Four Genres…Three Publishers…One Writer. Yep, FOUR genres. LOL. Today we’re chatting with Niobia Bryant about her book, Heated. It was our main Book of the Month selection for February 2010. Please feel free to jump in!! Hopefully we’ll also get an inside look into her other books, the various genres she writes in and what’s coming out in 2010. *This year marks her 10th Anniversary as a published writer.*
HEATED by Niobia Bryant
Kensington, June 2009
304 Pages, Paperback, $6.99
ISBN-10: 075821460X
ISBN-13: 978-0758214607
BOOK DESCRIPTION
SHE’S SEXY IN THE CITY…..HE’S RUGGED ON THE RANCH
Bianca King is living the golden life in metro Georgia with a booming veterinary practice and a steady string of dates–until her somewhat estranged father asks for her help in keeping the family ranch afloat. When Bianca returns to her small South Carolina hometown, she meets the latest threat, neighboring rancher Kahron Strong, a man with knowing eyes and the body of a gladiator. But this competition may just do Bianca some good…
Ever ambitious, Kahron has his eyes on the Kings ranch–among other things. Bianca rejects his offer to buy, but he’s not one to take no for an answer, even if it comes from the sexiest lips he’s never kissed. But when a series of dangerous accidents puts the business AND Bianca at risk, Kahron decides the auburn beauty is much more valuable than her land. As they come together to track the source of the trouble, Bianca will have to surrender her resolve and her heart to save the ranch …and something she cares about even more.
THE AUTHOR SPEAKS
I am a writer, born and bred. I can’t even fathom what else I would do besides creating stories and telling tales. When it comes to my writing I dabble in many genres, my ideas are unlimited, and the ink in my pen is infinite.
Find out more about her (and her pen names) at http://niobiabryant.com.
LATESTÂ & UPCOMING BOOKS
Urban Fiction: The Hood Life
Mainstream: Live and Learn – February 2010 (mass market)
YA Fiction: Fabulous: A Pace Academy Novel – February 2010
Mainstream: Message from a Mistress – March 2010
Romance: Give Me Fever – May 2010
Niobia, thanks so much for joining us today!! Before you get started, please tell us more about you and the pen names, your move from romance to urban fiction. Details, details!!
Everyone else…welcome, welcome!
-Tee
HI Niobia,
Jusy visited your website. I will definetly be reading the books.
Good morning!!!
WOO HOO Niobia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Glad you could join us today! You are my favorite romance author!
I didn’t know this, Sharon! So, you’ve been holding out, huh? Have you read her mainstream & YA books yet?
-Tee
LOL!! No I’ve never read any of the YA books….as a matter of fact I didn’t know Niobia wrote YA.
Ok…I just went to Niobia’s website and checked out the YA. I see she’s writing under Simone Bryant…never would have known it was her. Messages from a Mistress, I just bought so I haven’t had the chance to crack it open yet…LOL
So glad I’m earning my keep around here by KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW. LOL. Now, did you also know she writes as Meesha Mink?
-Tee
Gotcha!!! Yes I knew that!! LOL
Hi Everyone,
I’m happy to have a chance to be here and discuss HEATED as well as all my other projects with all of you.
For those unfamiliar with me, I am an author who writes in 4 different genrs for three publishers. Romance as Niobia Bryant, Commercial fiction as Niobia Bryant, Urban fiction as Meesha Mink and Young Adult fiction as Simone Bryant. This year marks the 10 year anniversary of my writing career and I am so excited to start on another ten years of doing what I love…telling memorable stories.
Why all the genres and pen names? lol. Because I am a voracious reader of many types of books and that translated into a desire to write many types of books. I’m young and living life to the fullest.
Okay ,enough about me. On to the books.
Ask away.
N.
P.S. And don’t forget, my mainstream MESSAGE FROM A MISTRESS, is now available where books are sold.
To write under so many genres is a blessing…congrats on your 10 years of writing!! And an author who reads….love it!! I bought Message From a Mistress last week and can’t wait to get into it!
I hope you enjoy the book and yes I love to read. Favorite romance author: Francis Ray. Favorite commercial fiction authors: Tina McElroy Ansa & Gloria Naylor.
Wow! 10 Years, huh? Congratulations.
I think it’s absolutely wonderful that you’re writing under multiple genres AND reading them. I have most of your romance books as I collected and read most of the romances back 10-12 years ago. Unlike some of my book buddies though, I can’t remember that far back. LOL. I’d have to actually start reading the book to remember the details.
-Tee
Thanks Tee. It doesn’t feel like 10 years. lol.
Trust me, I know. RAW turns 10 this year and I also celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary next month.
Congrats on both milestones, Tee.
Good morning Christina and thank you Sharon. I’m glad to be here.
Morn Niobia ! I enjoyed Heated. Thanks for joining us today.
Now Ms. Linda…what did you enjoy? Details! Details! Come on and lead our discussion.
-Tee
Thanks Linda. I have to try and remember specific details. It was four years ago when it first was released but Im happy you all are giving it new life.
ROFL…see how she nicely gets onto us for reading the wrong book? ROFL. I don’t remember who did the nominating, but I didn’t realize it was the mass market until I got the book description info. But, I think it’s a good thing that you have fans who love your work enough to remember & nominate the older titles.
We definitely appreciate your time.
-Tee
I was surprised and excited because so many times, especially in romance, the books are forgotten after a month. So I love that this book is getting some CPR!!! lol.
LOL! Well, don’t be surprised if you hear from us again later in the year. I don’t think most of our readers knew about all the pen names.
Welcome Niobia,
Heated was my first book of yours~ gasp~ but I made up for that and ordered a few others~ I enjoyed Heated and really was feeling Kahron~
BLESSINGS~
angelia
.-= — Visit angelia´s site & last blog post at: TO MINE OWN-SELF~ =-.
Thanks Angelia. Kahron is one of my favs too.
Loved the book. I respected Bianca but wanted her to cut old boy some slack. Glad to know the other names that Niaomi writes under.
.-= — Visit Deltareviewer´s site & last blog post at: I WON!!! =-.
Okay, so let’s discuss:
- When the book first came out, our reviewer found the book to be about finding true love no matter the consequence. Would you say this fit? Was there any point in the book that you didn’t think the characters would get together?
- Who did you like more in the book? Bianca or Kahron? Why?
- What did you think of Bianca’s father? Would you have gone the route Bianca did?
That’s enough for now, but for our moderators from last month, feel free to post more and you too, Niobia. Let us know if you have questions for us.
-Tee
I always thought they would get together..its romance..lol
I liked Kahron. While he wanted that property, he put that goal aside right away when he figured out he had feelings for Bianca.
I have father issues anyway so no I didnt like her father. ::zipping lips::
-No, I thought they would get together….echoing Linda here!
- I liked them both equally…I liked her independence and her go-after-what-you-want attitude; I liked Kahron being a gentleman. He got a lot of points for not sleeping with Bianca the night she showed up to his house distraught.
- I thought that he fell right into the male stereotype of not appropriately dealing with feelings and emotions. If he had done that, perhaps he could have avoided marrying what’s her face (can’t remember her name right now) and could have had a healthy relationship with Bianca for all of those years they were estranged. As for doing what Bianca did, yeah, I probably would have. Family is family ultimately, and if my daddy would have called in need of help, I would have tried to help.
Good insight, ladies.
Heated dealt with a lot of topics including alcoholism and its affects on children. It was very important for me to show that someone can be healed from the addiction and can repair broken relationships. There’s a reason that substance abuse is considered a mental health issue and for some, forgiveness has to be rewarded for fighting such a demon and reclaiming their life.
- I always thought they would get together. I think that’s how the romance thing goes…lol
- I liked Kahron more. Not sure why, completely, but maybe because he was so up front from the beginning, and he didn’t get upset when Bianca would bring up the rumors she was hearing about him. I really liked that about his character.
- Hmmm, the father definitely had issues, and I think Bianca had a ton of baggage when it came to him, but I would have at least tried to do what Bianca did because if she didn’t go back and try to help, she would have always wondered if she could have ever changed things. Or at least I would have!
I read Heated a long while back and didn’t get a chance to skim over it for the discussion but out of all the romance books of yours I’ve read Three Times A Lady is my ABSOLUTE favorite. Those kids were sweet, sassy and so funny.
Any inspiration to the story? What about the Desperate Housewives Series?
I mean Desperate Hoodwives….LOL!!!
Sharon,
The kids were sorta based on my little cousins who at the time were cute and adorable and all that, but those mouths.
The Hoodwives series (Desperate Hoodwives, Shameless Hoodwives and The Hood Life) is on hold. The co-author and I are doing seperate projects. In fact my solo Meesha Mink book will drop January 2011 and I can’t wait.
May we get a little hint hint on the project you’re working on now?
Sharon,
I just finished my solo Meesha Mink book and I am finishing up the sequel to Message from a Mistress entited Mistress No More and then I will be doing book 2 in the teen series. Busy, busy, busy….but I LOVE it. lol.
That is awesome!!!! Looking forward to reading them.
Hi Ms Bryant..WOW you are diverse ! Anywho Some questions for discussion: (all may respond)
In the beginning of the book Bianca is estranged from her father..how did you feel about the reasons why and how would “you” have handled that situation?
Trishon was a peice of work..humph humph..LOL BUT that was her father’s wife, do you think Bianca handled that situation well ? How would you have dealt with a woman married to your father that you disliked ?
My BIG question..did Bianca enter into a sexual relationship with Kahron too soon ?
Did you see the “love” triangle coming ? Whew I was shocked LOL
lol. it was truly a….MESS!
I really loved Bianca’s character, but I loved, loved Kahron! They were the truth. No beating around the bushes, just two grown people being for real about how they feel for each other. I’m glad the conflict came via other uncontrollable means, rather than him chasing her and her swearing off men because of a bad relationship, yada, yada…
I enjoyed this story. Welcome Niobia!
I agree with DJ, Kahron handled his business as did Biance, not cat and mouse, I truly loved that component~ yes~
angelia
.-= — Visit angelia´s site & last blog post at: TO MINE OWN-SELF~ =-.
Thank you. Kahron is definitely one sexy silver man! He really kicked the Strong Family series off nicely.
Sis, thanks to your recommendation I read Three Times A Lady and loved it. The children were hillarious! From the twins crying loudly to them throwing his clothes out, I hollered.
Niobia,
I love the children were based on family members. Now that they’re a little older do they know the characters were base on them?
Hi Jaime,
Let’s see…that was 10 years ago and most of them are grown. They’re menitoned in the dedication as the “furious five” but they’ve probably forgotten. You know teenagers.
Hi, Niobia! Thanks for joining us on today. I didn’t realize you were such a diverse writer. I’ll have to check out some of your other works. I enjoyed Heated and the other title I’ve read by you (Live and Learn). Looks like I’ve got quite a bit of catching up to do.
Hi Hope,
Don’t forget the follow-up to Live and Learn is out too. Show and Tell. I really wish I had given those 2 books better titles (random thought).
Those were good too!!!
I have a question, HEATED was one of my shortest and most erotic romance book. I thought just adding pages to beef up the book was unnecessary, do any of you feel the book was too short? Is there a certain page limit that you like for a book?
As a reader I love a beefy book (i’m talking 500 pages sometimes) but if all plot points are handled a short one doesn’t bother me.
Thoughts?
Well, I’m known for coining the term BAB (Big Azz Book) and no, I prefer they not be 450+ pages…whew. While I’m sure a good book would read like it’s much shorter, it’s just hard wrapping my mind around all those pages. I start thinking about how many books I can read while I’m reading that one. LOL. At 500 pages? I could probably almost get 2 books read vs the one.
And, I didn’t read Heated (I know, I know), but I don’t like fluff in books and can tell when authors are trying to hit a word count. While I know publishers need books at a certain word-count, sometimes it backfires when authors beef up. (Those who don’t do it in a way that enhances the story.)
300-350 pages is enough for me…especially if it’s a good book. But if a book don’t grab my by the 100th page….if it’s a meaty book….it’s history…..50th page if it’s 100-150 pages. Right now I’m struggling with a book that’s 600+…it’s a good read but WHEW the length!!!
NO I liked the fact you told the story and ended it with all the details in between. LOL I have read books that Im like..ENOUGH ALREADY get to the damn point geesh ::ok sorry:: No yours was fine to include those two getting together rather quickly as it made sense. Sometimes you just know it’s right.
I liked the book the way it was…a 500 page book turns me away…like Tee I think about how heavy it is, I could read 2 books by the time I finish it, and I always think the author can’t tell the story in less words…
Niobia
Why did you decide to re-release this book? How does re-releasing a book benefit the author?
Hi Deltareviewer,
Heated isn’t a re-release. It came out in 2006. But I am interested in re-releasing my earlier books, especially the first two. Because these books are out of print a lot of readers who “discovered” me through newer works would get to enjoy my backlist.
I loved Kahron too. Interesting name as well. Where did you come up with that? I liked him as the male lead because he wasn’t so typical in looks for a male lead, with his gray-haired self. Refreshing.
Hi All,
Thank you romance readers for suppporting my books. Y’all are simply the best readers in the world. Heated was 4 years ago and I thank whomever nominated it as the BOTM.
Have a good night.
Best,
N.
Thank you SO MUCH for hanging out with us today, Niobia. I will definitely be adding you to my list of authors to watch. Congratulations on 10 years of writing and here’s to 10 plus many many more!
To my RAWSISTAZ…thanks for participating and helping to support authors!!
-Tee
Niobia,
The the first book I read witten by you was Make You Mine. A friend fom work lend it to me and I read it and I fell in love with it. And she let me have it. Then I decided to follow you and read all you books. I love your writing. You are so creative.