Sharon Kleve...Klutzy Love!

I am so thrilled to be hosting the lovely Sharon Kleve today! Can I get a "woop woop?"

Sharon has visited today to tell us a little about her new book Klutzy Love from the Corny Myers series. When I saw the cover of this book, I knew Sharon would be so fun. Please help her feel welcome as she tells us a bit about what inspires her to write, answers a few questions for me and shares the news on her book.

Sharon, take it away!

Why do I write? Well, because the little voices in my head tell me to—seriously, I’ve always talked to myself—now I put the voices on paper.

I was a late bloomer and didn’t start my love of reading until I was in my twenties and then I couldn’t get enough of the wonderfully, smutty Harlequin books.

 

I’ve worked in the government sector for fifteen years and always dreamed of having a job that I could work from home. This crazy idea came to me one night, after reading a particularly sizzling romance. Why not try my hand at writing one? So, out of the blue I told my husband I was going to write a Harlequin novel. He said, “Okay.”

I figured I’d read enough of them, I could write one—no problem. Eight thousand words later; I realized it was harder than I thought. I also realized, I wasn’t writing what I was most comfortable with—animals.

I put my Harlequin attempt on the back burner and started writing “The Boss from Hell”. My boss, who I adored, had been fired and his replacement was a living-terror. It was really easy to come up with material to write about and of course I threw in a bunch of romance and of course animals. Ninety thousand words later I was still optimistic that I could write for a living, but I’d need a lot of support, my cat couldn’t give me. The support came in the form of Romance Writers of America and all the people involved in the local chapter.

Several of the members of my local chapter read my book and made numerous suggestions, one of them came from an independent publisher—Books to Go Now. She told me to put the novel aside for now and try my hand at a short story. That’s where I incorporated the paranormal aspect to my writing and it really clicked for me.

I submitted ‘Flamingo Blues’, as a Christmas short story to Books to Go Now and I was offered my first contract. ‘Be Mine’, a Valentine short story, is book two of ‘The Corny Meyers Series’ and in addition to a contract, I won the holiday contest too. Woo hoo! Klutzy Love is book three of ‘The Corny Myers Series’, which came out in August 2012

That's why I write….

 

1) Did you always want to be an author?  If not, what else would you have done?

Yes, I've always wanted to be a published author, but never attempted to write anything until last year. I’ve been a jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none, my whole life. I’ve worked in restaurants, weight loss centers, worked in a fish cannery and even worked in a top salon in Seattle, but none of that was as satisfying as seeing my own words in print.

2) What is the strangest job you ever had and why?

I've always be creative, but one day I woke up and decided to buy some acrylic paint and a canvas and throw some paint at it. Strangely, it looked good, if you like abstract. Through word of mouth I would get invited to people's homes to look at their color scheme. I'd go home, throw some paint on a couple canvases, bring them back and hang them in their home. I don't remember what I charged, but it was a truly strange job. 

3) Describe your ideal hero or heroine (details please! *wink wink*)

You know, I think Angelina Jolie, in the Tomb Raider Series is really hot. I bought my Jeep because I saw her driving like a maniac through the jungle. We don't have jungles in the Northwest but I did drive my Jeep over a curb once, but somebody honked at me. They had no sense of adventure. 

4) If you could share a romantic evening with any character from romance literature (any genre), who would it be and what would you do to him/her (ahem! With him/her)? 

5) Who is, hands down, the sexiest actor of all time?

Daniel Craig, his dimples and bright blues eyes do me in. 

6) Describe your writing style please.

I sit down anywhere and everywhere I can find a computer to use, plug in my flash drive and type away. I really have no style at all, even in clothes, ha ha.  

7) Who is your favourite author and why?

Janet Evanovich. Her humour, quirky characters, and lively action make her my hero and my favourite author. Plus, we both have red hair, which is very cool.

8) What is on the horizon for you? Any interesting news or books we should know about?

I'll have the fourth, St. Patrick with a Bite, and possibly the fifth book in The Corny Myers Series complete this year. Flamingo Blues, Be Mine and St. Patrick with a Bite will be published as an anthology later this year also.

Sharon Kleve

 

Contact me at:

http://www.sharonkleve.com/

http://www.facebook.com/sharonrkleve

https://twitter.com/#!/SharonKleve

https://pinterest.com/srkleve/

 

You can purchase my books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Kleve/e/B006JAH14S/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Sharon-kleve?keyword=Sharon+kleve&store=allproducts&iehack=%E2%98%A0

 

Author of "The Corny Myers Series"

Book One, Flamingo Blues, Published December 2011

Book Two, Be Mine, Published February 2012

Book Three, Klutzy Love, Published August 2012

 

Bio:

 

Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.

She loves romance. Loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. She gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way.

One of her favorite things to do is picking up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors have inspired her.

When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

Klutzy Love Blurb:

 

Corny is a hot chick with a great job that she loves. All that changed in the blink of an eye when her boss had an accident involving an oversized rubber band. She’s still a hot chick, but her boss is dead.

Steve Spears is a seasoned narcotics cop who ends up wanting to strangle Corny on a regular basis. After finding out Corny’s dream of opening a pet detective business, he decides he doesn’t want a girlfriend who routinely puts herself in danger. That’s his job!

Corny misses Steve, but she’s getting on with her life. She decides to get a month’s worth of dating out of the way in a single night, by combining her three favorite things—men, food, and alcohol.

Steve’s big gun and cop’s intuition saves Corny’s life, but not from another trip to the emergency room. He makes Corny promise never to get hurt again—she agreed, but has her fingers crossed behind her back.