Interview with
KZ Riman,
author of
Kissing Another Grimaldi
Today we're welcoming author KZ Riman, author of the Kissing
Bovaghnian Rogues series, to The Happy Book Reviewer!
The
first book of the series, Kissing Another Grimaldi, is now out in e-book and print from
Eternal Press. When her beloved dies, Kelsey Fontez is left alone, pregnant
with his son. Years later she decides to introduce her son to his grandparents
(the wealthy Grimaldis) and hopefully give him a chance at a better life. The
baby's uncle, Scott Grimaldi, has lusted after Kelsey for many years and must
decide if trying for her affections is worth losing his inheritance, having to
care for his brother’s son, and throwing away his life-long dreams.
I know
there's a place in southern Italy named Grimaldi-- is this where the book Is
set? Or is It set elsewhere, and perhaps the family is Italian?
Riman: Actually, the book is set in a made-up
country named Khazkathia. The reason I created a completely different world is
for the readers to really feel the “escape” from reality, even when Kissing the
Bovaghnian Rogues isn’t a fantasy series. I plan to use this country with all my
books in the series and any other book I dream to have with Eternal Press.
You have a lot of travel-related photos
and dreams on your blog (www.kzriman.wordpress.com) and you're currently living
in The Philippines. Is travel a passion of yours, or perhaps a dream?
Riman: I
haven’t been to a lot of places, but I definitely want to travel, starting with
my own province and country. It is part of my future plans, which I hope will
push through in the near future.
The
cover of the book, done by the super-talented Amanda Kelsey, is just beautiful!
How did you feel first seeing your characters, after just imagining how they
looked during the writing process? Do they match what you saw in your mind's
eye?
Riman: Most definitely loved it! I gasped
seeing it. It was exactly how I described I wanted it to look like. Amanda did
a great job putting to arts what I had in mind for the book.
The
cover is very steamy, appropriate for a very steamy book! I love Scott
Grimaldi's smoky gaze at the viewer. Whew! So, I have to ask, did you tell your
parents you were writing a really sexy book? Did you let them read it, or did
you have to censor the sexy parts?
Riman: I did tell my family I was writing for
a very steamy genre. I received different reactions, especially from my
grandparents (and I am talking about ALL grandparents from the whole clan).
Some were excited, while others scolded me. My mom, my sister and grandmother
(my mom’s mom) were thrilled and they hugged me upon hearing the news of a
debut novel. (They haven’t read any part of the book,
though.)
What was the
most difficult thing about writing this book? What was the most fun part?
Riman: Imagining the love scenes so I could
write them in detail was the most difficult part, but the most fun at the same
time, in writing Kissing Another Grimaldi. I mean, I had to stop every now and
then to drink a glass of water. *wink*
Haha! Now, you're quite
the reader too. If you could be in any novel, which would it be? Would you be
yourself, living amongst the characters, or would you want to switch places
with one of the existing characters?
Riman: I think I would rather be myself and
live amongst the characters of all of my favourite novels. I think I would want
to see who I would be and what I would become when placed in another world.
You had been working on a Master's Degree, correct? What field are you studying?
Riman: I actually have taken a break from studying for now. I was supposed to be working on my thesis already, but when I left
teaching College English and became a supervisor in the retail industry, I
didn’t have much time. I am planning to continue studying this
year since I recently moved to a different job, which allows me more time. When I
finish it, I’ll have my degree of Master of Education in English.
As if that
wouldn't keep you busy enough, I'm guessing you're working on the next book in
the Kissing Bovaghnian Rogues series. Can you give us a hint on what it is
about?
Riman: It’s the prequel. Aunt Kaidence and
Uncle Andrew, and their secret island, have been mentioned a few times in my
current book. Theirs is a story of steaming romance and suspense. Someone is
after Kaidence. As Andrew, her bodyguard then, falls distracted to
her charms, they find themselves in the pit of a tragedy with no escape but to
decide who takes a bullet for whom.
Exciting! So... everyone
should get their hands on Kissing Another Grimaldi so they can
be ready for the prequel when It comes out! You get the e-book or print version at:
- Eternal Press
- Barnes & Noble
- Amazon
- or order through your local independent bookseller!
No comments:
Post a Comment