Spotlight, Q&A, Giveaway - - Kaylene Winter's Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance Series

 

For anyone who has had a crush on a rock star, these books are for you. For anyone who enjoys multi-layered characters, complex relationships, and emotional roller coasters, these books are for you. For anyone who wonders what life in - and out - of the spotlight is like for superstar band members, these books are for you. Kaylene Winters' characters are authentic, complex, and fully formed, with realistic personal, career, and relationship challenges. Their journeys are a full-immersion experience. Once I started reading, I was hooked. There was no way I was going to put these books down until I reached the end. 

ENDLESS: A Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance

Book 1: Ty and Zoey

Release Date: June 26, 2020

Ty:

It's my only chance to make it. To escape my abusive childhood. A new album and tour with my band family are weeks away. Success and stardom are all but guaranteed. Then I saw Zoey at our biggest show, and everything changed in a instant. She's my soulmate. My lover. My best friend. 

Zoey:

Ty is my one and only true love. I never imagined feeling so loved, cherished and adored. Then he said he'd give it all up and I couldn't stand in his way. So I ghosted him, only so he'd be free to follow his dream. Now the world sings along to his anthems about me. The girl who never wanted the spotlight.

Their reunion is explosive.

On so many levels. Ty's not proud of the man he became. Zoey has to live with her own bad decisions. With so many forces keeping them apart...

Will they find redemption? Will they ever be able to forgive each other and move on?

LIMITLESS: A Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance

Book 2: Jace and Alex

Release Date: October 9, 2020

Jace:

"She snuck up on me and stole my heart..."

Sexy Viking drummer Jace Deveraux used his genius marketing skills to help propel Less than Zero (LTZ) to the top. Friends-with-benefits was the only thing he was capable of. Until free-spirited social media influencer Alexandria LeRoux made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Their secret, spontaneous global hookups were decadent, erotic, extraordinary. For the first time in his life, Jace wants it all. Including a future with Alex. Will one fateful night destroy his chance with her forever?

Alex:

"I'll travel the world for him..."

Ethereal animal lover Alex had one goal in mind: conquer playboy Jace before they both left Seattle. Her plans for him certainly didn't include forever. But their first time was so sublime, it ruined her for anyone else. What's a girl to do? Enjoy him in as many countries as possible, that's what. Except Alex has her own dreams and they're already in motion. 

Will Jace ever follow her for a change?

Their lives orbit on different courses, but gravity always seems to pull them back together...

Unless a blast from the past blows their chance to smithereens. 

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Q&A with Kaylene Winter

Welcome, Kaylene! It was lovely to “meet” you at this year’s virtual RWA conference.

It was sincerely my pleasure, I’m so excited to connect with other romance fans.

Congratulations on the publication of the first two books in your debut series. What should readers expect from the Less Than Zero Rockstar romances?

Thank you so much! It is very surreal. A year ago it was just an idea, and now the reality is better than I imagined. When I read something, I want to feel something. I want to know the characters, or feel like they could be people I’m friends with. Of course, for me all romance should be STEAMY but feature integrity, true love, twists and turns, heartfelt emotion and, of course, a rockstar setting that hopefully makes you feel like you are right there with the LTZ guys and their beautiful, feisty loves. I like to get a little social justice in there, not too preachy hopefully. In Endless I tackle arts education in schools and for underserved youth. In Limitless, we explore animal rescue and what I’ll call a “reverse” Bill Cosby situation.

I read both ENDLESS (book one) and LIMITLESS (book two) in one sitting each. They were a total immersion experience, mostly due to the authentic feel of both the characters and the world in which they live. Please tell us a bit about your background and how your experiences contributed to the creation of your fictional world.

From an early age I was fascinated by music and musicians. As a teenager, my friends and I were so obsessed I wrote my first “rockstar romance” about our fantasy boyfriends, and we’d giggle and read it each night as I wrote more pages.

Fast forward to my college and new adult years, and I was knee-deep in the Seattle music scene. Grunge music is what Seattle is known for in many ways, and I worked with many of the bands that everyone associates with that scene. I was on the front line watching our bands rise up from the clubs to worldwide superstardom.

Music has continued to be a big part of my life, but more on the cutting edge of digital media and entertainment on the business side of things. When I began reading romance again about a decade ago, I discovered that the “Rockstar Romance” genre was a thing! I devoured everything I could find.  

It makes me so happy that you picked up on the authenticity (although these are NOT biographies or real-life situations) – I have pulled from so many of my own experiences and those that I have witnessed to create what I hope is an immersive world of LTZ.

By the time I finished LIMITLESS, I was fully invested in all four members of the band. When can we expect Connor’s and Zane’s stories to be published? Are you able to tell us anything about them?

OOOH!  I’m halfway done with FEARLESS, Connor and Ronni’s story. Connor is a powerful, strong man (with a bit of Irish brogue) whose background and story will explain a lot of why Alex and Zoey think he’s a bit broody. Ronni is AMAZING, she’s strong, capable and overcomes a lot of situations that other Hollywood actresses have had to face. I’ll leave it at that.  I’m shooting for a March release.

Zane and Fiona will be out sometime next summer, hopefully. I’m not going to reveal too much yet, but suffice it to say – I think that everyone will adore him. And her, of course.

In bigger news, I’m going to be releasing a “prequel” in between LIMITLESS and FEARLESS – this will be Carter’s story. It will be a shorter story, but I think it will be a nice tie-in for the first two books and a great segue into the books that haven’t been released.

I’m not sure that after that I’ll be ready to leave LTZ behind – it is entirely possible that there might be “Part 2” novellas for each couple at the very least.

Let me assure you that I would be totally on board with Part 2 novellas! 

This series is set in your hometown of Seattle, Washington and your love for that area shines through. Please share with us what makes Seattle special and why it was the location of choice for your series?

Well, I think I explained it a bit above. Seattle is ultimately, a music city with a very strong, supportive community of musicians from all different genres. My friends are musicians, I represent musicians in my “day job” and I’m actually on the City of Seattle Music Commission to advocate for music business in Seattle.

COVID has taken a toll on the arts generally, and music especially since you can’t really go out to see shows right now. I’d love to encourage people to support music in their own communities, because it is such an important part of all of our lives.

Where can readers find out more about your books and interact with you online?

I’m on all social media platforms, most active on Facebook and Instagram. If you visit my website at https://rockerromance.com/ you can sign up for my newsletter (which gives you REAL behind the scenes stuff from back in the day) and interact with me on social media. 

Let’s play a quick round of complete this sentence.

On crisp autumn days, my favorite thing to do is… Walk my beautiful Siberian husky, Boudi through the fall leaves.

When I’m craving something sweet, I reach for… Peanut butter and chocolate. Every. Damn. Time.

The book I’m most eager to read is… I’ll shout out to my favorite authors: Mari Carr, Kennedy Ryan, Carian Cole, Cari Quinn, Taryn Elliott, Jaine Diamond, Michelle Mankin – and one of my new discoveries LJ Shen. The minute they put out a book, I’m in.

When I’m not writing, you’ll most likely find me… Running my other business and hanging out with my husband and Boudi.

The musical artist (or song) that can always get me dancing is…Van Halen (with David Lee Roth, of course)

The characteristic a hero must have to win my heart is… Two things – I like my men to be very “manly” but also not afraid to love with every fiber of their being. I think I’m describing my own husband!

 

Thanks so much for visiting with us today, Kaylene! Would you like to add anything else or ask my readers a question?

I think that’s everything, thank you so much for loving my LTZ world – I’d love for your readers to hit me up on social, join mymailing list and feel free to contact me directly!  I love hearing from everyone!

Kaylene has graciously offered two giveaways for our readers. So tell me, who is/was your rock star crush? Do you have a favorite band or musical group? What song or musical artist gets you dancing? 

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, October 13 will receive a signed print copy or digital copy of ENDLESS (winner's choice).

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, October 13 will receive a digital copy or print copy of LIMITLESS (winner's choice).

*Must be 18

Links to interact with Kaylene online and purchase her books:

• Facebook 
• Facebook - Rocker Romance Group  
• Twitter 
• Instagram 
• Bookbub 
• Goodreads 
• Amazon 
• Endless Book Purchase on Amazon 
• Limitless Book Purchase on Amazon - PRE-ORDER