Multiple Author Personality Syndrome (M.A.P.S)

Greetings!  I'm authors Molly Daniels and Kenzie Michaels and I sometimes suffer from MAPS...my husband jokes he's actually married to three people, lol!  What's the difference and why the two names?  Here's the simplest answer: Molly's books are 'author peeking in the bedroom door' while Kenzie is 'standing beside the bed, taking notes'.  Twenty years ago, I had teenagers ranging from 12-15 reading the Arbor University series, and since Kenzie's are better suited to the 18 and older crowd.  But then again, I let my then-14-y/o daughter read my 1st Kenzie book and she enjoyed it.  

"Mom, I've read worse in school."

So yay, I'm the tame side of the erotic romance.

Bio:  Molly Daniels resides in the Midwest with her husband, three children, and various household pets. Her fifth-grade teacher showed this avid reader how to write the stories swirling in her head, successfully unleashing her imagination upon the written word.

Kenzie is the 'wild child' of author Molly Daniels. They cohabitate nicely inside the brain of a woman in Indiana who's the mother of three and 'Aunt Molly' to the entire neighborhood. A devout chocoholic, her hubby has learned to watch out when the characters in her head take over and not get too upset when the words are flowing and all concept of time is lost. (LOL)

Giveaway Alert:  Someone who leaves a comment will receive a RB4U T-shirt, size XL:)  Be sure to leave your email address with your comment.  Note:  We only ship to US or Canada.

Molly's latest book arrived last August: Love Weighs In
What happens when your roommates are pencil-slim without trying, and you gain a dress size by looking at chocolate?  Susan Best struggles with her self-esteem after a bad break up.  She diets in the wrong manner, and soon it's almost out of control.  When love sneaks up on her, can she accept the truth her man loves her, not the number on her clothes?

Travis Freeman was instrumental in jump-starting Susan’s singing career.  But he didn’t count on the dark side of being in the spotlight, and stands by helpless as the woman he loves spirals out of control.  But after alerting her friends to the problem, he risks losing her altogether.


Jamie watched his identical twin brother Rob break Susan’s heart.  Thrilled by the fact their friendship is rekindled, he appoints himself her personal body guard during their summer job.  But when he kisses her, is she picturing his brother?

Available at Secret Cravings Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble 

How did you celebrate publishing your first book?

(M)My first self-published POD book arrived on New Year's Eve Day in 2002, so I made the family take me out to dinner.  My husband was facing heart surgery in ten days, so I spent most of the day on the phone, calling close friends and family.

(K)My first book arrived in 2009, so I made the family take me out to dinner, plus I bought a cake with the title of the book on it, and took it to my weekly writer’s meeting.  I brought along some bookmarks and we passed out cake to anyone who stopped by our table at the café.

How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book?

All of my books have a little bit of ‘me’ in them.  Gretchen, from Balancing Act, and Tammy from Teacher’s Pet probably come the closest.

If you could change something about your first book, what would it be?

(M)Looking at Love on the Rocks, you’d never believe it was the fourth or 5^th one I actually wrote; it’s so stilted and ‘telling’.  I literally published a rough draft, which is a big no-no, lol!  And even when it was re-released, I didn’t change a great deal.

(K)In All She Ever Wanted, I think I could have drawn out their reunion a bit more.

Do you eat comfort food/listen to music when writing?

(M)I sketched out the entire plot line of Forbidden Love while sitting in a noisy bar, waiting for my date to stop bragging about his AF days.

(K)LOL…I think I had Bon Jovi’s Lonesome Highway CD on while I was writing All She Ever Wanted, and didn’t even notice when it was over, since I’d forgotten to set it to ‘repeat’.  I was that focused on the story.

How do you choose names for your characters?

I just start writing and the characters tell me their names.  If I’m stumped for a last name, I’ll either pull out the phone book or even yearbook.  I try to use classic names, or ones I’ve not seen in books.  Case in point:  The book I just finished?  Characters are Brock and Tricia.  The most ‘trendy’ name I have so far is Austin, from Off The Clock.

Give one advice tip to an aspiring author.

(M) Don’t get it RIGHT, get it WRITTEN.

(K) If writing is your passion, then pursue it and don’t let anyone destroy your dream.

If you could give a younger version of yourself advice, what would it be?

Change your major; pay more attention in English Class (lol!); and can I just go back and slap myself upside the head in 1987?  I’d really like to see how life would have turned out without the horrible choices I made back then!

What genre would you like to try writing that you haven’t yet tried?

I’m in the process of cleaning up the rough draft of my 1^st paranormal romance.  Everyone who’s read it likes it, so that’s a plus, but my world-building needs improvement.  This was a huge step out of my comfort zone, since the last time I tried to write anything beside contemporary, I failed miserably.

Have you ever used an incident from your real life into one of your books?

(M) The bonfire scene in Love on the Rocks; part of the infield scene in Forbidden Love actually happened; some of the conversations in Balancing Act and Endless Love-

(K) We get it; you put a lot of yourself in that series.  Now me, on the other hand…Class Reunion was inspired by some real life events.  Plus I based the country clubs in both Appetite For Desire and All She Ever Wanted on the one I worked at while in college.  And that opening scene in Appetite?  True story, all except for the part where Courtney accompanies Dustin to the room.  I had more self-control.  Same with the opening scene in Teacher’s Pet.  I based the teacher on my son’s hunky Social Studies teacher.

How many stories are swirling around in your head? Do you keep a mental list, a computer file, or a spiral notebook filled with the ideas?

(M)Books 9-12 of Arbor U are still in my head, while #8 and 13 are almost finished, and #14 needs edited.  I’ve also got another YA book that’s unrelated to the series that has the general idea sketched out.

(K)I have several partials written down in either notebooks or computer files.  I’ve experienced so many technology fails (disk crashing, files disappearing from flash drives or even the hard drive) that I’ve resorted to saving multiple copies in several different places and even printing out what I have so far.  Yeah, I’ve gotten paranoid or obsessive about saving my work.

Fun Stuff:

What is your favorite holiday and why?

You’re going to think I’m nuts, but Christmas.  It’s become Party Central around my house, with three birthdays and all the family gatherings.  I also spend most of the month baking cookies, so the house always smells yummy.

What are two things people might be surprised to know about you?

I remember the dumbest things!  For instance, on FB one September, a friend had posted ‘Wake me up when September ends’ and I was the only one who posted on his wall Sept 30^th ‘Wake up!’  Another time, a budding author friend had declared at the beginning of the year, it was HER year and was therefore going to release a book per month.  She didn’t miss it by far, but the first year I released six books in a calendar year, I told her I was borrowing her line.  She’d forgotten she’d ever made that declaration!  Also, when looking at family photos, I can generally recall what was being done when it was taken. 

The other thing is, up until age 37, I was painfully shy.  Self-publishing my 1^st book really brought me out of my shell.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Well, at age 7, I was going to be a nurse.  At age 11, I was going to be a writer.  By age 12, I had decided to be an archaeologist, but then one of my favorite movies came out and since I had zero desire to be chased by large boulders or poison darts, I abandoned that idea and decided to save the world from pedophiles and domestic violent offenders.  When that didn’t work, I went back to writing.

Favorite food.

Pasta.  Carbs.  Chocolate.

Favorite happy memory.

Spending three weeks in Florida with my grandparents every summer, esp the summer they lived across from the beach.  My sister (9), a friend (14), and I (13) were allowed to go to the ice cream shop every evening and walk on the beach.  Cheryl, who was 14, taught me how to flirt that summer!

Favorite drink.

Non-alcoholic:  Sweet tea

Alcoholic:  Red wine or Zinfindel, rum and coke, or pina colada.  Better yet, a Pina Colada-flavored margarita!  Or Baileys on the rocks.

Hot summer days or chilly winter nights?

Hot summer days.  I hate the cold.

What is the top thing on your bucket list?

Spend an entire week at Disney World, then another at Universal.  And maybe a side trip to Sea World.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?

To freeze time while I’m writing.  Then the family wouldn’t gripe about my computer time!  Or teleportation….did I mention I hate the temps when they dip below 40?

I can be found at the following places:
Molly:
Website:

Facebook: 

Sweet Cravings Publishing

Secret Cravings Publishing

Amazon:

Nook: 

ARE: 

Kenzie:
Website :

Romance Books 4 Us:

Blog: 

Face Book Page:

Twitter:

Amazon: 

Nook:

ARE: 

Anything else you’d like to add?

Endless Love, which is book #5 in the Arbor U series, was just nominated for the LRC Reader's Choice Award for Best New Adult/Young Adult category.  Voting begins tomorrow, so get out there and help me get my first win?  Or at least place high.  And several other RB4U members have been nominated as well, so good luck to all of us!

Kenzie's latest book arrived last May: Blurb:
Angela Clayborn discovers the man she sent to prison nearly two years before, has been granted an early release.  Torn between wanting to see him and fearful if she does, sparks fly when Steve Blumenthal appears in her gift shop and later at her condo.  Will Angie free her heart from its icy prison?  Has Steve really turned his life around, or is it a hoax?

Meanwhile, in Colorado on business, Angie’s current boyfriend, Brad Morrison, is wrestling with his own call of the wild.  He’s met unconventional, sexy Emma Nichols, who runs not only her own riding stable, but helps out with her family’s woodworking store in EstesPark.  Emma resents Brad’s offer to help during a family crisis, but eventually discovers that Fate sometimes sends people down unexpected paths to love.  Can Brad tame a wildcat?  Or will Emma settle for the safe path?

Buy link 


SCP 

Excerpt:

Steve and Angie:

“You don’t have to be scared of me, baby,” he cajoled, shoving his hands back in his hip pockets.  “You’re all I’ve ever thought about the entire time.  What we had and what I threw away…”

Angie found her voice and her anger at the same time.  “We had a good friendship and I trusted you,” she said, her voice getting firmer as she spoke.  “You broke into my home.…you tried to steal the TV, for god’s sake!  Not to mention my stereo.”  She slapped her hands on the counter.  “Do you know how hard it was for me to sleep after that?  I can’t even sleep now, unless I know every single door and window is locked tight.  You took away my security, my self-respect….and you think you just made a mistake?”  She moved around from behind the counter and rounded on him.  Smack!  She balled her fist and punched him in the face.  Shaking her stinging knuckles, she slapped him across the other cheek with the opposite hand, and poked a finger in his chest, not even noticing he was stepping backwards.

“How dare you come into my shop, my business, and spout your prison counselor’s platitudes,” she said hotly.  “I am over you, Steve.  Get that? Over!  So get out of here and leave me the hell alone.”  By this time, they’d reached the door, with Steve blindly reaching for the doorknob, rubbing his sore face. “Angie, honey…”

“I am not yours anymore, now get out.”  Angie gave him a push which sent him sprawling through the doorway just as he managed to open it.  

            

“You haven’t seen the last of me,” he thundered back at her.  “I try to make amends, but no; you won’t listen, as usual!”  He threw her one last angry look and rubbed his jaw again before stomping down the sidewalk.

Angie slammed the door so hard the bell above the door fell off, narrowly missing her head.  She sagged against the door frame and stuffed her fist in her mouth, sinking to the floor as she gave into the tears.  She sat there for several minutes, shaking so violently her feet tapped on the bare floor.  Gradually, the tears ceased, and the realization of what she’d done gave her courage again.  She hadn’t run from him. She’d actually thrown him out of her store…. Laughter welled up inside of her as she remembered him practically cart wheeling out the door.  Drying her cheeks with her shirttail, she slowly got to her feet and poured herself a cup of coffee to drive the sudden chill from her body.  Curling her hands around the Styrofoam cup for warmth, she was struck by another thought.  What if he brought charges against her?  He’d already filed a complaint against the café…

“Too late to worry about that now.”

****

Brad and Emma:

“Brad! Just the person I was looking for,” Gavin called. “This is Frank’s niece, Emma. Em, this is the financial wizard I was telling you about.”

Brad smiled warily at her as he slid onto the stool next to her at the counter, placing his sack of presents on the floor. “I wouldn’t call myself a wizard, but I can certainly help with anything needed.”

“You!” Emma’s bloodshot eyes narrowed. “Are you snooping around my family’s business? We’re not about to knuckle under to pressure; I’ll fight with everything I have to hang onto the place.”

“Emma! Relax,” Gavin restrained the girl as she swiveled, preparing to launch herself out of her seat. 

“What’s gotten into you?”

Brad sat back, hands raised.

“He came into the shop, asking questions.” Emma blew out her breath. “And now he waltzes in here and you expect me to just turn everything over to him? Let me go, Gavin.”

“You’ve jumped to conclusions again, girl.” Gavin swung her around and hugged her to his broad chest. “All I said was to let a pair of fresh eyes look at the books and see if he can spot where Ethan’s getting the money.”

“You mean losing it,” came a muffled sob.

See you again next month!