Hello! My name is Kendall McKenna and I
write M/M erotic romance novels and novellas. I always start with
that introduction when I do guest blogs or blog hops so people know
what they’re getting into, right up front! My stories not only
feature hot men falling in love, but also having lots of hot sexin’!
The result is that I could possibly
bust out swear words or give a graphic descriptions of body parts or
sex acts. Just so we’re clear! I think we’re all family here,
though!
When I asked our hostess if there was a
topic she wanted me to discuss, she gave me a really great one:
What makes a good book? Is what you
like to read in a good book different from what you write in a book,
or do you try to incorporate the things you enjoy reading about?
We agreed that that beauty of the topic
was that no two writers will answer in the same way.
What might set me apart from other
readers or authors is that I differentiate between good
(quality) and entertaining (enjoyable). Some books I’ve read
are well written from a technical aspect; word usage, grammar,
punctuation, showing not telling, tight POV, use of all five senses
by POV character(s). Some books I’ve read are entertaining; fun
characters, engaging story, good sexual tension, but sometimes poorly
written from the technical standpoint. The true gems are the books
that combine the two. Those are the ones I re-read, analyze, break
down, recommend, and sometimes stalk the author!
Writing a quality story is part innate
talent and part learned skill. Constructing character and story arcs,
pacing, showing not telling, sentence construction, grammar and
punctuation are all skills that can be learned through practice and
constructive criticism. A smooth, clear, pleasant narrative voice
isn’t that easy to learn. It’s more of an innate talent.
Creating and enjoyable, entertaining
story though; that’s part innate talent, good luck, dumb luck, and
magic. It’s also much more subjective. Not every reader finds the
same things entertaining. A formula that works in one story, won’t
necessarily work in another, and no one is entirely sure why. The
same author will create one pairing that captivates readers, and
another pairing that leaves readers lukewarm. Some writers actually
have knack for it, and we can all name them. They have an extensive
back catalog of much loved stories and we all read them and we all
stalk the writer!
Do I like to read in a good book
different from what I like to write? Yes and no. I like to read
fantasy/sci-fi, vampires, Regency historicals, and chick-lit, but I
have no desire to write any of those (yet). I always want my stories
to be technically ‘good’. I work hard to make sure they’re well
written. If I use a trope, I try to give it a new twist. I always
work to write something that hasn’t been done before, or at least
isn’t done as often.
Because I like to read well written m/m
erotic stories with graphic content, strong male characters, plot
beyond the romance, action scenes, and character growth and
development, those are the things I do try to write. My love scenes
are details and graphic. Some of them are pretty aggressive and not
on the romantic or gentle side. I will not feminize one of my male
characters, they will both always be very masculine and very male.
There may come a time when I write a character that is more on the
feminine side of the scale, because those types of men do exist in
the real world. But I don’t like and I won’t write a male
character who is simply ‘representing’ a woman in my stories. I
much prefer to write a plot that the romance revolves around, versus
using the romance as the primary plot. I write the romance so that
the story development also advances the romance. I like a good action
scene that makes my heart race and I’ve learned how to craft that
type of scene realistically. There’s a trick to it, the narrative
isn’t like the rest of the story. And finally, I give my characters
an arc beyond plot resolution and falling in love. I give them
something to learn, something to move past, or the resolution to
reach for something they desire (no, not the man they love!).
On the flip side, my latest release
(Strength of the Pack) is a shifter story, and I don’t read
shifter stories. I’ve read a couple of them, many years ago, but
it’s nothing I’ve ever sought out. Yet, I’m one book into a
series of werewolf stories. I knew going in that I would end up
writing something very different, because I don’t have the
influence of other shifter stories. There was never any guarantee
anyone would like my take on the concept. The genre is popular for a
reason, too much deviation from the ‘rules’ could have very
easily alienated readers. Luckily, that didn’t happen.
I’ve decided I’m not going to start
reading shifter books now; at least not until I’m finished with
this series. I’m going to continue to write this series blind, and
hope the future stories make the readers as happy as the first
installment has.
So, what does this all mean? When you
get right down do it, I don’t think it’s possible for writers to
completely divorce themselves from their own tastes and preferences
when writing. On some level, we’re always writing the things we
enjoy reading. It’s even possible that we’re attempting to
perfect or ‘correct’ things that we’ve read, that we feel could
have been done better, or should have been done differently. Our
stories are our fantasies, we gain a level of emotional satisfaction
from what we write. The books we enjoy reading also provide us with a
level of emotional satisfaction. The two are inextricably linked,
whether we’re aware of it or not.
So, are you curious about the book
everyone is talking about? Check out the info below on Strength of
the Pack.
Blurb:
Lieutenant
Lucas Young doesn’t know much about shifters. When Sergeant Noah
Hammond is assigned to Lucas’ platoon, the Marine Corps’ True
Alpha werewolf challenges the Lieutenant’s authority and his
self-control. As Lucas learns to dominate and command Noah, he
struggles against a strong attraction and deepening emotional bond.
During
their combat deployment to Afghanistan, Lucas and Noah begin
mirroring legendary partnerships. Their bond and their power grow as
they survive dangerous combat and ambushes. When one of them is
wounded in battle, they both must embrace the strength of their bond
before they lose each other forever.
Excerpt:
Lucas
pulled his SUV into the parking lot. The sun blazed orange and hung
low over the ocean, streaking the sky with shades of red and purple.
Lucas estimated it was about forty-five minutes before sunset. There
were several vehicles already parked, but Lucas knew there would be
many more rolling in.
Noah was easy to spot,
leaning against the spare tire of a Jeep, legs crossed at the ankles.
A thrill ran the length of Lucas’ spine as he took the parking
place beside the Jeep. Stepping out into the still warm evening, he
realized he wouldn’t need the jacket he’d brought.
“I will admit,
Lieutenant,” Noah said by way of greeting, “I didn’t think
you’d actually show up.” His eyes were glittering silver.
“I said I would,
Sergeant,” Lucas replied. “Why would you doubt it?”
“Not a mistake I will
make again,” Noah drawled laconically.
Lucas knew there was more
meaning behind that statement than was immediately obvious. He held
out the clipboard with the roster of werewolves expected to show
tonight. “Do you already have one of these?”
Noah glanced at the list
and back up into Lucas’ eyes. “I won’t need that, sir. But if
it makes you feel better to use it as a back-up, by all means.”
He knew Noah was laughing
at him, and Lucas bristled. “You can keep track of exactly who
shows up tonight and if they make it back in the morning, without
writing anything down?”
“Yes, sir, I can.” It
was a simple statement of fact, devoid of any arrogance.
“Since we’re off
duty, we can set rank aside for the evening,” Lucas said, wondering
at the wisdom of his words even as he spoke them. “Explain to me
how you keep track of such a large group of shifters.”
“Yes…Lucas,” Noah
replied. His face was expressionless, but his voice was laced with
humor. “At the end of the night there will be two distinct scent
trails for everyone who turns out for the run. If there’s any trail
that goes out but doesn’t return, I’ll use that to track down the
missing werewolf.”
Lucas ignored the tug of
attraction he felt at Noah’s subtle amusement. “Does that happen
often?” he asked brusquely.
“No, Lucas. Not very.”
Lucas suppressed a shiver
at the husky, suggestive way Noah said his name. It had to be due to
his impending shift into wolf form. He watched as Noah’s nostrils
flared slightly.
“When it does,” Noah
continued. “It’s usually a case of someone misjudging how far out
they’ve run. Occasionally, I have to deal with trapped legs or
lacerated paw pads.”
Lucas thought of how Noah
always seemed to be scenting him. “Is that how you all keep track
of each other?” He silently chastised himself for hoping he was
something special.
Noah’s eyes narrowed as
he studied Lucas for several seconds. “Are you asking if every
werewolf is able to differentiate between over a hundred individual
scent trails and identify the age of each trail?”
Not really. “Yes.”
“No.”
The abrupt answer took
Lucas by surprise. He waited for Noah to elaborate but quickly
realized he didn’t intend to.
“So it’s a skill
unique to Alphas?” Lucas persisted.
“Having the ability to
monitor several different scent trails contributes to an Alpha being
able to successfully lead a pack.”
Lucas forced himself to
be patient. It was like pulling fucking teeth. He decided to meet
Noah’s silence with his own.
Finally, Noah pushed off
from the Jeep and said, “True Alphas can track and monitor larger
packs. It manifests naturally; we don’t have to develop it.”
Lucas nodded
thoughtfully. That was a hell of a useful skill to have.
“Listen up,” Noah
suddenly shouted, causing Lucas to jump. “Everybody check in and
out with my Lieutenant, here. He’s standing Sentinel, so make it
easy for him.”
Lucas looked around,
abashed that the parking lot had begun to fill up while they’d
stood there talking, and he hadn’t noticed. How such a large group
had remained so quiet baffled him.
As the Marines passed by,
each one called out his or her name. Lucas checked the first box for
each one on his alphabetized list. The entire process went quick and
smooth. As the group checking in dwindled, Lucas turned to find Noah
kicking off his shoes.
“Now what?” Lucas
asked, surprised at his own informality.
Noah opened the back of
the Jeep and pulled out several plastic tarps that he handed off to
other Marines.
“We walk out into the setting sun, get naked and
shift into wolves.”
Lucas’ mouth went dry
at the mental picture of Noah stripping himself naked. “And the
tarps?” he asked distractedly.
“Nobody likes putting
on clothes that have lain in the dirt all night.” Noah’s grin
made Lucas’ chest tighten.
“Of course,” Lucas
replied, wondering when he’d lost the power of deductive reasoning.
The large group had
almost all moved out into the growing dusk. “I should warn you;
some of us are going to show back up in different states of…arousal,”
Noah said, looking like he was avoiding meeting Lucas’ eyes.
“There
could be squabbling. There will definitely be some fucking. It’s
typical. Just ignore it.”
Lucas wasn’t sure how
to respond. He stared wordlessly at Noah for several long moments.
“Seriously?”
“Ever been in combat?”
Noah asked, finally looking directly at Lucas with his silver eyes.
“Yes.” Lucas wondered
what that had to do with anything.
“Similar reaction,”
Noah replied.
Lucas suddenly
understood. “Copy that.”
“Are you really going
to sit in your car all night waiting for us to come back?” Noah
asked abruptly.
Why was this so fucking
hard to believe? “I’ve got a book, a thermos and a cell phone. If
something goes wrong out there, send someone with a message, and I
can get help.”
Noah gave a slight shake
of his head. “Are you for real?” he muttered.
“Excuse me?” Lucas
had no clue how to answer, or if he even should.
“The first of us should
start showing back up just as it gets light,” Noah said over his
shoulder as he walked into the dark, his hips rolling slowly, broad
shoulders cutting a defined silhouette.
Lucas locked down the
sudden spike of lust that rocketed through him. “What’s the
appropriate thing to say, right now?” he asked, hoping levity would
dispel the sudden awkwardness. “Good luck? Stay safe? Play nice
with the other wolves, and don’t pick up any strange fleas?”
Noah stopped in his
tracks and slowly turned back. Lucas was sure he’d crossed some
sort of line of inappropriateness. He mentally berated himself for
openly flirting with an NCO under his command.
Relief washed over him
when Noah suddenly grinned. “I wondered if there was any spirit to
go with that brain.”
Lucas stayed rooted to his spot,
speechless, blood thundering in his ears, as he watched Noah walk
into the darkness.
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