Writer Wednesday: Kaylie Newell

Hi! Thanks so much for coming today. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi there!  Thanks for having me :) My name is Kaylie Newell and I write steamy romances centered on hunky police officer heroes.  My novella, Teaching Officer Lonesome releases August 20th.  Can't wait!

Tell us a bit about your book.

Teaching Officer Lonesome is a contemporary May/December about a young woman who falls for a sexy, older cop with a broken heart. 

Here's the blurb:

Hope Marlow is a twenty-two-year-old seasoned vet when it comes to steamy one-night stands. Hope has had a hard life. From the wrong side of the tracks and abandoned by her mother, she finds herself trying to raise her little sister on a salary that barely pays the bills each month. She’s tough, jaded, but when she’s pulled over one sweltering summer afternoon for not using her turn signal, she meets her match in a sexually inexperienced cop twice her age.

The day Jack Malone stopped Hope is one he can’t forget. It’s more than the way she looked in the miniskirt and hot pink tank top, it’s her confidence that keeps coming back to haunt him. But Jack is still reeling from his wife’s death a year ago, and Hope represents things he thinks he can’t have with a woman—passion and a new beginning. Plus, there’s the fact that she’s practically half his age.

Hope sees things differently. The age difference doesn’t bother her, but while Jack craves an emotional connection, Hope has no interest in that. She’s an expert at pushing her emotions aside, and she knows that if Jack would let her, she could teach him how fulfilling lust alone can be. With that in mind, she sets out to seduce the sexy cop.

It’s only during their first night of passion that they both discover how much they’ve been missing.

Is this part of a series?

It's not, but I wouldn't mind writing a continuation to Hope and Jack's story someday soon.  I love these characters. 

What was your favorite part?

The beginning of the novella has one of my favorite scenes.  Jack stops Hope for not using her turn signal and Hope tries her hardest to get out of the ticket by using her "female charms".  She's very confident, and is mildly surprised when Jack doesn't seem phased at all.  She's always used sex to get ahead in life and in her experience, that's what men respond to most.  But Jack is different.  He wants more than just sex.  He wants love.  She wonders if she'll ever be good enough for a man like Jack Malone.  

Why did you choose to write romance?

I think one of the main reasons I write romance is because I just can't get enough of that "falling in love" feeling.  It's addictive.  Creating it over and over with different characters is kind of a writing high ;)  And I love seeing them get their happy endings.

Do you ever have any conversations in your head with your characters? If so, can you give us a hint of what you might talk about?

I don't ever have conversations with them, but I do hear them talking amongst themselves.  It's like I'm eavesdropping from another room.  For some reason I hear them in the shower a lot.  That's when they feel like talking the most and more often than not, I'll have to jump out dripping wet and write a plot point down before I forget.

Rate your story in terms of steaminess

I'd say it's three chocolate truffles out of four.  Enough to get completely satisfied, but still be able to fit into your skinny jeans the next day :)

What are you reading right now?

I just finished The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule.  Wow.  This is the first book I've read by her and I can officially say I'm now a crazy fan.  She's a genius true crime writer and this book was as fascinating as it was chilling.

I know this is like asking who is your favorite child, who is your favorite romance author (s)?

Karen Robards!  I love the way she mixes humor, steam and suspense.  I have an autographed copy of Vanished that my best friend gave me and it's my absolute pride and joy.

What is your favorite romance book or series?

Ohh...that's a tough one.  Superstition by Karen Robards is one of my favorites.  I also love Walking After Midnight and One Summer.

Who is your favorite romance character? If you could go on a date with that person, what would you do? Details please! *wink*

Michael Noonan from Bag of Bones (by Stephen King).  I don't really think he could be considered a romance character, but I thought he was very "romantic", if that makes sense.  He's a writer and is very sexy in a subtle, authory kind of way.  If I could go on a date with Mr. Noonan, I think I'd spend the whole time talking about books.  And then try and jump his bones, of course.

Boxers or Briefs?

Oh, boy.  Can I go against the grain here and say jockeys?

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate!

Do you have a special piece of clothing you wear when you write?

I wish I had a lucky sweater or something like that.  Sadly, the only article of clothing of mine that's a constant when writing, is undies.  I always wear those. 

What is next for you?

Right now I'm working on my third full length novel, called Taming Johnny.  It's kind of a twist on the Taming Of The Shrew.  A sexy, but very grumpy police lieutenant meets his match in a young police clerk who doesn't take any of his guff, and sparks fly!

What were your first impressions of each other?

Jack: When I met Hope that first day, I thought she was beautiful, of course.  But what struck me the most were her street smarts and intelligence.  She's very mature for her age.

Hope: Other than him being drop dead gorgeous?  The fact that he seemed like such a good guy.  Very serious, yes.  But I could tell he was a good cop and a good man from the first time I talked to him.  He recognized my name and remembered that I had called the station a few times when we were having a problem with our neighbor.  He asked how my little sister and I were doing.  I remember thinking that if he were married, his wife was a lucky girl.

What are your favorite parts about each other?

Jack: Her confidence (grinning).  When she sees something she wants, she goes after it like a pit bull. 

Hope: His tenderness (also grinning).  Sometimes it gets tiring when you feel like you're taking on the world 

and everyone in it.  It's nice to be with someone so calming and gentle, and who loves you for who you really are.

What’s next for you?

Jack: A vacation?  What do you think, baby?

Hope: ...Vegas?

For Kaylie Newell, storytelling is in the blood.  Growing up the daughter of two gifted writers, she knew eventually she’d want to follow in their footsteps.  While she’s written short stories her whole life, it wasn’t until after her kids were born that she decided to shoot for the moon and write her first romance novel.  She hasn’t looked back since!

Kaylie lives in Southern Oregon with her husband, two little girls and her two indifferent cats,  Alice and Cosmo.

She would love to hear from you!  You can find her at: 

http://www.kaylienewell.com

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1121007272

http://twitter.com/#!/KaylieNewell

 Available in ebook and paperback from Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com-

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-in-danger-kaylie-newell/1108217557?ean=9781937325220

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_17?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=falling+in+danger&sprefix=falling+in+danger%2Caps%2C417

http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Officer-Lonesome-ebook/dp/B008Z9HZWY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345502693&sr=8-1&keywords=teaching+officer+lonesome

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/teaching-officer-lonesome?keyword=teaching+officer+lonesome&store=allproducts

Excerpt:

Before her knees could touch the linoleum, he grabbed her and pulled her up again. “I don’t even know you, Hope. And you don’t know me. Don’t you think there’s something off here?”

“No.”

He grunted.

“Well, I don’t,” she said. “You’re a guy. Guys like sex. They understand it. They relate to it. It’s how you operate. Lucky for you, I happen to speak guy.”

The beginnings of a smile touched his lips. “I don’t operate like that. I don’t just sleep with random women. I need more than this.”

More than this. Hope considered herself pretty tough. She was young, but she’d seen a lot. Her father’s abuse, her mother’s abandonment, extreme poverty. She’d seen her fair share. But despite that, hearing those words coming from this man, hurt. A lot. She wasn’t good enough.

She dropped her hands and stepped back. “I see.”

He must have recognized the look on her face, because he immediately reached out again. She pulled away and sat heavily on the couch.

“That’s not what I meant.”

She bit the inside of her cheek, unable to look at him. “I know what you meant. And that’s okay. It really is.”

Liar. It’s not okay. It’s never going to be okay. The steel wall around her heart magically gained another layer as she made a bitter mental note. It’s official. Sexy, older soccer dads who look fantastic in their work uniforms, and who also happen to be handy around the house, are off your list, missy.

Jack bent down and took her hands. When she tried to pull them back, he tightened his grip. “Will you listen to me for a second?”

She stared at the floor as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. When he touched his fingers to her chin, they were warm and calloused, rough and sexy. He raised her head gently until she had no choice but to look him in the face.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said, his voice low. “You’re a beautiful young woman. Any man would be lucky to have you.”

She clamped her teeth together. I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry. She must be premenstrual.

“I didn’t mean I need more than this.” Emphasizing the last word, his eyes fell, lingering for a moment on her breasts. “I meant I need more in the form of a relationship.”

“A relationship?” She searched his face for any sign he was joking, but found none. He really was too good to be true. “Seriously?”

“Why’s that so hard to believe?”

“I’ve just never met a guy who actually wanted a relationship before sex.” She smiled a little, but he remained serious.

“I don’t think sex should be a casual thing. I think you should love someone first. Or at least have feelings for them.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she wondered if she could convince him otherwise. She happened to know sex could be mind-blowing, even if you weren’t head over heels in love.

“Can I ask you something?” she said.

He sat back on his heels. “Shoot.”

“How many women have you been with?”

His face colored, even through the thick, dark stubble which prickled his neck and jaw. “That’s none of your business, Hope.”

“I think it’s relevant to the conversation we’re having.”

“I’m not discussing this with you.”

“Maybe you should.”

He was quiet for a minute, and so was she. They stared at each other for a long moment before he spoke again.

“I’m flattered. I really am. But I’m too old for you.”

“You think you’re too old for me. I feel differently.”

He smiled in a way that said he was done talking about it. “I’m too old for you. But I’d like to be friends. Do you think we can manage that?”

Sure. Whatever.

Sticking his hand out to shake, he was suddenly Officer Malone again. The aloof and businesslike cop who had stopped her last week for the blinker thingy.

“Sure,” she said, feeling like a little girl with a hopeless crush. “Friends.”

Kaylie Newell will be giving away a signed copy of Falling In Danger to a random commenter on the post.