Title: Renovated: A Workplace Romance
Author: Nikki Kiley
Publication date: August 5th, 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
They’ve been hired to remodel a mansion. Will they end up getting a room?
Marisa Sanchez has grand designs for her future. After taking over her grandfather’s construction firm, the successful vlogger and civil engineer is about to take the next step with a new show on the Home Design Network. But she’s not pleased to find out she can only have the lucrative gig if she agrees to work with a handsome rival.
Levi Chance takes the responsibility of providing for his brothers seriously. So when his biggest client asks him to come into the spotlight to co-host a new program, he reluctantly accepts. But he fears the pretty, camera-loving partner he’s been assigned might bring his top-notch reputation tumbling down if she can’t deliver the goods.
Discovering her teammate is quite capable, Marisa battles her attraction to him as she ambitiously turns the project upside down. And the more Levi works with the smart Latina, the more he worries he’s about to push the “no sex” morality clause in their contract into forbidden territory.
Will Marisa and Levi’s fixer-upper turn into a happily together forever?
Renovated is the charming first book in the moving Chance Brothers contemporary romance series. If you like sparkling attractions, comedic moments, and steamy action, then you’ll love Nikki Kiley’s well-built romp.
Goodreads / Amazon
Author Interview:
1. What does your writing process look like? Do you know the whole story when you start? Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)? If you plan it out, how do you do that? Outline, notecards, post-it notes, etc.?
I’m a plotter, but I don’t mind deviating from the plot if that’s where the story takes me.
To start my process, I have the idea, and I sit down with Save the Cat, Gwen Hayes -Romancing the Beat, and Jami Gold’s- Beat sheet and make a sort of hybrid of these outlining methods to get started. Then I use the program PLOTTR, which is a plotting program I’ve found super helpful. This allows me to get to know my characters—create their enneagram types, paste muse photos for me to start imagining them as real people. Create the outlines and detail based on my menagerie of an outline method.
Once I know my story and my characters, I transfer them to Scrivener. I am definitely a Scrivener noob and probably only use one-tenth of the potential of this fabulous program–but it’s okay! It gets me from point A to point B. I usually just start creating a folder for each chapter.
I set a word count goal to organize the days needed to finish my first draft. To be honest, this all sounds so perfect, but the reality is I start with a plan, a very detailed one, and along the way, my characters take the wheel and show me who’s driving the car.
2. Do you edit as you go, or wait till you’re finished before you edit? How many times would you say you go over it yourself before having another set of eyes look it over?
I try to clean it as I go, but then I realize I don’t want to fall in love with what’s first written. If I get too attached, then it’s harder to cut when editing. I edit no less than three times before it goes to the developmental editor. Once I get it back, it’s a revision and editing hell. It’s another three or more times (during this time, my alpha reader and beta are also reading this draft giving me feedback), then comes a line edit, revision, and editing again follow, before the copy edit. Another editing process, then proofreading. Whew, I’m exhausted from just seeing this process. I’m committed to getting the best writing for my reader.
3. Are you part of a writers group that gets together and helps each other with their writing?
I do participate in various groups, and all of them are virtual. The pandemic has made possible the use of zoom and allowing everyone to join so many events that
would have been conferences but can now attend virtually. I live in Puerto Rico, so any conference or writers group is just a tad bit far.
4. What tips do you have for aspiring writers?
Finish that first draft. Once you realize that you can finish a book from beginning to end, you know that you will only get better with each experience. BUT YOU HAVE TO FINISH THAT FIRST BOOK. You need something to edit. Read, read, and read in the genre you want to write in. Respect reader expectations, especially when writing genre fiction. Craft books are an excellent resource that opens your eyes and mind to so much we’ve taken for granted when reading. The writing community is terrific. There is so much information out there. Be discerning and practical. It’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole. That fear of FOMO is genuine.
5. What are your favorite:
Books/authors/genres Romance, Shelly Laurenston(Pride Series), Devney Perry(Tin Gypsy Series), Penny Reid (Winston Brother Series), Laurann Dohner(New Species Series), Kresley Cole (Immortals after Dark) I could go on and on. If I love the premise, I binge-watch the series.
TV Shows The Witcher, Ted Lasso, Surrealestate, Yellowstone, Death In Paradise, Bridgerton
Movies Harry Potter, Star Wars, James Bond, Jack Reacher
Music Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, The Weekend, Maluma, The Black Eyed Peas My musical tastes are eclectic.
Food/Writing snack Spanish, Latin, Mediterranean food (I live in Puerto Rico )/ snack Plain whole fat yogurt- Cabot (love it), apples, veggies and hummus, oh and too much Diet Coke!
About the Author:
Nikki Kiley is an aspiring author of Contemporary Romance. Since she was a young girl, she dreamt of writing stories that would entertain and move her readers, like she was and still is, by talented authors.
When not working the day job running a medical office, she spends hours crafting and writing stories about heroes and heroines earning their chance at love. She makes her home in Puerto Rico with her husband, two young adult children, and a gentle giant, the bull mastiff, Kira.
She loves the beach, her Nespresso maker, and cupcakes (S’more in particular).
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INT) – Ends September 16th
- $20 Amazon gift card
Hosted by:
Lisa, the a/c @aevaldez_author doesn’t exist so I followed Nikki on her other Twitter a/c. Hope this is ok!
Hmm, I’ll have to reach out to the blog tour running it. Thanks for the heads up!
I love reading about an author’s writing process! I have never considered writing a novel, but I would definitely be a plotter if I did! 😉
I am a pantser, but find that if I don’t do the plotting, I don’t get my books finished!
Thanks for being on the tour! 🙂
No problem!