SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Its Kristen Ashley day everyone!!!!
As many of you know, she is one my most FAVORITE authors of all time.
Kristen Ashley writes the most ALPHA men you will ever read about. They are hot, badass, protective, possessive, caring, and sexy as all hell!
I can’t recommend them highly enough!
Her writing style just speaks straight to your heart!
Scroll down for book info, a fan Q&A with Kristen, and a GIVEAWAY!!
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Be sure to check the bottom of the page and
ENTER TO WIN A COPIES OF ONE OF KRISTEN ASHLEY’S BOOKS!!!
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KRISTEN ASHLEY
Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
Kristen Ashley has many series out, but today, we’re going to focus on this one 🙂
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS 5-STAR SERIES!!!
An utterly beautiful series with some seriously epic badass moments that highlights how, if the love is pure and real, no amount of years of separation will ever really dull it. Totally beautiful concept.
Strong themes of Loss. Healing. Betrayal. Trust. Family. Friendship. Loyalty. Bonding. Love.
Seriously. Kristen Ashley’s writing is beyond addictive. The depth to which she just “gets” deep connections between friends, family, lovers, is sensational. You can’t help but feel totally connected to them, be totally sympathetic to them, and you end up knowing them so well and feeling for them so strongly that its hard to believe they are not real. She has a magical way with words. Speaks straight to your heart.
(Click the book covers below to buy them)
My review of FOR YOU (The ‘Burg #1)
“The only things precious in my life breathe.”
“… she tipped her head back and in his ear, she whispered, “Since I was three, there’s never been a day when I wasn’t in love with you.”
My review of AT PEACE (The ‘Burg #1)
“I’m gonna piss you off, honey, probably enough for you to want to leave. I’ve got a temper and so do you, we’re gonna clash…. But… we’ve both learned, this, what we have it’s worth getting over it…. I won’t give up on you, Joe, I promise. I just need you to promise the same thing.“
“Semper fuckin’ fi.”
My review of GOLDEN TRAIL (The ‘Burg #1)
“Seen a lot of things, done a lot of things, wounds to the flesh hurt but they heal fast. Wounds to the soul never go away. It’s how we cope with a pain that never dies that makes us the people we are. Daily, people demonstrate acts of courage just so they can get through the night.. there are warriors and then there are warriors. In your Dad’s bed lies a warrior. Learn from her, boy.”
“Layne knew he was in love with her. Not only that, he’d never stopped loving her. Not once, not for a second, not for twenty-one years.
Fuck him.”
My review of GAMES OF THE HEART (The ‘Burg #1)
“We’re gonna explore this and I hope to God that feelin’ I got is not wrong because I tried time and again to make it feel wrong but all it ever felt was right.”
Here are some of our readers’ questions answered by Kristen.
Kristen ~ Hey girls! First, I wanted to thank you for asking me to spend some time with you, even cyber time! Love it! Here we go…
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Marsha T ~ Is it easier to write singles or series?
Kristen ~ Heya Marsha,
Easier is not a word I’d use here because I don’t find writing difficult at all 😉 but, that said, the first in a series is a fresh slate so there is some freedom there that I enjoy. Usually, though, even my stand-alones I have plans to make into series like HEAVEN AND HELL and PLAY IT SAFE. I get caught in those worlds and don’t like to say good-bye so I want to go back. My mind conjures up characters to introduce (Hap and Luci in HEAVEN AND HELL and the mention of Whit in PLAY IT SAFE) so I always have a springboard to do that.
But when I continue a series, I reread through the entirety of the series before I start the new book so I can familiarize myself with the characters and places. Therefore, singles probably, technically 😉 are easier.
Kristen ~ Hi there, Holly,
Thank you for your compliment, my lovely and, well, in the beginning, they were just up there in my head and since they are very real to me, you know, like knowing friends and family, this wasn’t hard. But now that I have so many and a great deal has happened, not to mention there are fantasy books and paranormal books that have whole made up worlds and societies in them, if I’m writing in that series, I have to reread it and I also have a character map that’s not finished but what I have, I use to refresh my memory about people and places.
Still, if I start to reread, I immediately am transported back to Carnal or Denver or wherever and entrenched in those families so it comes easy but I am careful to check and make notes on nuances of story and character so I can give a good book!
Kristen ~ Hiya, Elaine,
Love it that you love my books, darlin’ and this is a very tough question but I have to say, Tex from the ROCK CHICK books. He’s funny, crazy and loyal. He’s based on a man in my life I don’t tell anyone about (he’s all mine) and a real-life neighbor from back in the day named Tex who looked out for the neighborhood. So maybe, because these two men mean something to me, that’s why I adore my Tex so much. That and he’s always but always there for his girls or anyone he cares about, really, and he makes me laugh out loud! If I could make a character come alive, it would be him. He’d be a hoot to have around, wouldn’t he?
Kristen ~ Hey Adrienne,
ROCK CHICK and MATHILDA, I knew would be a series but I think every other book organically grew to a series. That said, it grew to be a series in the first book. Though, FOR YOU didn’t introduce anyone that followed through to AT PEACE because I thought I’d leave THE ‘BURG but I think I started writing AT PEACE right after I finished FOR YOU because I didn’t want to leave and thus began that series. So, the answer is, no. It just happens… but it happens all the time!
Kristen ~ Hi there, Vanessa,
Yes, the DREAM MAN series is completed. There will be no more books in that and ROCK CHICKS will end with Ally and Ren’s story. Both have spin-offs, with CHAOS being the spin-off of DREAM MAN and that’s already flying from my fingertips with the first book done and the second book almost completed.
I really can’t let go of characters, especially if I’ve built whole families of friends so there will probably be a lot of spin-offs or revisiting folks when their kids grow up or something like that. However, a series does have to end because I don’t want to get same-y. There needs to be a new locale or the opportunity for new characters to be introduced so although series will close, you don’t have to say good-bye.
For instance, DREAM MAN was kind of a spin-off of ROCK CHICK and the ROCK CHICK characters are liberally sprinkled in the DREAM MAN books.
The same is happening in CHAOS. You will see a number of characters you’ve met before in CHAOS, specifically Tack and Tyra but also Rush, the boys of Chaos and some other folks you’ve come to know.
So it isn’t good-bye… it’s what’s next!?!
Kristen ~ Heya Tracy,
In a perfect world, I would work on just one from start to finish and I have done that in the past but it really depends on what I have going on. I’m a busy girl and back in the day when I consumed three to five romance novels a week, it used to drive me crazy, waiting for a new one from a favorite author. So I work hard to keep my readers supplied. It used to be that I’d finish a book, send it to Chas for editing, start another one then go back when her edits are done so I’d be working on two at a time but only writing one, if you know what I mean.
Now that I’m working with Grand Central Publishing on some of my books, there is a lot of back and forth, working on the first two books in CHAOS and trying to squeeze in the last ROCK CHICK book. So it’s a juggling act but fun for me since I get to visit and revisit then REVISIT a lot of people (even if they’re fictional) that I enjoy spending time with.
Thanks for the questions, ladies!
Thanks for the invite to be interviewed for your blog!
And ROCK ON!
Kristen Ashley has a LOT of incredible series currently available with over 35 books and counting.
Here is a list of all of them and their reading orders, where-to-buy links etc.
KRISTEN ASHLEY COMPLETE SERIES READING ORDERS
As of right now, they are only available as eBooks but….
… she also recently signed a book deal with Grand Central publishing for two of her most popular series as well as 4 new books.
” I am delighted to announce that I will be working with Grand Central Publishing to release four new books as well as re-releasing the Dream Man Series and the Colorado Mountain Series. The four new books will include the first two in the Chaos Series, my spin-off of Dream Man as well as the next two books in Colorado Mountain. All of these books will be released in eBook and print. ” ~ KristenAshley.net
I’ve already started clearing shelf space for them 🙂
Enter the Rafflecopter link below to win a
COPIES OF ANY eBOOK FROM THE ‘BURG SERIES!!!
Open internationally.
TOMORROW’S *SIGNED* GIVEAWAY
11:00 AM EST
featuring
T R A C E Y G A R V I S – G R A V E S
(author of On The Island)
Kim Box Person says
Merry Christmas!!! I haven’t read any of the Burg series which for the life of me I don’t know why since I love Kristen Ashley 🙂 I’ve read her other series so this would be an AWESOME treat to win 🙂
Aestas says
Merry Christmas Kim!! <3 These books are amazing! Either way, you should ABSOLUTELY read them 🙂
Wendy says
Wow!!! Another great giveaway, and this one for Christmas! Amazing….
Aestas, you rock!
Andrea K says
Don’t you even take Christmas off? Lucky for us, you don’t!! Here’s wishing you the merriest of Christmases (or whatever holiday you celebrate) and the happiest of new years!
Aestas says
Haha well I did prepare the post in advance but I just cant stay away! I have 30 mins before I have to leave my house and I’m sitting here reading a book lol. Totally addicted :p
Merry Christmas!!
Joey says
Awesome giveaway! Merry Christmas!
Jessie L says
Merry Christmas! Thank you for the interview with Kristen & info about this series. I haven’t read any of these, I’ve only read her Rock Chick. But trust me, I’m going to read more books by Kristen.
Lee Clements says
I’m loving all these interviews and giveaways and I LOVE Kristen!. Thanks for the opportunity Aesta. 🙂
Karen Roma says
Thank you to Aesta’s Book Blog for interviewing Kristen and offering this amazing giveaway.
I haven’t read Kristen’s books yet, but they are definitely on my TBR list. I love the excerpt and really enjoyed the interview too!
Stacy says
Since I’ve discovered Kristen, and her amazing self…I get nothing done! I cannot stop, once I finish, onto another. It’s like crack…LOL!
I’m moving onto the Rock Chick Series now…
Karen Thorp says
I have read all of “The Burg” series., in fact i have read all of Kristen Ashley books and love everyone of them., Kristen Ashley is truly a gifted Author and one of my fav’s .., I don’t have the gift of word expression so a simple of thanks really doesn’t cut it for her outstanding work in writing and in creating characters that you can truly relate to and a story line that keeps you involved and interested from the fist page, right, up into the last page and then has you starting all over again… so thank you so much for your truly wonderful worlds that you created for everyone’s enjoyment., You truly are a talented person and I am amazed at the talent that I have seen in your books and how you put words together and tell a story so amazingly fantastic.. thank you so much for all that you do.. (As you would say) ROCK ON 🙂
Gayle says
Thank you for At Peace. LOVE me some Joe (I think I need a Joe) lol. KA is the good kind of drug. Can’t seem to get enough.
Andrea11 says
Thank you! I am so excited to read my book!!!! This was awesome thank you again.
Happy Holidays
~Andrea