tell
me about yourself, and your writing.
I’m
a Scorpio. I like bluegrass but don’t care for modern country. I
stubbed my toe this morning. It hurt.
My
writing has more variety that a 7-11 slurpee dispenser.
How
long have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and
what genres?
I
started writing stories for my amusement around age 12. I wrote my
first novel-length piece at sixteen. Currently, I have four novels in
print, with a fifth novel coming out in late September 2013. I write
some serious stuff (historicals) and some comical stuff
(paranormals), and some stuff in between (contemporaries and
speculative fiction).
Do
you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever
consider straying outside your genre?
Are
you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?
I’ve
evolved over the years. I started out as a panster, but I kept
finding I’d get to the 18K point in my book and be confused where
to go. Now before I start any book, I always write an outline of the
major points. There is still some spur-of-the-moment things that
arise, however. For example, in Pure & Sinful, the character of
Persephone was never in the original outline. She sprung from nowhere
and becomes a much more central character in books two and three.
What
is a typical writing day like for you?
I’m
only a part-time writer, as I hold down a full time job. (The cost of
living in my area is uber-high, so not working isn’t an option for
me.) I usually spend about 30-60 minutes when I wake up in the
morning checking social media, skimming the writing blogs I follow,
or doing other simple tasks. I write for about an hour in the
afternoon when I get home from work, then another 1-2 hours after my
kids go to bed and before I pass out.
Who
do you love to read? Favorite authors, favorite books?
I’m
loving Elizabeth Hunter these days. My favorite authors over all are
Shakespeare and F. Scott Fitzgerald, with a strong affection for
Ursula K. Le Guin and Frank L. Baum. My favorite book of all time,
however, and in my opinion the best book ever written, is Victor
Hugo’s Les
Miserables.
What
is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next
year?
I’ve
been teasing out a dystopian thriller for the last several years, and
I’d like to actually make it my servant and finish it.
If
you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?
Telekinesis,
because I hate getting up to grab the remote.
If
you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would
you have?
I’m
not sure I’d want one, actually. I have a dog and he’s enough
work as it is.
Tell
us a little about your latest release.
My
latest release is a contemporary romance/women’s lit novel. Set in
San Francisco, the heroine is a young thirtysomething CEO of a tech
startup who gets to the point of life where she feels she should get
married. Since she’s in a rush (she’s got a get ‘er done
philosophy to life) and she’s way too busy to date, she hires a
headhunter (a talent scout for highly skilled or executive workers)
to find one for her. Hilarity ensues.
What
is something that you absolutely can't live without? (Other than
family members)
I
have a strong appreciation for running water. I’ve lived without it
for short intervals in my life, but I really, really like being able
to walk up to a faucet and open it.
Could
you ever co author a book with someone? If so, who would you choose,
and what would you write?
I
so admire writers who can, but I’m very conscious of the fact that
my style and plotting don’t resemble too many other authors. Hence,
I’m not certain if this could ever become a reality.
If
you could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who
would it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?
I’m
not certain which particular person, but probably one of America’s
founding fathers. Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, etc. …. I’d like to
write down all the constitutional issues we face these days and get
their opinions, so we can finally get that 411 from the horse’s
mouth. Then I’d probably take them to a Starbucks, to show them the
long term consequences of the Boston Tea party.
What
are some of your other hobbies outside of writing?
I
don’t really have time for much more, between family, writing, and
work. I take hikes when I get the chance, and I bike around town when
my schedule is flexible enough.
If
you were on the staff to have a book adapted to movie, what would you
pick?
You
know, I’m kind of drawing a blank on this. I generally don’t like
adaptions I’ve seen, and wouldn’t wish that on the books I truly
treasure.
What
is a talent you wish you had, but don't?
The
ability to cook rice. I know, it sounds simple, but it alludes me.
Favorite
color?
Rainbow.
Weather:
Hot or cold?
*looks
out window* It’s about seventy-five today. Okay, seriously… I’m
a cold lover. Which is odd, because I live in California, but that’s
not by preference.
Favorite
place to read?
I
actually do a lot of my reading via audiobooks, and I listen while in
the car or biking around town. I also read off my ipad while on the
treadmill at the gym.
Favorite
meal
Chicken
piccata, or anything else that combines lemon and capers.
Favorite
non-alcoholic drink.
C-O-F-F-E-E.
amen.
If
you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding
you back, where would you go?
I’d
go explore Inca ruins in South America.
Pure
and Sinful
Pure
Souls Book One
Killian
Mcrae
Genre:
paranormal romance
Publisher:
Tulipe Noire Press
ASIN:
B0096SYZMG
ISBN-13:
9780983979784
Book
Description:
When
it turns out your ex was actually a sexy demon sent by the devil to
seduce you to evil, you'd think the next guy, no matter what he's
like, couldn't be a worse decision. Enter Father Marc Angeletti, a
smooth talking piece of forbidden fruit with onyx eyes and a razor
wit, and Riona Dade may as well start packing her luggage for
damnation now. But come Hell or... well, Hell, Marc, Riona, and
demigod Dee Zitka have a mission: serve as a Pure Soul and vanquish
Lucifer's minion scum from the face of the Earth to protect humanity
from evil.
Oh,
and don't get seduced into sin yourself, because a fallen Pure Soul
is one of Lucifer's biggest thrills. As long as Riona and Marc can
keep things professional and north of the sheets, no problem, right?
Yeah,
that worked out great in the Thornbirds, too...
Excerpt:
The donuts weren’t the only things with holes. Though invisible to the naked eye, Riona and Marc had a matching pair in their heads.
“What the Jim Dandy f- were you thinking?”
Dee struggled with his volume amid the gaggle of middle-of-the-night patrons at Donuts DeJour. Not that he thought any of them gave a damn about anything he was saying. And frankly, a handful of them were suspicious, dark world wash-ups anyways. Failed demons really enjoyed a midnight crueller, from what he heard.
Riona’s expression wore “f-you” like it was the latest thing off the Paris runway. “It was the charm, Dee. You honestly believe someone as green as I could stand up to something Asmodeus himself was dishing out? The demon has been heating things up since the Ice Age.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Dee said sweetly. “I didn’t realize you only signed up to fight middle-management evil.” With a blink, the scowl returned to his face. He focused his attention on Marc. “And you, Father Feely. I thought we had this all sorted out with our little powwow the other night? Do you not truly grasp that you were within six inches of damning yourself to Hell and becoming a demon?”
Marc remained nonplussed. Without looking so much as concerned, he pulled a white mug of caffeine sludge to his lips, and rattled off, “About nine inches, actually,” before drawing a sip.
The coffee never reached his mouth. It became a Jackson Pollack-inspired masterpiece on the wall adjacent the table at which they sat.
Dee leapt to his feet, his chair demonstrating the principle of Newton’s first law of motion as he lunged forward and plunged his fist down on the tiled tabletop, cracking it straight down the middle.
“Is this all a joke to you?” he bellowed, drawing Marc and Riona’s gazes back from the mug’s final resting place. “What part of ‘damned for all eternity and serving the dark side as its demon minion’ don’t you get? Yes, someone like Asmodeus is about as hard as they come. You still kicked his ass back to Hell, Riona. Barely. If you’d been ‘distracted’ a minute more, who knows though? You both have got to get a hold of yourselves before things go too far. I refuse to stand by and watch another person I care for get killed for something as silly as love.”
Now it was Riona’s turn to spring. “Jesus H. Christ, I am not in love with the priest here. I don’t know where the hell you and Ramiel get these ideas.”
“Ramiel?” Marc blinked violently several times. “You’re talking to Ramiel about us?”
Dee didn’t miss that dangerous two-lettered word. “Us?”
The witch slashed her hand through the air like a ninja using flies for target practice. “No, there is no us. Marc and I are not a thing. It only came up because Ramiel kept hinting that I have some destined love that’s supposed to shake the cosmos, or start an apocalypse, or melt the polar ice caps, or something. I think he was warning me not to be distracted,” she whipped in Marc’s direction, “by screwing you.”
“Why do I feel like you’re trying to make this my fault?” the priest shot back. “I backed off. I tried to stop. You’re the one who decided to act like a kitty that wanted to climb my tree.”
The witch blanched. “How dare you?”
By this time, even the transient who’d been having a three-way conversation with himself had paused and was watching the trio with utter confusion. Dee, noticing their audience, leaned in over the remaining half of the table and pushed the red-faced Riona back into her seat. Her attempt to resist stood no chance against Dee’s demigod strength.
Narrowing his gaze on the reticent couple, he yelled through a whisper, “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. You’re both on the hook if something happens; Marc for obvious reasons, and you because you would never subject someone to Hell, if given the choice. That’s it, I don’t see another solution. You two are not allowed to be alone anymore.”
“Seriously?” Riona barked.
“Chaperoned visits only from now on, preferably with Ramiel or me,” Dee confirmed. “It’s as much for your own good, as well as for our mission. I know I’m pretty damned talented, but I can’t fight evil on my own.”
“You’re right.” Brow furrowed, Marc nodded solemnly. “You’re right, indeed.”
But Riona didn’t like the looks of that bandwagon. “Oh. My. God. I am an adult and perfectly capable of putting a kibosh on my own behavior. I do not need to be chaperoned like this is some goddamn reenactment of Victorian courtship.”
Marc turned to Riona, taking her hands in his. The witch dashed a look at him in confusion, trying to figure out from his expression why he would do something so traitorous to their claims. It was when the saccharine words began to fall from his lips that she understood.
“My child, we all fall prey to Satan’s snares from time to time, and acquiesce our better judgment to the darkness. There is no sin in being human, the only sin is failing to strive for purity when we realize the error of our ways.”
She ripped her hand away as if Marc’s palms were a hot stovetop. “Don’t pull the compassionate clergy routine on me, Father. I am not one of your parishioners, and if I recall correctly, your error was about to make a beeline straight for my purity.”
About
the Author:
Killian
McRae would tell you that she is a rather boring lass, an authoress
whose characters’ lives are so much more exciting than her own. She
would be right. Sadly, this sarcastic lexophile leads a rather
mundane existence in the San Francisco Bay Area.
She
once dreamed of being the female Indiana Jones, and to that end she
earned a degree in Middle Eastern History from the University of
Michigan. However, when she learned that real archaeologist spend
more time lovingly removing dust with toothbrushes from shards of
pottery than outrunning intriguing villains with exotic accents, she
decided to become a writer instead.
She
writes across many genres, including science fiction, fantasy,
romance, and historical fiction.
twitter:
@killianmcrae
Thanks for the interview and the excerpt! I love the sound of your newest book (Have Gown, Will Wed) - yeah...it's on my my shopping list for tonight...lol....
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