#ProjectPurseDump - Week 13 - Confessions of a Minimalist Author by KaLyn Cooper (@KaLynCooperbook) - #WritersLife

It's always nice to find I have unexpected things in common with a fellow romance author. While I do not "carry," I'm rather fond of unembellished Coach purses myself ( both of mine are flea market finds). However, being a permanent member of the Girlie Girl Club, I rarely leave home with just a wallet. I wonder what else we romantic suspense writers share. 

Confessions of a Minimalist Author

by KaLyn Cooper

I should probably be thrown out of the Girlie Girl Club because I don’t carry much in my purse. Given the opportunity, I don’t even carry one. I often stuff cash in a front pocket with a Chapstick or lipstick on the other side and I carry a very small, leather pouch for credit cards.

Years of long distance traveling has taught me that a purse can get stolen so quickly and weighs you down. By the end of the day, your shoulders ache. I also have a tendency to leave it hanging on the back of a chair so more than once I’ve revisited a restaurant in search of the darn thing. Fortunately, I’ve only lost it once. So I often don’t take one with me when I leave the house.

Unless I’m carrying.

Yes, I have been known to carry a gun in my purse. And yes, I have a Handgun Carry Permit. And yes, I know how to use it. I hope I wouldn’t hesitate to do so if a life-threatening situation should arise. I am a shooter and can often be found on the range. To see a picture of the gun I carry, visit my blog site listed below.

So, on to the contents of my purse:

Let’s talk about the purse itself. I only buy unembellished Coach leather purses. I have some that are over twenty years old that still look good and function well. I rotate them out summer and winter, thus the dark brown one currently in use.

Two leather-bound checkbooks. Although I do more banking online than with a written check, sometimes you simply need to write a check. After the second move, Macho Marine and I decided we needed a stable bank account for his direct deposit but in those days, a local bank was always necessary. Thus the one has been in existence for over thirty-five years and the local account.

That non-descript medicine bottle contains: at least two migraine pills for Macho Marine, he can never find his when he needs them; two daily meds for Favorite (only) Son, just in case; and a few mega Motrin for me. The Tylenol is also for MM because he forgets his all too often when we travel. Is there a picture of our family dynamic forming here?

Business cards. You never know when you’ll run into a Romance reader.

Pens and a small pad of paper. Even though I most often use the app on my phone, I never know when I’ll need to write a note or make a list. I love office supply stores the way MM loves old hardware stores. I could spend hours looking at all the pretty paper, interesting office gadgets and pens that I might need and all too often purchase. They have to be ultrafine point and pretty as well as functional. But never pink or purple and never ever write in those colors. See, I could so easily lose that Girlie Girl card.

Glasses case and lens cleaner. I wore contacts for years and still do on occasion but prefer my glasses these days. I switch to prescription sunglasses when I go outside. Maybe I should try transitional lenses.

Wallet. Again Coach because they last so long and again leather. I guess I’m a natural materials person when it comes right down to it.

Not pictured but should be mentioned: Sometimes I will also have a receipt or two that I stuff into the back compartment but not today. Writing is a business and it keeps my CPA happy when I have the receipt from lunch with my author friends. I also shove my cell phone into the exterior pocket but I needed it to take the picture.

Pretty boring stuff for the most part.

But there is one more item I often carry. It’s deadly and I didn’t want it plastered all over the Internet. To see what it is, please visit my blog https://kalyncooper.wordpress.com/. 

ABOUT KALYN COOPER

KaLyn Cooper’s romances blend fact and fiction with blazing heat and heart-pounding suspense. Twenty-two years as a military wife has shown her the world, and more than thirty years in PR taught her that fact can be stranger than fiction. She leaves it up to the reader to separate truth from imagination. She, her husband, and bird dog live in Tennessee on a micro-plantation filled with gardens, cattle, and quail. When she’s not writing, she’s at the shooting range or paddling on the river. 

Be sure to check out her book Christmas in Cancun and two upcoming releases Captivated in Cancun December 28th and Claimed by a SEAL Kindle Worlds Hot SEAL Cancun Crossover Novella releasing January 26th. For all books by KaLyn Cooper, please visit her website www.KaLynCooper.com.

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter: @KaLynCooperbook
Email: KaLyn@KaLynCooper.co

#WriteTip - Commit 1 Hour by @KaLynCooperbook (spotlighting her #Military #Contemporary #Romance Conquered in Cancun)

Having just started a new nob, I've fallen a bit behind on the blogging front. Luckily, I have enough author friends from whom I can request writing tips. Here's a quick and dirty one from Kalyn Cooper. 

Commit to write for one hour, sit yourself down and start the first sentence by typing one word: The.

~ KaLyn Cooper

Conquered in Cancun: In Cancun Novella 1.5

By KaLyn Cooper

Buy on Amazon

Conquered in Cancun

by KaLyn Cooper

After a deployment romance ends disastrously, Lieutenant Commander Caroline Hodges vows never to trust another man. Joining her roommates for some fun in the Cancun sun, she runs into Luke Thorstad, the lover who dumped her in Navy flight school. Could her luck get any worse?  But the more time she spends with Luke the more old feelings resurface. A fling could be just what she needs to ease her heartache. 

Luke Thorstad had been thrown into the limelight, and the arms of dozens of willing women, in flight school when he’d become an unintentional hero. His biggest regret, ever, was leaving Caroline Hodges in the shadows. Finding her in a Cancun night club was his chance at redemption, and maybe the future they’d been denied years ago. But he’ll have to break down the walls she’s built around her heart.

Excerpt 

Luke stood on the dance floor and watched Caroline’s short, black hair blend into the crowd. The white dress clung to her feminine curves and made him want to kiss every inch of her light brown skin as he peeled it off her. It wouldn’t take long either. There wasn’t much to the sparkling sheath. Her stiffly straight back was naked except for a small piece at the neck and another around her slight waist. Then there was that barely covered, oh-so-fine ass of hers.

Six years ago she’d never have worn such a revealing dress. Tonight, she rocked it.

And his world.

To think he’d almost turned down the invitation to join the BACats crew tonight. They were regulars at Mayan Nites because it was owned by his friend and Jack’s cousin, Kukulcan. When Luke hadn’t found the guys at their reserved table in the back corner, he’d scanned the dance floor. They hung together like a pack on the prowl until they found their prey. Tonight, though, he’d instantly recognized the women first and then seen their dancing partners.

Suddenly, he’d felt her presence. His whole body had honed in on Caroline across the club jammed with hundreds of gyrating people. She’d been staring at her green-tinged drink all alone, projecting an invisible wall of don’t-even-think-about-approaching-me, fenced into a prison of her own making. But that’s not what she really wanted. He knew her better. She wanted to belong, to fit in. She just didn’t know how.

Growing up on military bases, surrounded by thousands of horny guys who were in their prime in every way imaginable, she’d learned to emanate an air that warned them off. It was now second nature for her. 

He’d smashed through that fortress before, and he’d do it again to get to her. Caroline was worth it.

Luke wove his way through the bodies bobbing to the faster beat of the new song, ignoring the smiles and come-hither looks from several of the women, and even a few men.

He had just assigned himself a mission—break through Caroline’s defenses. Again.

Finding her at the club tonight had been a long-time wish come true. Years ago they’d started something that was nice. Special. He’d been able to easily talk to her, and she had listened. They’d been good friends. Eventually, they’d taken it to the intimate level, with clearly defined parameters. The pressures of flight school had been severe, and they had both been driven to not just succeed but excel. The sex helped a lot to release that anxiety. She had been as attentive in bed as out. It had been the best sex he’d ever had.

Then that fucking bird had hit his plane.

His world had suddenly been filled with gorgeous women who previously wouldn’t give him a second glance. He’d been laid every night after that by beauties who wanted to please him, and they’d gotten very creative.

He’d had a lot of women since those early days in flight school. But none ever compared to Caroline and what they’d shared. Ever.

And, hot damn, their attraction was still there. He’d sensed it the moment he’d drawn her into his arms. Her shiver had shaken him to his core and was unmistakably sexual. It certainly wasn’t cold in the club. When her nipples hardened, he’d been unable to resist kissing her. She tasted even better than he’d remembered, and when it came to Caroline, he remembered everything.

He wanted to sample that sweet spot between her legs that all but burned through his shorts every time they moved on the dance floor. Christ, she was hot. His cock pushed against his zipper like a heat-seeking missile, determined to thrust its way through anything to achieve its target.

The mental picture of Caroline—sun-darkened body, naked against white sheets—quickened his breath. Her unique musk had filled his senses. He remembered the taste of her saturating his mouth as he worked his magic licking and sucking her clit until she screamed his name and she came around his tongue. Then he’d slide into her soft heat as she gripped his cock with her inner muscles.Jesus, he wanted her. In bed. Tonight.

ABOUT KALYN COOPER

KaLyn Cooper’s romances blend fact and fiction with blazing heat and heart-pounding suspense. Twenty-two years as a military wife has shown KaLyn the world, and thirty years in PR taught her that fact can be stranger than fiction. She leaves it up to the reader to separate truth from imagination. She, her husband, and bird dog live in Tennessee on a micro-plantation filled with gardens, cattle, and quail. When she’s not writing, she’s at the shooting range or on the river. 

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter: @KaLynCooperbook
Email: KaLyn@KaLynCooper.co

#HottieHunt #Giveaway Hop! – Meet Jack Girard from Christmas in Cancun by KaLyn Cooper (@KaLynCooperBook)

TQ: Hi Everyone! Today I’d like to welcome Jack Girard to the virtual Hottie Seat (I will try to be on my best behavior). For viewers with less than ideal reception, this military man's got broad shoulders, sun-streaked hair that’s just a little too long, a bright white smile, and slightly crooked eye tooth. His cocky attitude is pulled off with assistance from arctic blue eyes flecked with green.

Jack:  Pleasure to be here ma’am.
*He casually lowers his powerful body into the overstuffed red chair and props his ankle on a knee.*

TQ: Oh... sorry... my attention wondered for a moment there. Would you mind if I get a few of the commercials out of the way? 

Jack: Please...

TQ: Ahem... For those who have been following our Hottie Hunt, you know all of this already. For my friends and new followers who are just tuning in, here are all the holiday treats you can get just by commenting on this post. 

STOP GIVEAWAY: I’m giving away an electronic copy of my own romantic suspense, More Than Strangers (the hero of which is also former military, so it should tide you over until KaLyn's book hits the shelves). To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment here, working in the name of the gorgeous hunk I’m interviewing.

Oh, and here's an Easter egg: The hero of one of my paranormal romances is also named Jack. Mention this title in your comment (along with your email address), and I'll send you More Than Stranger right now (well, whenever I get your comment, that is). You won't even need to wait until the hop is over. Consider it my pre-Christmas treat.

By the way, ANY comment on this blog post also counts as one of the entry options in the....

HOTTIE HUNT HOP GIVEAWAY: There's a $10 Gift Card up for grabs. The lucky winner will be announced shortly after the hop’s end. The Rafflecopter at the bottom explains all the fun entry options.

But wait, there's more! 

HOTTIE HUNT $100 HOLIDAY BONANZA: Entries in the Hottie Hunt Hop earns you bonus entries in our Holiday Bonanza. In addition to a $100 Gift Card, there's a ton of eBooks and other goodies up for grabs. Find out how to enter on our Hottie Hunt Landing Page. 

---

With the admin stuff out of the way, let me scoot a little bit closer, and turn my complete, undivided attention to this modern day Adonis (aka Jack).

TQ: Let’s start with an easy question, you walk into a bar, what drink do you order?

Jack: Beer, draught.

TQ: Tell me, what do you think surprises readers most about you?

Jack: Most people look at me and see the former Navy SEAL. Yeah, I’ve done things in real life that most men only do in a video game. I have a drawer full of medals for missions that I can never talk about. But I’m just a man, albeit highly trained. I want the same things in life as other men, a job that’s fun and interesting, and a good wife and children to come home to. 

TQ: After all the women you’ve had in your bed, why the demure anthropologist Jillian?

Jack: She’s beautiful. Inside and out. She always put Addison, her two-year-old daughter, first in her life. Jillian is strong, but she doesn’t know it. Before her, those other women, it was just sex. Jillian taught me about love.

TQ: And where is your favorite place to…umm... love… her?

Jack: *Grins* A flat surface.

TQ: Do you consider yourself your author’s muse or bane of her existence?

Jack: Muse. Definitely. KaLyn Cooper grew up in a house filled with testosterone, an Alpha father and four Alpha brothers. Then she married Macho Marine. She knows men. It’s women who confound her most often. She only writes strong women because that’s all she knows.

TQ: Have we seen the last of you, Jack?

Jack: Certainly not. KaLyn Cooper has a novella coming out in January and a couple more books next year as part of her “In Cancun” series.

TQ: Thank you Jack for joining us today!

It’s always interesting to put a hero in the Hottie Seat. Unfortunately, Jack Girard has got to run. If you’re curious, Karl, the Air Force Major from my upcoming release A Christmas Together, is being interviewed by Jack's author. There’s an ebook AND A DIAMOND RING you can win there (KaLyn's a high-roller). 

Thanks again for stopping by! You should now have the necessary information to claim two of the entry options below (one for identifying Hottie #4, and 1 for commenting). Now go forth and continue your Hottie Hunt, and don't forget to enter our $100 Hottie Hunt Holiday Bonanza (you get 1 free entry just by clicking)! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A bit more information about the book and author.

A Christmas in Cancun
by KaLyn Cooper

A sexy, former SEAL and beautiful Mayan anthropologist find more than they bargain for when they team up to complete a decades old family treasure hunt in Cancun. From crystal clear waters to hot, steamy nights, they must work together to escape the danger waiting for them on the Riviera Maya. KaLyn Cooper has penned an exciting, spicy tale of love in the first book of her new, contemporary series, In Cancun. Curl up in your favorite chair and escape to the beautiful Caribbean with Christmas In Cancun. 

Busy building a new career with his catamaran company, former SEAL Jack Girard had all but forgotten about his grandfather’s quest to find the golden Mayan goddess statues until his brother’s beautiful widow, Jillian, and adorable daughter, Addison, arrive in Cancun with the research. His need to complete the family mission is almost as strong as his desire for Jillian. 

Between raising her daughter alone and finishing her doctorate in Mayan anthropology, Jillian doesn’t have time for a man in her life, although, after mourning for two years, she’s ready for one in her bed. 

An underwater Virgin Mary statue and centuries-old manuscripts lead the two of them through the Mayan Riviera and directly into danger. 

During steamy Caribbean nights together, will they develop the ability to move on and discover the real treasure is family? 

Print Version (Amazon) | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | LSBooks | GoodReads 

About KaLyn Cooper

KaLyn Cooper’s romances blend fact and fiction with blazing heat and heart-pounding suspense. Twenty-two years as a military wife has shown KaLyn the world, and thirty years in PR taught her that fact can be stranger than fiction. She leaves it up to the reader to separate truth from imagination. She, her husband, and bird dog live in Tennessee on a micro-plantation filled with gardens, cattle, and quail. When she’s not writing, she’s at the shooting range or on the river. 

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter: @KaLynCooperbook
Email: KaLyn@KaLynCooper.com