissed down his chest. She slid his jeans down, but left his boxers on. Kissing her way back up his chest, she placed her hand at his crotch. He was already getting aroused. “Nice,” she said, giving him a squeeze. Kissing him harder, she began rubbing her hips against him.
“Let’s get down to business, stud.”
His eyes sprang open and he held her by the shoulders, then looked into her eyes. They were the same shade of blue. The same deep blue outline. He looked from one to the other, then saw it. A green fleck that was never there before.
“You’re not Ellie.”
“Dammit.” Her hand still stroked his chest. “You’re quicker than Tony was.”
He pushed her back and quickly pulled his jeans up. “Ellie never mentioned being a twin.”
“It’s no wonder. I’d want to keep you to myself, too.” Again she leaned into him and tried to place her hand on his crotch. He grabbed her hand before she was successful.
“Stop it.”
“Come on. What are you? A choir boy?”
He moved away from the wall so she would stop cornering him. “I don’t know what your game is but—” The sound of a car door closing stopped him.
“Dammit. The party pooper is home. We’ll have to finish later.” She looked to Bix again and ran her tongue over her lips.
Bix tried pulling his shirt together the best he could, but it was a useless attempt with his buttons scattered across the floor.

1 comment:

June Kramin said...

Thanks for having me, Dawn!
<3

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