Sharo
n Kleve, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about your book, Klutzy Love.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Buy links:
Barnes and Noble http://barnesandnoble.com/s/Sharon-kleve?keyword=Sharon+kleve&store=allproducts&iehack=%E2%98%A0
Publisher: Books To Go Now
Cover artist: Books To Go Now
Length: 100 pages
Heat rating: Low simmer
Tagline: Clothes are Flying and People are Dying
Blurb:
Corny is a hot chick with a great
job that she loves. All that changed in the blink of an eye when her boss had
an accident involving an oversized rubber band. She’s still a hot chick, but
her boss is dead.
Steve Spears is a seasoned
narcotics cop who ends up wanting to strangle Corny on a regular basis. After
finding out Corny’s dream of opening a pet detective business, he decides he
doesn’t want a girlfriend who routinely puts herself in danger. That’s his job!
Corny misses Steve, but she’s
getting on with her life. She decides to get a month’s worth of dating out of
the way in a single night, by combining her three favorite things—men, food,
and alcohol.
Steve’s big gun and cop’s
intuition saves Corny’s life, but not from another trip to the emergency room.
He makes Corny promise never to get hurt again—she agreed, but has her fingers
crossed behind her back.
What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?
Corny Myers, 29, Pet Detective
Steve Spears, 30, Narcotics cop
Interview
Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does
it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?
Klutzy Love, book three of The
Corny Myers Series is a paranormal romance. Klutzy Love goes back to the beginning
when Corny and Steve first meet. All three books have strong humor elements, lot’s
of interaction with animals and a sexy cop.
How do you come up with ideas?
Every Saturday and Sunday morning
my husband and I take a long walk and talk about the crazy things Corny should do
with her sidekicks (animals). He’s says he’s not a romantic guy but he comes up
with creative ideas that I would’ve never thought of. The other walkers must think
we’re crazy.
What is the most important thing you do for your career?
I joined Romance Writers of America
and the local chapter, Peninsula Romance Writers of America. I go every month to
our meetings and seminars. I volunteer as the chapter Treasurer. I went to the Emerald
City Writers conference last year and met the most incredible women and a few men.
I guess my answer is I spend time with other authors and keep educating myself.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
It makes me extremely happy…I
crack myself up.
What do you enjoy most about life?
Besides writing; my husband, my
cat, and cooking. Most recently I befriended a neighbor’s male Mallard duck. We
have deep conversations and he agrees with everything I say. He nods his head up
and down and says, “Quuack, quuack” I love a man who thinks I’m right
all the time.
Would you consider self publishing?
 |
| Be Mine |
Not right now. I feel a strong
loyalty to Jenni Conner at Books To Go Now. This is a tough industry to be in. Every
review is very personal and you can get crushed pretty easy. She’s always there
to listen and put a positive spin on things. If it wasn’t for Jenni, I wouldn’t
be where I am today.
How many hours a day to you spend writing?
I have a day job, but I’m able
to squeeze in at least two-four hours daily and I write four to five hours on Saturday.
Writing fulfills me like nothing else ever has.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading your
work?
A big laugh, a big smile and a
better appreciation for animals… ha ah!
List two authors we would find you reading when taking
a break from your own writing.
Janet Evanovich & J.D. Robb.
In both series, the authors create wonderful and exciting relationships between
the heroine and the hero.
Why do you write?
Why do I write? Well, because the little voices in my head tell
me to—seriously, I’ve always talked to myself—now I put the voices on paper.
I was a late bloomer and didn’t start my love of reading until
I was in my twenties and then I couldn’t get enough of the wonderfully, smutty Harlequin
books.
I’ve worked in the government sector for fifteen years and always
dreamed of having a job that I could work from home. This crazy idea came to me
one night, after reading a particularly sizzling romance. Why not try my hand at
writing one? So, out of the blue I told my husband I was going to write a Harlequin
novel. He said, “Okay.”
I figured I’d read enough of them, I could write one—no problem.
Eight thousand words later; I realized it was harder than I thought. I also realized,
I wasn’t writing what I was most comfortable with—animals.
I put my Harlequin attempt on the back burner and started writing
“The Boss from Hell”. My boss, who I adored, had been fired and his replacement
was a living-terror. It was really easy to come up with material to write about
and of course I threw in a bunch of romance and of course animals. Ninety thousand
words later I was still optimistic that I could write for a living, but I’d need
a lot of support, my cat couldn’t give me. The support came in the form of Romance
Writers of America and all the people involved in the local chapter.
Several of the members of my local chapter read my book and made
numerous suggestions, one of them came from an independent publisher—Books to Go
Now. She told me to put the novel aside for now and try my hand at a short story.
That’s where I incorporated the paranormal aspect to my writing and it really clicked
for me.
I submitted ‘Flamingo Blues’, as a Christmas short story to Books
to Go Now and I was offered my first contract. ‘Be Mine’, a Valentine short story,
is book two of ‘The Corny Meyers Series’ and in addition to a contract, I won the
holiday contest too. Woo hoo! Klutzy Love is book three of ‘The Corny Myers Series’,
which came out in August 2012.
I’ve been a jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none, my whole life.
I’ve worked in restaurants, weight loss centers, worked in a fish cannery and even
worked in a top salon in Seattle, but none of that was as satisfying as seeing my
own words in print.
That is why I write….
 |
| Flamingo Blues |
If money were not an object, where would you most like
to live?
Italy. I would sit in a relaxing chair in my beautifully manicured
garden. Eat bruschetta made from my home grown tomatoes, basil, and olive oil, on
warm baguettes. Well, to be honest, I do that now, but Italy would be awesome.
Picture yourself as a store. Considering your personality
and lifestyle, what type of products would be sold there?
It would be an unusual book store,
only selling eBooks. You could bring in your Kindle or Nook, and sit in a comfy
chair and read through the latest eBook menu. You’d select your download and then
come to the counter and purchase a gourmet sandwich, salad, wine, or beer and then
enjoy your read.
As a child, what was your favorite thing about school?
Show and tell; I could always
find a bug or frog to bring in and talk about. My love of animals hasn’t diminished
over the years, only gotten stronger.
If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
“Warning: May be nuts.”
Please Fill in the Blanks
I love pizza with roasted garlic, andouille sausage, mushrooms, and black olives.
I’m always ready for a good steamy romance and a glass of chardonnay.
When I’m alone, I think about my husband and what I’m going to feed him for dinner.
You’d never be able to tell, but I’m not a natural red head.
If I had a halo it would be
a pitch fork.
If I could be an animal, I’d be a bald eagle and rule over all the other birds.
I can never bungee jump because I’m afraid of heights.
Find Me Here
Website: http://sharonkleve.com/
Blog: http://authorsharonkleve.blogspot.com/
