Joey W Hill writes about vampires, mermaids, boardroom executives, cops, witches, angels, simple housemaids... If there's an erotic love story to be told, she'll take the plunge. As a result, she's proud and humbled to have four series and over twenty award-winning and highly acclaimed titles under her belt, as well as the support and enthusiasm of a wonderful and widely diverse readership. In 2009, Joey was nominated for a Career Achievement award in Erotica by Romantic Times.
WEBSITE *** BLOG *** FAN FORUM *** NEWSLETTER *** TWITTER *** FACEBOOK
AFTERLIFE - Book IV in Joey W. Hill's Knights of the Board Room Series.
Rachel gave up seeking a Master years ago. After a failed marriage and terrible tragedy, she's walled her soul against going down that dangerous path again. Then Jon joins her yoga class. He's thirteen years younger than she, but his Dominant nature threatens her shields from the moment she recognizes it. Not only does he understand what her body wants - he knows what her soul craves.Part of the five-man executive team of Kensington & Associates, Jon uses his calm, philosophical nature to defuse volatile acquisition negotiations. He can compel opponents to willingly surrender when he draws the sword that closes the deal. As a sexual Dominant, he employs that same expertise. A spiritually-driven Master who enjoys connecting with a woman's soul, he wins her utter submission with his skills. But with Rachel, it goes beyond that. She's the submissive his own soul has always hungered to have, and he won't hesitate to use his talents, as well as that of the other four K&A men, to claim her.
This is a Knights of the Board Room book, but like all the books in this series, it can stand alone. Every book does involve the full cast of "Knights", though, so you might get a few minor (and very tempting) spoilers about previous stories (wink).
BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT
WIN - Leave Joey a question about her new book today at her Cyber Launch Party and your name goes in the hat for a free download of AFTERLIFE and a $50 Amazon Gift Card!! Please leave your email address, so we can contact you if you are today's winner - Good Luck!
Happy Release Day Joey!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you so much for the awesome prize for today's cyber launch party!
I read the excerpts for this book (the one at on your website and the one at ellora's cave) and cannot wait to read this one!
For those not familiar with your Knights of the Board Room Series, can you tell us a little bit more about it and what your plans are for it in the future?
I know there's lots more going on to celebrate the release of AFTERLIFE over on your Fan Forum - www.fansofjoeywhill.forumotion.com - with another great contest, so I'll be heading there next to check it out!
Hope AFTERLIFE is a HUGE bestseller for you and thanks for spending your very special day with us here at AuthorIsland!
Btw, forgot to send my congrats on VAMPIRE MISTRESS being nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award and for your being nominated for the Career Achievement Best Author Award for Erotica - for the 2nd year in a row!
ReplyDeleteWOOO HOOO - we're gonna need more cyber champagne!!!
Wow, that is an awesome prize!!!
ReplyDeleteThe story looks like something right up my alley...I'd LOVE to read it.
And yes!!! Pass a glass of champagne over here...big congrats to you.
I'll pop in later and read some comments, I'm sure lots of people will be coming out to play today.
Oh, are you a pantser or a plotter??
Valerie
in Germany
valb0302@yahoo.com
Congrats Joey Hill!! I love your books! The cover looks nice and eye catching and the description makes me want to read it right now.
ReplyDeletejessangil at gmail dot com
-Jessica
Hi there Storywitch!
ReplyDeleteJust stopped by to wish you Congratulations on the release of this latest book (holds empty glass out for more champagne)! Sounds like an excellent story.
Great giveaway too!
kkhaas @ bellsouth dot net
Congrats on the release of your latest book. Hot looking cover! The blurb has me really interested in reading this book.
ReplyDeleteskpetal at hotmail dot com
Happy Release Day Joey!
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if your books can be read out of order or if it is best to start with the first title in the series.
robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com
Congrats on the release.
ReplyDeleteI have to ask, why the red color on the cover. With the title and the color, I may be getting the wrong impression of the (non-)reward awaiting them.....
kolists a/t gmail d.t com
Super Congrats Joey On the release of "After Life"!!! Cant Wait to read it :))
ReplyDeleteHow many more are you planning to have in this wonderful series?
Sandy B.
sandyevebutler@yahoo.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! I was just wondering if this was your favorite book yet to write out of the series?
ReplyDeleteAfterlife is an interesting title which made me think it was a paranormal initially. Then I read the blurb and saw that I had read Laced with Desire, which I enjoyed because of the twist w/ the heroine.
ReplyDeleteacm05atjuno.com
Good afternoon from the East Coast - my apologies for being a little late to the party. Was getting my ass kicked by my latest work-in-process (laughter). However, I've been pummeled enough that I need a break now, thank you very much. Pass that champagne this way - just let me have what's left in the bottle and I'll swig it straight from there (grin).
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, thank you AI, for that wonderful opener. The Knights of the Board Room was spawned a few years back by a personal fantasy I had about being ravished on a board room table by a 5-man group of high-powered, gorgeous executives. Yes, I have worked in corporate america, and YES, definitely a fantasy (lol). This is just where your mind goes when you're taking minutes for a meeting and about to die of boredom.
Anyhow, that idea led to the first book, Board Resolution. That one was about Matt Kensington, the CEO of Kensington & Associates. He uses his four-man management team to win the heart, body and soul of Savannah, the emotionally frozen CEO of another company. That's the underlying theme of each man's story - they're all hardcore sexual Dominants, and when they each find the woman they want, they don't hesitate to use the sensual resources of the others to win her over.
However, going to Robin's question (good morning, Robin!), all the books in this series can standalone. You'll of course meet all the "Knights" in each story, which means you might get a few little spoilers from the other books, but I think they'll be more like tempting tidbits - at least I hope so! (grin).
ReplyDeleteKaren, I think the red is for passion (laughter) - at least, that's my interpretation. I love that cover, though. Syneca at EC really interpreted the spirit of the story well, and of course that "om" tattoo on the back of the male model's shoulder works so well. I could just contemplate that for hours. The om tattoo of course (wink).
Thanks so much for all the congrats on the RT awards as well. It's always a thrill to be nominated!
Valerie, as far as being a pantser or plotter, I'm a bit of both. I usually brainstorm a book when I travel or while I'm treadmilling, pulling together scene ideas, bits of dialogue etc through a mini tape recorder. Then I log all those ideas into MS One Note and organize them into a rough outline. Once I start writing the book, more ideas start to fill it in/flesh it out in a more free flow creative process. Then I go back through it twice to do full edit reworks, and finish up by reading it on my ereader as "a book", to polish it up. During those edit rounds, it's never a surprise for my muse to kick in and throw in a bunch more stuff that I overlooked in the first draft round. (I consistently have word count issues - on the overage side - laughter - see my answer to Allison's question.)
Sandy, Ben's story is the next one I'll write. He's my fifth and final "Knight", but in Jon's story, I've had a couple secondary characters appear who sound like they could have their own story in the future. Which means, while I might not have any more Knights who need their story told, I expect those secondary characters will offshoot into their own series or standalone titles in which the Knights play a part and make guest appearances.
ReplyDeleteRecently, on the fan forum AI referenced (and yes, she's right, there's a lot of stuff happening over there as well related to Afterlife's launch - go check it out and enjoy yourselves - directions for how to login are on my home page, a few paragraphs down), Matt Kensington gave an extensive character interview. During that interview, he offered a similar answer to this question, noting something to the effect that "if our friends need our help, we'll make our resources available to them" (wicked grin). So I'm looking forward to seeing how those secondary characters will intertwine with the Knights in future books.
Allison, lovely to see you here, and thanks so much for that! You know me - I LOVE writing longer books, and it was great to finally get some elbow room on this series. I was happy with the first three books (which were novella length, and included in anthologies with a great group of authors), but I could have easily added 20k more to each of them. In fact, I think every one of them went over the word limit by about that amount anyhow (grin), but thankfully I had an understanding editor and fellow authors who wrote shorter stories.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's just that when you're immersing yourself in a love story, you want to savor it - I don't want to skimp on the scenes where they delve into one another, emotionally and physically, and learn not only about their baggage/conflicts, but how to enjoy one another as well - romantically, sexually, etc.
I want to go on that journey with them as the writer, and I've always assumed the reader would like to have that adventure as well.
Let me know if I didn't answer anyone's question, and I welcome any further comments or questions. Glad you came to the party!
Congrats on your release and thank you for the more than generous contest.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly new to both erotic romance and paranormal romance. Every book is a new territory and FAAAAAAR from boring (isn't that great ?).
I've never read anything from you but I'd love too.
Congratulations again !!
Probe, that's always a tough one, because when I'm writing the books, they're like my kids - it's a love/hate relationship, but I couldn't possibly choose a favorite (smile). However, each book does give me something unique to treasure. What that element is for Jon's story also answers Allison's other question, regarding what it was about Jon that particularly appealed to me.
ReplyDeleteAs I noted above, all the men are hardcore Dominants, but in the previous books Jon was somewhat of a dark horse against the larger than life personalities of Matt, Lucas and Peter. So learning what makes him their equal in appeal was a surprising discovery for me.
He's a thoughtful, spiritual person, an inventor who likes to study ancient texts and figure out the key to a woman's desires through her deepest yearnings. As Matt notes in Afterlife, he's seen Jon pick out a submissive in a club for a session and take her to Nirvana in a couple hours. But Rachel is the answer to his own need for Nirvana, the person who will fill his soul.
And of course, what often makes a romance hero so appealing is how what he offers is reflected in the needs of the heroine. Rachel REALLY needed the special qualities Jon had to offer. I hurt for her - her loneliness and loss - from the very first page, and Jon's gentle yet inexorable form of Mastery was what she'd never dreamed she'd find.
So though I always seem to go the deep emotional route when I write, Jon's was a little different than I expected. He surprised me with how much his still-waters-run-deep personality drew and captivated me by the end.
Hi Joey! Congratulations on your new release! And on the RT nomination! I absolutely love your Knights of the Boardroom stories - Lucas and Cassandra's story is my favorite though. Well, thus far. [Am I allowed to play favorites? :X]
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you've answered this elsewhere - but what made you come up with the idea for Knights of the Boardroom? This group of alpha men and how they are? Also - did you have any sort of inspiration in creating the characters?
Anne, yes, the title does give a little of that impresison. In fact, I think there's a vampire book coming out in 2011 with the title Afterlife, which is of course a great title for that genre. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this story as much as Peter and Dana's.
ReplyDeleteAnd Emmanuelle, hope when you do read my work, you find it a worthwhile experience (smile).
I noticed that all of the subs in this series have backgrounds where mental strength and positions of power are essential in their work. Was that done to help us see more into the D/s relationship?
ReplyDeleteLoved the excerpt.
lenikaye@yahoo.com
Hi Joey! I'm a gay man but still enjoy reading your m/f books too. I was just wondering if there are/or will there be any m/m books in this Knights series. :)
ReplyDeleteJase
forgot to leave my email: vslavetopassionv(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteLimecello, you're absolutely allowed to play favorites - I just have a hard time choosing since, as I said to Probe211, they're all like my kids. Though, upon reflection, I need to think of a different way of saying that, because when I think of these guys, "maternal" is not the word that comes to mind. :>
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, I love Lucas and Cass's story as well - love that opening scene where he finds her pleasuring herself on the Harley, listening to Foreigner's Urgent blasting through her IPod earphones... Sorry, couldn't help but tease the story a little bit (grin).
As far as the answer to your question, yep, you were on the same wavelength as AI. Look at my first comment of the day where I answer the origins question. Hope that helps! And your UserID made me grin, because for Afterlife I actually had to look up the spelling for limoncello, because Matt has a fondness for an Italian restaurant where they serve a particularly special blend of it.
How do you come up with these great idea's?
ReplyDeleteAwesome sounding book.
jarpammy03@aol.com
Congrats on the new release, Joey!
ReplyDeleteDo you have any new series in the works?
Leni, very thoughtful question. Much of my writing about the D/s psychology is intuitive, not planned. I'm a sexual submissive, and it's been my experience, in interacting with others of a similar orientation, that often female submissive ARE in positions of tremendous responsibility, where keeping on top of everything is essential. This could be professional, familial, etc. I love delving into all this, to the point I'd way run out of room before I finished chewing on it (smile), but I think there's a real connection there.
ReplyDeleteAnd not necessarily "end result" connection - the needing a safe place in their heads and lives where they can trust and surrender. There's also the front end "nature" aspect of it, where a female submissive seems to gravitate into positions where she "takes care of" a great many things to make life easier for others. That's a big part of the psychology, at least from what I've observed. And that can be happening across a wide spectrum of submissive natures, from the housewife to the CEO personality.
Glad you liked the excerpt!
Jason, I would LOVE to see that happen, because I adore writing male/male. It of course won't happen for the original five in the inner circle, because those boys are straight as they come (laughter). However they are quite comfortable interacting with other Dominants, gay or straight (as noted in Controlled Response, when Lucas mentions being friends with Marcus and Thomas from Rough Canvas), so I can well foresee their paths crossing with a gay hero/secondary character who gets his own book. In fact, the moment you said it, my muse pinged. Nothing specific, but I recognize the feeling (lol). I wouldn't be surprised if that character made a first appearance in Ben's book...hmmm.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment - I'm always delighted to find out the books attracted positive male attention, since I know most of the time they have way too much "romance" for the beloved testosterone-carrying demographic (wink).
Jarpammy, as far as how I come up with these ideas, I have a sadistic muse who loves to torment me with challenging storylines(laughter). Hence, my earlier comment about getting my ass kicked all over the place by the current work in process. I've named it the "Plotting Nightmare from Hell" (it's the next vampire book, for those curious).
ReplyDeleteSeriously, my work is entirely muse-driven. If the muse says write it, I write it. Which means I can't write to trends or the market worth a crap, but that's okay. The exchange is I get to dive deep into some really fascinating characters.
I used to laugh about how the muse would jerk me around - I started my erotic romance career writing a Male Dom/female sub story, because that's what "I thought" I understood best. Then, right on the heels of that She gave me two Female Domme/male sub stories, followed by a love story that involved TWO Dominants falling for each other. Then a male/male D/s story and a story featuring the BAD guy from two past books, which actually turned into a paranormal because he had to visit Hell to get himself straightened out. So you see? Crazy, sadistic Muse. But I love Her, and wouldn't trade Her for anything.
Chris, with respect to new series, I just signed a two-book contract for my first mass-market series (that's the small, grocery-sized books versus the trade version, which are more Kindle-sized). I'll turn those in sometime during 2011, so hopefully we'll see them out in 2012 at the latest. I'm tentatively calling them the Arcane Shot series, after the proposed title for the first book. They'll be sensual paranormal (which for me means a little less hardcore than what I write, but will still likely teeter into the erotic end of the pool, because if someone doesn't get sexually Dominated, it's just no fun - lol). The heroine of the first book is a contemporary witch who runs a gun store. She's closed off and bitter about a tragic event that happened a few years back. Though she thinks she's covered her tracks, she's found by the powerful sorcerer who used to be her lover. Ostensibly he's needing her help to train a coven to fight a demon army, but of course he's also determined to find out why she cut him out of her life and shut herself down so completely.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the book because I really like the two characters (Derek Stormwind, the sorcerer, has been mentioned in two of my books - Beloved Vampire and the July 2011 release, Vampire Instinct), and plus I'll have an excuse to go hang around the nearby indoor shooting range and try out a variety of firearms to accurately reflect Ruby's chosen profession (wink). Who can resist that?
This sounds like a great story! Who has been your favorite character to write in this series?
ReplyDeletethrouthehaze at gmail dot com
Congrats on your new release. Sounds great. Who is your favorite hero from your series?
ReplyDeleteCrystal816[at]hotmail[dot}com
I love your books!
ReplyDeleteAre there more books in this series?
kissinoak at frontier dot com
Throuthehaze and Crystal GB, hello! Look back up to the fifth comment I posted today (the one that starts "Probe, that's a tough question..." That answers the question about my favorite hero from this series. Crystal, if you were asking for all my series, the answer is still similar, in that it's really difficult for me to choose a favorite, but I will say that Gideon from Vampire Mistress/Vampire Trinity is the one I currently re-visit the most.
ReplyDeleteHe's a true "bad boy", versus just the angsty facade, and I loved his smart ass personality, that rough exterior covering a lot of deep pain and loneliness. Because of his "I don't give a rat's ass" attitude, Anwyn and Daegan had to use tough love to help him heal (the books are a two-part menage story, M/m/F).
Estella, oh boy, are there. Afterlife is the fourth, though all the books can standalone. Here's the series link where you can read free excerpts and blurbs for all of them (eliminate spaces of course)
ReplyDeletewww. storywitch. com/ Books/KBR/KBR. htm.
If you have any problem with that, just go to the website referenced in the AI post and choose the Knights of the Board Room series link in the gold bar menu on the left.
Thanks for the question!
Wow! Sounds like a great, hot read. I'm currently reading Faith and Dreams by Joey Hill.
ReplyDeletecarabristol@frontier.com
Congrats on the release. Love the Knights of the Board Room series. It's already on my wish list at EC.
ReplyDeletenav6mar at yahoo dot com
Happy Release Day, Joey. I haven't read any of your books yet, but I've heard a lot about your Arianne series.
ReplyDeletejanie1215 AT excite DOT com
I absolutely love this series and can't wait to read Jon's story! Congratulations on the release!
ReplyDeleteDo you take yoga?
ReplyDeleteI adore this series, and love that you've given us another Knight to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt you posted on your website is beautifully written, and I love how you've given Jon the perfect balance of command and cherish. Definitely another book for my favorite's shelf.
caity_mack at yahoo dot com
Congratulations on your new release. I have always enjoyed your mermaids and vampires so I know I'll enjoy this series.
ReplyDeleteseriousreader at live dot com
Hello there, Joey.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new and exciting release. I've read your Vampire Queen series and just love it; I can't wait for the next book.
I haven't read any books in the Knights of the Boardroom, yet, but I look forward in starting this series.
Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
I've not read this series yet. I love the fact that they can be read stand alone. Do you find that hard to do without spending half the book explaining what went before?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Donna A
1_trouble at msn dot com
Happy Release Day!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you so much for the awesome prize for today's cyber launch party!
I read the excerpts for this book (the one at on your website and the one at ellora's cave) and cannot wait to read this one.
Gorgot to leave my email address for the above comment.
ReplyDeletenas_dean@ymail.com
Wow, that execerpt is hot!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new release :) I love the little bit of the book we get to know here. Can't wait to read this.
miztik_rose@yahoo.com
Congratulations. Fabulous giveaway!! Fabulous books!!
ReplyDeletemarypres@gmail.com
CONGRATS!! WHAT A SUPER COVER.
ReplyDeleteREGINA ROSS
reginamayr@aol.com
Awesome contest Joey! On my way to download my copy right now. Didn't want to get it this morning because that would have been too much temptation to resist, not to start reading then & there, LoL
ReplyDeleteCongrats Author Mistress, can't wait read Afterlife!!!
maishaw7@aol.com
Happy Release Day! Did you have any struggles writing this book or did the story just come to you?
ReplyDeletelilazncutie1215[at]yahoo[dot]com
Congrats on the new release Joey! This looks awesome! I'm always looking for great new BDSM books! Thanks
ReplyDeleteCara, hope you're liking those two stories - Make Her Dreams Come True was my very first erotic romance, and Threads of Faith wasn't too much older (smile).
ReplyDeleteRia, glad to be on your wishlist. And Jane, hope all you've heard about the Daughters of Arianne are good things (laughter). It was wonderful to write love stories between angel heroes and mermaid heroines.
Lisa, glad to meet a "Knights" fan (beaming).
Liz, yes, I have taken yoga. I laugh, because it seems the muse often sends my personal interests in places that either spawn story ideas or help flesh them out, and this was one of those cases. The direct experience with it helped considerably with my research and ideas for Jon and Rachel.
Cathy, that's a perfect way to describe what I liked about him - a balance of command and cherish. At the fan forum, they currently have a character graphics banner on the home page inspired by Jon, and it fits him perfectly - I don't often see models that are a "perfect fit" for my heroes, but in this case, he's darn near a match.
Linda, you know I always look forward to your feedback, so I'll be excited to hear what you think about the K&A men (smile).
ReplyDeleteTracey D, hey girl! I can hardly wait for Vampire Instinct, either. I keep hoping they'll move it back a few months, but I know that's wishful thinking, so I just burrow back down in my current WIP and hope that when I stick my head back up again it will be closer to July (chuckle). I'm also working on the next one now, Bound by the Vampire Queen, which is Jacob and Lyssa Part III. It's going to be re-titled I-Drove-My-Author-to-Give-Up-Writing-and-Work-at-WalMart if the edits don't ease up (lol).
Donna, you asked a great question (Do you have a hard time writing a series standalone title without having to put in a lot of backstory?). It depends a lot on the series. For the Knights of the Board Room, it's not very difficult at all, because the connecting principle is uncomplicated - Five Doms who head up a powerful corporation, who work as a team to win over the woman each one chooses as his soul mate. So each book requires very little explanation for the reader to plunge into the current story.
ReplyDeleteTo me, that's the true definition of a series, vs. a sequel. In a series, you can pick up any book along the way, and figure out what's happening pretty fast, because it either has a brand new pair of protagonists on center stage with new relationship issues (even though they share setting/background with characters from previous books), or it's the same character, facing a whole new storyline. Like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series, though I will qualify that by saying it gets harder in any kind of series to maintain the "standalone" definition as you get more and more books. That's because as the secondary characters and ongoing side conflicts progress, there is more explanation/backstory needed for each book, until it really is best just to enjoy the series from the beginning (smile).
When the muse allows, I try to set my books up so they fit the ideal series definition and can standalone. However, I've had a few instances in my Vampire Queen series and my Nature of Desire series where I actually had sequels in the middle of the series - the protagonists took two books to tell their story. That's kind of a pain, because you have to be sure that readers know that, and then it gets a little confusing: "Okay, books 1,2 & 3 of the series can standalone, but you need to read 5&6 together, but you don't necessarily need to read 1,2, & 3 first to read 5&6..."
Plus, going back to your original question (yes, I'm rambling a bit), your editor likes "Part II" to have enough backstory that someone who picks it up first isn't completely lost - but it can't drag down the story pacing. Talk about a tightrope!
However, those sequel books are some of my personal favorites and the readers seem to share that opinion (Ice Queen/Mirror of My Soul for the Nature of Desire series; Vampire Queen's Servant/Mark of the Vampire Queen; and Vampire Mistress/Vampire Trinity for the Vampire Queen sereis) so what's a little complexity in the grand scheme of things? Laughter.
Finally, I do have a few series books that can be read alone but are just "better", if you know the protagonist's backstory from previous books. I had that experience with Branded Sanctuary, where the hero was involved in a special way with my heroine from Ice Queen, and knowing that background helped enhance the reader's understanding of the relationship he was pursuing with a different heroine in his own dedicated book. Ironically, though, those kind of books make backstory information easier, because the backstory is integrated into the conflict. That means you're not just spitting it out like quick cliff notes to catch the reader up; the backstory actually relates to the current story.
Boy, think that was a bit convoluted and drawn out, but hope I answered the question - it was an interesting craft one, which of course is why I got tangled up in it (grin).
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey there Joey!
ReplyDeleteI do love your Crazy, Sadistic Muse. I hope to start Afterlife this weekend. I think Jon will be my favorite. Congrats!
Nas Dean and Mary - glad you enjoyed the excerpts! And thank you Marybelle, Regina and Nicole! Nicole, if you're looking for good BDSM books, I just finished Deep in the Woods by Annabel Joseph and really liked it. Bound Odyssey by Michelle Polaris and Daniel's Surrender by Violet Summers are outstanding. :>
ReplyDeleteMai, you have discipline, girl! Hope it was worth that restraint (pun intended? hmmm...)
Jeanette, I think one of the reasons I love writing the Knights' stories is they flow so well. I write both contemporary and paranormal erotic romance, but the contemporary is always TONS easier for me. As a result, I alternate them, writing paranormal, then contemporary, paranormal, then contemporary because it keeps the creative juices loose and flowing, and that helps me in both genres.
It's probably because, with contemporaries, I can focus wholly on the emotional development of the relationship, which is my main interest as an author. Paranormals of course require much more elaborate external plotting (politics, save the world scenarios, blah blah blah), and plotting gives me hives (laughter).
Hi Janet! I hope he will be, too! (big smile)
ReplyDeleteI love the Knights of the Board Room series!! Will there be more (many, many more!) books in this series? :-)
ReplyDeletesmaccall @ comcast.net
Sarah, I'm so happy you love them. Sandy had a similar question, so I'll paste it here and save you having to scroll up and look for it (grin). Hope that helps!
ReplyDeleteBen's story is the next one I'll write. He's my fifth and final "Knight", but in Jon's story, I've had a couple secondary characters appear who sound like they could have their own story in the future. Which means, while I might not have any more Knights who need their story told, I expect those secondary characters will offshoot into their own series or standalone titles in which the Knights play a part and make guest appearances.
Recently, on the fan forum AI referenced (and yes, she's right, there's a lot of stuff happening over there as well related to Afterlife's launch - go check it out and enjoy yourselves - directions for how to login are on my home page, a few paragraphs down), Matt Kensington gave an extensive character interview. During that interview, he offered a similar answer to this question, noting something to the effect that "if our friends need our help, we'll make our resources available to them" (wicked grin). So I'm looking forward to seeing how those secondary characters will intertwine with the Knights in future books.
Sounds like an exciting series and I'm intrigued by what you have planned. When you finish writing a book what do you do to celebrate?
ReplyDeletejoderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
Congratulations on your new book. I read the first one in the series and loved it. I'm not sure why I haven't read the others it could be because I want so many books that I have a super long to buy list and it seems to take forever to be able to get them. What is your favorite series to write? When you read what is your first genre choice?
ReplyDeletesstrode@scrtc.com
Congratulations on your new release Joey.
ReplyDeleteOf all your boardroom men who was the hardest to write?
elaing8(at)netscape.net
Congrats on the release and can't wait to read the book. Thanks so much for this awesome contest! Love the name of the blog too!
ReplyDeleteVal
lastnerve2000@gmail.com
Man, I forgot my to post my question. Joey, I was wondering where you came up with your plot line. And that cover is hot hot hot!
ReplyDeleteVal
lastnerve2000@gmail.com
Congrats on your new release! I've read your Vampire Queen novels but nothing in this series. Yet.
ReplyDeleteDo you get to give a lot of input on your hot covers?
ironss[at]gmail.com
Hi, it's Laura K! So glad so many people came out to comment today. This was a beautiful love story. Can't wait for the last knight to meet his lady!
ReplyDeleteJoder, you asked what I do to celebrate when I finish a book. The answer:
ReplyDelete1) shower
2) sleep
3) start the next book
LOL - no, it's not quite that bad, but the last few years I've been on a schedule of writing 4-5 books per year, doing promo and the conference tours, and sometimes it's felt like that. However, when I have the time to celebrate, I'll usually take 24 hours to do exactly what I want to do, which might include watching a rented movie I've been wanting to see, or even a movie I've seen a 100 times and just love enough to watch it 101.
If I have the right kind of "escape" book, I'll read that, but it's hard for me to read for pleasure/escape anymore. Can't turn off the internal editor; dang thing is stuck and I can't find the right kind of WD-40 (chuckle).
In an ideal world, what I'd do to celebrate is go spend the day at the beach, listening to the waves lap the shore, poking my legs out from under the umbrella enough to soak up the sun while curling my toes in the sand, and reading a really good pleasure book. Of course I'd have a cooler stocked with Cherry Coke Zero, chocolate and a few snacks. And none of that would stick to my hips (lol). Thanks for the question!
Sherry, you need that wonderful sleep shirt, "Too many books, too little time", that shows a girl perched on top of a stack of books, earnestly reading. Glad you enjoyed Board Resolution. When I get done with a book, if I've written it correctly, I love it passionately, regardless of series. However, as I noted earlier, by far the easiest books to write are contemporaries, so I'd have to say the Knights of the Board Room or Nature of Desire series are the greatest pleasure to write, during the creative process.
ReplyDeleteThough I have to admit that Beloved Vampire, one of my paranormal/vampire series books, came close to that experience, because it was far more focused on "just the relationship" than the others in the series. I think that's why I went back later and wrote a 30k word free vignette revisiting Mason and Jess after the book was over - I didn't want to let go of them (laughter). That vignette is of course at the fan forum as well.
My favorite genre to read for pleasure is erotic romance, but for the reasons I just noted to Joder, I can't read much of my own or closely related genres any more, at least not for escape/pleasure. However, I do love the JR Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood. Her writing craft gets stronger with every book, and though I obviously can't turn off the internal editor, that editor is extremely pleased with her stories, enough to shut up and let me mostly enjoy the books (grin).
However, often I'll choose a book that has a completely different genre, style and tone. For one thing, that exercise actually improves my own style, helps to shake it up a bit. Examples of books like these I've read in the past few years that really left me awe-inspired - Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant, etc.
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ReplyDeleteElaine, as far as which Knight was the hardest to write, they've all flowed pretty smoothly, but I guess I'll say Peter's story, just because it required more extensive research, with both Peter and Dana being active in military service. I was really helped with that by a great lady and her husband, who was home from his third tour in Iraq. They reviewed the manuscript for me and helped ensure I was accurately representing not only the logistics of the Peter and Dana's service, but their attitudes about serving in the military.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing that made the story more difficult was the fact I was limited to novella length, and out of all three of the ones in the series that were novella length, this was one that I REALLY, REALLY wanted more room to write. According to reader feedback, it worked out well, but it was tough restraining myself when I wanted to expand several key scenes between them. Maybe I'll offer those as freebie "Deleted Scenes" later (grin).
Val, I love the cover as well. Syneca at EC did such an awesome job on it, and love the chemistry of the two cover models. Whole thing is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI was wracking my brain, trying to figure out exactly when/how the idea for Jon and Rachel's story hit me. It kind of came in bits and pieces. I already had a sense of his personality from the previous books (spiritual, more dreamy, contemplative, etc), but it took awhile for her to step forward, though interestingly, even before I had a fleshed out idea for her, she was mentioned in Peter and Dana's story as the physical therapist/yoga instructor that Jon likes... So my muse already knew. When I started attending a yoga class, I guess that's where the story started taking shape. Her being 13 years older than him was initially a surprise, but given that Jon is such an old soul, in the end it was exactly as it was meant to be.
Sheree, both of my publishers ask for input on cover ideas. They of course have the final call on them, but most of the time they do use at least some elements of my ideas - though they tend to make them even better than I imagined them, which is great!
ReplyDeleteLaura, hey girl! Glad you came by, and so happy to hear you enjoyed the story. Though it sounds like you're already hedging for Ben's story (laughter) - you're not alone. He's been pestering me for over a year!
Oh, we all are so happy to see this book out! Congrats on the Launch Party!
ReplyDeleteYou write both Dom men and Dom women stories. Is there one you prefer? (No I am not asking what you are, but what you perfer to write?)
Thanks for the great stories! I really enjoy your work! (and would love to win this contest...hehe)
vickykerr@sbcglobal.net
Congratulations on your new release! :)
ReplyDeleteOf all the books you have written, do you have a favorite? Do you have a favorite cover?
TOPSAIL246@aol.com
Hi, Joey! Popping in late to say congratulations on this latest! I loved the previous stories in this series, and am excited to see that John's story is up! I'll be sad to see your last Knight's story told, but am glad to hear you may have some spinoff stories to add :) I love how you make your stories so emotionally accessible to all readers, whether or not we have a background in BSDM. Have you written any stories where the male is the sub? (Clearly that wouldn't be one of the Knights!)
ReplyDeleteThanks again, and happy congrats on your latest!
f dot chen at comcast dot net
Have not read this series but I can tell I need to go get cought up. Love strong alpha males.
ReplyDeletelinze_e at hotmail.com
congrats on your newest release!! I absolutely love the cover :)
ReplyDeleteJon is thirteen years younger - that's a huge age difference... why not the other way around? honestly I like it more if the man is older than the woman...
greetings, Ina
inale87 at gmx dot at
Vicky, for my own personal preference reading, I like Male Doms, though I've read some great Female Doms (Bound Odyssey by Michelle Polaris jumps to mind.)
ReplyDeleteHowever, as sentimental or falsely diplomatic as it sounds, it's actually the truth that I don't have a preference on it when I write. I've learned to trust the muse. If She gives me a female Domme story, then it's because She knows there's something about that character (and her hero or heroes) that are going to pull me deep into their story and make me fall in love with them.
When I wrote my first Domme/male sub story, I was a little taken aback, because I didn't expect to have the desire to write from that side of the fence. However what I learned is that many of my male subs have what I call the palace guard mentality. While they'll submit sexually and in some other ways to their Mistress, they possess protective streaks. Some are unapologetically alpha, and some have not been obvious subs at all (vampire queen series), until the Mistress digs down to an extremely deep level and finds an unexpected capacity for it (Gideon in Vampire Mistress). In short, they're still guys with testosterone (chuckle). Just as female subs are not wimps just because they're submissive, the same goes for the males - if it's written right, of course!
I also discovered there are similar drives in the Dom/sub psychologies, regardless of gender, which was fascinating.
But I'm wandering off the topic into more craft stuff - apologies for that :>). I will admit that there is one perk to writing the Male Dom stories that I don't get from the female Dommes. With my personal sub side, I get to do some of my own personal fantasizing while I'm writing him! (lol)
Good morning Annalisa! My favorite cover is a toss up between A Witch's Beauty and Mark of the Vampire Queen. A Witch's Beauty was a very complex cover concept and I wasn't sure how it was going to come out. Artist Don Sipley just did a masterful job representing the two characters and the nature of their story. Mark of the Vampire Queen (another of his covers), captured the dark, edgy eroticism, while also reflecting Jacob and Lyssa's character well.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course my current favorite on the contemporary side is Afterlife - not just because it's the newest release (smile). Once again, it's because the cover artist really did a bang up job of representing the story/characters. And I love all the vibrant colors, which represent chakra colors relevant in the book (Karen, I forgot that part when I answered your question earlier!)
As far as my favorite book, as I said earlier, that's choosing a favorite child (grin). However, I find I go back to certain books and re-read parts for inspiration if I get stuck. And those titles shift as time goes on and my writing moves into different areas. Like right now I've been going back and re-reading Vampire Trinity (Part 2 of Gideon's story) when I need a brain break. Rough Canvas and Mirror of My Soul are probably my two favorites to visit on the contemporary side.
Flchen, thanks so much for those wonderful compliments! You asked if I have stories with male subs - most definitely! You're right, none in the Knights series, but there are plenty to choose in the others. The Vampire Queen series features male subs in Vampire Queen's Servant, Mark of the Vampire Queen and Vampire's Claim. Vampire Mistress/Vampire Trinity feature a menage with a M/m/F dynamic.
ReplyDeleteIn the Nature of Desire series, you'll find Natural Law, Holding the Cards and Branded Sanctuary. Natural Law is a reader favorite, because of the alpha cop/sexual submissive Mac Nighthorse. He's where I really discovered the "palace guard" submissive type, though there were seeds of it in Josh in the preceding book, Holding the Cards.
And if you like Male/male,you'll find a male submissive in Rough Canvas as well. Hope that helps! You can find excerpts/blurbs on all of those at my site, of course.
Linze, if you like strong alpha males, then you'll definitely like the Knights (I hope!) With the exception of Jon (and really, he is, too, just in a more subtle way) they are very traditional, totally in charge Male Doms. Dana (Peter's fiancee) calls them Neanderthals, in a very affectionate way, of course - lol.
ReplyDeleteIna, as far as why Jon is younger than Rachel in this book...laughter, it sounds odd to say it this way, but I wrote it that way because that was how the muse gave me these two characters. I don't promote this book as part of the "Cougar" genre, because I don't think it qualifies. That's because the age difference isn't a huge factor in the book. There are things in Rachel's background, and Jon's, that make the age difference an interesting revelation point, but that's pretty much it.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of like Honor Bound,the previous Knights book. Dana was black and Peter was white, but again, the muse gave them to me that way, just like Peter was tall and broad with blue eyes, and Dana was small, petite and tough. I don't bill it as an interracial story, because the fact they're different races is a visual difference, not a conflict point. The muse just wanted them that way, because that's how Peter and Dana are. Sounds kind of esoteric and vague, but sometimes the creative process is like that - okay, it's OFTEN like that (laughter).
HOWEVER...the tables will be turned in the last book of the series. Ben's heroine has almost the same age difference - in the opposite direction. Marcie is the younger sister of a previous heroine, and she's been determined to win Ben's heart for a long time. She goes after him with everything she has, and she's just young and reckless enough not to realize that a determined pursuit of a hardcore Dom is like catching a tiger by the tale - I'm so looking forward to that one!
Hope you might give Afterlife a shot anyhow, but even if you don't, hope you'll enjoy the other books in the series! Thanks for the comment as always. :>
Happy Release Day. This book sounds great. I've not read any of your books but am adding this one to my wish list.
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When you get ready to write do you have any special things that need to be done before you can start? any rituals?
ReplyDeleteFelicia, my apologies for the delay in reply. This post went live in 2010, and the last non-spam comment posted to it was in that year. Fortunately, it kept my "let me know if there's a post" request, so you didn't get lost between the cracks! (grin)
ReplyDeleteUsually it's just the morning routine - getting up, getting the husband off to work, animals fed, dogs walked. I've written fulltime since 2007, and I treat it just like a 9-5 job (though it's roughly 8-4:30 for me). No excuses for reporting late to work or dragging my butt in the morning (lol). That discipline came from the years when I had to balance the administrative day job against meeting writing deadlines, when every spare moment was dedicated to writing. I learned not to have any special circumstances or rituals to put me in the right mindset to work - just the time to do it, whether it was five minutes or five hours. I do like to listen to music while I work, however! Hope that answers your question and thanks for asking it.
wow the are great hops and then you have great released and then i hope
ReplyDeleteand hope nyou can win some awards for the books and hope amazon does not take them off
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desi the blonde at msn dot com