Saturday, February 3, 2018

Featured Author: Kenzie Macallan

Welcome Today's Featured Author
 Kenzie Macallan!!










EDGES by Kenzie Macallan


Leigha Luccenzo is a strong, confident woman who has her life perfectly under control. But her nightmares have returned after a long absence rattling her cage. She comes home to find her apartment in shambles, the possible doing of her ex-lover Sydney. Her world begins to unravel one thread at a time. Layers of lies start to peel away as the truth clicks into place.

Dean is a hard edge man who has an appetite for beautiful women, fast bikes, and shattered souls. His secrets bind him, keeping him from any real relationship. They latch onto him from his past like locked chains. He sees behind Leigha’s armor, convincing her he can help becomes his mission. She may be the key to unlocking his guilt. He hopes she’s strong enough to handle what lies beneath.

Other people’s secrets get entangled in her own as she struggles to unlock the meaning of her nightmare. Can Dean be the man to help her uncover the truth of her life? Will she be able to let go of her self-imposed prison?






Amazon US: www.bit.ly/Edges2
Amazon UK: www.bit.ly/EdgesUK
Amazon Australia: www.bit.ly/EdgesAU
Nook: www.bit.ly/EdgesNook
Kobo: www.bit.ly/EdgesKobo








Excerpt 1

Dean needed a distraction from the scene that just unfolded before him. Cooking would give him an escape. His hands trembled. He had been here before, only last time he completely fucked it up. The fierce connection to the beautiful, strong creature in the next room would be his undoing. His past caught up with him. Did he honestly think he could bury himself in work and one-night stands to keep him from facing his past mistakes? Every time he thought about not being able to save her, the winch tightened in his chest, cutting off his air.
Hunched over the cooking eggs, his memories flooded him. No other options presented themselves other than to keep Leigha safe. The emotions pulled at him from several directions, demanding his attention. Over the years he had tried to hammer them down, hoping they would leave of their own accord. He had even tried to drink them away without success.
“Hey, you okay?” She blew into the room like a warm Australian ocean breeze. They already had connections that only true lovers have with each other. That link that allowed you to feel and sense things about the other person.
He turned around and pasted on his model smile. “Yeah, just remembering something.”
She walked over next to him as her eyes read his lie. “The model smile doesn’t work on me and the eggs are going to burn.”


Excerpt 2

He put his hands down slowly, saying something to Leigha in a language she didn’t understand. His eyes glassed over. “My little angel,” he repeated in English.
Her nerves came undone at the sight before her. Was this the him her father warned her about? She tried to mask her fear. “How can I help you?” Her soft voice didn’t carry far in the empty space.
He stretched out his hand, motioning her to two chairs. “Please, come. Sit down. We have much to talk about. I mean you no harm.”
“Who are you?” The words forced out of her mouth of their own volition. She started to freak out. Her hands shook as she smoothed them over the top of her head.
She had no choice. The option to run left the minute his men locked the door to the studio. Something poked from the back of her brain. His face seemed familiar somehow, but she couldn’t quite place him.
They sat down across from each other in two oversized chairs. He leaned into her space with his forearms on his knees. Caging her in, he demanded her full attention. His eyes had lost their glassiness. He looked at her like a rare piece of artwork, tilting his head to the side.
“I have only ever seen you from a distance. You are even more beautiful up close.” He raised his hand to touch her face but then let it drop.
Jesus, he was a stalker.



Excerpt 3

Leigha was out of her element. This isn’t what she could deal with right now.
“I think we need to slow down. There’s a lot going on.” The crack in her voice exposed her nerves. Her fingers twisted together.
He pushed his chair back and walked toward her in nothing but jeans and bare feet. He scooted her back from the table and knelt in front of her. He pushed her robe to the side, exposing her long legs. She leaned back and gripped the arms of the chair.
“I’ve lost too much and I’m not willing to lose any more. Life burned a hole in me and you filled it. You understand and listen to me without judgment. We have something I’m holding on to. I’ve never felt this way. Not even…” He swallowed his words, bowing his head. His fingers gripped onto her thighs.
She sat there stick-straight like a cornered animal with nowhere to go. His words struck her. She tried to hold onto her little bit of control. The only words missing from his speech were ‘I love you.’ She was thankful they weren’t said. She would be the one to decide what they became, but she couldn’t deny the hold he had on her.
His head came up as his eyes locked onto her. “I know you’re scared. I can see it in your eyes. I’ll give you time. Just meet me halfway.”
He got up and held out his hand. Without a word, she took his strong hand as the tether strengthened.











About Kenzie Macallan:




Kenzie lives with her husband in New England and is a huge dog lover. She has been fortunate enough to travel all over the world to places like Africa, Greece, Switzerland, Holland, France, England and, of course, Scotland. Edinburgh is one of her favorite places.
It’s all led to an overactive imagination. Creativity seems to be part of her soul as she paints portraits, takes photographs, and bakes. They have all added to her storytelling especially when writing about strong women and alpha men. She looks forward to adding to her adventures and her readers.

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Interview With Kenzie Macallan:




1. Can you tell us a little about your books?
The first book in the Art of Eros series is Truths. The series is about the Luccenzo sisters. Each book is dedicated to a sister who is an artist.
In Truths, Marabella Luccenzo presents as having the perfect life. But she lives behind a wall she created to protect herself and hide her horrible secret. When her husband dies under mysterious circumstances she feels lost and broken. She begins to question everything about her life. On vacation in Mexico, she senses a stalker and meets Mac, a rogue Scotsman who pushes her limits.
Edges, my new release, focuses on Leigha, the middle sister in an artist family. On the outside, she appears in control of her life. Underneath, she lives with nightmares, fears, and doubts. Her nightmares become stronger after her sister Mara reveals her secret, an abusive marriage. Leigha knows the nightmares are the key to unlocking her self-imposed cage. Dean enters the picture and helps her to unlock her secret. But with that, more lies come to the surface. As she unravels the truth about her life, she gets caught in a web of other people’s secrets. It’s a story of secrets, strength, and passion.

2. What inspires you to write?
I love a good story that can take you away to another place. These stories had to come out. The voices of my characters inspire me to write about them.
The characters Mac and Mara from Truths would not shut up! They kept bugging me to tell their story. People must think writers are crazy when they talk about the characters talking to them. But it’s the only way to get inside their heads and really write about their emotions, fears, trepidations, and hopes.
Suspense keeps me reading so I love to write to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The suspense storyline continues in Edges. Leigha starts in the modeling industry full of illusion and manipulation.

If I can leave behind a message or give the reader pause to think about something in their own lives, then I’ve done my job. The modeling world has always fascinated me and I take a lot of photos. I wrote this story before the #metoo became popular and many men and women stepped forward to face their predators. This movement to step forward was long overdue. It’s the underbelly to many different businesses especially in entertainment.

3. Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
I have another full time job, so this routine happens on the weekend. My day starts with coffee because I have yet to find a writer who isn’t addicted to coffee. Lately, I’ve needed to back off a little. Stalking social media is the first charge of the day.

My go-tos are Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I see what’s going on and post or add my two cents. They are all so individual.

The writing begins with either continuing the dreaded first draft or editing. I say the dreaded first draft because you find yourself trying to get as much in words as possible. The process of writing a book feels like is putting clay on a wheel and creating the bowl or cup or vase. That’s the first draft. My first round of edits is decorating the soft clay trying to get the right look. Let it sit for a while as it moves away from you. Let the words settle in. This is like letting it dry in the kiln. Once it’s dry, I come back to it and begin adding the glaze. The process of choosing the right glazes and knowing how they interact with one another is crucial. All of these decisions are part of the editing process. The final time I fire my piece I know the book is ready to be published.

The only other thing I find time for in my day is exercise. My body needs to be in motion. I like the way I feel when I exercise and I think it helps keep the creative juices flowing. Right now, I’m training for a half marathon and I spend time at the gym lifting weights, one of my favorite past times.

4. Do you have a favorite food or drink you must have nearby when writing?
The only drink I have near me while writing is water with a squirt of lemon juice. I find it to be refreshing and keeps me awake and aware. It’s also a great cleanser for the body. Gets rid of a little water weight too. ;)

5. Do you have a favorite spot to write?
The area where creativity swirls around me happens in the back office. It has a window out to the backyard and one to the deck. The sun streams through on good days or the gets covered in snow on winter days. There is a photo of my dog Nikko right next to my computer.  I find myself looking at his photo often. He would lie in the office with me as I wrote, usually sleeping. He was my muse. My shadow is no longer with me in the physical world and has joined his love Koda Bear. Losing him was unbearable. If you’re a lover of dogs, you know what I mean. I like to think he’s with me in spirit and still helps me write.

6. What's one random fact about yourself that you can share?
My life always seemed to revolve around creativity. My mother signed my up for painting classes at a very young age. I dabbled in many different things. I started out taking photographs of everything. It was my first dive into the artistic end of the pool. I became interested in painting later in life and painted oil portraits of children. I found working in oil paint could be manipulated better and left me with more options for change. Obviously, I turned my attention to writing, which I really love. The process of writing is so unique. It’s also very creative. But I think my background in the arts helped me write this series and creative and has helped me with my writing.

7. If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose, and why?
My wildest fantasy is to move to Australia with my family and never come back. I’ve always been fascinated by Australia and the culture. I hear the weather is nice too. The attitude is one of constant fitness.
It’s a fantasy because the reality is it’s very expensive to live there and I would be leaving everything behind. I know what you’re thinking; why not move to Florida? Florida doesn’t hold the appeal that Australia does. I think Australia is less humid in some areas.

8. What are writing projects are you currently working on?
My next story will be the final book in this series. This novel will focus on the youngest of the Luccenzo sisters, Raquelle. She brings a lot to the table including a smart mouth, feistiness, and a great deal of talent. She’s the portrait artist of the family. There are many bridges she’ll need to cross. The story will conclude and readers will find out the connection between their father, the Russians, and other unexpected family ties. I don’t want to give too much away.




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