Must-read romances (and author interviews): 'On My Knees,' 'The Leveller'

On My Knees by J. Kenner

This is one stimulating book revolving around secrets, steam and possession. For fans of Say My Name, we get to see more than the happy-for-now we were left with, though the ups and down had me alternating between grabbing the book and smacking it! I can't wait for book three … and the cover! Sigh.

What it's about (courtesy of Bantam):

Powerful, ambitious, and devastatingly sexy, Jackson Steele was unlike any other man I'd ever known. He went after what he wanted with his whole mind, body, and soul—and I was the woman in his sights. One touch and I surrendered, one night together and I was undone.

Jackson and I had secrets, dark pieces of our pasts that threatened to swallow us both. We couldn't outrun our demons, or the people trying to tear us apart. But in our passion we found salvation, and in each other's arms we found release.

I was scared to trust Jackson fully, to finally let go. Yet no matter the dangers that lay ahead, I knew I was his—and now that we've laid claim, there's no more holding back.

INTERVIEW WITH J. KENNER

This series has been so much fun to read! Not to mention hot. Do you have a favorite scene from the series?

Julie: I actually have a lot of favorite scenes, but probably the two that leap to mind are the scene in Say My Name when Jackson realizes a bit of why Sylvia ran from him so many years ago. He follows her back to her apartment and reveals himself to her both emotionally and physically. Before that moment, their chemistry has been pulling them together, but there's been emotional distance because Syl doesn't understand what Jackson is doing, or why he's helping her with the resort. After that moment, they're truly a couple.

My other favorite is the opening scene of On My Knees because it's the first time the reader really gets to see into Jackson's head, and I love Jackson too much not to enjoy seeing the world through his eyes.

Jackson is such an alpha hero. Did that make it easier or harder to write him?

Julie: It's an interesting question because sometimes that can make a hero harder to write, at least for me. But in Jackson's case, he just took over. I think that's because he's truly alpha, but isn't afraid to be vulnerable and emotionally honest (at least to a point).

How was writing the steam and chemistry between Jackson and Sylvia?

Julie: So. Much. Fun. Jackson is so dominant that he more or less took over choreographing the steamy scenes. Even at his more vulnerable, he just has such a presence about him that it was more about me transcribing the movie that he was directing in my head than having to brainstorm about where to go next.

Even out of bed, Syl and Jackson have so much chemistry that I tended to let them lead the first draft, leaving me to go in and punch it up once the scene was done. Often there wasn't much punching up to do!

The cliffhanger! Argh! What can readers expect in the next installment?

Julie: Lots of drama! Lots of surprises! Obviously Jackson (and Sylvia) have some real issues on their hands — I think readers are going to love working through them with them … and seeing what happens with all the bits and pieces that are out of their control …

Can you give readers any spoilers? Come on! ;)

Julie: No way! I'm a spoiler-free girl. Not even for chocolate. Not even for wine. :)

What are you currently working on?

Julie: I literally just turned in the first chapter for my next book, Dirtiest Secret. Readers can check it out in the back of Under My Skin coming Sept. 1! It's Dallas Sykes' story, and I had so much fun writing it. Dallas is one of the investors in the Resort at Cortez, which features in the current trilogy, but other than that connection, this new trilogy is a complete stand-alone. I think readers are going to love it. It's edgy and dark, with lots of emotional drama, complex characters and a deeply sensual story. It also has more of the hero's point of view than I've done recently, but Dallas is the kind of guy that you just have to know what is going on in his head. I think readers are going to absolutely fall in love with him! I have!

Epic one-liner from On My Knees?

Julie:

He presses his fingertip to my lips. "Right now," he says as he pulls me closer, "I have everything I want in the world."

The Leveller by Julia Durango

The Leveller is a really interesting book surrounding hacks, codes, Meeple and, of course, video game action. I read it in a couple of hours and at the end just wanted to know what happens next. Julia Durango sucked me in, had me loving Nixy, and gave me glimmers of the black and a vigilante hacker group, then left me wanting more. I can't wait for the sequel and hope to see more of Wyn and Nixy and more adorable chemistry.

What it's about (courtesy of HarperTeen):

Nixy Bauer is a self-made Leveller. Her job? Dragging kids out of virtual reality and back to their parents in the real world. It's normally easy cash, but Nixy's latest mission is fraught with real danger, intrigue, and romance.

Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. After all, she's a bounty hunter in a virtual reality gaming world. Kids in the MEEP, as they call it, play entirely with their minds, while their bodies languish in a sleeplike state on the couch. Irritated parents, looking to wrench their kids back to reality, hire Nixy to jump into the game and retrieve them.

But when the game's billionaire developer loses track of his own son in the MEEP, Nixy is in for the biggest challenge of her bounty-hunting career. Wyn Salvador isn't some lazy kid looking to escape his homework: Wyn does not want to be found. And he's left behind a suicide note. Nixy takes the job but quickly discovers that Wyn's not hiding—he's being held inside the game against his will. But who is holding him captive, and why?

Nixy and Wyn attempt to fight their way out of a mind game unlike any they've encountered, and the battle brings them closer than either could have imagined. But when the whole world is virtual, how can Nixy possibly know if her feelings are real?

INTERVIEW WITH JULIA DURANGO

Where did this cool idea come from?

Julia: A few years ago when my two teenage sons were on a trip out of the country, I stayed up that first night until the wee hours of the morning playing their video games. I just couldn't make myself stop. The same thing happened the next night. After several nights of this, I realized I needed an intervention, someone to drag me away from the games and kick me back to reality. That's when the idea of a "leveller" popped into my head.

What's your favorite video game to play?

Julia: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will always be my favorite, since that was the first game my oldest son and I played from start to finish, and it hooked us both. Upcoming games I'm looking forward to include Kingdom Hearts III, the new Zelda for Wii U and the Final Fantasy VII remake.

I love Wyn and Nixy. How was writing them together?

Julia: It was fun! Nixy is not predisposed to like Wyn when she first meets him and is more than ready to let loose some major attitude on him. But Wyn's a perfect match for her: He doesn't get ruffled easily and he gives as good as he gets.

Is there more left to tell in the Leveller's world?

Julia: Yes, there's much more story to tell, especially concerning the future of a game with so many ethical implications. For example, at what point does virtual reality become mind control? Should a corporation — or a country, for that matter — be allowed to sell space in your brain?

What was your favorite scene to write?

Julia: I really loved researching and writing the Tropicana scene in virtual Havana of the 1950s, where Wyn and Nixy go Latin dancing .. .or at least they try to! I would love to go dancing in Havana some day.

What are you currently working on next?

Julia: Besides the next installment of The Leveller, I'm working on book two of The Second Guard, a fantasy series I co-author under the pen name J.D. Vaughn. I also have a new picture book in the works titled The One Day House.

Epic one-liner from The Leveller?

Julia:

No fear, no fear, no fear... It's just a game, they can't really eat you.

—

Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for RT Book Reviews magazine and works in the submissions departments at Dreamspinner Press and Entangled YA. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).