Kyra Jacobs: How Paradise Key Came to Be

It all started with a few crummy years, a bazillion text messages, and a walk on the beach.

Come to Florida. You need a break.

I can’t tell you how many times Shirley texted me that amid our other chats before I gave it serious thought. Dozens, I’m sure. Once the forwarded Allegiant coupon offers and flight schedules started accompanying her texts, I finally caved.

And she was right, I’d needed a break. In all fairness, we both did. Each struggling to remember who we were and who we wanted to be post-divorce, the trip turned into three days of girl talk, walks along the beach, and, for me, getting a glimpse of what life was like in sunny FLA. It was amazing.

Somewhere along the way (halfway around the nature trail on Honeymoon Island, of all places) I joked that we needed to write a series together since she was a NYTBS and I was, well, still climbing the ladder. Instead of laugh and brush off the idea, Shirley did what her caring, giving self so often does—she shrugged and said, “Sure, let’s do this.” She reached out to Tule, then sent feelers out to a few authors she’d worked with before in one way or another. Soon we had an amazing, diverse group of romance authors assembled: Shirley Jump, Susan Meier, Priscilla Oliveras, and me.

(And yes, I might have run around squealing like a little girl when I got that email. Just saying…)

The four of us connected online, pitching ideas back and forth for the series, and soon the sleepy town of Paradise Key was born. Our goal was to create a continuity—four stories spinning off from one common event—based loosely on a mash-up of Beaches meets Sex and the City. We wanted friendship and family at the center, with satisfying HEAs discovered along the way. Emails ran rampant, and a master tracking document was created in an attempt to keep everything organized—not an easy task with four authors residing in three different states.

Add in that each of us were also working on other projects due before/during/after our Paradise Key books were, as well as other jobs and major life events, and things got a bit crazy at times. It’s not easy, keeping track of one work in progress, let alone two or three. But our encouraging attitudes and easy camaraderie helped us power through. Here are a few comments overheard at the water cooler these past few months:

“I hope no one will shoot me if I shift my idea….”

“We need one over-arching storyline that connects all the books…we had one but I forget, LOL.”

“Cold meds truly make it hard to think.”

“If it’s okay, can your character stay in another place?”

“Do we have a respected councilman?”

“I love making stuff up.”

“…who the heck is Lorelei?”

“Oh yes, writing is way easier than golf.”

“Holy crap you’re busy. I’m going to say a prayer for your sanity.”

And the most frequently asked question: “How did Lily die?”

It’s been such fun, getting a sneak peek into not only how everyone in our group plots, drafts, and polishes their manuscripts a little differently, but also into each of our daily lives. Like our characters, we each have our own unique story. At the end of the day, though, we’re four women working to keep our heads above water while making the most out of every day.

Women with our own struggles, our own joys and heartbreaks, just like everyone else. Lily’s death in our books didn’t just bring together Lauren, Jenna, Sofía and Evie; she brought Shirley, Susan, Pris and I together, too.

Friendship—that’s what brought this series together, and what leads our characters to find their sweet happily ever afters. We’re excited to share Paradise Key with you, and hope you’ll enjoy your stay in our sleepy beach town. I know we have.

Kyra Jacobs’s LOVE AT THE BEACH SHOP is out today!

Check out more of the Paradise Key series here:

Summer Love: Take Two
by Shirley Jump, out now
Resort to Love by Priscilla Oliveras, out May 15th
Small Town Summer by Susan Meier, out May 22nd

To celebrate the arrival of the Paradise Key series, the authors have banded together to do a joint giveaway of this Vera Bradley bag along with a $25 Starbucks giftcard! To enter, use the widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kyra Jacobs is an extroverted introvert who writes of love, humor, and mystery in the Midwest and beyond. Her romance novels range from sweet contemporary to romantic suspense and paranormal/fantasy. No matter the setting, Kyra employs both comedy and chaos to help her characters find inspiration and/or redemption on their way to happily ever after.

When this Hoosier native isn’t pounding out scenes for her next book, she’s likely outside, elbow-deep in snapdragons or spending quality time with her sports-loving family. Kyra also loves to read, tries to golf, and is an avid college football fan.

40 Comments

  1. my kindle, junk food and pop. I enjoy reading
    tule books. Thank you for the opportunity to win.Have a wonderful week

  2. My kindle, sunscreen, and lots of water to drink.

    I’m so enjoying this series. BTW, I used to live in the northwest corner of Indiana as I noticed you live in the northeast corner.

    1. Three things I would bring to the beach, if I were going, would be my husband (since someone has to pay for the trip), a high count sunscreen (because my pale skin burns easily) and a good book to read.

  3. I love the idea of four authors tackling stories in one series and the setting is definitely a draw for some swoony romance.

    Beach read, towel, and my hat. :)

  4. I’d bring my Kindle, an ice cold drink and a large beach towel. Thank you for the giveaway chance. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s.

  5. This is easy since I do it a lot in the summer. Whatever I’m book I’m reading (or at times if I’m very careful will take the E reader), my beach chair with the canopy, and the beach badge if it’s between Memorial day and labor day at the shore.
    My beach bag has a hat I hate wearing and if I have the canopy I most of the time don’t, towel which I usually put down on the chair to sit on, bottle of water, if it’s hot a spray bottle if I get hot and there are other stuff in the bag. The bag is in my closet at the shore with the stuff in and I just add water and whatever reading material I’m taking. And it’s time to get a new beach bag. Awesome giveaway thanks for giving me the chance.

  6. I would be sure to take water for drinking, an umbrella and suntan lotion to the beach.

  7. I would bring a towel, sunscreen and a good book. I would also have to bring sunglasses, beach umbrella, and a cooler of cold drinks. Since I have gotten older I am more careful. Back when I was younger it was drop everything and head to the beach with nothing but a towel and Hawaiian Tropic oil back in the day.

  8. Beach umbrella, my kindle and sunscreen. Would need other things (such as water!)but those three would also be necessities.

  9. I would take a book, a snack, and water. I’d be sitting beneath a rented umbrella, so I wouldn’t need anything else. ;)

  10. I’d take my huge beach umbrella with matching chair, my kindle, and an ice chest full of water and snacks!

  11. I just finished reading all of the books. I loved them. I think there are a few people that could use a story too. Would it be wrong to ask to continue the series even though all of the friends found love?

  12. I’d bring a book, some sunscreen, & the biggest bottle of sparkling water that I could find!

  13. Sunscreen, a big blanket, a beach towel are three essentials for the beach. Extras include a cooler with cold snacks and beverages, a cute sunhat, a juicy book, more food that’s crunchy and munchy (hand food). Plus a good friend who knows when my sandcastle is going to be flooded and guards our stuff when going to the necessary room. Oh, and someone to put sunscreen on my back.

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