Izzy’s Insights – Interview with Characters Kane and Amber

on January 29, 2013

Sergej Khakimullin
Shutterstock

Hello, folks!  Sorry about my lengthy absence…I’ve been busy.  I requested time to interview Kane Kayrs, but he just couldn’t make the time.  I guess being the smartest guy in the Universe tends to keep one busy.  So I contacted Amber, Kane’s mate, and she said they’d love to sit down with me.  This time I chose a brand-new coffee shop in town.  They haven’t heard of us there, which is a good thing.  Those Kayrs men get me kicked out of places every darn time.  Here’s the transcript of the interview, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in:

Oh, wait a minute.  I guess I should give you some quick background.  I arrived early and found a nice booth toward the rear of the shop.  Then, since I’ve hung with the Kayrs men before, I sat with my back to the door and left the chair that faced the door for Kane.  Yeah. Not my first rodeo. 

Kane and Amber arrived, both carrying tons of shopping bags.  Kane wore his customary black slacks and silk shirt, while Amber wore a long, flowing skirt and lots of Celtic jewelry.  They reached the table, Amber scooted in, and Kane took the chair I figured he’d take.

ME:  Thank you so much for meeting me here!  I know how busy you are.  Been shopping?

KANE:  You could say thatHe gave Amber a look.  Apparently my mate loves after Christmas sales.

AMBER:  Oh, I really do.  You have to check this out.

At that point, she reached in a bag and pulled out the most adorable little hoodie with a picture of Einstein on it.  I got all excited…OMG – a Kayrs baby?  My heart actually leapt into my throat.  Honest.

AMBER:  Isn’t this the cutest?  It’s for Walter.

I coughed.  Yeah.  I coughed.

KANE:  Walter is the monkey I use in my lab.

ME:  Um, yeah.  Okay.  So…how about any Kayrs babies?  You know?  I’m just curious.

AMBER:  I think a baby would be wonderful!  But, it usually takes vampires quite a while to procreate for some reason.  Usually a century or two.  Well, except for Talen.

KANE:  It’s probably because we’re mostly immortal.  I mean, since we live so long, it makes sense that there shouldn’t be too many of us.  From a universal perspective, that is.

ME:  I see.  But I notice you’re not saying no.

At this point, three waitresses wandered into view from behind the counter.  As one, they all saw us, and they all sucked in breath.  Then, not caring of their associates, they all tried to rush forward at the same time.

Two of the waitresses smacked into each other and went down.  The other leaped several feet to land at our table. 

TRIUMPHANT WAITRESS (to Kane):  Hi.  What can I get you?

He lifted that eyebrow in total Kayrs fashion.

KANE:  Are your friends all right?  (She nodded and didn’t take her eyes off Kane).  Okay.

AMBER:  Maybe we should help them get off the floor.

KANE:  Stay put, sweetheart.

Yep.  Kayrs male all the way.  Then Kane smiled at the waitress.  Her eyelids fluttered, but to her credit, she didn’t swoon.

KANE:  Izzy will have a double caramel latte, Amber will have an organic bean, all natural, vegan Bobby Bill, and I’ll have a cup of coffee–black.

ME:  Um…how did you know what coffee I like?

A Kayrs eyebrow rose.  Oh yeah.  Smartest.  Guy.  On.  The.  Planet.  He probably actually knew what I’d had for breakfast, how much money I had in the bank, and my secret dreams nobody else had ever guessed.

AMBER:  Kane remembers everything.  So, how are things with you, Izzy?

ME:  Um, fine.  Thanks.  How’s life as a vampire mate?

AMBER:  Terrific.  I mean, Grandma Hilde is getting along fairly well with the vampires, though she does try to run things sometimes.

Kane flashed her a look.

ME:   So how is life at Realm Headquarters? 

Just then, the outside door jingled.  Always a bad sign when meeting the Kayrs men.  So I turned…and it wasn’t Talen or Jase, the two who usually cause me problems.  It was a large, hulking, sexy, dark-haired guy.  I’d never met him.  But the air vibrated around him in a way I’ve come to recognize as shifter-tension.

Kane instantly stood and planted himself between the table and the door.  Yeah.  The big guy wasn’t going to let anything happen to little ole me.  Well, and Amber.  I’m sure he wanted to protect Amber, too.

The guy prowled forward, his gaze on Kane.

KANE:  Terrent. 

Terrent:  Kane.

Oh.  I figured out quickly that the guy must be Terrent Vilks, the sexy as hell wolf shifter who’s the hero in TWISTED.  I began to stand because hey, I needed to interview him.  One look from Kane (over his shoulder no less) had me sitting back down.  Darn it.

KANE:  Why are you here?

TERRENT:  I need your help.  Maggie’s in trouble, and it’s time for her to move to wolf headquarters.

KANE:  We can keep her safe.

TERRENT:  Not like I can…and you know it.

Kane rubbed his chin.  Have you talked to Dage?

TERRENT:  No.  I figured I’d get you on my side first.

KANE:  Good plan.  But I can’t guarantee I’ll agree.  Let’s talk.

TERRENT:  I’d love to.  But there’s a cadre of werewolves just outside of town, and I figured…

KANE:  We’ll talk while we hunt.  He looked at me and gently drew Amber out of her chair.  Izzy?  I enjoyed our chat.  We’ll meet again after we take care of the werewolf problem.  Pure anticipation lit his sizzling eyes.  Yeah, the guy wanted a good fight.

AMBER:  I’ll just stay and chat with Izzy.

KANE:  No.

Just as easy as that, all three of them disappeared through the door.  I felt a little bereft until I noticed a hulking shadow by the door.  Gathering my courgage, I marched over to a huge, blonde guy with eyes the color of a midnight storm. Who are you?” I asked.

HUGE, BLONDE GUY:  Your bodyguard.  The king wants you safe.

Well, now.  It rocks to be Izzy, doesn’t it?  🙂

Hunted is in the Wild, and Tempted is Free

on April 24, 2012

(The free read is now over…but Tempted is still discounted for a short time).

Hi all!  Today is release day for Hunted!  YAY!  And Tempted is still a free download from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ITunes, etc., so get yours while you can!  Even if you don’t have an e-reader, get the free “Kindle for PC” program from Amazon–I use mine all the time.  So, readers have sent in a couple questions that I thought I’d answer about Hunted:

1)  How do you think the average reader will relate to Moira, who’s a witch?  Well, I relate to her, and I’m not a witch.  🙂  Basically, Moira is in a situation that we all find ourselves in at some point (or at many points) in that several different paths are spreading out before her, and she needs to choose one.  Her people expect her to lead, her mate expects her to join him, and she wants to be an enforcer.  The cool thing about Moira is that she has the ability to find a way to do all three.

2)  Is Conn as over the top Alpha as the rest of the vampires?  Yes.  🙂  But Conn has a surprisingly sweet side that I think made for some cool scenes.  And as the ultimate soldier, he really doesn’t need to throw his weight around.  He’s smart, and he’s a good guy, and most importantly, he’s in love with Moira.

3)  What’s your favorite line from the book?  Well, it’s out of context here, and I can’t give you context or it’ll ruin some surprises.  But my favorite line is:  With a flash of speed and the shattering of glass, Connlan Kayrs leaped through the window.

4)  What’s your favorite short blurb?  This is a tough one, but I’ve always liked the following:

Conn tugged Moira to straddle him.  His lids half closed.  “No,” he murmured very softly.  “I want all of you, Moira.”  A deep breath lifted her to settle back in place.  “For now, your neck would be enjoyable.”  Twin fangs dropped low.

A guttural growl escaped him and she shivered.  Fighting the urge to clear her throat, fighting the need to run, she gingerly set her hands on either side of his wide shoulders and leaned down.  He threaded his free hand through her hair, tightening his hold and turning her head to the side.

Something natural, something feminine in her sighed, relaxing.  He had her.  And deep down, where certainty lived, she knew he wasn’t letting go.

Okay – I’m off to get ready for the book launching party today.  If you’re in the Cd’A area, stop by Gourmet Way between 5:00 and 7:00 tonight to say hi!

PURCHASE HUNTED

Izzy’s Insights – Interview with Characters Max and Sarah

on April 22, 2012

Sergej Khakimullin
Shutterstock

So, I’ve been wanted to interview Max and Sarah ever since TEMPTED came out, and I finally got a chance to sit down with them at a brand new coffee shop in my town.  If you’ve read my earlier interviews, you know why I had to find a new coffee shop.  Max arrived early and we got started.  Here’s the transcript of the interview, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in:

ME:  Thank you so much for meeting me here!  I know how busy you are.  Where’s Sarah?

MAX:  Ah, Sarah’s on her own time schedule.  She had some stuff planned with the queen and said she’d be here on time.  But ‘on time’ for Sarah means about five to ten minutes late.

At this point I should probably tell you a bit about Max if you haven’t met him yet.  He’s huge with a very slight Russian accent.  A bodyguard to the king and then to Janie, Max is pretty formidable.  Brown eyes, dark hair, and he has that tough guy look that makes people not bump into his chair in a coffee shop.

ME:  Okay, that’s fine.  So, you finally found your mate, huh?

Max blushed.  I mean, he really blushed.  Suddenly he went from looking like a hot killer to a sweet guy.  I wanted to punch him in the arm or give him a noogy.  I think I’m in love.  (Yeah, I know he has a mate.  But give me a second for a fantasy here.)

MAX:  Yes.  Sarah was being chased by some Kurjans, and I went after her to help.  Well, there are a few more details involved there, but it’s Realm business and I can’t really talk about it.  Um, is it hot in here?

ME:  You know your story is in a book, right?

MAX:  Aren’t you funny?  There’s no book.

So Max doesn’t know about TEMPTED?  What’s up with that?  Then he stiffened and glanced toward the door.  A curvy brunette skirted several tables to find her way to us.  Max instantly held out a chair and she sat.  Max introduced me to Sarah.

ME:  Hi Sarah, thanks for coming.  Max says you’re always late.

SARAH:  (After elbowing Max in the gut).  Not true.  What did I miss?

ME:  Not much.  Max was just telling me about you running from Kurjans.

SARAH:  (After giving a huge shiver).  Yeah, I saw one, nobody believed me, and I was sent to an asylum.  I escaped, and well…everyone came looking for me.

ME:  I’ve heard the Kurjans are still a big threat and that they’ve upped their attempts to get to Janie Kayrs.

The air seemed to change around us.  Max lost the charming look, his eyes glinting.  Finally, I could see the Russian hunter Dage had trained to kill and defend.  No way did I want to give the guy a noogy now.  I shivered.

MAX:  The Kurjans won’t get Janie.  Ever.

SARAH:  We have excellent security…there’s no way the Kurjans will come close.  Max, stop scaring the nice reporter.  Though, those Kurjans are creepy.

She shivered again.  Max frowned and asked Sarah if she was cold.  She said kind of.  So Max offered to go tell the coffee shop people to turn up the heat.  (Keep in mind, it was about 70 degrees in there).  Sarah said no.  So Max scanned the entire shop, decided it was safe, and headed off to get both Sarah and me some warm coffee.

ME:  Wow.

SARAH:  Yeah, I know.  The war makes them all tense.  But underneath the big, bad, tough-guy killer exteriors, the vampires are nice guys.  Well, most of the time.  Well, sometimes.  Well, ALL the time with their mates.

ME:  That’s nice for their mates.  You’ve read Tempted.  What’s your favorite line from the novella?

SARAH:  That’s a great question!  Well, we’d just met and he saved me from several scary Kurjans.  Then he tracked me through the woods where it had been raining, and I was freezing when we found shelter.  And, don’t tell him, but I was kind of scared of him.  You should see him fight.  Well, here’s the line:

Two strides and he shoved her over.  “Don’t panic here, darlin’.  But we’re about to snuggle.” Quick movements had him under the blanket, turning her to spoon against him.

SARAH:  The idea of the big guy using the word ‘snuggle’ just threw me.  He was so dangerous and so sweet at the same time.

ME:  Okay, that is really sweet.  So how is life at Realm Headquarters?  You’re a teacher, right?

SARAH:  Yes.  Oh my goodness.  I love teaching there.  But I have to tell you, going from teaching a bunch of young kindergarteners to teaching humans and a bunch of young shifters is a huge leap.  The shifters will shift right in the middle of class.  I’m having so much fun!

Her eyes sparkled and her entire face lit up–and I could totally see why Max adored her.  Yeah, they belong together for sure.  Then Max returned and gave us both coffee, once again scanning the coffe shop for threats.

ME:  What are you looking for?

MAX:  Talen told me that trouble seems to follow you, and I’m looking for problems.

I started sputtering.  I mean, really sputtering.  The only trouble I’d ever had was caused by Talen causing problems.

SARAH:  Don’t worry, Izzy.  We all know that reporters have dangerous jobs.

Even the Realm women were in the dark?  Then I noticed the amusement in her eyes.  Oh.  Yeah, she got it.  So I shared a smile with her and nodded.

MAX:  We have to get going in a minute because Conn’s heading over to Ireland to fetch his mate, and I’d like to say goodbye.  Though I’m sure Conn will be home with her soon so we can keep her safe.

ME:  Isn’t she a witch?

SARAH:  Moira is a very powerful witch…and I don’t think she’s the type to be ‘fetched.’  Something tells me their meeting is going to have some powerful fireworks involved.

MAX:  (After shrugging).  Doesn’t matter, sweetheart.  Love always wins…you know that.

At this point Max got a call and said they had to go.  But that was all right with me…I’m heading out to pick up my copy of HUNTED.  I SO want to see those fireworks.  See you next time!

Tempted Releases Today!

on March 27, 2012

Hi all! I’m still enjoying the very nice weather in Maui but wanted to take a moment and celebrate Tempted’s Release. YAY! I’ve been waiting for Max’s story to be available since turning it in last September.

The first chapter is actually a prologue where it shows the first time Max met little Janie and agreed to be her bodyguard.  This was entirely off the path he’d chosen to go hunt Kurjans.

Then the book starts with Max having to hunt down feisty Sarah Pringle, a teacher who’d been unfairly sent to an insane hospital because she saw a Kurjan and nobody would believe her.  Of course, Max may have an ulterior motive for seeking out Sarah…

Here are the ‘buy links’ in case you’re interested.  Tempted is an e-novella (Currently priced at $2.99) that you can download to any of your e-readers OR your computer.  I hope you enjoy!

Naughty After Dark Blog Hop – He Caught her at the Sea

on February 15, 2012

Hi there!  Welcome to the Naughty after Dark Blog Hop!  Click on the linky thingy above to jump back on the hop.

We’re supposed to give away something naughty, or slightly so, for the hop…so I’m giving away a signed copy of one of the Dark Protector stories (FATED, CLAIMED, OR HUNTED) because, hey, those vamps can get pretty naughty.  🙂

Now, to make things interesting and to give me a very brief break from the next book in the series, which is due on May 1st, I thought I’d show a very cool picture I found awhile back.  At some point, I’d like to write a scene about this one…but as it’s Valentine’s Day right now (although not by the time you’re reading this), I, uh, have a hot date with Big Tone.   🙂  But…isn’t this a cool picture?

I promise I’ll draft a quick scene about it sometime in the near future.  For now, just enjoy the hop and good luck with winning the prizes!  Please leave a comment below for a chance to win from me – did you have a nice Valentine’s Day?  Or…any big plans for the spring/summer?  Or…is it spring or summer where you are?  (Not here – it snowed today).  Thanks for popping by!  Click on the cute linky thing above to get back on the hop!