GFP Tour Stop - Behind The Wings by Dana Littlejohn

Dana Littlejohn was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but has called Indianapolis, In. her home for over ten years. She has always wanted to write since early childhood, but put that wish on hold to raise her growing family and have a career. With the encouragement of her husband, Dana picked up her pen again in 2003 and has no intention on putting it down. With 3 novels, 8 novellas, 4 stories in anthologies, 42 short stories published to date and a long list of wip (works in progress) she is literally living her dream. Join her on the wild journey through her imagination. It’s a ride you’ll never forget!
Website: www.danalittlejohn.net 
Blog: www.authordanalittlejohn.blogspot.com
Facebook: search authordanalittlejohn
Twitter: follow authordanalittlejohn


Welcome to BK Walker Books Etc. Dana! So happy to have you join me today.


BK: Please tell us a little about yourself... 
My name id Dana Littlejohn. Many people ask if that is a pseudo, but no, it’s my real name. I write sensual and erotic romance. I work a nine to five, Monday - Friday and mostly write the rest of the time that I am awake. 


BK: Please tell us a little about your book....
Jade Dupree is beautiful, smart and the only daughter of a well known and liked general. Many young airmen would like the chance to be with her; not only for her own accomplishments, but the connection it would give them to the general would be invaluable. Jade’s mother is all for her being with an airman and spends most of her time matchmaking. When she finally introduces Jade to an airman she might be compatible with, Jade met Mike Davis, a young entrepreneur. Jade dates them both trying to get to know the men and learns a great deal more then she bargained for.   

BK: What inspired you to pen this particular novel?
Behind the Wings came about after a conversation my son and I had when he came home from the air force. I asked him how life was in the air force and he laughed. He said you don’t have a life when your soldier, you just do as you’re told. Only officers have a real life. I thought about and wondered what life would be like. So I made up what I thought life was like and Behind the Wings was born.


BK: When did you first consider yourself a writer? 
I have always considered myself a writer. I wrote my first complete short story when I was 12, but I became an author when I sold my first story. That was an amazing feeling I will never forget.


BK: How do you keep your story flowing? 
I don’t actually. I can only write when the characters speak to me. I know the beginning, the middle and the end, but they tell me how I get from one point to the other. I f they don’t tell me where to go I can go.


BK: Do you ever run into writer's block, and if so, what do you do to get past it? 
Oh yes. When they stop talking to me it’s frustrating, but there’s nothing I can do. I usually watch movies to take my mind off the story or play Mahjong to give my brain something else to do.


BK: What is your writing process like? 
Do you have any quirks, or must-haves to write? Yeah, I do. I always have a bag of sunflower seeds nearby and my music is playing too. Most of the time it’s guys singing love songs. It gives me the feeling that I’m being serenaded. 

Jade Dupree had always been a hot commodity among the young airman. She tried not to date them, but having an old school mother and a worldly father gave her a challenging social life. Her mother’s only goal in life seemed to be to get her to settle her down with the next available airman and birth as many babies as possible.

Her father’s outlook for his children’s future was much less intense. Jade let her mother set her up with an extremely handsome tech sergeant, just as she met the very interesting Mike Davis.

Having spent time with both men Jade can’t help but wonder if her mother finally got lucky in choosing Steven Jones for her…or was Mike Davis a better match for her after all?


Purchase HERE

BK: Where do you hope your books/writing will be in the future? 
I’m aware that I’m small player in the big leagues. I’m grateful that is enough love to go around, I’d like to write that one novel that takes me to the next level. When you ask people who writes horror the first name that comes to mind is Steven King even if you don’t read horror you know that. I think that would be amazingly cool if the question was asked about erotic romance and people said Dana Littlejohn.


BK: What do you hope readers will take away from your books? 
Satisfaction. When they read the last lines of one of my books I’d like a smile to appear on their face and have them sigh with pleasure saying, ‘that was cool. I really liked that one’.


BK: What is one piece of advice you received that you carry with you in your writing? 
Before I start another book I read a few in that genre to see what has worked and what is acceptable. Having said that, I constantly remind myself just because that style or idea worked for them doesn’t mean it will work for me to keep myself true to my own style and voice when I write.


BK: What is one piece of advice you would give to new and aspiring writers?
As a writer the first thing you want to do is know how to write. No matter how good your story is it will get dropped into the trash with the quickness if it is riddled with writing errors. Improve on your craft consistently. As an author find your voice and stay true to it.


BK: Are you currently working on any new projects? 
What can we expect from you in the future? Oh yes. My WIP list is an arm long. LOL I am usually working or 2 or 3 stories at once because the characters stop talking and then pick back up often. I just sent out a 2 book series on the African goddess of the sun and her sister the goddess of the moon, Conquering the Sun and A Warrior for the Moon The next story that is almost ready to be subbed is Ming’s Mojo. It’s about a wife who thinks her husband has become complacent with their marriage. She uses unconventional means to spark his interests in her again.


BK: Where can readers find you? 
Readers can always get updated info on me on my website, www.danalittlejohn.net or my blog, www.authordanalittlejohn.blogspot.com They can also follow me on FB and Twitter by searching author Dana Littlejohn



Excerpt One


Jade walked by the dance floor, bobbing her head to the music. Just as she put her glass on a passing waiter’s tray, someone grabbed her hand and yanked her to the dance floor.
 “Hey! What the—”
 “Shh! Here, turn your back this way. You gotta dance with me. Can you step?”
 “What? Excuse you, but—”
 “Shh! Please, help me out. I’m trying to hide over here.”
 “Hide?” She looked around quickly, letting him pull her around the dance floor. “Hide from what?”
 “Not a what, a who. I don’t know who she is, but she’s been following me around since I got here.” He ducked behind her and twirled her around.
 She moved stiffly in his arms and spoke crisply. “Look, I didn’t come to this party to do protection work.”
“Okay, then why did you come to this party?” He lowered himself again, his body folded almost in half in an attempt to hide himself behind Jade’s smaller frame. “Shit, don’t move. There she is,” he whispered urgently.
 He retreated, pulling Jade with him, closer to the center of the dance floor. Somehow he managed to keep the beat with the fast paced music as he slipped by the dancers He kept his face down and her back turned to the woman, using her as a shield, but Jade’s curiosity was peaked. She peeked over her left shoulder, trying to spy who the man was hiding from.

Excerpt Two


 He laughed again. “Yeah, okay. You know, you dance good for someone who got dragged out to the dance floor.”
 “It’s well.”
 “What’s well?” he asked, sending a quick look over his shoulder.
 “It’s, ‘you dance ‘well’ for someone who got dragged to the dance floor.’”
 Mike’s brows scrunched as he twirled her again. “That’s what I said.”
 Jade shook her head negatively, careful not to miss the beat. “No, that’s not what you said. You said good.”
 “Good is bad?” the man asked with a raised brow.
 Jade continued to stare at his feet to stay in step with him. “No, good isn’t bad, it’s just not right.”
 “So, good is wrong, but not bad?” he asked in a teasing tone.
 “No, good isn’t—” Suddenly she stopped moving and looked up at him. “Are you doing that on purpose?”
 “Doing what? I’m learning,” he assured her with a laughing grin.
 Jade stood on the dance floor staring into his smiling eyes as the people continued to dance around them. Then she rolled her own.
 “Whatever.”


Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. It's been a pleasure having you and I wish you much success in the future. 
Thanks for having me. I had a great time. J

Giveaway: 

I have promotional ink pens and key chains I can give away. I will give one 2 readers. (meaning 1 person gets a pen and the other gets a key chain) You can follow Dana's tour HERE to learn more about her and her books and earn more chances to win prizes.