Start your week with Kate Hamilton

Linda Kage: Today we're here with Kate Hamilton. Hi, Kate. Why don't you tell us a little about your background?

Kate: I am at present living in Edinburgh, Scotland. I have lived in may different parts of the world, including the Far East. I studied American Literature as part of an M.A. at the University of Aberdeen.

Kage: Who are your favourite authors?

Kate: I am widely read as part of my ambition as a writer. I think you do have to read a great many books to learn the craft of writing. So it is hard to come up with just a few. But if pushed to say then Edith Wharton would come near the top.

I love to laugh so P.G.Wodehouse is the man to reach for. Jerome K. Jerome makes me laugh too. The funniest book I ever read was "Cold Comfort Farm" Barbara Cartland always reduces me to tears - there's some poignancy to her stories that touches my heart. The greatest is Tolstoy, followed closely by Thomas Mann and Charles Dickens. But this list is not comprehensive.

Kage:What about your writing?

Kate:My first book was a serious melodrama where the heroine spent most of the time screaming. This was an easy dialogue. I was 8 or 9. During my teens I had work in the school magazine/read out in class. I have kept a diary for a long time. I decided to become serious 5 years ago. Blood Line is my 6th novel.

Blood Line is a classic Gothic comedy romance. Much as the heroine in Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey" suffers from teen angst and a seriously overactive imagination so the spunky Lauren MacBreach avoids dire danger on the way to the altar. Her guardian angel, Cidriel, is fortunately there to help her on the way. She is his first case and he comes very close to falling for her himself. However he bravely susses out the right(eous) course of action and all ends well, if rather unexpectedly. You are kept guessing right up to the end of the book.

Kage: Here are some reviews for BLOOD LINE

'Kate Hamilton keeps you guessing on this one up till the final paragraphs. I don't want to give anything away, but I think you'll find the ending quite satisfying. I know I did. Until you reach it you'll be kept turning pages by Hamilton's excellent storytelling skills and her ability to continually draw you deeper into the story. I read the story through in two evenings as I did not want to put it down. When it was over I enjoyed the glow that comes from experiencing a tale well told and a romance that was exactly that, something that made your heart pound with excitement and joy. It was a wonderful experience.' Tracy Riva.


'BLOOD LINE is a clever premise. Although it's intended as a young adult novel, it is also interesting to adults. Certainly I enjoyed it. This is by far the most unusual romance since "Sleepless in Seattle." BLOOD LINE held my interest and kept me turning the pages until I reached the end.'
Carolyn Smith


'This book has some interesting twists and turns, definitely taking the reader to unexpected places! I also loved the use of humor throughout....not in-your-face humor, but subtle humor.'

'The characters are one of the strongest points of the book. Hamilton has an incredible sense of character voice and behavior that allows Lauren and Cid to jump off the page. I adored Cidriel and often found myself eagerly awaiting his next appearance. In addition to that, the book is rich with Scottish culture and custom, bringing the setting to life. As Lauren explores the castle of Tomindoul and the surrounding villages and islands, the reader feels as though they are following every winding staircase and corridor along with her.' Jennifer Rainey

Kage:Kate, Thank you so much for stopping by today and gracing us with your presence. Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap things up?

Kate: I would like to thank Linda for having me today and hope you will all enjoy reading BLOOD LINE which is available at Amazon. KATE HAMILTON

Friday Forwards - #25

After all the devastating stories I've seen and heard about this week, I say it's time for some super good news....

So first, I'm sending a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the lovely, wonderful, totally sweet MARIE ROSE DUFOUR, who is one of the best blogging buddies a person can have and is about to be a--wait for it--published author. SQUEAL!!!!! She just sold her first book this week to Secret Cravings Publishing. There's nothing better than the euphoria of that first sale. I'm so very happy Marie Rose is tasting that joy!

To keep the smiles coming, here's a new Friday Forwards:


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MISUNDERSTOOD SUNDAY SCHOOL STORIES

LOT 'S WIFE
The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot 's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, 'My Mommy looked back once while she was driving,' he announced triumphantly, 'and she turned into a telephone pole!'

GOOD SAMARITAN
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, 'If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?'

A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, 'I think I'd throw up.'

DID NOAH FISH?
A Sunday school teacher asked, 'Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark ?

''No,' replied Johnny. 'How could he, with just two worms.'


HIGHER POWER:
A Sunday school teacher said to her children, "We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a higher power. Can anybody tell me what it is?"

One child blurted out, "Aces!"

MOSES & THE RED SEA:
Nine-year-old Joey, was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday school. "Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then, he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved."

"Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?" his mother asked.

"Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!"

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD:
A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible; Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the verse. Little Rick was excited about the task, but, he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.

On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

UNANSWERED PRAYER
The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head, for a moment, before starting his sermon. One day, she asked him why. "Well, Honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages, "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon."

"How come He doesn't do it?" she asked.

BEING THANKFUL
A rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, "So your mother says your prayers for you each night? Very commendable. What does she say?"

The little boy replied, "Thank God he's in bed!"

UNTIMELY ANSWERED PRAYER
During the minister's prayer, one Sunday, there was a loud whistle from one of the back pews. Gary's mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence and, after church, asked, "Gary, whatever made you do such a thing?"

Gary answered, soberly, "I asked God to teach me to whistle, And He just then did!"

TIME TO PRAY:
A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night. "Yes sir," the boy replied.

"And, do you always say them in the morning, too?" the pastor asked.

"No sir," the boy replied. "I ain't scared in the daytime."

BEWARE OF TRASH:
One particular four-year old prayed, "And forgive us our 'trash baskets' as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

ALL MEN / ALL GIRLS?
When my daughter, Kelli, was 3, she and my son, Cody, would say their nightly prayers, together.

As most children do, we have to bless every family member, every friend, and every animal (current and past). For several weeks, after we had finished the nightly prayer, Kelli would say, "And all girls."

As this soon became part of her nightly routine, to include this at the end, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked her, "Kelli, why do you always add the part about all girls?"

Her response, "Because we always finish our prayers by saying 'All Men'!"

SAY A PRAYER:
Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother's house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away.

"Johnny wait until we say our prayer."

"I don't have to," The boy replied.

"Of course, you do," his mother insisted. "We say a prayer, before eating, at our house."

"That's our house," Johnny explained. "But this is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook.

Prayers for Joplin

Today, all my thoughts and prayers are going across the state line and 30 miles away from my home to Joplin, Missouri. I can't help but feel the impact of this disaster every time I turn on the local news and watch unfolding and unreal events of tragedy and heroism. While driving to and from work, the radio station is full of worried citizens calling in, giving names of loved ones they're looking for. And co-workers continually fill me with stories of family and friends who've lost their homes.

I still can't believe the single deadliest tornado since the 1940's hit my neighbors just Sunday ago. It's hard to think of all the places I shopped and ate (the little pizza parlor where my husband and I went on our first sit-down date) as being gone. I ache for every person involved.

More information about Joplin here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43132174/ns/weather/t/twister-search-finds-survivors-more-dead/from/toolbar

Start your week with SHARON NOBLE

Two men approached from the rear of the hacienda where, behind them on the mountain slope, acres of coffee plants flourished in the black soil of Colombia. As the men came closer, the intensity of the argument mounted.

One was berating the other in a voice that held thunderous authority. He was lean and tall and walked with a long, graceful stride despite his obvious anger. Muscular thighs flexed under close-fitting tan riding breeches; the blue denim shirt was open at the throat, leaving a patch of sun-browned chest uncovered under a knotted blue kerchief. The sleeves were rolled to the elbows, exposing copper-gold hair on his forearms that matched what she could see of his chest.

With one leather-gloved hand he held the bridle of a superb chestnut stallion that danced along at his heels, responsive to his every move. This was obviously an altercation between the foreman of the plantation and one of the peons.

Rosalind’s body contracted as if she had been punched in the solar plexus. Never had she felt instant, powerful, and uncompromising attraction for a man, but her visceral response was undeniable. It was as if an invisible cord had sprung from his body and landed unerringly in hers. She was an intruder, but she was unable to move as she watched the foreman snatch the wide-brimmed black hat from his head and slap it against his knee as he made a point, prompting a flurry of anxious nods from the field hand.

She was mesmerized by sheer male beauty, crowned by a shock of unruly reddish hair that looked as if it had never known a comb. She stood stupidly as cataclysmic emotions flooded her. The broad shoulders could carry a woman as easily as if she were a child. For a brief moment she wondered what it would be like to be caught up in his embrace. But the deep, booming voice and the torrential speed of his Spanish were frightening, and she was glad to be hidden inside the shadows of the hacienda.

She shouldn’t, but she lingered nonetheless——watching, listening.


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You just read an excerpt from:
Passion's Design
by
Sharon Noble

Buy Link: Pink Petal Books
*********************************************

Linda Kage: Please welcome Julio de Vega, hero in Sharon Noble’s newest story, Passion's Design. Well, hello there, Senor De Vega. Tell us, Who IS Julio de Vega?

Julio:I am Julio Rafael Soledad de Vega, son of the most successful coffee plantation owner in Colombia. I carry my father's tradition in growing coffee beans, and I follow the family tradition of arranged marriage with a woman of my equal. My English is said to be excellent, my horsemanship superlative, and my decision-making skills unsurpassed. Although I inherited my mother's auburn hair, she is no longer a part of my life. I am engaged to be married to Margarita Fernandez, daughter of the family whose plantation adjoins my own, and the two plantations will merge into one.

Kage: Give us a peek into your head. What is one happy memory you have?

Julio:One that passes through my mind most frequently (and one that I do not share readily) is of sitting in the window seat of my mother's music room on a summer afternoon when I was a small boy. She was an opera singer, and I used to love to listen to her play the piano and sing from the many opera scores she owned. All I have of her now is her music room, still as she left it -- my only legacy from her. Her piano has never been played since she left, and her costumes hang in an upstairs closet.

Kage:Okay, now let’s skip to the stuff I want to hear about…this is a romance writer’s blog, after all! Before going into this story, what was your romance life like

Julio: I have never been in love. Of course, beautiful women have been a substantial part of my live since I was an adolescent, but Margarita and I were pledged at birth. It was our fathers' most earnest wish, and nothing must interfere. Nothing. Women come and go before marriage, but I intend to be a good and proper husband to Margarita. Our custom is that a man naturally has a mistress, but that is not my wish.

Kage: And now that your book has begun, who’s the woman starring in your romance? And what’s the trouble with her?

Julio: Ah, the thorn in my heart is Rosalinda Hughes, an American dressmaker who was sent to design the gowns for the wedding. She has put herself in my path in every conceivable way since the day she arrived, taunting me with her naked body on two occasions. I have instructed her on proper behavior in such a situation, but she responds with offense, as if I have no right to rebuke her. She insists that our ways are outdated and have no place in the life of an American. If I can keep her out of my presence until the wedding, I believe I can resist her undisputed charms. If only.

Kage: What do you like most about her? And what do you like least?

Julio: She is fond of children -- a most important feature in a woman -- and she is dedicated to creating a magnificent wedding for Margarita. I like least that she refuses to take instruction from anyone. She is not rude, just stubborn -- an unattractive feature in a woman. She is also beautiful and very desirable, and she takes my attention away from my work. I cannot think when I'm near here, and I resent that. I have always been in control of myself, and she disturbs my libido.

Thanks for stopping by and gracing us with some eye candy--I mean, with your presence. Was there anything else you'd like to add before getting along on your way?

Julio: Yes, I want to make clear that I am a man of honor, and I will be a true husband to Margarita, once Rosalinda has completed her work and returned to Los Estados Unidos.

*********************************************


If you're curious about Julio's author, here's where you can find Sharon Noble on the web:

Website: http://sharon-noble.com/index.htm

The Order of the Lyoness

I'm running late today with my blogging. I was hit by an icky virus this week--the computer kind. I'll tell you right now, "Windows XP Recovery" is NOT a legitimate anti virus. It is, in fact, the actual virus.

And now you know!

I decided to post over at Black Lyon Publishing's blog (The Order of the Lyoness) today, so that's where I'm at, talking about my Mother's Day...and boring happily ever afters!!

Here's the link if you're interested:http://theorderofthelyoness.blogspot.com/

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. It's dark, and rainy, and stormy here, perfect for cuddling up with a good story, I say.

Pay it Forward

When I first signed a contract with the publishing house, Champagne Books, I was totally clueless about their process and procedures. After asking enough questions to annoy the poor author liaison half to death, I was offered to be set up with a mentor to answer all the silly stuff. I accepted, of course, and was introduced to the lovely Nan D. Arnold (author of HITTING THE HIGH NOTES, PESTO PACKIN’ MAMA, and MERRY ACRES WIDOWS WALTZ).

Thus, whenever I flipped out about something, worried I was doing it all wrong, Nan was there to calm me down with her entertaining wit and soothing presence. Alas, my little chick, patience is the key, she'd usually say something to that extent. I would slowly began to breathe again, and everything then worked out exactly as she said it would.

I fully believe everyone should have a mentor so wonderful.

But I felt all selfish for just taking, taking, taking, and never giving anything back to the writing world, until...

Six months ago, there was a little article about my writing in my local newspaper, which caught the attention of one of my classmates way back from high school. She got in contact with me, and confessed she'd become interested in writing too.

Well, I wrote back and encouraged it because, well, every writer should be encouraged. At least, I hope I encouraged. She didn't seem to mind my mad ravings, because she responded to my huge, long letter. We corresponded for a while until I offered to read some of her story and throw out some advice (not that I had that much advice, but heck, every little bit helps, right?). So, she sent me some sample chapters, and that is when I began to panic.

Oh, no. This was the first time someone outside her family would read any of her work. What if I was too critical? What if I wasn't critical enough? What if I discouraged her so much, she gave up the story completely? I was so not qualified for this. AHHHHH!

I desperately wanted to thrust the task off on some of the people that had helped me with my writing in the past, but then I still wouldn't be giving anything back to the writing world. So I gritted my teeth, opened the document despite my fears, and began to read.

The heroine was sweet with a horrible knack for saying the very wrong thing at the very wrong time, entangling herself in some really fun yet embarrassing scenes, which made me relate to her and like her. The hero was melt-your-mouth amazing. And the progressing plot really caught my attention. I decided to list the things I liked about that story, hopefully letting the author know those were her strong writing points.

When I came to a place where the author would say something like "was talking" instead of just plain "talked", I was like, "hey, I've gotten in trouble for doing that before, maybe I can explain this little writing rule/guideline." So, that's what I did.

And I guess I didn't totally tick her off, because she bought me cookies in thanks and sent me more to read. So, I guess I survived my first attempt at helping a new author. What's even better, I hear she's finished that first story, which I'm going to have to read, by the way, because I'm hooked on the idea of the plot. AND...she's started her own blog, over at Megan Baker Blogspot.

So, pop over and show her some love. She's got a great post about how she came up with the title for her story. I hope she goes far with her writing.

Have you had people help you along with your writing process, whether in writing the actual story, getting published, or working on promotions? Have you had the opportunity to pay it forward yet? Feels cool, doesn't it?! It's one of the things I love best about the romance writing industry; we host a great community and network of helpful people.

Start your week with T.K. Toppin

Today we're here with lovely Champagne Books author, T.K. Toppin, who wrote THE LANCATER RULE. She has graciously agreed to tell us little about world building in her story. So please give it up for T.K!!!

Building The Lancaster World

I’ve been asked a few times how I came up with creating the world for The Lancaster Rule and all the interesting characters that fill it up. Honestly, it just sort of evolved on its own.

Primarily, I wanted to create a world that was believable, not too far-fetched, but enough so that there would be that wow-factor. Looking back through history, I picked up the trends that stood out: wars, upheavals, disasters, victories, great achievements, etc. So, in a nutshell, you get a sort of seesaw trend. After wars, there’s strife and famines, followed by decades of peace filled with great things, then someone decides to pick a fight and it starts all over again. However, each time there’s a progression as the world marches into the future and grows more sophisticated—from new methods of warfare to scientific achievements.

In The Lancaster Rule trilogy, it’s based three hundred years into the future. While that may seem like a great big leap in time, it really isn’t too far into the future. Three hundred years ago, we didn’t have the modern conveniences we have now, but it was fast approaching. We leapt forward in great big jumps soon after electricity was captured in a jar, to when the first planes were catapulted into the air. From there, radio waves manifested into microwaves and you were glued to the TV, then computers snuck in and before you knew it, you were sending interoffice emails and learning the WIFI dance while playing on your Wii.

The world I created, pretty much progressed like the world did three hundred years ago. Okay, with a few embellishments that are totally believable. Stasis pods, hyper-speed vehicles, holographic communications, super-duper weapons and gadgets for warfare…you get my drift. Of course, a great big world war sort of hampered progression, and the fifty-year reign of a tyrant with old world values didn’t really help that much.

The next step was the people that populated my world. Again, looking back in time, you see how people progressed from the dark ages to the techno ages. We grew and learned how to speak, write, foster manners, and in general become socially acceptable individuals that your parents would be proud of. Add three hundred years to that, we’ll probably grow a little bit more and have a decent enough polish that even Santa will believe you’ve been good all your lives. But people will always be people…i.e.: humans. No matter what we do, or how many social skills we learn, at the core, we still love, hate, want, need, fear, laugh, eat, sleep, and have to deal with annoying bodily functions that can cripple us if we ignore them.

Incorporating said ‘advanced’ people into my world was fairly easy. I had to keep in mind that these people have to behave normally, as they would in any other time that they’ve called their own. Throw in a relic from the past, my protagonist, and there you’ll find a culture clash. Like how our parents, and our grandparents would react around us, I reversed the effect. My protagonist, Josie, was now the one causing quite a stir and raising brows by her profanity with the so-called civilised future generation.

Weapons and the art of fighting, well, they’ve always sort of appealed to me. I mean interested me—that sounds better. With advances in technology and medical sciences, I’m hoping that people in the future will have a longer life expectancy, as well as amazing new gadgets to play war with. I will admit, a lot of the ideas for my weapons found in The Lancaster trilogy have mutated from playing various video games—from pulse guns to Snare Guns, to krimas (my version of a light sabre). A lot of the fighting techniques, I borrowed from true and trusted old school modes of combat: the various martial arts, stick-fighting, and the down and dirty fist fights. I then combined all these things and made the people of the future more combat wary, physically fit, and downright sneaky. After all, they’ve all had to live through, or have been affected by, a generation of war and treachery. Acts and thoughts of self-preservation can only be enhanced after that.

So that’s it really. Weave a story into it, join them up, and out popped The Lancaster Rule.

Thanks Linda for allowing me to share some of my world with you.

Where T.K. Toppin can be found on the web:
http://www.thelancasterrule.blogspot.com

Facebook: The Lancaster Rule / Written by T.K. Toppin

Twitter: TKToppin

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By the way, I'm over at T.K.'s Blog (http://www.thelancasterrule.blogspot.com) today, yapping about writing!

Friday Forwards - #24

--JUST ASK A KID--

Q: How do you decide who to marry?

A: You got to find somebody who likes that same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and I coming –Alan, age 10.

A: No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with—Kristen, age 10.


Q: What is the right age to get married?

A: Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person forever by then—Camille, age 10.


Q: How can a stranger tell if two people are married?

A: You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.


Q: What do you think your mom and dad have in common?

A: Both don’t want any more kids—Lori, age 8.


Q: What do most people do on a date?

A: Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough—Lynn, age 8.

A: On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date—Martin, age 10.


Q: When is it okay to kiss someone?

A: When they’re rich—Pam, age 7.

A: The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that—Curt, age 7.

A: The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It’s the right thing to do—Howard, age 8.


Q: Is it better to be single or married?

A: It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them—Anita, age 9.


Q: How would the world be different if people didn’t get married?

A: There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn’t there—Kelvin, age 8.


Q: How would you make a marriage work?

A: Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck—Rick, age 10.

Tomorrow, the Twelfth

I've decided lately that I kind of only want to post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. But being that I have to guest on the twelfth of each month at Climbing Roses of the Wild Rose Press and Romance Books R Us, that decision becomes a little difficult to uphold.

So, I'll just tell you today that TOMORROW, THURSDAY, THE TWELFTH, I will be guest posting at both...

Climbing Roses of the Wild Rose Press

and

Romance Books R Us.

Don't go to both places because I got lazy and wrote the same ditty for each blog.

Start the week with HOLLY HUNT

I shook my head, kissing her on the cheek. "Relax. Cooking should be fun."

She laughed, her blush visibly darkening, and tried to relax. She didn't do very well.

I laughed, taking the knife from her hand and put it on the counter. She turned her head to frown at me, and I kissed her on the lips. I pulled back when I felt her relax again, laughing as one of my favorite songs echoed around the kitchen.

"Come on!"

"What—? But, dinner—"

I laughed, spinning her around. "Forget dinner. You can't cook when you're tense. It ruins the flavor."

Clarissa looked at me as though I'd lost my mind. It probably seemed that way. "What?"

I laughed, spinning her around and dancing to the song. "Dance, Clarissa!"

I heard her bastard cat object from the bathroom, but I ignored him.

Clarissa turned red again. "I can't!" she cried, her body following my silent motions and dancing anyway.

"Nonsense!" I laughed, pulling her into my arms and doing a fake waltz with her, too fast for the music. "Have some fun!"

"No, really, Lucifer, I can't." She tried to pull away from me, but I didn't let her go, holding onto her hand.

"Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong," I sang along to the up-beat recording of the famous song. "Under the shade of a Coolibah tree..."

Clarissa laughed at my horrible singing, starting to relax, though she was still blushing. "That's terrible!"

"I bet you can't do better!" I retorted, spinning her around the small space between the living room and kitchen.

"I can too!" she answered, laughing. The chorus started up and she sang along with it. "Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda my darling, who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me..."

********************BLURB********************
You just read an extract from:
The DEVIL'S WIFE
by
Holly Hunt

Buy Link: Champagne Books
*********************************************

Linda Kage: Today it's all about author, HOLLY HUNT. Hey, Holly. Why don't you tell us a little about you and what you write please.

Holly:Well, I'm Holly Hunt, known around the erotica bookshelves as Jophrael L. Avario, and I'm... well, I'm a writing addict. I write in many genres, and refuse to stop writing, even for small things like sleep, school and work.

I have horror, urban fantasy, erotica, teen fiction, sci-fi, comedy, romance, pirate, historical and fantasy stories sitting in my files, as well as a few plays and poems, waiting for me to get back to them, either to finish, rewrite or edit, whatever the case may be. I'm very adaptive in that regard.

Kage: What happened to the first book you ever wrote?

HOLLY: Well, the first story I ever wrote was thrown out of everywhere but my mind when I was 10. The first book I wrote was 180,000 words long, so my high school librarian helped me cut it into three books, edited and critiqued it for me, then convinced me to give the first one to my Deputy Principal! Boy was I surprised at their enthusiasm for it.

It's now a series of four or five (depending on if I write the Asian arm of the epic or not) books that I'm rewriting heavily for resubmission (submission #15 ought to do it!). It's basically a rewrite of the Earth's history, if the Gods were as present as the ancient Legends say they were - and if they had a reason to be around, like preventing World War 3!

Kage:What’s your backlist and coming soon bookshelf look like?

HOLLY:My backlist is incredibly short.

The Devil's Wife is an urban fantasy that follows the Devil as he realises that the torture of his own existence is nothing to some peoples' lives, was released in March at Champagne Books.

Blood Lovers, written under my alter-ego, the fabulous Mister Jophrael L Avario, is an erotic gay vampire novel that was released at the beginning of April. It has a sequel I'm finishing now, Dust to Dust, which will eventually land in the lap of the fabulous Ellen at Carnal Passions to suffer through—I mean, read.

Blood Moon, my 'coming soon' book, is hidden away on my editor's desk at Wild Child Publishing, where it will soon go under the knife. And considering that it shares enough elements with Blood Lovers and Dust to Dust for the three to be considered a trilogy, that's going to be a bit hard to navigate.

Kage: Which story are we going to talk about today?

Holly: The Devils' Wife, with Champagne Books, is my most favourite story so far. It's basically a retelling of Lucifer's fall from Heaven, but from his side - And, as he says, "Yes, God and I fought, I fell, and became the Devil. But history is written by the winning side. What God has told you humans through the Bible was never how it went down. There was so much more to the story than that..." So far, everyone who's read it has either loved Lucifer or fallen in love with Aspen, the heroine's talking cat (and Lucifer's ex-brother-in-law, so you can tell whose side he's on!)

********************BLURB********************
THE DEVIL's WIFE
by
Holly Hunt

Lucifer Morningstar is a law-abiding, upstanding gentleman of New York City.

Lucifer Morningstar is the Devil.

The owner of powerful magic, Lucifer could have the world at his feet, if not for his apathy and loneliness. Deprived of the ability to understand the emotions of others and his power depleted, Lucifer is no longer able to help even his houseplants.

But there’s a problem with God’s plan to eliminate the Devil forever: Lucifer is fighting Her more than he ever did. He’s found a reason to survive, someone to stand by him through the rough and smooth of his life.

He’s found a new wife.

Clarissa Avario opens Lucifer’s eyes to the darkest side of the real world, full of paedophiles, murderers, rapists and thieves.

Can Clarissa convince Lucifer to do more than stand back and watch the city fall apart? The Devil will do anything to fix Clarissa’s world, including take on Heaven.

And he will kill anything, God, Demon or Angel, that gets in his way.

Buy Link: Champagne Books
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Kage: What would the story be rated if it were a movie?

Holly: Definitely PG-13 for language and the darkest side of humanity – rape, torture, kidnapping, etc. But the romance between Lucifer (the Devil) and Clarissa (his wife) is so strong that everything else fades to the background – which is why it's being marketed as a Paranormal Romance, rather than an Urban Fantasy.

Then again, it's devil-sympathising would probably have it playing only at selected cinemas and banned in over 50 countries. Because that's a rational response to going against the norm.

Kage: If you HAD to fit this story into a cliché, which one would it be?

Holly: Forbidden love, complete with a knight-in-shining-armour introduction for Lucifer.

Kage:Okay, now that we have a general idea which class to fit these two books under, what makes this book so unique from every other book out there?

Holly: The Devil's Wife was originally written in only 2 weeks, including preliminary editing (ie, spell-check) which was all that was edited before being sent out to publishing houses. I ended up receiving two acceptances for it, 12 months apart. Thankfully, I settled on Champagne Books as the right home for it!

Kage:What was the easiest part to write?

Holly: The easiest part, for me, is always the action. With Lucifer's ch apters, there's always a lot of action. He's also the only character that just flowed when I was writing it. He's a lovely man, and I look forward to writing about him again sometime – after all, his son Jophrael and daughter Chelsea have to have their say sometime.

Kage:What do you like most about the main character(s) and what do you like least? Did you learn anything from them?

Holly: If you take each viewpoint character as being a main, there's 7 main characters in The Devil's Wife. But if you keep the main characters as being God and the Devil (even if God only gets a few viewpoint chapters), then it's a lot easier.

Lucifer is... charismatic. You'd think he's a charmer, being the devil, and he is, but he's also sweet, protective, a good cook, loyal and willing to go to the ends of the Earth – or take on heaven – for the woman he loves. What did I learn from him? That no man could ever be like that. I also learned from him how to be a better cook, and I've been improving lately.

What did I like least about the main characters? Well, for one, God is a bitchy OCD sufferer who needs a good slap (I think so, anyway). She's compulsive, antagonistic, arrogant and runs the world the way a CEO runs a Fortune-500 company – no heart, no care, just an eye on the money. What did I learn from her? That I'd rather spend the afterlife in Club Hell than Heaven Inc. Because if I go to Heaven, I'd have to knock her out, at least once.

Kage:Holly, Thank you so much for stopping by today and gracing us with your presence. Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap things up?

Holly: It was wonderful being asked to come and guest here, Linda, and thank you so much for having me.

If you're still curious about Holly, here are other places to find her on the web:


Website / Blog: http://rhythempoets.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Devils-Wife/111905542194012


Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/hollyleighhunt

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4717881.Holly_Hunt or http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4770283.Jophrael_L_Avario

Amazon: The Devil's Wife

Thank you!

Thanks to Romy Gemmell over at her blog, Romy's Regency Romance, for her VERSATILE blog award she sent my way. And congrats to Romy for the release of her first book this week. Dangerous Deceit already hit the top 100 in sales on Amazon.uk for regency romances. And I knew Romy back when!!!



So, anyway. I'm passing on the Versatile Blog love to...

1. Stina Lindenblatt
2. Nancy J. Parra
3. Marie Rose Dufour
4. Diane Estrella and
4. Amber Skyze

...whether y'all want it or not!! Thanks, guys, for writing a varied assortment of blogs I love to read!!

I'm guest posting...

Over at THE WRITERS VINEYARD today, talking about, well, stuff!

See you there.