Firearm Firsts, with KaLyn Cooper

I’ve invited fellow author KaLyn Cooper over today to share our Firearm Firsts. Though she’s written extensively in other genres, she just lost her Romance author virginity with Explosive Combination, a spicy romantic suspense from Liquid Silver Books.

Since we’ve both written about gun-toting men and women, I wanted to see how our weaponry experiences compare. This might also have something to do with my slight obsession with alliteration and the desire to use Firearm Firsts as a title. 

While I’m sure you’ll find the chart below riveting, don’t forget to scroll all the way down to read a really sweet story about KaLyn's Macho Marine husband, as well as the blurb and excerpt from her new book.

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Firearm First

First firearm seen on a TV show or movie (that we can remember)                     

First firearm seen in person

First firearm held

First firearm fired

First firearm described in a published book

KaLyn

Six gun, Colt I think

Roy Rogers as he rode that beautiful palomino and Dale Evans (Yes, I’m that old.)             

Shotgun

It was my Dad’s and I can never remember NOT seeing it – I grew up on a farm and we always had guns around.            

Daisy BB gun

In our family, at eight you were given a BB gun and expected to learn to shoot. I killed a lot of tin cans back then.                  

The BB gun – then a .22 rifle

At 12 you were given a .22 and required to shoot the groundhogs in the pasture. We raised Quarter horses and their holes could break a leg. At 16 we got a shotgun for deer hunting. Now I shoot skeet so I have four shotguns. I have a carry permit and own a Kimber 9mm and a S&W Shield .40 cal. Our gun safe doesn’t stop there though. ☺ Since I’m married to Macho Marine, I’ve shot machine guns, sub machine guns, military rifles M1A1, AKs, ARs and more.                                      

A non-specified pistol

It was held to Harper Tambini’s head when kidnapped in my debut release Explosive Combination. That book has so many other guns in the hands of sexy SEALs and heart-pounding shoot outs.

Tara

Blaster Pistol

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (I didn’t watch the movies in order.)                                         

A black pistol of some sort

7th Grade Career Day, courtesy of a DEA Agent who volunteered as a presenter.                                                                

Caracal CP660

Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition. It wasn’t loaded, and I was there for the falcons. 

AK-47  

I fired exactly 10 rounds as part of a mandatory “Crash-Bang” course prior to my husband’s tour in Pakistan. I went for the AK first because the ammo was really heavy and I didn’t want to carry it to the other stations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

M24 Sniper Rifle

Tower in the Woods (Yes, my Rapunzel has a weapon)

Firearms Story from KaLyn

Macho Marine knew I could shoot rifles and shot guns since one of first dates was small game hunting on the farm and while at TBS I’d actively participated in Jane Wayne Day where we got to play Marine for a day with all their favorite toys. But he wasn’t sure if I could shoot a pistol. While he was the I&I in Lynchburg, VA he had a private range in the basement of the reserve center. He took me down there, loaded his personal Berretta 9mm and pointed down range at a silhouette target. “Let’s just see if you can hit the target,” he said with a condescending smile. I took my stance and went through the BRASS (Breathe, Release, Aim, Sight, Squeeze). Fifteen fast bullets later, when the magazine was empty, I looked over my shoulder at him. His lips were a thin line. I wasn’t sure if he was fighting a smile or a cringe. He gingerly stepped beside me and with two fingers took the gun from my hand. He pulled me in for a light kiss. “Have I told you I love you, lately?” Me: “Not as often as I like to hear it.” MM: “Noted. I’ll say it more often. Good shooting.” I’d completely shot the crotch out of the target. …True story. 

Explosive Combination

Separately, Harper Tambini and Rafe Silva are lethal…together, they’re explosive. 

ATF Special Agent Harper Tambini is kidnapped by a Colombian drug lord and forced to use her explosives knowledge to kill his competition before she can escape with the help of undercover CIA agent Rafe Silva. As they make their way through the rivers, mountains and jungles, their desire for each other detonates. But Harper reminds Rafe of his murdered fiancée, and the shadow world he wants to leave.

Harper learned the hard way that men never stay, so now she doesn’t keep them around long enough to see if the sparks can light a fire that will last forever. In their short time together, can they crystalize a relationship, or will it all blow up?

Buy Links
Print: Createspace (10% Discount Code: PYQ4X6YR) | Amazon
eBook: LSBooks | Amazon | AllRomance 

Excerpt

Harper heard the click of her door unlocking. Knowing her role as his pretend lover, she ran to the door. “Who’s there?’

“It’s me.” Rafe strolled in as if he had the right to her room, and her.

In nothing but dark silk boxers riding low on narrow hips, he was outlined in yellow by the dim hall lights. His broad shoulders filled the doorway. As he moved toward her, light caught raised pectoral muscles and flashes of well-defined six-pack abs. His swagger defined testosterone in motion. He was a specimen of pure male confidence and dominance.

He addressed the guards at the door. “Take a break. I’ll let you know when you need to come back. I’m going to enjoy my woman for a while.” He left the door open enough for his guards to watch as he claimed Harper, yanking her into his arms and covering her mouth with his.

His kiss was heaven and sin wrapped in one hard body. And he was hard everywhere.

Rafe slipped his hands around her, and she felt their heat through the thin silk of her nightgown. Intensity built quickly within her, and she grabbed his head, shoving her fingers through his silky dark curls. He pulled her forcefully against his body, but she didn’t resist. No man had ever made her feel this way so fast.

At the click of the door, Harper tried to shove Rafe back, but his solid body didn’t move. She had to get away from him before she lost her senses, so she stepped out of his embrace.

“That should get them talking.” Her voice was roughened, but she kept it low. “The whole compound will know you were in my room by breakfast.” She walked over to the nightstand and pulled a bottle of chilled water from an ice bucket. She needed to cool down, from the inside out. She cracked the seal, chugged down half of it, and then set it on the nightstand. “I’m going to bed…and to sleep.”

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: @KaLynCooperbooks

Author Interview - Elle Rush

If you all remember, Elle Rush and I shared a book birthday exactly one month back. What better way is there to celebrate our anniversary than to have my pub-buddy over for a moment in the hot seat?

Just to jog your memory, Elle’s Screen Idol is a sweet romantic comedy loosely inspired by Greek mythology. Intrigued? The blurb and buy links are at the end of this post.

1. Before we chat about your book, I have to ask—What’s your favorite Italian word and why (side note: Elle and I are both learning the language)? Now that my formal classes are over, I desperately need fodder for future Italian Word of the Week posts. 

I’ve just starting a self-study course and my vocabulary is still limited. That said, some of the words I like are vino, gelato, spaghetti, dolce. Are we sensing a theme?

2. As it so happens, "dolce" was my very first Italian Word of the Week. Okay, now that you've made me hungry, it's going to be hard to focus on your book. Nonetheless, we shall prevail. Why did you choose to make Sydney a burn victim? Is she inspired by someone you know/read about?

I wasn’t inspired by any particular person. I didn’t actually choose to make Sydney a burn victim – that’s how she introduced herself to me. I just had to find out what happened to her. It was very important for both of us that Sydney not be ashamed of her scars even if she was still getting used to them. And it was an interesting contrast to pair her with someone who was judged by his looks.

3. Those pesky insistent characters--they're difficult, be we love them. On the subject of good looks, Chris is worshipped by millions as Zeus on the hit drama Olympus—what godlike qualities does he have (and yes, I’m referring to physical attributes)? Please don’t spare any details. 

Chris has a six pack and shoulders to die for, so he looks fabulous coming and going. I called him a clean-cut, brown-haired, hazel-eyed Greek god. And, because I could do what I wanted with him, I put him in both a toga and a tuxedo at different times in the story. 

4. A toga you say? How intriguing. Tell me a bit more about your Hollywood to Olympus series.  What’s the next book about? Do Sydney and Chris have cameo roles?

Right now, I’m planning for the next story to be about Layla and Russ. Yep, the bad girl’s got a good soul and a heartbreaking story and Russ is going to pull it all into the light.  And yes, Sydney and Chris do make an appearance.

5. How cool! Before I let you run off, all aspiring authors out there want to know—how did you get your start as an author? Did you always want to write romance?

I started writing romance right after I finished a screenwriting diploma because I’m weird like that. I think I needed a change from movies and television scripts. Actually, I only started reading and writing romance in the last few years and now I’m an addict. Prior to that, I did a lot of children’s stories. I think – like most writers – that I want to try to write everything but I’ll be sticking with my contemporary romances for a while.

As a fellow contemporary romance author, I can say it's a good genre to stick with. Thank you again for dropping by! For more information about the book and author, just scroll down. Comments are always much appreciated.

Screen Idol (Hollywood to Olympus, Book 1)

Sydney Richardson should have trusted her instincts and locked the door when a Greek god appeared on her doorstep at sunrise. After months of work, she needs every second of the day to wrap up a two-part fundraiser for burn victims like herself and she can't afford to waste time with a TV hunk, no matter how good he looks in a toga.

Chris Peck, worshipped by millions as Zeus on the hit drama Olympus, desperately wants to prove to the producers of a soon-to-be-cast romantic comedy that he doesn’t need fight scenes or special effects to make the jump to the big screen. Acting as the slave-for-a-day in the show’s fan appreciation contest was supposed to cement his everyman credibility but the winner wants nothing to do with him.

Chris is captivated by the woman who refuses to fawn over his looks and fame, and he promises to put her fundraising efforts over the top if she’ll spend the day with him. However, just when he convinces Sydney they could have a chance together, the movie’s producers offer him an audition that would mean breaking his promise and leaving Sydney in the lurch. The king of the gods has until sunset to prove to his new off-screen love interest that Hollywood magic and reality can co-exist.

Buy Links: LSBooks | Amazon | AllRomance

About Elle Rush

Elle Rush is a Canadian romance author from Winnipeg, Manitoba. When she’s not travelling, she’s hard at work writing her contemporary romance eBooks which are set all over the world. Elle earned a degree in Spanish and French, barely passed German, and is starting to learn Italian and Fililpino. She has flunked poetry in every language she’s ever taken. She also has mild addictions to tea, cookbooks and the sci-fi channel. Follow her at www.ellerush.com or on her Twitter account @elle_rush.

Author Interview - Tara Andrews

So I’m interviewing another Tara today (Tara A as opposed to Tara Q, as my high school teachers would say). She’s a fellow newbie author over at Decadent Publishing, and she has a brand new 1 Night Stand to promote.

Long Overdue is a contemporary romance featuring the inimitable Madame Eve, and it is available for purchase at our publisher’s website, as well as other major Ebook retailers such as Amazon and B&N. 

1. For readers who are not yet acquainted with the series, can you tell me a bit about Decadent Publishing’s 1-Night-Stand series? What ties these stories together, besides the obvious?

Decadent’s 1Night Stand series is a collection of short stories by various authors and written for a variety of genre’s.  There’s something for everyone.  1Night Stand is the name of the agency run by Madame Eve, who is a central figure in all the books.  The characters engage the agency for various reasons with the expectation of a one night stand.  However, Madame Eve’s goal is to provide her clients with a happy ending beyond a single night.  

There are other things, aside from Madame Eve, that tie the stories together.  There is also Jackson Castillo and his family.  They run a chain of hotels and resorts that may be used in the series to some degree or another, though the night can take place anywhere.  And, then there is the obvious as you mentioned—it is the main point of the series, one special night.

2. Tell me a bit more about Blake and Jill’s situation. Are they complete strangers or have they met before?

Jill and Blake knew each other in college.  Or, rather, they knew of each other.  Though aware of one another nothing ever developed—wrong timing, he was dating her roommate… they just never connected.  So it is quite a shock to them both to find they’ve been matched.  More so for Jill who senses from the start that Blake had the ability sneak into her heart, when all she wants is to walk away in the morning with no regrets.

3.  I usually am pretty hero-obsessed when it comes to these interviews. What does Blake look like (please don’t spare the details)?

I love heroes, too!  Truly my list of book crushes grows with each book I read.  So I like all types.  But Blake, well, he’s the classic tall, dark, and handsome.  I guess it’s classic for a reason because it’s still hot.  Dark brown hair and striking blue eyes that are difficult to look away from.  As a businessman, I pictured him from the start standing with his hands in the pockets of his slacks, the top few buttons of his white shirt undone, and a knowing curve to his lips.  All the while, a king size bed serves as a backdrop.  In fact, it’s pretty much how it is in the book.  LOL.

4. Oh my, he sounds just like a modern-day Mr. Darcy (which happens to be my type). I totally need to check Blake out. Okay, and here comes my attempt to make this a more substantive interview. Since this is your debut novel, can you tell us a bit more about how it came into existence? What inspired you to write Long Overdue, and what was your path publication like?

Well, I suppose it’s a bit unoriginal to say I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember.  But I have.  From handwriting really bad fan-fic (before I even knew there was such a thing) in a marble notebook as a teen, to trading in the notebooks for a laptop later on, the desire to write has always been there.  But I had no idea how to go about pursuing it further so I headed off in a different direction.  It wasn’t until much later, after receiving some advice from an established author, that I joined RWA and my local chapter.  Then I really started to learn what I needed.

The idea for Long Overdue came about after searching for submission calls.  At first I didn’t think I had a story to contribute, but one day the idea came to me.  I love second chance stories and originally I thought that’s what this would be, but I realized these characters weren’t in the right place at the right time before. The story started to take shape, but it was slow going.

At the same time, I was taking online classes, pursuing an Associates degree.  Finding time to write was a struggle and when I did finally finish I sent it off to be read by an author kind enough to offer.  She provided me with some excellent feedback but it took a while to incorporate it before submitting it to Decadent.
It’s been a constant learning experience for me ever since.

5. *Cough* I may or may not have once written really bad Harry Potter fan fiction back in the day (I believe I'm considered a Dramione-girl).  Enough about me though–as we all know, the first book is just the start. What projects do you have in the pipeline (that you are at liberty to hint about)?

I don’t think I’ve reached the stage where I’d have to keep quiet about super-secret projects, LOL.  But I am working on another 1Night Stand at the moment, and I am having tons of fun writing it because my characters are incredible.  The hero is particularly yummy, you may be happy to know.

Having a new release is a rather tumultuous time for any author, so I won’t keep Tara A. any longer. For more information about the book and author, just scroll down. Comments are always much appreciated. 

Long Overdue

Jill Malone has been looking for love for all the wrong reasons. A reality check has her signing up for a no-strings attached night to simply forget about forever after. The last thing she expected was to know her blind date.

Blake Anders doesn’t need help finding a date, but he’s tempted by 1Night Stand’s reputation of arranging exactly what a person needs. And he needs more. Though doubtful, he agrees to one night and hopes to discover his perfect match. He didn’t count on Madame Eve reaching deep into his past to give him a night with the woman he never forgot.

Fearing another broken heart, Jill works to keep herself from becoming attached, but Blake goes all in to convince her that he wants their long-overdue love to be more than a one-night stand…

About Tara Andrews

In addition to her obsessive need to write, Tara Andrews spends her day managing half the business office for a community hospital. She lives in upstate New York with her wonderful, supportive husband and two children – who make everything worthwhile. If all that doesn’t keep her busy enough, she’s also a part time student. Tara’s a procrastinator (advanced-level) who likes to spend every spare moment reading – even those moments that shouldn’t be spared.

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