Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

Since my debut, Beautiful Crazy , is out next week and I’m currently finishing up book 3 (Beautiful Wreck) in the Rock ’n’ Ink series, I thought it might be fun to share some thoughts on inspiration. Authors, and creative types in general, glean creative kindling from a myriad of different sources. Some authors have dreams that play out as full scenes, others journal, and many use art to light the fire of inspiration. Usually I draw my ideas from the Internet (Yay for Instagram , Pinterest and Tumblr ), but a lot of inspiration comes from facets of my own life. Music: If you know anything about me at all, you probably know I’m a huge music lover . I listen to everything from electroswing to Jack White to heavy metal to rockabilly. Music plays a big part in my new series, Rock 'n' Ink, as it centers around a heavy metal band on the rise. But my tastes are much broader and a lot more eclectic than just one genre. For a sample of some of my favorites, check out my playlists ...

I'm working from Dallas this week, and I have limited time so I thought I'd share a short excerpt from Beautiful Crazy (out November 1), the first book in the debut series, Rock ’n’ Ink! Also, if you follow me on Twitter , Facebook , or sign up for my newsletter on my website , I'll be giving away an ARC at the end of the month. Enjoy! She's a rocker with attitude and ink... He's a sexy suit who gets what he wants. Kevan Landry is trying to keep her life on track and her brother in rehab. If her fledgling marketing firm can sign the hot new band, Manix Curse, it will make a world of difference. Mason Dillon heads the most successful music PR firm in Portland. He's desperate to breathe new life into the company by signing Manix Curse. The last thing either one needs is a one-night stand with a smoldering stranger... The stakes are high when a battle for the band-in the bedroom and the boardroom-becomes a battle of the heart. But if these two can set...

Music has always played an important role in my life as it has for many people. If books are my refuge then music is my foundation. So when I sat down to write my first novel I was told over and over to use what I knew and since I know marketing and music I chose to write about marketing set against a backdrop of heavy metal and rockabilly. My taste in music is fairly eclectic…I like a little of everything (except country, the only country I like is Sam Hunt and the Mavericks, but that’s another story). For me, music is a family affair. In my teens and early 20s, I spent a lot of time seeing bands: punk, rockabilly, ska, rock, metal, you name it. Before kids, my husband and I spent a lot of time in blues clubs and going to festivals. Once our children started developing their own interest in music we expanded our musical road trips to include Taylor Swift, EDM, death metal (I still shudder a little when someone mentions the Black Dahlia Murder), Imelda May, George Ezra, Purity Ring. ...

I’m brand new to the Sourcebooks Casablanca family with my first book, Beautiful Crazy , out this November. My series, Rock ’n’ Ink, is set in the Portland music scene and all about how opposites attract: Armani and metal, tattoos and ties. My stories usually pair a more straightlaced character with someone a lot more rebellious or counter-culture. Oftentimes people think that business and music culture (tattoos, piercings, suits, and briefcases) are a mutually exclusive deal. In my life, that is not the case. I’ve worked many years as a marketing director AND I love tattoos. I have several and am working with my artist on a full back piece. I especially love them on men. In fact, when given the choice between the stable successful businessman or the sexy tattooed bad boy, I dumped suit guy and picked the bad boy. And I never looked back. Two amazing kids and 26 years later, I know I made the right decision. (Of course there's a lot more to my darling husband than his tattoos...