Keena and her wonderful and unique imagination have brought you great story. A druid who denies himself nothing desires the only woman who believes magic and love don't mix.

BYS: What went Between the Sheets of this book?  Either what was happening in your life when you wrote it, or what was happening with the book as you wrote it.

As I was writing TIES THAT BIND, I was also launching a global media relations program for a client, so there was a bit of stress in my life at the time. At the end of some particularly grueling days, I came home and killed someone in the book. I felt better, even as the murder rate increased in one tiny area of medieval England. I affectionately call the book, “a sweet little love story with a high body count.”

BYS: Where did you find the idea to write this novel?

KK: Aedan simply wouldn’t shut up. When I first started working on ANAM CARA, the prequel to TIES THAT BIND, he wasn’t part of the story. Then one day he popped into a scene, complaining about the heat and the stink. After I got over my surprise that the hero had a younger brother, I decided Aedan would be accused of murder, which would force the hero to stay in Carlisle long enough to fall in love with the heroine.

Silly me. That is so not how the story went.

Aedan not only refused to follow my plot, but also talked his way into being a major character. Nor would he let “The End” be the end. Instead, he began stalking me, demanding I write his story. In his opinion, I left his reputation in tatters at the close of the first book, and I needed to make it right.

BYS: Why this story at this time?

KK: As a descendant of druids, one of Aedan’s magical abilities is the gift of words. He can talk anyone into anything—including this author.

BYS: Are you a visual writer? Do you see scenes and characters in your head?   Or do you hear the characters voices?

KK: I’m both a visual and an auditory writer. I often dream the pivotal scene in the book, and that starts the writing process. But during the drafting and editing process, I often “hear” conversations with my characters, and they have a tendency to show up and spill secrets while I’m taking a bath. Thankfully, those conversations aren’t visual. LOL!

BYS: What are your thoughts on First Person verses Third Person?  Which is your preference?

KK: I prefer to read third person to first person, but one of my favorite series is written in first person. Like anything else, a good story is a good story is a good story whether it’s told in first or third person.

BYS: What is your opinion of critique groups?  Do you find them helpful?

KK: I think critique groups can be very helpful, especially to the beginning writer who is working to master craft and find her storytelling voice. And even though I’m published, I find the feedback from critique partners to be invaluable to identifying weak spots in my story. However, the wrong critique group is worse than no group at all, so my advice here is to be selective in your choice of critique partners.

BYS: What is your re-writing and editing process?

KK: Messy.   

BYS: Were you an avid reader as a child?  What did you like to read?

KK: Yes, I was--and still am--an avid reader. I taught myself to read when I was about 4 years old, and have been collecting books for my “someday library” ever since. I’m an eclectic reader, to be honest, and can enjoy most anything, i.e. biographies, scholarly research, fantasy, and of course, romance.

BYS: What are you working on now?

KK: I’ve just finished final edits for ENTHRALLED, the sequel to TIES THAT BIND. It tells the story of William, a knight in the queen’s household, and Ami, his foster-sister whom he’s loved for years. But his honor and social convention stands in his way, as does the queen and her desire to rule—no matter who has to die for that happen.

Now I’m toying with a story about a bastard, literally and figuratively, who sets out to seduce a woman for her property and discovers a shocking secret hidden within her castle that could change the world--and that the heroine is no one’s pawn.

BYS: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?  And how did you keep your spirits up until the first book was published?

KK: Getting published is always a mix of talent, persistence and luck. You’re born with the first, and the last is beyond your control. So, my advice is to focus on what you can: learn the craft, work persistently at being the best writer you can be, and then put yourself out there so fortune can find you.

© 2010 Interview by BetweenYourSheets.com

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