Guest Post and GIVEAWAY with Author Toni Kenyon

Toni Kenyon

For my sins, when I contacted Cath I suggested something "Smart, Sassy and Pithy" for her blog she agreed.

I'm not sure that I've been smart, sassy and pithy all in one article in my life!

So, I thought about the reasons Cath and I connected in the first place - aside from me being a writer and Cath being a reader.

1. We both live in New Zealand - Aotearoa - the land of the long white cloud;

2. We're both imports. We were transplanted to New Zealand as youngsters from England.

I consider myself an Antipodean gal now, even though due to some inbred kind of patriotism that I don't understand, I can still be found glued to the television bawling in front of a Royal Wedding. There's something inherent about the pomp, ceremony and tradition that pulls at my heartstrings.

So then I took a moment to think about how my background (displaced youngster, struggling to come to terms with a new life, new rituals and a new country) may have influenced the way I approach writing romance novels. If you've read PRIVATE LOVE IN A PUBLIC PLACE, you'll have come to see that my take on romance is little outside the 'usual'. I realize that's a massive generalization, but my writing has been described as 'gritty' and I think that's appropriate and a fair observation.

I love the romance genre and I adore happy endings, but there's some deep-rooted, intrinsic part of me that rebels at the thought of writing a 'traditional' romance. When I look at my own personal history, the way I grew up and the effect being transplanted from my motherland had on me, it makes sense that I would rebel. One of the things I'm enjoying about indie publishing is that I no longer have to 'fit' inside the strict boundaries of a 'line' and the internet gives my work the chance to find its readership over time. As I was explaining to a friend recently as we walked the beach with my dogs, "My stories don't have to come out of the starting gate with a hiss and a roar." They can build to a slow boil - just the way I like my sex scenes... :-)

The lack of restrictions involved in shelf-life as well, means that the stories will be available on-line ad infinitum. I don't know about you, but that kinda blows my mind.

So, what is it that I've mined from the story-telling well to take it's place for eternity in the internet library? PRIVATE LOVE IN A PUBLIC PLACE is the story of Mags and Julian and essentially focuses on Mag's experience with Julian the man and Julian the mega super star. I have always been surrounded by musicians, unfortunately not of the mega super star status, but we're working on that :-) My dad was a bass player and I grew up with a double bass and Vox amplifier in my bedroom. I could often be found as a youngster gaffa taping cables down at the gigs Dad played that evening. Strangely, my husband-to-be is a musician, I sing in a band and my son is currently studying for a degree in rock music. It's not surprising that music plays a large part in my life and that experience (with a lot of help from my imagination) has translated nicely onto the page.

Here's the blurb:

Mags O'Brien lives on the alcohol-soaked, drug-enhanced concert circuit, managing out-of-control rocker Julian MacAvoy. She helps him spread his musical gospel to his adoring followers, despite the fast-spinning turnstile on his bedroom door, and the broken hearts he leaves in his wake.
Mags believes she’s immune to Julian’s magnetic personality but when controversy hits the tour, she finds herself in danger of falling at his feet, slave to his appetites and her own desire and need.
Julian refuses to be tamed, but the pressure of the ravenous crowds clamps tighter and tighter around him. His chaotic world starts to crumble when he realizes his motivation to continue touring comes from an unobtainable woman. Can he force her to make the agonizing choice between himself and her estranged husband?
An erotic and candid look at life on the road.

I hope you enjoy PRIVATE LOVE IN A PUBLIC PLACE. Book two in the series is scheduled for release in April 2013 and also keep an eye out for my short novella, THE FAN which follows the journey of one of Julian's groupies.

In the meantime, I have another couple of novels due for release. If you want to stay informed, sign up for my newsletter at http://www.tonikenyon.com 

I've been blessed to have music touch my life in various ways. Why don't you tell me how music, or a musician has touched your life.
Cath will be making a random draw from those who have commented and I'll send you a $15.00 gift voucher from your preferred ebook retail store.

Thanks for having me, Cath. It's been a pleasure.

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Thank you so much for the great guest post Toni, and WOW, what an awesome giveaway :)

So come on friends, leave a comment (and include your email address), answering Toni's question for your chance to win that $15 gift voucher!

Giveaway will be open until next Wednesday (NZ time) and 1 winner will be drawn at Random :)

You can read my review of Private Love in a Public Place here