Diverse Reader: Guest Post

I fell in love with cowboys in romance way back with my first ever romance books, given to me by my aunty Olive. I was off school ill, but I was bored, and mum gave me the bag of books that Olive had given here. In there were five or so Mills and Boon stories, and one of the first I ever read had a cowboy theme. I seem to recall it was a fish out of water theme or a mail order bride theme - or it could have been both of them!

What I love about the cowboys in these stories is that they work hard on the land, love their animals, were perpetually *about to lose the ranch for ‘insert reason here.’ It didn’t matter how many hours they worked, the fence was always broken, livestock escaped, and there was very often a rattlesnake incident. This usually occurred when the heroine decided to go for an ill-advised ride on a horse that bucks her and then makes it’s way home!

When I began writing my first ever cowboy story, The Heart Of Texas, I had the impoverished rancher, land rich, cash poor, always working, always exhausted, with a family that depended on him. Jack loves his property, his family, his horses, but there’s no way to save it all. Until millionaires oilman, Riley, blackmails him into marriage. Hate to love, opposites attract, an angry kiss, a little light bondage in a barn, murder, intrigue, who’s the daddy to the baby, horses, barn fires… it is a soap opera of a saga, and I loved writing every minute of it!

Texas is now completed at nine books and is currently in Kindle Unlimited. There is an angsty spin-off, Legacy, which is a further three books (KU, obviously).

rjscott.co.uk/Read-HOT will take you to the Amazon in your country

My other cowboy series, Montana, is also completed at six books and in Kindle Unlimited, and until the 11 May book 1, Crooked Tree Ranch is only 99c. rjscott.co.uk/Read-CTR will take you to the 99c sale page in Amazon in your country

COMPETITION

To win three ebooks from my backlist leave a comment on this post and tell me when you first fell in love with romance? Was it a TV show? A book? A wedding?

Diverse Reader is super excited to have author Kiki Clark be here today talking with us. Her debut book The Alpha and His King was amazing and she's sharing a sneak pick into book 2 of her Kincaid Pack series. There's also a giveaway at the end so check it ALL out!!

Hey everyone! Thank you so much to Meredith for having me on Diverse Reader for a guest post.

I’ll admit—I struggled for a while on trying to pick a topic for this guest post. Tossed around a couple of ideas, then ditched them. Panic ate a bag of Doritos. Scrolled Facebook. Ate some Easter candy.

Then I said to myself “eff it” (only I actually swore, because I’ve got a mouth like a sailor) and realized I was making things more difficult for myself than I needed to. So I’m going to talk about a couple things I get asked about a lot, then I’ll share an unedited excerpt from my up-coming book, and we’ll finish with a giveaway!

Let me start by introducing myself—*turns on sultry voice* Hey, there. How are you?

Okay, okay, but for real now. My name is Kiki Clark and I published my first book, The Alpha and His King, in January of this year. It was the first in the Kincaid Pack series and is chocked-full of shifters, some delicious hurt/comfort feels, and lovable secondary characters. I do plan on writing contemporary romances as well, and actually have a 10k short available for free right now to my newsletter subscribers.

Before I forget—if you read and enjoyed The Alpha and His King, I have a free bonus scene available! You can find it in my reader group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/kikiskorner) or by joining my newsletter (https://www.kikiclark.com/newsletter).

Alright, so first, folks ask a lot if The Alpha and His King was really my first book, and the answer is… yup. I’ve got… I don’t even know how many WIPs saved on my computer, but this was the first book I’ve ever finished.

I’m not sure exactly what aspect about the book makes people doubt that, but it’s true!

One thing I had in my back pocket that a lot of newbie authors don’t is that I’ve been working as an editor and proofer for a few years. Helping other authors put out their best work is always super rewarding, but it also gave me certain skills that I was able to utilize in the creation of my own story.

The other question I get asked a lot: when will the next book in the Kincaid Pack series be out?

Soon.

*laughs, then cries*

Listen, no one wants y’all to read Kieran and Bennett’s book as much as I do. I had originally—tentatively—planned on finishing and releasing the second Kincaid Pack book the beginning of April, but life and global pandemics completely got in the way. I was behind schedule anyway, and then things went to hell and my writing rhythm still hasn’t really recovered.

But I’m sooooo close to being done with this book, and then I’ll ship it off to beta readers, and I’ll be able to go from there.

I love the enthusiasm The Alpha and His King was met with and I honestly don’t mind answering the question on when book two will be available, but I can promise you: as soon as I know, you’ll know. That release date will be plastered all over my social media and in my newsletter.

Oh! And one more thing—yes, the Kincaid Pack series will be available in audio… eventually. I have a narrator booked, but the first book won’t be out for a little bit yet. Again, once I know, I will shout it from the roof tops!

You can find the link to The Alpha and His King below as well as a never-before-seen excerpt from Kieran and Bennett’s book!

Thank you again for having me, Mere! You’re the best! <3

Blurb for The Alpha and His King

When Kai flies out of a shed, swinging a rake, Rick’s life flips upside down.

As alpha, Rick’s dedication to his pack has never wavered—until Kai. The pull he feels toward the younger man is more than a simple distraction, but Rick won’t let himself lose focus. Not while a hidden enemy is drawing near.

Moving in with the grumpy alpha who saved him is a big change for Kai, and it isn’t long before he begins to ache for something he can’t have. As a half-human shifter responsible for his three younger siblings, he knows he can never be Rick’s mate.

Pushing aside their doubts and insecurities, they grow closer. But when the pack’s enemies strike, bringing their fears to fruition, Rick and Kai have to decide if they’re willing to risk it all to be together.

The Alpha and His King is the first book in the Kincaid Pack series and features a quick-tempered and possessive alpha; a sweet and feisty alpha-mate; shifters, seers, and witches galore; massive amounts of hurt/comfort; and a happily ever after.

Available on Kindle Unlimited: http://getbook.at/TAAHK

Unedited excerpt from book two of the Kincaid Pack series:

The farther away from the dining room B got, the quieter the house was, and he sighed as he reached the stairs, slowly ascending. He was such an idiot. He knew it, yet he kept walking, unable to stop himself after he’d heard that note of pain in Kieran’s voice when he’d said money wasn’t what he needed.

Bennett had to know what he did need. His tiger grumbled at the idea of Kieran needing something, of him being unhappy in any way.

It was ridiculous. B had tried on several occasions to reach out and help Kieran after he moved into the manor, but he’d been rebuffed every time.

And yet…

Something about Kieran’s tragic eyes called to Bennett, stirring his animal and his instincts in a way no one had in a long time.

Arriving at Kieran’s door, he paused and listened, but he only heard muffled footsteps, his nose picking up the scent of Kieran’s shower gel and just a hint of food. Taking a deep breath, he raised his fist and knocked on the door.

The movement inside the room stopped, but Kieran didn’t say anything. Frustrated, B knocked again, a little harder.

“Open the door, Kieran.”

He heard a quick indrawn breath, then slow steps toward the door. Kieran paused once more on the other side, but Bennett waited him out. Finally, the knob turned.

Fuck, Kieran only wore a towel.

Bennett couldn’t stop himself from checking out the little slice of Kieran’s body he could see through the few inches he’d opened the door. But his heart stopped when he saw the unmistakable edges of old scars peeking out from under the towel just over his hip and then farther up his side. His tiger snarled, outraged, but he held it in. Scars on a shifter were always intentional.

Always.

“Can I help you with something, Enforcer?” Kieran’s voice was soft, but there was a hint of steel, like he knew Bennett had seen his marks and was daring him to say something.

Trying to focus, B met Kieran’s frosty eyes. “I wanted to check in and see if you… if I could get you anything?” He narrowed his eyes. “You understand why Rick said no about getting a job, right?”

Kieran’s nostrils flared. “Yes. I’m not a simpleton, so I was able to understand quite easily, especially since Alpha Kincaid explained his reasoning very clearly.”

Jesus fuck… Bennett tried to hold onto his temper. If Kieran were his— Whoa. Where had that thought come from?

“Can I get you something? Samantha brought up your dinner, right?” He knew she had—not just because she said she would, but because he could smell the delicious scent of pork chops in Kieran’s room. He must have decided to shower before eating for some reason.

“No, thank you.” Kieran’s eyes dropped for just a fraction of a second. “The dinner was delicious. Please give Ms. Beth my compliments.”

Now why would he lie about eating the food?

Before he could press Kieran for answers, he was shutting the door in Bennett’s face. “Good night, Enforcer.”