Welcome Today's Featured Author
Kat Mizera!!!
Her first three books came out in April and are about a
fictional NHL team, the Las Vegas Sidewinders. Each book focuses on one player… She tries to create characters that are realistic, men that aren’t all alphas, and
women that aren’t 22 and perfect.
Book 1
in the series, Dominic, is FREE! Check it out here:
Synopsis:
Dom Gianni takes a lot of punishment in the hockey rink, but when he sees Molly McCarran getting beaten up by her husband, he’s ready to throw down his gloves and fight for her. But Molly isn’t about to trust another man—and Dom is already skating on thin ice with his NHL-mandated probation. Besides, how could a hotshot player like Dom really care about a woman so much older than he? Then a kidnapping ups the stakes. If Molly can’t believe in Dom, and if he can’t dig deep to save her, it might be the final buzzer for them both.
Book 2 in her series is Drake and
Erin's story. She's a Marine who was badly scarred in an IED explosion in
Afghanistan and he's a hunky hockey player looking for the right woman... her
past is about to throw them both for a loop and they're in for a wild ride.
Synopsis:
Drake Riser is a tough guy on the ice, but deep down he just wants to
settle down. Major Erin Gentry has physical and emotional scars from an
IED explosion. When they meet at a masquerade ball, Drake thinks Erin is
exactly what he needs, but she thinks she’s too damaged to get involved
with the gorgeous hockey hunk. Erin is trying to figure out what
happened two years ago and put her demons to rest, while someone from
her past is trying to destroy her. Drake is ready to do anything to give
them a shot at love, but will they be able to put the pieces together
in time to win the face-off--and the game?
Please Note: This book is a stand alone HEA and can be enjoyed on its own, but it is part of the Las Vegas Sidewinders series. This is a new contemporary sports romance meant for audiences 18 and over.
Please Note: This book is a stand alone HEA and can be enjoyed on its own, but it is part of the Las Vegas Sidewinders series. This is a new contemporary sports romance meant for audiences 18 and over.
Excerpt:
Drake
knew it was now or never, so he lifted her right leg, bending it at the knee
and letting her foot rest on the bed. Staring at the rough, mottled skin, he
could see places that had healed better than others, but they were the
exception. Most of her thigh was destroyed; he had to force himself to focus on
the places where the damage had gone all the way down to the bone, leaving the
leg slightly misshapen, with indentions that would probably never look normal
again. It was horrific, yet instead of seeing the ugly visual, all he could see
in his mind’s eye was her pain. He now had no doubts about why she’d had so
much trouble moving on with her life; healing from these burns had to have been
the type of misery nightmares were made of.
Placing a gentle kiss on her knee, he swiped at his eyes,
fighting emotions he couldn’t quite articulate. Thinking about how her body had
become this scarred gutted him; he didn’t know if he would have been able to
come as far as she had if he’d been the one who’d been hurt. All he could think
about was taking this pain from her, and he’d never felt like that before. He’d
thought showing her his acceptance of her body would be good for her; it never
occurred to him it would change him too.
As he
continued down her leg, he found the marbled hyperpigmentation wasn’t too bad
on her calf, light brown and faded compared to the burns on her thigh. He ran
his hands along the skin, his fingertips tracing lines along the marks as he
wondered how she was feeling. Did she have any idea how much her broken body
moved him? Knowing this had happened to her because she was proud enough to
fight for her country meant more to him than he could express. He played sports
for a living and complained when he pulled a muscle; he didn’t even deserve to
share the same air as someone like Erin.
“Isn’t it terrible?” she whispered, startling him.
He shook his head abruptly, blinking up at her. The
emotion running through him made it hard to talk and he licked his lips as he
struggled to come up with an answer.
“Are you…okay?” Her eyes met his in surprise, her fingers
traveling to his face.
“I’m, uh, I’m just…” He had to swallow before he could
find his voice. “I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine how much this must have hurt,
or how much you suffered.” He slid his hands up to her waist, pulling her
closer. “I hurt for you, Erin. I don’t think it’s ugly at all; I think it’s a
badge of honor.”
Tears puddled in her eyes as she stared at the amazing
human being on the bed with her. She reached for him, her hands shaking
slightly as he pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want you to hurt,” she
whispered. “I already hurt enough for both of us—I want you to make me feel
alive again. I don’t feel better knowing I made you hurt too.”
“I know, baby.” He kissed the side of her face, letting
her curl into his body, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. They fit
together perfectly and he felt the misery draining out of him.
“Please don’t hurt for me, Drake.” A tear slid down her
cheek and she swiped at it with the back of her hand.
He stroked her back. “I’m okay. I just can’t believe how
much you’ve been through, and how much you’ve endured. You make me ashamed that
I’m just an athlete.”
Her head snapped up and she looked at him in surprise.
“What happened to me didn’t happen because of you—or anyone, really. It
happened because there are bad people in the world. That doesn’t make what you
do frivolous.”
“But you put yourself in the line of fire. You make the
sacrifice so that I can play hockey and drive a nice car and take lavish
vacations! Meanwhile, you’re in debt and dealing with injuries I can’t even
imagine. It seems like I, or people like me, should do more.”
“You are doing it,” she smiled faintly. “You’re here with
me, making me forget about all that. When you make love to me, Drake, I forget
all about my burns and Afghanistan and everything. You make me happy just the
way you are—I don’t want you to feel guilty. I want you to keep on being you,
because I really like you a lot.”
“I like you a lot too.” He rolled onto his back and
pulled her on top of him. “And I’d like to show you how much.”
Book 3 is about Karl and Kate. He’s a 6’4” goalie from
Sweden who’s so hot women line up around the arena to get to him. Kate’s a PR
whiz with a few extra pounds who can’t believe he’s in love with her. Karl
likes it a little kinky in the bedroom, too, which ups the hot factor more than
a little. Just when things are going well, his ex shows up and throws both of
them into a tailspin—this is a story you cannot miss!
Author Bio:
Kat Mizera is a South
Florida native. Born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of
wanderlust, she's called Los Angeles, Long Island, upstate New York,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Atlanta home. She's never been able
to pick which locale is her favorite, but if pressed, she’d probably choose the
west coast.
Kat's a typical PTA mom with a wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max). When she's not writing, she's either scrapbooking or indulging in her second love (after writing) – traveling. Greece is one of her favorite places in the world. She loves that Athens is a big city with a small-town feel. The food, beaches and culture keep her going back as often as possible. She hopes to retire there one day so she can spend her days writing books on the beach.
Kat has been a working freelance writer for nearly 30 years. She sold her first article--a review of a rock concert--for $10 in 1985. Since then she's been an entertainment journalist (working with bands like Saigon Kick, Bangalore Choir and Julliet), waitress, bartender, legal assistant, food critic, magazine editor, substitute teacher, and sports writer. She also spent some time working at A & M Records in Los Angeles.
As you can guess from her series, the Las Vegas Sidewinders, Kat loves hockey. She is also a freelance hockey writer, covering her favorite team, the Florida Panthers, and any other teams that have an interesting story.The rest of the time, she writes novels: sexy, romantic fiction that she hopes makes you as happy as it makes her. There's something enticing about hockey players and romance...
Social Media:
http://www.katmizera.com/ (web site with link to sign up for newsletter)
Interview With Kat Minzera:
1. Can you tell us a little about your books?
I
write erotic romance with graphic sex scenes that do not overpower the
romance and suspense, when applicable. My books feature heroes that are
tough but sweet and heroines who aren't all 22 and perfect. Each book in
the Las Vegas Sidewinders series focuses on a different player on the
team and I try to make the stories about more than just falling in love.
In Book 1, the heroine is trying to get away from a physically and
mentally abusive husband. In Book 2, the heroine is a US Marine who was
blown up in an IED in Afghanistan and badly scarred. Book 3 focuses on a
woman who struggles with her weight. The upcoming book 4 will be about a
woman whose marriage ended unexpectedly and trying to deal with her
feelings of failure while falling in love again.
The books can be read as stand alones, but because of the many recurring characters, it's always more fun to read in order, especially since Book 1 is perma-free.
I've been a writer all my life and started writing stories when I was about 6 or 7. I've been an entertainment and sports journalist for much of my career and never thought writing fiction was something I could do professionally. Last year, after having a lot of down time after surgery, I decided I had nothing to lose and wrote the first 5 books in the Sidewinders series in 6 months. I figured it was time to publish something!
4. What inspires you to write?
Almost everything! Scenery, travel, good times with friends--it depends on what strikes a chord at the time! Life in general inspires me, and then sometimes something really new or special... like the sunset in Hawaii or relaxing on the beach in Greece. It depends on the day.
5. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
Both. Usually I start writing and when I feel like the story is going somewhere I sketch out an outline so that I have a goal and know the ending.
6. Do you have a favorite spot to write?
The beach... although that's harder now that I use a laptop instead of a notebook. I try to bring the laptop to the pool during the week when it's not very busy and I can get a seat under an umbrella. During the winter, my office is my happy place!
7. Do you have a favorite food or drink you must have nearby when writing?
Coffee in the morning and Sangria at night! Though not too much... just enough to relax me and keep me in the mood. I don't eat a lot when I write, I'm not sure why.
8. What are writing projects are you currently working on?
Book 5 in the Sidewinders series (Zakk's story) and a new series for 2017--Club Inferno--about a sex club that the hero wins in a lawsuit! Heavy romance and moderate BDSM--but the sex is pretty hot!
I have read all three of these books and cannot wait for book #4. Kat has such a complex and clever writing style you forget that she is a new author. Her story lines are fascinating and advanced, her plots have so many twists and turns you will forget these characters are fictitious, and think of them as your friends. The sex scenes are erotic but not raunchy, again a perfect combo of "just enough" and not "too much." Sports themed but the hockey is a thin line running through the series so if you are not a big sports fan - no worries, you will not be lost and you will still love it. Warning - these books are real page-turners, plan on reading them cover to cover because they cannot be put down.
ReplyDeleteI love Kat's books they are FANTASTIC! You will fall in love with All of her characters! I truly love this series and am excited there are more to come!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved everyone of her books and can not wait for the next one in the series! I especially loved Dominic with the older woman, young hot guy theme....
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