TBR welcomes Kacey Hammell

TBR: Welcome to TBR, Kacey. Will you share a little bit about yourself?
Kacey: I’m a stay-at-home mom of three, Canadian born and raised author who loves to read and write romance. I love many genres but romantic suspense and contemporaries top the list.

TBR: Tell us about Illusions and where it's available.
Kacey: Illusions, the first of the “In the Arms of the Law” series is a romantic suspense, highly sensual adventure featuring a top-notch female detective, Isabella and Brady, a hot-as-hell P.I. who move from friends to lovers.

TBR: Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
Kacey:

ILLUSIONS Excerpt, © Kacey Hammell, 2012

Knowing she would soon run out of time before his arrival, and getting more aroused by the second, Isabella hurriedly reached for her bath sponge. Soaping it up, she cleansed her body with an eagerness she was growing accustomed to feeling whenever she had plans to see him.

Sponging all suds from her clean body, Isabella pulled the plug in the drain, and stood in the tub, reaching for a thick, blue towel from the shelf.

She rubbed vigorously at her body, drying it, and reached for the strawberry body lotion that went with her bubble bath. She poured a generous amount into her palm, rubbing her hands together to coat them in the sweet smell. Then she smoothed it over her arms, her breasts, stomach, and legs. The scent of strawberries made her smile.

Humming Destiny’s Child’s ancient hit Soldier to herself, Isabella wondered how many more minutes she’d have to wait before her soldier made an appearance.

She recapped the body lotion and tucked the towel loosely around her once again. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the sound of the front door closing.

She hazarded a glance in the mirror. With the mussed, damp tendrils of hair around her shoulders, the towel haphazardly wrapped around her, she looked like a woman eager for a man’s—her man’s—touch.

The sound of a boot hitting the floor with a thud caused her to smile, and she moved to the doorway of the bathroom.

Hearing another boot drop and the sound of heavy breathing, Isabella peered into the hallway. When he finally came into view, she was already breathless, even though she had been expecting him.

Dressed in his usual black denim, form-fitting jeans, and dark hair damp as if he too had taken a few moments to clean up, he was a sight to behold.

Isabella’s heart thudded rapidly and her legs threatened to give out. She noticed his leather jacket, undone, over a naked torso. Obviously his zealousness to be with her had him forgetting a few things.

There they were. The abs, the washboard stomach had her literally teetering on the edge of orgasm already—and he hadn’t even touched her.

Finally lifting her gaze to his face, his smoldering silver-gray eyes captured hers. She had to lean against the doorjamb for support.

He always made her speechless. His beauty, his charm oozed from him with no effort at all. How she had gone so long, so many years as friends with him and never really noticed him in such a way before? Some detective she was, not seeing what was directly in front of her.

As he moved toward her, his pace slowed, as if he knew the effect he was having on her and wanted her to crave him more desperately than ever. His face broke into a sinful grin, telling her he knew exactly what he was playing at.

Never one to let anyone, least of all this man, have the upper hand, Isabella let go of the towel she was still holding around her. It slithered downed her body, pooling at her feet. Noting his small stumble mid-stride, she relished the power she had over him.

Naked and confident, she smiled at the man she needed to feel against her. Desperate to have his hands on her, she called to him.

“Brady….”

TBR: What inspired you to write about the theme?
Kacey: I’m a huge fan of cop/detective shows, especially those that have a female lead character. So it seemed natural to write my first story featuring something that I enjoy a lot.

TBR: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Kacey: A bit of both I think. There are times when I just sit to write, but others when I have to do an outline – mainly for detailed series’ – to keep everything on track.

TBR: How do you develop your characters?
Kacey: They’re like pictures in my mind as far as physical attributes. As I write, they develop on paper/screen and as I go back and do edits, they continue to evolve with each scene it seems.

TBR: Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share?
Kacey: There are a few that I like a lot, but this one keeps me focused…

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.  The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”  ~Sylvia Plath

TBR: Did any music inspire your book? Do you have a playlist?
Kacey: Sometimes yes. For instance with my one music-related series/title “Follow the Music Book 1: Sinful” there was a lot of soft ballads playing. When I’m in a heated adventure scene, I tend to listen to bands like Daughtry, Guns N Roses, AC/DC. Music has to fit the mood of the story.

TBR: Which of your characters would you most/least like to invite to dinner, and why?
Kacey: Oh, just one? LOL  Probably Isabella, from Illusions. But there are a few others as well. It would be great just to watch Isabella’s mannerisms, confidence and determination around the house. She’s a strong-willed but vulnerable woman that I can relate to.

TBR: While creating your books, what was one of the most surprising things you learned?
Kacey:  How intricate the details must be. As many books as I’ve read over the years, until I started writing, I didn’t realize how many details needed to be in a story, as well as the amount of research needed. And the details add layers to the story that one never really looks at until they write their own.

TBR: Tease us with one little thing about your fictional world that makes it different from others.
Kacey: The sexy, delicious men are plentiful within Isabella’s world. There’s her partner, Connor, who she had a one-night stand with. Then Ethan, who has a mad crush on her. Of course, there’s Brady, but also his partner, Dylan, who tried dating Isabella’s cousin Alicia, and is now her best friend. Besides Brady, Connor and Ethan keep her on her toes.

And with the sequel, which I’m prepping for submission, comes even more hunky men who give Alicia (the heroine in book 2) a run for her money. J

TBR: What's next for you?
Kacey: Well, above I mentioned prepping the sequel to Illusions for submission. Finishing CP edits on a sexy as hell contemporary, where the hero was almost more than I could handle. I’m working on a sequel for my self-pubbed title. I’m also laying out details for a Paranormal/Ménage series that I can’t wait to dig into!

TBR: Any other published works?
Kacey: I have a self-published title, SINFUL available at Amazon, Smashwords, etc.

Plus LAST MAN STANDING is available with Whispers Publishing.

TBR: What’s the most challenging aspect of writing? Most rewarding?
Kacey: Most Challenging – making sure I’m doing the characters justice.  When I write, I’m in their world and want to be sure that I showcase them in the best light possible, with all their quirks, flaws and all. They become my friends and loved ones, so I hope I’ve done them all the best I can.

Most Rewarding – hearing from readers that they enjoyed the story/characters and hope to see them again.

TBR: Who are some of your favorite authors and books? What are you reading now?
Kacey:  JD Robb’s In Death Books and her Nora Roberts books, Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series, Jaci Burton anything, as well as Sara Brookes, Rosalie Stanton, Monette Michaels, Lauren Dane, Patricia A Rasey, Sahara Kelly, SL Carpenter, Cherry Adair, Roxanne St. Claire…to name a few authors I like.

I’m currently reading Lorie O’Clare’s “Play Dirty”. Liking it a lot, just wish I had more time to read it!

TBR: Where can readers find you on the web?
Kacey:  Readers can learn more about my books and contact me via …

Website/Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon

Email

TBR: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Kacey: If you ever had the chance to be a character in a story by a favourite author, would you like to be the heroine/hero or villain/villainess?

TBR: One lucky commenter will receive an ebook copy of either, SINFUL or LAST MAN STANDING, and Kacey will also send a goodie pkg via snail mail. Be sure to include your email address. She'll pick a winner on Thursday, March 8th and announce the winner here.

Thanks so much for visiting TBR, Kacey. Best of luck to you.