Please give a warm welcome to... Monica Tillery!

Happy Tuesday, readers!

She's a fellow Crimsonista who is enjoying a brand new release with Crimson Romance, a wonderful story titled Kiss Me, Katie - we've got a page turner on our hands, folks! I'm reading it now (between chapters and songwriting), and I am, so far, in love with the book's hero. I'll be posting a review this weekend. In the meantime, let's get to know another Crimson sweetheart, Monica Tillery.

I realize my questions may not be what anyone would call hard-hitting (smile), but they were all things I wanted to know! I encourage anyone reading this post to ask Monica a question by posting a comment below... :)

Another great option would be to show her lots of love at www.monicatillery.com (way to have the perfect URL available!) 



1) How long have you been writing, and how did you end up writing Romance? 

I always wanted to be a writer, and dabbled in horror (of all things) in previous years. I discovered Romance and got serious about writing last May. It has happened really fast for me, but a big part of that is the incredible amount of information and support available for romance writers. I've spent a lot of time learning about the genre, but there's still so much I don't know. 

Same here - there's so much information out there that it seems all you can do is learn as you go; the best advice I can give? Never stop writing! 

2) Who were your inspirations for Katie and Blake?

You know, I guess I probably had Blake Shelton in my mind as I wrote, though that's more because I named the character Blake. I didn't start off thinking of him, or any real-life singer in particular. I love Miranda Lambert, but I picture Katie as someone a bit more innocent and far less bad-ass than her! 

I'm absolutely guilty of picturing Blake Shelton - not that it's a bad thing, he's hot stuff! And to be honest, Katie didn't strike me as a 'Gunpowder and Lead' kind of girl - I mean that in the best way possible! 

3) Katie is one helluva fiddler from the way you write it - do you play any instruments?

I played violin and piano as a kid, and I've tried to learn guitar as an adult. I don't play anything very well anymore, but I really admire musicians.

4) Blake is quite the large, in charge, charming type of Southern gentleman - does he differ from your ideal 'hero', or is Blake someone who could make you weak at the knees?

Sure, I'd love Blake in real life. To me, he's handsome, successful and confident; but he's also sweet, protective, and affectionate. I think in any romance, the ideal hero is one who makes the heroine feel special. Part of the allure of Blake Jackson is that he's wildly famous and can have anyone, but he chooses Katie. Whether we'd like it in real life or not, I think a lot of people fantasize about being adored by someone famous, someone who everyone wants.

Well said, Monica - I feel like what it comes down to in the end is that (whether they admit it or not) everyone wants to be someone's number one...their love's first choice. The part of that particular fantasy that make it all the more special is when a girl knows she's not only a guy's first choice, but also number one out of a million (or billion, as the case could totally be). 

5) What's next for you? Can you tell us a little bit about your next project? 

I am finishing the first draft of my second contracted book with Crimson Romance, and it's very exciting! Four other Crimson authors and I will be putting out a series beginning in February 2014 called The Emerald Springs Legacy. My book is Adam's Ambition, the first book in the series. The series will follow the lives and loves of a couple of different families in the fictional Washington city of Emerald Springs. There will be romance, sabotage, betrayals, and plenty of intrigue. We're really excited to invite readers into the world of Emerald Springs. 

That sounds amazing - I'm looking forward to reading all about The Emerald Springs Legacy! 
Thanks for stopping by, Monica - I wish you all the best with Kiss Me, Katie as well as all your future projects...

Before we wind it up, don't forget that you can pick up your copy of Kiss Me, Katie at all major e-book retailers: that includes Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Kobo. Check out the sneak peek below...

Talented fiddler Katie McCoy finds out that her band, Sterling, will join the very famous, extremely handsome Blake Jackson on his Country Summer Nights tour. Her career is taking off but, after dating too many guys who let her down, her love life is going nowhere. 

Blake is America's biggest country star, and he can date a different beautiful woman every night of the week. After years on the road, each woman starts to seem the same and none of them ever want more than the experience of dating a celebrity. In Katie, he finally finds a woman who is interested in who he is as a man, someone who loves him for his true self. Being on tour together is a bit like being in a relationship pressure cooker, and things get serious. Everything moves faster than outside in the real world. Theirs is a match made in music heaven, but in three short weeks, Katie’s band leaves the tour and she’ll be out of his arms.

Katie wants true love more than anything else, but her tour bus is heading back to Texas with or without her. Sterling’s new level of success means that her career must take top priority and any man she’s with will have to respect that. She’s done with guys who don’t take her career seriously, and Blake can’t leave his own tour. How can they stay together when their paths have them moving in opposite directions? Will they find a way to make it work or say goodbye?

(update: Sorry for the error! I had no clue that the Blogger app had a word limit - I went to post it from my mobile device and the app automatically cut the post off...)

Technical difficulties aside, don't forget to congratulate Monica on her book's release, and let me know what you think of it when you're done reading it!

xo,
S.