Sunday, July 17, 2011

Falling Hard with J.K. Coi and Captain Jack Sparrow

We kick off this week with yet ANOTHER FANTABULOUS INTERVIEW with the Fabulous Captain Jack Sparrow. We’re talking Rock Star hero today, so tease up that hair, dig out your tattered jeans, and slap on the blue eye shadow. Your groupie fantasies are about to be fulfilled. Joining us to celebrate her debut release from Carina Press, it’s the powerhouse herself, J.K. Coi!

 

*much girlish screaming ensues*

 

CJS: *notices various lacy bras flying onto the stage and glances to Bo’sun* Not that I don’t appreciate the additions to my wardrobe *ahem* but since when have the wenches taken to throwing their under things around the ship? For that matter, when did they start wearing under things?

 

Bo’sun: They’re for Ms. Coi’s hero. He’s a Rock Star in her new book FALLING HARD. Sort of a modern day pirate. You’d like him.

 

CJS: Another hero aboard the ship. *curls lip* Is that really necessary? The place is already littered with those damn hotties.

 

Bo’sun: This hero came with his hottie author who I happen to know has been dying to meet you, Jack. Now take these cards and try to do this without me having to interject every few seconds. What say you?

 

CJS: I’ve been doing these for years. When are you going to loosen up those breeches of yours, Bo’sun.

 

Bo’sun: When you bathe. Now here she comes. Behave!

 

CJS: *smiling at the beautiful brunette headed his way* Ah, my lady, Bo’sun did not do you justice. Do come sit on my lap.

 

Bo’sun: THE CHAIR, JACK.

 

CJS: Yes, yes, we don’t want to wrinkle that tantalizing dress. Yet. Do have a seat here and tell me about yourself, Ms. Coi. *glances down to cards* Bo’sun has “Queen of Hookers” here. Is that true?

 

Bo’sun” *slaps forehead*

 

J.K. Coi: Hey, I love when people use “Fantabulous” and my name in connection with each other! I could also really get used to the “hottie author” part, but I’m not quite sure about the “Queen of Hookers”. It could be fun. I can already picture a gothic-looking townhouse decorated with lots of purple velvet where I rule the boys (Yep, my floozies would be high quality man-flesh) with a firm but affectionate hand.

 

Hmm…where were we? Oh, I suppose the hooker thing could actually have something do with Terri’s fondness for saying I have a knack for writing high concept.

 

CJS: Well, if anyone can appreciate the concept of being high, it is I, Captain Jack. I understand this lovely display of undergarments is for your latest hero. We might as well get him out of the way first. Literally. Tell us about this modern day pirate, as Bo’sun calls him.

 

J.K.: Gabriel. Oh, Gabriel.…Oh, sorry. I was drifting again.

Gabriel is everything you love to hate in a celebrity. He’s a rock star. A hard-living, selfish musician whose music causes radio stations to go crazy with the bleeping, whose dirty jeans and Strokes t-shirt becomes immediate high fashion with misguided teenagers, and whose self-destructive behaviour makes everyone else shake their head.

 

CJS: And the ladies love this? *more screaming ensues* Yes, right. But I want to know more about this angel. I admit a fondness for a woman brandishing a sword.

 

J.K.: Oh, not just any sword. Amelia’s sword is the sword of the Avenger. As Gabriel says, she is the “Archangels’ perfect answer to rebellion and descent” and has been doing their dirty work for thousands of years. Right now, her dirty job is…Gabriel.

 

CJS: Ah, my kind of woman. Perhaps she’d like to join us. We could…compare swords.

 

J.K.: I don’t know, Jack. I think Amelia’s kind of out of your league. There’s only one match for her. But even at that, Gabriel and Amelia have a pretty rough road and happiness is far from certain.

 

CJS: Whoa. Sounds a mite ominous for my tastes. In that case, we’ll move on. This next card says your last book was a short story while this is a full length novel. Is it difficult to switch from the shorter work to plotting a longer book? And which do you prefer? Or what Bo’sun really wants to ask. Does size matter?

 

J.K.: Oh, actually it is pretty difficult. I didn’t think it would be. I started writing a few shorts early in the year as a way of trying my hand at something new (and I’m really happy I did because exciting things are happening with them, as it turns out), but the consequence is that I’m now running behind on my next Warring Angels Book because it’s been hard to switch gears again. I know, I know, the HORROR!

 

CJS: So the answer is yet. I’ve always suspected that was so. This next card just says HUGE BIG NEW HAPPENINGS COMING! I hope you know what this means because I have no idea.

 

J.K.: *chuckle* You’re a very knowledgeable interviewer, Jack. Has anyone ever told you that? I think Terri means my upcoming releases for the balance of 2011. Besides Falling Hard this month, I also just had my story, The Morning After, come out in a print anthology called DON'T ASK, NEVER TELL, and in December I’ll have two more releases. My holiday Steampunk FAR FROM BROKEN is being released in an anthology by Carina Press and CAGED is coming out in the Agony/Ecstasy Anthology edited by Jane Litte of Dear Author fame.

 

CJS: You’re a busy little pirate, aren’t you? So after you get all of these done, what will you dazzle us with next?

 

J.K.: Well, I’m finally working on Angel Book 2, which is Cass’s story. And if you don’t know who the Angel Cassiel is, you’ll have to read Falling Hard! (*shameless plug*)

 

CJS: Lovely! Time to turn you over to these heartless…err…adventurous wenches. Drinks first, as everyone gets a Rum Rocker, especially in your honor, so you’d better ask them a question now before they’re too far gone to be coherent. If they aren’t already.

 

J.K.: Oh, rum! That’s the only reason I came. Haha. Just kidding. Um, really. So, what do I ask the pirate crew? Well, how about the most important question. Do you believe a Rock Star can find a HEA? And just for fun, we’ll pass Bo’sun’s question on as well. Does size matter? (In book length, of course. *G*) One lucky commenter will win a (digital) copy of FALLING HARD!

 

FALLING HARD

After a life filled with tragedy, rocker Gabriel Gunn thinks he's finally getting the better of his personal demons. Then he's attacked after a concert—and rescued by a warrior goddess brandishing a sword and white wings. As hard as it is to believe in an angelic bodyguard, Gabriel must face an even more impossible truth: he carries the devil's soul within him.

 

Amelia has been watching over Gabriel for years, using her angelic powers to prevent Lucifer's return. Now she must also protect him from warring angel factions with their own agendas. Amelia would do anything to avert another angelic war, even sacrifice her own emotions to avoid temptation. Yet with Gabriel she feels things she no longer wants to deny, and pleasure she never imagined.

 

But the closer Gabriel and Amelia get, the stronger Lucifer becomes. Will Amelia be forced to kill the man she's come to love to stop the war she's always feared?

J.K. Coi’s Website: www.jkcoi.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jkcoi

43 comments:

2nd Chance said...

Wow, pretty heavy concept there! Nothing like a war between the angels to spark some a' that attraction in the midst of stress stuff!

Do I think a rocker can attain a HEA? Sure, why not! Look at Sting, seems pretty HEA ta me! And Johnny is a rock star and he's doing well...

Does size matter? Well, if'n it gets too big, I tends ta run... ;-)

Shut up, Jack, or I'll cut yer rum rations off!

Hellion said...

I have been SOOOO excited for this book. I'm glad it's finally out. It IS out, isn't it? I was looking for it a month or so ago and depressed I couldn't have it yet.

Yes, I do think Rock Stars can have a HEA, and I can't wait to read Gabriel's HEA (which I'm optimistic for). I just read a rock star story the other day, a YA novel called JANE, based as a modern adaptation of Jane Eyre. There was a HEA there too. So yes, Rock Stars are eligible for HEAs as well as anyone. If a demon can have a hea, then so can a rock star. :)

I prefer longer, er, stories, so I guess size does matter to me. *LOL* Though a quickie now and again can be satisfying. :)

JK Coi said...

Ahoy, pirates!! Thank you so much for having me as a guest today!! I have to admit to a late start this morning (go figure) so I'll be back once I've had my wheaties!!

Donna said...

This sounds like a great story -- can't wait to read it. :) And congrats on all your successes. Sounds like you're gonna be busy for quite a while.

I want everyone to have a HEA, so I'm always cheering for that to happen.

And I didn't always use to like shorter stories -- because I wanted to stay immersed with characters when I love them -- but now that time is at a premium, I like the shorter stories. I recently wrote one and I swear it took longer to write than a full-length manuscript. LOL

Okay, I'm off -- I'm working 12 hours today so I won't be back unfortunately. *cries*

Marnee said...

JK, I just ran over to Amazon and bought this. :) So don't enter me in the contest. I thought this sounded great when I first heard the blurb and I still think so. :)

I love the idea of a rocker's bad behavior being the result of demonic soul possession. LOL!!

JK Coi said...

Aw, Marnee! Thanks so much! LOL I don't know if his bad behaviour was BECAUSE of Lucifer or just made him a better fit with Lucifer :)

JK Coi said...

Donna *hugs* Thanks for dropping by before your long day!

Bosun said...

You guys are all up and at 'em today, aren't you? I knew the bad boy rocker would get you out of those hammocks. Or back in them eventually.

I love that JK never does anything simple. She didn't just take on the Rock Star, she took on the Rock Star who happens to carry Satan with him. And not just Satan as in "the concept" of the evil dude, but the real evil dude. LOL! No half measures for this writer!

I'm with Donna, I didn't used to like to read short stories. I've never been one for anthologies and novellas. But with time a premium, the eReader, and the reduced prices, I'm all for shorter stories now. I've only written one (if you don't count the 800 word stories for WW) and it is hard to do.

I'm not sure how I'd fare bouncing back and forth trying to write both.

JK Coi said...

I have to admit, short stories rock the house. I love writing them. Actually, I love getting as much angst and pain and conflict and sex into a short story as I put in my longer books…it’s like a shot of expresso instead of a slowly-brewed cuppa :)

Bosun said...

How much plotting do you do? I imagine with such high concepts you'd need a ton of plotting, but you do it so often, maybe it comes naturally to you?

Janga said...

Congrats, J. K., on your new book , on your debut with Carina Press, and on your prolific writing! Any secrets you'd care to share about that last one will be greatly appreciated. LOL

It's hard to believe in an HEA for a rock star, but good writing makes me willing to suspend disbelief about even more improbable things such as first-time sex that rocks the planet. And while the public can't really know where celebrity marriages fall on the happiness scale, at least there are some rock stars who are partners in decades-long, apparently stable marriages--Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi.

As a reader, I do like short stories and novellas. They're great for car reading when I have only a snippet of time, and they are also a terrific means of trying new authors. As a writer, they strike terror to my soul.

JK Coi said...

Oh, plotting. Me and plotting go way back LOL Seriously, especially more recently, I find that I have to know where my plots are going. I can’t just wing it like I did when I first started writing, which is probably a good thing, but it means that the story has to “percolate” for quite a while before I even sit down to write even one word. Then, I’ll hopefully know what I’m starting with, and what the major turning points are going to be, although I still don’t plan every chapter out.

JK Coi said...

Janga, the great thing about romance is that even rock stars can find true love, and maybe even have happy endings  (although that one’s still up in the air, LOL)

Sin said...

Welcome back aboard Ms. J.K! Congrats on another book release!

Does size matter?

Can he swing it like a helicopter propeller?

I like short stories. I have a short attention span. If the story is written really well what does it matter the length? As long as the story is told that's good enough for me.

I really think it's possible for anyone to find an HEA if they believe in it. A rocker? Sure. One of my best friends just married the drummer for Shaman's Harvest. If you love each other enough, no matter how much you're out on tour, you can make it work. There just has to be understanding, compromise and a lot of trust.

Bosun said...

That sounds like me with the plotting. I have to have several scenes figured out before I can even start writing. And then it still takes 15-20K words before the story really starts coming to me. I plot as I go, but I have to have the next scene figured out before I finish the current scene.

I tried pantsing when I first started and couldn't move forward to save my life.

Maggie Robinson/Margaret Rowe said...

I think Jack might have finally met his match! I am SO EXCITED for this book!

I used to be on the fence about reading novellas/short stories, but as I writer, I LOVE them. It's challenging to squeeze all the goodness in a small space, but it definitely can be done.

And rock stars are people too. I think. ;) A HEA--why not?

I have been slouching toward a deadline & haven't been over here a lot, but your site redesign is absolutely gorgeous, Pirates. Huzzah. And more rum.

Scapegoat said...

Congrats on your release!

I ADORE short stories and novellas. The shorter word counts usually mean I get way more time focused on the h/h and less on subplots and side characters. Sometimes that's exactly what I want - and sometimes I love those side characters too! :)

Quantum said...

Ahoy there JK and pirates!

I confess that I have little interest in troubled rock stars, but Amelia sounds quite fascinating.
Reminds me a little of characters in the immortals books which I greatly enjoyed.

You do seem to have set the bar very high indeed for the heroine though. With Amelia sacrificing her emotions in order to keep Lucifer at bay and then starting to fall for Gabriel.

Darn it, I'm gonna have to buy it to find out how she resolves this issue!

I do like short stories, both to read and to write.
I believe very much that "small is beautiful" *grin*

The mathematician in me sees the short story as analogous to an elegant proof of some theorem, while a full novel is more akin to writing Newton's principia.

Many congrats on your latest successes JK *smile*

JK Coi said...

I'm so glad everyone is showing the love for the short stories...which makes me feel like I have to say that this is NOT one of my shorts. But it's still good, I promise! LOL

JK Coi said...

LOL Q—I can always count on you to compare writing to mathematical theory  I hope you do give the book a try and let me know what you think!

Bosun said...

Janga - Maybe if you thought of a novella as one long scene, you could do it. LOL! I'm sure you can! You did write some drabbles.

Sin - *dies* Speaking of helicopter propellers, have you seen Pam's blog today? *drools*

Maggie! You're becoming the queen of the novella. You're the only one I know who churns them out as fast as JK does. And switches between the formats. Amazing discipline or deadline induced panic? LOL!

Scape - Good point about keeping the focus in the shorter stories. But I also like the longer, more drawn out stories with lots of secondary characters. I'm working right now on populating the current WIP. The setting is a tiny island that I want people to love, and I finally realized to make that happen, I need characters they'll love. Took me long enough to get that epiphany. *rolls eyes*

Bosun said...

Q always raises the conversation to a higher level. Have a scotch and settle in for this longer read.

:)

JK - Are you going to write a book for each guy in Gabriel's band? Wait, you don't necessarily say Cass is in the band. Uhm....can I get a hint? Buy a vowel??

JK Coi said...

...but I still love you :)

JK Coi said...

NO HINTS!!

Bosun said...

Dude. That's harsh.

*whispers to Chance* Ply her with more rum.

2nd Chance said...

*I'll bring out the sooper proof stuff...

I find writin' real shorts a total PITA, but I do love people who have the talent fer it!

Bosun said...

Can you at least tell us how many books you see in this series? That's not too much to ask, right?

8)

2nd Chance said...

*sneaky one, Bo'sun...if she says the same number as the member in the band...

Wait, is she reading this...?

JK Coi said...

Okay I'll spill....I'm such a sucker.

The next book is about Cass who is one of the angels, not part of Gabriel's band. In fact, he pretty much hates Gabriel and will not be sorry if he should explode into flames and save Cass the trouble of killing him personally.

I also have an idea for a third book, but it's not quite on my radar yet. We'll have to see!

Bosun said...

Aha! I knew we could break her. (That was remarkably easy. Who knew?)

You mean you don't have seven books all plotted out in your head? Seven books that will change the world forever?! (Oh wait, that's the other JK. Sorry.)

She made that look so damn easy.

JK Coi said...

Ha! LOL--I'm just changing the world ONE book at a time. My poor brain can't handle any more than that. (unless I'm magically able to quit the day job)

2nd Chance said...

Hmmmm...changing the world instead of taking it over...

Nah, I think I'd rather take it over...

So, is Cass going to be gunning for Gabriel in the second book?

JK Coi said...

Hmm. how much is too much to tell?

Bosun said...

Surely you can give us the hook. We can always count on your for the hook!

Hellion said...

We should definitely sign up Bo'sun and Chance to the CIA to get information from persons of interest. *LOL*

Though I have to agree: the other JK did make it look pretty darned easy.

I'm loving the idea of Cass's book though. I love it that not everyone loves Gabriel, even after he "changes" and gets his HEA. :)

2nd Chance said...

Yeah, ya can use that plot idea, Cap'n...

Hush, JK...we're pirates, we 'borrow' stuff we like!

Sin said...

Sin – *dies* Speaking of helicopter propellers, have you seen Pam’s blog today? *drools*

*faints* PC is my hero.

2nd Chance said...

Okay, who is Pam and where is the link to this droolfest?

2nd Chance said...

Nevermind, I just found the link.

*fans self

Kimber Chin said...

(throws panties at Gabriel)
Here's one more for your collection.
(grinning)

Got a sneak of Falling Hard.
LOVED it!
Gabriel definitely rocks... hard.

Bosun said...

That's what we should have asked. Has anyone actually ever thrown their undergarments on a stage? (That Sin has done this goes without saying.)

As many rock shows as I've seen, I've never left unmentionables behind. The girls are not of the free-flowing variety.

2nd Chance said...

I could see...maybe...bringing a spare pair to toss...if it were part of a generaly joke...

I mean, tossing a cutlass on the stage could be injurerious and open us to lawsuits...

Lawyers, the real pirates!

JK Coi said...

LOL I'm not going to comment about the things I may or may not have done at concerts. *grin*