Author Spotlight: Joey W. Hill

You guys!!! Today we have the awesome and lovely Joey W. Hill visiting with us! If you’ve never read any of her books before, let me tell you they are hot. Like – fan yourself hot. Blush and look around furtively as if there is anyone around you who can read your mind hot. But not only are they extremely sexy stories, they’re lovely and emotional. It’s pretty much the best you can want in erotic romances. I haven’t really got anything to add because this is a fabulous post too. Pretty much Ms. Hill is just fabulous all around.

It’s the Little Things…

When I’m doing research for a book, it’s the small details that will capture my attention and get integrated into the storyline, an important part of what makes the scene interesting, absorbing. For instance, I could say that Dick and Jane glanced at the Lincoln Memorial as they strolled past it, and throw in a couple general features about the memorial. However, what would be a lot more interesting is if Jane, trying to tease Dick out of a bad mood, takes them into the shaded and relatively cooler area inside the memorial alcove and challenges him to find the typo in the Second Inaugural Address engraved in the wall. Since he doesn’t see it right off, she has him come and stand right behind her, looking in the direction she’s looking. He has to slip his arms around her waist to align himself perfectly with her body, and then, somewhat distracted, he nudges her hair to the side to taste her neck. As she chuckles and exhorts him—a little breathlessly—to look at the wall, he stops in mid-kiss, because he sees it. The discovery, and the warmth of her body against him, make him feel better, and he realizes, with a reluctant smile, how good she is at that.

Better, right? As a romance reader, this is the type of scene that draws me into the characters. Romance is one of the few genres where it’s perfectly acceptable to “stop and smell the roses” to further the plot, since the main plot is about two characters falling in love. And since the pleasure of that journey is enhanced by a lot of sensory input, it makes the details of the setting even more critical. In the above example, you have the sense of the Lincoln Memorial as an active part of the scene, rather than just a backdrop, and you feel like you’re there. More fun with Dick and Jane for both author and reader (wink).

I haven’t often had to travel for research, since the Internet provides a wealth of knowledge these days in firsthand blog accounts, photos, videos, etc. However, I had the pleasure of seeing New Orleans in person when I went there last year to spend time with my mother and brother, as well as to research Hostile Takeover, the latest in my Knights of the Board Room series.

When I was doing my strolls/trolley rides through the city, I again was looking for the small details that would make the city come alive in the book as an active, contributing part of the romance. New Orleans excels in that area. For instance, this little clip gives you an idea of what I gleaned from a simple trolley ride…

When the day was over, instead of taking his car, they took the trolley. Marcie had never appreciated how narrow the wooden two-seat bench was. Ben necessarily stretched a long arm across the back, pressing her against his side, his thigh against her leg as they clattered along the track from downtown. Though she’d grown up in Baton Rouge, she was well acquainted with New Orleans. Still, it had been awhile since she was here.

She enjoyed recalling the landmarks as they went along, the crush of people wandering Canal Street, that view streamlining into St. Charles’ never ending offering of restaurants. Each had a unique flair, like bohemian middle-aged women, old enough to be comfortable and confident in their skin, yet young enough to exude color and style. As they passed through the religious school district, she saw a few students still on the grounds in their uniforms of crisp white shirts and navy pants or skirts.

Ben had them get off at Audubon Park to join the joggers and cyclists along the walkways there. In the quiet nooks where statues and gazebos sat by the water, they occasionally glimpsed homeless people camped, absorbing the tranquility the way they were. Ben guided her hand into the crook of his elbow, and they strolled that way. She imagined them doing it a hundred years ago, her in petticoats and a stylish hat, him in a suit that wouldn’t differ too much from what he wore now, at least in cut and style. The man did know how to dress.

If you go through the Garden District, in addition to Spanish moss, the old oaks are draped with a plethora of sparkling Mardi Gras beads, left there year round. It was too whimsical not to put it into a scene. Here’s a small clip from it:

When they left the park, they strolled along the broken sidewalks that led them into the residential areas. Tilting her head back, she studied the thick waterfall of colorful beads hanging from the oaks, competing with the Spanish moss. “I love that they let these stay in the trees.” Reaching up, she tried to snag a pretty silver strand, but she was too short. She gave a valiant hop, putting all her effort into it, and her fingertips brushed it. “Shoot.”

“Here, brat. Little tease.” He bent, wrapped his arms beneath her buttocks and boosted her up his body to give her the extra head of height she needed. Marcie caught the beads, untangled them and drew down two, a silver and a shiny green. She was hyper-conscious of his arms around her, the way her hips pressed into his abdomen. When she looked down, bracing her hands on his shoulders, she could tell he wasn’t unaffected, either. He let her slide down his body but kept her close until she rested between his feet. His hands adjusted downward, way low on her waist, curling over the tops of her buttocks, pinching the folds of her skirt between his fingertips.

“I could have done it with a few more jumps,” she defended herself. “It’s just about building momentum. But your help was appreciated.”

“Hmm.” He stared down at her, and the unfathomable look quieted her. Dropping the silver strand over her head, she put the green on him. Her fingers slipped over his hair, touched his neck and ears, rested on his shoulders when she was done, her thumbs touching his throat because he’d loosened his tie, unbuttoned the collar. Because he didn’t say not to do it, she stroked that small expanse of skin, scratched it with her nail.

His gaze heated, his hands dropping to take a firm hold of her ass, kneading, no matter the passing cars or sidewalk pedestrians. There weren’t so many of those here, but the occasional matronly dog walker could make her more self-conscious than the anonymity and colorful nature of a big Canal Street crowd.

It was exactly why he did it. She knew it was a test. So she didn’t look around, didn’t squirm away. “I’m going to do something now,” he said. “As I’m doing it, you tell me what goes through that imaginative brain of yours.”

Lowering his head, he nudged hers to the side with the touch of his mouth on her temple. Turning her face toward his broad shoulder, pressing her nose into the smooth line of his dress shirt over his pectoral, she shuddered as his mouth landed on the juncture of her throat and shoulder. He bit her there, a controlled motion, teeth slowly depressing as his tongue stroked her. Her breath shortened, and she almost forgot to do what he’d told her to do.

“You’re winding a rope wrap from below my knees to my ankles.” Her trembling increased as the pressure did, the clamp of the bite. “You do the same to my arms, from wrists to elbows, behind my back. My breasts…they’re thrust way out because of that. So you do a binding there as well, one rope above, one below, a crossed knot in the middle, and then you attach that to the arm wrap. You put me over your shoulder, completely helpless. You take me to a sofa, bend me over the arm and…”

He relaxed his jaw, then started that depression again, interfering with her ability to think. She was leaned into him, pressing harder against him.

“Do I let you come, or make you suffer? Make you beg?”

She smiled, though her fingers were digging into his biceps, holding on. God, how did he do this so well?
“I’d come at your command, right now,” she whispered.

“It takes a while for a sub to learn how to do that. Come at her Master’s command.”

“Not if she’s been practicing for seven years.”

There’s a full chapter one excerpt from Ben and Marcie’s story on my website if you’d like a formal  introduction to them (smile). I’ll have the distinct pleasure of returning to New Orleans in August for the Authors After Dark conference. This is my third AAD, and I expect it will be the best yet, despite the fact the previous two have been awesome. Stella, the coordinator, and her troupe of volunteers, work so hard to make sure the event is memorable for readers, bloggers, authors and all the participants. This year they have all that going for them, as well as an incredible location. I hope to see many of you there!

In her March 10 post here, Stacey Kennedy did a great job of detailing the many wonderful things to do in New Orleans. One of the things I missed last time was the Bestoff sculpture garden next to the New Orleans museum. I have a thing for sculpture – it often figures into my stories (smile). No telling how that visit will manifest itself in future scenes!

Giveaway: Leave a comment or question and your email address, and you’ll have the chance to win the book-of-your-choice from my available and upcoming titles. I’ll contact the winner in a few days and announce who they are in the comments to this post.

Where to find me:  website (free excerpts for all my books), Fan Forum:  (lot of free reads, graphics, character interviews, etc. here!), TwitterFacebook

0 thoughts on “Author Spotlight: Joey W. Hill

  1. Lanae Tatman

    Great post. I’ll definitely be looking at things a bit differently when I’m out and about.

    It seems like some of the information in the books fade into the back ground as you read. You may not always realize those little details as you read them, but emotionally, I think it all clicks and that’s part of what makes a story so powerful.

    Thanks so much for sharing with us.

    ftatman5 at yahoo.com

    Reply
  2. Joey W Hill

    Leabhair, I agree – Stella rocks! She’s a powerhouse, and puts on a great conference. I can’t wait until August. The first year I attended, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot because it was the first year of the con. I was floored by how organized it was, and how much value was offered to the attendees – something I would have expected from a much more long-running event. It will be lovely to see you in NOLA, and hope you enjoy “the boys”. Thanks for giving them a try!

    Regina – thank you! Consider yourself hugged (beaming).

    Lanae, you bring up a good point. There is that fine line. An author wants to put enough background detail that the setting becomes an integrated part of the story, not a separate/intrusive one. I know at times I’ve been carried away with my research and put too much in, such that there should have been this neon blinking sidebar that says, “look at how much information this very self-important author compiled to write this book!” (lol) Definitely a writing no-no.

    We want it to happen exactly as you describe – enough detail so that the reader gets lost in the story, feeling like they’re experiencing it with the characters, not being dragged along on a NOLA tour!

    Reply
  3. StacieD

    Hello Joey!
    I couldn’t agree more about the importance of using locations to help build a great scene. I have always wanted to go to New Orleans. I haven’t had the chance yet. I love Cajun/Creole food so I would probably go crazy if I ever did. Have fun at AAD NOLA! I haven’t been to that convention yet. I did go to RT last year and loved every minute of it.

    geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

    Reply
  4. Limecello Post author

    Whew! Even the clips were hot! I love Ben – can’t believe I somehow missed the release date of his story. *Makes mental note to get it after commenting*
    I love how you incorporate places – or even “the scenery” flawlessly into your stories.

    And as many others have said – HOT!

    Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Joey! I can’t wait to see what other books/projects you have next!

    Oh also? I’m crazy jealous I can’t win the prize. … 😛 Maybe I’ll have to rig the randomizer.org result 😉 [JOKING!!!]

    Reply
  5. Joey W Hill

    StacieD, the cool thing is even if Creole/Cajun isn’t your thing, New Orleans just has tons of restaurants with great food. It must be because there’s so much competition between them…when I visited, there was a little burger place around the corner that had one of the best veggie burgers I ever had, and the Ruby Slipper had a wonderful breakfast (it’s mentioned in Hostile Takeover). Wish you could come to AAD, but I’ll look forward to seeing you at a future event, RT, AAD or otherwise!

    Moira, I think we need to kidnap and bring you. I’ll find out who lives near you and doesn’t have a problem commiting a benign felony (lol). You’d love it there. And I think there are about 30 fan forum members coming, so you know it’s going to be wild fun.

    Mary, thank you for that compliment! I love Daegan, Anwyn and Gideon’s story. As you probably can tell (grin), since I followed up their story with that free novella vignettte that’s currently posted on the forum, revisiting Daegan and Gideon’s relationship. And the readers are clamoring for another vignette, resolving the “bet” discussed in Bound by the Vampire Queen. I might just have to indulge that one this year, because I like spending time with this threesome.

    Lime, don’t feel bad about that – it took us all by surprise. When I submitted it to EC, I thought I’d probably get a March/April release date, and then in January, I get this email – oh, we’re releasing it Jan 27! Chuckle. No complaints here. That’s the kind of surprise I like. And as far as the prize…if you’re nice enough to let me be a guest on your blog, I always offer the host/ess a free book of their choice as well, just as a thank you. So just send me your preference (wink). Thanks for the kind words!

    Reply
    1. Limecello Post author

      Awee… Joey you are TOO sweet! Also… *snickercringe* don’t laugh at me but… I just found I already have Hostile Takeover. I do NOT have a book addiction though. >.> Of course I remember ever book I get. <.<
      Now I know what I'm going to read next. 😀 Although – I think I might need to re-read all the previous Knight's stories just to get a feel for Ben's character again.

      So thank you for the book offer – that'll teach me to look before I "speak." Maybe I can wheedle you into visiting here again in the future? *angelface* 😉

      Reply
  6. Joey W Hill

    No book addiction, hmm? Lol…that’s okay. If you “did” have an addiction, there are far worse addictions to have than that. Glad you have HT! Remember that Ben’s “prequel” is on the jwhconnection.com fan forum site – it’s basically a free novella download, just like the Daegan/Gideon vignette mentioned earlier. I just completed the five-part serial of it, but the forum mods are already working on turning it into a download file under the Vignette section you can put on your reader. Enjoy! And I’d be delighted to visit here again – anytime!

    Reply
  7. Barbara

    I LOVE your vampires (Gideon and Daegan – YUM!!)…but am quickly becoming a fan of the boardroom too! Those guys are absolutely melt-worthly! 😉 Thank you, thank you, thank you! Whatever door these characters keep slipping out of in your mind…please keep inviting them in! The end result is soooo way worth it! And…thx for the AWESOME giveaway op!

    barbbattaglia @ yahoo.com

    Reply
  8. caitymack

    Hi Joey,

    All your characters are so memorable, especially your men, but you give us some amazing female characters across all your series, too. I love their strength and passion and capacity to love these intense men in their lives. The KOTB series was another favorite, and I will be sure to go check out Ben’s Vignette.

    caity_mack at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  9. Joey W Hill

    Barbara, always glad to have readers who enjoy crossing between my paranormal AND contemporary series. I promise to keep writing them as long as the muse gives them to me (smile). I had a rather academic/literary friend who once asked me what it was about romance that attracts me, when the heroes are often pure fantasy. I think I told her… “Er, I think you just answered the question.” lol… The best romances intertwine enough of the reality of our lifes with the stuff of our hopes/dreams to make it a journey worth taking. I always feel sorry for those who are too “high brow” to appreciate that. They miss some great heroes AND great stories. Romance will remain my favorite genre to read and write forever.

    Cathy, thank you for that as well. I agree – specifcially in KOBR, Savannah, Cass, Dana, Marcie and Rachel, the ladies of the “Boardroom”, all demonstrated such great strength, no matter their situation. They each had huge emotional and often physical hurdles to overcome, but how they did that showed they were admirable women. Not accepting excuses or weaknesses in themselves, driven to the edge to protect what was theirs, and only accepting the help of the Knights when those men proved they could be trusted with what each woman valued most. I think the best romances are built around strong heroines like that. And by strong, I do not mean bitchy, whiny, I-hate-men heroines. Ugh! Those drive me crazy. :>

    Reply
  10. Ruth Skylark

    Hi, Joey, thanks for sharing your “process”. There a reason we like your books! Really enjoyed your Vampire stories; now trying to accumulate the Boardroom books so I can read them in order.
    skylark918+at+ymail+dot+com

    Reply
  11. Crystal S

    Hi Joey,

    Cant wait to read these… have to wait for my book budget to expand this month… lol. Thanks for walking us through your writing process it is exciting to read. I adore strong women in books….and love your vampire series.

    Crystal
    faerymom @ ymail.com

    Reply
  12. Joey W Hill

    Ruth, the good thing is the Knights of the Board Room series is more “standalone” than most series. You can read them in any particular order with only a few spoilers, but you do get the building sense of rapport between the men and their chosen women if you read them in order, so I completely understand the desire to do so. I am the same way about most series for exactly that reason, even when they say they’re standalone. Thanks for the compliment!

    Crystal, budget? What’s a budget? Lol…ugh, yep, the dreaded “b” word. For me it’s DVDs. I have a terrible addiction to good movies, series, etc, and I have to limit myself or I’ll lose control and fill the house from ceiling to floor. So glad – and flattered – that you spend some of your budget on my work, and I’m delighted you love my heroines AND vampires. Thanks for stopping by.

    Reply
    1. Joey W Hill

      Leni, I can’t say I’ve ever set one of my stories in a location I didn’t like, but when I wrote Board Resolution, and it had to be set in New Orleans because of the Mardi Gras theme of the anthology, I wasn’t comfortable taking it outside of the office building, because I really didn’t know enough about the setting. Fortunately, with it being a novella, the action could all be set in one place, but when I wrote Hostile Takeover as a full-length novel, I was glad I’d had that trip to New Orleans to expand the view, so to speak. I don’t like to feel “blind” when I write – too many details can be missed that will snag the reader that DOES know the area, and I don’t want to give my readers a bad experience because of sloppy/nonexistent research. Whenever I find out I’ve messed up a detail, post-publication, it drives me crazy (lol).

      Reply
  13. Miss Mindy

    Joey, your writing always amazes me. 😉
    It’s the use of just the right amount of details that keeps me sucked into your stories. I bow to your skill and hope to have even 1/8th if it one day.
    And us AAD volunteers simply do it because we love what we do. We are just like everyone else attending, star-struck fans of steamy literature. And seeing others like us get the chance to meet authors such as yourself. Humble, über talented, and just plan fun to sit and talk to.

    Reply
    1. Joey W Hill

      Miss Mindy, always love to see your name pop up on a blog or forum, girl! That’s a tremendous compliment, but from what I know of you, you already eclipse me in a variety of skills. And your writing is excellent – if you turn your hand to fiction fulltime, I’m just going to turn green and stop talking to you (laughter).

      Seriously, I think I speak for a lot of authors, as well as myself, when I say there’s a matching side to that coin. So often, when I meet readers like yourself, I find myself blown away by this diverse group of intelligent, talented and interesting individuals, and think – “Wow. They like reading MY stuff. It must be a mistake, but I’m not going to tell them!” (grin). Thanks as always!

      Reply
  14. Joey W Hill

    Mary, wasn’t that a classy cover? Love that delicate pink, her soft hair. I remember there was some issue for one book distributor that you could possibly “see” a bare section of her buttock and that was a problem because they couldn’t put the book out on the shelves if there was nudity. Took me awhile staring at it to even find it, which made me wonder how hard they had to look! (laughter). And if you’re now straining your eyes, look under the bow, above the fall of the sash. Yep, that tiny little piece…

    BN100, thanks – glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply
  15. Patti P

    I have been acquiring these (but not fast enough) lol

    I still need one more to complete the series. So far I’ve read 2 and I just love love love them! I would love to meet these men..even if it is just in a dream one lovely night. They are absolutely delicious.

    musicalfrog at comcast.net

    Reply
    1. Joey W Hill

      Patti P, I’m glad to hear that you’ve enjoyed two of their stories and are looking forward to the rest. They’ve been fantastic heroes to write. I look forward to them making “guest appearances” in future books (wink). Good luck on your acquisitions (lol)!

      Reply
  16. elaing8

    Enjoyed reading your post. I love your Vampire books.Your characters are so memorable they stick with you 🙂
    elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

    Reply
  17. VanillaOrchids

    Joey,
    Very nice post and I loved the clips you included. It is so cool when you do get the chance to write from personal experience like that. I would think that it would make it so much easier to be so descriptive in your writing.

    I hate to admit that I’m not familiar with your books just yet, though I do actually have some. They are from your Vampire Queen series. I was putting off reading them until I had the chance to buy the earlier ones in the series, thinking that if I read the ones I have it might spoil something from the previous books that I don’t have yet. But I’m very excited to read them!

    Thank you for the giveaway opportunity!

    Pam
    vanillaorchids69(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
    1. Joey W Hill

      Pam, if it helps, when you go to my website, http://www.storywitch.com, and click on the Vampire Queen series link in the gold bar menu on the left, you’ll see a list of all the books, and each contains an explanation of whether they are “standalone” or if it would be best to read a certain book(s) in the series first. That said, I know most series do have a certain amount of cumulative character/world building from book to book, and it may be that experience you’re trying to preserve. Just wanted you to know you have the option of reading some of them out of order without huge spoilers (wink) if you’d prefer to do so.

      And yes, that kind of research really does help the writing go more smoothly, because it not only generates ideas for the story (like the beads hanging from the trees), it makes me more comfortable with the surroundings so that I don’t feel like I’m writing in a vacuum. (grin)

      Reply
      1. VanillaOrchids

        That’s great. Thank you, Joey. I have a list of your books written down in a tablet to keep track of what I’ve bought and what I still need to buy, but I didn’t realize you had a listing of what could be read as standalones. I will definitely have to check that out! 🙂

        Reply
  18. Patti Williams

    I like the extra details Joey puts in her books. I would much rather read than watch tv or movies. The extra details help to take me away to another place for awhile. I am waiting patiently until April for any new books, but I have a couple of Joey’s on my wish list.

    Reply
  19. beguilethysorrow

    This past summer I went with a friend to New Orleans for the ALA conference and we just about died in the humidity! But that’s not the reason we’re both pretty glad we don’t live there; it’s because of the beignets, which would have us fatter than pigs:P Those things are dangerous lol
    [email protected]

    Reply
  20. kim h

    congrats on your books , som ehot covers and for the contest

    great inteview and the locations sounds great

    Reply
  21. Joey W Hill

    Thanks so much for letting me be here this week, Lime and everyone! I’ve enjoyed myself immensely and appreciate all the great comments and discussion. Hope you all find many great reads to enjoy your spring/summer months (or the flip seasons, if you’re around the world in Australia, etc – smile).

    As you may have noticed above in my reply to her, Leni is the winner of the of the book-of-the-reader’s-choice giveaway. Congratulations, Leni, and I’m emailing you directly for your information. Thanks again, everyone, and happy reading!

    Reply
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