NK Chats To… Jaime P. Bradley
Hi Jaime. Thank you so much for joining me today and for inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for Reasons To Act. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Reasons to Act is the third novel in my 3000 Reasons series. It’s about Olivia, a Marine who is unexpectedly made the military consultant on the set of an action movie starring Chris Blackstone, who has private reasons for needing the movie to be a success and doesn’t trust a newbie like Olivia on his set. They butt heads immediately, but of course sparks also fly. Ultimately, this story is a romance but it’s also about acceptance and respect. (Think the movie Fall Guy meets The Hating Game)
What are the challenges of writing a book within an established series? What’s been the best part?
Reasons to Act is actually a great example of the challenge of a series because it wasn’t supposed to exist, but then this fierce character Olivia came along as I was writing Reasons to Risk and she wouldn’t leave me alone. After I accepted that I’d have to give her a story, it was supposed to be an offshoot novella, but I found in the writing process that I needed more space to do them justice, so it became a novel. It’s difficult to be flexible, but I think it’s most important to give the characters their due and make the romance believable, even if it wasn’t part of my original plan or the characters don’t fall into the structure I originally imagined. At the same time, one of the most fun and wonderful things about writing a series is returning to characters over and over. They’re like friends and watching them interact as each one gets their own story is really rewarding.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals – coffee? Silence?
I’m an early bird with four kids, so my typical (ideal) writing day starts with a workout session followed by copious amounts of coffee, farm chores, more coffee, and getting the kids off to school. Once they’re out of the house I sit at my desk or in a comfy chair and do about an hour or so of email and social media, then I change gears and get into the manuscript. I usually listen to music, but it depends on what kind of scene I’m writing and what kind of mood I’m trying to get into. Often instrumental pop works, but I have playlists for steamy scenes or those with more energy. When I feel stuck—or the dogs want to go out—I’ll often take my phone and dictate as we walk around our fields. Sometimes the change of scenery, movement, and nature sounds will help me through a difficult scene. When the kids come home I try to quit for the day, although I often keep notes and ideas for dialogue on my phone or in a notebook as they come to me and put them in the manuscript the next day.
What was your route to publication and what advice do you have for someone looking to follow a similar path?
I initially queried with agents and tried the trad route with an early version of 3000 Reasons to Stay and had some interest, but ultimately no takers. I ended up doing a massive rewrite once I found my developmental editor, Jen, and decided to indie publish because the trad route takes so long and by that point I was antsy to just prove to myself I could publish. In hindsight, that wasn’t the best marketing decision (wait, I’m supposed to have an ARC team? Get reviews? Tell people about my book?) But Stay turned out well and I’ve learned SO MUCH since putting it out there. I like being in control of my product and revenue, though it’s a lot of work and I don’t rule out pitching a future series to a trad publisher. However, the trad route is incredibly slow and I’m not sure I have the patience for it! With all that said, my advice for new authors is, Don’t Rush It! Learn the process, the business, build a platform and get to know other published writers for advice. There are tons of people and places willing to share their knowledge, often for free or minimal cost. Take the editorial process seriously, and if you’re writing series romance, have a couple books finished before you put the first one out. Be patient and don’t quit!
What’s your favourite word and why?
I’m not sure I have a favorite word, though I do appreciate a very thoughtfully placed swear. Maybe that’s because I write military and former military characters (and my husband is a former Marine) so a well dropped curse can really set a scene.
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Book Extract: The Obsidian Rig by Earl D. Coobs
It’s a pleasure to welcome Earl D. Coobs to Novel Kicks as we shine a light on his book, The Obsidian Rig.For Garth Heller, owning a gleaming, obsidian-black Peterbilt 359 means freedom. But his dream rig conceals something he could never have anticipated: a malevolent force hidden deep within its engine block, a remnant of an ancient cosmic evil forged from the Spear of Destiny.
The truck’s dark mythological power begins consuming Garth’s mind, turning pride into possession and plunging him into blackouts he cannot explain. Violence follows. So do madness and guilt. With each mile comes another loss of control and another unspeakable crime as Garth’s soul is slowly twisted into a vessel for horror.
But the darkness beneath the hood doesn’t end with Garth. The Peterbilt passes to a new owner, a broken man named Harry Smith, and the nightmare starts all over again.
In The Obsidian Rig, supernatural horror meets occult mythology and cosmic terror in a story where machines can become monsters, and evil can wear the mask of steel.
Earl has kindly shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Chapter 1
The Promise
The day Garth finally got his Peterbilt was the last good day he could remember. He stood in the Tulsa dealership lot, his boots sinking a little into the fresh gravel, just staring at it. The truck wasn’t just a machine; it was a promise. He’d scraped and saved for ten years to custom-order this rig, and it was perfect. He knew every single detail by heart: a 1972Peterbilt 359, VIN 7201509359C. The deep, obsidian black paint shimmered in the midday sun, a finish so dark it seemed to pull the light into its surface. He’d nicknamed it “Iron Ray,” a nod to his late father and the raw power he saw in its lines. Continue reading
by Book Review: Love Song at the Music Festival by Margaret Amatt
It’s a pleasure to welcome Margaret Amatt back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Love Song at the Music Festival.
From Heartbreak to Harmony
After young music teacher Mirren Elphinstone’s entitled boyfriend dumps her and walks out on local band Tavrach, Mirren has a score to settle. Despite her usually sunny, helpful nature, she decides auditioning for the vacant lead singer role is the perfect way to get payback.
Tavrach’s enigmatic frontman, Adam Cormac, is desperate. With the Autumn Gold Festival fast approaching, the band needs a new lead singer – and fast. When only one hopeful turns up – a golden-haired beauty with the voice of an angel – Adam takes a chance.
He soon discovers Mirren is the ex of the sneaky band member who not only abandoned them but stole some of Adam’s compositions. Tempers flare, until the tension between Adam and Mirren turns electric. What began as revenge quickly explodes into an attraction as powerful as their duets – but Adam’s been burned too often to risk his heart lightly.
If they want a chance to turn heartbreak into harmony, Adam must believe he’s more than a stopgap, while Mirren must choose love on her own terms. Only then can they strike a lasting chord before the curtain falls.
*****
Adam is not one to trust lightly especially when a trusted member of his band leaves, taking songs that don’t belong to him.
Mirren knows that Benji leaving is for the best. She also knows that auditioning to take his place in the band he’s just abandoned will be the perfect revenge. Will Adam and the other band members see it that way?
When there was another chance to be part of a blog tour for this author, I jumped at the chance and couldn’t wait to get started.
This wasn’t my first visit to Glenbriar and it felt so good to be back. There were even some familiar faces. If this book will be your introduction to Margaret Amatt’s wonderful series, it can be read as a standalone.
by Cover Reveal: Flesh Endures by Sue C. Bentley
I’m excited to be helping reveal the cover for Flesh Endures, the upcoming novel from Sue C. Bentley.
Lord Karolan, endowed with an arcane knowledge of alchemy, knows immortality comes at a price, for any lover perishes at his touch. His only companion is his ‘familiar’ – a greedy, wanton spirit that attached itself to him during his transformation and feasts on his fleshly desires as it yearns to become human.
Karolan saves Garnetta from the plague sweeping through early gothic Europe, by bestowing the ‘dark gift’ upon her, but without her permission. A bond of desire develops between the two, and a future for them seems possible. Until Garnetta learns the shocking truth about what Karolan’s laboratory holds, and what he has done to her.
Fleeing in horror, she unwittingly falls into the hands of the inquisition. Found guilty of heresy, she is to be subject to a fate even she cannot survive. Dare she open her heart to Karolan now she knows what he is? All while risking attracting his ‘familiar’ – now attached to her also and eager to inhabit her enticing female form.
Karolan is desperate to find the woman he has grown to love, knowing that only a leap of faith can lead him to her, before time runs out.
OK, now we know about the novel, it’s time to reveal the cover. Drumroll… three… two… one…
by Book Review: A Fatal Love by Louisa Treger
Following Ruth Ellis’ long-awaited posthumous conditional pardon in July 2026, never has there been a more compelling moment to revisit the woman behind one of Britain’s most enduring legal cases.
It is Easter Sunday in 1955 and a young man lies face-down on the ground covered in blood. A woman, blonde and petite, stands over him with a gun in her hand. This is the story of Ruth Ellis as never told before…
As Ruth awaits her trial in Holloway Prison, she recollects growing up in England during the Second World War and the events that led to the death of her lover, David Blakely.
Meanwhile, Kitty Carrington – the assistant to Ruth’s trial lawyer – tries to forge her own path through the male-dominated legal world of the 1950s and ensure that Ruth receives a fair trial.
Navigating secrets, betrayal and a broken justice system, Ruth and Kitty try to take control of their own lives and narratives. But do we ever really know the full story?
*****
When Ruth Ellis murdered her lover, David Blakely in 1955, it started a debate that continues in 2026. Was she a cold-blooded killer or was she pushed to the brink by a man and a life that broke her?
Ruth Ellis and her case from 1955 is one that has fascinated me for a long time. When the review request for Louisa Treger’s new book, A Fatal Love, came along, I was eager to get reading.
Now, we all know how Ruth’s story ends. What this book explores is the emotional side of Ruth – the thoughts and feelings that led her to murder David Blakely.
This kind of book is one I find interesting. It mixes fact and fiction to give us a look into Ruth’s life. How she felt, what she went through and how her relationships affected her as a human being. Of course. we won’t ever know the truth of what motivated her or how she really felt about things, but this is one interpretation.
by Book Club
