RJ Blain
suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible
tendency to pun without warning.
When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.
When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS
About the Book:
Warning: This
novel contains excessive humor, action, excitement, adventure, magic, romance,
and bodies. Proceed with caution.
What do you get when you mix gorgons, an incubus, and the Calamity Queen? Trouble, and lots of it.
Working as the only human barista at a coffee shop catering to the magical is a tough gig on a good day. Bailey Gardener has few options. She can either keep spiking drinks with pixie dust to keep the locals happy, or spend the rest of her life cleaning up the world’s nastiest magical substances.
Unfortunately for her, Faery Fortunes is located in the heart of Manhattan Island, not far from where Police Chief Samuel Quinn works. If she’d been smart, she never would have agreed to help the man find his wife.
Bailey found her, all right—in the absolutely worst way possible.
One divorce and several years later, Bailey is once again entangled in Chief Quinn’s personal affairs, and he has good reason to hate her. Without her, he wouldn’t be Manhattan’s Most Wanted Bachelor, something he loathes. Without her, he’d still be married.
If only she’d said no when he asked her help, she might have had a chance with him. While her magic worked well, it came with a price: misfortune. Hers.
When Quinn’s former brother-in-law comes to her for help, he leaves her with a cell phone and seventy-five thousand reasons to put her magic to the test. However, when she discovers Quinn’s ex-wife is angling for revenge, Bailey’s tossed in the deep end along with her sexiest enemy.
What do you get when you mix gorgons, an incubus, and the Calamity Queen? Trouble, and lots of it.
Working as the only human barista at a coffee shop catering to the magical is a tough gig on a good day. Bailey Gardener has few options. She can either keep spiking drinks with pixie dust to keep the locals happy, or spend the rest of her life cleaning up the world’s nastiest magical substances.
Unfortunately for her, Faery Fortunes is located in the heart of Manhattan Island, not far from where Police Chief Samuel Quinn works. If she’d been smart, she never would have agreed to help the man find his wife.
Bailey found her, all right—in the absolutely worst way possible.
One divorce and several years later, Bailey is once again entangled in Chief Quinn’s personal affairs, and he has good reason to hate her. Without her, he wouldn’t be Manhattan’s Most Wanted Bachelor, something he loathes. Without her, he’d still be married.
If only she’d said no when he asked her help, she might have had a chance with him. While her magic worked well, it came with a price: misfortune. Hers.
When Quinn’s former brother-in-law comes to her for help, he leaves her with a cell phone and seventy-five thousand reasons to put her magic to the test. However, when she discovers Quinn’s ex-wife is angling for revenge, Bailey’s tossed in the deep end along with her sexiest enemy.
Playing With Fire is available at Amazon.
Thanks for this interview, RJ. Can we begin by having you tell us about
yourself from a writer’s standpoint?
Hi! Thanks so much for having me. I’m RJ, and I write a
rather eclectic mix of fantasy and science fiction. When I’m not writing about
werewolves with a tendency to find lots of trouble, I’m usually trying to make
myself (and others) laugh. Writing is my day job, and I wouldn’t have it any
other way. I love the flexibility, the ability to write whatever I want, and
the entire process of publishing books.
I only regret I hadn’t figured out writing was for me until
later in life!
When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation
and/or fun?
When I’m not writing, I’m either reading a book, serving my
feline overlord and overladies, or playing Everquest and other games with my
husband.
Congratulations on your new book! Can you give us the very
first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?
Of course! I hope you like it. Playing with Fire is one of
my favorites.
No one in their
right mind would ever license me as a private investigator, but that didn't stop
people from coming to me when they needed something found. Fortunately, I liked
my job as the only human barista at Faery Fortunes Coffee and Book Shop. Most
came for a cup of joe and left too buzzed to read a thing, but who was I to
complain? People paid top dollar for their pixie dust infused latte, and they
tipped me well not to judge them.
Unfortunately,
I wasn’t so fond of Chief Quinn. When he walked through the door, bad things
usually happened to someone—me. For him to come in five minutes after opening,
long before the sun even thought about rising, he needed something, and it
wasn’t a cup of coffee. Why couldn’t he want coffee? I could deal with making
him a drink, and I’d double his dose of pixie dust to keep him happy.
I gave
the espresso machine a defiant swipe of my cleaning cloth before stepping to
the counter to deal with Manhattan’s Most Wanted
Bachelor. Without my help, he’d still be married, too.
What a
way to start the day.
And to
think people wondered why I refused to help find anything for anyone anymore.
The reason stood across the counter from me. Chief Samuel Quinn, aged thirty,
hotter than sin, and my heaven and hell rolled together in one smoking tall,
dark, and handsome package, hated me for good reason. It was his fault, too. He
had been the one to ask me for help finding his wife. I had found her all
right, right in the middle of teaching a college stud the nuances of the
reverse cowgirl.
If no
one asked me to find something or someone again for the rest of my life, I’d be
a very happy woman.
“Chief
Quinn, what a pleasant surprise,” I lied. “Can I get you something? A dark
roast, cream, no sugar, light on the dust?”
Why couldn’t I have been blessed with
forgetfulness? I knew my worst nightmare’s favorite drink, and I had to make it
for him first thing in the morning. Of course I knew it. He came in at least
three times a week to torment me. Screw it. Who was I kidding? Instead of the
coffee, he could take me instead. If I had to put up with the hassle of dealing
with him, why couldn’t I enjoy it, too?
Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to
getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing? Can you tell us about your journey?
Yes and no. I… was not academically inclined when I was young.
In fact, I was functionally illiterate until fourth grade. I had a late start,
as I’d grown up thinking sports were the do-all-end-all of existence. So, when
I finally did bother with reading, I discovered I loved it… and didn’t think
about writing anything until much later. High school put me in the writing
saddle.
Learning how to write was not an easy trip, but well worth
it.
If you had to summarize your book in one sentence, what
would that be?
Warning: This novel contains excessive humor, action, excitement,
adventure, magic, romance, and bodies. Proceed with caution.
So… technically two sentences, but that ‘Proceed with
caution’ is pretty important. I love when a novel needs a humorous warning
label… which says a whole lot about the book.
What makes your book stand out from the rest?
It’s different. I know a lot of people say that, but it
really is. It takes what we know, turns it on its ear, and proceeds to give it
a spanking. I still shake my head over the insanity I’ve written. I really like
it because it’s not quite like anything I’ve read or written before.
If your book was put in the holiday section of the store,
what holiday would that be and why?
Halloween, as it’s full of tricks, treats, and surprises. It
also has a lot of ‘things aren’t quite like they appear’ going on it.
Would you consider turning your book into a series or has
that already been done?
Hoofin’ It, the second Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body
count) novel, has already been written and in line for my editor’s tender
loving care! I’ve also done a substantial amount of work on No Kitten Around,
the third one, and Serial Killer Princess, the fourth one.
Book five of the set is also in the works.
What’s next for you?
Water Viper is a book that came into life because my cover
artist randomly made a cover (premade style) and it resonated with me. So I
bought it and wrote a really, really long novel all because of her art.
My editor currently has it, and as soon as she’s done with
it, I’ll be releasing it. I’m really excited for this book. It’s the longest
book I’ve ever written, and I also think it’s one of the more exciting titles
I’ve worked on.
Here’s what it’s about: During Starfall, magic flooded the
Earth and destroyed most technology while humans developed magical abilities.
Jesse mistakenly chooses to be a woman in a male-dominated clan, ruining her
hopes of becoming a hero. Weary of life as an assassin, she retires to enjoy
raising horses and delivering messages. When her plans fall apart, she has one
chance to set everything right. Should she fail to redeem herself, she’ll lose
everything–her friends, her family, and her life.
Thanks for having me on your blog today!
R.J. Blain is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Terms & Conditions:
- By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
- One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive $25 Amazon Gift Card.
- This giveaway ends midnight May 31.
Good luck everyone!
ENTER TO WIN!
No comments:
Post a Comment