An Interview with Antonia Tiranth

Let’s welcome a fellow Lyrical Press author who has a book releasing today as well. Thank you, Antonia, so much for joining us here at Playground Mystique!

Cindy: Let’s start off with a little bio. Give us a peek in to your life:

Antonia: Hiyas Cindy and everyone! I’m really excited to be here. A peek into my life huh? Well, I’m a thirty year old, born and raised Batli-moron (Baltimore, MD). I work in as a lab technician for Johns Hopkins University and love cats, reading, writing and playing Final Fantasy XI. I’m also a dragon lover, which you’ll when you read my Tales of the Rikashi Series.

C: When did you know you wanted to become a professional author?

A: I think I’ve always wanted to be a professional author. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I went through a period right after college and before I met Del where I wasn’t writing (about 2 years) where I was miserable. So this is a real dream come true for me.

C: What inspired the story of your series, Tales of Rikashi?

A: It kind of evolved in a weird way. I’ve always seen my muse as a dragon shifter and I needed an idea for NaNoWriMo, so I started thinking about what if my muse had a brother? I’m a big Anne McCaffery fan so the idea of dragons has always been in my head.

C: An entire world of dragon-shifters seems like quite an undertaking. How did you go about constructing the culture and mythology?

A: I tried to pull bits and pieces from real mythologies and cultures and made a mish-mash to create the Rikashi cultures. They are a matriarchal society with a very pagan-like religion. I picked all the pieces of religions and cultures that I think are interesting and mixed them up to get what you see in my world.

C: The first book, The Quickening, has such a charming, engaging plot, especially the character Aer. Could you give us a little insight into this sexy shifter?

A: I love Aer, he’s so funny. He’s got a really quick temper but he’s just as easily diffused. Don’t tell him I told you this, but he’s really just a big teddy bear. He acts grumpy to cover that up.

C: The Gathering is a continuation of the Tales of Rikashi. Did the series come to you all at once or did the story reveal itself in stages as you wrote?

A: I got the idea for The Gathering after I finished The Quickening but the other books in the series have come to me while working on The Gathering.

C: All right, shameless self-promotion time. Let’s see the gorgeous cover and read an excerpt from The Gathering.

A: LOL of course :

The sleek black limo rolled to a stop in front of the giant granite steps, and I opened the car door, not waiting to be assisted. I left my bags, knowing they would be brought in, likely to my old rooms. Once a room was claimed, it remained yours to use whenever you wished.
I hurried up the steps and into the manor house. With little conscious effort I walked the path to Calidan’s rooms. The hallway approaching his bed chambers was lined with sobbing Rikashi of all three remaining clans. Whatever troubles were brewing, sorrow was quelling it for the moment, at least here.
I paused at the closed double doors that led to his bedroom, needing a moment to make certain I was in control of myself. Before I could knock, the door swung inward on silent hinges. A golden-haired female stood on the other side.
“You must be Shirak,” she said with a sad smile. At my nod, she stepped aside. “He’s been asking for you. He hasn’t much time left.”
“There is nothing you can do for him?” I asked, assuming she was a Surion.
She shook her head. “All my powers cannot rescue a body ravaged by time, youngling. Go see him now.”
I nodded again and stepped into the bed chamber. It smelled of cinnamon, Earl Grey tea, and death. I did not think I would ever be able to drink Earl Grey again.
My feet made no sound on the thick carpet as I moved forward. Calidan’s son, Severick, rose from a chair in the corner, glaring at me as he left the room. I shook my head; that one had never liked me.
Calidan lay on an impressive gilded four-poster bed, his eyes closed, and for a moment I feared I was too late. But then I saw the slow rise and fall of his chest, and I could hear his labored breathing as I moved closer.
“Calidan?” I called, keeping my voice low.
His eyes fluttered open, and a smile touched his lips. He lifted a hand and waved me forward. I knelt at the edge of the bed, taking that hand carefully in mine. “Lazing about in bed when there is work to be done, sir?”
A rolling exhalation of breath was all the chuckle he could manage. The old Rikashi’s mouth worked up and down, but his voice would not work.
“Do not try to talk. You need to rest so you can get well. You said when I left I was not finished with my training.”
He shook his head. Whatever he needed to tell me was important enough for him to make an attempt while on his death bed. I reached for his mind and found it as feeble as his body looked. I could only pluck a few words from his fading thoughts—tariel, jewel, protect.
Another frown pulled the corners of my mouth. “I do not understand, Calidan.”
He sucked in a rasping breath, letting it out with the words he tried to speak. “Jewel…duty…protect.” His hand went to his throat, tugging at a chain there. “Yours now.” He placed something warm in my hand and with a sigh, closed his eyes again.
I looked at the amulet nestled on my palm. It was a beautiful star shaped gem. A myriad of colors sparkled within its depths. It seemed to pulse with a light of its own.
“Calidan, I cannot accept this.”
“Yours to protect.” The words rang in my mind, and the amulet flashed. A wave of dizziness took me briefly. A tone, sharp but not unpleasant, sounded in my ears. Faces flashed in my mind, twelve of them. Five were male. Five were female. The final two faces were blurred and difficult to make out. To my surprise, Aerandir’s face was one of the visible ones. My own face flashed last in my mind, the image lingering before fading. It was over as quickly as it had begun.
“What in the hell was that?” I murmured, staring at the amulet.
No answer came from my mentor. I put a hand on his shoulder, and I knew. Calidan was dead.

C: There’s a third book in the series, Black Velvet. I know from your blog that BV is in line edits. Could you give us a sneak peek ‘unedited’ excerpt from the book, just to tease us?

A: Sure thing. Keep in mind, this is still in editing stages and is not the final copy.

“You have all lost your minds. I. Am. Not. Going. To. Texas.” I stood in the center of the living room of Less’s London townhouse, gazing around at nine pairs of eyes, one set staring from a computer screen, all looking back expectantly. If they thought I was going to go after Jett, they were sadly mistaken.
I turned my back on them, folding my arms. I was acting like a child. I knew it, but I was not going. I couldn’t. Daddy had barely allowed the trip to London, going to the United States was out of the question.
“Amara, you are the only one of us with any hope to bring him back.” Shirak’s voice, calm and soothing, washed over me.
I glared at his face on the computer screen, putting my hands on my hips, fighting against the Gwindor calming power, coming at me from all directions. “Why? Why me?”
Shirak cocked an eyebrow at me, while the others hid their smiles behind their hands. I knew why they wanted me to go. I knew and I wished I could forget it, but I couldn’t. When I let my mind wander, I was drawn back to it. That day. That kiss.
Jett had come to the house with the others, bearing the body of the Great Dragon, Lancelot. His dark, wavy hair brushed his shoulders, black wings folded to his back, his muscular chest was bare and black jeans hugged his strong thighs. After seeing the body stored, he’d come back to the main hall and his eyes had met and held mine. Those dark eyes, there was such hunger in them. It had sent a shiver up my spine. Everyone else had faded until it was just the two of us.
I had tried to pay attention to Aerandir relating all the details about the fight and the sudden appearance of the wings now sprouting from Josephine’s back, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t take my eyes off Jett as he stalked toward me. His hand had shot out, cupping the back of my neck, pulling me to him with gentle but undeniable force and…
“Amara?”
I shook my head, looking at Arafin. “What?”
“You got goo-goo eyes again, lass.”
I frowned at him, heat creeping into my cheeks. “I do not. I never get goo-goo eyes, and even if I did they most certainly would not be for him.”
I could feel their humor through our bond, and it only made me angrier. How could I have “goo-goo eyes” for such a callous, conceited, cocky male like him? For Bahamut’s sake he wasn’t even a full Rikashi, had no family to speak of. Daddy would kill me for so much as looking at him. But, the warmth, strength and tightly coiled restraint of him still tormented my dreams.
“So it is decided then?”
“No, it is not,” I snapped at Shirak. “I am not going after him. You do it. You’re our leader, right?”
He looked at me with a grin tugging the corners of his mouth as he pulled his fiancé to his side, into view of the web cam. She waved. “Gem and I are trying to get back into the Library at Alexandria. I believe that Leviathan can help us enter undetected.”
“My high and mighty big brother reduced to breaking and entering?” Aerandir chuckled.
I turned my gaze on the blue-haired male. “You do it then. You’re Shir’s brother, that makes you second in command.”
Like his elder brother, Aer shook his head. “Sorry, Amara, I’m not leaving Phi, and she’s not flying right now. Not with—” He cut off, glancing at the pale yellow wings rising behind his wife then down to her beginning to round stomach. Jo just rolled her eyes and waved him off.
I started to turn on each of the others but Shirak interrupted. “Amara, we would not ask this of you if anyone else could do it.”
“We don’t need him,” I protested feebly. “If he wanted to help, he would have stayed. He would answer us.”

C: What next can we expect from Antonia Tiranth?

A: Right now, book four is rolling around in my brain, nothing on paper yet. I’m writing a series based on the Tarot Kings as well. King of Swords has been accepted at Red Rose Publishing and I’m about a third of the way through King of Cups.

Thank you again, Antonia, for being our guest today. Rush out and buy The Gathering today! And if you haven’t purchased the first book, do that, too 😉 Chat with Antonia all week on the Playground Mystique Yahoo group. And find out more about this exciting new voice at the following locations:

Website: http://www.antoniatiranth.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tiranth
Blog:www.antoniatiranth.blogspot.com
Other links: http://www.twitter.com/antoniatiranth

Author Interview–Rita Vetere!

Thank you, Rita, so much for joining us here at Playground Mystique! We’re honored to have a bestselling author of darkness and suspense here with us today.

Cindy: Let’s start off with a little bio. Give us a peek in to your life:

Rita: First of all, Cindy, thank you so very much for having me today. The pleasure is all mine!

Okay, let’s see, a little about me. Born in Newborough, England, raised in Toronto, Canada, where I still live with my husband of 25 years and our daughter. I grew up enjoying the culture of the 60s and 70s, such an interesting era. I’ve always been an avid reader and my reading taste has always gravitated naturally to dark fiction. I love a good horror flick too.

C: When did you know you wanted to become a professional author?

R: I did quite a bit of writing in high school, but I never really gave much thought to pursuing it as a career. It wasn’t until much later, after marrying, raising a family and working the evil day job for many years that I realized how much I missed the written word in my life. I started writing again, mostly short stories and flash fiction. Then I sat down to try my hand at novel-writing. Even then, I didn’t have any real expectation of being published, I just knew I had to try. The result was Ancient Inheritance. When I finished the story, that’s when I knew I wanted to write professionally.

C: What inspired the plot of your debut novel, Ancient Inheritance?

R: I happened across some info on the Spear of Longinus, the artifact around which the story revolves, and discovered some fascinating history and legends associated with the Spear. I couldn’t help but wonder what might happen if a demon was to get his hands on it. I carried that idea around with me for a couple of weeks and then sat down to prepare an outline.

C: There’s something very sexy about your demon, Sammael. Do you have a dark affection for your villains? If so, what other sensual bad guys can we look forward to?

R: I really enjoyed letting my dark side come out to play when creating Sammael. Sure, I envisioned him as cruel, selfish, egotistical, power-hungry and evil, but he also turned out to be clever, with a dark sense of humor, extremely attractive, very persistent—a demon who knows what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it. I tried to paint him in a way that a reader might think: Gee, I’m glad I’m not a demon—but you know, if I was a demon, I’d want to be just like that.

The villain in my upcoming paranormal/dark fantasy novel, Born of Darkness, is Ahriman, an inubus who has learned how to incarnate. He, too, will have some unique qualities which I hope readers will enjoy. His incubus tendencies definitely bode well for his sex life.

C: Ancient Inheritance is now available in print. How does it feel to hold a book with your name on it, to see your words in print?

R: Because I spent so much of my youth with my nose stuck in a book, I have always loved the feel and even the smell of an actual book, especially an old book. So many good memories are associated with reading that I have to admit I was thrilled to hold a copy of Ancient Inheritance in my hands. An awesome feeling, if a bit surreal.

C: You have another book coming in digital format next month called Born of Darkness. Could you give us a sneak peek into the book?

R: I’d love to. Here’s a mock-up blurb and the cover art for Born of Darkness, as well as an excerpt I’ve not posted anywhere else yet. I enjoyed writing this dark fantasy very much and I’m really looking forward to the June 15th release.

~ There’s no escaping black karma when its time has come ~

Meet Jasmine Fairchild, outrageously gorgeous, and extremely persuasive. Some might say unnaturally so. Jasmine is a Cambion, part mortal, part succubus—and she hears voices.

On the cusp of her 21st birthday, the incubus Ahriman arrives, an old and evil soul who has learned how to incarnate. He seeks immortality, but a fate worse than death awaits Jasmine if he succeeds.

When she fails to destroy Ahriman’s portal to the physical world, and with the fate of the human race hanging in the balance, Jasmine turns to the mysterious voice she keeps hearing. It may be the key to her salvation, and redemption for those who dwell in the land of the dead.

Unedited Excerpt:

She turned to study her reflection in the dark window, perturbed at the sight of the haggard face peering back. Her long hair, once silky, hung in limp, greasy strands around her pale face. Puffy eyes, underscored with dark circles, stared back at her. She looked like a ghost, a shadow of the woman she’d once been.

Lilli turned away from her reflection and used the remote to turn on the television. Muting it, she sat back, gazing blankly at the moving pictures on the screen. She missed Charlie. Always, she missed Charlie. Yet she knew even Charlie would not have been able to stop what was happening to her, or help her to protect the baby. The baby she was now quite certain was not his. Her heart began to beat double-time in acknowledgment of the dreadful truth.

The clock on the mantle ticked away like a bomb in the silent room. Almost one-thirty in the morning. Dora would be home soon, and they didn’t like to make themselves known to others. Usually, they arrived when she was alone, or in the early morning hours when Dora was sound asleep. She’d be safe once Dora got back. She wrapped her arms protectively around her belly and watched the silent screen.

Minutes later, her head snapped up. The soft sound of a whispered voice floated toward her. “No… please,” she moaned. She placed her hands over her ears and began to slowly rock back and forth. Hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. She felt flushed, fevered. The baby kicked inside her, as if in warning.

“Go away,” she whispered into the empty room.

Other menacing voices chimed in, whispering sly words she could not make out. Soon, the subtle, sinister sounds surrounded her. She closed her eyes and tried to will them away, but it did no good. Suddenly, the hushed voices turned loud, making the hair at the nape of her neck stand up. A trickle of sweat rolled down her back. As the angry voices rose in unison, terror engulfed her all over again.

Invisible hands began to prod and poke at her. Phantom fingers brushed against her face and hair. Soon the slapping sensations on her arms and around her head would begin. Lilli sat helplessly on the couch, shielding herself against what she knew was coming. When the first blows struck, she jumped up and tried to fight them off, but her fists encountered only air.

As she tried to defend herself against the phantasms, something she saw on the side table caused her to freeze in shock. She stood perfectly still, the blood in her veins turning to sludge, no longer aware of the unseen hands pushing and slapping at her.

“That’s impossible,” she whispered to herself.

She stared in disbelief. The pendant. The one she had thrown away in Morocco. It can’t be. But there it sat anyway, glittering malignantly. A bolt of dread shot through her. Somehow, the awful thing had found its way back to her.

C: What about the mythology surrounding incubi captured your imagination?

R: I was intrigued by the myth that that an incubus is able to breed with a mortal and produce offspring known as a Cambion. I began to wonder what would happen if a female Cambion wasn’t aware of her origins, thinking herself mortal. How would she fit in among humans, how would it become evident to her what she was, and how would she cope? The story just seemed to flow from there.

C: What next can we expect from Rita Vetere?

R: My current work-in-progress is Whispering Bones, a ghost story that takes place on a haunted island off the coast of Venice.

I have to say right off the bat that I’ve a special affinity for this story. For one thing, it’s straight horror—no romantic or other elements here—and horror is my first love. I’m hoping to have a first draft completed in a couple of months, then revise, revise, revise. I’m really looking forward to the day I can get it out there.

C: How long does it take you to finish a novel from start to fully polished manuscript?

R: So far each story has been different. Ancient Inheritance took me just over a year. I wrote it evenings and weekends, working around my day job. I had the luxury of being at home when I wrote Born of Darkness so had more time to devote to writing it. That story took about six months, start to finish. I’m 50,000 words into Whispering Bones and that’s taken me four months to do. I anticipate Whispering Bones will take a total of six, seven months to complete.

C: So far you’ve written full-length novels—very impressive for a new author—do you ever see yourself working in other formats like short stories or novellas?

R: I am planning to revisit a short story or two once I get the first draft of Whispering Bones done. I’ve been toying with an idea for a short story that stems from my real-life fear of birds.

C: What about the suspense/horror genre drew you to it?

R: As a kid in the sixties I spent my Sunday afternoons at the local movie theatre being mesmerized by such classics as “The Hand”, “The Birds”, “Two on a Guillotine” and “The Man with the X-ray Eyes”, so I learned to love a good scare early on.

Also, fear is such a powerful motivator. I mean, let’s face it, on the motivation scale, fear ranks right up there with sex and hunger. It has the power to shape a person’s behavior. It can make people do things they might otherwise never do. And the battle between good and evil is an age-old one that will never grow tiresome.

I should also mention that the type of horror books and films I enjoy are chilling, atmospheric tales that leave something to the imagination. I’ve never cared much for the “grindhouse” variety of horror.

C: Any plans to try your hand at a different genre?

R: Not at this time, Cindy. I’m still trying to find my voice in the genre I’m working in. Something tells me I won’t be straying from the horror/paranormal/dark fantasy genres anytime soon.

C: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

R: I confess to being a notorious Plotter. I won’t start writing until I’ve got a solid outline in place.

C: Do you ever deviate from your outline? If so, can you give us some examples of when you decided to change things up in a book?

R: Ancient Inheritance deviated quite a bit from the original outline, mostly in terms of sequencing. There’s a large back story dealing with Cat’s grandfather Alan, and how he came into possession of the spear. I started off with a straight-line approach to telling the story but it ended up coming across as two separate stories. So I reworked it, weaving the back story in a little at a time through Alan’s flashbacks, which I hope had the dual effect of piquing the reader’s curiosity and setting a proper pace.

Born of Darkness deviated from the outline in one spot, the ending.

I think at some point, the story takes on a life of its own and dictates what should happen, but I find it very helpful to have an outline to start working with.

C: What are your writing habits like? Disciplined and ritualized or you writing whenever inspiration hits you?

R: I do make the effort to write every day. Some days I’m on a roll and can’t stop. Others, I’ll only manage to tweak a few pages of what I’d previously written, but I look at it as a job where I have to put something out every day. If I don’t, I run the risk of losing momentum. (I’m very distractible!) In between stories, I’ll take a break to reset the odometer so to speak.

As far as rituals, I enjoy having a few scented candles lit. Sometimes I’ll have some of my favorite blues tunes on in the background, but not necessarily. I also keep a 15th century icon of the Archangel Michael right next to my computer. It was gifted to me by a friend when I first started writing Ancient Inheritance and I’ve developed a real attachment to it—my good luck charm.

C: When you’re working on a manuscript, do you ever succumb to writer’s block?

R: A couple of times when writing Ancient Inheritance, I realized my outline wasn’t taking the story where I wanted it to go, so had to stop and re-evaluate things. Other times, I went back to look at something I’d written and decided it was crap, deleted the section and re-wrote, but I don’t think either of those things constitute writer’s block. So, no writer’s block so far. I also think that having an outline in place first helps prevent writer’s block because you’ve got this path that you’re following in the story and, even if it changes, you usually know which direction you’re headed in.

C: Do you work mostly on a computer or do you ever write by hand?

R: I can’t imagine writing by hand! Don’t know what I’d do without my computer.

C: Many authors purport to have muses, including the ladies here at Playground Mystique. Do you have muse, if so what’s his/her name?

R: I suspect I have several, but haven’t got a visual image of any of them, just subtle voices at the edge of my senses, urging me to discover what’s really lurking beneath a character’s façade.

C: On a more personal note, what’s your dream career other than being a writer?

R: Honestly? I think I would have loved archeology. I’ve always been fascinated by ancient civilizations and other eras. I could see myself digging up ancient artifacts and structures of some long forgotten civilization and loving every minute of it. I’d find that thrilling.

C: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

R: Several. That’s all I’m sayin…

C: Rita, you minx. All right, I’ll move on, lol. When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite pastime?

R: Reading, watching horror flicks, gardening, playing on my xbox 360, spending time with my terrier, Scruffy, cooking.

C: I’ve saved the most important question for last—what’s your favorite junk food?

R: Ha! Although I don’t eat a lot of junk food, the one thing I absolutely cannot pass up is a Tim Horton’s blueberry fritter. (Tim Horton’s is a Canadian coffee chain and their fritters are out of this world. The apple fritters are good, but the blueberry fritters are amazing). Oh, and also Krispy Kreme donuts. Love them as well.

Thank you again, Rita, for being our guest today. Chat with Rita all day today on the Playground Mystique Yahoo group. And find out more about this fascinating lady at the following locations:

Website: http://www.ritavetere.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/rita_1111
Chatting in the Dark: http://www.ritavetere.com/chat.html

A conversation with author Nyki Blatchley and Kaydana

Welcome to the dungeon, sorceress–where every man, woman and demon is against you.

Freelance sorceress Kaydana seeks her fortune in the city only to find it overrun with like-minded magical entrepreneurs. To make ends meet, she takes a commission from the seductive golden-skinned Tati.

Kaydana reluctantly agrees to rescue Tati’s lover from a sadistic king and his demonic devourer, knowing she’s no match against the castle’s mystical protections. Amid plotting, intrigue and sexual trickery, the powers hidden within the mysterious Staff of Ishlun begin to emerge and awaken Kaydana’s darker sensual desires.

Kaydana and The Sword of Ishlun is the first tale in a sizzling sword and sorcery series.
Warning, contains strong sexual content, f/f, f/f/m.

PM: Today we’re talking to Nyki Blatchley, Lyrical Press erotic romance author. Nyki and Kaydana, welcome to the Playground! Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
NB: Many thanks for this opportunity. Well, about me? I was born in Canada, though I left at 11months old, so I don’t remember a thing about it, and I grew up just outside London. I came from a house full of books and was read to pretty much from the time I was born, so I suppose it was natural to start making up stories and then write then when I learnt how. I wrote my first “book” when I was four, about a talking horse, and I haven’t stopped since.
I graduated from Keele University with a degree in Greek Studies and English. That hasn’t been particularly related to my working life, but I get annoyed if people suggest I haven’t “used” my degree. As far as I’m concerned, I use it every day of my life.
I’ve had a variety of jobs: bookselling, residential care, the obligatory stint at McDonalds, packing engineering components, even a brief go at being an artist’s model. I currently work in media research.
Besides writing, I’ve also performed my own poetry and music all over London and beyond – I pre-record the music and describe it as “The Invisible Band”. During the 90s, I spent a lot of time at the (sadly now defunct) Bunjies Coffee House, which has hosted musicians ranging from Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to David Bowie and Rod Stewart, and later an amazing gig by the late Jeff Buckley.
Besides my work with Lyrical, and before that Dark Eden, I’ve had twenty-odd short stories published, mostly fantasy, as well as numerous poems, and my fantasy novel At An Uncertain Hour is published this month by StoneGarden.
PM: You’ve been writing since the age of four. So you’re definitely no stranger to writing. You’ve written everything from poetry to fantasy. Your books contain hot, sexual action. How did you begin writing erotica?
NB: I never avoided sex in my fiction, if I felt it belonged there, but deliberate erotica is a much more recent development. I write mainly fantasy, and I discovered that some of the writers I know online were also writing fantasy or paranormal erotica. I read some and, besides enjoying it, I felt that this was something I could do. I wrote several erotic short stories, a couple of which were published in anthologies by Xcite Books, and then moved to novellas, which gave more space to fit in plot, character AND the sex. Several were published by Dark Eden Press, and when that unfortunately folded, I was lucky enough to find in Lyrical a publisher that’s equally professional and author-friendly.
In a lot of ways, I don’t really find the techniques of writing erotica that different from other fiction: it’s all based on writing in a way to convey most vividly what’s happening, developing characters that the reader will care about (whether to love or hate) and giving them a gripping plot to play out. I think the most important specific skill in erotica is to make the sex not just something that periodically interrupts the action, but something that’s central to the development of both plot and character. I believe that a successful erotic story has to be about the sexuality of the characters, and especially of the protagonist.
PM: A little birdie also told us that you’re somewhat of a history buff. How about that?
NB: I’ve always loved history. It’s very much a family thing – my father was very much into 17th century history, especially Cromwell and the Civil War, and my mother loved Ancient Greece. I’ve always shared that, but I’ve also always been fascinated by medieval Europe. When I was little, I loved anything to do with knights, whether it was King Arthur or seriously studying how knights lived and fought. Those are still my two favourite periods, but I love pretty much any history – less so from about the 18th century onward, but that’s still interesting.
For a while, I was involved in English Civil War reconstruction – usually fighting for England’s true King against the rebellious Parliament, but sometimes fighting for the God’s own Parliament against the tyrant King. It didn’t really matter – it was fun either way. I was in the pike-block, wielding a sixteen-foot weapon in manoeuvres that bore more resemblance to a Rugby scrum than anything, and we also had living history camps. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it became impractical to carry on for a while, and I haven’t had time to get back into anything of the kind.
I suppose what I love most about history is much the same as fantasy – being able to see the way people act in very different societies and circumstances. One of my non-erotic projects is a series of fantasy stories set in an imaginary European country called Westria. So far, the stories have ranged from the 8th century to the 21st, and mirrored the changes Europe has undergone during that time.
PM: Your most current release is Kaydana and the Staff of Ishlun, Book one in the Kaydana series. I have to say, Kaydana is a very interesting woman. Well I don’t have to tell you that. She’s a self-employed sorceress, doing what she has to do to get by. What inspired you to write about her?
NB: About eighteen months ago, having written a couple of stand-alone erotic fantasy novellas, I had the idea of writing a series of erotic sword and sorcery stories, using the various standard models (the rescue, the treasure-hunt, the lost city etc) but with an erotic twist and hopefully with interesting characters. I didn’t want to use the standard barbarian warrior (or warrioress) and I decided a freelance sorceress would be a main character worth exploring. Once I’d fixed on that, Kaydana just came naturally, and she’s been very easy to work with.
Although my main characters are each different (and of both sexes), I long ago recognised, and stopped trying to fight, a tendency for them to be strong, independent people who live off their wits, with few ties and an insatiable wanderlust. Although I don’t actually base characters on myself (or on anyone in particular) in the way some authors do, I suppose that aspect has an element of wish-fulfilment in it. Kaydana certainly fits into this type.
PM: So Kaydana, you left home when you were only nine years old. What prompted you to leave?
Kaydana: Oh, hello. Um, I greet you in the name of whatever gods you worship.
It wasn’t exactly my choice to leave home at nine, though it was probably the best thing that happened to me. I was born with power, you see, and… well, I was a child. What would you do, if you were a nine-year-old with power who had to do chores before she could play? Or wanted to impress the other kids? I began to realise some people were making the sign against evil at me, but I didn’t really understand why. No-one did it when Manina was clever, or Feshil ran fast, and I was just using what I was good at too.
I think it was the stable that really decided them. You see, they’d told me I had to clean out the stable, and everyone else was down by the river, swimming. So I did it quickly. The stable was clean by the time I’d finished, but unfortunately only the few bits of it that were still standing. It took hours to round the horses up, and some of them were spooked for weeks, but none were hurt.
I got shut in my room, and next day they told me I was being sent away to be apprenticed to the sorcerer, Master Lourim. I was… well, I suppose I was a bit sad, a bit scared and a bit excited. My father drove me in his cart to Lourim’s tower, three days journey away, and left me there. I never went back to the village.
PM: You seem to have an umm…very healthy appetite towards sex, for instance, Tati. Would you say you’d prefer the comfort of woman, men, or…other?
Kaydana: Um, can I just say yes? Well, how can I choose? It depends on my mood to some extent, but it also depends on who I happen to meet. In general, I go for a man if I want someone to fuck my brains out and leave me sore, and a woman if I want someone who can tease me and make me come over and over. On the other hand, I’ve enjoyed female lovers who’ve taken me hard and brutally and guys who’ve spent ages licking my clit to make me come. It’s all good.
I suppose I mostly like men with plenty of muscle and big cocks. If it’s for one night, the fewer brains the better, but I really like a man who’s decent and morally grounded. Trouble is, they’re not the ones I actually tend to be attracted to, and I get myself in a lot of trouble. Women – well, I like a girl who’s fun and a bit naughty. Big and buxom is good, so’s slim and petite, but she’s got to be able to use her tongue well – and not just for talking. And other? Well, I’ve known a few of those, but I think Nyki’s going to write about some of them. Mmm, I’m getting wet remembering.
Of course, if I’m drunk, that all goes out the window – I’ll fuck whoever’s available. I’ve woken up beside some very strange bedfellows.
Oh, and you mentioned Tati. Well, you’ve got to love a Sheovin, haven’t you? Tati’s the first person I ever met who made me feel like a prude. They’re so cute and innocent, but they just seem to be permanently horny, and they’ll fuck any time, anywhere, with anyone. Definitely my kind of people.
PM: Without giving too much away, how do Lourim & the Staff of Ishlun fit into your life?
Kaydana: As I said, Lourim was my teacher from the age of nine till I left at fifteen. He was… well, let’s say an adequate sorcerer. He’d be no match for me now, but he was a very good teacher, even if I didn’t always appreciate it at the time. He drilled all the techniques into me till I wanted to scream. I mean, when you’re nine or ten, you don’t really get the need to meditate and focus your mind, but I’m glad now he kept me at it, or I wouldn’t be half the sorceress I am.
His reputation as a sorcerer was mainly based on the Staff. He didn’t know its name or where it came from, though he believed it was from the lost city of Arlh, but I really fell in love with it. I could see how much more powerful it made Lourim, and by the time I was fifteen, I knew I was already far better than him. And… well, it seemed a waste for it to just hang around in a tower doing little domestic spells.
I decided I’d learnt all I could from him. I wanted to see the world, and I wanted to do it with the Staff, so I seduced Lourim. At the time, I felt a bit… well, I thought he was old, though he wasn’t really so old, and he was quite good-looking. And… um… well, let’s say I discovered he didn’t just have one impressive staff. So I wore him out, cast him into an enchanted sleep and left with the Staff. I expect he was angry, but he always taught me never to let your guard down. He should have listened to himself, shouldn’t he?
PM: Can you two tell us a little about what’s up next for Kaydana? Any work in progress you’d like to share?
Nyki: I have two further Kaydana novellas scheduled for publication by Lyrical: Kaydana and the Ruby of Beguilement, and Kaydana and the Crown of the Worlds, and I’m now writing the fourth, Kaydana and the Dragon Prince. I’m planning two more, certainly, then we’ll see. The sixth story will bring some elements of the series to a close, and I’ll probably take a break from it after that and work on other things, but I wouldn’t rule out writing more about Kaydana after that.
Kaydana: Well, my work in progress at the moment is the Queen of Daeish-Vlarh: fabulously rich, fabulously powerful and fabulously gorgeous, not to mention young and in need of guidance by a wise sorceress. You really should see her: dusky complexion, long black hair, big black eyes and perfect boobs. Unfortunately, she still assumes a lover has to be a man, but I think she fancies me, even though she thinks it’s just friendship. If I can just get her drunk, I’m pretty sure she’ll let me show her what a tongue up her pussy feels like. After that, she won’t be able to get enough of me, I can promise you that.
PM: Thank you both for taking the time to drop in and chat with us today. We wish you all the best with Kaydana and the Staff of Ishlun-Book One, and hopefully you’ll stop in and chat with us about book two. This author can surely say I thoroughly enjoyed reading book one and cannot wait for the second edition.

Kaydana and the Staff of Ishlun
by Nyki Blatchley
Cover by Renee Rocco
$2.50
Published by Lyrical Press Inc.
Buy a copy here

Nyki Blatchley, Hoddesdon, Herts, United Kingdom
He’s an author of both erotic and none-erotic fantasy stories, as well as poetry and music. Besides writing (and reading, of course) he’s passionate about history of many periods, but especially classical Greece and medieval Europe, and loves to learn anything.
Drop by and visit Nyki Blatchley at http://www.freewebs.com/nykiblatchley
Email: nyki27@talk21.com

The Wait Is Over for Point of Distraction the Second Collection

One good distraction deserves another…and another and another.

Delving further into the life and times of Ana Welsh, the second book in the Point of Distraction series brings a new set of challenges.

In Dirty Pool, Ana Welsh meets an unusually attractive man. Despite seeming to reciprocate Ana’s interest, Jordan Christiansen remains aloof and passive. After a few misread signals, it’s up to Ana to find out just what game this sexy mystery man is playing.

The Road Less Taken finds Ana taking advice from a massage therapist, who tells her she needs to step outside her comfort zone. Charming and enigmatic, Nikhil might just fit the prescription, but Ana vows to maintain a friendship only. As the sexual tension builds, will she decide to give in to her desires?

Alone in a Crowd exposes the pitfalls of a bottle of tequila, a little black book and drunk-dialing. With four dates in three days, not to mention a surprise visit from her ex, Miguel, Ana discovers she’s overbooked her weekend. Even with all this attention, Ana can’t help but feel something-or someone-is missing.

Warning: This book contains lots of detailed, hot lovin’, a sassy, sexy heroine, an alternate use for a pool table, and a veritable boy buffet. Love can take a lot of practice to get it right. Buy it now

Haven’t read the First Collection yet? No problem! Buy it now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coming in April, Point of Distraction the Third Collection…

Hear ye, hear ye–Announcements from Brighid

Well, this week started off with a bang for our Ms. Jacks. She’s found herself with not one, but two brand-spanking new contracts!

The first for Point of Distraction the Final Collection which closes out the saga of Ana Welsh…and yes ladies, there is a happily-ever-after ending.

The second contract is an exciting event indeed. It seems that not only does Cindy have a talent for erotic romance, but she also has a scrumptious darkside. Her newly created alter-ego, CJ Elliott, landed a contract with Wild Child Publishing as part of their stand-alone short line called Frights and Fears. The Wedding Feast by CJ Elliott is a side of Cindy I assure you, you’ve never seen before!

We’ll keep you updated on the development of these exciting titles. Ta-ta for now! ~Brighid