Tag Archives: Beth Kery

Guest Author: Beth Kery On Genre Bending

Hi friends! I’m so excited to welcome back Beth Kery! Her most recent release is Swim Deep, which I even reviewed (a rarity!) We also had an exclusive excerpt of the book which you can check out if you missed it earlier. I think this post really helps sum up how I felt about the book upon reading it. I really do hope you read it because I need to talk to someone about it. You guys!!! Anyway, without further ado…. Beth!

Genre Bender
By Beth Kery

For almost everyone who did an early read of my new novel, Swim Deep, I heard a similar theme: What would you call it in regard to genre? Was it a suspense? A thriller? A romance? Maybe a contemporary suspense/thriller with romantic and paranormal elements? That’s too much of a mouthful . . . plus it leaves way too many possibilities. When it comes to Swim Deep, I have a feeling that every reader will have a different idea of how to label this novel. No matter what the reader calls it, my hope is that it takes her on an entertaining, thrilling ride for a few hours.

I get the idea of wanting to pin down a genre before I read a book. It helps you to choose a book based on your mood. Do I feel curling up with a cozy mystery, or freaking myself out a little bit with a horror or a thriller? Usually, a writer starts out knowing before she ever places the first word on the page what it is she’s writing, be it a romance with a happily-ever-after, a suspense, or a paranormal tale. That knowledge guides the way the story begins, unfolds and ends, and tells her the expectations for the hero and heroine. When it came to Swim Deep, though, it was the story that came to me first. It was the plot and certain vivid scenes in my mind that guided me more than any rigid rules in regard to genre. Continue reading →

Review: Swim Deep by Beth Kery

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Swim Deep by Beth Kery
*Psychological thriller with romantic elements released by Beth Kery on February 22, 2019

She’d made a career out of studying light, but now she’s entered a seductive, dangerous world of shadow and lies . . .
Anna Solas, poor artist working two jobs, is swept away by Evan Halifax, his charm and his good looks, and marries too quickly for her family’s comfort. Evan takes Anna to his stunning lakeside mansion the North Twin on the Les Jumeaux estate, where she discovers he lived with his first wife Elizabeth until her disappearance and presumed death. He says they can live anywhere Anna wants to, but his explanations unravel bit by bit. Anna is increasingly uneasy, wondering what really went on in the decadent home theatre, who is watching her from the South Twin—the matching home on Lake Tahoe’s shore, and the identity of the nightmare woman who appears to her at night, whispering a message she dreads hearing. She becomes determined to uncover the truth behind Elizabeth’s life in order to save her own sanity.

Oh. My. God. You. Guys. YOU. GUYS!!! This book THIS BOOK!!! I was up until almost 5 AM reading/finishing it. I took a day off from reading trying/needing to do other things … and I was admittedly nervous because Beth Kery told me it wasn’t a romance – and you know how particular I am about my HEA. However, having read it … I saw it is a romance – just not what you might expect from Beth Kery, because it isn’t an erotic romance. Nevertheless, even if it wasn’t a romance I wanted to read this book by Beth Kery because I love her writing and voice. And I’m so glad I did. Continue reading →

Teaser Tuesday Exclusive Excerpt: Swim Deep by Beth Kery

TBR Challenge Review: Exorcising Sean’s Ghost by Beth Kery

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Exorcising Sean’s Ghost by Beth Kery
Contemporary erotic romance re-edited and re-released on July 16, 2017 by Beth Kery

From the New York Times Bestseller Beth Kery comes this sizzling contemporary romance suspense, now re-edited and re-released after former publication by a previous publisher . . .

Belle is forced to mourn in secret after her lover, U.S. Attorney Sean Ryan, is murdered in a terrorist plot. When she has an irrational, intense sexual response to the mysterious stranger Jack Caldwell, Belle wonders if it’s due to delayed grief for Sean. Sean was the only man she’d ever responded to so completely, after all.

When she finds herself submitting wholly to Jack’s dominant, demanding manner in bed Belle begins to live on the sharp edge of doubt and uncertainty, even to the point of questioning her own sanity. Because Belle can’t let go of the crazy, impossible idea that Sean Ryan and Jack Caldwell are one and the same man.

So I never read the original – apparently it was published in 2007 … and I’m kind of happy about that, because everything – the edits etc, were new to me. I love Beth Kery’s writing. I think she’s one of the best authors of erotic romance out there. Even if (and when – because usually it does happen) the characters do something way out there to/for me … it’s still sexy because it works for them. The hero and heroine are always so in tune, and Ms. Kery’s writing has such depth and layers to it. It’s not just the sex – it’s the emotion, the cerebral connection – the full package. The “prompt” of the month’s TBR challenge is PNR or RS … and I’d say this is … peripheral RS? I kept thinking “this is the aftermath – the ‘everything else’ that happens around and after a RS.” It’s the thinking part of it, which makes sense because Ms. Kery (also) has a background in psychology. It’s suspense in and of the mind, not so much in action – as there is a lot of that … but it takes place “off page, off screen.” Can we call this an erotic low key psychological thriller? Because that’s what I’m doing. Continue reading →

Teaser Tuesday Exclusive Excerpt: Because We Belong by Beth Kery

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Hello my darlings! I apologize for the late post. I’ve had this – but … well, you know how it’s been. Everyone has been staying on level 15+ evil lately. I was still doing laundry at 2 AM and thought “complete the post, or triage my health?” And decided to go with the latter. I figured since you’re all wonderful you’d be ok with that.

I can’t believe we’re so far into November – the second Tuesday in fact, so it’s time for an exclusive excerpt. Today we have the lovely and talented Beth Kery sharing with us. Because We Belong is a book I’ve read, and can wholeheartedly recommend. In fact, it’s one of my favorites of 2013. You have to read this series (I think it helps) – although I guess you could read this one to stand alone … but why would you?!

Erm – and fair warning, this is definitely an erotic romance. So if that’s not your thing … come back later >.>

In Because We Belong Ian and Francesca return to reignite the exquisite passions that drew them together, and to finally face the intimate secrets that threatened to separate them forever. The secrets of an inescapable past that was one man’s darkest mystery—a darkness that seduced one woman and forever held her spellbound with forbidden desire. For both of them, the next step is total abandon.

Francesca spun around when she heard Ian shut the door with a thud. Blood roared in her ears when she heard the snick of the lock.

“What are you doing?” she asked when he came toward her.

“You asked me this morning if I’d been with another since we’d been apart and I told you no. Can you say the same to me?” he demanded coldly.

“I don’t owe you any explanations for my behavior for the last six months, Ian,” she grated out, infuriated by his manner, but inexplicably excited as well.

“Are you sleeping with my cousin?” he shot out, stepping closer.

She backed up until her bottom ran into the edge of the washer.

“No. But even if I was, it wouldn’t be any of your business.”

“Do you want to fuck him?” he asked crudely. “Because he obviously wants it. Rumor has it he’s a good lover. Do you figure he’d do the trick for you?”

She slapped his cheek. Hard. She’d never hit anybody before. It felt fantastic . . . and yet she’d never hated her loss of control more.

Her flash of aggression barely seemed to penetrate Ian’s consciousness.

He opened his hand along her jaw and tilted up her face. “Francesca?” His voice was quieter this time, but it was still an order for her to respond. He pressed nearer still, until their fronts were plastered together, her breasts heaving against his jacket-covered ribs, the fullness behind his fly becoming increasingly more obvious against her belly. It felt so good, so elementally right, that for a moment she couldn’t focus on what he was asking her.

“Answer me.”

“No I don’t want to fuck Gerard, damn it,” she spat, so angry that it was true, furious that she couldn’t find some way to sever this throbbing cord of connection she felt to Ian. His gaze ran over her face hungrily. She found herself straining toward him, her teeth bared.

Her feelings were so confused in that volatile moment, she honestly couldn’t say if she wanted to kiss him or bite at him like an animal and draw blood. His eyelids narrowed. He frightened her a little bit at that moment. She wasn’t the only one about to loose control.

“Go on,” he said.

She blinked at his low taunt and felt his erection swell against her. Her heartbeat roared in her ears.

“Take a bite, Francesca.”

He barely got out her name before she put her hand on the back of his head and pushed him to her, her mouth molding his roughly, her teeth scraping his lower lip as she sucked the captive flesh, her tongue licking and plunging and seeking. It was an angry consumption more than a kiss, and one he didn’t allow to be one-sided for long. Within seconds he leaned down over her, forcing her back to arch, the barrier of their clothing feeling both insubstantial against their mingling heat and pressing bodies, and also unbearably intrusive.

God, she needed to feel his naked body against hers, needed to be filled by him . . . absolutely required him to prove he was there with her in that moment in the most primal way possible.

So what’d you think?!?! Good, yes? 😀 Go get a copy!!! I’ll wait. [Then we can discuss it. :D] I actually did a First Look on it over at H&H too! If you didn’t get enough, here’s an additional excerpt you can read on Beth’s site.

Guest: Beth Kery

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Hello everyone! We’ve got fabulous author Beth Kery visiting with us today! I’m so excited to have her here visiting with us, especially since Tuesday she had a new release – Exposed to You, which is one of the best books I’ve read this year! In fact, I reviewed it over at Heroes & Heartbreakers. But anyway, you don’t want to hear me – you want to see what Beth has to say. And believe me – if you haven’t read her before, you definitely want to.

I recently watched an interview on one of the news channels featuring Niall Leonard, the husband of author E.L. James who wrote the publishing phenomenon, Fifty Shades of Grey. Mr. Leonard himself had just put out a book, but of course all the reporters weren’t asking him about that. Instead, they wanted to know such crucial—and utterly embarrassing—things, like whether or not Mr. Leonard and his wife possessed their own red room of pain or if he considered himself to be like Christian Grey? To the latter, Mr. Leonard said wryly something along the lines of (I’m paraphrasing): “I hope not. He’s one sick bastard.” I mentally applauded Mr. Leonard’s response, not to mention his grace in general in answering such silly questions.

Those of us in the romance community can’t help but notice the booming popularity of…er…we’ll call him the ‘emotionally challenged hero’. He’s sexy, he’s intense, he’s got more than one diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders. I am not casting aspersions on these heroes. Not at all. I love to write a dark hero with a past, an intense alpha with a wound that the heroine helps to heal with her love. As a psychologist, I love digging into a character, and yes, oftentimes those layers go deep and dark.

But they can also go deep and light. Mental health doesn’t equate with being shallow or uninteresting. No, it might just mean strength of character and the ability to learn after making mistakes.

Given this love of the dark, messed-up hero, I was more than a little interested—and concerned—about what readers would think of Everett Hughes, the hero of my upcoming contemporary erotic romance, Exposed to You.

Here’s the thing about Everett: he’s supremely mentally healthy. Yes, he’s a superstar, but instead of being the screwed-up-celebrity-stereotype, he balances his fame with grace, a sense of humor, and the love and closeness of family and friends. Everett just refuses to be typecast, and that includes being shoved into the restrictive role of a narcissistic movie star.

Everett appeared initially in the first book in the One Night of Passion series, Addicted to You, as the brother of heroine Katie Hughes. He immediately leapt out of the realms of my unconscious and onto the page for me, and I knew I had to give him his own romance.

Katie noticed he was wearing the newsboy hat again, a white T-shirt, horrid knee-length sweat shorts, black socks and white Converse tennis shoes. With his tall, lean body and careless elegance, he actually managed to make the ensemble look quirky chic instead of atrocious, which it would have been on any other human on the planet. If Katie thought Everett was trying to be cute on purpose, it would have annoyed her, but she knew the truth. Almost everything Everett did was effortlessly perfect, right down to the fact that he typically could care less about perfection.
—Addicted to You, Beth Kery writing as Bethany Kane

Just like Everett himself, I knew his romance would be sexy, passionate, unexpected and full of fun. He’s the perfect foil for my heroine, introverted, careful, talented, cancer-survivor, Joy Hightower. Joy isn’t quite sure what to make of the gorgeous, unaffected Everett. It’s not everyday that a star blazes into your midst during some of the darkest days of your life.

Did one ever become accustomed to his sexuality? It was like a third person in the room, a guest Joy wasn’t sure if she should ignore or welcome. Her gaze skittered over the opened portion of the robe he wore. The hair on his chest wasn’t a pelt, by any means, but it emphasized his potent masculinity. Hollywood golden boy Everett may be, but he was the polar opposite of an effeminate fop. He seemed about as aware of his looks as he was his own skin.
—Exposed to You by Beth Kery

It’s Joy who possesses the wounds in Exposed to You. Not in the diagnosable sense, but in the very real, heart-rending way. She possesses the scars of not only her own cancer scare, but the unhealed wounds from watching a mother die from the disease after a protracted illness. Her father had left her mother rand her after watching his wife wasting away. Joy would never willfully wish that hell upon an enemy, let alone someone she loves.

It was fun to make Everett the savior in Exposed to You, the unhesitant giver…the completely confident lover. It’s his light, his depth and his vibrancy that end up saving Joy.

If you haven’t noticed, Joy’s gorgeous and kind and amazingly modest, considering all her talent and gifts. To be honest, I’m not surprised at all Everett has fallen for her. He hates artifice, even though he thrives in the midst of it. Joy is fresh and understated and . . . and . . .”

“What?” Seth prompted, no longer looking taken aback by Katie’s outburst, but interested.

“Well, sort of haunted, to be honest,” Katie said regretfully. “It’s the kind of combination a man like my brother would find irresistible.”

“He would think her being haunted was irresistible?” Seth asked, sounding mildly offended.

“No,” Katie said. “He’d find the idea of bringing her peace and happiness irresistible.”
—Exposed to You by Beth Kery

Fortunately for Everett—and for Joy—he does end up convincing her that life and love are worth the risk. As for how they get to their happily-ever-after, that’s a journey you’ll have to read for yourself. 🙂

What are your thoughts about dark, tortured alpha heroes and equally alpha, sexy, healthy ones? What draws you to one or the other? If you’re anything like me, both types have their appeal given the storyline. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

We’re so lucky that Ms. Kery is giving away TWO books today! First, a copy of Addicted to You and another winner will get Exposed to You. And I definitely want to know what you think about heroes and which types are your favorites too.

Special Guest: Mary G! (With Beth Kery/Bethany Kane)

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Hi everyone! To kick off my special reader guests for June aka birthday month 😉 … I’ve got one of my favorite people, Mary G! I only wish we got to hang out more – and that more of you knew her! I’ll have to be more witty and intelligent so Mary comes out to play more. 😛 Anyway, I met her at Lori Foster (And Dianne Castell now Duffy Brown’s Reader & Author Get Together) but we’d chatted online via blogs before… and it was one of my personal highlights of the conference. Anyway – you can see why she’s fantastic for yourself. (And she brought along Beth Kery as Bethany Kane – and who could ever find fault with that?!)

When Lime invited me to write a guest post, I was thrilled. Now I’m facing a blank page. Yikes!!

I only have two loves in my life (besides family & friends) & those are tennis & books.

My grandfather (who was also a voracious reader before his eyesight deteriorated) bought me my first book for Christmas when I was nine years old. After that I went to the library every Saturday & took home eight books. To this day, I insist that my house would be immaculate if I wasn’t a reader. There are always piles of books, magazines & newspapers around until recycle day eve LOL.

Today I wanted to focus on another life changing moment. That was reading my first Beth Kery book. It was Wicked Burn and it blew me away. I still have the first email I sent her:

“Wicked Burn has to be one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read. It had everything. I could not put it down but I did not want it to end.”

Oh how woefully inadequate that is LOL. It was so deeply emotional, heart rending, sexy hot and had a few spots that made me smile. It raised the bar for me on what I want out of a book whether it be a contemp, romantic suspense, historical, etc. A book can have it all. The other thing that sets Beth apart is her prose. I still chuckle when I remember telling her that no one writes like her. She says she uses the same vocab as everyone else. Whatever. I’ve also complained to her that her books take longer to read because the prose is so beautiful that I reread passages over & over again.

My fave passage ever in a book: Sweet Restraint page 219 –

They both lay on their sides belly to belly, their limbs wrapped fast around the other so that they formed a secure, fleshy knot.

This is what became a book mark moment, putting a book mark in a fave passage. I met Beth at Lori Foster’s last year, a casual, down to earth and at the same time, elegant lady who is just as beautiful on the inside. I can’t wait to see her again this week. Lime, you better be there next year.

Today Beth is here to talk about her latest book, Addicted To You, written under her pen name Bethany Kane. It doesn’t matter what the name is on the cover. You’re assured of a great read.

Beth/Bethany puts her special brand on a friends to lovers story that you will enjoy. She’s done quite a few interviews this week so I have just one question. What was the spark, the impetus that started you on the path to writing?

Beth Kery/Bethany Kane

Thanks to both Lime and Mary for asking me to post! It’s hard for me to convey how grateful and flattered I am by Mary’s words. There is no greater compliment to an author than knowing her story has touched the heart of another. Thank you, Mary. Your words touched me, as well.

What sparked my writing career? Probably a lifetime of reading. Books fill my earliest memories. It was the greatest treat in the world to go to the library with my mother. It was incredible…like Christmas every time we went. I also have a very sharp memory of one event. I was about five or six. My mom was in graduate school at the time, and she’d teamed up with another teacher. Their project was to do something that would get kids excited about reading. They encouraged me to write a story; mine was about mice. I do remember that much. But what I really remember was that they bound it into a little book. I remember being so stunned and so proud. I couldn’t believe I was an author.

I’m sure that’s just one of many events that set me on this path. I’ve come a very long way from the story about mice to my upcoming release from Berkley Heat, Addicted to You. Addicted to You is the first full length erotic romance in a new series called “One Night of Passion.” The theme of this series, written under the pen name Bethany Kane, is that each of the romances starts out with one night of impulsive pleasure. Of course, it will end up with a happily-ever-after, but only after the couples come to terms with whatever led up to them behaving so uncharacteristically on that first night. I make them work for that happily-ever-after, but that’s where the fun happens.

Rill and Katie, the hero and heroine from Addicted to You, have a long history of friendship. Rill came to the U.S. from Ireland to go to film school at UCLA, and as a result, Katie’s family opened their home and hearts to him. Katie carried a torch for him from a young age, halfway knowing nothing will ever come of her infatuation. Rill is brilliant, after all, and possesses an easy charm and raw sexuality that women adore. Years later, Rill begins to date Katie’s college roommate, Eden, and eventually marries her. Katie’s chances of ever having a romantic relationship with Rill fade to nothing. Years pass, and their cherished friendship deepens.

One day, Eden is killed in a car wreck and Rill learns an earth-shattering secret about his dead wife. He’s so devastated by the circumstances that he leaves a brilliant career as a film director and holes up in the tiny, quirky town of Vulture’s Canyon, drinking too much and spinning out of control. Never one to give up on those she loves, Katie blazes into Vulture’s Canyon one night, intent on saving Rill.

What happens on that starlit night when these two passionate, volatile souls crash together changes their relationship forever. Katie and Rill make the friends-to-lovers journey fun, heart- rending and extremely sexy all at once. After one night of passion, nothing will ever be the same for them again.

All it takes is a moment for your life to change—one night of desire to make you feel alive…

Irish film director Rill Pierce fled to the tiny, backwoods town of Vulture ‘s Canyon, seeking sanctuary and solitude after a devastating tragedy. Once, his raw sex appeal and sultry Irish accent made women across the globe swoon. Now, he’s barely recognizable…

But Katie Hughes, his best friend’s sister, is not the type of woman to give up on a man like Rill. She blazes into Vulture’s Canyon determined to save him from himself. Instead, she finds herself unleashing years of pent-up passion. In a storm of hunger and need, Katie and Rill forget themselves and the world. But will Rill’s insatiable attraction to Katie heal his pain—or will it just feed the darkness within him?

You can read an excerpt of Addicted to You here.

Contest: Leave a reply to one or both of the following questions, and I’ll give a copy of Addicted to You to one commenter.

What were your first memories of books and reading? Have you ever indulged in a night of impulsive passion and had it turn into something more?

Personally, I think you should go for answering both questions – honestly!- heh. So do you have any questions for Mary and or Beth/Bethany? I do want to note that they’re both at the Reader and Author Get Together this year, which is taking place this very weekend. So they won’t be able to check back until they’re home. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t comment, ask Beth and Mary questions, and answer Beth’s question as well!

Limecello

A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet