Hello and welcome, Karolyn. It is a great pleasure to have you as my guest at FLY HIGH! I love rock music, I love romance and I love reading! So I was curious to know more about your Brothers of Rock series of books. Can you tell us more about the project? Thanks SO MUCh for having me! J
Brothers of Rock is a romance series following the rock band, Chasing Cross. Each band memeber gets their own book and the books focus on the band off the stage. Together, on stage, they’re ‘brothers’ in the sense of music and show. But off stage they are five different men. The series doesn’t just get into romance, it also tackles several other issues... addiction, recovery, loss, abuse, etc. It’s jam packed with drama and love!
In Book 1, All Access, Jess meets Johnnie. She doesn’t recognize him as the famous lead singer of a hugely successful band. Between them is love at first sight. Do you believe in that kind of special “click” mysteriously connecting two people on their first meeting?
I do! If I didn’t, I wouldn’t write it. J I think that there are just certain people who are meant to be in our lives and those connections are instant. It doesn’t have to just be in love either... it can be a friendship too. Sometimes it starts in grade school, sharing a pencil! Or it could be something totally random that just makes two people ‘click’.
Is Johnnie inspired to a real rock star?
Johnnie is inspired to write and perform music. For him, the ‘rock star’ life in terms of excess living has come and gone. Ten years ago, sure, he wanted to party all night. Now, he’s focused on life and what it all means going forward. But his love and passion for music never ends.
What kind of hero is he?
He’s the honest, sincere hero. In the book, he’s given the chance to do something on his own and he must face a decision and promise to Chasing Cross. And throughout the book, he refuses to call Chasing Cross ‘his band’. Just because he’s the lead singer doesn’t make it his band.
And what about Jess? Does she share any trait of your own personality?
She’s tough but vulnerable, like me. She knows when to put her foot down and to look tough (and act it), but she also loves to be needed and loves to need someone. That’s why she and Johnnie connected so well... they were both the same.
Have you ever been very fond of or even obsessed by a fictional hero or a rock star?
Not that I want to date myself here or anything... lol... but there are several rockstars that I’m fond of.
Do you usually listen to rock music or do you also like other genres? Have you got a favorite band/singer?
I love music. I’m not set on one genre at all. I’ll isten to anything. And thanks to apps I have on my iPad, I’m constantly finding new bands or even older bands that I never knew of. I generally set a playlist to my mood and what I’m writing. For the shows in the books, I’ll pull out the loud rock and for the quieter/deeper moments, I’ll go for ballads, indie music, or even classical.
Have you got a special writing routine?
I have two boys at home under the age of 5. I write when I can write! But seriously, my day usually starts at 4:30am. I *try* to get up right away and get working. I like to get as much done before the house wakes up and gets crazy. I get all I can done in the morning and then network during the afternoons and finish up the night with another writing session.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? Or did you use to dream of being a rock star?
Writer all the way. From the time I was old enough to read, I wanted to write. And I did. Lots of silly stories and nonsense stuff... but I always wrote.
What about reading instead? What kind of reader are you?
I can’t get enough books. I read it all... usually in the romance genre. But anything subgenre like romantic suspense, inspirational romance, even Christian romance. I make sure to read at least one book a week (sometimes two). I keep a steady flow of both paperbacks and ebooks... and like I said, I can’t get enough.
Book 2 in the series is already out. What happens to Jess and Johnnie that you can tell us without spoiling too much?
Well... Johnnie has to face a MAJOR decision in his life, his career, and within the band. Falling in love with Jess is NOT part of the plan but it happens. He sneaks away with Jess during a small break in the band’s tour and when he comes back to play a show all hell breaks loose...
What ‘s next for Karolyn James?
Well, Brothers of Rock is 5 books... with the potential for more thanks to the response from the readers. I’ve got another romance series about second chances that going to have its first book out sometime in 2013. Right now, I’m just LOVING Brothers of Rock and I’m LOVING talking to the readers about it. It’s been amazing to have readers e-mailing me about the series, wanting more and more. This was just a little idea to have a band.. and now it’s my everything. J
That’s all for now, Karolyn. Thanks a lot for being such a nice and kind guest. Good luck to you and best wishes for all your future projects. The books With ALL ACCESS, a contemporary romance series begins that explores, life, love, and music. Join the five band members of Chasing Cross as they find that there's more to life beyond the stage
* As Johnnie sits across from the beautiful woman, he can't believe she doesn't recognize him. Everyone does. It comes with the territory when you're the lead singer of one of the hottest bands in the world, Chasing Cross. With one more show to go before taking a small break in touring, it feels like luck is on Johnnie's side. That is, if he can find a way to tell Jess who he is, without scaring her off. * After her best friend begs her to come to a concert, Jess finds herself standing in the middle of a crowd. The lights are off, music begins, and the crowd erupts in cheers. She doesn't know much about the band, but that's all about to change. When the lights come on, Jess can't believe her eyes. The lead singer of the band is the man from the café. * Plucked from the crowd during the show, Jess makes her way backstage. The encore may have ended on stage, but the real show is just about to begin. Johnnie's passion quickly turns to romance but the more time he and Jess spend together, the more things get complicated. Johnnie has a big decision to make about himself and the band, testing his loyalty and love for the music, and when Jess's dreams start to come true, she starts to realize that true love exists, but it's not always an easy path to take.
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The second book in the Brothers of Rock series is BROKEN SOUND, where lead guitarist, Davey, is faced with life changing decisions involving love, family, and as always, music.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Anna is a teacher and part-time waitress, desperate to make enough to pay off debts left to her by an ex-boyfriend who made her life a living hell. When her boss schedules her for an extra shift, he tells her it's her job to take care of a special guest... lead guitarist of Chasing Cross, Davey. The second Anna meets eyes with Davey, she feels something she's wanted for a long time. But with someone famous? That's impossible. Besides, Davey is there with a date.
When Davey returns to the restaurant, sans date, he asks to see Anna. She doesn't understand what he would want with her. He is a man with a big heart, kind eyes, and the true power that only a real rockstar could have. Then Anna learns the truth of Davey's life, from his haunted past to his rocky present. Still, she longs to be part of his future. But when Anna's own past turns potentially deadly, life and love suddenly collide in a way that could hurt everyone and leave someone dead.
You can purchase the books online HERE and HERE
The author Karolyn James has been published over 100 times, reached bestseller lists on Amazon, and writes in both romance and erotic romance. Her two newest series are the romance hit, Brothers of Rock, and the erotic romance series, Rock Her Curves.
Twitter: @KarolynWrites Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KarolynJamesAuthor Blog: www.KarolynJames.wordpress.com