Q&A with JENNIFER LYONS
1. For those that haven’t read THE ONE PLUS CHRONICLES, could you give us a summery about it?
The Plus One Chronicles is a trilogy of Kat and Sloane’s story. A quick blurb:
Ex-Ultimate Fighter Sloane Michaels has a dark agenda. Kat Thayne just wants to hide behind the light, sweet creations at her bakery. When a dangerous, sexy proposition brings them together, will Sloane choose vengeance or passion?
Their story unfolds in three long novella length books:
THE PROPOSITION opens the story. Sloane Michaels does not get emotionally involved women. Instead, he negotiates a plus-one arrangement when he finds a woman he has chemistry with. When Sloane meets Kat Thayne and he’s more intrigued than usual. He goes out of his way to get her to agree to his plus-one arrangement, offering her the one thing she can’t turn down—a chance to learn self defense so she will never be a victim again. By the end of the book, it’s clear something powerful is happening between them. But Sloane convinces himself it will burn out and die off.
POSSESSION is when everything begins to change. Sloane is facing the brutal reality that Drake, his mentor who has been like a father to Sloane, is dying. It’s ripping Sloane apart and there’s nothing he can do to change it. Although he does move Drake into his house and care for him, but to Sloane, that’s not enough. The more he feels Drake slipping away, the more he’s driven to hold onto Kat. Even though he knows the best thing for her, for both of them, would be to end it before they get in too deep. OBSESSION is the explosive conclusion where Kat and Sloane will finally get their happily-ever-after.
2. Where and how did the idea for these books first spark?
Most of this entire trilogy came to me after my son suffered a very serious injury to his leg. Through his months of recovery, Kat and Sloane took shape in my mind. Kat is much like my son, a determined survivor fighting to get stronger. And Sloane…he’s the hero I have always, always wanted to write. He’s strong and damaged but not a jerk. He may make some bad decisions, but he’s not cruel or mean to people who don’t deserve it. And he sees Kat as a beautiful survivor. I think Sloane has been developing in my mind ever since I was young, maybe 8 or 9 and hanging out in the karate studio my brother owned and watching all those powerful men spar.
3. How do you select names for your character?
I just keep looking through names until I find the one that fits. I really can’t get started writing until I have the right names for the hero and heroine.
4. If you and Sloane could spend one day together, what would you plan to do and where would you go?
I could totally hang out at his beach house in San Diego, California. Here’s the thing though, it’s hard to picture Sloane with me. But I see him taking Kat to famous bakeries all over the world. She would love that!
5. What are your favorite and least favorite scenes to write for a book?
Emotional scenes are hard. The ones that are going to rip into a characters old wounds. In this book, though, the hardest scene was probably one of the sex scenes. That scene broke down a lot of the characters’ barriers, and it was tricky (for me) to write. My favorite are the fun dialogue scenes.
6. The cover for both books in this trilogy are so awesome! Do you have much input when it comes to the final decisions for the covers?
For this series, yes! Because I’m self publishing it, I hired the awesome cover artist, Patricia Schmitt (Pickme). She’s amazing! I’m not very visual, but I rambled off some thoughts, and she came up with these stunning covers. I love her work! Here is her website http://pickymeartist.com/
7. What do you feel is the biggest battle you have had to fight as an author?
Getting exposure for my books. That is changing with the Internet and awesome blogger/reviews sites like Vampires Werewolves &Fairies! Authors have more opportunities to get their books in front of readers which is awesome! (Wendy, Shonna, and LT are giving each other high fives and doing the happy dance here)
8. With the first book, THE PROPOSITION, you shared a yummy recipe, mocha cookies. Mine (Shonna) weren’t near as pretty as yours in the picture but tasted pretty darn good, LOL! Do you have a recipe to share for POSSESSION?
Kat makes Raspberry Heart Cookies in POSSESSION, here is how she does it.
First I started with Ina Garten’s Shortbread Cookie Recipe from the foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
¾ pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions: In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into flat disc. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
At this point, I pretty much winged it on my own. These cookies are three layers, a bottom layer, a second layer of seedless Raspberry Preserves, and a top layer that is just the outline of a heart.
Getting exposure for my books. That is changing with the Internet and awesome blogger/reviews sites like Vampires Werewolves &Fairies! Authors have more opportunities to get their books in front of readers which is awesome! (Wendy, Shonna, and LT are giving each other high fives and doing the happy dance here)
8. With the first book, THE PROPOSITION, you shared a yummy recipe, mocha cookies. Mine (Shonna) weren’t near as pretty as yours in the picture but tasted pretty darn good, LOL! Do you have a recipe to share for POSSESSION?
Kat makes Raspberry Heart Cookies in POSSESSION, here is how she does it.
First I started with Ina Garten’s Shortbread Cookie Recipe from the foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
¾ pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions: In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into flat disc. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
At this point, I pretty much winged it on my own. These cookies are three layers, a bottom layer, a second layer of seedless Raspberry Preserves, and a top layer that is just the outline of a heart.
To make them, you will also need:
1) Two sizes (one bigger, one smaller, I used a 3 1/2 inch and a 2 inch) of heart shaped cookie cutters.
2) The best seedless raspberry preserves you can find.
3) Powdered sugar for dusting.
Step 1: Roll out the refrigerated shortbread cookie dough to about half inch thick or a little thinner if desired.
Step 2: Use the bigger heart shaped cookie cutter and make the hearts.
Step 3: Divide all the big hearts in half. Now use the smaller heart shaped cookie cutter on only HALF the bigger hearts. Discard the inside (or bake them to eat) and keep only the outlines of the heart.
Step 4: Now you have equal amounts of full sized hearts and heart outlines. Bake those on ungreased cookies sheets for 20 to 25 minutes just until edges begin to turn brown (watch them carefully). Removed and cool completely.
Step 5: Assemble the cookies. Lay the full sized heart on a flat surface. Spread a layer of seedless raspberry preserves almost, but not quite to the edges. Place the heart outline on top and dust with powdered sugar.
9. Can you share an attention grabbing secret about either Sloane and Kat that isn’t in the books?
1) Two sizes (one bigger, one smaller, I used a 3 1/2 inch and a 2 inch) of heart shaped cookie cutters.
2) The best seedless raspberry preserves you can find.
3) Powdered sugar for dusting.
Step 1: Roll out the refrigerated shortbread cookie dough to about half inch thick or a little thinner if desired.
Step 2: Use the bigger heart shaped cookie cutter and make the hearts.
Step 3: Divide all the big hearts in half. Now use the smaller heart shaped cookie cutter on only HALF the bigger hearts. Discard the inside (or bake them to eat) and keep only the outlines of the heart.
Step 4: Now you have equal amounts of full sized hearts and heart outlines. Bake those on ungreased cookies sheets for 20 to 25 minutes just until edges begin to turn brown (watch them carefully). Removed and cool completely.
Step 5: Assemble the cookies. Lay the full sized heart on a flat surface. Spread a layer of seedless raspberry preserves almost, but not quite to the edges. Place the heart outline on top and dust with powdered sugar.
9. Can you share an attention grabbing secret about either Sloane and Kat that isn’t in the books?
Sloane won’t let me, sorry
(pouty faces from The Three Crazy Chicks)
10. Would you share an excerpt from Possession with us?
One of my favorite scenes is where Kat walks into Sloane’s house. She doesn’t realize Sloane is home, and she’s there to help Sloane’s mentor, Drake. For Sloane it’s a pivotal moment, his guard is down, and he’s just so glad to see her.
(pouty faces from The Three Crazy Chicks)
10. Would you share an excerpt from Possession with us?
One of my favorite scenes is where Kat walks into Sloane’s house. She doesn’t realize Sloane is home, and she’s there to help Sloane’s mentor, Drake. For Sloane it’s a pivotal moment, his guard is down, and he’s just so glad to see her.
Here an excerpt: After his shower, Sloane was striding barefoot through his living room when he heard his front door open. He swung left and stopped. “Kat.” She stepped in, laden with two grocery bags and froze. “Sloane, oh. Sorry.” Color darkened the delicate skin across her cheekbones. “I thought you weren’t getting home until later tonight.”
He took the bags from her. “What’s in here?” He glanced in one bag and saw a couple rotisserie chickens, deli containers and a bottle of ginger ale. “You bought all this?”
“I thought I’d see if Drake could hold down a little rice with some white meat chicken in it.” She was so tense, her lips were almost white.
“What’s wrong? Is your leg hurting?”
“No more than usual. I just… God, I walked right into your house. I swear I thought you weren’t coming home until around midnight, and I didn’t want Drake to get up if he was comfortable. Sherry, with Diego’s help, has hired some new nurses that are starting tomorrow. I was just going to sit with Drake since Ethan would be busy getting you. But you’re here so I can leave. Uh, how was your trip?”
She was babbling, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from her. Her hair flowed down around her shoulders, those delicate pink streaks standing out against the brown, and her face was scrubbed clean. She smelled of soap and that luscious scent of Kat, his baker girl. Hell, just the sound of her voice soothed his ravaged guts. Sloane set the bags on the side table in his foyer, then pulled Kat into his arms.
She fit. Her softness sank into him. Christ he’d missed her. Tugging her head back, he got lost in her eyes. “You walking into my house? Best damn thing that’s happened to me all week. Don’t leave.” He needed her. Needed this.
“I’ll stay.” Her voice softened into the sweet and sexy kitten he was coming to know so well.
Unable to resist, he lifted her to his mouth, hungry to taste her, to fill the bitter despair with Kat. She folded her arms around him, her fingers burying in his damp hair as she pulled his mouth closer. In seconds, the kiss heated and flamed. Sloane wanted nothing more than to carry her up to his room and shut out the world.
But he couldn’t. Not yet. Breaking their kiss, he smiled at her. “Let’s go put this dinner together.” He grabbed the bags and followed Kat into his kitchen. She had on some ass-hugging jeans.
Which made him remember their conversation a couple days ago. He fought down a groan. She had asked him to sp… Oops don’t want to give too much away there :)
Available
now
05/27-Book Monster Review
05/27-Wicked Readings by Tawania
05/28-United by Books
05/28-Ramblings From This Chick
He took the bags from her. “What’s in here?” He glanced in one bag and saw a couple rotisserie chickens, deli containers and a bottle of ginger ale. “You bought all this?”
“I thought I’d see if Drake could hold down a little rice with some white meat chicken in it.” She was so tense, her lips were almost white.
“What’s wrong? Is your leg hurting?”
“No more than usual. I just… God, I walked right into your house. I swear I thought you weren’t coming home until around midnight, and I didn’t want Drake to get up if he was comfortable. Sherry, with Diego’s help, has hired some new nurses that are starting tomorrow. I was just going to sit with Drake since Ethan would be busy getting you. But you’re here so I can leave. Uh, how was your trip?”
She was babbling, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from her. Her hair flowed down around her shoulders, those delicate pink streaks standing out against the brown, and her face was scrubbed clean. She smelled of soap and that luscious scent of Kat, his baker girl. Hell, just the sound of her voice soothed his ravaged guts. Sloane set the bags on the side table in his foyer, then pulled Kat into his arms.
She fit. Her softness sank into him. Christ he’d missed her. Tugging her head back, he got lost in her eyes. “You walking into my house? Best damn thing that’s happened to me all week. Don’t leave.” He needed her. Needed this.
“I’ll stay.” Her voice softened into the sweet and sexy kitten he was coming to know so well.
Unable to resist, he lifted her to his mouth, hungry to taste her, to fill the bitter despair with Kat. She folded her arms around him, her fingers burying in his damp hair as she pulled his mouth closer. In seconds, the kiss heated and flamed. Sloane wanted nothing more than to carry her up to his room and shut out the world.
But he couldn’t. Not yet. Breaking their kiss, he smiled at her. “Let’s go put this dinner together.” He grabbed the bags and followed Kat into his kitchen. She had on some ass-hugging jeans.
Which made him remember their conversation a couple days ago. He fought down a groan. She had asked him to sp… Oops don’t want to give too much away there :)
The Plus One Chronicles
A wicked proposition…
A wicked proposition…
A sensual possession…
A dark obsession...
The Plus One Chronicles: Searing passion and
fiery vengeance collide in three explosive books.
THE PROPOSITION
The Plus One
Chronicles, Book 1
Available
now
Rich, sexy
and volatile, Sloane Michaels has a dark agenda that keeps his heart on ice.
His extreme wealth gives him the control he craves and his skills as an ex UFC
fighter the tools he’ll need to extract his ultimate revenge. But when the
woman he never believed he’d see again crosses his path, Sloane is caught
between the vengeance he needs and a sexual conquest he craves.
Kat Thayne
has been in survival mode for six years, hiding behind the sweet creations for
her bakery. But when a random carjacking brings her face-to-face with her
darkest fears and hottest fantasy, Kat is forced out of hiding and offered a
dangerously passionate proposition. One she knows she isn’t strong enough to
refuse.
POSSESSION
The Plus One
Chronicles, Book 2
Available
now
**Please note: Possession is book two of a three
book series. Readers should start with The Proposition.**
Savagely
sexy billionaire Sloane Michaels ruthlessly controls his life and everything in
it. Even his sex partners are carefully negotiated plus-one arrangements,
including his latest, the fiery bakery owner, Kat Thayne. But Sloane’s control
is challenged when his mentor becomes seriously ill, and his need for Kat, his
need to possess her at all costs, rivals only his single-minded goal of
vengeance for the murder of his sister.
After surviving an attack six years ago, Kat Thayne escaped her fears in the protective world of her beloved bakery. Then Sloane Michaels storms into her life, making her feel beautiful, strong and sexy. Yet as Kat pushes her boundaries and uncovers a dangerous secret in her past, Sloane’s controlling side emerges. Worried that Sloane will possess her mind, body and soul, Kat fights to keep her hard won independence. But just as Sloane demands her complete surrender, she discovers he has a dark side that could destroy them both.
After surviving an attack six years ago, Kat Thayne escaped her fears in the protective world of her beloved bakery. Then Sloane Michaels storms into her life, making her feel beautiful, strong and sexy. Yet as Kat pushes her boundaries and uncovers a dangerous secret in her past, Sloane’s controlling side emerges. Worried that Sloane will possess her mind, body and soul, Kat fights to keep her hard won independence. But just as Sloane demands her complete surrender, she discovers he has a dark side that could destroy them both.
Shonna's review: BAM!!! Not missing a beat, the second
installment, “PROPOSITION”, jumps right back into this astonishing story about
Sloane and Kat. The interactions that slowly peels away the pain from their
pasts have increasingly crossed the line of their first and formal agreement.
This read is full of everything,... pain, passion, secrets, suspense, and a need
to devour every word that Jennifer Lyons has wrote for her reader. The way these
two main characters come together and grow in ways they never dreamed imaginable
brings an emotion to the surface that floods your heart with a collage of
feelings that will stay with you long after you finish the story. Tragedies that
take baby steps toward a new direction turn two people in a direction they never
thought possible. Some welcomed and taken, some resisted and shunned, the future
holds hope and sorrow for both that have started this journey in THE ONE PLUS
CHRONICLES.
The secondary characters are close
behind with their realistic and caring roles that round out this fantastic tale
conveying a sense of true meaning.
A quote from POSSESSION:
Drake had made one mistake, yeah, but he’d spent decades since then
caring for kids no one else did. Ugly grief and helpless rage twisted Sloane’s
guts. “I watched your old fights, looking at the man I came to love as a son,
the man I’m going to fail when he needs me the most.” He had no words. Nothing.
It just fucking hurt. He’d never known Drake felt that way. A son. Him? Drake
picked up the remote and turned the TV on. The roar of the crowd surged from the
surround-sound speakers as Sloane was declared a three-time champion. So why was
it that Sloane felt like anything but?
When I am thoroughly enjoying a book, every spare moment I have is spent
opening my kindle to read. Even if it is only a paragraph or two, I just can not
resist. This is without a doubt one of those books. Jennifer Lyons/Jennifer
Apodaca, is a wonderful author and I always look forward to reading her
work.
My Rating: 5
**Possession is an adult contemporary novel and is not intended for younger
readers due to mature content.**
OBSESSION, Book 3 - Coming 9/24/13
Jennifer
Lyon grew up under the shadow of the Matterhorn at Disneyland in Anaheim,
California. She attended Walt Disney elementary school and her very first
playmate was her beloved dog, Duke, who was cast in the role of hero in all their
adventures.
Clearly Jen
was born to daydream. But it took her years to figure out how to turn her
imagination into a career as an author. After marrying and becoming a full time
mom to three sons, Jen launched her career with the award winning Samantha Shaw
Mystery Series and other romantic mysteries under the name Jennifer Apodaca.
Later, she took the name Jennifer Lyon, combined her love of witches, alpha
males and sizzling romance into another award winning series, the Wing Slayer
Hunters.
Jennifer has
several new releases coming out this year.
THE PROPOSITION, the first book in her new Plus One Chronicles was
just released on February 24 and following later in the year will be Book Two:
POSSESSION - Coming 5/28/13 and Book Three: OBSESSION - Coming 9/24/13.
Writing
under Jennifer Apodaca she
will be releasing the first book in her Once A Marine series, titled THE
BABY BARGAIN which will be out in March 2013 from Entangled Publishing in their Indulgence line.
For more information on Jen or her books, Please visit her website or follow her on Facebook , Twitter , and Goodreads.
Jennifer Lion's POSSESSION Blog Tour
May 27 - June 9
05/27-Wicked Readings by Tawania
05/28-United by Books
05/28-Ramblings From This Chick
05/29-Romance Junkies
05/29-Buffy's Ramblings
05/30-Salacious Reads
05/30-The Reading Cafe
05/31- Mimmi's Musing
06/01- Underworld Love Addiction
06/01- Riverina Romantics
06/02- Page Flipperz
06/02- Toot's Book Reviews
06/03- Cocktails and Books
06/03- Books-n-Kisses
06/04- Flirting With Romance
06/04- Books, Books and More Books
06/05- Book Lovin' Mamas
06/05- Under The Covers
06/06- Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies Oh My!
06/06- Offbeat Vagabond
06/07- Night Owl Reviews
06/07- Hesperia Loves Books
06/08- Scorching Book Reviews
06/09- Reading Between the Wines
05/29-Buffy's Ramblings
05/30-Salacious Reads
05/30-The Reading Cafe
05/31- Mimmi's Musing
06/01- Underworld Love Addiction
06/01- Riverina Romantics
06/02- Page Flipperz
06/02- Toot's Book Reviews
06/03- Cocktails and Books
06/03- Books-n-Kisses
06/04- Flirting With Romance
06/04- Books, Books and More Books
06/05- Book Lovin' Mamas
06/05- Under The Covers
06/06- Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies Oh My!
06/06- Offbeat Vagabond
06/07- Night Owl Reviews
06/07- Hesperia Loves Books
06/08- Scorching Book Reviews
06/09- Reading Between the Wines
Great interview! I haven't read this series yet, I'll be adding to my TBR. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it!
DeleteShonna, thank you for the lovely review! It means so much to me!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview and a new author for me to read!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, nice to "meet" you here :-)
DeleteYou are so welcome! Just telling the truth about your work
ReplyDeleteYou're making me blush :-)
DeleteI CAN NOT WAIT to get my hands on OBSESSION!!!!
ReplyDeleteThen I should probably write it, LOL! I'm working on it!
DeleteHi Jenn - I'm SO dying for THE OBSESSION. Not only do I want to find out how Kat and Sloane resolve everything but I really want to know what stupid thing David got caught up in. Thank you :)!
ReplyDeletevsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com
I really like the covers of these books. Damaris dsr002(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteGreat interview and can't wait to read it and a new author for me to read!!! :)
ReplyDeleteHELLO JENNIFER. YOUR NEW NOVEL SOUNDS HOT AND EXCITING. YOUR BLOG AND WEBSITE ROCKS AND YOU TOO!!!
ReplyDeleteTIFFANY M
ttm1172@yahoo.com