Author Interview ~ Janice Seagraves

Hey, y'all, you know what today is... it's chew gum til your jaw hurts day! Woo Hoo! No? Oh, then it's INTERVIEW DAY! Yes, yes, I have been watching too many children's cartoons during the day. So bear with me. I had an insanely busy weekend this weekend, so I may just let Megan do most of the talking today. Hope y'all don't mind.

Our special guest today is author Janice Seagraves. Let us all give her a really hot Menagerie welcome. Let's get started, Janice. Why don't you introduce yourself?

Hi, my name is Janice Seagraves. I want to thank Kealie and Megan for having me today.

Oh, you're very welcome, we enjoy having you here today... and not in the dirty Menagerie way. So, where are you from?

I'm from Sunny California.

Ooh, does it really never rain there? I’m nosy and would love to go to CA. Tell us your latest news?

As of June 3rd I'm a first time published writer. Windswept Shores is a contemporary romance.

First time pubbed author! Cool. Since this is your first one, when and why did you begin writing?

Because the voice in my head wouldn't leave me alone. No, I'm not crazy, they are.

Oh we know all about the voices in our heads. Even crazier when the voices talk to each other. When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I started my main blog in 2004 and hit publish on the editing window. It was a good feeling.

Nice, you work quick. What inspired you to write your first book?

I've always had a thing for survivors' stories. When I was a kid it was Gilligan's island and Swiss Family Robinson. In Jr. High I read Robinson Crusoe. When I got older it was Castaway, Survivor, and Lost.
I've just always been in love with the idea of people being trapped on a deserted island and using their wits to survive.

Interesting concept. Do you have a specific writing style?

I'm more a minimalist. I add just enough description to paint a word picture in my reader's head. I don't want to bore anyone with too much sensory detail. I try say just enough so you know what's going on and where they're at, then I try to step back and let my characters take over.

Sometimes there is beauty in the details. How did you come up with the title?

I was doing research on the Bahamas and found out how much weather and wind they have there. I thought, “Wow, they have a lot of windswept shores over there.” Windswept Shores? Hey, I like that.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes, never give up. My heroine, Megan, never does give up the thought that they will be rescued, she doesn't sit around wringing her hands when things go wrong. Neither of my characters do. What they do, do is try to survive anyway they can.

That’s a good life lesson—to just survive and thrive the best you can. How much of the book is realistic?

It based on what I know about surviving in the great outdoors. And considering that I'm a fisherman's daughter who loved to camp, there's a lot of it that is credible, like cooking clams over an open fire. But the rest is pure fiction, and to be honest I may have taken some poetic license here and there. But my book is supposed to be a fun read. That's my goal to entertain.

We like fun reads. What is the hardest scene you have had to write (published or not)? Why?

I'd have to say when Megan goes back to her side of the island. She had to walk away from the hero, Seth, because of her own emotions getting the best of her. I had to have the emotions believable and have her reasons make sense.

That sounds like it would be very emotional and difficult to write without making it sound cheesy. What is your favorite character you've written (published or not)? Why?

Seth, his Aussie accent was fun to write and he says some pretty outrageous things.

Gotta love that accent. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

I'd have to say a lot has to do with my camping experience as I grew up. Megan and Seth are basically camping out on their little island.

Ack, you camp. Wish I had your drive, because camping is just not my forte. What books have most influenced your life most?

That is a hard question. I love to read, so there are many that have influenced me. A long time favorite is Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart, I read her in HS and she left an impression on my writing style.

HUH, never heard of them, but I'm someone who loves to read as well. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Oh, that's an easy one--Faith Bricknell-Brown. I joined avoid writer's hell yahoo group three years ago and she's made such an improvement in my writing that I finally got my first contract. Avoid Writer's Hell is no longer a yahoo group, but AWH chatter's group is still going strong and so is the blog, where lessons are still being posted.

Good to know. What book are you reading now?

I just started Dracula, yesterday. It's so interesting to me for a book to last in popularity for over a hundred years. The author, Bram Stoker must have done something right!

LOL, that's true. What are your current projects?

I'm working on a short novel. It's a Sci-Fi Rom with space aliens and a human abductee who finds herself very far from earth.

Aliens are always fun. Do you see writing as a career?

Yes, very much so. I also know this will take time, years in fact. But I'm a very patient person, so we'll see where my writing career will take me.

Patience is good. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I would stay away from the gross stuff. I was trying for gritty and a lot of it got cut during the final edit, as not appropriate for a romance. So lessoned learned! For now on when one of my characters goes into the bathroom it's only to shower, lol.

Um...nice to know. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

In jr. high my English teacher had a writing assignment and I wrote a story about a horse. Yes, I will admit to being a horse nut when I was younger. But my teacher Miss O'Kane loved it! She thought I showed great promise as a writer and told my parents that.

Excerpt time!!! Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Okay, love to.

Available from Pink Petal Books: Windswept Shores by Janice Seagraves.
Price: $4.95
Windswept Shores Blurb:

The sole survivor of a plane crash, Megan is alone on a deserted island in the Bahamas until she finds a nearly-drowned man washed up on shore. Another survivor, this time from a boat wreck. With only meager survival skills between them, will they survive and can they find love?

Windswept Shores: available from Pink Petal Books
www.pinkpetalbooks.com *** http://janiceseagraves.org/*** Windswept Shores
My book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_r2NXKT0Sg
my main blog Web log Book Blog Art and Cartoon Blog Find me on myspace

Excerpt:
If she had to spend one more day on this godforsaken island, she'd go stark raving mad. The thought spurred Megan into rolling a large log with one foot then the other, until it was near the bonfire. "God, this thing is heavy." With a grunt, she lifted one end until it teetered upright then gave it a shove. It landed in the fire, embers swirling in the air.

Breathing hard, she flicked a glance at the teal-colored sea. She'd thought a vacation to the Bahamas would be the perfect getaway, would be a solution to the problems she and Jonathan had faced. She'd been wrong--dead wrong. Tears of grief filled her eyes. The never-ending crash of the waves on the beach and the cries of the seagulls seemed to mock her with the reminder she was utterly alone.

She'd felt like a tiny speck of sand last night when a violent storm had swept across the island. It had made a mess of her meager campsite, which had taken all morning to fix, and had demolished her seaweed SOS sign. She'll have to recreate her SOS. Sighing, Megan trudged toward a pile of kelp. As she got closer, she saw a figure wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt. Her stomach lurched.

Oh, God, it's another body washed up from the plane wreck. That would be number twelve. As always, she couldn't help but wonder if the next one would be Jonathan. He hadn't been wearing jeans on the plane, so she knew she'd been spared seeing his corpse this time. Thank God. She approached the body with dread. Tightening her resolve, she knelt. Suddenly the "dead body" coughed and rolled over. With a scream, Megan jumped back. She clutched her chest and pressed a shaking hand to her mouth.

He's alive!

Biting her lip, she stared down at the still-breathing man. His drenched t-shirt molded against his broad shoulders and well developed upper body. Short, golden brown hair stuck out in all directions.

Megan, get control of yourself. Don't wet your pants the first time you finally see a living person. She got on her knees, plucked the seaweed from him and wiped the sand from his face. His day-old whiskers scratched her palm. Reddened skin stretched across both cheekbones and over the bridge of his nose. Her thumb caressed his parched full bottom lip.

She patted the side of his face. “Hey, are you okay?” That's a dumb question. He isn't okay.

“Hmm?” Gray eyes fluttered open. He stared at her a long moment, frowning slightly. “G'day.”

“Hello there.” She hated the sound of her voice. It sounded rusty, unused.

Abruptly he rolled away from her to heave onto the sand, making a loud, ugly retching noise.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then looked at her. “Sorry, mate, I swallowed too much sea.” His gaze went over her shoulder in the direction of the bonfire which crackled and popped not far from them. “Mite big for a barbie.”

Sitting back on her heels with her hands folded in her lap, Megan followed his gaze, then back to him. “My signal fire.”

“Signal for what?”

“Help.”

His accent intrigued her. Was he English or Australian?

“G'darn,” he looked around, “where the bloody hell am I?”

“Don't know. There's no one here to ask.” Megan shrugged helplessly, but couldn't contain her curiosity. “Are you from England?”

“Naw,” he rubbed his eyes, “I hail from Sidney, but my port of call these days is Fort Lauderdale.” He blinked up at her. “You?”

Ah, he's an Aussie. “I'm Megan Lorry, from Anaheim, California,” she said, barely loud enough to be heard above the sounds of the surf and the roar from the fire. “Are you a survivor of Air Bahamas flight 227, too?”

“G'day, Megz,” he answered, struggling to sit-up. “Sorry, I'm not from your plane.”

Megan slipped an arm around him lifting his back off the sand. Turning his head to her hair, he took in a couple of short breaths. Megan pulled back staring at him. “What the--did you just sniff me?”

"Ya smell too good not to.” He grinned, causing his cheeks to dimple. “Name's Seth Dawson.” Leaning back on one arm, he stretched out his hand to her. She clasped it as if it was just a friendly greeting between strangers back home.

“Me mate's fishing boat hit a reef during the big squall last night. That's when I took a tumble 'T' over 'A' overboard.” He took a deep breath, let it out slow, then glanced up and down the beach. “Somehow I made it here 'out the back of Burke.'”

“Oh dear, that's terrible,” she sympathized. Does he mean the middle of nowhere?

“Blimey, I'm weak as a babe.” Seth managed to get to his knees, before stopping to pant. He licked cracked lips. “Megz, do you have any water on ya?”

“Yes, back at my camp. Don't move. I'll be right back.” Meg hurried off down the beach.

He called after her, “Where the bloody hell would I be going, eh?”

www.pinkpetalbooks.com/ *** http://janiceseagraves.org/***Windswept Shores

What Makes You Buy a Book....

I've had this question on my mind for a while and decided now was as good a time as any to ask it. What makes you buy a book?

I promised the youngling I'd buy him a book if he accomplished a goal. Real exciting? Hey, if you like books, it's a jackpot. Plus it was a good reason to troll the bookstore. I looked at the typical children's books and found the one he wanted. It's not hard when I know he's very much into comic-type books.

But any good reader-slash-aspiring-author knows, you can't just pass by the books in your intended genre and you can't leave the store without a perusal of what's there. It's unhead of.

I'll admit right now I am a cover snob. I've totally walked away from books that had covers I hated. One in particular had a woman who resembled Marilyn Monroe draped around a man who looked like an average romance cover model. Ok...so I read the blurb. The blonde on the cover looked NOTHING like the heroine in the book. The cover made the heroine look cheap and cheesy, which she was not. It really got under my skin. To boot, it was an author I'd usually auto-buy. No joke, I put it back and walked away. Now I happen to know the book was actually really good. How? The cover was redone and more tasteful for a subsequent printing. Thank Goodness. Sheesh.


I've read others that had covers to make the mouth water. (There is a Harlequin cover model who could model on the cover of the phone book and I'd probably buy it because I think he's so yummy. Sad, I know. Yup, that's him, right up there. **Le sigh*** (and I recommend the book, too.)

Then there are the misnomers. The ones with striking covers that happen to be the only thing going for the book. Drives me nuts. Yes, I'm a visually oriented person. I want to see the characters and have the book cover convey the story. Is that wrong? Maybe, but it's my opinion.

So once the cover is no longer an issue and the book has gotten to the level of...hmm...should I buy this, I read the blurb. Oy. Talk about a way to kill a perfectly good book. I've done more than my share of reading. There are some blurbs that totally sell the book. Reel you in. Then there are the turkeys. Does the turkey blurb turn you off? Does me. Great cover, check. Tag line hooky, check. Blurb....oh dear. Yes, I read a blurb that had this in it: He was bitten. He wasn't thrilled and he was having a bad day. First off, three versions of was in the same line? Passive voice? Telly... I shook my head and wandered far from the book. And I'm usually an easy sell for paranormals.

Can you get past a bad cover, a poor blurb, and a so-so tag line? Truly, there are books out there that just plain get screwed. Good story but the presentation sucks. Then there are those that have gorgeous presentation, but lousy writing.

What do you think? I'd love to hear you sound off on this topic. Might give me some titles to check out that I might have passed on before. You never know unless you post. :)

Ciao baby.

Happy Hump Day!

Calgon...Take Me Away

Sounds like I'm whining, doesn't it? Haven't you ever wanted a bubble bath, the kind where you can literally sit in piles and piles of bubbles and know that no one is coming in to bother you, there's a stock of chocolate covered strawberries and something sparkly by your side, and you can stay there until you get nice and prune-y....

Well, I want to. Know where I can?

Didn't think so.

It's thundering outside. If you've never read my MA bio...the dirty version, you'd know I love thunderstorms, as long as the boys are nearby. Keep me safe and you can have your way...ok, well, you have to be one of my three. And it figures, it's nowhere near bedtime...for me or them. They've been out a while now. **Sigh**

Think I'll find some nice scenery to encourage my muse. Kealie's been gone so much that the muse has receeded into herself. He won't even come to the door. Punks. Our muses seem to feed off each other...funny since I have a male and a female muse, they LOVE Kealie's muse and I swear they have threesomes without telling us.

But what can I say? She's my bff and they are all whatever they are. I guess I'll get the yummy scenery now and write a bit.



Perfect...a man's nekkid ass and it's a fine sight....**le sigh**

Release Day, A Tour and Questions!

I'm so excited! Blue Light Special releases tomorrow. I'm celebrating with a Release Party at Goddess Fish Promotion's party pavilion -- and it kicks off my virtual tour as well. I'm giving away a $10 GC to your choice of online book seller, so come by and visit with me. I'd love to see you there.

One of my stops has asked me to interview my characters, and I'm drawing a blank on questions. Anyone have any ideas of what I can ask my hero (Caleb) and heroine (Karin)? All input is welcome.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with my new book video (YAY!) while I gear up for a crazy two weeks of touring.

Happy Hump Day!

Author Interview ~ Kayelle Allen

It's Monday, and today we have with us very good friend to The Menagerie, Kayelle Allen! Let's all make her feel welcome (the Cabana Boys are already on it, I promise).

Kayell, we're so glad you could join us today. Megan and I just love it when you come play with us! Mysti and Jenny too, but they let us play on Mondays... and then wonder why the Cabana Boys are dehydrated. :::shrugs:::

Let's go ahead and get started. Why don't you tell us your latest news?

The last time we spoke, I had two books that would be out the next week. At the Mercy of Her Pleasure and The Last Vhalgenn. I also have a June 1st release planned for my book For Women Only. Surrender Trust was in edits and should have a release date soon, likely late summer. This has been a good year so far. I won an EPIC (aka EPPIE pre-2010) for Surrender Love in the Science Fiction Erotic category. The beautiful trophy is sitting to the left and behind my computer, on a shelf of its own. I hope to add to my trophy shelf by writing more books with the theme, “Unstoppable heroes, Uncompromising love, Unforgettable passion.”

I remember when you won that EPPIE! I was so excited for you. What an awesome achievement! And I'm always amazed at your writing schedule.

Busy, busy girl. And a trophy! Nice. Do you have a specific writing style?

I have one story out (The Last Vhalgenn) that is told in first person. All my others are third person (he, she, they). I work at creating sentences that have the most powerful words at the end, such as this line from the upcoming Surrender Trust: “Luc broke their kiss only to swoop in for more, and Rah yielded as fully as he had during the night, arching his neck, tilting his head, offering his mouth for more untamed kisses.” The words preceding “untamed kisses” describe how they are received, and the end is what is given. The descriptive words make the ending stronger. Readers remember the last few words, so I want them to take the correct image with them. I’m also known for cliffhanger chapters and twists in the plot. One of my readers wrote, “Think you know what'll happen next? No way. It's by Kayelle.” I take that as a huge compliment. A Romance Junkies reviewer wrote, “There were lots of surprises in this book and not everything is as it seems. I enjoyed turning each page to find my assumptions were wrong, and watching the story go a different way. The ending held an interesting twist, leaving room for Ms. Allen to wow us all with her sequel.”

Speaking as a fan, I can say that's a very good way of describing your work. Not just kind words :-D

Even though, we love kind words. Speaking of kind words, if you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Barbara Karmazin took me under her wing and taught me about deep POV, which I use to this day. Janet Elizabeth Jones and Jodi Lynn Copeland each had powerful and personal influences on my early writing. I’m grateful to all of them.

You have to love it when you have people who take such an interest in your writing, and people that you can look up to. If you could, name one entity that you feel supported you - outside of family members.

My Yahoo critique groups para-rom-crit-2, and group para-rom-crit-3. Without the members there, I would never have published my first book. I now use beta readers, and Jean, Rhyss, and Jalane are all blessings.

We love our Cp’s too. Even the best self editing needs another pair of eyes.

Amen, Sistah! How awesome, Kayelle, that you have such great people to help you make your beautiful stories even better. Do you see writing as a career?

Absolutely. I treat my writing like a business and put in regular hours, plus plenty of overtime. I have a marketing plan, goals, and a mission statement. What is it? “To give readers a great roller coaster ride of a story that brings excitement, fun, and takes them in directions they didn’t expect.” I also have a promise to my readers. “I promise to give you a complex plot that immerses you in an erotic tale and provides plenty of unexpected action, in settings so real you'll swear you've been there.”

Great, I feel like a slacker now. :-D

You’re intense, Kayelle. Love it! Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I’d love to. Here’s an excerpt.

At the Mercy of Her Pleasure

She steals one kiss and her pheromones addict him. How can he return to his master now that she has him at the mercy of her pleasure?

Senth holds a lofty position in the elite Thieves' Guild. Drugged since puberty to suppress his feral half-feline side, nothing suppresses his daredevil, risk-loving human half. His master offers him a deal. Work with a Better, an enhanced woman with addictive, pleasure-laced pheromones, and he'll buy and free Senth's cruelly enslaved older brother. The job? Grab-and-go. The condition? Remain a virgin. The drug he takes ensures it, no matter how tempting the woman or her pheromones. The problem? Nothing goes right. The job outlasts the drug's effect. All Senth wants is one touch, one kiss, one oh-so-tempting lick of her perfect, lush skin. The downside? With his brother's freedom at stake, how can he risk putting himself at the mercy of her pleasure?

Setting up the scene: NarrAy Jorlan has hired professional thief Senth Antonello to steal back an heirloom confiscated by the despotic empress. In itself, the item has only sentimental value, but in it, NarrAy's parents hid a code to finishing the secret technology they were developing before they were murdered. After meeting Senth in person, NarrAy returns to her ship. But their meeting keeps playing in her imagination, with a completely different ending...

--------------
All People's Liberation Army Ship Jalane
Officers' Quarters

NarrAy brought Senth's image to mind, picturing him as he'd looked at the Ghost, minus his overbearing master and the audience of her aides.

"Mmm, hell-loh, Senth." Naked before him, she slid one hand up the front of his shirt. "Can I interest you in a sugar-cookie snack?"

He leaned forward, bending down to kiss her, his dark, curly hair a cloak around them. The hesitant brush of his lips against hers made her press up against him, capturing his kiss.

She pulled back enough to speak. "Hold me. Please, Senth, hold me. No one ever touches me. I'm so alone."

Senth drew her fully into his arms and embraced her, fitting the entire length of his body against hers. "I'll touch you anywhere you want, NarrAy. Everywhere you want." He slid his fingers through her hair, his smile revealing fangs. "Let me kiss you again."

NarrAy gripped his jacket with both hands and drew him down.

The wet heat of his mouth against hers brought a crest of pheromones.

Senth slid one hand down her body, cupped one of her breasts, and then bent to suckle her. His rough, catlike tongue against her sensitive skin triggered a line of heat straight to her core. Moisture seeped onto her thighs.

Senth inhaled. "Mmm. You smell so good." He slid his hand down the front of her body and pressed his palm against her outer lips. He slipped one finger between them. "You're wet." He lifted his hand to inhale her fragrance, then licked his finger. "Sweet." He went to his knees before her, his pale blue gaze lifting to hers. "May I taste you?"

She shook her head no, but her mouth said "yes." She leaned back against the wall of her cabin and widened her legs. "Please." NarrAy caressed his face. "Senth, I want your touch."

Antonello Brothers 1: At the Mercy of Her Pleasure (a Tarthian Empire Book)
Available at Loose Id http://loose-id.com
Format: eBook in multiple formats
Genre: Erotic Science Fiction Romance, Action Adventure
Heat level: R=explicit sex
Warnings: explicit content, kidnapping and rescue, violence, reference to former abuse and male rape, pheromone-induced seduction
Author website: http://kayelleallen.com
Author email: kayelle @ kayelleallen .com kayelle@kayelleallen.com

Senth is Kin right? :::shiver::: I love your Kin. Where are those Cabana Boys and my palm fronds? It's hot in here...

I so need a fan right now, too. Whew and these are just snippets. Now to even hotter things, the covers. Who designed the covers?

My covers at Liquid Silver Books (The Tales of the Chosen trilogy) are all by Laura Givens. Kat Haeske did one cover at Shadowfire Press, and Janet Elizabeth Jones did the other. My books at Loose Id are by Anne Cain. Surrender Love (Anne’s work) won Best Cover 2009 from the Love Romances Cafe group, and was a runner up for cover in the Preditor’s and Editor’s Poll. Anne also designed the cover for At the Mercy of Her Pleasure. That was a challenge, because one of the main characters was Luc Saint-Cyr, and the cover shows Senth trying to decide whether to follow NarrAy, or obey Luc and return to him. Since Luc is Senth’s Sen’dai (mentor) and owner, as well as his adoptive father, the images of the three had to be positioned carefully to avoid the appearance of a menage. Anne did an amazing job.

I would have to agree. I love those covers!

They are indeed beautiful. Do you have any advice for other writers?

You will not fail until you give up. The difference between a published author and an unpublished one is often no more than the published one sent out one more manuscript. Begin each endeavor with the end in mind. Picture yourself receiving the acceptance letter. No one sets out to write a flop, so don’t allow negative self-talk. Each rejection brings you one step closer to success.

Wow, you’re making me up my game. And I’m not even sure I have an A game.

LOL, sure you do. So do I, we just may not have found it yet, but we'll get there. :-D Kayelle, what would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I write straight through the book, from chapter one to the end. I don’t depart from it. At points, I may realize I need to go back and add a scene to explain some detail I’ve created, but otherwise, I’m a very literal point A to B type of writer. I’m highly creative and inventive, but when it comes to writing, I’m methodical. I also depend on notes and if I get a “great idea” I jot it down in the book’s idea document. I keep one for each story (or series). Once I record it there, I can go back later and use it when needed, but often, a scene ends up being altered and used in a completely different book. It was a good idea, but it didn’t work where I thought it would. I’ve learned to trust my instincts and always record ideas. Otherwise, I’d start writing myself down a rabbit hole and end up with an entirely different book.

I can totally see how that would happen. I do the idea document too, but usually when I'm going through with minor edits, when I figure out what isn't working and so on. Nice to know I'm not the only one. LOL

I got plenty of notebooks of ideas. I’d never keep them straight otherwise. Great idea. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I have two at Loose Id (with two more scheduled this year), three at Liquid Silver Books, two at Shadowfire Press, and one at Wolfsinger Publications. I also have one audiobook at AudioLark.com. Favorite book? It always seems to be the one I’m working on at the moment. They’re like children. I love them all the same, but each in a different way.

LOL, I think I find each one is my favorite as I write it... then the next one comes along and that one is my favorite. But I love them all equally in the end, lol. I think that's how it's supposed to be, unless a story you write is intensely personal for you for whatever reason, they're all going to hold a certain part of your heart.

Can’t knock loving your work. Makes you more proud. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I often hear from them. One of the most common questions I get is when will (fill in the blank) get a story? I love these, because it shows me where the interest is, and I can focus on filling that need. After the first versions of At the Mercy of Her Pleasure and For Women Only came out, all I heard was “When does Luc Saint-Cyr get a story?” He garnered the next three as either a main or a secondary character, and I’m currently writing the third book in a trilogy devoted to him. So you see, I do listen and try to make readers happy. I’ve also had a lot of requests for more in-depth information on the role-playing game the immortal Sempervians use, called Peril. In For Women Only, they will get their wish. I included a scene that gives more detail about Peril and how it’s played. They’ll also see a very in-depth scene in Surrender Will, due out either very late 2010 or early 2011.

I will say, that I love your universe and no matter how many of your stories you write I can go to your site and take a tour of the Empire and revisit certain places (yes, I'm plugging your site... I love it). But I do love that you talk to your fans and hang out with us. So, it doesn't surprise me that you listen and try to give us what we want. :-D

We’ve gotten the work questions out of the way, now for the fun questions, the "absolutely-nothing-to-do-with-writing" questions: What were you doing at midnight last night?

I was online, reading blogs and posting comments. I like to do that before heading for bed. I take care of emails in the morning, and pop on after lunch. If I can, I stay offline until I’ve finished writing, at about five p.m. After dinner, I check email again, and then sometimes write or hang out on line at various Yahoo groups or forums. At midnight, most nights, you’ll find me online.

LOL, the life of a busy author... playing around online. LOL, seriously, I know just what you mean. :-D What is your favorite pizza?

First, let me say I don’t eat it often, because my lifestyle is to eat fresh, healthy foods, and I’ve reduced my weight by about eighty pounds over the last three-plus years by eating that way. That said, I like pepperoni, lots and lots of pepperoni! I admit that I use a napkin to absorb some of the grease because it’s just yucky otherwise. I really do not like sausage, but if I get to have any toppings I want, I’ll have double pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, black olives, and extra cheese. The weird part? I usually eat only the top part and leave the crust. However… if it’s Papa John’s and they include garlic dipping sauce, all bets are off on that. LOL

OMG, I am SO glad to know I'm not the only one who soaks up the grease with a paper towel. Can you please do a movie of it so I can prove this to my own family? Please?

Hee hee. Gotta have those quirks. Do you sleep with the light on? Why or why not?

Pitch dark. Your pineal gland is stimulated by light, and keeps your body in a wakeful state when there is even a glow. When it’s dark, the gland releases melatonin which helps you sleep. (hubby is studying medical assisting … oh the trivia I have learned.) So, if you have trouble sleeping, put a small flashlight near the bed so you can see if you have to get up, and then make the room as dark as possible.

Um Kealie, I guess that means no more nightlight...nah. You can have an industrial flashlight instead.

Oh, you can bite me, well... you can send one of your boys my way to bite me... anyway, I'm not losin' my nightlight. You don't want terrified Kealie wandering through a pitchblack house with a flashlight and stiletto boot as a weapon... and you KNOW I'll use it too! Why are you messin' with me? >_<

Anyway, now that we've freaked Kealie out... Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? If so, which do you prefer?

Absolutely can tell the difference. I have never liked Coke or Pepsi, even as a kid. I never drank Coke until Tab came out (showing my age there). Then Diet Pepsi came along, and I liked it too. The diet versions of both are wonderful. I drink the caffeine free, diet versions. Just don’t offer me anything that has the name Zero in it. Gross! >..< I like to add a sugar-free vanilla syrup or a cherry syrup. My all-time-ever-in-the-world favorite soft drink isn’t made any more. *sniff* I loved Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper. *sigh* It was heavenly.

My dad about had a hissy fit (and if you know my dad, that's a hilarious picture for you) when they stopped making Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper. He and my husband acted like... someone had just outlawed Godiva. I told him that he could no longer pick on me about my food/drink addictions. :-D

Um, never tried that one. Although, I’ll take your word for it sounding yummy. Do you like thunderstorms?

Love them. I sleep best during thunderstorms, and have never been afraid of them. The sound of deep thunder rolling across the sky has a majestic power. I have a CD that plays the sounds of rain and thunder, and I put it on a continuous loop. It’s thirty minutes of sound, from a light trickle to a downpour. As I sit here, we’ve just come through a thunderstorm. The house shook, lightning flashed beyond the curtains, and the patter of rain changed to a torrential beating. We sat in the center of house away from direct windows, and listened as the wind howled. The sound of trees whipping in the wind mixed with the pelting rain, and the occasional tink of pinecones against the house. Hmm, now that I think about it, this could be a great description for a scene I’ll be writing in an upcoming book. If you read this and then happen upon a similar sounding part in one of my future books, don’t be surprised. Inspiration comes in many disguises. The trick is learning which bits of inspiration to use. =^_^=

I love those inspirations. I love when an environment you're in gives life to a scene yet to come. Good luck with all your writing and upcoming releases, Kayelle. I'm just so excited for you. Thank you again, for hanging out on the couch with us today. It was great fun having you here with us, and great fun getting to know you better. I hope you can come back and hang out on our couch with us soon. I know how busy you are.

So, that's the end of our review. Thanks everyone for dropping in and hanging out with us today. We greatly greatly appreciate it, and hope you continue to come back to see how we're all doin'. Have a lovely Monday (don't shoot me, I really DO want you do have a lovely Monday).



Kayelle Allen is a multipublished romance author whose worldbuilding skills include a broad sweep of ten-thousand years of future history, a feline language, and tradestandard laws for the empire where her books take place. Her writing lures you inside each hero's head and seduces you with what he feels and thinks. She thrusts you into the hero's heart and mind, teases and satisfies you with his sexuality and sensual joys, and drags you onto the roller coaster with him when it plunges into the darkness of things-gone-wrong. When you and the hero get off the ride at the end, it's Kayelle's hope you'll be back in line when the next ride starts. You can keep up with Kayelle at the following contacts (click on the word and it will take you to that like:

CONTACTS:

Email - kayelle@kayelleallen.com kayelle @ kayelleallen .com

Homepage; Booklist; The Edge of Peril - Inside the Sempervian World; Romance Lives Forever - Group; Romance Lives Forever - MySpace; Romance Lives Forever - Blog; Romance Roll Call; Twitter; Facebook; Marketing for Romance Writers

At The Mercy of Her Pleasure by Kayelle Allen

At eighteen, Senth Antonello already holds a lofty position in the elite Thieves' Guild. Drugged since puberty to suppress his feral half-feline side, nothing suppresses his other half, a daredevil who lives for risk. Before his master hires him out to a Better, an enhanced woman with addictive, pleasure-laced pheromones, the man offers him a deal too good to pass up. Finish the job successfully and he will buy Senth's older brother and free him. The job? Grab-and-go. The downside? Senth must remain a virgin, no matter how beautiful or tempting the woman.

Captain NarrAy Jorlan is twenty-five, a career officer, and determined to regain the technology stolen from her murdered parents. She hires a pro to steal it back. Unlike most Betters, NarrAy masters her powerful sex pheromones that addict her partners to her. Yet every moment with this sexually inexperienced young thief makes her wetter, hungrier, and more eager to taste and touch every part of his body. Surely she can steal a kiss or two from a thief without losing control. Can't she give in just a little, without risking him being at the mercy of her pleasure?

Publisher's Note: This book is a substantially re-edited, revised edition previously released by another publisher, and contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play, dubious consent, ménage (m/f/m), reference to rape offscreen.

Book Trailer ~ For Women Only by Kayelle Allen

For Women Only by Kayelle Allen

When Kin Ambassador Mehfawni Ruh visits the capitol planet of the Tarthian Empire, she meets the human Khyff Antonello, a master of pleasure who satisfies her every craving for illicit and taboo sex. She expected a fling, but found love.

Upon discovering her own people devastated his family, she longs to restore all they destroyed, but some tragedies can never be reversed. Her family demands she cast out the human, for if she keeps Khyff, she must deny her heritage and abdicate her future as ruler of her world. Mehfawni searches for an alternative, and stumbles upon Khyff’s darkest secret. Now, she must determine whether his fragile trust is the response of love and a healing heart or a ruse for revenge.

Publisher's Note: This book is a substantially re-edited, revised version of story previously released by another publisher, and contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Violence.

Happy Hump Day!

My Shifter Showed

Have your attention, do I? Good. And yes, my shifter showed up. I wrote a story about a black cat shifter. I've talked about him strolling around the back yard. The dogs even noticed him. I thought it was funny since he wouldn't leave. It was "The Cat Came Back" but real.

Want to see him?

Sure you do.



Oh you actually wanted to see him? Ah, but he's in feline form and he's camera shy.

Muwhahahahahahaha.

Later.

Gone to Galley

Got my final edits done on "Blue Light Special" and now I have the galleys in hand. I always worry about proofing my own galleys. I've read the story over and over and over so many times that I wonder if I'm going to see what's actually there, or what I think is there.

It's so important to make sure errors are caught. Nothing turns me off more in a story than poor editing: typos, wrong word usage, etc. So it would be utterly ironic for me to have those problems in my own work.

For those of you who are published, do you proof your own galleys? If not, what other options do you use?

And for the readers, do you even notice poor editing? Does it matter a lot or not so much if a story has typos, etc.?

Happy Hump Day!