HOT DAMN DESIGNS *sale*

‎50% OFF Sale going on NOW! We’ve designed our 400th cover which is a huge milestone! We have over 200 clients to date and are working with multiple agents in NY as well as publishers. We continue to grow due to the support of people like you!

To thank you all for your support, we are having a 2 day sale (Oct. 26 and 27). All stock images on www.HotDamnStock.com is now 50% off.

Enjoy and happy shopping!!!

HOT DAMN Stock!

www.HotDamnStock.com

Hot Damn Stock - Selling the latest in romance novel stock images.

Totally HOT Thursdays

Today, I am interviewing BROOKS JOHNSON, the lead male cover model at Hot Damn Designs. I hope you will enjoy reading this interview.  Brooks was both very accommodating and a gentleman.

Welcome to Heart of Romance, Brooks! We are so happy to have you. Let me start off by asking the question I am sure everyone wants to know and that is, how did you get started in the modeling profession?

BROOKS- Hello! Well, at the time I was just a little peon intern doing an internship one summer for Enterprise Rent-A-Car while in school and waited on a customer who was a photographer. During the course of the rental process, my customer inquired if I modeled or not and I had to say, "No, but I have thought about it but never pursued it!" So that was the beginning and led to my first photo shoot or test-shoot.

What is Hot Damn Designs and how did you come to work for them?

           BROOKS-Kim Killion of Hot Damn Designs had contacted my Agency and discovered me that way, & I think my agent had told her I previously Competed in a Romance Competition & also had been at some Romance Conventions (back when I had SHORT Hair! Ha haa haa!)

  Can you tell us how many covers you have graced?

 BROOKS- I cannot say exactly, but somewhere in the range of 150-175.

 How many different places have you shot a cover or are all of them right there in a studio?

 BROOKS- I have shot in different locations, yes. Mostly indoors, but some outside by buildings, walls, fire escapes, and even a barn and stables!

                                                         What is your favorite role to portray?

  BROOKS-I actually like portraying them all, because they are all so different than what I know. I guess I just have an appreciation for many things.

 Is modeling the only thing you are doing at the moment?

 BROOKS-Currently yes, but I enjoy doing yard work outdoors for people & massage therapy work when there are opportunities to. I'm looking at accepting a job installing shower doors for a Glass Co. in October.

What does your future hold?

 BROOKS-I try not to trespass into my future. The way I look at it, if I would try to predict that, I would make God laugh!

  I see that you are an animal lover. How many dogs do you have and do you have other pets as well?

BROOKS-Yes, three Dogs....also I must mention I have a cat & two King Snakes to my name (one of the Kings is Albino).

          

What are the kinds of things you like to do in your off time?

 BROOKS-Relax and remember what if feels like to breathe deeply....& sometimes I am forced to breathe deeply during intense workouts     

We would love to know one thing about you that we wouldn’t find in your bio.

 BROOKS-I am an avid health nut b/c of a close encounter with death & dying from Meningitis half way through my senior year in High School. I also have some Choctaw ancestry from the Original Band of the Mississippi Choctaw Indian.
Whoops, I guess that makes two things you know now!

SARAH- We are glad you recovered! How scary!

            Your stats: Age: 34



                              Height: 6’1”

                             Weight: 202 lbs.

                             Chest: 43

                             Bicep: 17 ½ in.

 If you don’t mind, here are some brief questions to answer.

Favorite meal? Homemade mac and cheese with white Parmesan

Favorite movie? Smoke Signals

Favorite past time? Canoeing!

Luck or Destiny? I believe in both.

 Mountains or Beach? I appreciate them both in different ways, so I would probably choose the one with the fewest crowds.

Hair-Long or Short? Long!

Eyes or lips? Eyes

Cover design by Kim Killion

Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise

Hot or Cold? Hot!

Bikini or One piece? Bikini

Silk or lace? Does it matter? They are both coming off anyways!

 If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go?

 BROOKS- New Zealand

Brooks, Thank you so much for hanging out with us today and letting me interview you.  I would like to leave some links for the fans to use so if they are interested in learning more about you, they can.

www.brooksjohnsonmodel.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Brooks-Johnson-Fanpage/113843125382613

Okay everyone! Here is a special treat for you. Leave a comment below for your chance to win an autographed copy of a picture of Brooks!!!!

Cover design by Kim Killion

Photo property of Brooks Johnson

INTERVIEW with Author Kim Killion

Today I’m interviewing KIMBERLY KILLION. Her book, Caribbean Scot is a Scottish Historical and was released on May 20, 2011.

Kim Killion with cover model Brooks Johnson

Please tell my readers a little bit about your book

RICHES... 

Forced to flee Scotland and forfeit the chieftainship of his clan, renegade Reid MacGregor prospers as a fortune hunter in the rich waters of the Caribbean. But there are two treasures he has yet to claim—the lost library of an ancient Mayan priestess and the wild lass he left behind. 

TEMPTATION... 

Mary-Robena Wallace is a member of the rebellious MacGregor clan and a warrior in her own right. Desperate to free her clan from the cruelty of their king, she raids the borders alongside her kinsmen...until the devilishly handsome man from her past returns with an offer she’s hard-pressed to refuse.

SEDUCTION... 

Reid promises gold in exchange for her expertise as a cave diver to locate a treasure in the Caribbean—but they both know he’s after something more. They strike a deal to save her clan, but the fruits of an exotic paradise and the sinful kiss of a traitorous rogue force her to choose between returning to Scotland, or surrendering to the Caribbean Scot.

"A sexy, suspenseful story with great plotting 
and lots of witty dialogue. A winner!"

—Toni LoTempio, Reviewer, Night Owl Reviews,

Author of Raven’s Kiss & No Rest for the Wicca

Describe the genre of this particular title, and is the only genre you write in?  This is a Scottish historical and is the genre I like to write in. It’s what I prefer. I did write a novella in the erotic genre titled, Educating Aphrodite published from Elorra’s Cave. (mention the video from RomCon.)  SIDE NOTE; Kim goes to many conventions and just went to RomCon in Denver Col. And this is the video…….

When did you start writing toward publication?  

 I started writing in 1998 but didn’t sell until 2007. The first book I wrote came out in 2008 with Kensington. It is called “Her One Desire,” and was my RITA nominated book.  ***The RITA award is the romance-publishing industry’s highest award of distinction.***

Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself? 

I had one book written and it is under my bed where it will stay. LOL! I had Highland Dragon written and Her One Desire only had 5 chapters finished when I sold. I wrote 80K in three months to finish it. Her One Desire  was published first.

Why have you become a published author?    

I like to write, to tell stories. I have always been a creative person.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and teach Graphic Web Design in St. Louis, MO so I love to be creative.

What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help? 

I mainly do social networking for promotion. I try to keep my website updated. There is always reader communication through email and I go to conferences. Best accessory is a HAWT male in a kilt!!!

Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?  

By far, the fan mail! It is fun to receive an email from someone who said I was able to take them away for a couple of hours.  It’s very rewarding.   

Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped? 

Of course! Romance Writers of America, Missouri Chapter of Romance Writers of America which I was the President for 2 years. It was their critique group that helped polish my craft and I credit my success to them. I am also a member of PASIC, Novelists INC, Hearts Through History, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.  (PASIC stands for Published Authors Specialty Interest Chapter.)

Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?   

Biggest advice I could give to a new author is perseverance. Don’t let NY or a rejection get you down. Write because you love to write and not because you want a career in writing. 

What’s next for you? 

My Cursed Highlander is coming out in January 2012. It is a Scottish Historical with Paranormal elements that’s set in Scotland and Italy. The heroine is the blind ward of Lorenzo the Magnificent.  (For more information on this book, please go to http://www.kimberlykillion.com/) 

BOOK EXCERPT for CARIBBEAN SCOT

~ TAKEN ~
Dunbartonshire, Scotland, Summer—1603

At ten and six, Reid MacGregor only had one person occupying his mind, and she stood at his boot tips preparing him for the dive into Loch Lomond.

"Think ye a bit of treasure might be worth one kiss?” Reid snapped a wink at the lass tying the leather straps at his neck. He ignored the gagging noises Eoin and Fergus made behind them.

Torchlight filled the cavern with a yellow glow and showed the blush tinting her fair skin. She pulled the laces tight. A wee bit too tight. “’Tis just like a MacGregor to bargain without means of payment.”

Mary-Robena Wallace had always been quick of wit, especially when it came to tossing barbs at Reid. She didn’t give him the answer he wanted, but neither did she tell him no.

Anticipation and excitement tickled his stomach. He’d never actually kissed a lass, save for Nanna, and that wasn’t the kind of kiss he wanted to share with Robbie. Nay, he wanted the kind of kiss the kinswomen gave the warriors when they returned from battle. The kind of kiss that involved a wee bit of tongue.

Reid squirmed inside his leather suit, swallowed, and slipped a gloved finger between the ties and his neck to make room for the knot in his throat. But Robbie slapped his hand away, flipped her red-blonde braid over her shoulder, and then picked up a pail of tar off the cavern floor. She smeared the thick black pitch around his wrists and then his ankles, sealing the leather suit to his iron boots so water wouldn’t seep in. The pungent smell of turpentine burned his nostrils as she circled the warm tar around his throat.

Not once did Robbie attempt to hide her dimples as she glued his hair to his neck. He would have to soak in animal fat for a sennight to remove the sticky substance. But it would be worth it if he found evidence of the treasure Robbie’s grandda assured them was in the depths of Loch Lomond. Robbie had mapped out a grid based on her grandda’s theories, and they’d covered more than half the area where he believed a Spanish lieutenant might have hidden treasure he’d stolen from Cristóbal Colón’s new land. In the past three months, they’d found little, save for a boot and a piece of armor.

A little bit about the author.
Kim Killion wears many hats. Mother, professor, web designer and owner of HOT DAMN Designs. Kim lives with her two children and pets in Illinois and teaches Graphic Web Design in St. Louis, MO. If you are interested in contacting Kim, you may do so at kim@kimberlykillion.com.

How can my readers buy your book?
Readers can go to the publisher’s home page at http://www.kimberlykillion.com. Barnes and Noble and Amazon.


You can find more information about Kim Killion and her books, by visiting her website, http://www.kimberlykillion.com or her blog at http://www.hotdamndesigns.com.

Photo courtesy of Kim Killion

Photo courtesy of Kim Killion

JUST FOR YOU! Kim is giving away TWO copies of Caribbean Scot, ONE copy of Educating Aphrodite* and ONE copy of Taming a Highland Devil.


For your chance to win one of these prizes, you must leave a comment. GOOD LUCK!
*Educating Aphrodite is an erotica romance.


ALSO- Come back Friday to learn more about HOT DAMN DESIGNS. Leave a comment for your chance to win one of TWO stock photos. Your choice!!

WEB DESIGN

Are you new to the writing atmosphere? Maybe you have just gotten published and are looking for a way to promote you and your books. Let me first congratulate you on such a feat! Getting published isn't easy. But, you still have some hard work ahead of you and promoting with a web site is a great way to go. All of the famous authors have one. Veronica Wolff, Nora Roberts, Diana Gabaldon, and the list goes on and on.

Well, let me mention one other award winning author. I am sure some of you have read her work and if you haven't, please do so. I think you will be entertained. Her name is Kimberly Killion and you can visit her at www.kimberlykillion.com. 'My Cursed Highlander', 'Her One Desire', and 'His Magick Touch" are just a few of her books.

I haven't mentioned her here just to brag on her writing skills, but to also brag on her computer skills. Kimberly has also started up a web design company called Hot Damn Designs. You can find the link here at www.hotdamndesigns.com. Kimberly designed her own web page and I think it looks great! When it is my turn to come to a point where I will need a web page, this is the lady I will turn to.