Today I have Judy Powell with me and she is giving away her newest release Hot Summer to one lucky commentor. But first let's get to know Judy Powell.
Judy, tell us about yourself.
Hi, Tamaria. Thanks so much for having me on your blog.
I’m a Virgo. Hmm, now what does that say about me? Actually, I have no idea. Maybe someone can email me and tell me what
Virgos are supposed to be like.
Seriously, though, I’m a sales
consultant (day job) and a mommy (all of the time job) and a writer (early
morning job) who has written 3 romance novels – ‘Hot Summer’, ‘Hot Chocolat’
and ‘Some Like It Hot’ – as well as a literary novel – ‘Coffee, Cream and
Curry’. A couple of them have won
awards. All are sold in the Amazon
kindle store.
Do you prefer:
Milk chocolate or Dark?
I’m a milk chocolate kind of girl,
especially the ones with peanuts in the middle.
I have a confession to make - I bought a box of chocolate coated peanuts
yesterday, planning to make it last me all week. Ate them all within the space of two
hours. Oh, the horror!
Coffee or tea?
Tea, please. I only drink coffee if I have to drive long
distances. It also helps me stay up late
to watch re-runs of ‘Reba’.
Vodka or tequila?
Never had either one. I don’t drink. Am I boring? : )
Romance or a Thriller?
I adore romance novels. Thrillers are good, too, but with me a
romance novel will win out every time.
Mystery or Horror?
Hmm, maybe mystery. I
hate scary stuff. I’m a bit of a wimp, I
guess.
Did you always want to be an author?
Actually, no. I remember when I was six years old I told my
aunt I wanted to be a nurse like her.
Even in high school my nickname was ‘Nurse’. I was a member of the Red Cross Club and used
to wear a white uniform and a tiny red hat. (Did someone say ‘nerd’? Yeah, that was me. Big time).
One thing, though, I always loved books.
I got my first library card when I was five years old. The very first book I checked out was ‘Ramona
the Pest’. I’ve devoured books ever
since. My love of reading developed into
a love of writing and so, about six years ago, my writing career was born.
What authors had
an impact on you growing up and as an adult?
Several years ago I read ‘The Wolf
and the Dove’, a historical romance novel by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I fell in love with the author’s storytelling
prowess, the conflicts and the sexual tension between the main characters. I enjoyed it so much that I decided I wanted
to write a romance novel, too. Now, even
with three romance novels of my own, every now and then I still grab one of the
three copies of ‘The Wolf and the Dove’ on my bookshelf and get lost in the
story all over again. I’m staring at the
books on my shelf right now. Look away,
Judy. You know if you ever start reading
you won’t want to put it down then you’ll be late and the whole day will go
haywire. Okay, conscience. I hear you.
Sigh…
Did anyone in your life
influence you or encourage you to be a writer?
I give thanks that various friends
have encouraged me to pursue my dream of writing but none more than Bobby
Treasure, who was instrumental in making me believe in myself and my
dream. He gave me the push that it took
for me to get my work out there. I also
give thanks to my Composition 101 teacher in college whose note on my first
assignment I have never forgotten – ‘You have a genuine talent in
writing’. That one statement stuck in my
head and encouraged me to follow my dream.
What is your
writing atmosphere like?
Chaos. I have paper strewn everywhere, books piled
high on the floor, a hamster snoring in her little cage behind me and a bird
who insists on perching in the chandelier above my head and offering her gift
of tiny bird poo pebbles every now and then.
Excuse me…I have to shoo her off before she does it again. Oh, what I would give for a real office!
Despite the challenges I get the
work done, though. I get up at 4 a.m.
every day, weekends included, and try to get as much work done before 7 a.m.
when the day begins and I have to get my son out of bed and get myself ready
for the day job.
What is your favorite aspect of
writing? Your Least Favorite?
I love research. If I’m not careful I’ll get lost in
historical works, biographies, internet sites, and forget to write! That’s my greatest sin – procrastination. ‘Oh, I can’t get started till I have all the
background information’. That’s one of
my favorite excuses. Bad, Judy.
Get back to work. (giving
hand a sharp slap).
My least favorite part is getting
through the middle. I fly when I’m
starting and I know how it will end but, Lord, slugging through the middle is
hard work. It’s quite a challenge to
keep the novel exciting all the way through but who ever said writing was
easy? It’s work, real work, but when you
have the finished product in hand it’s all worth it.
Your current book you’re promoting
is:
The book I’m promoting today is ‘Hot
Summer’, which was first runner up in a writing competition sponsored by
Toronto Romance Writers. It’s also on
the Amazon contemporary romance bestseller list. Here’s what it’s about:
Readers can check out ‘Hot Summer’in the Amazon kindle store.
It’s at a great price: only $ 0.99!
How did you come up with the story
line?
My friend, Bobby, is a music
producer and hanging out with him got me interested in music so I gave my hero
a career in that industry. Then, of
course, you’ve got to have some sizzle in the story so I had to pit the hero
against a feisty woman who knows how to stand up to an alpha male. And so, Summer Jones was born. The settings are places I love – Chicago, a wonderful
city of culture and Jamaica, an island of beauty and character.
How do you choose
your characters names?
I love playing around with character
names, male names in particular. My
characters’ names are a reflection of their personality. My men have strong names – Lance, Rod and
King. Summer’s name reflects her hot
temper, Lisa is as soft and sweet as her name sounds, and Debbie Lee Grant is a
blue-blooded American from the heart of the country. Right now I have a list of about 12 names for
heroes in future novels. If only I could
write novels as fast as I find great names!
Well, that’s me in a nutshell. It’s been great hanging with you guys and I
hope to drop in again soon. If you’d
like to check out my other books or learn more about me please click on the
link and stop by for a chat: Website I’m looking forward to your visit.
Much love and blessings to you all!
A hot-tempered spitfire and a sexy, arrogant man - put them
together and sparks fly!
After her first embarrassing encounter Summer Jones vows to
stay away from suave record producer, Lance Munroe. But then she ends up
working for the man. Her quick temper and sharp tongue keep landing her in hot
water with him but no matter how hard she tries she can't deny her growing
attraction for him. Then they go on a business trip to Jamaica - and her world
is turned upside down.
Lance is intrigued by the feisty woman who practically tells
him off the first time they meet. When they begin working together he realizes
how much he enjoys the challenge of taming the little tigress. But, before he
knows it, he's the one caught in the snare of passion. The tables are turned -
the tigress has tamed the lion.
If you love the sizzle of a romance between two strong-willed
individuals, follow Summer and Lance from Chicago to Jamaica and be swept away
in the thrill of their hot summer.
EXCERPT
As he spoke he leaned back into the couch and peered up at
her through half-closed eyes. She turned away from his gaze and quickly opened
the bottles and poured bubbling liquid into both glasses.
“Here you go,” she said with a smile and handed him the
drink. She sat on the edge of the sofa beside him but as far away as was
polite. She put the glass to her lips and sipped the sharp cold liquid, feeling
the bubbles bursting in her mouth.
She felt his eyes on her and gulped more liquid, then opened
her eyes wide as it flooded her throat. Her eyes burned and she struggled to
swallow but it was no use. Before she could cover her mouth she coughed
violently, spraying her lap and the coffee table with soda.
Summer clapped her hands over her mouth, but too late. The
damage was already done. Her eyes grew
huge with distress and she looked across at Lance, hot with embarrassment.
“Are you alright?” He’d quickly rested his glass on the
table and was leaning towards her, a large white handkerchief in his hand. She
took it gratefully, still coughing. Then the spasms gradually subsided and she
was able to look at him again. Her eyes were brimming with tears.
“Are you crying?” He looked incredulous, almost out of his
depth, as he raised his hand and wiped away a tear with his thumb.
Summer dabbed at her eyes, sniffed, then looked up at him
again, her lips curling into a grin. “Of
course not, silly. I’m not crying. It’s the coughing that made my eyes fill up
with tears.” Somehow, seeing him look so nonplussed had made her more at ease
with him.
“Silly, huh?” He smiled back at her. “You’re the one who gulped down a carbonated
drink too fast and ended up losing the whole lot all over yourself. So, who’s
silly?”
While he was speaking Lance had rested his arm at the back
of the couch right behind her head and had begun to gently stroke her nape with
his thumb. Summer swallowed hard but couldn’t get the lump out of her throat.
“I guess…I am,” she
said, her voice breathless.
“Yes,” he whispered as he leaned forward to press his warm
lips against the side of her neck, “you are.”
Summer’s breath came in shallow gasps as she sat still, not
feeling she could move even if she wanted to. She was like a bird frozen in the
mesmerizing stare of a snake, knowing it was about to be eaten alive but not
able to make a move to save its own life.
She moaned and closed her eyes as his lips stroked the
sensitive skin then moved to the base of her throat where he licked softly and
gently. She didn’t realize that she was still clutching the handkerchief tightly
in her hand until she felt his strong fingers pry hers open to pull it away so
that he could seduce her palm with his thumb.
“Relax, baby.” He moved his lips up her neck and to her
ear. “You’re so tense. Just relax.”
As he spoke he pushed her back gently into the plush pillows
and began to nibble her ear lobe. He gave a lick just behind her ear and shock
waves ran down her spine.
“Oh, God,” she breathed, “what are you doing to me?”
“What someone should have done to you a long time ago,
Summer Jones,” he whispered. “Teach you
what it means to be a woman.”
He dipped his head and slid his lips back down her neck,
over her collar bone and down to that oh, so sensitive place between the curves
of her breasts. Here he paused and she held her breath, eyes shut tight,
wondering if he was going to stop now. She prayed he wouldn’t.
She was not disappointed. An involuntary gasp escaped her
lips as he slipped a warm tongue down her cleavage, sliding it between the orbs
and teasing her soft flesh until her body screamed and she felt she would die
from the sweet sensation. She grabbed the back of his head and pressed him into
her, wanting more of the pleasure, more of the sweetness…
* * * *
I bought this book last night and I can't wait to dive into it!
Please leave a comment below with your name and email address for a chance to win a FREE copy of Hot Summer.
Sounds like a sexy read. Thanks for sharing:)I'll add this to my summer reading list!
ReplyDeleteellajade818 at gmail dot com
Looks good!!!
ReplyDeletehnwhitlock2000 at gmail dot com
Sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteEmily
erose614 at gmail dot com
definetly worth reading
ReplyDeletegotjasper@gmail.com
sounds like a great read to add to my ever growing must read list.
ReplyDeletekareneteague at gmail dot com
Hugs
I really enjoyed the little clip from the book and going to the website your other books look very interesting and so I am adding them to my to read list. I cannot wait to get started.
ReplyDeletepiperann_25@yahoo.com
Thanks, again, Tamaria for iinviting me. And thanks to your readers for such kind comments. For the winner of a copy of 'Hot Summer', happy reading!
ReplyDeleteJudy