Friday, May 2, 2014

Interview w/ Kieran Kramer--wait...she ran with the bulls??!


The last person True Maybank expected to run into while picking up her wedding gown was country music superstar Harrison Gamble. Years ago, when they were small-town teens in Biscuit Creek, South Carolina, they shared a forbidden night of passion. Now that she’s about to settle down, True’s love affair with the handsome crooner is a thing of the past. Or is it? From the moment he says hello, she has to fight swooning like an adoring fan.

Today he’s rich, famous, and on every woman’s hot list. But back in the day, Harrison wasn’t good enough for debutante True. Since then she’s had her fair share of marital prospects, including the perfect Southern gentleman she’s about to settle down with. Is Harrison the only one to realize the mistake True’s about to make? Can the society girl and the sexy singer make music together—this time around?

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*waves* Welcome back to herding cats Kieran! Did you know you were my first ever interview way back in 2012?? I'm so excited to have you joining us again today to chat about your latest release and first foray into contemporary romance! It looks so good!
Thanks for the warm welcome, and I’m so honored that I was your first ever interview! It’s great to be back here with you!!!
So, if you had 10 seconds to hook and have them all excited about Sweet Talk Me what would you tell them?

Well, here’s a quick blurb: 
A Southern belle and her country music superstar ex work together in their quirky little hometown of Biscuit Creek, South Carolina, to plan her wedding to another man. 
That sums it up, but there’s a lot more going on that I couldn’t fit in there. That’s okay—it’ll be a surprise!!
Can you tell us 3 fun/sexy behind the scenes facts about True and Harrison's journey? Think Pop-Up Video.
  • I have their entire grade school and high school journey written out—up to and including the night Harrison stole True from her prom date.
  • Writing a sex scene involving paddleboards and True and Harrison in the water was interesting… *LOL Sounds it!*
  • I like putting character outfits on Pinterest—I have a couple “after the book” outfits for True, along with little explanations of where she wears them with Harrison by her side. I did the same for a secondary female character named Carmela. I totally get into my characters on my Pinterest board for SWEET TALK ME!
Ooo so gonna check that out. I love Pinterest! And....quotes! lol What was your favorite quote that just made you swoon or had you gigglesnorting or sighing in girly bliss over these two?
I love dialogue!!! Here’s a snippet I like that shows some sizzle between the two—and how much fun they can have together. I like it especially because it involves song lyrics:
“How’d you come up with those song lyrics?” True asked.

“You really want to know?”

“Of course.”

Harrison gave a little chuckle. “Late one night, I couldn’t sleep. So I got up and had a handful of Oreos and some milk. I’d just drifted off when pow”—he made his fingers do a fireworks burst—“next thing you know, I was sitting up in bed singing, ‘That damn tootin’, Fig Newton, high-falutin’ girl of mine--”

“Junk food lover, undercover—“ True sang.

“—I’m her Twinkie, and she’s Moon Pie fine.” His velvety twang wrapped around True like a caress.

“Wow.” She felt short of breath. “Straight from the horse’s mouth.”

He grinned. “It’s your lucky day.”
LOL that totally just made me snort *hangs head* Heh. Alright...favorite things about Harrison? 
I love how he still shops at GoodWill—getting funky T-shirts from there, the same way he did in high school, when he was really poor--yet doesn’t apologize when he buys his expensive man toiletries from a high-end store in Charleston. 
I love his sense of humor. 
I love how he’s got such a tender heart beneath his swagger. 
I love that he loves Gage, his brother, through thick and thin. Same with his one, true love—True Maybank. He can’t give up on her.
Aws he sounds awesome. What about True?
I love how she can’t keep up her attempts to be calm, cool, and collected all the time—the perfect Southern woman, according to her mother’s standards. She’s messy and artsy and out there, something like her Great Aunt Honey, who was never appreciated. 
I love how she loves her sister Weezie and her best friend Carmela—part of love is being willing to learn from the people you love, and True does that. 
I love how she remembers who she really is around Harrison.
Okay seriously can't wait to meet these two! Now, Sweet Talk Me was your first published contemporary romance. How was that? Was the process different than when you sit down for a historical romance?
SWEET TALK ME came very naturally to me because I have always written contemporary books along with Regency. And I grew up here in the South Carolina Lowcountry. It’s lush and filled with tremendous charm, humor, history, and deep feeling—wherever you look. I could write about it the rest of my life and never run out of tales to tell! 
It was different in that I have really lived my own Lowcountry story. My Regencies came strictly from my imagination. I didn’t live at that time, nor do I live in that place. So in a way, writing contemporary feels more organic to me. I feel like I’ve come home. 
I’m not saying I’m never going to write Regencies again. Part of me will always be the girl who wanted to grow up next door to Jane Austen, LOL!!!
Aws that's awesome it fit so well. I hope you'll do a few more historicals some day though! They're such a good time! Alright hows about a couple quickies before you head out?

Favorite Man Candy?
My husband Chuck is always my favorite man candy!!! I love men in uniform. So when he comes home in this, or in his blue Navy fatigues and his combat boots, it’s kinda nice….LOL!!!

*aws Kieran best answer!*

Yard gnomes or flamingos? Or those faces on trees?
Definitely yard gnomes!!! I believe they all come alive at night and run around, wreaking havoc!!!
I'm completely obsessed with?
You mean, besides Benny and Joon, my kitty cats, and Striker, my black lab mix? I am totally obsessed with all three of them. Ask my family! Those furry creatures are my BFF’s in many ways. They’re with me all the time as I write, so loyal and sweet and funny!! But I do love music, especially The Beatles, Billy Joel, The Who, RadioHead, Sufjan Stevens, and many more musical artists, many of them currently on the charts, like the Gorillaz, Broken Bells, Tim McGraw, Jason Mraz, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, lots of pop stars—my whole family sings and plays musical instruments. Music is as important to me as reading and writing
Top things on your bucket list?
I’ve already run with the bulls at Pamplona (what was I thinking?!?), so now I want to travel more. I’ve never seen the Grand Canyon, Paris, Greece, or Hawaii. I’d like to go to all those places with my family. 
Ooo yes to Paris, Greece and Hawaii! Would love a visit to all too :) So, what's up next for you?
I just finished another light contemporary romance for St. Martin’s Press—it’s coming out later this year. So right now I’m figuring out what my third contemporary will be about. I also have a few novellas to work on—one of them a Scottish contemporary (I lived there for a year in college)--then I’m back to writing a third contemporary for St. Martin’s Press. I am SO busy! But I love it!
LOL I'll say! Thanks so much for coming by Kieran! And congrats on your latest release :)
Thank you very much, Anna. You rock! I wish you and your readers a lovely Spring!! I’d love to meet some of your reader friends on my Facebook page, on Pinterest, or on Twitter. Also, I hope all of you feel free to email me via my website, kierankramerbooks.com. I’d love to know what you think of my books!!!
Hugs, Kieran 


Find Kieran Online!

Yall feel free to leave Kieran questions or comments!


Kieran is giving away 5 signed copies of her newest release (US only) You just have to be able to post a review (a couple sentences is fine!) on Amazon and shoot her the link once it's live. 
If you're interested let me know!
Ends 5/13


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