Hot Men, Hot Author, HOT DAMN!

Song of the day: Photograph by Def Leppard

Wanna a special treat? How about an interview with the creator of my two book covers and a few sizzlin’ hot pictures?

Kimberly Killion is the founder of Hot Damn Designs, a wonderful one-stop

Coming Soon!

shop for edgy romance promotions. From websites and book covers to trading cards, business cards, and ads, Kim designs it all with flair. She has over 20 years experience in design, marketing, and communications.  This lady is sure to please with whatever an author needs, no matter the genre the author writes.

She is often seen gallivanting around conferences, teaching workshops, and blogging. How, you ask, does she do all this? Why, she never sleeps, of course!

Oh, did I mention Kim is also a Rita-nominated, award-winning author of medieval romance?

She also is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Okay, I just made that part up. But she’s still pretty amazing.

Introducing Kimberly Killion.

Kim - one hot Mamma!

JBW: I understand you find your models locally in St. Louis. What do you look for when choosing them? (More importantly, do you need an extra model? I’m totally available. Just sayin’.)

KK: When we first started this gig, we did use mostly local talent and we still do as far as the girls are concerned, but we have been bringing new guys in as of late. Our last model, Alex Geerman, was from NY and has modeled for Bruce Webber and Hollister, and…well…he was good. J As for needing extra models…cough…ummm…I get at least a half dozen emails a week from models wanting to shoot with us. Aside from that stack of resumes, the applicants for “baby oil” assistant are almost as high. LOL

JBW: What is your favorite part of designing—the photo shoots, the designing process, the final product?

KK: Well, there’s a certain sort of power that accompanies the statement “take your clothes off”. *vwg*

JBW: *nods heads emphatically while giggling*

KK: Oddly enough, when I have a naked man on set, I tend to blush. Crazy,

Brooks, dah-ling. Strip down and, for goodness sakes, look hot.

right? But honestly, I would have to say the final product is probably my favorite part about this process. There’s no greater satisfaction than receiving an email from a client who is completely head over heels in love with the design. Especially when that client is someone I’ve been reading since I was a teen. That’s the other pretty cool part about how this business has expanded…the names we are working with are crazy big. I’ve worked with Gaelen Foley and we just contracted with Linda Lael Miller. We are working with Kensington now and nearly a dozen NY agents. So, yeah, while working with hot guys is super fun, working with “the big dogs” is even “super-funner”!

JBW: I’ll say! Being an author yourself, I bet you understand what sells. I’m sure this comes into play when you direct (yes, I said direct!) a photo shoot. Has anything crazy, hilarious, or epic ever happened on a shoot?

Save a horse, ride a ...

KK: We had a 12 foot boa constrictor bite her snake handler on set. That was pretty freakin’ epic!

JBW: Awesome! Er…I mean…poor handler.

What’s Kim’s typical day like? You know, when the cabana boys aren’t fanning you with palm fronds and feeding you decadent truffles by an infinity pool overlooking a pristine ocean view. Oh wait, that’s my typical day!

KK: My typical day lasts about 18 hours. I sit in a recliner, listen to either country music or hip-hop and design one cover after another on a laptop. I drink hazelnut coffee and sometime in the afternoon I try to do something active. By evening, my ass is killing me, but I typically power through until about 2:00 am. I’m a workaholic.

JBW: See, told you guys she never sleeps.

Oy, mate!

You just released a paranormal highlander romance, MY CURSED HIGHLANDER. Tell us about what inspired you to write this book. (You had me at Cursed. *wink*)

KK: I just like writing stories about Hot Highlanders. It’s really that simple. Plus, I was inspired by a story I came across regarding the assassination of Lorenzo the Magnificent’s brother. Throw in a hot-tempered blind Italian sculptress and you get a hot, sassy journey from Italy to Scotland. Of course, there’s the wicked villainous who was a ton of fun to write. Damn, she’s horrid! You gotta read this one. Seriously!

JBW: I’m so there!

Name one thing that would shock or surprise people about you.

KK: Most people think I’m this wild, free-spirit without a care in the world that travels about the countryside having one naughty fling after another with a slew of hotties. Well…some of that’s true. I won’t disclose which parts. Muhahahaha…

What do you suppose he's looking at?

JBW: And now, MY CURSED HIGHLANDER blurb:

A proud, tormented warrior…
Laird Taveon Kraig would do anything to recover a magical amulet powerful enough to break the curse that has plagued his clan for a hundred years—even marry a woman determined to hate him. But the beautiful—albeit boldly defiant—woman stirs his passion like no other. He never dreamed his quest would involve surrendering his heart.

A blind sculptress…
Having survived two ruthless marriages, Viviana Gorini Dè Medici has no desire to take another husband—especially one who wants her most prized possession: a magical amulet that provides her with the gift of sight. Despite her pleas, she is forced into the marriage and sent on a dangerous journey with a man whose charms melt her defenses, whose touch sets her on fire, and whose kiss stirs her body in a way she’s never known.

A wicked enemy…
Surrendering completely to an ecstasy that binds their hearts, neither of them foresees the sinister threat waiting to destroy both of their worlds. In a family torn apart by a centuries old curse, will love be enough to save them all?

I leave you with one last morsel.

Want more of Kim?

Kim’s writing persona: www.KimberlyKillion.com

Kim’s designer persona: www.HotDamnDesigns.com

Hot Damn’s pics of hot guys: www.HotDamnStock.com

Where Kim and her crew play: www.facebook.com/HotDamnDesigns

The Most Interesting Man In The World- Dos Equis Eat Your Heart Out

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.  ~Ray Bradbury

By: Stacey Purcell

Is he the most interesting man in the world?

Well, you’d have to read Prodromos and Spider’s Dance to find out, but I was lucky enough to pin down Nicholas White for a short interview. He’s funny, brave, smart and a hero in real life- I just can’t find his secret cape anywhere! I hope you enjoy learning about a man who lives by his own code.

Who are you?

My name is Nicholas White. I’m a computer security consultant and electronic forensics analyst.

Where do you live?

Currently, my fiancée Michaela and I live in Houston, but we’re considering a move to the UK. That’s home to her, and I don’t have any family left, so there are no real ties here in the States.

Are you the hero of your own story?

“Hero” might be too strong a word. I ran across some information I wasn’t supposed to, and all of a sudden my only goal was to get out of the mess alive. It was close, but I had some luck, and got out of it.

Do you embrace conflict?

My grandfather was an Irishman from the Auld Sod, and he taught me “Na sir ‘s na seachainn an cath”: Neither seek nor shun the fight. I don’t like confrontation, and won’t start one, but if pressed…. well, as I said, I don’t look for it.

How does the author see you?

Will Graham has done what I would say a more than fair job. His title, SPIDER’S DANCE, is a little over the top, and he made me a lot calmer than I am in real life. Michaela laughs a lot at some of the things he wrote about and, according to her, I was nowhere near as cool when we were dating as Will described me, but I’d say he got me around 95% accurate.

Do you keep your achievements to yourself?

Various Non-Disclosure Agreements over the years, you know. Most of them have probably expired, if such things ever do, but frankly, I think most people would find them dull and very un-interesting. I know Will had to get permission from the Department of Justice and the FBI to write about some of the incidents in SPIDER’S DANCE and especially PRODROMOS, but I’d really rather not go into that.

Do you have any skills?

Well, I know a little bit about computers.

What, if anything, haunts you?

That one we don’t talk about. A couple of cases that didn’t work out the way I’d hoped. Michaela yells at me all the time about that, especially a young girl who went missing several years ago. I wasn’t called in until she’d been gone for two weeks, and it didn’t end well. Her body was found almost two years later, but that one still bothers me sometimes. A lot.

Have you ever failed at anything?

Are you kidding? My successes might seem impressive, but when compared against the failures, the successes pale into minuscule insignificance.

Have you ever failed anyone?

I’ve made some mistakes that had unintentional consequences, but deliberately set out? No.

Are you honorable?

I try to be. Whether I am or not, well, I’m not the best judge of that. I know I can irritate people easily, but I don’t do it on purpose.

Have you ever had an adventure?

One or two. I’ve been fortunate that my work has taken me to places and cities I probably never would have visited. Although, there was this one time in Las Vegas that was supposed to be a vacation, but it turned into something else entirely. Will Graham has written about that one, too. It will be in THRILLER 3: LOVE IS MURDER from ITW, June of 2012.

What is the most important thing that ever happened to you?

Ironically, a murder. A co-worker was killed in his office, and my fiancée was one of the investigating officers. That’s how we met. That’s a true story. We met over a homicide. Life works funny sometimes, but there you have it. Tell me God has no sense of humor… go ahead, try.

Do you have any hobbies?

If you want to count my DVD collection, I guess I collect old movies. I love the old Universal Monsters, anything with Bogart, Alfred Hitchcock’s movies (nothing past PSYCHO, I’m afraid) and I read voraciously. We have an iPad, and a Kindle, and a Nook, but I still buy traditional books depending on the subject or author.

What’s on your iPod?

Is there any music after the Rat Pack?  (laughing)  I like a mix of stuff, but most of my music taste goes back to the 50’s and the 60’s.   

What are the last three books you read?

BLOOD & TREASURE by Jennifer Bray-Weber, TARGET OF BETRAYAL by Melissa Ohnoutka, and THE BLACK STILETTO by Raymond Benson. I enjoyed and unreservedly recommend all three of them!

The Spy Who Loved Me…Enough To Let Me Write This

Writing is easy:  All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.  ~Gene Fowler

By: Stacey Purcell

New York!

I was so excited as the wheels to our plane touched down on the tarmac. Jenn and I were on our way to the Romance Writers of America’s annual national convention. I knew I would meet hundreds of interesting people while I was there. After all, it is the crossroads of the world.

I never knew that I would stumble across someone who completely captivated me.

While attending the conference, I had the opportunity to attend workshops led by the industry’s most talented. Planning out the next day’s agenda, I came across a workshop titled Spy Lingo. That got my attention.

The class started like all the rest. Sue Simon stood at the front of the room. She didn’t look like she had a background in counterintelligence. (Of course, I don’t know what that would look like!) She looked like an everyday kind of woman. (Again, what does THAT look like?) Well, with all my stereotypes swarming in my head, she surprised me. She looked more like a mom than a spy.

I was wrong.                                        Boy, was I wrong.

Without further ado-   Sue Simon…..

Tell us what you used to do.

I got a job when I was in college on a Naval base as a civilian and found cryptographics so interesting. The office I was assigned to used satellite communications through cryptographics. They needed someone cleared to Top Secret quickly and since I was young and had never even spit on the sidewalk, they cleared me. I found Intelligence and Counterintelligence work to suit me almost perfectly.

 Except for the part about losing boyfriends over not being able to tell them where I was going and when I’d be back. Yes, it’s all fun and games for awhile until they showed up at the airport and I get off the plane with a guy from work and I can only greet the current boyfriend then have to go on with said guy. Sure, that’s believable for awhile.

So I worked Intelligence for the government (best training in the world) and private industry (better pay).

 

Can you tell us the different levels of security?

Super brief-

Confidential -Don’t tell others what your company is doing, even if it is just land acquisition or the secret sauce recipe (like that’s a secret).

Secret- You’re working on a government project, please don’t talk about it.

Top Secret- You’re working on a government project, shut up or else.

Beyond Top Secret- Don’t even talk in your sleep about what you do. (Yes, they check to see if you talk in your sleep.)

 
What do you mean when you say you worked in “the black box”?

It’s slang for a lockup and I don’t mean jail. Projects that do not exist or items being made that are above top secret must be maintained in an area that is extremely secure. The offices, engineering computers, and personnel access the area through several retinal, hand, badge or visual means. Sometimes you have to sing the Star Spangled Banner to gain access…

I’m kidding you can stop rehearsing!

So we work in a secured area like the almost indestructible black box on an airplane so it’s slang, black box. The word ‘black’ like in black ops is well known to the general population and originated as code for these special projects, black projects. But since everyone knows….. Computers are encased in lead shields and there are no windows. Obviously, you don’t share this information with your dog groomer or anyone else.

If you have to be so secretive about your job, and you work in a black box- How did you date and meet your husband?
I told myself I’d never date an engineer, uh huh. On a new project in private industry I was the intelligence liaison. There were many young, hunky, intelligent engineers who needed to be briefed onto the project. Craig was one of those, especially the ‘hunky’ part. He was the first man I dated who actually knew what I did for a living! We didn’t have to kill each other to get information so we got married.

 

That’s all the time we had this week with Sue. Stop by next Thursday to learn more about this woman. Just when you think this has nothing to do with writing, I want you to know that Sue is also an adoptive mother, an opera singer, a comedian, a children’s writer, a romantic suspense writer, and is working on a sitcom in LA.

You’ve got to hear the rest of her story!