Posts Categorized: rhea jensen series

Kay’sVille Release Party & Giveaway

15 Dec, 2010 by in rhea jensen series, sheralyn pratt 9 comments

Last night I attended the release party for Sherlayn Pratt’s Kay’sville, book number four in the Rhea Jensen Series. She invited me to bring my jewelry and photography to sell and we were treated to some yummy home cooked Southern cuisine in honor of main character Kay.

The cupcake queen, author Wendy Paul was on hand with some delicious cupcake bites plus her new books and calenders for 2011.


Sheralyn was an amazing hostess and the home she found as a signing spot was incredibly gorgeous. Special thanks to all of her friends and family who introduced themselves plus supported our Etsy store. Fire and Ice congratulates Sheralyn on her book release! Here’s to many more in the future!

Check out her website at http://www.sheralynpratt.com/ to learn more about Sheralyn. And read our reviews of her books on Goodreads. They made our Best of 2010! See our full photo album of the event on Facebook.

In honor of the new launch, we are giving away a copy of book one in the Rhea Jensen series, City of Angels to our readers. Here’s your chance to experience her non-stop action packed writing.

To enter to win simply fill out this form. Contest ends January 15, 2011 and is open internationally.

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Review and Author Interview – Kay’sville

26 Oct, 2010 by in rhea jensen series, sheralyn pratt 2 comments

Kay’sVille
By Sheralyn Pratt
Rhea Jensen Series #4
Paperback, 224 pages
To Be Published December 7th, 2010

by Bonneville Books
ISBN 1599554259


First of all thanks so much to Sheralyn for sending me a sneak peek of book #4 in her Rhea Jensen series. Kay’sVille felt like a companion novel as it takes a completely different point of view than the rest of the Rhea Jensen series. It is told by Rhea’s best friend Kay and fills in the details of how they met and why they are who they are. Readers may be scratching their heads after book three wondering why Kay ditched her high powered reporting job in L.A. to follow Rhea to Utah. Kay’sville fills in those gaps. Kay is a strong willed, in your face type of girl with fashion sense and an attitude… but she hasn’t always been that way. I’ve always liked Kay and now I like her more. In Book 4 we learn what her roots are, and I think you’ll be surprised as I was. Her flashbacks of pre-college life were some of my favorite parts of the book. Dahl is her sidekick cop who helps her in reporting a story and solving a mystery. He is my other favorite part of Kay’sville. My favorite scene: I loved and laughed at Kay’s description of dating in Utah.

On the flipside Kay’s ville was really hard for me to read at Chapter 11 only because of a serious hazing which was committed and the details used to describe it. It was a little bit too much information and dark for me in spots. Sheralyn does a great job exploring realistically how the crime could alter the victim for life. She has reached out to readers on her blog to let them know that starting at book 4 the Rhea Jensen series is taking on heavier issues. Here’s what she had to say about the book in our interview.

Tell us how Kay’sville is different from the rest of the Rhea Jensen series? I guess the most obvious difference is Rhea’s not telling the story in this book. We’re hearing from her best friend, who is filling us in what Rhea chooses not to share. Also, this book is way more character driven. If there’s any “mystery” at all in this book, it’s solving the mystery of why Rhea and Kay are such good friends. There are other real mysteries/news stories, but we don’t see Rhea’s side of the process in this book, only what Kay deals with and why she’s so quick to crack the whip on Rhea.

What do you most want readers to learn about Rhea and Kay’s relationship? How would you describe their friendship? The term that comes to mind is “enmeshed.” If you step back an look, Rhea has exactly one female friend and only a few male friends. Rhea’s VERY slow to trust and let people into her life, and yet there Kay is, front and center. Rhea would die for Kay without blinking in hesitation. Kay would play human shield any day for Rhea, yet Rhea hasn’t really focused on their friendship as she’s told her side of the story, starting in Book 1. In “City of Angels” Rhea introduces Kay in such a casual way that it may not even seem like they’re actually friends. In book 2, you start to get that they have a history. By the time you read “City Limits” you’ve seen enough of Kay to start sensing that the history she and Rhea share isn’t all easy-breezy, which brings up to book 4, where Kay takes the metaphorical pen away from Rhea to write her own installment–thereby forcing Rhea to stop “protecting” her.

As for what I want people to learn… Hmmm, really this book is about how pivotal the right friends can be in our lives. There are times when the people around us profoundly impact our futures. Rhea would not be who she is without Kay, and vice versa–and they honor that about each other. I guess the power of that is one thing I wanted to share with readers.

What surprises do you think followers and fans are in for with Kay’sville? Surprises? Well, I think there are a few, some fun and some on the opposite end of the spectrum. I think one surprise will be how immensely human Kay is and learning where she started from, what her dreams were, and how hard she fought to get where she is. Telling Kay’s version of things was an intense process on my side. There were many times when I wanted to step in and change Kay’s story for her, but each time I was shut down. Kay’s a reporter. Getting the facts right is important to her. And the whole purpose of her stepping in to tell this part of the story is to make sure readers have the facts they need to understand what Rhea’s about to do in future books.

Describe how Kay came to you and what her character is like. Wow. That answer could go on for a while. The thing about Kay’s character that separated her from other characters I’ve “met” is how dissimilar we are. Straight out of the gate Kay did not like talking to me because we had nothing in common. It was like hanging out with a muse who had the attitude of, “I don’t see the point of talking to her. She doesn’t have a clue what I’m talking about.” And truthfully, she was right. When it came to everything Kay values, I had a zero IQ in the beginning. It was only when I started caring about what Kay cares about and putting in an effort to understand her world that Kay got a bit more chatty. I think that says a lot about her character. If you give Kay an inch, she’ll give you a mile. At least that how she’s been with both me and Rhea. When you show you care, she can’t help but bend over backwards for you. Until then, though, she might just shoot you the middle finger to see if she can scare you away.

Are there life lessons you hoped to portray in this book? Another loaded question. If there was one lesson this book illustrated deeply for me, it was the importance of not making snap judgments about others and their choices. Though it is a human tendency to be quick to judge and condemn, we really have no idea what people have been through and why they make the choices they do. We think we know better; we think we are smarter or more righteous, when really we’re all just doing the best that we can. Kay is. Rhea is. I am. You are. A lot of living is making things up as we go along, but the one consistent fact is that we’re all trying. No matter what our methods and their outcomes. We’re all giving it our best, and we only hurt each other and retard healing and growth when we judge and alienate others.

What do you have planned for the rest of the series? Well, the next 2 books are very much about how Rhea gets out of the “contract” she never knew she signed with The Fours. It’s not going to be an easy ride for Rhea, which is one of the reasons Kay stepped in on Book 4 to drop a few secrets. Also, Kay kind of does double-duty is raising the intensity bar for future books. There’s a lot of action and hard decisions coming up. If you like Book 4, you’ll love 5 & 6. If you find 4 a bit heavy for your taste, it might be a good cue that Rhea’s upcoming gauntlet may be a bit intense or your tastes as well.

How will the future books differ from the beginning of the series? Readers may notice that with each book, Rhea starts trusting readers with more and more information. She starts hiding less, the more time you spend with her. In the future of the series, readers can expect Rhea to take the metaphorical gloves off and be a straight shooter. After Kay spills the beans in Book 4 on a couple of things, there’s less for Rhea to dance around as far as keeping secrets. She’ll be able to reference things she tip-toed around before. That’s the number one way the books will differ in the future. At first Rhea wanted to keep things really light. She still wants to keep them as light as possible, but there will be times when it will be impossible. The pressure cooker around Rhea is about to develop a vice grip that will force Rhea to choose who she will be. She’ll have to make choices no one wants to make and live with the consequences. The days of simple little cases for rich clients are gone. From now on it’s not about money. It’s about who Rhea will become once she takes her life into her own hands and takes on her deepest fears… I just hope I’m up for the challenge telling the story right.

Thanks so much Sheralyn for the interview! To learn more about Sheralyn Pratt and her Rhea Jensen series, visit her website at http://www.sheralynpratt.com/

See our past related posts here:
City Of Angels review
Author Interview
Welcome To Stalk Lake City Review
Teaser From Idle Playgrounds

Author Interview With Sheralyn Pratt

30 Jul, 2010 by in rhea jensen series, sheralyn pratt, stalk lake scavenger hunt 6 comments

photo by Heather Zahn Gardner
What are your favorite setting and hang out spots?
Ha. At first I wasn’t sure if you were talking about me or Rhea. My favorite hangouts are outdoors on sunny days in an area where my dog can be off leash and the ground isn’t pokey. I can’t wait until they make a writer’s laptop that isn’t backlit (like e-readers) so I can write outside. That will be a beautiful, beautiful day.

When did you start writing and what was your first book? I’ve always written, I think, sort of in the way most people doodle. I was 18 when I finished my first book from beginning to end. It’s called “the Jade Prophecy.” One day I’ll revisit it, I’m sure.

What are your all time favorite books?
Is that question even possible to answer? I just never know what to say when asked that question, but I did read an ARC of a first-time author named Rebecca Maizel called “Infinite Days” that I really liked recently. I think she’s an upcoming author to watch out for.

How did you get the idea for the Rhea Jensen series and which character do you most relate to? Interesting question. Rhea came to me pretty fully formed. I’m not a writer who brainstorms and maps things out. I just see scenes in my head and write them. Sometimes I don’t even know that some of scenes go together in the same story until later. It’s hard to describe, but suffice it to say that Rhea is a pretty immutable character. She shows me a bit, waits until I do the research to write it right, then she shows me more. It’s a fun growing pattern for me. As for which character I relate to the most… if I am yin, then Rhea’s best friend, Kay, is yang. She and I are so polarized that we barely communicate. I don’t how it’s possible that I could relate to her the most, but she is the character who has the strongest grip on my heart. You may see why in Book 4.
Do any of your characters have real life people they remind you of? Stars who would play them…If so, who and attach a photo That’s a fun game! Physically, Rhea is based on Nelly Fertado, but I would love to audition Jill Wagner, Evangeline Lilly, and Missy Peregrym for the role. For Kay, I wish Kristen Bell was like a foot taller, because I would beg her to play the part. Still probably would. There’s just that perfect balance of sass, anger and vulnerability an actor would have to portray to steal all focus the second she walks into a scene. Kristen could do that. She could be “bad” while still making it very clear that she is good to her core. It would be fun to audition Maggie Lawson for the part as well, though, but she just seems waaay too sweet for Kay.

Good options for the men are: Hugh Dancy for Ben—>
Ryan Kwanten for Ty, and Michael Westen for Dahl. They’re good for a mental image, if nothing else.

What do you do for a day job and in your free time? I’m a publicist by day, and at the moment I don’t have any free time, but I always make time for walks/hiking with my dog. There’s no way getting around exercising a border collie. That’s the reason I got her—to get me out of the house. The poor thing is bored the other 22 hours of the day, though.

Advice for young writers? Let it flow. Don’t judge your writing as it comes out. Unless you are a freak of nature, it’s going to suck at first. That’s okay. The key is to create until your tapped dry. Then you put your creation to the side and go and read a bunch of authors you love and admire for a couple of weeks before returning to your work. Looking at it with fresh eyes, your goal is to then make your story as fun to read as the books you love. That’s my advice. Repeat this process until you forget you are reading your own work and just want to keep reading your own story for fun.

Do you have a playlist for your books and do you listen to music while you write? Yes, yes, and yes. Music keeps the theme of my book on track and keeps me from going off point of onto tangents. It can take a while to find the right songs for a character or story. Sometimes I only find one song and just listen to it over and over until it’s white noise. I’ve listened to the same song over 1,000 times in a row over a week while writing before. It achieves its purpose, though.

Any upcoming books or events? Oh, my. Yes. Many. And they’ll all be fun. Book 2, Welcome to Stalk Lake City (read first 5 chapters here) technically releases on August 6, which is why we’re having the Stalk Lake Scavenger Hunt on August 7th where one non-profit will win $1,000 in an Amazing Race type of event in downtown Salt Lake. It will be fun, and everyone is welcome to participate by joining a team. See a list of competing teams here. There will be more to come, though, so feel free to keep in touch at http://www.sheralynpratt.com/.

What is the overall message you hope to get across to your readers? Hmm, in a nutshell? I might have to channel Mufasa for that one and say, “Simba, you are more than what you have become.” If I don’t write a story that inspires the reader to contemplate stepping out of his/her comfort zone, grow in some way personally, or become more self aware, tolerant, confident, or empathic, then there’s really no reason for me to be writing at all.

Describe the process of re-writing the books and why?
Well, to start off with, they were dated from their original incarnation. Things (technology, especially) have changed a lot in the past eight years. That, added to the fact that the publisher wanted to change the titles made me feel morally obligated to change and update the books, since someone might end up buying City of Angels who already had Spies, Lies and a Pair of Ties. It’s disingenuous—and should be illegal—to take the same book and package it with a different title and cover without changing it. In some ways I just wanted to start all the way over and change everything, but that would have been even more confusing to people: (“Wait, is this book 5? No? It’s book 1, but everything’s different? So this book pretends that your 3 previous books never happened? What about the ebook? So I should just forget them?…”) It would have been a disaster, so I simply updated them and added new scenes, twists, and endings. Book 1 is fairly similar, but I changed the rest of the series significantly. They’re new rides, and I hope readers of the original versions like these new ones too. *crosses fingers*

Favorite writing snacks? Writing and eating? Hmmm. I think I mostly just drink while writing. Water. How absolutely boring is that? I’m too reactive to food to introduce it into my system while I’m writing. Sugar, caffeine, and carbs put me to sleep and protein makes me want to go run around. It’s best if I don’t eat within a few hours of sitting down to write, so water it is!

Do you have a writing group or peers who beta your work?
“Beta.” I just learned that lingo last week, so I’m all in the know now. I just joined a writing group (last week). Yay! We don’t work on Rhea books, though, but the other stuff I write (YA Fantasy). With the Rhea books, it’s actually just been me and my editor because of the tight deadlines.

Favorite scene to write and why? Specifically, or in general? Generally speaking, I like to write action and chemistry. I always say that I don’t write romance, I write chemistry. If it happens to be romantic, then fine, but that push-pull in all relationships can take many shapes, and all of them are equally fun for me to write. Rhea taking down a guy in an alley, two people meeting for the first time, or two colleagues who hate each other can be just as fun to write as a first kiss.

Thank you so much to Sheralyn for taking time to do an interview. To learn more about her amazing books visit her website at http://www.sheralynpratt.com/