The Most Wonderful Time of the Year- RSJ Time!

Hi, ya'll,
I know, I know. When folks start talking about the most wonderful time of the year, you probably think of Christmas. I love that, too- although I don't care for cold weather, I love the family time and great food. But in my mind, the funnest time of year is April. Spring is in the air (I try to overlook the pollen), the temperatures are on the rise, and the Romance Slam Jam conference is poppin'!

You say you don't know about RSJ? What the what? Head on over to www.romanceslamjam.org and educate yourself about this fantastic event. Every April, hundreds of readers and authors of multicultural romance descend on one lucky city and bless it with their combined awesomeness. This year, the chosen venue is Little Rock, Arkansas, and the festivities kick off two weeks from today! I'm so excited I could bust my buttons, y'all!

So many great authors will be in attendance- Beverly Jenkins, Farrah Rochon, Gwyneth Bolton, Iris Bolling,Victoria Wells, KD King- the list goes on an on. The fabulous Sistahs of Color Reading Group is the host book club,and Laura Parker Castoro is the host author. Oh yeah- I'll be there too, if you're interested ;) - I'll be speaking and signing under both my pen names.

I have attended two previous Slams (2008 in Chicago and 2011 in Baltimore), both of which were fantastic. A plethora of great workshops, parties, and networking opportunities happen at the Slam. The environment is so friendly, probably because serious readers love authors, and we authors love them right back.

As I get myself together for this year's Slam,I thought I'd share some photos from the 2011 event in Baltimore. Can't wait to see my RSJ buddies again!

Until Next Time,
Kianna/Alexandra

My Take on Paranormal: The Gifted Among Us

I'm a dreamer, always have been. My mind is nearly always pondering some far-fetched idea, only they don't seem so far-fetched to me. My husband says I think too much. He's right- one shouldn't be up at 3 AM thinking, “Gee, I wonder what would happen if Hancock and Storm had a baby?”

I'm a fan of the movies, shows, and books that capitalize on the idea of the paranormal in the modern day world we live in. Will Smith's movie, Hancock, comes to mind as a good example. The story of a character with extraordinary powers in today's world is one that always intrigues me, though some may say it's been done to death. In the case of Hancock, the very presence of the powers that some folks might welcome is what has made the main character a lonely, bitter outcast, with the temperament of an angry fire ant. When you think about it, stories like this are really a study of the human condition, social mores, and how we treat those we perceive to be different.

That's the reason my multicultural paranormal romances, the PHOENIX Files series, take place in the very world we normal folks occupy. (Normal being a relative term ;) ) I feel that placing characters with amazing abilities in a world full of people who are uncomfortable with anything they don't understand helps draw out the character's true essence. For example, in Darkness Rising, the first book of the series, heroine Lalah Norris has spent her entire life hiding the fact that she's panthera(a panther shifter):

(click cover to purchase Kindle version)

Lalah awoke in a pool of cold, sticky blood. Her clothes clung to her like a slimy second skin, the metallic scent invading her nostrils. Corbin, Dell Christopher's thug, lay a few feet away from her, unmoving. His body was covered with claw marks, and a particularly large one traversed his chest beneath the jagged, ripped halves of his dress shirt. I must have shifted.

Her head throbbed, and she cursed. If Corbin woke up, he would demand to know how she, a petite black woman, had suddenly been replaced by a ferocious panther. It wasn't a conversation she wanted to have.

I'm not a killer. But if I'm here when he wakes up, what choice will I have?

As you can see, living life with that kind of secret complicates things...a lot. So far in the series, all the characters with special powers live this way, only sharing their secret with trusted friends and their partners in the PHOENIX organization.

PHOENIX is a covert operation which exists to use the special talents of the “supernaturally gifted” in squelching crime and bad deeds. Branches exist in every major city in the world, and work in cooperation with various law enforcement agencies to get the job done. They take on the cases INTERPOL, FBI, and all those other alphabet agencies don't want to touch.

When it comes right down to it, we all have a gift of some kind. Whether it's supernatural or not is beside the point- everybody's got at least one. Think about the things that make you a unique person. Are they points of pride, or embarrassments? I'd love to hear from you about it.

Best,

Alexandra Kane

Book News, And New Blog Endeavors

Hi, Y'all!
How was your week? Mine was pretty hectic. I've been tweeting and Facebook-ing and promo-ing like mad, to get the word out about Kissing the Captain. (In case you've been on sabbatical in Siberia or something, it's a sweet interracial historical, out now for Kindle and Nook e-readers.} I've been receiving very positive feedback on it, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my lil 'ol heart. If you've read it, please rate and review on Amazon and all those sites where book lovers gather. If you haven't read it, as we say in the South, whatcha waitin' on?
I also received my print proof this week, and I'm happy to say it looks pretty dang good! I'll likely approve it, and make it available for sale within a few days. Print book lovers, your wait will soon be over.
Also, if you'll glance to the sidebar, you'll see I'm making great progress on Book 2 in the Roses series, The Preachers' Paramour. The story is really coming together, and I hope to complete it before I board the plane next month for the Romance Slam Jam. If you don't know about the Slam, please visit the link. It is hands down THE place to be for writers and readers of multicultural romance.
If that isn't enough activity for you, I uploaded new covers for both books in the PHOENIX Files series. The new covers are embedded in the post. Ain't they purdy? All ebook versions have been updated, but I'm holding off on changing the print covers till May. I'd love to hear what you think of them, so drop me a comment or an FB message.
In other news, I'm opening up my blog to guest posts. That's right, more exciting content for you, my beloved readers :) . I'll be hosting other authors on Mondays and Fridays, beginning in April, so be sure to swing by and see what's new and hot in romance of every genre.
Well, that's all for now. Here's hoping your weekend is as awesome as I think you all are!

Until Next Time,
Kianna/Alexandra

News: Lady Jane's and The Roses of Ridgeway Series

Hi, all,
Last week was a busy one for me. I read live and in person at Lady Jane's Salon RDU this week. It was great fun, and I love getting in touch with readers one on one. The picture above is from the event.
I also wanted to let you know that the Kindle and Nook versions of Kissing the Captain are live, live, live! Not only that, but each version has also got it's very own five star review. I'm beaming with pride, and I hope more and more of you will read, rate, and review this title on Amazon, BN, Goodreads, Shelfari, Facebook...well, you get the picture. If you read it, please share it with others!
Those of you waiting on the print version, it will be available this week.
And those of you waiting on the sequel, The Preacher's Paramour, it will be available this summer. Look to your right, and you'll see the progress meter, which will help you keep up with my writing progress. I'll be updating it at least once a week. If you think I'm writing too slow, you're welcome to say so. ;)
I'm a busy bee, juggling family responsibilities with writing and promotion, but I'll holler at you again in a week or so. Until then, good health, and happy reading!

Until Next Time,
Kianna/Alexandra