Earlier today I posted my review of K.T. Grant’s debut novel Lovestruck. She has been kind enough to stop by for a chat as well as offer a copy of Lovestruck to one lucky reader.  Please welcome K.T. to FVBR.

Tell me about K.T. Grant, author of GLBT romantic fiction.

KT: I’m a very mysterious person who lives in her writing cave with her faithful cat Kiko and pet sheep Mho. But those who have done enough research and have exposed the woman behind the name know I write stories that I consider to be "out of the box" romances. I’m also a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who also has a blog where I post about books and the awesome WTFckery around us both on the internet and in the real world.

Why did you choose to write ‘out of the box’ romance as opposed to mainstream?

KT: I like to challenge myself in my writing and see what I can come up with in regards to my characters and settings. Sometimes it’s better to shake things up a bit and see where it goes, even though the public at large may be on the fence about reading it.

In Lovestruck there is a line that says:

A man admitting to be gay seemed to be more acceptable than a woman coming out and announcing she was a lesbian.

Do you believe that’s true? What are your thoughts?

KT: Keep in my mind this is my personal opinion, but it seems to me that there’s more of an acceptance in regards to gay men versus women who are lesbians. More often than not, if a man says he’s gay, there isn’t much surprise or shock, but when a woman comes out and says she’s gay, there is more discussion and conversation about the woman’s sexual preference, and perhaps more teasing about it. An example is with my character of Barbara, the CEO of her family’s hotel corporation and one of the main protagonists in Lovestruck. She’s surrounded by the good old boys club and finds it hard to belong in that group. Even though she’s paving her way in the business world, she constantly wonders if she has to put aside her femininity and sexuality to be respected in the business world.  I’ve worked in a male dominated industry for almost a decade, and from my point of view, it seems with a man, even with his sexual preference, that he would be more accepted and respected than say a woman in authority who is a lesbian.

What challenges have you faced in getting your work published that you think are specific to the erotic GLBT romance genre?

KT: I haven’t found many challenges since I submitted to e-publishers who are actively looking for more GLBT titles. There’s a great need for Lesbian Romance out there and I was pleasantly surprised that not one, but two e-publishers wanted Lovestruck. I really don’t understand why GLBT romance is automatically considered erotic. Just like straight romance, there are different levels of sensuality, and I believe the same rules apply with GLBT romance.

What advice would you offer to other up and coming writers who are trying to get their work published in this specific niche?

KT: Trying to publish for a niche market means you may have a smaller audience, so don’t expect the same type of sales like those books that are considered more mainstream. Make sure to do you research and please, don’t follow a trend. If you have an idea for a story, write it, and see where it goes.

You are also a well-known blogger and reviewer with a reputation for not holding back on your opinion on books, and the industry in general. Now that you are on the other side of the ‘review fence’ have your views changed at all regarding critical reviews?

KT: If you are talking about critical reviews about my books, not at all. Since I’ve been on both sides, I know how to handle criticism as well as being aware of dishing it out. Going from a reader to a reviewer and a finally an author can really change the way you read. But as long as you act professional and only discuss an author’s work and not the person writing it, then there should be no concern. The best reviews are those who bring up points and opinions they noticed in a book that maybe the author didn’t even consider while they were writing the story.

Where do you hope to be in five years career-wise?

KT: My dream is to walk into a bookstore and see my books on the shelves or find them in most on-line stores. Knowing that people are reading my work and enjoying it, and want more would mean the world for me. I would also love to be able to write full time. And if I can make a gazillion dollars, doing it, I would be very happy.

Would you like to tell us about your other recently published works?

        

KT: The same week Lovestruck was released, an anthology I’m in from Ravenous Romance called Once Upon a Threesome also came out. My straight contemporary romance, For the Love of Mollie was released on August 9th from Decadent Publishing, and then the next day on August 10th, my Lesbian Pirate Romance called The Princess’s Bride was released from Ravenous Romance. As you can see, I’ve had a very busy summer!

 

 

And finally, Mho is used to being King and getting lots of attention. How is he handling your recent success? Any jealously…acting out?

KT: Mho is still good old perverted Mho. He has become needier, as in, I don’t have much time to cuddle with him and help him flirt with the ladies. He really wants me to write a demon shift-changing sheep romance where the hero is torn between a female demon shift-changing sheep and a female human. He talks my ear off about us co-writing a book together. Anyone want a fluffy, friendly sheep as a pet? Get in touch with me and we’ll talk. Ouch! *glares are Mho who butted his head against her leg*

 

 

Thank you for stopping by today KT, it was fun chatting with you. 

KT has generously offered to giveaway one e-book copy of Lovestruck to one lucky commenter.  Leave a comment here and answer the following question:

How often do you try something different and read ‘outside the box’?  

Giveaway is open until August 20, winner announced soon after.  Please remember the prize being offered is an e-book.

A little more about K.T. Grant:

KT Grant is a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who not only loves to read a wide variety of romances, but also loves writing it. Under her alter-ego, she is a well known book reviewer and blogger who doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinion. A proud native of New Jersey, KT is multi-published and known for writing "out of the box" romances. KT has been quoted in such publications as the Romance Writers Associations’ Romance Writers Report and Night Owl Reviews. She has also been mentioned in the Guardian.UK, Publisher’s Weekly’s Beyond the Book and at Bookseller.com. You can visit her at http://ktgrant.com/ and at her personal blog at http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/

Lovestruck  by K.T. Grant  eBook Publisher: Nobel Romance Publishing Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance (F/F) Book received from: Purchased by reviewer

CEO hotel mogul Barbara Jennings has three months to decide whether to close her Manhattan hotel or cut costs by firing some of her employees. She meets her much-younger employee, Jennifer Caffey and is instantly smitten. Now Barbara has another mission, and that is to seduce the innocent Jenny.

Jenny is also attracted to the powerful and beautiful Barbara, but has never really had a steamy love affair with another woman. Unwittingly, she allows herself to be swept away by her passion for this older woman who may ruin her life.

Reviewed by: Fiction Vixen

Lovestruck is K.T. Grant’s debut novel.  Although I have never met her, I have gotten to know her online through her blog and twitter, so when I heard she got published I was eager to read Lovestruck.  I admit F/F erotica is not my usual choice when I’m in the mood for a steamy read but I enjoy stepping out of my reading box now and then and this was the perfect opportunity to take a chance and read something a little different than what I’m used to in romantic gay fiction. 

Lovestruck is a May/December romance and that’s a romantic situation I usually enjoy in a romance novel as long as the age gap is not too broad.  I like the idea of an older, more experienced man leading the way for his younger less experienced lover so I fully expected this scenario to work well for me in a lesbian romance as well. I was not disappointed, I really liked that Barbara was the aggressor in the relationship and a take charge gal the bedroom.  She has a knack for dirty talk that made me realize I’m not just a sucker for the boys that like to get down, dirty, and chatty; I’m an equal opportunity lover of the dirty talk. The only issue I had with this May/December romance was Barbara’s habit of calling Jenny ‘kiddo’ and ‘kid’.  Every time she did it, I tensed up.  As I said, I like the May/December scenario as long as the age range is not too broad but this nickname tossed this relationship into the danger zone for me.  Yes, Jenny was of legal age, but I didn’t like Barbara thinking of her as a kid.  Perhaps she didn’t really think of her that way, but the nickname threw me off at times.

Jenny and Barbara are an unlikely couple and they certainly don’t go into their relationship on an even playing field.  Barbara is a financially stable, powerful business woman.  She has had romantic relationships and is comfortable with her sexuality.  Jenny on the other hand is a struggling student.  Not only that, she is an employee of one of the hotels that Barbara owns and although she is gay, she has never had a romantic or sexual relationship with a woman.  Clearly Barbara goes into the relationship with the upper-hand.  Barbara was motherly and somewhat gruff at times toward Jenny telling her to eat, or when to stop drinking etc.:

Quotes from Barbara (different parts of the story)

"There is no need to be ashamed because you didn’t further your education right away. Now stop playing with your food and let’s enjoy our meal."

After this last glass she would cut Jennifer off. Feeling good, yes. Falling down drunk, no.

Barbara grabbed the bottle out of Jennifer’s hand. "It’s empty and I think you’ve had enough. Don’t you have to get up early tomorrow?"

Jenny is a little meek, allowing Barbara to tell her what to do and boss her around.  I like my heroines strong and able to stand on their own two feet so I was concerned Lovestruck might be a lopsided romance.  However K.T. Grant handled the relationship obstacles nicely, addressing each one head on, creating a very satisfying, well rounded romance between Jenny and Barbara. Jenny eventually does gain the upper-hand on an emotional level at some point as well as stepping it up in the bedroom.  Once the relationship potholes are worked out and things even out a bit, Jenny and Barbara are a nice compliment to each other. 

Lovestruck has some interesting secondary characters as well.  Mike, Jenny’s gay roommate is funny and cute and has potential for a great story if Ms. Grant is so inclined to write his story. Tonya is Jenny’s best friend and I hope we’ll see more of her in the future as well.

Overall, I enjoyed my first full fledged romp into the world of F/F erotica.  K.T. Grant has written a fun, very sexy romance and I will read more from her in the future. 

Favorite Quote:

Jenny placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder. "Stop it. You’re beautiful, smart and brassy." Tonya raised an eyebrow "Brassy? You mean loud, obnoxious and chubby." She spread out her arms to show her petite, curvy body.

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 Blog | Twitter | GoodReads

I will have an interview with K.T. Grant later today and she will be giving away a copy of Lovestruck to one lucky reader. Be sure to stop back by for your chance to win!