Hey everyone, please welcome Kacey Hammell to Meet the Author Monday! Kacey, please tell us a little about yourself and your writing.
Many know I’m a Mom of three – two
teens and one pre-teen – wife, daughter, cattle farmer & sometimes a Jane-of-all-trades
type gal.
But I run a lot deeper than that,
and am open to sharing more about myself, but it’s difficult to be vulnerable.
That’s one of my biggest fears to be honest…being vulnerable. Odd thing to say
for an author, isn’t it, considering many authors are vulnerable with each new
release. And with each new release, the craziness really begins …
IMO, waiting to hear from
readers/reviewers about a story is a roller-coaster, and sharing that baby and
exposing oneself up to criticism makes an author vulnerable. I like to think
I’m calm, cool and collected whenever I send a book out for submission or a new
story releases, but to be honest, I feel like I’m standing in front of the
classroom back in high school or a room full of peers expected to make a great
speech—not a situation I’d ever like to find myself in.
I pace a lot. Even when I know
there are going to be no reviews or reader feedback that first day, I still
pace and stalk Amazon, Goodreads and other distributors and drive myself—and my
husband—crazy. And even when I know in the back of mind I’ll find nothing for a
few days at least, then I panic because there are none and think no one likes
the story! Yep, a roller-coaster ride on full throttle. And it’s a vicious
cycle with every new book! But I can’t seem to help myself, it’s like this
self-conscious, paranoid, and nervous-nelly (my Mom’s fave term LOL) takes over
me.
And in reality, bad reviews don’t phase me –
again it’s odd – but I stalk bookseller sites for reviews and if I receive one
and it’s not the greatest, I usually laugh it off and move on. I was a reviewer
once, for many years. I understand that every person has their own opinions on
what makes a great story, what works for them and what doesn’t, so for me to
worry over things like that makes me want to pull my hair out. Reviews are
important to our business yes, but for the most part (IMO) they don’t make or
break an author/story. A lot of readers don’t spend time reading reviews –
personally I don’t unless it is an author I’ve never read before and then
again, I pull apart those thoughts/comments a bit in order to decipher what
facts I find important – but most readers consider the blurb/excerpt/cover
before they consider what a reviewer has to say.
All in all, I dislike being so
vulnerable, but it’s the type of business I’m in. I signed up for it, I love it
immensely, but the crazy makes my head spin. Sometimes I wish I drank alcohol
more than 2-3 times a year. Maybe I should find a nice wine, whiskey or tequila
for each new release to indulge in. LOL
Considering I hope to have at least 5-6 more releases this year if all
goes well – that seems a bit much to me. Of course, since I drink so rarely,
2-3 glasses of wine make me giggle… ROFL
But with all the craziness comes
great satisfaction of a job well done, characters I absolutely love, author
peers who give me a shoulder to lean on every now and again, and a wonderful
group of loyal readers who fill my heart with so much joy I can’t even begin to
describe it exactly.
So I’ll just ride the
roller-coaster of crazy and enjoy every minute of it…
"If you're looking for some erotica that has emotional depth, you'll definitely want to check out the book." Carly - Amazon Reader Review: 5 Stars
“Hammell did a masterful job creating a story that was an equal measure of sweet and oh-so-sexy.” 4 Stars, The Book Chick with Kick
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| More |
Sweetest Salvation
Contemporary Erotic Romance/Light Bondage
Content Warning: Contains Voyeurism, Spanking, Multiple Partners
ISBN: 978-1-77130-330-9
Available at Evernight Publishing / Amazon.com (and more links below)
*An Evernight Publishing Editor’s Pick*
Excerpt © Kacey Hammell, 2013
“Mr. Sullivan is waiting for you.
He said you’d know where to go.” He smiled and winked.
Cheeks on fire, she gave him a
small nod and walked ahead. She moved into the bar area and looked around. The
place was packed tonight.
There were a few people she
recognized, but most were new faces. Hunter’s business was certainly thriving.
Bridget caught sight of her and
waved. Andy did the same and turned to the left, down the hall that would take
her to room fourteen and Hunter.
Movement caught the corner of her
eye, and she looked to her right. At a table in the far corner, Paige and Nolan
sat with another couple. She missed a step, but gained her balance again. She
hadn’t thought about seeing them again. Paige waved and her husband smiled
bright.
The couple’s kindness and
understanding arced across the room. Andy smiled and waved back. They’d been
there for her the other night. She’d be forever grateful for it.
Reaching the room, she took a deep
breath and knocked. Hearing Hunter’s gruff, “Come in,” she turned the knob.
The room, similar to the one she’d
used the other night, had a warmer feel to it. The fireplace ablaze, the heat
of it welcomed her.
Andy’s gaze swept the room.
Furnished with a full living room set, she loved the royal purple and black
colors of the furniture and curtains than anything else. This room conveyed
privacy and self-indulgence. Her heart rate increased just thinking of all that
might have been done in this room.
It was made for sex. Especially
with a glass display case that took up the most of wall. Inside were dildos,
anal plugs, collars, floggers, cock rings and more toys of pleasure.
Andy’s gaze landed on Hunter where
he sat in the center of the couch, arms stretched over the back of it.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
Her gaze narrowed on his and she
shut the door behind her. “Don’t you sweetheart me, Hunter. And get that look
off your face.”
“What look?”
“That self-righteous look. I might
be here, but not for the reasons you think.”
“Then why are you here?” he questioned,
his gaze unwavering.
“I wanted to tell you in person
that your idea isn’t going to happen. We’ve been… friends too long. You’re
Patrick’s best friend. It’s all kinds of wrong.”
He leaned forward, arms resting on
his powerful thighs. His red t-shirt molded his
shoulders and the cuffs of the arms looked snug around his biceps. Damn him for
being in such great shape.
She shivered, nipples tightening.
She needed to get away from him.
“There, I’ve said all I have to
say. Goodbye,” she muttered, and turned back toward the door.
Hunter was quickly behind her,
arms encasing her as his palms pressed against the door and preventing her
retreat.
His breath was warm against her
ear. Andy wished she’d left her hair down. At least she wouldn’t be able to
feel his breath on her neck.
A shudder ran through her. “Let me
out, Hunter. I need to leave.”
“Why? You were so desperate to
remain a member and be here the other night. I’m simply offering a safer
solution. Me instead of strangers,” he rasped against her ear.
“I don’t have to worry about much
with strangers. At least they aren’t people I have to see after the sex is
over.”
Hunter pressed in closer behind
her, which pushed her farther against the door. She’d always been
claustrophobic. And right now, being caged in by this man, made it even harder
to breathe than if she was locked in a closet. His chest was firm against her,
his mouth against her ear, and his hoarse voice soft.
Her thighs rubbed together and her
clit chafed against her thong. The string along her ass was snug. All she had
to do was turn around and take what he offered. She wanted a cock inside her.
Dear lord, this was Hunter.
Could she step over the invisible
line and take what he offered?
He was attractive, always had been
to her. Hell, she’d only been married, not dead. She appreciated a gorgeous man
when she saw him.
Hunter always treated with her
respect and friendship. She didn’t know how much he dated but had heard women
at the club mention his prowess in the bedroom. He could probably give her
everything she needed. There would be a sense of safety with him at least.
And her body’s reaction to him
today, while surprising, knew what it wanted. While she was sure it was a bad
idea for them to journey down this path, she was overwhelmed by the sudden
realization that not just any cock would do.
She wanted Hunter. Wanted only him
inside her.
Her breath hitched and her lungs
filled, making it hard to breathe. No, she didn`t have the courage to give into
this man.
She needed to get out of this room
and away from him. Grabbing the doorknob once more, Andy yanked.
Hunter’s palms never moved from
the door, but in her hasty movements, his chest aligned tighter against her
back.
Pressed against the door, she
turned her head, her right cheek resting on it as her breasts pushed against
her bra. The hard surface scraped against her clothing, which abraded her
nipples. The urge to purr and rub against the wood was overwhelming.
Hunter’s body pressed against her;
the cock cradling her ass told her that he was just as affected as she. His
length was hard, solid. His hips dipped and shoved against the crack of her
ass.
“Andy,” he whispered in her ear.
She closed her eyes, willed
herself to push back against him until he let her go.
Her eyes opened when she realized
her hips moved against his. Her pussy quivered and her stomach clenched. There
was no sense in fighting a losing battle. She wanted him.
Blurb:
After the deaths of her husband
and child, tragedies that she blames herself for, Andrea “Andy” Sheaver has
shut herself off from the world. The only place she finds any relief from her
shattered heart is Club Splendor, where she and her husband often frequented
together. There, Andy submits to pleasure and pain in situations so her
grief is forgotten for a little while.
But Hunter Sullivan won’t stand
idly by and watch Andy self-destruct. A friend of her husband, and the owner of
Club Splendor, Hunter has kept his love for Andy hidden for years. He refuses
to think of her at the club, cold and detached as she’s become, looking for an
easy fix to take away the pain in her heart. Hunter wants her to vibrant
in life again and sets out to prove he is exactly who she needs.
Buy Links:
aRe
/ Bookstrand / B&N
/ Kobo
~~~
Canadian author, Kacey Hammell is
a multi-published erotic romance author who writes mainly in the Contemporary
Erotic/Romantic Suspense genres. She is
a true romantic at heart.
Where to
find Kacey…
Love your stories, Kacey! And I totally understand how nerve-wracking it can be while waiting for those first reviews to come in. All the best!
ReplyDeleteHI Jess! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteWith SS, my nervousness is double-fold. :D But I'll get through it. Goes with the whole biz.
Have a great day!
Thanks for having me over, Becca!! It's not often that I share my vulnerabilities :D
ReplyDeleteHave a great week.