Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Blog Tour: Tragically Broken by @NJDanner #interview



Contemporary Romance
Date Published: March 1, 2015 (second edition) 
Original edition published April 2014

Tragedy destroyed Alex Kohen’s life, until fate offered her a chance to escape her nightmares and possibly find love…
Beautiful, compassionate Dr. Alex Kohen had the perfect life – until, in an instant, it was tragically ripped from her. Plagued by her demons, Alex moves to a new city and devotes herself to her work and her patients. But her secrets continue to haunt her, making her afraid to build a future outside of her career. Convinced that her heart is irreparably broken, Alex has closed herself off to the possibility of love.
That is, until she meets sexy, confident Kellen Rhion ­– a wealthy CEO with a reputation as the ultimate playboy. Kellen, plagued by personal tragedies of his own, knows from the moment they meet that Alex is the woman he wants. And with patient determination, he slowly begins to break down her long-fortified defenses.
Although they meet under tragic circumstances, out of that catastrophe is born a connection that neither can deny. And despite the challenges of their demanding and busy careers, Alex and Kellen find the time to nurture their growing relationship. They struggle through obstacle after obstacle, including Kellen’s celebrity lifestyle and Alex’s emotional baggage.
But after Kellen’s supposed betrayal and brush with death, can Alex really trust him with her heart? And can Kellen accept that she will always, in a way, be broken?



Purchase Links
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Interview


Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

 Wow, I hate to start on a serious note but the underlying tone of the book is serious. My message is that even though someone experiences pain and loss they can still end up happy and loved.  No one needs to be alone if they just open their hearts to the possibility of love.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

There are multiple things.  Those who only read and do not write don’t understand how hard it is to write a conversation on paper. Try it sometime. There’s so much tone of voice, facial expression and hand gestures involved in a conversation that they are really hard to express in words alone.  I think that’s the exact same reason it was hard to make the FSOG movie.  So much of the book was her internal dialog that it was hard to translate to a third person point of view.

In addition, writing medical jargon for a non-medical person can also be challenging.  Sometimes you think you explained something well but then it doesn’t end up being clear enough.  Thanks to my friends and beta readers, hopefully, the medical jargon was interesting yet understandable.

Last but not least, it can be embarrassing to write a sex scene, at least at first. Really embarrassing.   It’s even more embarrassing and uncomfortable when the first person reads that sex scene. You just hope they sound sexy and not cheesy.


How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I’ve written two books- so far. I actually wrote a book before Tragically Broken called Altered. It’s a teen/young adult book about a family with a specific genetic disease. It’s not yet published as it needs re-worked and edited. The idea of Tragically Broken popped in my head and I had to run with it. I can’t really say which is my favorite as they are both so drastically different.  I love them both. 
I’m hopeful to get Altered out sometime soon but in the meantime my crazy brain has at least two more story lines that are begging to be written down, so I need to see which wins out.



If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

Unfortunately the first person who pops in my head for Kellen Rhion is the late Paul Walker.  He had the- I’m smart but may look like a playboy vibe. I would have to go with either Chris Pine or Ryan Reynolds next. 

As for Alex (Dr. Alexi Kohen), Mila Kunis has the eyes, those amber, hypnotizing eyes.  She would be a shoe in.  Nina Dobrev would be a second choice even though she’s a little young for the character.  


When did you begin writing?
                                                                                
I started writing in high school.  It never went anywhere and I never wrote an entire book.  I’ve loved to read since I was a child and got hooked in my teens.  I remember reading VC Andrews, Flowers in the Attic, while listening to The Cure (OK - I’m old) and ideas about my own books popped in my head.  I would start one then stop because I got too busy.  Beyond that was college, grad school and then family. I finally found the time to satisfy my creative side about 4 years ago and have been writing ever since.  Family and work still take precedence but somehow I find the time to both read and write.


How long did it take to complete your first book?

It took me a year and a half to complete Altered.  I’m not sure it can be called complete yet since it needs reworked and edited.  It took a year to write Tragically Broken. I then worked with my first editor but that did not work out.  I released a first edition but it still had errors that I did not catch, which is the one most of the original reviews are based on.  I had the book re-worked and edited by Red Pen For Rent, who did an excellent job, and re-released a second edition early in 2015. I hope you all love this version as much as I do. 


Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

There are so many.  I can’t name all of them.  The Twilight Saga, Stephanie Meyer, re-sparked my passion for reading and my first book- Altered.  After that, obviously EL James with FSOG was in inspiration.  Gail McHugh and Jamie McGuire have been an inspiration to all of us regular people, want to be authors, that we can be authors too if we have a great story and put in the time.



What is your favorite part of the writing process?

That’s an easy one….getting lost in the story. Just like reading a book, the beauty is getting lost in the story, writing is very similar.   At first I thought it would be hard to think of things to write about, but as I got into the story it was hard to stop the process.  I would keep telling my husband “I’ll be there in a minute” but then it was a while later because my mind was guiding me in a specific direction and through the story line. The story just takes you to fantasy land and it’s hard to come back to reality.

Describe your latest book in 4 words.

Finding love despite tragedy.


Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

Again, I hope to get out Altered soon.  (My husband just told me that is his favorite.) The current book I am working on is about a medical resident who is forced to work with the love of her life. He totally ditched her 8 years before-or did he? 
I have a potential sequel or spin off to Tragically Broken brewing.  Everyone seems to love the character Gia so she may have a story of her own???? 





About the Author
If you have already read my book, then you have already seen into part of my soul. Each of my characters is a part of me. They each have some aspect of my personality, or represent who I wish I could be or would hate to be.  


I have always been an avid reader, even as a child, and I’ve always loved to get lost in a good book. Reading a book would take over my life, and at times it still does. It is my addiction. Once I start a book, I cannot put it down until I know the end of the story … which may be a few books later. Same thing with writing – once the story pops into my head, I obsess about it until I have it down on paper. I have notes on scenes all over. Some have already been developed into a book, and some are waiting for the rest of the storyline to be written in order to find their journey and see where it ends.  


For a decade, or more, I had to put all that creativity on hold while I dedicated my life to my professional career and creating my family. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and two angelic children.  Supporting and nurturing them is now my number one priority. 


Once my life reached a stable point, I was finally able to find time to rekindle my love of books. Twilight took me by storm, which then catapulted me to Fifty Shades of Grey. “It all started with a vampire who was replaced by a man with a whip.” Reading tales written by my favorite authors reignited my own creativity, my mind wandered into stories of my own, and now, amazingly, I am an author.  


When my time is not consumed watching my daughter dance or my son play hockey, spending time with my husband, or working, I am lost in either reading a good book or writing. Disney World is my respite and I love all things Mickey. My family and friends are incredible people and support me in all that I do. I have learned that life is too short, and we have to take time to enjoy its simple pleasures.



1 comment:

Unknown said...

Thank you My Reading Addiction for hosting the Tragically Broken Book Tour today. It's an honor to be featured on your site and to be interviewed. I hope your readers get more insight to Tragically Broken and me as a writer. I would love to hear from MRA member so please feel free to chat with me here or on Facebook/Twitter/Goodreads. Happy reading.

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