How did you get started writing?
Ha! It’s funny, considering my current series is sports romance, but I think I was ten when I wrote my first story about a boy who dreamed of becoming a hockey star. Just don’t ask me where it is. I have a hard enough time remembering where my cell phone is.
What is your favorite part of writing?
I’m a total pantser, and love those moments when a character reveals a detail or element I didn’t see coming.
What is your least favorite part of writing?
See my previous answer. As a pantser, I often don’t have a clue where the story is going. As you can imagine, that can be quite daunting, especially when I have a deadline looming.
What is your typical day like?
I’m an early riser and with cup of coffee in hand, I open my laptop to begin my day. Email and the day’s promotional tasks come first. Some days that means several hours. I hate those days because I can’t give the WIP the five to six hours I try to maintain. I’m usually toast by mid-afternoon and don’t normally do a lot of writing after three. Unless I’m chasing a deadline, then all bets are off. Somewhere in there I fit in all the real life stuff.
Do you have critique partners?
I have three fabulous critique partners, AJ Nuest, Kelly Moran, and Vonnie Davis. All three are incredibly talented authors who have talked me down from the ledge on numerous occasions. Seriously. I couldn’t survive without them, and our association comes with some rockin’ fringe benefits. First and foremost is their friendship. This business is a solitary one and having friends around you who understand the ups and downs of a writer’s world makes all the difference. Second, when I say they are talented, that’s an understatement. My greedy reader’s heart skips a beat each time one of their chapters arrives in my inbox. I can’t tell you how often I’ve sent back a file with a sigh and a serious case of writer envy.
Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?
I just happen to have a picture of my office. I recently spent an entire day mucking out the random stuff stored in there. I swear, my family thinks it’s a storage closet, but it’s clean now and I’m amazed at how nice it is to write in a clutter-free environment. You can’t tell from the pic, but the view through the window is a peaceful one of the pool and swaying palms in my back yard.
Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.
Hmmm how do I describe Tuck? Well, he’s a famous wide receiver for the Manhattan Marauders, and a total rascal, but he has a good heart. He’d probably scoff at hearing compassion is one of his strengths, but it is. The thing about Tuck is, he has none of the baggage so many romance heroes do. He comes from a loving family, has a career he loves, and no broken relationships have left a scar on his heart. He’s happy and whether he realizes it or not, he can’t resist stepping in to help others to be happy as well. On the flip side, he’s led something of a charmed life and, as you can imagine, having everything makes him a bit spoiled.
Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?
Most important: Keep writing. The more you do something, the better you get. And start building a solid social media platform sooner rather than later. I thought writing the story was the hard part, but was blown away by the amount of time required to promote my work. There are millions of authors out there who have been where you are. Follow a few of them and watch what they do that works. It will save you time and frustration later.
Excerpt:
Her gaze dropped to his legs. “You’re limping.”
“Yeah, I am.” He blasted her with a wicked smile. “I had a little accident the other day.”
Her scowl immediately became defensive. “I didn’t ask you to jump into the middle of things. If you’re hurt, it’s your own fault.”
The vehemence of her response surprised him. He raised a brow and glanced at Walter. The dog’s rear end wagged so vigorously he was amazed the animal managed to remain on his feet.
“I’ll tell you what.” He met her gaze and kept his smile in place. “I promise not to sue, if you promise—”
“Ha! Try it, pal. I’ll countersue you for public molestation.”
He chuckled. She had a point, and wouldn’t that spectacle go over well with the league front office? “You didn’t let me finish.”
Suspicion darkened those eyes he’d stared into in his dirty dream, but she didn’t interrupt again.
“I promise not to sue, if you promise to accept my gift.”
Long, dark blond lashes fluttered when she blinked. “What gift?”
He tucked a hand in his back pocket, retrieved the small envelope, and held it out. “Go ahead. Take it.” When she refused, he dipped his head closer. “Did I mention I have a really good lawyer?”
She hesitated a moment, her lips flattening further, then snatched the envelope from his fingers with ill grace. Her brows puckered as she read the embossed label. “Paws Finishing School?”
“It’s a certificate for a week-long obedience program. I thought Walter could use some lessons in manners.”
Her gaze flicked to her dog, who was attempting to stretch his leash far enough to lift his leg on her neighbor’s rose bush. “He could definitely use some lessons in manners but”, she held out the envelope, “I can’t take this.”
Tuck shoved both hands into the front pockets of his jeans and grinned. “A really great lawyer.”
She sighed. “Look. I appreciate the thought, and to tell the truth, I’ve been planning to enroll him somewhere, but—”
“Perfect. Now you’re all set.”
“But I can’t let you pay for it. Why would you, anyway?”
He waved off her question. “It’s no big deal. I won the certificate at a silent auction.” A big fat whopper if he’d ever told one, but the white lie was for a good cause. “I don’t have a dog, so if you don’t take it, I’ll just give it to someone else.”
“What about that idiot mutt you mentioned?”
He smiled. “Oh, he’s not mine. We just hang out sometimes.”
She cocked her head. A butterscotch curl escaped the knot of hair gathered at the top of her head, sliding over her forehead to wrap around her chin. His fingers tingled with the desire to tuck the glossy lock behind her ear, just for the chance to touch her.
“Why would you bid on a dog obedience program when you don’t have a dog?”
Prickly and beautiful. Major turn-on. “It was for a good cause.”
His own.
BLURB
To Win Her Trust by Mackenzie Crowne
Can she trust this player with her heart?
Ever since experiencing a childhood trauma, reclusive artist CC Calhoun has suffered from panic attacks. But when a fateful kiss from handsome wide receiver, Kevin “Tuck” Tucker, is enough to stop one of those episodes cold, she wonders if guarding her heart has been the right choice. Will going on a test date with Tuck open her to trusting someone for the first time in years? Or will she wind up being just another notch in the football player’s bedpost?
Tuck has a reputation for charming women into bed, but after his kiss with CC, he’s left aching for more. When he proposes a second date, his attraction to the sexy blonde looks like the makings of true love—something he’s never quite believed in—until now. But when Tuck discovers CC’s childhood secrets, will the pro athlete be tough enough to stay by her side—or will he betray her hard-earned trust?
Author Bio
Wife, mother and really young grandmother, Mackenzie lives with her high school sweet heart husband, a neurotic Pomeranian, and a blind cat. She calls Phoenix home because the southwest feeds her soul. Though her friends claim she’s a princess, she disagrees. After all, one can’t raise two rambunctious boys to wonderful men without getting a little dirt under their nails. A lover of the romance genre, her resolve to share her stories with others was sharpened by a bout with breast cancer. Today she is an award-winning author and eight year survivor, living the dream. Her friends call her Mac. She hopes you will, too. Connect with her at http://mackenziecrowne.com, https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieCrowne and https://twitter.com/MacCrowne.
Purchase Links
Buy links via Kensington: http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31681
Rafflecopter- Ebook To Win Her Trust
Cynthia, thanks so much for being a part of my release day. You’re a total doll.
Mac