K.E. Saxon is the author of Diamonds and Toads, a modern day fairytale! I'm very happy to get a chance to interview her, and announce that she's giving away 2 e-copies of Diamonds and Toads on this Virtual Tous stop! So don't forget to see the Rafflecopter below!
Let's begin!
Niina : Welcome to “For The Love of Reading!” Ms. Saxon, glad you came by!
K.E. Saxon : Thank you so much for hosting me here, today, Niina!
Niina : So tell us five fun facts about yourself, so we can get to know you a little better!
K.E : My hips are bigger than my chest (okay, this isn’t such a fun fact for me, but someone out there might find it fascinating ); I’m an organic vegetable gardener; I love animals--even bugs (my mom swears I made a pet of a cockroach once, but I have a hard time believing that one!); I was born with a tooth already growing in my mouth; I wanted to grow up to marry David Cassidy when I was 7 years old.
Niina : Your newest book is Diamonds and Toads, can you tell us what it’s about?
K.E : Inspired by the Gordon Laite illustrations in my childhood book, My Little Golden Book of Fairy Tales, and with a nod to the 17th century author of the fairy tale, Charles Perrault, DIAMONDS & TOADS is a modern take on the tale of the same name, but with more emphasis on the love story. Crossing genres between hot/steamy contemporary, comedy, and fantasy romance, it is written in two parts, the first concentrating on the "good" Perrault sister, who is blessed by the family fairy with a fortune from diamonds and an engagement to the man of her dreams, while the second concentrates on the "bad" Perrault sister, her curse (her every utterance an obscene and humiliating quip), and her “frogman” ex-lover. In both parts, the fairy’s often comical appearances and maneuverings serve to further the plots to their “happily-ever-after” conclusions.
Niina : What chapter did you most enjoy writing and why?
K.E : Well, I have to say, there are actually two. One for each sister. For Delilah, far and away, my favorite chapter was the one in which Delilah shows Chas exactly what is involved in master/servant sexual encounters (this, after he discovers that she uses this as a means of assertiveness training and stress relief!) For Isadora, it’s the first scene we see her in after her curse. The things that come out of her mouth (especially to her hunky long-lost love) are side-splittingly funny and embarrassing to boot!
Niina : Hahah! Good picks! What about which character in your book became your favorite?
K.E : I have a soft spot for Isadora. I love redeeming someone who starts out so obnoxious, but ends up being likeable and of good character after all.
Niina : What’s the best part about having a character with no ‘filter’ in what comes out of her mouth?
K.E : She says what she really means, but would NEVER say those things in normal circumstances because of the pressure she feels to perform for others. Yes, her words might be a bit more blunt than she would ever use, even if there were no social expectations, but they still reflect her true self: the real, unvarnished her. I think most of us would love to spew exactly what we thought at the exact moment we thought it, but we have our filters and they serve us well.
Niina : What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
K.E : Humor. No matter how intense the story line is (I have a medieval Highland romance that I’ll be releasing as a trilogy next year that delves pretty deeply into child molestation and its effects), the reader will always get a chuckle, maybe even a belly laugh, at least a few times while reading the story.
Niina : Now to more personal questions! Can you tell us five fun/quirky things about the sisters that we didn't learn from the book?
Delilah reads horror in her spare time (not romance, ha!)
Delilah got into gemology because she loves jewelry. Her most romantic fantasy has been to get a piece of jewelry from a man who cares about her, so when Chas gives her the gorgeous diamond ring - well, she can't wait to show it off - to EVERYONE!
The only pieces of jewelry Delilah owns at the beginning of the story are items she's purchased for herself. She's never received a piece from anyone she cares about: Her father, Isadora, her stepmother.
Isadora’s a pig. Messy, messy, messy. You get a hint of that in the story, but truly, she is much too interested in what’s going on and what fun there is to have to ever spend time actually picking up after herself. (hence, the messy floor of her closet)
Isadora’s secret vice is eating snickers bars with popcorn while reading a romance novel.
Niina : What about who is currently your book boyfriend?
K.E : Bao Xiong Maclean (the aforementioned medieval Highlander), since that’s the story I’m doing editing on currently. Although, I have to say, Callum MacGregor, the hero of the third book in my Highlands trilogy is my all-time crush. I’m so in love with that guy! He sends me every time. Bao is much more intense than Callum. Callum is “that” guy. You know the one I mean: The cutie pie everyone had a crush on in high school. Charismatic, good looking, seems to “get” women, romantic. Kind, but still very manly.
Niina : If you could only read 5 fun Romance books for the rest of your life what would they be, and why?
K.E : This, of course, is a very difficult question (especially if you saw the stacks of “keepers” in my house—fire hazard, anyone?) But here they are (no order of preference): Lady Gallant, by Suzanne Robinson; Kiss an Angel, by Susan E. Phillips; Dreaming of You, by Lisa Kleypas; Castles, by Julie Garwood, Corbin’s Fancy, by Linda Lael Miller
Niina : What’s the best advice for writers you have received? And what’s the worst?
K.E : The best advice I’ve ever received is that a writer can have a character do anything they want them to do as long as it’s set up properly (in other words, motivated well).Remember the Power of 3: At least 2 times, but preferably 3, have instances that “prove” your thesis that this character will react a certain way, in a certain circumstance. The worst advice? Hmm… I guess that would be, don’t go indie!
Niina : Now before we finish... here are some Quick Fire Questions:
Cats or dogs? Cats
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate
Beach or forest? Forest
Night or day? Day
UF (Urban Fantasy) or PNR (Paranormal Romance)? UF
Brunettes or Blonds? Brunettes
Vampires or werewolves? Werewolves
Romance or erotica? Romance
Men: Alpha-male or submissive? Alpha
Male POV or female POV (Point Of View)? Male
Pick-up or Mini-van? Pick-up
Beer or Wine? Wine
Pizza or Restaurant? Restaurant
Cake or Donuts? Cake
TV or DVD? DVD
Golden Girls or Family Ties? Family Ties
Movies: Romantic comedies or Action/Adventure? Rom Com
Halloween or Midsummer? Halloween
Times New Roman or Courier? TNR
Crayons or markers? Crayons
Kids or pets? Pets
Niina : Thanks for visiting the “For The Love of Reading!” K.E., come by any time!
K.E : Whew! You put me through the wringer, there, Niina, but what an exhilarating ride! Thanks so much for having me here today. It’s certainly been an adventure! I hope everyone here today enjoyed learning a little more about me, and a little more about my modern fairy tale, DIAMONDS AND TOADS!
Diamonds and Toads: A Modern Fairy Tale
By K.E. Saxon
Blurb:
Once upon a time, there were two sisters, one blessed,and one cursed by fairy magic...
So each sister's story begins.
Delilah Perrault is blessed with riches beyond her wildest dreams and the man she's had her eye on for ages--even though he secretly has designs on her newfound wealth instead. Delilah's half-sister, Isadora, is cursed with having her every utterance come out as an obscene and humiliating quip, just when the gorgeous hunk she dumped years before under pressure from mama swaggers back into her life.
If you like Bewitched, Sex and the City and Gossip Girl, try out this modern girl's fairy tale.
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Once upon a time, there were two sisters, one blessed,and one cursed by fairy magic...
So each sister's story begins.
Delilah Perrault is blessed with riches beyond her wildest dreams and the man she's had her eye on for ages--even though he secretly has designs on her newfound wealth instead. Delilah's half-sister, Isadora, is cursed with having her every utterance come out as an obscene and humiliating quip, just when the gorgeous hunk she dumped years before under pressure from mama swaggers back into her life.
If you like Bewitched, Sex and the City and Gossip Girl, try out this modern girl's fairy tale.
Get it at Amazon for the Kindle, Barnes& Noble or on Smashwords
About K.E. Saxon:
K.E. Saxon is a third-generation Texan and has been a lover of romance fiction since her first (sneaked) read of her older sister's copy of "The Flame and the Flower" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.
She is a member of the West Houston Chapter of Romance Writer's of America and is a devoted subscriber to the Romance Divas online forum. She has two cats, a 24-year-old cockatiel, a funny, supportive husband, and a garden that's been fried by the recent drought.
When she isn't in her writer's cave writing, you can find her puttering in her organic vegetable garden or in her kitchen trying out a new recipe. An animal (and bug) lover since before she could speak, she made pets of all kinds of critters when she was a kid growing up. Her mother even swears that she made a pet of a cockroach one time (but K.E. doesn't believe her). She likes to write funny, sexy romances.
She is a member of the West Houston Chapter of Romance Writer's of America and is a devoted subscriber to the Romance Divas online forum. She has two cats, a 24-year-old cockatiel, a funny, supportive husband, and a garden that's been fried by the recent drought.
When she isn't in her writer's cave writing, you can find her puttering in her organic vegetable garden or in her kitchen trying out a new recipe. An animal (and bug) lover since before she could speak, she made pets of all kinds of critters when she was a kid growing up. Her mother even swears that she made a pet of a cockroach one time (but K.E. doesn't believe her). She likes to write funny, sexy romances.
Website
Blog
Rafflecopter 2 e-book Giveaway:
