Thanks so much for agreeing to be with us today!
Thank you so much for letting me come, despite that unfortunate incident last week…. LOL just kidding. There’s nothing. Really. (You’re going to go Google me now, you know you are! *evil cackle*)
LOL!
What 5 things should readers know about you?
- I’m horrible at public speaking…and yet, still force myself to get up in front of people because I’m a firm believer that I should always try to better myself.
- I LOVE cheesecake. it’s my go-to dessert for every occasion. I keep a database of cheesecake recipes that I’ve tried, and I love finding new recipes whenever I can. Like this one for a chocolate orange ricotta cheesecake with pistachio crust. It was a good one YUM! http://bit.ly/1Of2o2a
- I have to be in control. When I’m not, or when the outcome of a situation is unclear, I get anxious. I am trying to learn how to give up control in certain things and not expect them to be done the way I would have done it. The family thanks me for my effort.
- I love to write all kinds of different genres, and I don’t like anyone telling me to “stick to one thing” even if I really should.
- I’m a Leo. See above control issues. ‘Nough said.
Control issues? I didn’t notice… 😉
Tell us all about your main characters—who are they? What makes them tick? Most importantly, what one thing would they need to have with them if stranded on a desert isle? 😉
Leo and Bria Markham are both brilliant lawyers, but aside from that they’re actually pretty much complete opposites. Bria likes to relax and read when she’s not working, and Leo is never still. He’s got to be running, boxing, or working out. They’d be great together on an island because Bria would be the planner and Leo would be the muscle. To stay sane, she would need to have some privacy, though, and I think Leo would like to have his iPod because he loves music!
That does sound pretty ideal!
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
Without giving too much away, I had a personal experience which inspired me to write a story about a couple having trouble in their marriage, and thinking they wouldn’t be able to make it work no matter how much they loved each other, because it just hurt too much. Life is hard, and it doesn’t have to be vampire-hard or Navy Seal-hard to make a compelling and emotionally touching story. That’s why I wanted to tell it.
So true—life IS hard all on its own.
How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?
I’ve been writing for a long time. I wrote my first book for fun, but I let my grandfather read it and he told me that he liked it and he thought I had talent. Of course, every author’s grandfather is going to be their champion, but when he died I really wanted to make him proud and so I worked hard to write better and better books.
Excellent inspiration!
What do you like best about being a writer? What is the most challenging part?
The challenging part is staying focused and avoiding distractions. Life is BUSY! There’s the long and stressful day job, dinners to cook, laundry to wash, kiddo to take to hockey practice, and so many other commitments that sometimes I can’t even imagine finding time to write. But I try. Some days I’m more successful than others, and so I try again the next day.
But there’s so much satisfaction when it all comes together. That’s the best part. Feeling the rush of words fighting to get from your head to your heart and through your fingers onto the screen. Composing that perfect scene, and working the threads of conflict all together…it’s so worth it 😀
Great philosophy!
What are you working on right now? What can readers look for from you in the next year?
I’m excited about a really great holiday anthology I’ll be part of this Christmas season. It’s called Once Upon a Christmas, a Wynter Family Saga – and I can’t wait to show everyone the gorgeous cover! My good friends Maggie Robinson, Tiffany Clare, and Elyssa Patrick are also contributing stories. It’s going to be fantastic!
It sounds fantastic! Can’t wait to read it!
What authors and/or books have inspired you?
Whenever I’m asked this question, I always talk about the books I read as a younger girl, but I think today I’ll talk about the books that continue to inspire me today. Because romance has never been more vibrant, diverse, bold and meaningful. I love it all, but I’m especially happy to have read books by the following authors recently: Jessica Brockmole, Rebekah Weatherspoon, Alyssa Cole, Roan Parrish, and Santino Hassell.
(Hmmm…checking Goodreads, adding to ever-increasing TBR…)
What are you currently reading? What are your thoughts about it so far?
Right now I’ve just started reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – although I admit, I don’t have many thoughts about it just yet. But I’m looking forward to finding some tricks and advice about focusing my creativity.
I’ve heard good things…there’s a copy at work I’m considering borrowing 🙂
If you had to “sell” your book in a single Tweet, what would you say?
Leo wins every fight he takes on in both the courtroom and the boxing ring, but the fight for his wife will tear him apart.
Awesome! You’d have me sold!
About J.K. Coi:
J.K. Coi is a multi-published, award winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She makes her home in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and son and a feisty black cat who is the uncontested head of the household. While she spends her days immersed in the litigious world of insurance law, she is very happy to spend her nights writing dark and sexy characters who leap off the page and into readers’ hearts.
Media Links:
Author Website: www.jkcoi.com
Author Twitter: www.twitter.com/jkcoi
Author Facebook: www.facebook.com/JKCoiAuthor
Author Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/jkcoi
Newsletter: http://www.jkcoi.com/contact.html
WWW.TOJPUBLISHING.COM
SLEEPING WITH THE OPPOSITION
by J. K. Coi
Leo Markham has everything a man could want. Money. Power. Respect. But there’s only one thing he needs—Bria. The trouble is, she’s determined to move on, despite the breathtaking passion still between them. Sure, he’s made mistakes, but he’ll make her forgive him. He has to.
Shocked to find herself facing her devastatingly gorgeous ex as opposing counsel in the courtroom, Bria knows she can’t let Leo hurt her again. He’s the only man she’ll ever love, but he wasn’t there when she needed him most. She’s just going to have to learn to resist the pull of his lethal magnetism.
Leo is determined to win Bria back no matter what it takes. He isn’t about to lose the only woman who’s ever had his heart.
***
Excerpt:
She gritted her teeth and tried to ignore him. But ignoring Leo was not easy. It had never been easy. Ignoring Leo was like ignoring the thundering of your own heartbeat with your hand pressed right up to your chest. It was like ignoring the heavy panting of your own breaths while running a marathon. He was almost always cocky and aggressive. He was brash and confident. He was unavoidable, all-consuming, undeniable. Especially when his focus was fixed on her, which it was now. He seemed to be waiting for her to start eating, and he nodded when she put a forkful of pasta in her mouth.
“Why are you watching me like you’re a step away from forcing this food down my throat?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’m not.” Liar. He thought she’d lost too much weight but didn’t dare say anything about it. Annoyance got the better of her. “Lucky for you, it’s not your job to worry about me anymore,” she snapped. Beside her, he practically crackled with irk, and his gaze flared.
His hand slipped into her hair, and he tilted her face up to his. “You’re the strongest person I know, Bria. I don’t worry about you,” he murmured. His gaze dropped to her mouth. “I worry about what you’re doing to us.”