Baiting the Boss by Coleen Kwan -- Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Coleen will be awarding a $10 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Coleen stopped by to chat with us a bit. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I write primarily contemporary romance and a little steampunk romance on the side. I love reading contemporary romance, which is probably why I like writing it! I like to identify with the characters in a book and their situations. I like their conflicts to be grounded in the real world. Now what about steampunk, you may ask? Well, I like writing steampunk because it gives me a chance to go where contemporary romance can’t. It’s an opportunity to think up weird characters and outlandish inventions and have some over-the-top fun. Writing and reading steampunk exercises other parts of the imagination and I believe gives me an extra edge when I return to contemporary romance. What research (or world-building – for fantasy/paranormal/Sci-fi) is required?

When creating my characters it always helps me if I can picture them in my head. So some of my research involves staring at pictures of man candy. Lucky me! I also spend time trying to find the perfect picture of my heroines, not always an easy task. I often research settings and occupations and sometimes obscure things like how long a helicopter flight would take to a certain destination.

When it comes to steampunk, I research inventions because even though my steampunk inventions are purely fictional, I like them to sound as if they might be plausible.

Research can be fascinating and also a great way to procrastinate!

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

The hero and heroine of my latest book, Baiting the Boss, share a love for laksa. Now I don’t eat much laksa, so I researched a lot of recipes for this dish to make it sound authentic in my book. Hopefully I succeeded!

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I think most writers are a little odd and quirky :-) I can’t seem to start writing until I’ve had a cup of English Breakfast tea with plenty of milk. When I’m writing I have a spreadsheet so I can obsessively keep track of my daily word count.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

My Capricorn birthdate dictates that I am a plotter by nature. I like to have my plot broken down by chapters so I know where I’m heading when I sit down to write. At the same time, if an idea hits me while I’m writing, I’m happy to follow it and see where it leads me. If it’s a dead end, then I always have my plotted out chapters to get me back on the right path.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

Um, you don’t want to know, but it’s a pile of ratty shoes on the floor looking rather sad and untidy. Housework is a low priority with me.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I have a novella coming out next month which is part of a Christmas anthology. I’m excited to be appearing alongside authors Karen Erickson, Cindi Madsen, and Roxanne Snopek.

Do you have a question for our readers?

What prompts you to buy a new-to-you author? Is it the book cover, the blurb, the reviews, the price? Or maybe a recommendation from your friends? I would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks for having me on your blog today!

For years Grace Owens harbored a secret crush on her boss, Jack Macintyre, the heir to the Macintyre Corporation. But after tragedy upends his life, Jack relocates to a remote tropical island, cutting off all contact with his past. Now Grace’s new boss issues an ultimatum: return Jack to the family fold or pack her briefcase and move on.

When Grace turns up at Jack's bungalow, he can’t deny his attraction to the fiery woman determined to lure him out of his tropical paradise. He lets her bait him with temptation, but little does she know that returning to his old life is not an option—he’s nobody’s boss, and he likes it that way. Grace is playing a game she can’t win.

Or can she? Will Jack give up his island paradise to help Grace keep her job? If he stays, she'll lose her job. But if he goes, she'll lose her heart.

About the Author:

Coleen Kwan has been a bookworm all her life. At school English was her favorite subject, but for some reason she decided on a career in IT. After many years of programming, she wondered what else there was in life — and discovered writing. She loves writing contemporary romance and steampunk romance.

Coleen lives in Sydney, Australia with her partner and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys avoiding housework, eating chocolate, and watching Criminal Minds.

Website: www.coleenkwan.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ColeenKwan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/coleenkwan.authorpage
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5210210.Coleen_Kwan

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.