Interview with Kyra Jacobs, author of ARMED WITH STEELE (31 Days of Halloween)

Thank you for joining me in the shadows. Pay no
attention to that odd silhouette over there. Weird things live here.
 Where do you hail from?
Thanks for having me here! I’m from Northeastern
Indiana.
Tell me about your latest book. What makes it
stand out from the crowd?
ARMED WITH STEELE
is a fun romantic suspense. Jessica Hartley is out to find the person
responsible for her best friend’s horrific auto accident. Patrolman Nate Steele
is all ears for her theory, and has an interest in the accused all his own. The
two pair up and work undercover to solve the crime. And while they try to keep
things “strictly professional” it doesn’t work out so well. All the more fun
for us!
I think this book stands out from the crowd because instead
of being set in some humongous city or fictional burb, it’s actually set right
here in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Hoosier natives (and others from
the Midwest as well) are eating it up.
Do you have anything new in the works and can you
tell us a bit about it?
I’ve got several novels in the works, but the one capturing my
attention at the moment is the follow-up to ARMED WITH STEELE. Nate and Jessica
step aside to introduce Liz Williams (a displaced massage therapist) and
Torrunn MacKay (a smokin’ hot fireman). Sparks
fly when the two start FLIRTING WITH FIRE. (You can actually read Chapter 1 of
FWF over at Harlequin’s “So You Think You Can Write” contest here: http://bit.ly/1dDyxKj Be sure to leave me some
love over there!)
What advice would you give to writers just
starting out?
Read, read, read. Figure out what draws you in, what turns
you on / turns you off. Once you have a plot idea in mind and it fits all of
that, then sit down and focus on creating your own voice.
How did you deal with rejection letters? Any
tips for unpublished writers?
I did a ton of research online before sending any query
letters out, so I knew the chances would be slim and the rejections likely. But
I don’t really look at them as “rejections” so much as potential “bad fits”. If
an agent/publisher doesn’t connect with my story, then it wasn’t meant to be.
Somewhere out there is a better fit yet to be found.
As for tips, I would say try to keep an open mind and be
proud of your work. If the non-yes letter (there, that sounds so much better
than “rejection letter”, doesn’t it?) offers advice, read, digest, and read
again. If it’s just a “not right for me” letter, then keep on sending those
letters out to someone else.
What tools of the trade are must-haves for
you? 
Hmm, my laptop at home. A pen and notepad in my purse…and my
car…and my other purse…gotta have something to scribble ideas down onto, as
they come to me at the most unexpected times. That’s about it—I’m pretty
low-maintenance. 😉
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to
research a story?
I don’t know if this counts as crazy so much as odd…I was
out at lunch with some coworkers one day, and set up the salt shaker and
utensils the way I had characters in one scene of my book. Then I looked up at
my coworker, who’s a gun guru, and asked, “So if someone had a gun here…and he
shot this person here…how far would the blood spray over here…”
Not exactly the best mealtime conversation. But hey, I got
my answer!
What do you like to read?
Cereal boxes. Instruction manuals. Oh, wait, you mean books?
I’m a fiction-lover. Give me a good book that helps me escape for awhile and
makes me laugh a time or two, and I’ll be hooked.
Who is your favorite author and why? 
Hmm, I don’t know if I can nail down one. I did read my
first Kristan Higgins this year and absolutely loved it (JUST ONE OF THE GUYS).
I could relate to her writing style, and the humor was right up my alley.
Now for the fun questions.  Let’s strip away
the veil of invisibility. Do you have a day job alongside writing and will you
tell us about it?
Ah, well, let’s see what I can say without getting myself in
a pickle… Yes, I have a day job. And no, it has little to do with writing other
than reports and spreadsheets. But it does utilize computers, GIS maps, and, on
rare occasions, an excavator or two.
If you weren’t a writer, what career might you
have chosen?
An actress. Still waiting by the phone for Hollywood to place that call…
Who is your favorite superhero (or heroine)? Can
be from a comic book, movie, novel, cartoon, video game or anywhere else heroes
reign.
Wow, there’s one I haven’t been asked before. Huh, let’s
see… I’m going to have to go with Ironman. (It’s my geeky IT-side coming out
again.)
Your favorite book hero?
Jack Ryan.
You finally have an evening free to spend any way
you want. Money is no object. Where do you go? What would you do?
I’d get a sitter for my darlings, take my hubby to Baker Street,
indulge on a martini and some pistachio-crusted walleye, then go see Harry
Connick Jr. at the Embassy.
You’ve been gifted (or cursed) with the ability
to shift into another form by a witch. What kind of shifter are you? Why?
Wow, I feel like I just stepped into Sookie Stackhouse’s backyard!
Hmm, maybe an owl. Or a hawk. Something that wouldn’t be hunted, but could fly
and be stealthy.
Thanks so much for being my guest today! Anything
else you’d like to share with my readers?  Don’t forget to give us links
to your website etc.
Thank you, Brynna, for allowing me to stop by and visit
today! What a fun interview!
I’d love to hear from your readers. They can find me on Facebook at “Kyra Jacobs – Author Page”,
on Twitter @KyraJacobsBooks, on my blog at www.Indianawonderer.wordpress.com,
and on Goodreads. And do watch for upcoming
novel release information on my website, http://bit.ly/AuthorKyraJacobs.
ARMED WITH STEELE is available online now from e-book
resellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.
ARMED WITH STEELE blurb:
What happens undercover, stays
under covers.
Jessica Hartley is looking for
answers surrounding the mysterious car accident that nearly claimed the life of
her best friend. She’s willing to risk it all, even her fledgling business, to
find the person responsible and bring them to justice.
Nate Steele is more than willing
to help Jessica, but for reasons all his own. He’s been watching the infamous
Maxwell Office Solutions for some time now, convinced there’s more going on
than meets the eye. When his chief issues a cease and desist order yet again,
Nate has no choice but to accept inexperienced Jessica as an undercover partner
outside the letter of the law.
Will Jessica and Nate be able to
flush out Maxwell’s elusive villain, or will their growing attraction for each
other sabotage their undercover ploy? Motives aren’t always what they seem when
Jessica finds herself armed with Steele.
CONTENT WARNING: Beware
drool-worthy men in uniform, touchy-feely coworkers, and vindictive
ex-girlfriends.