Tuesday Tea with KC Klein ~ Pushing the Limits ( @KCKleinbooks @AvonImpulse )

Hi all! Grab a cup of tea – or whatever it is you like to drink – and join in the discussion. Today we have KC Klein visiting and giving us a look into her writing. She's also a featured author at Arizona Dreamin' - Arizona's first romance-reader event! http://arizonadreamin.wordpress.com/

About our guest, KC ~ She's the author of Dark Future, a sexy futuristic time-travel. She became serious about writing three years ago and was as surprised as anyone when her stories took a turn toward dark and snarky. Today, she divides her time between taking care of her family and driving in circles around Arizona, too busy creating stories in her head to pay attention to mere road signs. KC would love a visit at kckleinbooks.com. You can also find her at Twitter and on Facebook.
    Welcome KC!

First, I want to thank C.R. for asking me on her blog. I am so excited about Arizona Dreamin'. It's a bit surreal for me. Last year I went as a reader and this year I'll be going as an author. It still blows me away when someone comes up to me or shoots me an email to say that they've read and loved, DARK FUTURE. (I have to interject here and say I was one of those people who read her book and emailed her about it. The story was dark and gritty and an absolute pleasure to read! I can’t wait to meet KC this June!)
I have been racking my brain for over two months to come up with something interesting about how I write. Here's what I got: I write in yoga pants and leopard slippers. I write most of my books long-hand in a spiral notebook. I suffer from mild dyslexia so I use a computer program to help read my work back to me.
    Okay, other than the leopard slippers, not real interesting. But what I do find interesting is WHAT I write. I'm finding that I like to push the envelope when creating stories. I like tortured characters and morally ambiguous situations. Recently, a reader said something along the lines of…she’s not afraid to push the limits of what might be “comfortable” to read, and instead explores the very dark side to what is turning out to be a very intriguing dystopian world. After I read that I thought perfect, that's exactly what I want. I never want to create stories that are safe. To me writing is daring, thrilling, and absolutely exhilarating, but only if I have the courage to let go.
    Below is an excerpt of my debut novel, DARK FUTURE. If you find that you like it put your email in a comment below, and I will send a random winner an e-copy of my book. For a shorter read, I also have an anthology, HOTTER ON THE EDGE, out with two other fantastic authors, and a small-town, contemporary romance, TEXAS WIDE OPEN, coming out this September. I hope to see lots of readers at AZ Dreamin' and I promise to leave my leopard slippers at home. (But what if we want to see these leopard slippers of yours? ;) )
DARK FUTURE is available

here: Avon Romance.

Blurb for Dark Future
    Awakened in the middle of the night by a future version of herself, Kris Davenport is given a mission: go forward in time to save the world—and His life. Of course, her future self doesn't tell her who he is, just sends her into an abyss and straight into an alien invasion.
    He turns out to be ConRad Smith, the callous, untrusting Commander of Earth’s army and the world’s last defense. There’s only one way to know for sure if this strange woman is an alien spy—slice her throat. Except, he didn’t anticipate the heat he would feel as he interrogates the hot-tempered, warm-blooded woman. For a man whose sole focus has been survival, she's more temptation than he can handle. But a world on the brink of destruction leaves no room for love…and time is running out.

Excerpt for Dark Future
    “Mmm, you taste human. Like salt or more like … warm sunshine?” He pinned me with his gaze. His eyes spoke a primal language. Desire warred with anger; need against punishment.
    I looked away. Embarrassed. Violated. His body crushed mine, suffocating in its nearness. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe without crushing my breasts against him. I always considered myself strong and physically fit, but he subdued me with barely any effort. Heart racing, I panicked.
    The feeling of no control would break me—complete powerlessness always did. I used whatever weapon was available; whatever maneuvers would give me a fighting chance. This was no different. I turned my head, opened my mouth against his neck, and … sunk my teeth in.
    He cursed. Grabbed hold of my shirt, picked me up, and slammed me back against the wall.
    A painful whoosh came from my lungs. My vision rocked—brain swished inside my skull.
    “You bit me.” He sounded shocked.
    My head hurt so bad I had to blink hard to keep my eyes in their sockets. “You licked me,” I shouted back.
    He assessed me, aqua blue eyes hooded with thick, long eyelashes, for what seemed like an eternity. “I will ask you one more time. Who are you?”
    “I’ve told you everything.” My voice sounded desperate, tired, even to me. “I went running and fell into the dark … I’m a doctor at a hospital. If you don’t believe me, just call them. I’ve worked there for years.”
    He stood still, his body hard against mine, creating an insurmountable barrier. His face so close I could see his pupils enlarge, almost hiding the hard blue of his irises. The rage in him lived and breathed. One hand ran along my scalp in a mock caress, grabbed hold of my hair and pulled.
    “Liar,” his voice barely a whisper, the knife was back … shaking at my very exposed, very vulnerable artery. “There hasn’t been a hospital anywhere on Earth since the year 2075.” And in one efficient movement, he drew the knife across my throat.

Here’s a quick peek at the story, To Buy a Wife, KC has in the anthology Hotter on the Edge…

In a harsh land where corruption rules and women are few, cold realist Hudson Land must purchase a wife to save his farm. Instead of an auction, he witnesses the start of an execution. With his first look at a beautiful woman in years, Hudson knows he has to have her—no matter the cost.
    Lake, a chemist and a rebel fighter, is resigned to her death, but when some back-hill farmer rescues her from the chopping block she has no intention of simply becoming his wife. She’s pledged her life to the Rebellion and being bought for some stranger’s bed doesn’t change a thing, even if his soft caresses are damn distracting.
    As lies and secrets build between them, are the quiet moments they’ve shared enough to stand against two warring factions in a world where only the strong survive?
For more about this wonderful anthology, visit HotE.

Thanks for joining us here today, KC!