K.S. Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.
After spending sixteen years living on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico and another twelve battling the heat, while teaching in the Middle East, I, moved to Mesa, Arizona where I reside with the love of her life and my four pound Miniature Pincher, Anubis, three birds and four fish.
I joined three chapters of RWA sometime after I completed the first draft of Eternal Lovers, convinced by others I should seek publication for a story which was originally written to make the voices in my head shut up. Guess what, it didn’t work.
What I thought in the beginning, was a story about a young Native American woman mixed up with the Mafia turned out to be a story of Aliens, as old as the pyramids, living around the world, just like you and me. Of course, that little detail wasn’t revealed to me until after the first draft of the manuscript was almost finished and my hero from book one, of what is now a saga, smiled up at me in a dream. Following the directions I received from Gabriel in my dreams, a totally new version of Eternal Lovers was born. The heroine, Jennifer, and the dynamics of their love story remain the same even though the story changed from a commercial fiction to a paranormal romance.
K.S. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
I consider myself “a write from the seat of my pants” type of writer. I also love sprinting so I tend to write in thirty minute sprints, taking a ten to fifteen minute break between sprints. I never edit or do re-writes until I have a completed first rough draft. Then the hard work begins.
K.S. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
I wrote non-fiction for over twenty years while teaching school. I never even considered writing fiction, much less paranormal romances until Gabriel appeared in my dreams.
K.S. What genre do you write?
Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasies. I have also started a commercial fiction which I hope to have finished in 2013.
K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?
Boy, that’s a tough one. I read across all genre lines and love everything from the classics to horror.
K.S. What does your family think of your writing?
As far as I know they like what I am doing… at least that is what I have been told.
K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book/s?
Never ever take your characters for granted. They always have something more to share with you.
K.S. What inspires you?
The voices in my head that will not leave me alone until I write what they show me.
K.S. Can you tell us a little about any of your novels?
I’d be happy to. Eternal Lovers is the first book in an eleven book cross-genre paranormal romance series entitled Sekhmet’s Guardians. Although each book is dedicated to a romantic couple they are also filled with additional stories and romances. Eternal Lovers is dedicated to Jennifer, a young Native American woman and Gabriel, the leader of Sekhmet’s Guardians and director of Guardians Incorporated.
A snippet of Chapter One follows.
“What did you do now, little one?”
She knew her grandmother already knew what transpired. Sitting by the fire, she had to have seen the visions of what she had done in the flames.
“I just asked the trout to get in the net. That’s all, I promise.”
Chenoa motioned for her to sit down beside her.
After a few moments her grandmother began with the all too familiar lecture.
“Jennifer, how many times have I told you using your gifts to accomplish a chore is wrong?”
If her head dropped any lower it would be in her lap. She hated disappointing her grandmother. “A bunch,” she mumbled as she let out another sigh. “Grams, I know it was wrong but I would still be there in the dark trying to catch enough fish for dinner. I didn’t think there was any harm in it.”
“Jennifer, did you ask them or tell them to get in the net?”
“Told them,” she finally admitted, knowing her grandmother wouldn’t approve, but she wouldn’t lie to her grandmother to save her own hide.
“You must not control the will of others. I know it is hard for you to understand why, but there is a difference in asking someone to assist you and demanding it. Jennifer it, was wrong.”
“I know Grams. I just thought...”
“No, you didn’t think, that is half your problem. You act without thinking. You must learn to think before using your gifts and you must remember not to impose your own will on others, no matter what the circumstances. There will be times when you will need to use those gifts but that time is not now. Until then, you have to be very careful when and where you use them.
Her grandmother paused and took a sip of the drink that sat beside her.
“You know most of the people of this world do not understand the things you are able to do. Jennifer, you are not like other children. You are special and I do not want you to be labeled as an outcast when you take your place in the real world. To survive, you must learn to be like them. Your grandfather quit his job in the city so we could remain here, safe from outsiders, where you could learn all that I must teach you.”
“I know Grams, I’m sorry... I’m really trying.”
She finally looked up at her grandmother. She could feel her eyes start to change. Any time she got emotionally upset or mad her emerald green eyes turned bright red. No one ever explained why they did that, she was just told to keep them hidden from the outside world. She reached into her pocket and started to pull out her shades. Grams grabbed her hand to stop her.
“Jennifer, what it is? There is something else going on with you. Talk to me. Tell me what else is bothering you.”
Using her long flannel shirt sleeve, she wiped the tears away from her face. Between sniffs, she remorsefully admitted she was lonely.
K.S. Where can we buy your novel?
Eternal Lovers – Sekhmet’s Guardians – Book one is available in paperback, large print and Kindle formats through Amazon world wide. US buy links are below.
Paperback - http://tinyurl.com/b8ll29b
Large Print - http://tinyurl.com/ae3u6lv
Kindle - http://tinyurl.com/amvlphl
K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
http://www.authorvsnelson.com
http://www.authorvsnelson.com/blog
K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?
Join a supportive writers group. The lessons, inspiration and support offered from groups like RWA (Romance Writers of America) are priceless.
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