Welcome Imari Jade

Today I'm welcoming the amazing author, Imari Jade. Please make her feel welcome and say hi.

1.  How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?
I’ve been writing a little over twenty-two years. Inspiration came out of desperation. I was a single parent raising three kids and needed a part-time job to supplement my full-time job. I couldn’t drive and I didn’t have a baby-sitter so I knew I had to find something I could do that didn’t involve leaving the home. So I began writing fillers and articles for magazines. Then I advanced up to short stories and finally I took the big step and wrote a novel.

2.  What influenced you to get published? How long did it take? Can you tell us the name of your first published work?
In 2006, a new romance publisher named Stardust Press held a Christmas novel writing contest. I wrote ‘A Christmas to Remember’ in fifteen days. The prize was a publishing contract. ‘A Christmas to Remember’ was published in December 2006.

3.  What genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet?
Wow, that’s a good one since I think I’ve written books in just about every genre. But I think it would be a suspense novel.

4.  Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this? Can you tell us something unglamorous you did within the last week or so?
Glamorous? Well in my head I think that writers like Anne Rice or J. K. Rowling might live a glamorous life, but not me. The most unglamorous thing I did within the last week was clean the mud from my tennis shoes. My house is under construction. I have to have it elevated, so the contractors have dug these big holes around the house. Well, along came Tropical Storm Lee and the dirt turned to mud and I had to trudge through it just to get up the driveway. Then I had to jump over big muddy holes.  So now I had mud all over my clothes and my tennis shoes were so gross, but I scrubbed them and then tossed them into the washing machine. After that I had to mop the house because now all of us had tracked mud inside. About a half hour after I mopped the grandchildren came by for a visit. About ten minutes after that one of my grandsons spilled cereal and milk all over my newly mopped floor. I could go on, but I think I’ve proven my point. 

5. What do you do when you’re suffering from writer’s block?
I don’t normally get writers block. I usually get characters that refuse to speak to me. I’ve written them into brick walls, I’ve created cliff-hanger that I can’t humanly get them out of and I’ve also paired them with mates so completely opposite that they can’t get into a normal healthy relationship. When this happens I usually put the manuscript aside and read a romance novel or watch a movie. I wait a couple of days and then go back and re-read what I’ve written and revisit the character workup for something I can use to get the characters to take over and continue writing the story for me. Every now and then I have to abandon a manuscript because it’s just not doing anything. I never throw it away, I just put it aside until my muse feels like being bothered with it and then I start writing on it again.

6.  Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?
Creating the manuscript ‘In Deep Kimchi’ and receiving email from fans who just love the book. It is by far the most unorthodox novel I’ve written to date, and it’s the one nearest and dearest to my heart. It’s about a middle aged African American woman who is going through the forty year itch. Her kids are grown, her husband is dead and then she meets a 25 year old Japanese pop singer who doesn’t care about the vast age difference or what society will think of their relationship. I hadn’t planned on turning this into a series, but the fans just couldn’t get enough of it. ‘In Deep Kimchi’ was followed by ‘Saranghae (I Love You),’ and book three in the series ‘Passion Fruit.’ has just passed the final edits with the publisher. I’m working on book four as we speak.

7.  What do you enjoy doing with our spare time, your non-writing time?
Believe it or not I spend my spare time watching Japanese anime, Asian movies and dramas and reading manga. I’m hooked. I often joke about having Amazon.com on speed dial. I now have a very extensive collection of DVDs. This not only helps me relax but also helps me gain a working knowledge about this culture. 

8.  If you found, that for some reason or another, you couldn’t write anymore, what would you like to do instead?
Probably travel. My original answer was die. There’s nothing else I like better than writing, but if that happens, I would like to travel and see the world. I’ve lived in Louisiana all my life and it took a powerful hurricane to get me to leave and to discover that there is life outside the Deep South.

9.  What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?
I’m working on a paranormal romance about a young woman who witnesses the murder of the mayor of her town and is put into the witness protection program because the murderer knows who she is and is trying to kill her. The FBI has assigned a bodyguard to watch over and protect her until she testifies against the man, but then she begins to notice him performing superhuman fetes and wonders if just maybe he’s not exactly who he appears to be.

10.  Are you in love? Have you ever been?
No, I’m not in love at the moment. I think I might have thought I was in love a couple of times, but as I look back now I’d probably have to answer no. I am in lust with a South Korean pop singer. Unfortunately a sea and a twenty-five year age difference separate us.

And here a little more information on the woman behind the sexy stories:

Imari Jade hails from Marrero, Louisiana, where she works as a financial analyst. She collects anime and Asian drama and considers herself a multi-genre author. She is the mother of three sons and does the bulk of her writing riding on a bus to and from work five days a week. Currently she writes for Sugar and Spice Press, Siren-Bookstrand, Melange Books, Moongypsy Press, Phaze Books, Wild Horse Press, Carnal Desire Publishing, Eternal Press and Total E-Bound. 

And now, that sexy excerpt I know you've all been waiting for:

Just Released

From

Sugar and Spice Press

http://sugarnspicepress.com/

TWISTED

 By

Imari Jade

(Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.)

Release Date:  September 3, 2011

$4.99

BUY HERE

Billionaire inventor and entrepreneur, Ballentina Ferrari accidently discovers that her live-in boyfriend, Erik Masters is cheating on her. And despite the fact that her friends have been telling her this for years, sweet and innocent Tina doesn’t believe them until she sees it with her own eyes. 

The only thing that has been keeping her sane is her weekly martial arts lessons with the quiet and reserve Kevin Chen, who has now become her business partner. Kevin likes Tina but would never think of interfering in her relationship until one day he too sees Erik cheating and right in front of Tina. Will he just stand idly by and watch the girl of his dreams suffer, or will Tina finally wise up?

Excerpt

Kevin came back in carrying a tray of oils and sat it down on the cabinet next to the table. “I’m just going to adjust the music and the lights,” he told her.

“Okay,” Tina said feeling a little self-conscious now about being nude in a small room with Kevin. The music changed to rhythm and blues and the lights dimmed.

“I think you will be more comfortable now,” he explained.

No, in fact it had the opposite effect. Tina smiled weakly, thinking now how romantic music and dimmed lighting took on a whole new meaning.

Kevin adjusted the sheet, lowering it around her shoulders and tucking it just below her shoulder-blades. She heard him move the little bottles around on the tray, and then she felt his hands on her shoulders.

“Just relax,” he told her. “Close your eyes and enjoy the music.”

Oh, that feels so good, Tina thought. Kevin had big hands and nimble fingers and after a few minutes he had her so relaxed she didn’t care about her state of nakedness beneath the sheet.

She felt a draft on her back as he adjusted the sheet again, and then his fingers moved down her back. Kevin didn’t say a word as he worked his way down her spine.

“Ooh,” Tina said as he worked her lower lumbar area and her sides. His hands went down to her hips and his fingers gripped both sides and squeezed. His fingers were dangerously close to her behind but he didn’t lift the sheet. His fingers kneaded the side of each cheek near the hip to work out the stiffness.

“Your glutes are phenomenal,” he replied.

This is so embarrassing, Tina thought as he gripped her hips again and pressed his fingers into them.

Kevin worked his way down the left leg to her feet and then continued on to her right side. Her body took on a new meaning of tense as he massaged her toes.

“You can turn over now,” Kevin said, adjusting the sheet back up to her neck.

Tina rolled over and sat up and watched Kevin as he poured her a glass of iced tea. She tucked the sheet around her breasts and held it so it wouldn’t slip. Kevin walked back over to the table and handed her the iced tea. She kept one hand on the sheet.

“I hope you like oolong.”

“Never tried it,” Tina said. She sipped the tea. “This is good.”

“And it’s good for you,” Kevin told her like a doctor. He paused. “How do you feel so far?”

“Your hands are magical,” she said looking at him. He lifted a glass of tea and saluted her.

“Thank you. I hope I’m not massaging too roughly.”

“No, you’re doing an excellent job.” She sipped the tea again, very aware that he was staring at her. “I didn’t realize I was so tense.”

“It’s from sitting all day behind a computer,” he told her. “I recommend that you get a massage at least once or twice a month.”

“Most of the massage parlors are closed by the time I get off of work,” Tina replied.

“Then I’ll do it. I can fit you in whenever you need it.”

“You know I was a little embarrassed at first to be naked under this sheet, but you’re very professional.”

Kevin put down his glass of iced tea. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You are a beautiful woman.”

Tina sipped the tea, not out of thirst but for the rush of heat in her loins.

“Why are you blushing?” Kevin asked. “I’m sure men have complimented you on your looks before.”

“Not lately,” Tina said. She took a big sip of the tea, suddenly aware that the rest of her body was responding to the conversation. She handed Kevin the glass and lay back on the table.

“May I?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Kevin adjusted the sheet to the top of her breasts, pausing slightly and then smiling.

Tina blushed, sure that he got a glimpse of her erect nipples even though the sheet covered them. “Your cologne is nice,” she told him to change the subject.

Kevin began massaging her clavicle.

“Thanks, it’s a special blend I’ve created.”

He didn’t have to brag. The man was a genius. “You should market it.”

“I’m way ahead of you,” Kevin said working down her arms. His hands dipped under the sheet rubbing her sternum. “That’s one of the reasons I’m going to San Francisco. I have a meeting with a cosmetic company.”

Tina’s nipples hardened and budded as he neared them. He brought the sheet down to her waist, exposing her breasts and working the sides of her rib cage.

“You have beautiful breasts,” he said, still massaging.

“Thank you,” Tina said, in full blush.

No more conversation. Kevin just continued down to her hips, moving the sheet up to cover her breasts and working his way down her legs. She didn’t know her knees were so sensitive. Hell, she didn’t know why her entire body felt like it was in tune with his fingers.

Kevin massaged her left leg and then moved over to the right. Finally he made it down to her feet, taking care of each little toe and stroking the soft padding beneath her feet. “You don’t have any corns or calluses,” he said.

Buy Link: http://www.sugarnspicepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=138&zenid=q4tjk36cbvjgdlhj50dsc7r4q4

Also available at:

Amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-ebook/dp/B005LIB4WY/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1315352764&sr=8-16

Barnes and Noble.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1033318854

 Want to know where you can find Imari? Check these links out:

Website:  http://imarijade.com/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/imarijade

MySpace:  http://www.myspace.com/imarijade

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/people/Imari-Jade/100000077341527