Interview with Kele Moon and Giveaway of Star Crossed

We are so in love with the new book in the Battered Hearts series, Star Crossed, that we decided to do a giveaway on it. We want to share our love for Kele Moon's writing with you and asked her a few questions about her new book, the series and what she likes to do in her spare time. Thank you, Kele, for answering our questions and for sharing your book with us. Beneath the interview you get to read the Ten Things We Love About Star Crossed. Giveaway rules are down below!

1. It really worked and we loved the idea, but why Romeo and Juliet? Did you ever think it might be a little too cliché?

I actually have this “thing” for writing clichés. Which, I dunno, maybe a writer shouldn’t admit. But, I don’t like being told what I can’t write. I hate the idea of something being too old or over used and therefore out of my reach. I HATE rules and boundaries. If someone says it’s too cliché a part of my brain starts wondering—how could I make it work?

So I suppose, subconsciously that’s part of it. . . For the most part it just sorta came up as I was working on Defying the Odds. First Jules’s name was Sara Conner, then I looked at it for a while and realized why THAT wouldn’t work (why does that sound familiar? Why? Why? Why? Oh yeahhhhhhh. . . totally need to fix that) so I worked on changing it and I wanted a certain strong sound to her name and came up with Jules.

At the same time I was working on the fight scene with Wyatt and Clay and them talking about Clay’s opponent, who also had a different first name (but for the life of me, I can’t remember what) and somehow, somewhere along the way—I started changing facts and different things about the characters, until I got to the big UFC fight at the end and I decided to actually name him Romeo (I hadn’t thought of Jules being short for Juliet until about that time) and decided if I was going to do forbidden love, might as well go for it.

Plus, I had this idea that if someone was named Romeo, if he actually MET a Juliet. . . yeah, he’d try to hit it. HEH! Maybe not expect to fall in love, but he’d certainly go for the home run.

2. What made you decide to base your series on MMA and the UFC? Are you a fan of the sport?

The series actually started with the simple idea of a waitress buying a gruff guy a piece of pie on Thanksgiving. I wanted him to be famous, but not appear so and I knew he needed to be a sports figure. So I decided on a MMA fighter. I’ve always enjoyed the sport, but since having to do so much research for it—I have a LOT more respect for it. They are amazing athletes with these huge skill sets and it’s all very impressive how much they suffer for their passion. These are some seriously hardcore, tough guys and it’s hard not to be drawn in by it.

3. Romeo and Jules have some serious chemistry! Our Kindle’s were on FIRE!! Is it ever awkward for you when you’re writing the intimate scenes for your characters? Or are you just working from your own…*cough* ahem…experience?

I hate to admit this since writing the steamy stuff is sorta what I’m known for. . . but writing sex is very hard for me. It’s always the most difficult parts of any book. A sex scene will take me four or five times longer to write than any other parts of a story, even climatic, high action scenes (which are also more time consuming). They don’t just flow out of me. I have to really take my time on them. I usually listen to lots of sensual music. I have different lists for different couples, but if all else fails Enigma works best for me.

I’m always looking for a feeling, a pulse, a certain tingle of something when I write it. I need to feel it personally or it doesn’t work for me. I delete LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS when I’m writing sex. Sometimes I’ll have four or five different types of scenes before I find the right fit for the moment.

4. What can we expect from the Battered Hearts series in the future? Will the setting for the series remain in Garnet, or got out to the fighting circuit? Please tell us that the characters we’ve grown to love will have a place in future books?!

I think the fighting circuit will always be there in the series, but it’s not always going to be a strong backdrop. For example, in Chuito’s story, or Tino’s—It’ll have a very big presence. In Nova’s story, not as much. Wyatt’s it will to an extent because in his story we’re going to have to show the characters when they were younger, so Wyatt will still have been fighting at that point, but in modern day, Wyatt is not as involved, so it’ll be a casual backdrop.

Every book will have a lot of Garnet time, but again, some more than others and I can never tell you totally for sure because the books sort of write themselves and not always as I planned them. LOL!

P.S. All your favorite characters should have their own books at some point! I wasn’t going to write one for Tino, but he’s since changed my mind—i.e. annoyed me to death by demanding I write him his own story!

5. What do you like to do and read in your spare time?

Spare time. What’s that?? Three kids, a job, a writing career (did I mention one of my children is 2—she’s a full time job all by herself) I don’t have tons of spare time, but I do find things to do. When it’s not hot as hell, I like to go to Disney World. We have passes and the kids and I go all the time. I do read, but it’s mainly erotic romance and I’ll admit to not reading as much as I’d like. Most of what I read is work by my two crit-partners, Laurann Dohner and Lori Toland. They keep me pretty busy in the reading department.

*******************************************************

ROMEO

Ten Things We Love About Star Crossed

 

1.     Romeo: He was all muscle and brawn on the outside, and soft on the inside, the best kind of hero, Madonn he was HOT HOT HOT!

2.      Jules: She was smart, strong, beautiful, proud and determined. A heroine we admired.

3.      The underlying Romeo and Juliet theme: It worked and it worked well.

4.      Sensual passionate smokin' hot lovin': Romeo and Jules burned up the sheets, but it wasn’t just sex, you could feel the love they had for each other!

5.      Jules vs. Juliet:  She’s known to everyone as Jules , but to Romeo she’s Juliet…swoon!

6.      Tino and Nova: We love their loyalty and love they had for their brother. We can’t wait for their stories!

7.      Fantastic dialogue: Witty, snarky, and plenty of it.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tino’s eyes darted from Clay to Wyatt. “This shit actually happens? Redneck pigs. It’s like the laws are a friggin’ suggestion. How do you guys walk with the big-ass elephant balls you got hanging between your legs?” Clay snorted, and Wyatt couldn’t blame him. The gall of this kid was awe inspiring.

8.      Romeo and Jules’ devotion to each other. Once they connected they didn’t waver from their relationship.

9.      The sensei, uke scene in the Cellar: It was funny, revealing, emotional and sensual. Beginning to end it was perfect.

10.   Seeing our favs from Defying the Odds: Clay, Melody, Wyatt...they’re all here, and very involved in the story.

Once more.....Romeo (we can't get enough of him)

Giveaway Rules:

       Want to win an ebook copy of Star Crossed? If so, then please leave a comment down below with your email address. We would be thrilled if you followed this blog but it is not a requirement to be eligible for the contest. This giveaway is International and closes on July 14. Winners will be announced on July 15.

Good Luck, everyone!

Steffi and Karla