Monday, July 16, 2012

Author Interview & Giveaway: Debra Kayn (Rodeo Rebel)

Today I welcome Debra Kayn to My Reading Room.  Debra is the author of Rodeo Rebel, a recently released contemporary romance from Entangled Publications' Indulgence line, which I reviewed last week.  I loved the book and really enjoyed interviewing Debra too!  Grab your favorite cuppa and enjoy the interview and then be sure and check out my review if you haven't already.  Then enter the giveaway below as well so you can win your own copy of Rodeo Rebel!   So welcome Debra!

 
Describe the area you write in.
I always write at my desk. It’s large…like an old-fashion teacher’s desk. The desk is in our family room, because I can stay focused on writing longer if the kids are noisy, tv’s blaring, and the dogs are wrestling. Maybe it’s a mother’s gift that I can zone everything out and slip into my story.

What's your favorite season?
Winter! I love snow. The more, the better! I enjoy being out in the cold, and being able to wear boots, sweaters, and scarfs.

Describe your ideal reading space (no expense spared here).
All I need is a blanket and a body of water. I love reading by our creek. The noise from the water, the birds, the wind relaxes me. I can lose hours if I’m reading outside.

Crystal: I'm with you there, here it's the ocean for me, but I'm even happy in my backyard, there is just something magical about being outside (except for right now when it's 90+ degrees )

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
At this moment, I’d go to North Dakota. I know, weird answer. But, our place is for sale and the minute it sells, we’re going to be moving to North Dakota. My husband grew up there, and I’ve never been to the area. Since I’ve only lived in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, I’m anxious to see how flat it is in person. The pictures make it look like the plains are on top of the world and if you keep walking, I’ll fall off. I also want to see sunrises and sunsets. Living in the coastal mountains of Oregon, I don’t get to see them break the horizon.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
About 5 years ago, I took the jump from writing for myself to wondering if I could ever get a book published. Before that it was always in my mind that I could never be a real author. lol

What's the first sentence of Rodeo Rebel?
 The nerves hit her every time she planned to throw her leg over an eighteen-hundred-pound pissed off bull, and today was no different.

Do you have a favorite line in Rodeo Rebel?
 “Whatever you’re imagining in that bull head of yours, you better rope yourself tight, because I’ll buck you every step.” She sauntered closer. “Maybe you’re all muscles and little smarts. I had a dog like that once. He damn near chewed his own leg off before he realized it wasn’t a bone.”

Tell us what is Rodeo Rebel about.

In my words…
When Florentine comes home to the McDougal ranch for her sister's wedding, bringing along her sexy sponsor and his little girl, it'll take some sass and butt kickin' to convince Cole she's not a high risk and to take a chance on love. She's already fallen in love with his rambunctious daughter, now she has to convince Cole she loves him too.

And, the official blurb….
When widower and land baron Cole Reardon acquired the Turner Grain Corporation, he didn't know the company sponsored a bull rider. He refuses to support thrill-seekers dumb enough to get on the back of a crazed animal. He’s not willing to risk his fortune and livelihood when he has his daughter's well-being to consider. Not even when the bull rider is the sexiest woman he's ever seen.

Bull rider Florentine McDougal plans to turn pro after the season championship, fulfilling her lifelong dream of succeeding in a man’s world. That is, until Cole Reardon shows up and threatens to break his sponsorship contract with her. Now everything she’s worked for is less than eight seconds away from being destroyed.

Cole distracts Florentine with his sexy mouth and unreasonable demands, and he's not going to compromise his integrity. But she's not going to let him loose until she has pro status. And neither will come away from this dust-up unscathed.
Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble


Dish, who’s your favorite character?
Florentine! I have to admire a woman who is competitive and has worked her way up in the ranks of a man’s sport. She’s also balanced the roles of being a tough woman with a soft heart that impresses me.

How did you feel when you finished Rodeo Rebel?
Well, after I stopped crying after writing the ending (yes, it even reduced me to tears), I had a rush of relief. I knew I’d captured a deeper love with Florentine and Cole, and couldn’t wait for my readers to give me their opinion.

Rodeo Rebel is part of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series, where does it fit in the series and what other books are/will be in the series?

Rodeo Rebel is the 4th book of the series, but is easily a stand-alone book. The only benefit of reading them in order would be to learn about their daddy without having any spoilers.

There’s one more book to go in the series. Bisette is still single and singing on the stage. I’m currently ¾ of the way through her book, so it shouldn’t be too much longer until I can get that one out to readers.

Although, going by the emails I get from readers, they’ve asked for Craig and Ryan’s stories too. So, I might have to do a spinoff of the men of Pike, Montana.


For all of us impatient readers, what is up next for you?
I’ve recently received a contract for another Indulgence book that’ll come out this November. It’s a brand new beginning to a series about professional athletes and the women who love them despite their big, um, egos.


Thanks Debra!

Thank you so much for having me here today!

About Debra Kayn:
Multi-published Romance Author, Debra Kayn, lives with her family in the beautiful coastal mountains of Oregon on a hobby farm. During the summer, she enjoys riding motorcycles, gardening, playing tennis, and fishing. During the winter, you’ll find her outside playing in the snow. A cold weather nut, she lives for the days she’s snowbound and fighting with the woodstove to keep the house warm when the power goes out. A huge animal lover, she always has a dog under her desk when she writes and chickens standing at the front door looking for a treat. She's famous in her family for teaching a 270 lb pig named Harley to jog with her every morning.

Her love of family ties and laughter makes her a natural to write heartwarming contemporary stories to the delight of her readers. As someone who met her husband on a blind date when she was nineteen years old, she’s a believer of love at first sight and happily ever after.

Giveaway:
Entangled Publishing and the author are giving away one ebook copy of Rodeo Rebel and you will want to read this book. Open international. Ends 7/23/12. Simply fill out Rafflecopter below. The only required entry is a free entry.  Thank you to Debra and Entangled Publishing for this giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway