The Moonlighters Welcome Kelly Daniels
Please welcome Kelly Daniels into the Moonlight. Kelly is the author of Be Mine, which was recently released by Decadent Publishing. She also has a short holiday story called Melting Frost that will be released soon.
Now, it's time to create a little mayhem and get to the good stuff and reveal all of Kelly’s deepest darkest secrets in the moonlight. LOL So, grab your favorite wicked drink, sink your teeth into something decadent, sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know Kelly Daniels.
MLM: The holidays are fast approaching and things always seem to get busier during this time of year. Do you have a relaxing technique that helps you de-stress? If so, please share, because this is advice we all need!
KD: I love to cuddle up next to my fireplace with a good book and a cup of spiked hot chocolate! I would do that everyday if I could, but let’s be real; real life doesn’t always give us the opportunity to indulge like that. That’s why I always keep a guilty pleasure book in my purse. You never know when you’re going to get stuck in line at Target next to a screaming demon-child and need a momentary oasis.
MLM: What, if any, Thanksgiving traditions (decorating, gathering with friends and family for a meal, etc.) do you have?
KD: Dinner at my parents house which is supposed to start promptly at six. At around nine we actually sit down at the table. My sisters and I have a weakness for champagne, so in waiting for dinner to b ready, we usually enjoy a glass or two or four.
MLM: What was your most memorable Thanksgiving and why?
KD: Nothing really pops out, but I’ m ok with that. Every year that I get to spend with my family has been memorable. We share stories about growing up, we tease each other and just generally have a great time. I guess I’m lucky to have such a loving family.
MLM: What is a must have food at your Thanksgiving dinner table?
KD: Oh, that’s an easy one. LEFSA! We have a bit of Norwegian blood in our family so this thin potato pancake is a staple at our holiday table. I like it with butter and sugar and drizzled with maple syrup.
MLM: Tell us 3 things you are thankful for this year, please.
KD: I am thankful for my dog, Ari. She gives me inspiration and companionship when I need it most. I am especially thankful for my sisters, those who were born with the privilege and those who have blessed me with the title. And of course, I am thankful for my newly budding career! To be able to write and tell the stories in my head to the whole world is a privilege that I will always be thankful for.
MLM: Just for fun, if you could be among any of the original members of that first Thanksgiving, who would it be, the Pilgrims or the Wampanoag (Native Americans)? Why?
KD: Since I was little I’ve always been interested in digging into my family’s genealogy. And although it would be interesting to be among the Wampanoag since I do have some Native American blood (Winnebago and Potawatomie) I actually have Pilgrim ancestors that were at the first Thanksgiving. I would love to have seen how they lived and speak with them.
MLM: NaNo is popular among authors each November. Maybe it's so popular because it helps self-motivate so many of us during the encroaching holidays. Did you commit to NaNo this year? If yes, do you have any advice how to make NaNo a success? If no, what was your driving motivation to stay strong and avoid the month I've deemed "crazy NaNo"?
KD: NaNo to me is like Christmas shopping. Every year, I promise myself I will commit and finish early and every year I end up taking off work to finish what I should have been doing all along. This works for me because I need deadlines to stress me out to the point where I panic and finally get to work. But this year is different. I came into NaNo armed with a very detailed outline and writing prompts for each of the thirty days which has really helped so far.
MLM: Swashbuckling pirates like Johnny Depp are sexy—Argh!—but e-pirates are not! How do you handle e-pirates in your writing world? Do you have any advice or wish to share any experience with other writers? Anything you wish to say to e-pirates in general?
KD: My first book was just released a month ago so I haven’t had any experience with them so far. I would hope that I would be a mature adult about the situation, but I get the feeling that if it does happen to me, I will morph into some sort of mama tigress and rip those pirates to shreds! Just saying…
MLM: Now, let’s get to know a little more about your writing, Kelly...What genre do you write and what’s the draw for you?
KD: I like to write paranormal romantic suspense. It just seems to me that there should be more magic in life. Happily ever after’s and magic moments are, sadly, few and far between. If I can give my reader a moment of the unbelievable and make them believe in it, then I feel like I’ve really accomplished my goal as a writer.
MLM: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? What do you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story?
KD: My writing is edgy, fun and generally a good time! I hope that when you read my book, you can disappear into my world for a short time and meet some of my characters. And if I’m very lucky, you’ll fall just as much in love with them as I have!
MLM: Imagine for a moment you're granted ONE wish with regard to your writing. It can be anything you want—besides becoming a national bestseller, because what author doesn't want that, right?—your imagination is your only limit here! What would you wish for?
KD: I already have a beast of an imagination- what I need now is time to write it all down! The thing that I hate most is getting struck with a great story line and then BAM! Life gets in the way. Perfect recall would be awesome.
MLM: What do you dislike the most about being an author? What do you like the most about being an author?
KD: These two questions have the same answer: my editor. I’ve worked with her on two projects now and she is amazing! I can only say this when we’re done because during the process I am not a very good human being. Maybe you can see how my attitude as an overly sensitive writer might strain the relationship a bit. ;) Honestly, I am so grateful for my awesome editor! She puts up with my tantrums and gives back as good as she gets. And in the end, the polished final project is 1000x better than the starting book.
MLM: Who decides what you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one basting the turkey?
KD: I decide. Totally 100%. That is, until my ADD (aka my muse) decides to run the show. I go off on these little tangents sometimes that make no sense for the book. For example, in “Be Mine” my main characters, Larik and Elle, originally took a trip to Greece. When my editor read this, her only comment was “huh?”. Needless to say, that didn’t make it into the final copy. I will be posting this and some other deleted scenes on my website soon, so be on the look out!
MLM: Have you ever based a character on a real-life person? If so, why? Was it simply to immortalize them or was there more to it than that? If you can, tell us who this person was without revealing their identity! We’re all curious here!
KD: Just one! Ari, my weimerheiner is a starring character in Be Mine.
MLM: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?
KD: Probably Andrew. I love the strong-silent type. Andrew has a sad and painful past, but life is good where he’s at now. A little boring, maybe, but good. Until he meets Elle’s sister Millie, that is. This combat boot wearing pixie with an attitude problem is about to turn his carefully organized world upside down. I am frantically writing their story now. The ideas are coming faster than I can write them!
MLM: Thanks so much for joining us, Kelly! It's been a treat getting to know you better!
Website: http://www.kelly-daniels.com/
Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Mine-Fall-Into-Night-ebook/dp/B004AHKC6G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1290398180&sr=1-2
BLURB:
Stubborn and independent, Elle Galligan wants to be left alone by her crazy ex-boyfriend, Lukas, who continues to terrorize her, each time more viciously than the last. With no choice, she seeks out the one man she’s turned her back on from the past—only to be thrown into the unknown.
Successful Prince of Darkness, Larik deWolf, spots trouble the moment Elle calls him. In an ongoing war with Elle’s shapeshifting ex, Larik is left with no alternative and vows to protect her from the evil stalking her, only to draw Elle closer into the mysterious world he hid from her. As danger strikes, history deems to repeat itself. When attraction binds them together, Elle threatens his supernatural abilities and control. Larik finds himself opening up his heart to the one woman he’s tried not to love, but will she accept his secrets or continue to fight fate?
EXCERPT:
She returned to the bedroom door, heart pounding in an erratic beat. Drawing in a deep breath as if preparing herself, she willed courage. She couldn’t allow Jake to be hurt. A sudden maternal instinct rose in her chest. If anyone messed with her nephew, they’d regret it. Tightening her hold on the pepper spray, she shook the can and set the candleholder on the stand next to the door. Slowly, she turned the doorknob and pushed it open just enough that it unlatched. Elle took a deep breath, and kicked the door open with her foot. Her eyes scanned the room as she stepped in, looking for the intruder. No one was there, but adrenaline coursed through her system, kicking up another notch. She took in a deep breath then gasped as realization struck her.
Even though the room was empty, she knew he had just left. The air crackled with his energy, like the electrically charged sky right after lightning struck.
A chilly breeze brushed against her, drawing her attention to the window near the fire escape. With caution, she moved further into the room. A piece of broken glass crunched beneath her heels. She nearly jumped out of her skin. Scanning for the source of the glass, she noticed one of her picture frames broken under a small dent in the wall. A dark shape drew her attention to the bed. Her eyes widened at the meticulously, laid out, sexy black lingerie—something she would never be caught dead in. Next to it was an iris that looked like it came from the arrangement next to her bed. And a note.
Picking up the card, she shuddered as she read the message, “The time is coming. Sweet dreams, my love.”
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