Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?
I was born in a small town in rural Michigan. We moved around a lot – I’ve lived in every region of the United States – but the majority of my family is still located within twenty miles from where I was born. My hometown has a great festival in the fall called Frontier Days. It’s my favorite time of year in Michigan – fresh, warm apple cider and homemade donuts from the cider mill, Frontier Day parade on Main Street, drinks at the saloon, rodeo…good stuff!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I can honestly say I have wanted to be a writer since I was about seven. I’d make up stories and put on plays for my parents. My step-mom, who has always been my greatest supporter, handed me a romance novel when I was a teen and said, “You could do that.” Over the years, I’ve toyed with one story or another – always writing something – but it wasn’t until I turned 40 that I said, ok. Enough is enough. I’m doing this. J
Tell us about your latest book.
One Night Stand is a story about a woman, Amanda Martin, who is fed up with relationships that don’t work. Amanda has never been frivolous with her love life, but she decides that it’s time to shake things up. No relationship, no promises, no fear of getting hurt. Just sex. What she doesn’t anticipate is meeting a sexy-as-sin stranger who will give her pleasure unlike any she’s ever known.
Joe Sterling has spent his life avoiding relationships, his former job as a military sniper not allowing for such commitments. Now he’s come home to Texas, to let go of the past and to prove he is more than the killer he’s been trained to be.
When Amanda’s life is threatened, Joe’s killer instinct is tested while Amanda struggles to protect her heart. Will they succumb to their overwhelming desire for each other, or lose it all by letting the past dictate their future?
Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?
I am working on Book 2 in the Martin Family series. This one is Caleb’s story and is shaping up to be quite a ride. J I am also working on a novella that combines two of my favorite things – sex and baseball. Stay tuned!
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
Keep writing. Don’t quit. Keep writing. Stay true to your story, your voice. Keep writing. Stay positive. Did I mention keep writing?
Rejection is a part of the game we play. Even the greatest writers of all time have files filled with rejections. Don’t let rejection stop you. Tastes differ, needs change. Learn from your mistakes. Be open to advice from those who know more than you about the craft. But most of all…keep writing.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
For me, there is nothing that will clear my head like a good, hard…workout. When I get stuck, I head to the gym. It’s the most effective tool I have found thus far to clear my thoughts and let the story flow through again.
Who is your favorite author and why?
Kathleen Woodiwiss is my all-time favorite author. The Flame and the Flower was the very first romance novel I ever read – and I still read it once a year. Kathleen was a pioneer in our industry. She wasn’t afraid to break the rules. And she could write vivid imagery like no other.
How did you deal with rejection letters?
Rejection is hard. I don’t care who you are or how thick your skin is. I give myself a (very) brief moment to feel bad, and then I hike up my big girl panties and get back to work. I do my best not to dwell on it.
Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?
My lines are fuzzy and dotted. My primary focus is always on the connection – the romance – between the hero and heroine. I’ve learned not to force anything. There are certain words I don’t like, so I don’t use them. Other than that, I follow where my characters lead.
Don’t forget to give us links to your website etc.
www.parkerkincade.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/parkerkincade
One Night Stand
Parker Kincade
Amanda Martin has the worst taste in men. After being cheated on not once, but twice, she’s lost all faith in men…and in herself. Determined to regain her confidence, Amanda decides to have a one-night stand. No relationship, no promises, no threat of being hurt again…just sex. What she doesn’t anticipate is meeting a handsome-as-sin stranger who will give her pleasure unlike any she’s ever known.
Joe Sterling has spent his life avoiding relationships, his former job as a military sniper not allowing for such commitments. Now he’s come home to Texas, to let go of the past and to prove he is more than the killer he’s been trained to be.
When Amanda’s life is threatened, Joe’s killer instinct is tested while Amanda struggles to protect her heart. Will they succumb to their overwhelming desire for each other, or lose it all by letting the past dictate their future?
I live in a small town in the South and am surrounded by the best friends a girl could ask for, as well as a family who supports my writing habit without hesitation.
When I’m not sitting at my laptop desperately trying to shush the voices in my head, I usually have my nose stuck in a book or have loud music playing while I create a fun new recipe in the kitchen. No matter what I’m doing, I’m usually flanked by my Boxer, who I absolutely adore.
I’ve been writing since I was a young girl. My beloved stepmother, who always said I was a hopeless romantic, introduced me to romance novels when I was in my early teens. I remember that first book, which I still read once a year, and I think every man I have ever met has been measured, in some form or fashion, with the hero from that story.
That’s the power of a good romance. It turns us on, makes us laugh, makes us cry…it feeds our soul.
Oh, how the times have changed from those early swashbucklers! Nowadays, bookstores are full with an abundance of alpha males and the women who can stand toe-to-toe with them and take them down. And I love every gun-toting sword-wielding sports playing DNA altered vampire shape-shifting demon on the shelf.
I’ll admit I’m a huge book junkie. At my house, deciding what I’m going to read next is a little like shopping at the bookstore! So many to choose from, and I just keep buying them.
Some of my favorite authors, in no particular order, are Lora Leigh, Lorelei James, Larissa Ione, Maya Banks, Gena Showalter, Kresley Cole, and Sherrilyn Kenyon . . . just to name a few!
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Thank you so much for having me here today!
~Parker
Great post, Parker! I totally agree that lines are “fuzzy and dotted” when writing stories like these. As long as you stay true to your story and your characters, then I think the lines redefine themselves based on any particular scene/book.
You are so right about that, Mandy! Thank you!