A chat with Kristen Beairsto, author of 'Behaving Badly'

What was the inspiration behind 'Behaving Badly'?

I came up with the idea for Behaving Badly after watching the movie Magic Mike. Thinking about Channing Tatum's character (I know how hard is that, right?!), I started thinking about what he would be like when he had moved past the period in his life where he was no longer stripping and what that would look like. Things just grew from there and morphed and really changed into where Cyrus Chapman formed and started to come to life.

How much do you have in common with Delaney?

I think the biggest thing I have in common with Delaney is determination. When I decide to do something, I figure out what it's going to take and do it. When her character was developing in my mind, her determination to make her family business survive was something I could relate to.

What is one of your favorite scenes?

My favorite scene in the entire story is where they're playing board games and Delaney is trying to hold back her excitement about beating Cyrus. To me the scene is just a lot of fun and sweet in a lot of different ways, and something I think a lot of couples can relate to.

What are some pros and cons of a workplace romance?

Workplace romances can be so tricky. I honestly think, the majority of the time there are more cons than there are pros. It really just depends on the specific situation. I think what it ultimately comes down to is how the romance goes. If it's a good relationship, there could be a lot of positives that go along with it -- a lower stress level, a positive approach to the work/team, a better attitude, etc. But if the relationship is volatile, one of the biggest issues is that it won't only effect those two people involved, but will also eventually effect those they work with as well as their work.

Have you ever been involved in a workplace romance (that you would admit to)?

No, I've never been in a workplace romance. Most of the places I've worked didn't allow them. And even if that hadn't been an issue, I don't think I would have ever had one. I've seen a few first hand and they never went very well.

What is the last book you read? Reading right now? Next on the TBR pile?

The last book I read was At Peace by Kristen Ashley and I'm reading the next book in that series called Golden Trail. Next I'll probably read the next one in the 'Burg series. I discovered Kristen Ashley a few months ago and have been reading her books ever since. I really love her voice.

Please tell us about your other publications.

In addition to Behaving Badly, I have four other contemporary romances. One is a novella. Love Like Krazy, Sugar & Spice, Going After the Heart, and Judging Covers (the novella) are all stand-alone titles. I tried to infuse a good amount of humor and sass into all of them. I also recently released a non-fiction about the business side of writing called Treat It Like A Business.

On what other projects are you currently working?

Right now I'm working on a contemporary suspense romance. I'm trying something new, I'm writing from the first person point of view for the first time. I'm really enjoying it, hopefully it'll continue going well. I'd love to hear what kind of points of view readers prefer.

With such a busy life, how do you make time to write?

Sometimes, I wonder the same thing! LOL! I don't work it in every day, but I try to make time for it every day. I owe a lot of my writing time to my husband, he helps me a lot to make sure I don't get interrupted. It takes a lot of determination and focus to make sure I fit it in. It usually comes down to sacrificing something, usually TV time or sleep. Mostly sleep.

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

I've gotten a lot of good advice over the years, but I think the best is that the bottom line is that no matter how great your story is there's always going to be someone that doesn't like it for whatever reason. So always write the story you'd want to read rather than trying to write the story you think others what to read.

How does writing fulfill you?

Writing is a big part of who I am. It's my stress reliever and soothes my soul. I can be having a really rough day and sit down and write and instantly feel better about whatever happened or what's bugging me.

What is something readers may be surprised to learn about you?

People are usually surprised to learn that I'm such a huge sports fan, that I have two of my favorite teams' logos tattooed on me. I have the Yankees and New York Giants NY logos tattooed on my neck and upper back. And I have plans to also get the New York Rangers and New York Knicks at some point.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you so much for your time and the opportunity to be here for the day!

Behaving Badlyby Kristen Beairsto

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BLURB:

Delaney Pierce is desperate, no, determined, to rebuild the family business, Manners Matter, after the disaster her own mother brought down on it, and her, a year ago. With two crazy aunts living life moving from one misadventure to the next and her younger sister waitressing to help make ends meet, she pins her hopes on her commission to curb the undesirable habits of Cyrus Chapman, one of New York's premier businessmen and one of the city's most eligible bachelors.

Her resolve to succeed with Cyrus is immediately put to the test during her very first meeting with him and she realizes that no matter how much she prepared for all that was Cyrus, it all paled in comparison to the real man. Things only get worse when he starts hinting at wanting more than a professional relationship.

But Delaney can’t entertain the idea of having more than a professional relationship with Cyrus. After all, that’s something her mother would do and she’s not about to start emulating that woman now. However, fighting her attraction to Cyrus becomes harder and harder the more she’s around him and she finds herself wondering if she’s become so wrapped up in trying not to be her mother that she’s forgotten to just to be herself.

Read an excerpt:

As he stepped up to the door, he wondered briefly what a life coach would look like.

Probably a tall skinny guy that weighed about a buck fifty soaking wet with slicked back hair, who thought he knew everything. He hated know-it-alls.

Shoving open his office door, ready for a fight, he spotted the focus of his irritation staring out the window behind his desk, her back to him.

He froze. A woman?!

Clearly hearing him enter, she turned to face him.

Pushing the door closed behind him, he took his time looking her over.

Despite the neat black skirt falling modestly below her knees and the trim blazer that didn’t give away a hint of any of the skin beneath it, failed to hide an obviously curvy figure. A definite change from the usual stick figure models he normally associated with, but he had to admit, he’d always liked navigating curves.

He noted she held her hands clasped in front of her, creamy skinned hands that matched the creamy skin of her oval shaped face that wore a carefully blank expression. She watched him from a pale aqua gaze that concealed any thoughts that might be going through her mind.

At least he’d been correct about the slicked back hair. What appeared to be deep fiery strands were smoothed back severely into a bun at the base of her skull.

He wondered what she’d look like with her hair down around her shoulders.

Naked.

Under him.

Mentally kicking himself for letting his mind go there, he shoved his hands into his pockets. She firmly belonged on his Do-Not-Touch list at the moment. Besides, he didn’t need a prissy life coach in his bed. She’d probably try to lecture him on what to do.

“Hello, I’m Delaney Pierce.” Her smooth timbre held only the slightest of hints of a city accent.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

In between her to-be-read pile and trying to bring the characters in her head alive, Kristen spends as much time as she can with family and friends. Much to her husband’s dismay, she enjoys collecting purses, shoes, and jewelry. During those rare times she’s not working at her day job, rushing her daughters somewhere, watching movies with her husband, and trying to meet a deadline, she can usually be found energetically cheering for one of her favorite New York sports teams.

As with just about every other writer on the planet, Kristen grew up an avid reader. She started with young adult before she technically hit the age range and moved on to sci-fi classics by Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury. At fifteen, her best friend gave her a book she just had to read! The book was Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts. Always a sucker for a happy ending, she was a goner and fell in love with the romance genre. Having started writing novel length stories at the age of eleven, Kristen’s stories all took a romantic turn from that point on.

You can connect with Kristen through her website www.KristenBeairsto.com , Facebook www.facebook.com/AuthorKristenBeairsto , or Twitter www.twitter.com/AuthorKBeairsto.

Kristen will be awarding an eCopy of Behaving Badly to five randomly drawn commenters during the tour, and a Grand Prize of the complete set of all 5 of Kristen's ebooks to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. A $10 Amazon GC will be awarded to one randomly drawn host. Follow the tour for more chances to win!