Letter from the Sizzling Scoop: Hello readers, We would like to apologize for the missed Sizzling Scoop issues for March and April. There were some unavoidable issues, and it seemed that things always went wrong at the worst times. However now Sizzling Scoop is back and better than ever. We have a lot of wonderful things planned for coming issues, as well as authors and new columnist joining the team soon. This issue is to catch up on interviews and scheduled space for the March and April issues. June will be an all new one, and better than ever. Sizzling Scoop has a new website: www.sizzlingscoop.com Also please note the new upcoming themes: June – Summer Love and Beach Reads July – Not so normal paranormal (ghosts, angels, wereanimals not wolves, etc) August – Sex in the City September – Contemporary Romance October – Haunted Halloween November – Sizzling Kink December – The Best Holiday Reads 2014 January - Sizzling Best of 2013 We also have a couple new additional promotional items for authors: Sizzling Best Holiday Reads – The December issue will spotlight all the best Holiday reads for 2013. If you would like to submit your book for consideration please send it to marissa@sizzlingpr.com The Sizzling Scoop staff and selected reviewers will review each one and it will be judged on a number of categories. Each Holiday read that is chosen as one of the best Holiday reads will be reviewed in the December issue of Sizzling Scoop. We will also interview any author interested in for the issue, and others there will be spotlights. Sizzling Scoop staff will review each submission and pick the top five outstanding books overall. Those authors will receive a half page ad spot in any of the 2014 issues. Any novel or novella published between November 2012 – December 2013 are elegible. Deadline is November 1st. ARC’s will be accepted. Sizzling Best Reads of 2013 – The January issue will spotlight all the best reads for 2013. If you would like to submit your book for consideration please send it to marissa@sizzlingpr.com The Sizzling Scoop staff and selected reviewers will review each one and it will be judged on a number of categories. Each read that is chosen as one of the best reads will be reviewed in the January issue of Sizzling Scoop. We will also interview any author interested in for the issue, and others there will be spotlights. Sizzling Scoop staff will review each submission and pick the top two books for each genre submitted as well as the top five outstanding books overall. Those authors will receive a half page ad spot in any of the 2014 issues. The top five outstanding books overall will also receive a $25 credit for any Sizzling PR or Sizzling Scoop service. Any novel or novella published between January - December 2013 are eligible. Deadline is December 1st. ARC’s will be accepted. 2 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingscoop.com | Issue 7
Contents: 4... Interview with Kacey Hammell 7... Ashley’s Corner by Ashley Nember 8... Interview with Julieanne Reeves 10... Interview with Laura Diamond 12... My Book Boyfriend by Abbi Glines 14... Interview with Sara Hubbard
Publisher: Marissa Dobson Assistant & Interviewer: Heather Powell Editor’s Corner Columnist: Shanon Grey Advice from an Author Columnist: Kay Springsteen Tate Writing Paranormal: Rebecca Royce Self Publishing with Skye Warren Writing a Novel Columnists: Ashley Nemer Material in this publication should not be reproduced in any form without written permission. Sizzling Scoop is open to submissions of articles, short stories, please email them to marissa@ sizzllingpr.com Issue 7 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingscoop.com 3
Interview with Kacey Hammell Welcome Kacey! Can you please tell the readers out there a little about yourself and the books that you write? I’m a stay-at-home Mom of three constantly on the go kids, wife of nearly twelve years to the love of my life, and an allaround lover of life. I write mainly contemporary romances, with splashes of romantic suspense, some paranormal, and whatever else I can work into each story. *g* I love happily ever afters (or happy for now endings that I can revisit later) and enjoy the writing process very much. How did you come up with the idea for ILLUSIONS? Illusions came out of no-where actually. My husband constantly told me to write my own stories (after years of reviewing) and I’m a huge lover of crime shows-true or not-and love digging into the good and bad guys. The story evolved into more than I ever thought possible. What kind of research (if any) did you have to do while writing Illusions? I had to look into guns, the type that I wanted to mention for the characters. Also New Jersey law enforcement rules and regulations, as well as P.I. laws. One character was suspended; a couple tried veering off the rails and such, so I had to be sure everything was just perfect as far as state laws and such. What is the hardest part for you when it comes to writing in the romantic suspense genre? Dealing with a villain or letting a major character be hurt. Sounds odd I know but very true. In Illusions the characters are put through a lot…many have been angered by the “cliffhanger” I leave them in for a bit. LOL In the sequel to Illusions, Awakenings, there’s the POV of the kidnapped child – which was extremely hard to write. I hate to see my characters hurt!! *g* Are you a plotter who lays out everything in detail as you write, or are you a pantser who lets the story unfold on its own? A bit of both. Depends on how the scenes are playing out in my head. If moving as they would on a movie screen – vivid and easy to watch it all play out – then I won’t do an outline. If there’s just a nudge of a story in my head, not fully playing out in my mind, then I’ll sit down and do an outline. But not everything ends up exactly as I write it in an outline. LOL Character rarely co-operate. If you could write in any other genre besides romantic suspense then tells us, what would that be and why would you chose that genre? Hmm, probably Historical Romance—which sounds strange since I don’t really like the genre a lot. But there are a few authors that I really enjoy reading who do the genre proud and think, “I’d love to write them like she did”. But I think I’ll stick to what I write best. *g* 4 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingscoop.com | Issue 7
Do you have a favorite romantic suspense book and/or author? There are many who inspire me. Karen Robards, Sandra Brown, Cherry Adair, Cindy Gerard, Karen Rose, Maya Banks, Patricia A. Rasey, James Patterson, JD Robb…the list has a good couple dozen, but these are some of the faves. What is the one thing about writing that you wish someone had told you about sooner? I don’t think there’s been anything really. Since I’ve been in this world for over a decade and have worked with and/or become friends with many authors, I already knew about having patience, sitting to write and write and write, promo takes time but there also needs to be interaction with readers first and foremost. I think the biggest thing I know and could pass on would be to just keep writing, don’t be discouraged—trust in yourself—and your stories, and the best promo is to just write the next book. ILLUSIONS By Kacey Hammell Romantic Suspense/Erotic Romance ISBN: 978-1-61333-236-8 Blurb: Protection. Adventure. Love. It’s all found within The Arms of the Law... Detective Isabella Knowles, a tough-as-nails cop, lives by the law, and knows what she wants out of life. And it doesn’t include marriage or all that comes with it. Everything Isabella has ever known seems like an illusion when a new relationship makes her feel more alive than ever before. She isn’t happy about it and fights it every step of the way. Burned by his fiancée years ago, seer and P.I., Brady Jacobs never wants another commitment in his life. But his bachelorhood and heart are threatened when he has one of his visions and see a killer striking too close to the woman he has recently come to love. Danger lurks close to home and neither Brady nor Isabella like that they can’t control every situation…especially matters of the heart.
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Ashley’s Corner Your novel should now have a name or at least names of your characters and possibly a hint of a title...yes? Good! Now let’s move onto the time. What time would you like to write in? This is somewhat of a struggle for me. I always question my flash backs. I get very hung up on the whole dialog of, ‘Do they REALLY sound like this 1000 years ago?’ Of course the answer is no but in reality that’s not a huge deal...just let go of those small issues and write. At least that’s what my main source of encouragement tells me. Along with which year/decade/century you want to write about you are also going to need to follow your timeline that is within your own novel. I was recently at a book signing of Kim Harrison and one of the best pieces of advice she gave out to new authors was to make sure and take notes while you are writing of the events happening that way you aren’t lost. My God that is so true!!! I have my Blood Series, it’s now two full books complete and I’m halfway into my third book and sometimes I stop and think, ‘Crap, what year and when did this happen….’ and of course I did NOT take notes. Then back to my wonderful Maverick Touch, my timeline was all sorts of messed up. Thankfully I have a wonderful editor on staff who took excellent notes on her first round of editing and informed me I was months apart. Time...it’s so important. But there is a lot more to it than just picking the scenes there is also finding the time to write. Writing for most people is a hobby that we would all love to turn into a full time job. I’ve read and heard over and over again from successful authors that the best way to make this a full time job is to treat it like a job. Set hours, times to write and work. Personally I treat my writing like a second job. I work just as hard at my craft as I do my day job or my family life.. Like most women of the world I wear many hats and making time for all of them is complicated and hard. But if this is something that you are serious about you will, I repeat you WILL find a way to make the time to do it. For me, I have made a promise to my husband to take a month off every couple months. This year I took the month of January off. I kicked back, relaxed and enjoyed the life of a regular person. It was quite boring! I missed the sound of the keys, the stress of the editing and the fun of the creative flowing juices. But I did love that I found time for my family. Now I’m back in the saddle and writing and I’m balancing work, writing and family again and as always I’m loving it. Things are moving right along for the birthing of this novel. Hopefully you are remembering that part of the fun of writing is creating the world that you can escape to and be whomever you want, experience whatever you desire and soar or excel and do whatever your heart has dreamt. Because the best vacation a person can take is opening the newly bound pages of a brand new book and diving into the words and swimming through the vast imagination of one another’s dreams because sometimes fiction can knock the socks off of reality and leave you wanting more. You can email Ashley at Ashley@ashleynemer.com or find her at www.ashleynemer.com or www.facebook.com or https://twitter.com/ashleynemer
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Interview with Julieanne Reeves Welcome Julieanne! Can you please tell the readers out there a little about yourself and the books that you write? First let me say what a great honor it is to be interviewed by Sizzling Scoop, I’m so glad you invited me. Being published is still very new and exciting...aaand a little surreal. I worked as a police/fire/911 dispatcher for a number of years, and when you factor in that I’m a pretty private person by nature, as well as in introvert, I think most who know me find it surprising that I would end up in the public spotlight. Yet here I am. Yikes! But for me, it’s not about being in the spotlight; it’s about being able to tell my character’s stories. Needing to tell them. Those voices can get rather pesky and loud. * grin * The inspiration for my stories almost always comes from a breaking headline that catches my attention. Some emotionally wrenching event that speaks to me on a soul deep level. But it’s not the tragedy itself that holds me, it’s the survivors. I find myself wondering what happens to them; how do they move on after such a life altering moment? I can’t imagine—and hope I never have to find out—how difficult it is to pick up the pieces after such horrible event. How did you come up with such a heart-wrenching, yet still completely suspenseful idea for your novel, Razing Kayne? That’s a great question, but a bit of a long story, let me see if I can make it a short one. Years ago I saw a breaking news broadcast. Police—and the media—were on the scene of a murder/suicide in which the mother had brutally murdered her children before killing herself. The father had come home and discovered the bodies. There was this one moment, when the cops were escorting him out of the house—he wasn’t a suspect, they were just getting him the heck out of Dodge—and the camera captured the look on his face. Utter devastation. My heart bled for the guy, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to move forward and pick up the pieces after that. I also wondered what could have happened to make a mother do something so horrific. Before I’d even fully realized what I was doing, I’d sat down and written the opening scene for Razing Kayne. It was originally told from Oksana’s perspective, so when I was done I had my entire story line. From there it was a matter of getting my character’s from point A to B. What kind of research (if any) did you have to do while writing Razing Kayne? My background made Razing Kayne a pretty easy write in terms of research. I’m pretty familiar with the ins and outs of police work. It also helped that I had unlimited resources to turn to with questions. Being able to call up ta fire chief and ask him the weight of a certain type of fire-engine, or having an officer review a scene where I used police tactical driving (PIT maneuver) to make sure I had it right was a huge bonus. What is the hardest part for you when it comes to writing in the romantic suspense genre? 8 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com | Issue 5
The series is set in a fictitious version of what I consider my “home town”. As such, I really struggled with keeping it fictitious and making sure that none of my characters resemble any of the awesome real-life heroes I had the privilege of working with. Are you a plotter who lays out everything in detail as you write, or are you a pantser who lets the story unfold on its own? I am absolutely a panster. While I have a general idea of what my story is about and where it is headed, I really have to let the characters tell their own story. I’ve tried to plot it out, even having what I thought was a great ending in sight only to be thwarted by my own characters. Razing Kayne started out with an entirely different ending: Kayne was shot. Needless to say I love the way it ends much better than what was written in that first draft. If you could write in any other genre besides romantic suspense then tells us, what would that be and why would you chose that genre? It would probably be paranormal. In fact I have several manuscripts collecting digital dust somewhere that I’ve been considering doing something with. We’ll see if that happens after I get the next book out. Do you have a favorite romantic suspense book and/or author? Oh, my gosh! I have so many go-to/auto-buy authors that I’m afraid to list them for fear I’ll leave someone out, and many have become friends over the last couple years. Suffice it to say I love good Romantic Suspense and Military Romance. What is the one thing about writing that you wish someone had told you about sooner? Actually I’m glad I went into it blind. I think that had I known how much work went into it AFTER you’ve been published I might never have had the nerve to publish in the first place. Anything else you would like to share with readers out there? I’m currently working on my second book, NICK OF TIME. It’s scheduled to release in April which is Sexual Assault Awareness month. Since my heroine, Sarah, from Nick of Time is a survivor of domestic violence and spousal/intimate partner rape it seemed fitting to release during April. Also, as with Razing Kayne, I will be donating a portion of the proceeds—20% of net e-book sales for the first 90 days—to charity. In this case it will be The Time Out Shelter, a domestic violence shelter in the real life town of Payson, AZ.
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Interview with Laura Diamond Hi Laura! Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and the books that you write? Hi! Thanks for inviting me today! I’m a board certified psychiatrist and my day job consists of working on the acute inpatient psychiatric unit, the consultation service (where we help other specialties manage the mental health piece of hospitalized patients’ care), and outpatient adult psychiatry (with the faculty practice and the HIV clinic). I picked up writing in my last year of residency (over 4 ½ years ago). It was a creative outlet that let me decompress from the day job and also offered a form of expression that was lacking in my work. The paranormal—vamps, ghosts, shape-shifters, magic…everything!—has always been a draw for me. Young Adult stories are particularly exciting because it’s such an intense time of growth, fraught with passionate emotions and life challenges. I have a shifter (werecats) series and am now working on a dystopian/sci fi series with a unique twist on vampirism. Tell the readers a little bit about your writing process, for instance, how long does it take for you to finish a first draft, are you a plotter or a pantser, etc. When I first started writing, I was a pantser and I could complete a draft in 2-4 weeks. Now, I tend to draft an outline and because of an unruly internal editor, I take a couple months to complete a draft. It’s slow going, but prevents massive rewrites and prevents trunking of entire manuscripts. Do you have any interesting quirks or habits to help you through the writing process? I think I’m pretty standard in that music helps (rock, alternative rock, classical, and movie soundtracks), as well as COFFEE!!!!! Where do you get the ideas and inspirations for your books? Inspiration is such a spontaneous and organic thing for me. An idea can slap me in the face out of nowhere. I also have pretty detailed dreams and have gotten a lot of story ideas from them. This is a very competitive genre to write in, what do you think makes you stand out among all the other young adult/ new adult authors out there? My training allows me to develop compelling characters with realistic emotions and thoughts. My shifters are different too, in that they’re big cats (panthers, leopards, and lions). I’m a studier of cat behavior and the scenes where the characters interact in cat form are detailed, action-packed, genuine, and FUN. My dystopian series has a lot of medical elements to it, so again, my background in medicine has been super helpful. Do you ever find yourself experiencing writers block? How do you cope with it? YES. Writer’s block happens when I am feeling somehow “less than” as a writer. Those periods of self-doubt really sap my confidence and then the words don’t come. I think it’s a natural part of the process, though. It’s extremely difficult to write something perfectly the first time…and it’s extremely difficult to write something perfectly the hundredth time. I cope with it by chatting with writer pals, because they understand, and by reminding myself how far I’ve come. It’s all a learning experience and some of the most useful lessons have come from mistakes. Bottom line: I expect writer’s block to happen and I don’t beat myself up about it. Sometimes, my brain just needs a break. Inspiration will strike again. It’s a matter of keeping at it over time.
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Is there a particular YA/NA author and/or book out there that inspired you? Why? There are so many authors who inspire me…more because of their helpfulness, positive attitude, persistence, openness, willingness to accept challenges, and boldness to try new things (like Indie publishing). What advice would you give to other authors out there who want to write in the YA/NA genre? READ a TON of books from those genres. Get a sense of what’s out there. I’m not saying there’s a formula, per se, but there’s definitely a style, a feel, a gestalt, of what makes YA and NA what they are. Then, let your imagination FLY! If you could pick one of your characters in your book(s) to hang out with for one day, who would it be, and why? I have to pick ONE??? Dangitall. ;) Xavian (a character in Shifting Pride) is a really cool kid. He’s goofy, sweet, fiercely protective and loyal, and CUTE!!! Justin (the main character in ENDURE and EVOKE) is an underdog—but he keeps striving for what he believes is right. That kind of strength is a quality I admire. Justin’s nemesis, Alex, is a handsome, sexy, intelligent…drug addict. BUT he tries to do the right thing (even though it ends in disaster). People who put a lot of effort into making their goals a reality deserve respect. Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers? I’m incredibly curious to hear what people think of my stories. It’s all about perception and there are as many opinions about a story as there are readers. It’s cool to learn how other people see things because it opens me up to new ideas and thoughts.
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It’s true. Just because I write books doesn’t mean I don’t get completely wrapped up in a fictional character of someone else’s making. Let’s face it, boys are better in books… and in the back of trucks but that’s another blog post. The thing with me is because I write sexy southern boys I know what I want in a book boyfriend. So the list is extremely tough to get on and it isn’t that long. Unlike other BB lists I’ve seen, mine only has five. I would say in no particular order but that would be a lie. These are my top five in order of how much of my heart he actually takes up: #5 – Deuce West. Holy crap I hate this man then I love him. I want to throw the book against the wall then I scramble to get it just so I can read more about him. Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan. It’s the most amazing wild train wreck of a relationship I’ve ever read and I can’t wait for the next book. I’m an addict. #4 – Jace from Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments. He broke my heart, he made me swoon, he is the reason I’ve read that series five times. #3 – Dorian Skotos. He debuts in Dark Light by S L Jennings and again in the sequel The Dark Prince. This guy makes me sweat. I’ve never read another hero like him. He is so evil yet he’s not. I visit him often. #2 – Kellan Kyle. Honestly, Kiera if you’d just back the H.E double hockey sticks up, I can take care of this one for you. I adore this guy. I want to hug him and well… meet him on those stairs. He debuts in Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens and my #1 – Travis Maddox. He really doesn’t need an explanation or an introduction. He has owned me since I read Beautiful Disaster the first time. When I am feeling blue I go visit him again. The good thing now is I can visit him in my signed copy of Walking Disaster. (Yes I have one because Jamie McGuire loves me) These guys were created out of brilliance. They own not only a spot on my BB list but sooo many others. I do believe Travis and Kellan may have created the title “Book Boyfriend”… joking- sorda. You have a list too! I know you do. Share it so other readers can find their love between the pages too.
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Interview with Sara Hubbard Hi Shanora! Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and the books that you write? I’m a huge reader! Have been since I was a little girl which got me into writing. I write both Paranormal and Contemporary Romances with extremely heavy steamy scenes just above the borderline of being erotic. I’m huge on passionate kisses, strong hugs, and intense love. Tell the readers a little bit about your writing process, for instance, how long does it take for you to finish a first draft, are you a plotter or a pantser, etc. It normally takes me about two to three weeks (with no editing whatsoever) to completely write a book. I love to move quickly but I do take my time on writing and making sure it’s the best story possible. I do plot. I sit around with a notebook for about two hours and write down how I want certain chapters and scenes to go. How I want the characters to act, come off towards the reader, etc. As soon as I have the gist, I’ll get straight down to work. Do you have any interesting quirks or habits to help you through the writing process? Sometimes I’ll listen to music and sometimes I won’t. If I really need to focus, I won’t listen to music but if I feel free spirited and am having a good writing day, my music will be on full blast! Where do you get the ideas and inspirations for your books? My relationship. my family. My friends…. Or just things that I’ve gone through in general. I have a huge family and a strong love life and I’ll take my experience from there and run with it. This is a very competitive genre to write in, what do you think makes you stand out among all the other young adult/ new adult authors out there? I try to be as unique as possible. I don’t want my stories to be like others. I’ve been told that when it comes to my paranormal books, they’re very different but when it comes to the contemporary, they’re kind of similar but have that unique feel that makes it stand out. Not everyone loves my characters and sometimes I feel like that’s a good thing because not all people are likeable. Some adore and are in love with my characters and that’s great as well. There’s always half and half. Do you ever find yourself experiencing writers block? How do you cope with it? All of the time! Usually I’ll write down what I want to happen in my notebook, read a book to open up my mind, or even take a walk. I’ll listen to music as well. That helps me a ton.
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Is there a particular YA/NA author and/or book out there that inspired you? Why? Jessica Sorensen has inspired me from the beginning. She’s a great author, a sweet person, and is always popping books out. I’ve wanted to be just like her and when I see people compare me to her as an author that makes me feel kind of cool. I don’t think I’d ever compare, though. She’s too awesome! What advice would you give to other authors out there who want to write in the YA/NA genre? I’d say just go at it. Have fun, don’t sweat the small stuff. Write because you want to write. Money is important and we all want to be rewarded for our hard work but don’t make it the reason why you’re writing a book. I know some people that have emailed me asking how I’ve ranked so long and even how much money I make but it’s not about the money. It’s so much more than that. I’m so passionate about writing that I don’t even think about anything outside of it until I’m done with the book. The promoting part comes last. I write mainly for myself and my enjoyment. I have no problem sharing my work. It’s amazing. If you could pick one of your characters in your book(s) to hang out with for one day, who would it be, and why? I’ve started a new rock star romance and it will be a trilogy. None of the readers know him yet because he hasn’t been published and won’t be until July but his name is Gage Grendel and he is completely swoon worthy. I love his story, I love him! If I could meet him, I’d drop everything to spend a day with him. He’s far from perfect and that’s why I love him so much. He’s damaged, arrogant, cocky, but when he opens up he’s a complete sweetheart, caring, loving, passionate. I’ve fallen in love with him. Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers? The only thing I’d like to say is THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT! I adore each and every person and if there is ever a time when someone wants to talk, I’m always here. I always make room for the readers because they’re the reason I’m where I am now.
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