Wednesday's Writer with Kay Dee Royal ~ @KayDeeRoyal #MIHAuthors

We're here today with the lovely Kay Dee Royal. Please join me in welcoming her.

Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?

Savage Smoke is the 2^nd book in my LIIA (Lycan International Investigation Agency) series – Trevor wants his primal-mate back, but he’s afraid she’s in too deep with Smoke (notorious villain) and his pack. This is a paranormal erotic romance with a number of relationships intertwining throughout the series, it has a mystery/suspense element with the detective-like agencies involved. 

What can we expect from you in the future?

Book 3 in this series – Smoke-n-Bliss. Another series is bubbling to the surface…more shifters. Plus I have another story (Dragons, Fairies, Other Realms) unfinished (but close) started a few years ago…I believe the characters are tired of animated suspension *smiles*

Why did you decide to write romance novels?

That’s easy…because I love to read themJ

How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

Of course there’s some of ‘me,’ but mostly it’s my wild imagination and maybe some from the people I know or read about or watch on television :)

When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?

I’ve always had an interest in writing, and wrote little stories, even kept detailed journals since my early teens. Then when I resigned from the corporate world, I took the plunge into the writing world and have never looked back. I initially took courses to write children’s books and with the encouragement of my instructor and also from my mentor, I submitted my first book to twenty-some publishers – and got rejections from all of them. I initially wanted to quit then…took months for me to pick up my pen.

But I’d already invested a lot of time, money, and effort into writing and was going to be damned if it would beat me. Yep…after picking myself up out of discouragement and dusting off despair, I went at writing like a full-blown steam engine.

Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

I wish I knew (LOL). I’ve only got a few books under my belt and they all took different lengths of time. This last one took the longest at 18 months…and I truly believe it’s because I fought with the villain – he was meant to die, but he had different thoughts on that action and stole my pen. As if I only owned that one pen, I couldn’t move forward with the story…until Smoke got his way and lived.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

Because I do more than write (edit, blog, promote, etc.), I do go with the flow, making a daily ‘to do’ priority list…trying to set a writing schedule is the fastest way to stop me from writing anything – as much as I’d like more discipline;)

Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...?

A quick fifteen – Meet in the Middle Plotting event (thanks to Claudia Suzanne!). Then I write up character sketches and begin any early research required. I like to get at least the first few pages written so I know the characters beginning and can use ‘what if’ scenarios to keep the flow of the story moving.

Guess I’m really a bit of a panster ;)

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Spend time with my grandchildren – nothing gives me more of a reason for ‘being’ than they do;)

What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels? Do you find them difficult to write?

Love and lust scenes are part of the genre…open door policy ;) I’m always trying to hone my craft and these scenes are part of it. My goal is to write sexy scenes that can be explicit, sensual, and yet honor the characters and plot of their story. Those scenes come fast for me…I write everything down as it flows…then, I go back through and revise. I don’t find them difficult to write, but I know there’s always room for improvement ;)

What does your husband think of your writing?

My DH has always been supportive of my work. Under another name I write young adult…and I believe he likes that genre best for me *smiles* But, he knows how much I love writing erotic romance, so he takes me to dinner on book release day in celebrationJ

Do you ever ask him/her for advice?

No, never…well, unless it has to do with research of locations. My locations are fairly rustic and he’s familiar with a number of the locations in my books.

Leather or lace? Denim

Black or red? Black

Satin sheets or Egyptian cotton? Cotton – lots of thread count

Ocean or mountains? Mountains

City life or country life? Definitely country

Hunky heroes or average Joe? It’s my fantasy, right?…hunky heroes

Party life or quiet dinner for two? Quiet dinner for two…picnic is best.

Dogs or cats? I love them both.

Dessert ~ Crème Brulee

City ~ None – a rural girl

Season ~ Fall

Type of hero ~ Alpha-type, hard to show emotion, loyal

Type of heroine ~ Strong, courageous, stands up for her beliefs

Excerpt

They all shifted to human-form, standing in the shelter of the trees under the cloud cover and snow filtered mid-morning light. No movement, no sound, nothing came from Smoke’s pack site. With Chance pointing at each, Dir, Damen, and Trevor, to take a different direction, they dispersed.

Any other time Trevor might have enjoyed running naked in the snow, but today his heart stuck in his throat, tremors of need waded through him and it disgusted him. Fine hairs of Lindsey’s arousal flitted in the air and struck him like a baseball bat to the head. It lured him on to a snow-covered deck. Trevor opened the door of a small cabin. Lindsey’s scent poured over him. He stood paralyzed. Damen shoved past him.

“Is it your primal-mate’s scent in this room?” Damen stomped around, looking through drawers and across tables. “Well, it’s everywhere if it is.”

Trevor struggled, wanting to smash Damen’s face in and not understanding why. He stepped into the room. Her scent blasted against him, touching, spiraling from every direction. He stopped in the center of the room and instantly grew hard for her.

“Arousal isn’t going to get her back,” Damen shot. Chance walked in right then or Trevor would have nailed Damen. Chance glared from one to the other, gaze dropping to notice Trevor’s state.

“What’d you find in here? Anything useful?” Chance asked.

“Only that this must have been where they kept Lindsey. Her fragrance fills the place,” Trevor spat. Anyone with half a nose could pick up the arousal interspersed in Lindsey’s scent.

“Well, it just might be her smell that carries us to where everyone went. For some reason, it’s the only one uncloaked. You don’t suppose she ran off before the others?” Chance looked thoughtful. “It’d explain why her scent is the only one we can pick up.”

Dir walked in just then. “Lindsey’s trace loops around this cabin and goes off into the forest from the backside. There’s so much snowfall, tracks are pretty much covered. But, I think there’s enough of her aroma to hold us on the trail.”

“You don’t think this is a trap, do you?” Damen stared at Chance, then at Trevor.

Trevor still wanted to punch him.

“Her scent outside is at least a day old, if not longer. Human female scents in the big building are only hours old. They saturate the inside, but there’s nothing outside. So, I’m betting they used the camouflage drug, Total Eclipse, on them,” Dir stated.

“I took in most of the perimeter. Saw no one, but I caught Lindsey’s tang as well,” Chance added. “I say we go wolf and follow it. But no pack-communication. None. Is that clear?”

“Gotcha,” Dir answered. He moved away from the door and everyone filed out of the cabin.

Trevor couldn’t wait to get out and go wolf-form to hide his arousal. This capture would be the hardest for him and yet the most wanted. He needed to know which side of the fence Lindsey would choose so he could finally move on. Stagnated was a bitch.

Where can your readers find you? )

Website

FB

Twitter

GoodReads

Muse It Up Publishing

Amazon Author Page

Blog

Where’s your favorite place to hang out online? Twitter

Kay Dee Royal writes paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary erotic romance—maybe because it's also her favorite genres to read! She pens tales with wild, rugged heroes and strong, intelligent heroines. She'll give them both a few shadowy secrets, making her stories intriguing and fun. She resides in Southern Michigan with her family (her dog, her cats, her caged husband... you get the idea). You can find the latest on her titles from her publisher, MuseItHot.