Hi readers!
Please welcome author Johnny Ray to the blog this evening to talk about his book,
Models and Lovers. So without delay, I ask you Johnny to tell us about the book...
Models and Lovers was released on 3/23/2012, and is available at Amazon.
Here is a synopsis;
Have you ever had love slip between your fingers? When was the last
time you had a hero and heroine that you could really pulled for?
This is a love story blossoming inside the world of modeling.
In spite of the glamor and intrigue of this high fashion world, love
is really about one guy and one girl finding each other. But wait,
there is one more condition--they have to admit it to each
other.
Thomas (Tommy) Conseco, the frightfully delicious owner
of one of the top modeling agencies in New York City, demands respect
which he has so rightfully earned. Aspiring models from around the
world would sacrifice anything to become one of Tommy’s “girls”
fully knowing he can make them a legend, or send them home crying.
Tommy has one rule he has followed without exception. He never gets
personally involved with anyone in the modeling industry, and as far
as sex with his models and employees is concerned, it’s strictly
off limits. As a result, his heart is immune to even the most
beautiful women in the world. This rule has served him well in
business, but has left his personal life and bed cold and empty.
Enter Balarie Danson, the woman who is about to turn his
carefully constructed world upside down. Balarie may not have the
glamorous looks of a super model, but she’s bright, attractive and
terrific at her job booking talent for the agency, especially the
male models. Yielding to her charms, Tommy invites her to go on a
business trip to Milan with more than business on his mind. When she
turns him down, saying she’d prefer to concentrate all her energies
in the New York market, Tommy assumes she’s refusing him and the
possible chance at romance. The truth—Balarie is secretly terrified
of flying and a long cross-Atlantic flight is more than she can face,
despite her ambition in business and her secret attraction to her
enigmatic boss. She’s heard the rumors, but the sparks flying
between them are telling her Tommy’s looking for more than her
talent as a booking agent. But Balarie is also looking for more than
a one-night stand. So if Tommy intends to break his long-standing
rule and seduce this woman into his bed, he’ll also have to let her
into his heart because Balarie won’t settle for anything less than
a love that lasts forever, and a hero who can help her conquer her
fear of flying.
Who or what inspires your
writing?
My biggest cheerleader is my
wife who is a published Russian poet. I would say that my fans are
what inspire me to write day after day. I belong to a lot of writer
groups which also gives me tremendous support.
When did you know you would be
a writer?
I have been writing for a long
time, but it is when you receive that first royalty check that you
realize that you are truly a professional writer.
How long did it take you to
write your first novel?
This is an interesting story.
Like many writers, my first story was absolutely terrible. I loved
it, but no on eels did. However, I rewrote it many times, over ten
and still cold not sell it. However, after I wrote ten other novels,
I went back one more time, but started from scratch and rewrote it
again. This time I sold it but it is under a different name.
What is the hardest part of
writing for you?
Many writers are introverts
and this makes it easy to disappear and write hours at a time. I am
an extrovert and love to be with people. I have to have people around
me when I write. I know this adds to the time it takes me to write,
but I get to enjoy my writing much more.
Do you have any writing
rituals?
I get up early and every
morning head to a new coffee shop. On the beach we have about three
coffee shops per block, and this beach is 35 miles long. I usually
write until lunch. I polish and do my social networking in the
afternoons. I love twitter and Facebook, etc. On twitter I have four
accounts with over 70,000 followers. On the other sites like Facebook, etc, I am limited to 5,000 connections, which is a shame. I
think I know more people in Iceland than 5,000 people.
At night I spend time with my
wife and our 13 year old son. We stay very active on the beach and on
the bike trails.
Later at night, I am back to
write and will usually call it a night around one or two in the
morning.
Have you written anything
else?
I write under several names
with around ten novels completed there.
Under my name I also have THE
REJECTION LETTER which was self published last year and can be found
on Amazon.
This is a romantic thriller
involving a serial killer who found inspiration from a rejection
letter a want-to-be writer received and now has a new target—literary
agents.
Here is a synopsis;
To someone else, the rejection letter might be perceived as a simple
piece of correspondence. But when Amy, who suffers from bipolar
disorder receives a form rejection letter from Edward, an agent she
had an affair with at a recent convention, she takes the rejection as
both personal and professional—in short—a declaration of war.
Amy quickly embarks on a plan to get revenge by destroying
Edward’s literary agency. However, Amy is soon not the one to be
feared the most. Her actions create a copycat, a serial killer, who
targets literary agents and viciously murders them. Living with the
knowledge she has created a monster, a serial killer, is one thing,
while doing nothing to stop the madness is another. But how could she
track down a killer when she has no training in such? Thinking like a
mad man might be the only way—but could she go there and survive
herself?
When the winds of fate rekindle the romance with Edward,
thus making him the next target—she really has no choice but to
help the FBI. But will she be too late?
In THE HERITAGE which released
last year also, and can be found at Amazon.
This story revolves around a
rape that happened while being under the influence of a date rape
drug. To find the truth, she obtains the help of a bodyguard who
worked for employees aboard the yacht where the rape happened.
Here's a synopsis;
FIRST
RAPED—IMPREGNATED—DISGRACED
NEXT
A KILLER
WANTS TO STOP THE BABY FROM BEING BORN AND
DISCLOSING THE
FATHER
FINALLY
A WEDDING—A BABY—A
HERITAGE
HOW?
PREPARE FOR SOME PLOT TWIST IN ONE OF THE
BEST ROMANTIC THRILLER OF THE YEAR
New York City socialite
Kristina Sutherland, the daughter of legendary Lawson Sutherland, a
top executive with Lyon International discovers she’s pregnant, but
doesn’t remember having sex for a long time. While contemplating an
abortion she bumps into and confides in Shawn Davis, the head of
security at Lyon International and asks him to take her to an
abortion clinic out of the city for consultation, making him promise
to keep any details in confidence. While she realizes she needs him
as a bodyguard to keep the press away and guard her privacy she also
knows he has a loyalty conflict due to his position in the
corporation. Shawn provides security to the company elite and their
families. Desperate, she knows no one else to turn to that she
trusts.
Shawn is the secret grandson of Brent Lyon, the chairman
of the board of Lyon International. After Brent asks Shawn to come to
his office they talk about their past and how Brent regrets his
earlier decisions. Brent had disowned his daughter, Shawn’s mother
when she ran off with a want-to-be rock star. She had raised Shawn on
her own until she died a few years earlier. Brent had invited Shawn
back into his life only after her death, and only to a small degree
which had to remain a secret to avoid scandals which could ruin the
corporation.
I also wrote a book on HOW TO
WRITE YOUR MEMOIRS. This is a workbook on how to gather and prepare
to write your memoir. It is also on Amazon.
Any advice to aspiring
writers?
Write, write, and write some
more. Then get a thick skin and get it reviewed by everyone you can
harass into reading it. And learn to honestly want them to tear it
apart. Even to the point of insulting them if they go easy on you. It
takes a lot of rewriting to learn how to write correctly.
Who are your favorite Authors?
I have so many, but of all of
them the two that have inspired me the most are Sandra Brown and
Jackie Collins.
What are your favorite books,
or which book has impacted you the most?
The list is long, but anything
by my favorite writers above.
What are you currently
reading?
After all of the massive
attention on FIFTY SHADES OF GRAY, I had to see what was so special
about this book.
How do readers find out more
about you?
I am all over the net where I
am also known as Sir John. I have a blog www.sirjohn.us
where I have a page listing all of my novels and my other social
connections.
Author Bio:
Johnny has a
passion, a thirst, for life and adventure that he loves to share with
his readers. He has written many novels under various pen names and
ghostwritten for others.
He is a graduate of
Auburn University with post graduate work at the Birmingham School of
Law, The University of Alabama, The University of Tennessee, UCLA,
New York University, Wil-Var Institute and The American College. He
has received the following certifications: Certified International
Property Specialist, Certified Residential Specialist, Certified
Managerial Accountant, Certified Life Underwriter and Chartered
Financial Consultant.
He lives in St
Petersburg, Florida where he works full time as a writer. He belongs
to the Florida Writer Association, the Romantic Writers of America,
the Mystery Writers Association, and can be found attending various
national conventions as well as supporting several local writing
groups. His novel THE SALSA CONNECTION won the Royal Palm Literary
award for best thriller. Johnny Ray has several popular blogs he
maintains and is the most popular writer on twitter with over 70,000
followers.
The author loves to be reached by fans, or for interviews and workshops. Johhny Ray can be reached by email at
or on his blog he can be reached.
Thanks Johnny for stopping by!
