Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I could, but it would probably bore you to death! I live in the middle of Nowhere, Minnesota. Life is pretty simple around here. My day job of working for a print company supports my writing habit. We have a hobby farm. When I can, I’m out on one of my horses. Snow, wind & rain, I’ll be watching a favorite movie or curled up with a book by a friend.
Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Pantser, hands down. My characters always run the show and boss me around. I never try to plan out getting from A to B. They know what they are doing. (I’m glad one of us does! 😉 )
Can you tell us about the challenges you faced getting your first book published?
It was tough to learn not to take “No” personally. It seemed everyone was too quick with “not for me”. I knew if someone would give me the time of day, I could make that novel work. It took a lot of research & a lot of rejections to find a publisher to give me a chance.
Were all of your characters easy to write, or did some of them give you trouble? Any particular character you didn’t like at all?
All my men took on wonderful personalities. I loved every one of them. All my females were bitches. They were (obviously) me. 😛 The men love and fight for them anyway, though. For me, writing those scenes was easy. They all just fell together. Of course a lot of them threw surprises at me along the way, but I rarely argued with them. I’d just yell at them for not letting me know some things sooner. “Why didn’t you tell me you played the piano 20 chapters ago?” And “I told you not to sleep with him!” are just some of the things you’ll hear me screaming as I work.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
My 1st answer here is always to run for the hills!! I never dreamed that writing would be the only fun part in this game. Everything after “The end” is hard work. Okay, for some getting to that point is hard work, too, but you wouldn’t do it if you didn’t like (or being forced to by the voices in your head.) Trying to find an agent or publisher, weeding out the scammers, dealing with rejections, promotions…the whole picture is a lot of work. Getting my book out there was the hardest thing I’ve done (& I had my daughter in the car in a snowstorm!) You can’t give up if it’s what you love but the writing will always have to be enough. Recently I added a “tips” page to my website for people. I have been asked a lot of the same questions so I thought I’d get them down in one place. If you are just starting to look or if you are ready to self-pub – check it out. http://www.junekramin.com/tips
Narrow down your novel. Why must we read it? (besides the obvious, it’s awesome answer…because of course it is!)
I love books that let me get lost in someone else’s life for a while. If you want to take a jaunt to Maui with a hot dude and fall in love on the beach, this may be for you J. There is just something about this one that made me love it more with each turn. I melted at Dani’s determination to fight for her what her heart wanted.
Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?
Like knowing the lyrics to every 80’s song? WA-POW! Then yes! I recently picked up crocheting again. I hadn’t done it in years but stumbled across a minion pattern. Had to do it – now I’m “hooked” again. (Sorry – bad pun. 😉 )
Which character speaks the loudest to you?
The one with PMS. 😉 Seriously though, my female MCs. Lately I’ve been switching up my novels to be 1st person. I tried it with one & I loved how much more you could get into the character’s head. The things that suddenly fly out of their mouths crack me up.
Do you have another book coming out soon?
I have plans for a November release. It’s the start of a thriller series. This was another surprise twist of a novel for me. I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out and how it allowed me to dive right into its sequel. I have 2 other books that have turned into sequels – I didn’t plan either one of them. The characters just wouldn’t leave me alone. My cover artist said, “I wish I knew it was going to be a sequel.” I said, “Me too.” LOL
*~*~*~*
| [amazon_link id=”148493248X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon[/amazon_link] | BN | Smashwords |
Blurb:
Trying to get his bearings on an unfamiliar street and not paying attention, Jeremy slams his breaks to avoid hitting the most beautiful bride he has ever seen. When Danielle climbs in his truck, he assumes she’s in a hurry to get to her wedding; he didn’t realize she was escaping one. He agrees to let her return to his apartment so she can call for help, only she refuses to leave.
As the days pass, Jeremy finds it harder to fight off her passes and claims of falling in love with him. Besides having almost ten years on her, Jeremy discovers the family secret she had been trying to hide. How could the daughter of a billionaire settle for a plumber living paycheck to paycheck?
Despite every tactic her father throws at her and an ex-fiancé who refuses to let her go, Dani stakes her claim to the only thing she has ever truly wanted in her life and fights to make Jeremy hers.
Excerpt:
“Exactly who the hell are you, Dani? Paris Hilton?”
She walked to a bench then sat down. “We’re doing this sooner than I hoped.”
“What’s your last name?”
Again she sighed. “Houseman.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“I wish I was.”
Jeremy sat down, afraid his knees would give away. “You’re… your dad is… Dani that’s…” He couldn’t form a proper sentence and opted to shut up.
“That’s pretty much how everyone reacts. It was nice while it lasted.” She went to stand up, but he held her hand and pulled her back down.
“First of all, nothing about this was nice, so cut the crap. You pretty much kidnapped and raped me… twice on that second one.”
She managed a giggle.
“I’m sorry I was a stammering idiot. I guess I’ve never been in the presence of a billionairess before. My humble plumbing and heating ass feels a little put to shame.”
She rested her cheek to his chest; he wrapped an arm around her. “I liked that you liked me for me, not who I was.”
“I don’t like you. What are you talking about?”
She gave him a playful slap on his chest. “You were starting to like me. Admit it.”
“Maybe I finally got to where I could tolerate your two a.m. jumpings.”
Again she laughed. “What Blake and I had was practically a medieval arranged marriage. His family is even more loaded than mine. I didn’t date much before him because I was always under lock and key. I was damn lucky I didn’t have a chastity belt put on me. If I was out with family without him, everyone swooned over me like a trophy. They wanted to date me because of who I was.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re gorgeous.”
“You never said you like the way I look.”
“Am I dead? Come on, Dani. You have to know how beautiful you are.”
“I don’t think anyone has told me that – not anyone who didn’t want something from me, anyway.”
“Well then, I guess you can take my compliment off your list of firsts.”
“Why? You don’t want anything from me.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” He moved her off his chest and stood up.
She followed him up. “You do like me. I knew it!”
“You are certifiable – a total nut job, one of the pickiest eaters I have ever known… but you drive me crazy.” She tiptoed up to wrap her arms around his neck, but he stopped her and held her by the wrists. “Nothing has changed, Dani. No, wait. In fact is has. It’s worse. We are even more of a mismatch than we’ve ever been. I’m still too old for you and you still need to wake up and quit your pouting. I knew I should have stuck to my guns about us. Nothing good is going to come to me for falling for you. There’s no way your family will tolerate anything less than this Blake.”
Bio:
Wife, Mother, Writer, Lunatic. Not necessarily in that order.
“There is a fine line between genius and crazy… I like to use that line as a jump rope!”
June, who prefers to go by Bug, was born in Philadelphia but moved to Maui, Hawaii when she was four. She met her “Prince Charming” on Kauai and is currently living “Happily Ever After” on a hobby farm in a small town in Southern Minnesota.
She enjoys riding her Paint horse, Ringo, around the small ghost town they are playfully reestablishing with the neighbors and playing in Photoshop. Her son and daughter are her greatest accomplishments. She takes pride in embarrassing them every chance she gets.
Being hopelessly addicted to 80’s music is her super power.
http://www.facebook.com/JuneKramin
http://www.beforehappilyeverafter.com/ (My middle grade series)
Thanks so much for having me as a guest on your site!
<3
June