Spotlight Interview with Scifi Romance Author KAYELLE ALLEN

Author Bio: Kayelle Allen is an award-winning, multi-published author. Her unstoppable heroes and heroines include immortal role-playing gamers, covert agents, and warriors who purr. She founded Marketing for Romance Writers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters to help authors learn how to market their books, build an online image, and establish a brand, and to assist them in doing that, she created The Author's Secret http://theauthorssecret.com, an author support company which creates custom banners and other graphics.

 

 

The Interview:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Kayelle! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

KAYELLE: I'm excited to be here. I've been looking forward to this. I started young. I was privileged to have a mother who wrote and who loved words. Though she only had one poem published, writing was one of her great loves. She also loved art, and created many paintings throughout the course of her life. Although I didn't inherit the hand-drawing gene (my stick people prove that) I did gain a deep appreciation for art in all its forms. I used that to create my graphics company, The Author's Secret. I make banners for other authors -- and it's something I get a real kick out of doing. While I grew up with a pencil or pen in my hand, I didn't seek publication until my children were out of high school. Perhaps it was hitting the big 5-0 that made me realize the clock was ticking, but I finally decided it was now or never. I sought out an online critique group, got serious about submitting work, and had the honor of being mentored by the late author Barbara Karmazin http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Karmazin/e/B002BM1J46/. She introduced me to her publisher, Liquid Silver Books, which bought my first novel. I was one of those rare birds who didn't experience multiple rejections when I got started. My first book was submitted in February, bought in April, and published in July. So all of you who are worried about being accepted -- it can be done!

GRACIE: I read The Huntress by Barbara Karmazin and loved it! What a wonderful mentor for you to have had! Is there any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing aside from Barbara? Any one thing or person that influenced the genre you write in?

KAYELLE: Well, of course there was Barbara. But I have had many wonderful coaches in my writing life as well. Janet Elizabeth Jones http://www.amazon.com/Incubus-Harlequin-Nocturne-Janet-Elizabeth/dp/0373618514/ continues to inspire me. Kiernan Kelly has also given me incredible boosts and guided me in many ways.

GRACIE: When did you get The Call and what was your first published book?

KAYELLE: The first book was At the Mercy of Her Pleasure. It has since been re-released by another publisher. I'll never forget how it felt getting the offer of a contract. I went into the kitchen where my husband was standing and asked him how he'd like to kiss a published author. We held hands and danced around the room.

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

KAYELLE: Oh, my. Oodles of things. Probably the most important thing is that you can write a book and get it published and then walk away and forget it. I've seen many people do that. I can't. Once I birth that book I stay with it through its entire lifecycle: editing, cover art, marketing, revamping, blogging about it, sharing information... creating an idea and writing a book is only half an author's job. The rest is to tell others about it.

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your Tarthian Empire series.

KAYELLE: I could never understand why authors would go to all the trouble of creating an alien world and creatures, and use them only in one book. If you were going to build a world, why not go back to it? So I created an entire universe where my characters could play. I have a galaxy-wide map, and stories planned all over. The Tarthian Empire is a collection of over twenty planets where you find all sorts of stories and secrets. I even created a tour on my website. You can click an interactive star map, or jump from one planet to the other in a list. The Tarthian Tour Company's http://kayelleallen.com/TTC-Home.html motto is "Where do you want to wake up tomorrow?" I follow that with my books.

GRACIE: In Wulf: Tales of the Chosen, what do you believe makes Wulf Gabriel the perfect match for Luc Saint-Cyr?

KAYELLE: Wulf is the son of Luc's best friend, Thomas Gabriel. Because Luc is immortal, he must keep humans at a distance, however, Thomas is one of the Chosen -- a group of people who serve the immortals. Luc can be himself around him. Thomas dies when Wulf is ten, and Wulf, not understanding why Luc can't just loan his father an "extra life" -- refuses to serve as a Chosen. He and his mother move away. Luc, honor bound to his friend's son, keeps watch over Wulf from a distance. When Wulf turns thirty, he gets himself in trouble, and goes to Luc for help. He knows most of Luc's secrets, so it's a chance for the powerful immortal to once again have someone with whom he can let his hair down -- and Wulf is supermodel gorgeous. He's arm candy, and for an entrepreneur like Luc who prides himself on having the best of the best, Wulf is perfect. But can their romance live forever? There is much more to their story than meets the eye, and no matter how things seem to go in future books, I wouldn't be too quick to answer that question either way.

GRACIE: As a Better Alitus Vivaldi is what most considered the perfect being in every way—physically, emotionally and mentally superior to most humans. Despite this, and as most intriguing and multi-dimensional characters are characters with flaws, what do you think is Alitus’ Achilles’ heel and how do you go about stomping it throughout the course of his story?

KAYELLE: Alitus is bound by his sense of honor and duty. If he has a weakness, it's that. He will serve the empress to the best of his ability no matter what it costs him. Throughout the book Alitus and in Jawk, he gives and gives and gives. Of course, the empress, being immortal, takes and takes. When Alitus and Wulf -- who are both Chosen -- end up working together, the empress and Luc are not necessarily the ones who benefit.

GRACIE: I admire the promise you make to your readers on your homepage. Is there a specific process you employ in order to keep your promise, and do you think your promise makes it easier or more difficult to keep your characters and their stories on track?

KAYELLE: You mean this one? "I promise you a complex plot that immerses you in an erotic tale and provides unexpected action in settings so real you'll swear you've been there." Thank you. Yes there is a process. When I write a story, I try to keep in mind that if the logical thing is for character A to do X, then he/she should do C instead. I think of a story as a roller coaster ride. I try to send readers in directions they don't expect, while protecting the sanctity of storytelling. It's an author's obligation to readers to take them from the beginning, through the middle, and right up to the end. But I don't lead them on a trail that's commonplace. You can expect twists and turns. One of my readers gave me a wonderful review in just a few words. She wrote, "Think you know what happens next? No way. It's by Kayelle."

GRACIE: Yes, that’s the one! Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

KAYELLE: Probably the one I'm working on now. I've been writing Surrender Trust for-freaking-ever, but it's a labor of love. I have to finish it. I want to know what happens as much as my readers do!

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

KAYELLE: Okay, I'm going to say Luc Saint-Cyr. He's my only true alpha -- I think of the others as betas because I do write very strong female leads. He's also the wealthiest man in the empire, and it's a blast to write a powerful character who is also kind and generous. Luc goes out of his way to help others. Yet there is a dark side of him that makes people back down and refuse to argue. He's been in every book in the Tarthian Empire.

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

KAYELLE: I spend a lot of time getting to know them before I write their stories. I know their childhoods, their parents, their likes and dislikes, their pet peeves. I write them back stories that never make it into the books. I write out of the overflow of information. There is more to them than you can see on the page, and I think that makes them intriguing. A reviewer said one of her favorite characters was Luc's android servant, McDoth, in "all his butler glory." He's a minor character, but he has depth. I try to make even the walk on parts important. In fact, that was how Alitus ended up being a major character. He had a walk on part -- just hand the empress some paperwork and answer a question. But I kept needing to reference him, and saying "the empress's personal assistant" took up too much space. It was awkward. So I came up with a name for him and POW! Alitus took on an entirely new role. Once I had the name, I had details. By the end of the book, I had sketched out his life history. He ended up getting his own story.

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

KAYELLE: Favorite -- worldbuilding: creating and designing and coming up with new ideas. Least favorite -- the day in day out of putting down the words. There are times when it flows and gushes. And other days, it's just one word in front of the other, like marching. You have to get it out of your head and onto the page. And that's work.

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

KAYELLE: I call myself a plotser. I plot; outline, and design, and then I use that as a framework while I freely let the moment take me where it will. I might know that I'm going to write a love scene, for example, but where is it going to take place? It might be anywhere. I have more than one in a car, and quite a few in a shower. Even in some beds! But who will be on top, or who will be the top, that might be decided at a whim. Sometimes, the usual top wants a break. ;)

GRACIE: A plotser. I like that J If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

KAYELLE: I was an administrative assistant for many years. I'm good at organizing. I use those skills in Marketing for Romance Writers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/, where I help authors learn how to promote. I also use them in The Author's Secret http://theauthorssecret.com/. I have never liked handing off something half-done. If I send you an interview, it will have all the links in place, the spell check will have been done, and I'll have made sure my formatting matches yours. Back when my day job was to be an admin, I did that every day, and still follow it as an author. So I might still be an admin, but I wouldn't like it even one fourth as much. I love being my own boss.

GRACIE: Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

KAYELLE: Two authors whose styles I love are Heather Gladney (http://www.amazon.com/Teots-Song-Naga-Teot-Book/dp/0441800831) and Mary Renault (http://www.amazon.com/The-Persian-Boy-Mary-Renault/dp/0394751019). Ms Gladney wrote Teot's War and Blood Storm, both paranormal fantasy books that were a mite on the slash side before there was such a term. I reread them every year or so. Ms Renault wrote The Persian Boy, a favorite book I also reread. When I do, it takes me into the past, walking beside Alexander the Great. I love that story and the characters in it. Bagoas, her main character, is one of the most noble heroes I've ever read.

GRACIE: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

KAYELLE: I just finished a short story called "Bill Me." It's a gay romance set in a BDSM club called Shady Business, where "no good deed goes unpunished." The anthology is called Fifty Gays of Shade, and as you can tell from the title contains a healthy dose of humor. It comes out from Torquere http://torquerepress.com/ in November. I don't have a buy link or cover for it yet, but you can read more about it here http://www.kayelleallen.com/exc-fifty.html. Other authors include Amelia June, CB Conwy, CC Bridges, DC Juris, Emily Moreton, KC Burn, KC Wells, Lydian Harker, PT Walden, Sascha Illyvich, Sean Michaels, Wade Kelly, Winnie Jerome, Wt Prater, and it's edited by Kiernan Kelly. And of course, I'm working on Surrender Trust, the sequel to Surrender Love http://www.kayelleallen.com/exc-fifty.html.

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

KAYELLE: Absolutely. http://www.kayelleallen.com You can also find me in these places online.
http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
http://twitter.com/kayelleallen
http://pinterest.com/kayelleallen

http://kayelleallen.blogspot.com

My Pinterest page has a board about Luc and Rah from Surrender Love and Surrender Trust, so if you're a Luc groupie or you belong to the "I Love Izzy" club, be sure to hit that one!

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

KAYELLE: You can find links to every place where my books are sold, plus reviews, trailers, excerpts, and even some fun puzzle books by clicking here: http://kayelleallen.com/Books.html

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

KAYELLE: Never give up. Never let anyone steal your dream. Keep reading. Keep writing. Keep learning. Join Marketing for Romance Writers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/ to learn the business side of the craft, and teach others what you learn. What goes around comes around. Pay it forward.

GRACIE: Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

KAYELLE: I love hearing from readers. Friend me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, visit my blog, or email me. I respond. I have a very very very small group for dedicated readers only. It's called the Edge of Peril (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/edgeofperil/). Don't join if you haven't read all the books, because there are spoilers. It's a quiet group -- not filled with promos or notices. But if you are a closeted Tarthian waiting for the price of a cross-galaxy move to the empire to come down in price, hit this group.

GRACIE: Kayelle, thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!

Maia's Magickal Mates Now Out In Print!

 

The final book in The Double R Trilogy is finally out in print:

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1622413636/bookstrand-20

[Siren Ménage Everlasting: Erotic Interracial Cowboy Fantasy Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M, time travel, spanking, HEA]

Brothers Thayne and Cade Malloy couldn't be more different, the only things linking them their psychic gifts and their Wiccan legacy. With their parents killed twenty-four years ago, they are all each other has.

When Cade turns up on his doorstep after a long absence, burned-out and needing refuge from his gifts, Thayne welcomes him with open arms. Neither brother is aware of the evil that stalks them.

Wiccan and New York transplant Maia Jensen knows she is more than a handful for the sensible and staid Thayne, but she can see interesting things happening for her, Thayne, and Cade in the future…if they can survive an egomaniac's power-hungry trip in the present.

Thayne, Cade, and Maia are chased through time when Prentice Teague, a powerful black-magick Wiccan with an age-old score to settle, sets his sights on augmenting his powers with theirs. Prentice has another thing coming, however, when the trio's growing emotional connection enhances their gifts.

Spotlight Interview with Erotic Author Liz Adams!

 

 

Bio: Liz Adams, author of erotic fairy tales such as Alice’s Sexual Discovery in a Wonderful Land and Amy “Red” Riding’s Hood lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. Liz studied music and creative writing at UCLA and worked as a freelance model before making her writing her career. In her spare time she cuddles with her husband on the couch to watch her favorite shows.

The Interview:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Liz! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

LIZ: when I was 14, my girlfriend and I found a dirty newspaper in the bushes. She and I returned to her house and giggled over the pictures of naked women. But when she read aloud some of the letters of men's fantasies, more than just my face got hot! She was gracious enough to let me keep the paper. That is, I pulled it out of her trash can when she wasn't looking. When I think back on it, she made such a show of throwing it away, she was probably going to retrieve it from the trash herself after I left! Anyhow, I really wore that newspaper down as I read those letters over and over. I finally tried writing out my own fantasies when I was 16. About a year or two later, I sent one to Penthouse Forum and it was published! I was so excited, I decided to work hard at improving my writing so I took up creative writing in UCLA.

GRACIE: What was your first published book?

LIZ: Alice’s Sexual Discovery in a Wonderful Land was my first published book. I also put out an erotic version of Red Riding Hood and shared an erotic experience I had when I was in college in the anthology Campus Sexploits 3: Naughty Tales of Wild Girls in College. But both of those are short stories. Alice’s Sexual Discovery is my only full book, albeit a novella.

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

LIZ: In the writing business, especially in erotica, self-publishing is the way to go. I have two great book coaches, a husband and wife team. Beth and Ezra Barany have helped me so much with the process on how to get my books published without having to spend a ton of time or money. Beth helped me with getting connected to my readers, and Ezra did the cover art, book layout, and did his search engine optimization (SEO) magic to determine the best titles for my stories. Now the likelihood of readers stumbling upon my writing is much greater, thanks to the titles.

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your erotica novella Alice’s Sexual Discovery in a Wonderful Land.

LIZ: I was a kid when, at a neighbor's place, I saw a cartoon cover for a rated X video version of Alice. Being the curious girl I was, I got upset when my mother wouldn't let me watch it. I always wondered what was so forbidden about it and eventually did see it when I was older. The idea of making a better story stayed with me. So I started with an erotic version of Alice in Wonderland and went from there!

GRACIE: What do you think is Amy’s Achilles’ heel in Amy “Red” Riding’s Hood and how do you go about stomping it?

 

LIZ: I would say that the Achilles’ heel which Amy Riding – nicknamed “Red” for her red hair – has is a fear of wolves. Ever since she had a traumatic experience finding herself accidentally stuck in the middle between a mother wolf and its cub. Though she survived the moment, the growls of that wolf stayed with her. The trouble with having this fear is that she now loves a lycan named Sean. What will it be like seeing her beloved grow a snout? Will he ever wind up finishing what that mother wolf threatened to do years ago?

That’s her inner issue. The external issue is that she lives in a community that frowns upon human-lycan relationships. She’ll have to be strong to keep Sean as her boyfriend.

GRACIE: What do you think it is in Sean’s personality that makes him a perfect mate for Amy?

LIZ: I’d say it’s that Amy needs an alpha male. Someone who will stand up for her and her love in times when her parents and her community demand that she stop seeing him. That, and his wicked bulge. (wink)

GRACIE: Both Alice’s Sexual Discovery in a Wonderful Land and Amy “Red” Riding’s Hood are adult versions of two popular children stories and fairy tales. What was the appeal of revising these two specific stories with prerequisite erotic elements?

LIZ: I mentioned how my desire to write Alice came from wanting to write a better version than the rated X movie I saw. After publishing that, I wanted to write a short story. Something just 2,000 words or so. I flipped through a book of fairy tales and noticed Red Riding Hood was the shortest, so I chose that one. The result ended up being over 14,000 words, though, ha, ha. But to answer your real question of why fairy tales, there’s something about the visceral fear and excitement in fairy tales. The heart pounds, the breath quickens. There’s something about that moment when we can’t tell whether we’re afraid or excited that thrills me.

GRACIE: Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

LIZ: That’s a hard one. I’ve only written three stories but still, I love them all. And the best part about writing erotica is that I get to edit it. In what other genre can you edit your own work and fully experience the pleasure of the story over and over again? My fingers sure get tired. If I had to choose, I’d say Amy “Red” Riding’s Hood because the story had the opportunity of building a true relationship among the characters. In Alice’s Sexual Discovery, Alice doesn’t stay long enough with any one character to build a relationship. So that was a harder story to write.

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

LIZ: My favorite character is myself in Campus Sexploits 3: Naughty Tales of Wild Girls in College, the autobiographical telling of my experience in college. My heart pours out to that younger version of me.

 

 

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

LIZ: In my fairy tales, I think it’s that my characters live in a world where anything can happen. Something else stands out. As one reviewer said, all the characters in my stories come across as real people, not just fillers.

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

LIZ: I love discovering what will happen in the story and can’t wait to reveal it to others. My least favorite aspect of writing is the waiting. When I send out the story to beta-readers and when I publish, I have to wait to see how the story is received by the public. Will they like it? Will they hate it? I get very antsy waiting.

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

LIZ: Unlike a lot of my fellow writers, I prefer to heavily outline the full story first. It’s the best way for me to make sure the story has a compelling plot and doesn’t ramble into nowhere.

GRACIE: If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

LIZ: I’d still be a model. I was a freelance model for a short time after college, but now I get to do this wonderful job. I get to do a lot of wonderful research with my hubby. It keeps me on my toes (and on my knees!).

GRACIE: LOL! Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

LIZ: I’m so impressed with Anne Rice’s erotic writing style. I absolutely adore her. I also love Poppy Z. Brite’s writing. No specific books stand out, though.

GRACIE: Wow, another Poppy Z. Brite fan! Cool. I love her work too, and I can see where you would like her sensual writing style. What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

LIZ: I’ve fully outlined an erotic version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears where Goldie is a clever thief skilled at picking locks and is caught by three bearish men when they return home. The working title is Goldie’s Locks. I’ll also be coming out with a version of Alice Through the Looking Glass. Alice and her new boyfriend run into each other frequently in this version. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum? They’re twin versions of her boyfriend. Can you imagine being taken by your boyfriend and your boyfriend’s clone?

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

LIZ: The best way to contact me is via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Liz.Adams.Author. I’d love to hear what my readers think!

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

LIZ: The best place to go is to my author page on Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/Liz-Adams/e/B007VXOXHU) Once there, choose the book you’d like to sample and download that taste onto your Kindle or Kindle app. Ready for the full load? You can get both stories of Alice and Red in my Adult Fairy Tale Erotica Bundle. (http://www.amazon.com/Erotica-Discovery-Wonderful-Ridings-ebook/dp/B009195DZI/)

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

LIZ: The trick is to finish your story. Turn off that inner editor and let yourself write an awful story. When you’re done, then you can edit. Your best editors, however, are your beta-readers. They’re your specific audience, they care about how it comes out, and best of all, they’re help is free. Ask them “What would I need to change to make this be a five-star book?” Then, incorporate their advice in your fiction.

GRACIE: Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

LIZ: It’s been an honor being with you and for all you readers out there who read this far, thank you so much for your time. I truly appreciate it.

GRACIE:  Liz, thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!

Interview with Erotic Paranormal Romance Author Siobhan Muir!

Bio: Siobhan Muir lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband, two daughters, and a vegetarian cat she swears is a shapeshifter, though he's never shifted when she can see him. When not writing, she spends time looking down a microscope at fossil fox teeth, pursuing her other love, paleontology. An avid reader of science fiction/fantasy, her husband gave her a paranormal romance for Christmas one year, and she was hooked. She’s been writing since childhood. Friends and family threatened to lynch her unless she published. Siobhan believes in happily ever after, redemption, and communication, which you’ll find in her paranormal romance stories.

The Interview:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Siobhan! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

SIOBHAN: I got into writing when the bedtime stories I told myself had far more detail than I could remember, so I had to write them down. I’ve been writing ever since, spinning tales around campfires, dinner tables, and coffee shops for a long time. My education is in geology, so fieldcamp was a great place to get people hooked on my tales. I once had an 18 person field crew captivated with a story I told around the evening fire, they insisted I tell the rest of it in the van on the ride home. Talk about an ego boost. I wrote that one down, and you should see it come out sometime in the next couple of years. J

GRACIE: Is there any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing? Any one thing or person that influenced the genre you write in?

SIOBHAN: I’ve always loved science fiction and fantasy, so I’m drawn to the paranormal for that reason. I think I’d have to credit Anne McCaffrey with getting me into it initially. I remember reading her Dragons of Pern novels, and the spin-off series about the firelizards and I was absolutely hooked. Ever since then, my writings have turned toward the fantastic and romantic.

GRACIE: You’re mind kind of author! I love the fantastic and the paranormal J When did you get The Call and what was your first published book?

SIOBHAN: My call came December 31, 2011 and I was so ecstatic, I walked around in a giddy daze the whole day. Happy New Year! :D The first published book was Her Devoted Vampire with Evernight Publishing, and it was the first romance I tried to write with a more scientific explanation for vampirism. I wrote it to entice my husband into reading romance. I succeeded. *smug grin*

GRACIE: I don’t blame you for being smug. Getting a man to red romance is quite a feat, LOL. What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

SIOBHAN: I don’t have anything I wished I’d known sooner because I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything. I’m learning it now, and I’m sure there’s plenty more to learn as I go. But for now, I have no regrets.

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your Siren erotic paranormal romance, Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack.

SIOBHAN: Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack came to me in a dream. Russell Crowe starred as Jeff Lightfoot and he showed up, telling me I had to keep my true nature hidden from the humans while I competed with the other females for the position of Luna. I saw the mugging scene at the salon and another frank discussion about the why of werewolves on a scrubby mountainside with Jeff, and the story built from that. The other characters just showed up when I needed them. J

GRACIE:  The heroines in both Her Devoted Vampire and Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack don’t believe in the existence of supernatural beings until each is faced with their reality. What in Bridget Shanahan and Julianna Morris’ backgrounds or personalities do you think leads to each woman’s skepticism?

SIOBHAN: Bridget was raised Catholic and all the magic had been taken out of the world for her with that mindset. She doesn’t see religion or higher powers as something to enjoy, and she certainly never considered the existence of creatures other than humans. I tried to take someone from our world and offer her a whole new world to deal with.

With Julianna, she’s like most people. Humans are it for this world, and while stories abound of other critters wandering around, we’re pretty sure they’re just stories. Julianna was adopted and she spent most of her formative years trying to fit in with the humans around her. That drive to fit in made her set aside her true nature, which forcibly came out when she turned 36.

GRACIE: In the Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack what in Julianna Morris’ character do you think makes her the perfect match for Jeff Lightfoot and is it the same thing that makes her perfect to be the Queen Bitch?

SIOBHAN: Julianna is a fighter. She never gives up, even when things seem impossible, and she definitely doesn’t give up on something she really wants. And she really wants Jeff. Plus, while she’s aware of appearances, her actions stem from her respect and love for her family. She will protect the whole pack if necessary, but she won’t play dirty. Sneaky, but not dirty. It’s that fighting quality that makes her a match for Jeff and an excellent leader for the Callowwood Pack.

GRACIE: In Her Devoted Vampire what is Fredrick MacGregor’s Achilles’ heel and how do you go about stomping it?

SIOBHAN: Bridget herself. Once he finds her and connects with her, any mortal injury could take him down with her. He’s more than just devoted to her emotionally. However, because they are connected, she’s a lot stronger and resilient than she was before she met Fredrick, so killing Bridget isn’t easy.

GRACIE: Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

SIOBHAN: That’s a hard question. Each story attracts me (or I wouldn’t have written it) for different reasons. I loved writing about Fredrick and Bridget because it gave me a chance to address the whole swooning issue. Yeah, he’s a cute guy, but would you really sleep with a guy who kidnaps you, just because he’s cute? With Julianna, I loved the challenge of winning everything just by being yourself, even if she had to figure out who or what her true self was. In my upcoming dragon shifter tale, I wanted to address the “walk of shame/fame” issue. A guy can sleep with anyone and society cheers him on. A woman sleeps with anyone, and she’s castigated for being a whore. Uhm, how is that fair? That double standard drives me crazy. So each story has its pet issues for me and I fall in love with each one for finding a solution (at least for one couple). J

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

SIOBHAN: Right now, my current favorite “children” are Lieutenants Brickman, Hunter, and Waters, from my upcoming Navy SEALS M/F/M ménage. I love Brickman’s determination to be the only female SEAL, and her subsequent determination to love both her Teammates. I love Hunter’s calm, steady love of both his woman and his best friend, and I ache for Waters’ demons that keep him from his loved ones. Right now, these folks are my favorites. It might change when the next story comes along. ;)

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

SIOBHAN: Most of my female characters are strong and won’t quit, even when life gets really black. They’re fighters and don’t need to be rescued (although they like it when they are). I write the Megara version (from Disney’s Hercules) of damsels: “I’m a damsel. I’m in distress. And I can take it from here. Have a nice day.” I also write characters, male or female, who are true to themselves throughout the story. I can’t stand it when characters flip-flop back and forth from one core belief to another, and back again, without apparent cause. That just makes me want to throw the book across the room (bad news for my Kindle, lol).

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

SIOBHAN: I love the creative process when the words just pour out of me. I even love revisiting the older stories and “fixing” them (read = updating them). It can be a long and arduous road, but it’s worth it in the end. My least favorite: writing query letters and synopses for publication. How the heck do I get a 60K word story into just 150 words? Yeah, not my favorite.

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

SIOBHAN: I do a little of both. If I get an idea or a dream, I write down everything I can remember so when I come back to it (if I’m in the middle of some other story) I can get back into the flavor of what attracted me in the first place. This becomes a basic outline. Then I let the Muse run with it and see how the story unfolds. Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack evolved that way. J

GRACIE: If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

SIOBHAN: I’d be a dead things specialist. :D My educational background is in mammal paleontology, particularly of fossil foxes, coyotes, and wolves from the Pleistocene epoch. You’ve seen Ice Age, I’m sure. They didn’t show the dire wolves, but that’s the age of animals I study when not writing fiction.

GRACIE: That sounds like fascinating work and great fodder for your imagination ;) Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

SIOBHAN: That’s a long list. However I’ll give you the genre favorites that come to mind off the cuff:

Science fiction with romantic elements – Cara Michaels writes sharp, funny, and adventurous science fiction that usually grabs me in the first paragraph. She doesn’t have sex in her tales, but she gets me interested because you KNOW where the characters are going to end up. ;)

Historical Romance – Monica McCarty writes FBI/MI6 type romance set in the time of Robert the Bruce Scotland. Her stories are pretty historically accurate AND have a great love story attached.

Historical Romantic Suspense – Kris Tualla writes several historical series about Norwegian heros, and my current favorite of hers is a hero who’s deaf.

Fantasy – Elizabeth Kerner and Elizabeth Moon – both these ladies write great fantasy, usually in trilogies that sweep you into new worlds and make you fall in love with their characters.

Historical Erotic Romance – Kate Pearce writes hot, shameless erotic romance set in the 1800s of England. She’s no holds barred and her characters have longevity throughout her series.

Romantic Suspense – Roxanne St. Claire writes gripping adventure and suspense woven around solid love stories.

LGBT Romance – Suzanne Brockmann writes great love stories, a few M/M, but she really captures the love, respect, and compassion found in all loving couples, no matter the sex of the individuals. My favorite by her is called When Tony Met Adam.

BDSM Romance – Kallypso Masters has a gift for writing great BDSM love stories. Her Rescue Me series focuses on Doms from the military and the women who rescue them from their own demons. I love the role reversal on who saves whom.

GRACIE: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

SIOBHAN: I’m working on final edits of a historical dragon shifter story that should be out this fall, and another dragon shifter story (contemporary) that should be out at the beginning of next year. Then there is the Navy SEALs ménage, a vampire M/M/F ménage, and a vampire/dragon shifter tale about the original Dracula coming in 2013.

GRACIE: Wow, sounds like your fans can expect some exciting stuff from you. Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

SIOBHAN: I love to talk to readers and they can find me in the following places:

Website: http://siobhanmuir.com
Blog: http://siobhanmuir.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/Official.Siobhan.Muir
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SiobhanMuir
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5760938.Siobhan_Muir
Google Plus: http://plus.google.com/u/0/118081545120488658410/posts
Romance Novel Center: http://www.romancenovelcenter.com/siobhanmuir

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

SIOBHAN: You can find Her Devoted Vampire here:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Devoted-Vampire-ebook/dp/B007BVNMDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330357146&sr=8-1
All Romance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-herdevotedvampire-727991-139.html
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-devoted-vampire-siobhan-muir/1109506015
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/her-devoted-vampire
Evernight Publishing: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/her-devoted-vampire-by-siobhan-muir/
Kobobooks.com http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Her-Devoted-Vampire/book-MZhU7hzhF0erkDH5Pq8KVA/page1.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/135426

And you can find Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack here:

Bookstrand.com: http://www.bookstrand.com/queen-bitch-of-the-callowwood-pack

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Callowwood-Publishing-Classic-ebook/dp/B008D30MWM/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340238446&sr=1-2

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

SIOBHAN: If you want to write and publish, don’t talk about writing or think about writing. WRITE. And never give up, never surrender. There are plenty of people willing to tell you you’ll never make it as a writer, but you can choose to believe otherwise. It takes persistence and drive, but it can be done. Like anything, you get out of it what you’re willing to put into it. If you love it enough to go all the way through, even when you’re sick of your own story, you’ll be a huge success.

On the more practical side, you should get your blog, Facebook fan page, and Twitter account up right now, before you publish. Publishers and agents will look to see what kind of online presence you have when they’re deciding to take you on as a client. The more you get your name and voice out there, the more likely folks are going to remember your name and your writing.

GRACIE: Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

SIOBHAN: I love to talk to readers, whether in person at conferences, or online through Twitter, Facebook, or Google Plus. This year I’ll be attending Authors After Dark in New Orleans in early August, and I’ll definitely be back at Arizona Dreamin’ 2013 in Chandler, AZ next year. Come visit me online, drop me a line, and I’m happy to chat.

GRACIE: Siobhan, thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!

SIOBHAN: Thanks so much for having me. J

Desiree's Lone Wolves Now Available in Print!

Desiree’s Lone Wolves

by Gigi Moore © 201

http://www.graciecmckeever.com

Genre: Erotic Romance, Menage a Trois/Quatre, Vampires/Werewolves, Western/Cowboys, Interracial
Release Date: February 6, 2012
Siren Publishing, Inc.
http://www.bookstrand.com/desirees-lone-wolves
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1622411153/bookstrand-20
Format: Electronic and Print

Blurb:

Ten years ago, Carson and Sam Quarry’s father died in a freak accident. Carson doesn’t believe it was any accident and makes it no secret that he believes their pack alpha, Remy Bastien, killed their father.

When Carson commits the most heinous offense a shifter can commit against another shifter, it gives Remy just the opening he needs to get Carson and Sam’s mother right where he’s always wanted her—mated to him.

The family makes it their business to keep a low profile at The Double R. This is an easy enough task before Desiree Jensen, a conservative city slicker with painful secrets of her own, lands at the ranch, too.

Despite her quiet and sheltered existence, Desiree is a lot stronger than she seems. Is she strong enough, however, to survive the fatal charms of two wolf shifters from her wildest dreams, especially when one is marked for death?

New Interview at Inspiration Forum!

I had a chance to be interviewed by Fiona at the Inspiration Forum. Check out the finished product here: http://www.inspirationforum.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=5930&pid=45137#pid45137

Good News for Intimate Affairs!

5 out of 5 Paddles for Intimate Affairs!

My erotic bdsm short has received an excellent review from BDSM Book Reviews and 5 out of 5 Paddles. Click here to read the full review:

http://www.bdsmbookreviews.com/2012/06/19/review-intimate-affairs-by-gracie-c-mckeever/

Intimate Affairs up for Book of the Month!

Intimate Affairs will be eligible for book of the month for June. Voting will begin July 1st on the Yahoo reader group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bdsmbookreviews/

My Interview at Naughty Readers Boudoir is LIVE!

Brenda and Tonya from Naughty Readers Boudoir took the time to visit me over at The Double R Ranch in McCoy, CO to conduct their interview and discuss my latest work, Maia's Magickal Mates. In between taking care of that business, we all had a rip-roaring good time putting the cowboys through their paces. Drop by and check out the fruits of our labor here ;)
http://naughtyreaders.blogspot.com/2012/06/interview-with-erotic-author-gracie-c.html

Interview with Cross-Genre Author Extraordinaire, Jane Toombs!

Bio: Jane Toombs, her Viking from the past and their calico grandcat, Kinko, live across the road from Lake Superior in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula wilderness. Jane's writing her eightieth-something book , already promised to a publisher, and hopes to reach one hundred. Though she writes in most genres, her favorite is paranormal. Website: www.JaneToombs.com

The Interview:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Jane! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

JANE:  I’m happy to be here at the G-spot.  I was born in California, but my mother brought me back to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula wilderness when I was nine months old. Since I was conceived here, though, that makes me a genuine Yooper.  My father was published as a non-fiction writer and critiqued all my early efforts at fiction, always first telling me what I’d written was good before showing me ways it could be improved.  I’ve always tried to critique other writers in the same way because it worked so well for me.  Spent a year at Michigan State before joining the Cadet Nurse Corps when I was 17 ½.   Did what many nurses do, married a doctor after I got my RN. We had five children before the writing bug came back and bit me permanently.  He was so threatened by my writing that we finally divorced. I was certain I was off men forever, but I met a guy in a writing class and we finally married, adding his two children to my five.   Just after that I sold my first book, Tule Witch, to Avon. He sold his first one, also a gothic like mine shortly after that.  We had the same agent and sold quite a few books before he died.  Then I met—or to be exact, remet—a guy I‘d gone all through school with.  Eventually we got together and have been with each other for going on eighteen years now as Life Partners, spending the last twelve of them back in our old home town. All though this I’ve been writing and he thinks that’s just great. 

GRACIE: With over eighty books published you are, to say the least, a prolific author. How do you account for your output and longevity in such an unpredictable industry as publishing?

JANE: I wrote for the NY pubs for a long time, but had to tailor my Harlequin books to what they felt readers wanted.  Since I tend to add paranormal elements to stories, that was difficult for me, because the rule at that time was no paranormal—so I had to take even the hint out..  Remember these were the days before paranormal found its own niche.  So when electronic books first began I leaped on the bandwagon, while still writing for Harlequin and Kensington.  But finally gave that up, writing just for epubs now.   

GRACIE: Is there any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing? Any one thing or person that influenced the genres you write in?

JANE:  My father was my main influence, but so were the books I read as a child, mostly E. A. Poe. 

GRACIE: When did you get The Call and what was your first published book?

JANE:  I had recently gone through that divorce and finally remarried when the call came in.  My agent had sold my first gothic, Tule Witch to Avon—actually the first novel I’d ever finished.  There was no one at home but I could hear the thump of a basketball out back and raced out there. Mikel, my stepson, was shooting baskets.  He’d been very reserved toward me but I was so excited I hugged him, shouting in his ear that I’d sold a book!  He stiffened, but finally hugged me back and told me ‘That’s great!”  Selling that book markedly improved our relationship.

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

JANE: I learned that just like any enterprise they're out to make a profit and so they want selling authors. This sometimes gives an author problems, because publishers also firmly believe they know what sells books and this may conflict with what the author is writing.

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your California saga, Golden Chances books.

JANE: I come from a Scottish background and was horrified when I found out that in the old days over there a bastard was not allowed to own land, which meant he couldn’t own a house either.  Many years later living in California, I learned during the gold rush, the US government slowly rid itself of the Californios and acquired  their large ranchos.  Because this sort of reminded me of Scotland’s one-time attitude toward bastards,  I made my protagonist  a Scottish immigrant who was a bastard and would do anything to acquire land. I gave him second sight as well.  Diarmid Burwash lived at the right time and was in the right place to acquire the land he craved. Land he would do anything to own.  But as I wrote the book it became a saga so massive it was too long for even a historical novel.  But then ebooks came along .  Books We Love Ltd. had already made two ebooks from one of my rights-back historicals, splitting it into two parts because it was too long. The Golden Chances saga  was even longer.  We had the bright idea of dividing it into seven novellas and the book actually split up this way almost like magic. Readers seem to like this idea as well.

GRACIE: You write in so many different genres and sub-genres—from romance, to mystery, to fantasy and horror—and under several different pseudonyms, slipping seamlessly from one category of fiction to the next. How do you keep everything straight without succumbing to multiple personality disorder J?

JANE: Well I think all authors are a bit crazy. Why else would we write books that we have no idea will ever sell or readers read?

GRACIE: Good point! Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

JANE: Under The Shadow, the first book of my MOONRUNNER TRILOGY.  The character of Sergei and what happened to him utterly fascinated me.  The fact that for years he didn’t know who he was--or worse, what he was--and yet managed to stay alive made me marvel. 

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, and you do have so many to chose from, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

JANE: Again, that would be Sergei.  He was an extremely complex character who was really tortured by what he was.

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

JANE: What they reveal to me as I write about them.  I don’t know everything abut a character when I first begin a book.  I have a general conception, yes, but as I keep writing I learn more and more about him or her as I go on.  They often surprise me.

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

JANE: Writing a synopsis is easy and I enjoy doing them.  But writing the story itself is much harder, especially when I find I have to repeatedly depart in places from the synopsis., which often occurs.   

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

JANE:  I simply set down and wrote my first two gothics, which both sold.  The third gothic did not. Revision didn’t help.  I was still struggling with it when my agent called and asked if I wanted to do a partial--three chapters and a synopsis for a packager who need a Sagittarius gothic for his Zodiac Series.   I asked what a synopsis was.  He told me   Write the story in a very short form?  I thought I could do that, so I said yes.   So I wrote my first synopsis and the three chapters. Not long after he called and said the packager was going to contract on the partial.  Up until then I thought you had to write an entire book to make a sale.   So this synopsis stuff sounded really good to me.  I sold several more books on partials and began to realize how helpful the synopsis was in writing the rest of the book.  So I became  a dedicated plotter. Only my first two books were pantser-written.  At some point I took that third never-sold book and tried to write a synopsis from it.  What I discovered was it wandered all over the place.  A coherent synopsis solved that problem and the book sold.  Now I never attempt a book without first doing a synopsis.

GRACIE: If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

JANE:  Actually For a long time as a nurse and busy mother, I didn’t write.  But finally the characters in my head forced me into writing about them in my meager spare time.

GRACIE: Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

JANE: At the moment my two favorite characters are Lee Child’s Reacher and James Connally’s Harry Bosch.  Reacher and Bosch are nothing alike except for being the best at what they do.  This appeals to me, plus the brilliance of the two writers in keeping these characters always interesting is certainly a part of it. 

GRACIE: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

JANE: I’m fascinated with paranormal so most of my current books have paranormal added to suspense romance.  In 2009 I made a New Year’s resolution that I was not allowed to create any more series until I finished the first book in every series I’d ever outlined and thought still viable.  The count came to ten.  Okay, I started off with the Darkness Of Dragons Trilogy.  The first book sold immediately and then the epub wanted the other two as fast as I could write them.  I hadn’t foreseen this, so that slowed me down.  Currently I‘m up to the fourth and last book, Stranger On The Shore of  my Dangerous Darkness Series, have written the first book of The Dagon House Trilogy, Taken In.   Also a publisher has taken my Raffin Family Series, but I haven’t yet finished the first book.  And the reason I haven’t yet finished it is because I’m busy writing Uncanny, the third book in my Underworld Series.   I also have yet to finish the last book, Forever, of my Temple Of Time Series.  Yikes--I’ll never finish them all…

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

JANE:  http://www.janetoombs.com Buy links for all my books are available there.  Most are also on Amazon.

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

JANE:  Amazon often has one or another of my ebooks free.  My website has excerpts of all my recent books.

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

JANE: Believe in yourself and finish everything you begin to write.  Every time you finish a work, you learn something about writing.  Find a good critique group or partner.   Never be crushed by someone trashing your work--that person is not interested in helping you.   Whoever that person is, he or she is a bad critic.  A good critic can find something to like in almost anyone’s writing, and will try to  point out ways to improve it. 

GRACIE: Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

JANE: Writing is hard work and takes dedication.  All good writers know better than to believe a best seller can be dashed off in a couple of weeks.  Or even months. Work hard to finish everything you write no matter how long it takes you. 

GRACIE: Jane, thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!