Today, please welcome Kendall Grace to the blog! She’s a talented writer whose second contemporary romance, SOUTHERN EXPOSURE, is now available. If you’re looking for an amusing, emotional, passionate read with an ultra-sexy hero, this is definitely the book for you! Oh, and did I forget to mention I made her booktrailer!

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It’s a Southern Thing

I hail from the South. Deep in the South—Georgia, to be specific. Although I’ve traveled extensively, I’ve never encountered the unique feel of the Southern states anywhere else. There’s just something about the air down here that makes everything seem more laid back, inspires a slower pace and a sense of welcome. Even living in a large Southern city as I do, I still see these bits of down-home hospitality that this region is known for. When I began writing, there was never a question of where my stories would take place. There’s nothing I love more as a reader than when an author’s setting becomes a character itself. And what better character is there than the South? Especially when you dig deep into the smaller regions of Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas. These towns, and everyone in them, are just tales waiting to be told. Everyone is in everyone else’s business, and that leaves the door wide open for entertaining fiction, as far as I’m concerned. And what’s even more delicious is when you bring an outsider into one of these small towns. My personal favorite is an unsuspecting heroine being thrust into the South at the mercy of a Southern gentleman. She’s not going to stand a chance.

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This was just the premise I used in my latest release from Ellora’s Cave, SOUTHERN EXPOSURE. Here’s the blurb:
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A quick trip to visit her hospitalized mother is lasting longer than Anna had expected. About twelve weeks longer. It’s not that she isn’t used to taking care of her mom—Anna took over that job when her father died—but it’s a little stressful vying for partnership in her New York law firm from Liberty, Alabama. Fortunately the neighbor, a hot Southern charmer, is willing to help her take the edge off.

Since Trey breached her defenses, he and Anna have been burning up the sheets…and the side of the house…and the garden. The woman he’s coming to know is a far cry from the uptight lawyer he first met. And he likes the new Anna. A lot.

As her feelings for Trey deepen, Anna is torn between duty and desire…what she wants versus what she thinks she needs. Returning to New York, reverting to the formidable attorney her father molded, is the responsible thing to do.

Too bad that’s not the woman Trey wants…

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What regions draw you as a reader? Do you like exotic destinations? Metropolitan cities? Historical settings? Are you drawn, as I am, to the unique dynamics of miniscule towns? I’d love to hear which books you’ve read that vividly paint the location until it becomes a living, breathing part of the story. Comment and enter to win a $15 Amazon Gift Certificate.


An Excerpt From: SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

Copyright © KENDALL GRACE, 2011

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

Chapter One

Anna Reed slumped against the wall by the front door of her mother’s cottage in Liberty, Alabama, pushing soaked tendrils of hair from her forehead with a shaking hand. She watched as the taxi’s taillights disappeared down the long drive and into the distance before searching blindly for the decorative pot where the house key was hidden. A flash of lightning crackled in the night sky and Anna jumped, clutching her chest and stumbling over what felt like a giant bag of potting soil. Her stiletto heel slipped between the boards of the front porch, snapping off when she tried to right herself.

She slipped the shoe off and groaned. Like her day hadn’t been sucky enough.

An emergency phone call to her office had launched her into a journey requiring three airports, two flights and a midnight taxi ride into Nowheresville. And now this. Anna glared at the mutilated shoe in her hand, grabbed its mate and tossed both over the porch railing with a disgusted sigh. She continued to feel around for the planter in the pitch-black night until her fingers brushed its smooth surface and she was able to extract the key from beneath. She unlocked the door and fumbled for the wall switch. Sighing in relief, she flipped it.

Nothing.

“Well that’s just great,” she muttered. “No power.”

She pushed the door closed with her hip and leaned against it, tears threatening to slip over her lashes. She shook her head, willing the negative emotions away. She was just tired—the panic that had seized her before learning her mother would make a complete recovery must have finally caught up with her, rendering her an emotionally fragile mess. Everything would seem different in the morning. She just needed some sleep before she went back to the hospital.

Anna locked the door and then took tiny steps to avoid tripping on anything as she made her way to the tiny spare bedroom. She unbuttoned her wet blouse and skirt as she went, letting the soaked garments fall to the floor. A clap of thunder roared in the angry night and Anna cringed as she slid her hand down the wall, searching for the bedroom. Her fingers met air and she eased through the open doorway. Reaching in front of her, she felt for the foot of the bed and groped the edge until she was able to drop on top of the mattress in a heap of exhaustion. Releasing a long sigh, she turned onto her side.

“You must be Annabelle.”

Anna’s hip met the floor with a thwack, her head bumping the wall as she tried to gain her footing. “Damn it!” She scrambled to her feet, her pulse rioting. “Who are—”

The beam of a flashlight illuminated the small room in faint light and she gasped at the stranger who stood on the other side of the bed wearing a smile and very little else.

She lurched forward and yanked her grandmother’s handmade afghan from the bed, curtaining herself. Meeting his gaze, she squared her shoulders. “Obviously you know who I am. So who the hell are you?”

He chuckled and rounded the corner of the bed, approaching her. She took a step back, her effort to escape thwarted by the wall.

“Sorry,” he said, his voice a low, lazy drawl. “I’m Trey Jacobs. I live next door.” He extended his hand.

Anna eyed him for a long pause before tucking the corner of the afghan under her arm and hesitantly accepting his gesture. “Anna Reed.”

He narrowed his eyes slightly, tilting his head to the side. “Your mama calls you Annabelle.”

“Yes, well,” she pulled her hand from his warm, calloused grasp and wrapped her arms around her torso, “I prefer Anna.”

“All right.” He moved toward her again and she took a clumsy step to the side and backed into the window, the blinds clattering against the glass. Anna heard a drawer in the bedside table slide open then the scraping sound of a match. A large pillar candle illuminated their corner of the room in a soft glow.

He turned to face her and she was met with her first full glimpse of Trey Jacobs. He stood before her in black boxer briefs, one hand resting lightly on his hip. His hair was mussed from sleep, falling in long layers around his face and just brushing his shoulders. It appeared to be a rich brown in the limited light and she could just make out dark stubble on his square jaw. Anna’s attention drifted to his chest, to the hard planes of muscle concealed beneath skin that looked as smooth and soft as suede.

He cleared his throat and her gaze darted back to his. He smiled liked the Cheshire cat, his eyes dancing in amusement. Anna snapped her mouth shut, which had apparently fallen open during her unabashed perusal of her mother’s neighbor. “Um, the hospital staff said a neighbor had been with my mom. Was that you?”

He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, gesturing for her to join him. She glanced at his wide expanse of skin and the brief stretch of black fabric before focusing her attention on the painting over his right shoulder. “Do you want to get dressed or something?” she stammered.

A throaty laugh suffused her cheeks with heat. What in the hell was her problem? She was put under fire on a daily basis back home in New York. If it wasn’t opposing counsel or a squirrely witness, it was her demanding boss hovering over her as she attempted to scrape and claw her way to a partnership. Trey was only a man. She looked down at him, at the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement, his full lips, the way he ran long fingers into his hair to brush it from his forehead.

Yes, he was just a man. And the Grand Canyon was just a crack.

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By Authors, Ellora's Cave, Giveaways40 Comments on Kendall Grace gives us a Southern Exposure view

40 Replies to “Kendall Grace gives us a Southern Exposure view”

  1. Thanks for having me, Bev. Of everything I’ve written, “Southern Exposure” is my favorite, so I’m very happy that it’s out! I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s response on which books they love that use setting as character.

  3. Love the excerpt!

    Location doesn’t really matter to me…I’ll read historicals and contemporaries set in big cities or small towns. Exotic destinations are not so interesting to me.

    For romance the first to spring to mind are Lauren Dane’s books — the Browns in Seattle and the Chase brothers in Petal, GA. Non-romance, I go with Tana French’s books. She captures the ‘feel’ of Ireland soooooo well it amazes me.

  4. I grew up in a very small town (population 838) so I can relate to stories set in similar locations. I have also been lucky enough to travel to Europe many times. I love historical romances set in far off places.

    I agree with Babs about Lauren Dane’s contemporary books set in Seattle. She puts all of her favorite Seattle haunts into the Brown series. There is a burger joint she mentions in every book that I must visit if I ever go to Seattle!

  5. I admit I’m a historical romance lover. I very rarely read contemporaries, even when they sound interesting. I like getting “lost in another era” in the historical. Other than that location doesn’t play any particular part in the decision. Big city, quirky town or someone’s country house or ranch — I enjoy them all.

  6. Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Kendall, this is a fantastic book and I hope everyone goes out and buys it today. 🙂 I’ll be back later when I have something witty to say about setting etc. 😉

  7. I’ve always been drawn to Medieval Scotland. My bookshelf is overflowing with Medieval Highland Romance!

  8. I enjoy all types of settings, the important thing is that the author brings it alive for me. Since I live in a more crowded area in the northeast I do like stories of people from small southern towns. They seem more relaxed and less stressed, in the stories anyway.

  11. Enjoyed the excerpt, Kendall. Sounds like a good book.

    I read mainly historicals set in Regency England. That is probably my favorite setting, although I do like historicals set in the American South during the Civil War period or the American Revolution era. I think the book I read that really brought the setting to life was ‘Sacajawea’ (don’t know if I spelled that right). While reading it, I had my Rand McNally U.S. Road Atlas out just to help trace the path of the expedition. Other books that bring the setting to life is Gone with the Wind. But I don’t know if I have been influenced by the film or not…could be. I can still see the burning of Atlanta in my mind right now.

  12. I like Hawaii, Italy and beach towns. Flirting with Forty hooked me on Jane Porter. It was in Hawaii.

  13. In contemporaries, I am drawn to small-town settings. In historicals, I like Regency London, medieval England, Scottish highlands, and the old American West. In all of these the setting is so crucial that it is almost a “character’ in the story.

  14. I do like reading about small towns, because I’ve lived in rather urban areas my whole life. I can’t imagine knowing everybody on my block, much less their business. I also love reading stories set in alternate realities–picturing alien landscapes in my head is fun!

  15. I love reading historicals set in England. I’m fascinated by how everything was back then. I also like reading about big cities when I read paranormals/contemporaries.

  16. You know, I have read books where the location didn’t make any impact on me and others where location was so strongly identified and described, that it was more or less another character in the story. I don’t have a particular love for a location but the love/passion that the writer has for the place they are writing about is fun for me to read.

  17. It’s interesting to hear everyone’s take on setting. I, too, enjoy a historical setting and am a huge fan of Bev’s work. She has a wonderfully descriptive voice, as I’m sure most of you know. I’m glad to hear there are some small-town setting lovers out there as well. I had such a blast creating Liberty, Alabama and now wish I’d set it up with more potential for sequels. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

  19. Your book sounds really good and I have added it to my TBR list. I am drawn to books set in Australia-I guess since I have not visited there. And there is just something about a Texan that I like to read .

  20. Love the trailer and enjoyed the excerpt. I’m not fussy about settings but I enjoy hearing about historical settings and also fantasy worlds. LOTR comes to mind where the setting is important.

  21. I just love books wherever they are located — small towns or large ones. It is always nice to have a description of where the story is taking place though. It’s nice to be drawn into a book and feel as though you are there in body and spirit.

    I prefer my historicals to be set in Scotland, Wales, and England.

  22. I brought up in New York and live in Rhode Island now but I had gone to college in Arizona and worked and then got married in Florida but have never really known “southern charm” until my younger son went to The Citadel in South Carolina.

    There is just something about those southern boys and their sweet talking ways that can charm a gal no matter what their age. When we go to visit our grandchildren in South Carolina (my son fell in love not only with South Carolina but also a wonderful girl) and his friends come to visit even after 18 years of my husband and I have known them it’s still sir and maam. I swear they could curse at me and it would still sound charming!

    I can’t wait to read this book even though I usually read historical romance set in Scotland and England. What some people may not realize that some of that southern charm came over and settled into the hills of the Carolinas as well as in the deep south and spread their rakish charm throughout that part of the country. A rake or a country boy they are still my heros and I love to read about them all!

  24. Congrats on the new release, Kendall. I enjoy stories set in cities like NY, San Francisco, Vegas and London. I also enjoy stories set in small towns, too.

  25. I enjoy Lauren Dane’s stories that take place in small towns. Also contemporary storylines set in western towns and stories set in the South (since I don’t live in either one) are also a nice back drop.

  26. I do enjoy reading books with small town settings. Though everyone knows everyone’s business, there is a sense of unity and loyalty.

    I’m adding this book to my “must have” list.

  28. Location isn’t very important for me, but I have to admit, I have a soft spot for Scotland. Yes, it’s because of the accents…. 😉

  29. Location is very important for me. But if I had to pick it would be Ireland or Scotland area.

  31. Great excerpt. I enjoy most locales., but I do love England during the days of all those fancy balls. Iw ould love to have seen one.

  32. I enjoy books set in small towns where everyone knows your business and always butt in. I also enjoy exotic locations so that I can feel that I’ve traveled to far away places I’ve only heard about.

  33. I enjoy different locations. For contemporary books, small towns are my favorite. With historicals I like England and Scotland.

  34. I love books that take place in my hometown — Chicago. My 2nd favorite book setting is Wyoming and/or Montana.

    Great excerpt.

  35. I gravitate towards historicals set in more exotic locales – India, China, South Africa (can’t wait for Carrie Lofty’s His Vows to Keep!), pretty much anywhere outside of England (although I love a lot of books set in England as well). I also like books that are set in little towns (Americana-type) such as those Pamela Morsi writes – Heaven Sent, Garters, Courting Miss Hattie, and Sealed With a Kiss. I always re-read these from time to time and still find them just as wonderful.

  36. I don’t have a preference for any particular location, but I do like it when the setting (whatever it is) is part of the story, almost like another character. To me, it makes the book itself richer. Two series that I can think of off hand when I think of books with prominent settings are the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr and the Konigsburg, TX series by Meg Benjamin. You almost feel like you are living there yourself when you are reading them.

  37. I am a small town Yankee now living in a small Southern town. Small towns are similar all over, but I will say those in the South have their own special flavor. Where you might have 2 or 3 Lace Curtain Lizzies in a town up north, gossip seems to be more of a community past time down here. It must be the heat and the humidity. Like the sweet tea, the communities seem to be thick and sweet.
    I read a wide variety of books. I want well drawn characters and a well developed story. The locale and time period add their flavor to the story. No preferences there, I like a variety of both. thanks for the post and the excerpt.

  39. I love small town settings in contemporary romance and I love to read regencies, medievals, old west and some paranormals. I loved the excerpt of your book and I am looking forward to reading the rest!

    Best wishes!

    Chris

  40. Hi Kendall!
    I’m drawn to all kinds of places when I read books. I really love exoctic locations and England and big cities, but I also like to sometimes read about smaller towns too, for a change of pace! It sounds like it would be nice to live in the south.
    Your new book looks like a great sexy read! Hot cover too!
    I really enjoyed reading your blog post!

    Great trailer by the way! Sexy and cute and fun!

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