Bad Dogs and Drag Queens: An Interview and Giveaway with Author Julie Lynn Hayes

Lisa: Please join us in welcoming author Julie Lynn Hayes to The Novel Approach today, on the tour for her latest novel, Bad Dogs and Drag Queens.

Thanks for joining us, Julie Lynn. Let’s start by having you give us an interesting fun fact or two about this book?

Julie Lynn: The characters actually began with a 500 word flash I wrote for a group on Facebook, which was suggested to me by my friend Denise Wyant. Each week, people write flashes inspired by whatever picture they post. I wrote a few of them, and one week the picture was taken from the perspective of someone in the trunk of a car, looking at someone standing outside it. From this pic came my flash, Roadside Assistance, about two undercover cops, who are partners, and a serial killer. The cops never even got names, it’s so short. But then my friend Chris T. Kat said she wanted to know more about them, and suddenly Vinnie and Ethan were born, and everything just spiraled from there!

Lisa: How did you come up with the title of the book?

Julie Lynn: It was inspired by a poem, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, but in this case I did a play on it because there is a bad dog in the book, and there are drag queens. Hence, Bad Dogs and Drag Queens. It just seemed natural!

Lisa: Have you ever given one of your characters the personality of someone you know?

Julie Lynn: Yeah, I have done that, more than once. Good thing he doesn’t know. LOL. He would not be flattered. I think some of them end up some parts of me in them. Vinnie and I, for instance, although I’m not the diva he is. LOL.

Lisa: What do you think makes a good story?

Julie Lynn: A good story makes you want to know more, and it makes you care about the characters and what happens to them. And it leaves you thinking about them even when you aren’t reading.

Lisa: What does your family think of your writing?

Julie Lynn: I don’t speak to my family (and they were never very interested), but my children support me, even if the boys don’t want to read any of it. The girls have copies of my print books, and they’re all proud of me.

Lisa: Tell us about your pets – past or present. Pictures are a must!

Julie Lynn: I have the most wonderful cat in the world. No, really! His name is The Mighty Ramesses. I got him when he was just a few weeks old, from a pet rescue. I wanted a cat, and I didn’t know what to expect. I looked through all the cages, and then made a second circuit. I saw this young cat sitting there, his ears up, looking very Egyptian, so I asked to hold him. The woman put him in my arms, and we just looked at each other, and I knew he was the one, so I took him. I didn’t realize I’d have to name him right then and there, but since he looked Egyptian, I thought of Ramesses, and then elongated it to The Mighty Ramesses, although no one calls him that. He is still my pride and joy, and he will be nineteen years old this year. I’m glad I changed his name. Originally, it was Mayo. Seriously?

Thanks for having me here today!

Lisa: Thanks so much for being here with us.

About the Book

Series: Rose and Thorne: Book: One
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 25, 2016
Length: 138 Pages
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond
Categories: Contemporary Romance, Mystery/Suspense
Blurb: Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are partners—on and off the clock. Federal undercover detectives, they’re part of a covert task force designed to promote goodwill between the feds and local authorities. They lend an unobtrusive helping hand wherever it’s needed. No credit required.

Vinnie and Ethan work primarily in the Southeast region of the United States and live together in Richmond, Virginia. A mugger problem brings them to Roanoke, where Vinnie is thrown out as bait to catch the man who’s been snatching purses in a city park, but they end up with more than they bargained for. Why is Vinnie always the one who has to wear the dress? Ethan says it’s because Vinnie looks much prettier in a skirt. How can he argue with that?

Expecting to return to Richmond afterward, Vinnie and Ethan find themselves assigned a new case instead. They are to go undercover at The Stroll, one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Roanoke. Someone is terrorizing both the customers and the performers. Could they be dealing with a hate crime? Someone has to protect the drag queens of Roanoke, so it’s Vinnie and Ethan to the rescue!

The author is donating 10% of the royalties from this book to No Kid Hungry. Visit nokidhungry.org for more information about this organization.

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press || Amazon || All Romance eBooks || Kobo

About the Author

Julie Lynn Hayes first began publishing short stories and poetry in the 1990’s, when it was a different ballgame altogether, and Ebooks hadn’t been dreamed of yet. That changed in 2010 with the acceptance of her first romance novel. She’s come a long way since that first book appeared, and is finding the journey a very educational one.

She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and her cat Ramesses. She often writes of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms, and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. Her great challenge is to be told something can’t be done—she feels compelled to do it.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch,  needlepoint and knitting, and she loves to cook, spending time watching the Food Network. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian. Her family thinks she’s a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all. Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, eXtasy Books, and Wayward Ink Press.

Where to find the author: Facebook || Facebook Author Page || Twitter || Blog || Goodreads

The Giveaway

Win a gift card courtesy of Julie Lynn Hayes!

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Follow the Tour

23-May: Open Skye Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Multitasking Mommas
24-May: Velvet Panic, Nephy Hart, Louise Lyons
25-May: Happily Ever Chapter, Books A to Z, The Novel Approach
26-May: Parker Williams, Man2ManTastic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
27-May: Divine Magazine, A.M. Leibowitz
30-May: Jessie G. Books, Inked Rainbow Reads, Wake Up Your Wild Side
31-May: Outrageous Heroes, Bayou Book Junkie
1-Jun: Hearts on Fire, Nautical Star Books, Prism Book Alliance
2-Jun: Rednecks and Romance, MM Book Escape
3-Jun: Emotion In Motion, Bonkers About Books
6-Jun: Anna Butler Fiction
7-Jun: MM Good Book Reviews
8-Jun: The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat
9-Jun: Unquietly Me
10-Jun: BFD Book Blog
13-Jun: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
14-Jun: Molly Lolly
15-Jun: Love Bytes
16-Jun: Havan Fellows
17-Jun: Alpha Book Club, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings