BLURB:
One moment can impact the future.
Love never served Jayde Cross well
and owing a debt to a demon is the proof. Reaping is a lonely existence and
with her thirtieth birthday approaching, she's got enough to worry about
without adding romance to the mix. It's why her friendship with the man living
next door works so well. They both live lives filled with secrets and ignoring
their self-imposed rules isn’t an option. Too bad her heart disagrees.
The past is about to come back and haunt one of Heaven’s Fallen.
Caleb Thorne always found living
among mortals difficult, until he met the intriguing woman down the hall. She
demands nothing of him and is completely safe. When an enemy from his past
catches up with him, Caleb soon discovers the rules of the Fallen exist for a
reason and loving a mortal may prove to be the bigger danger.
In a world where their love is
forbidden, Jayde and Caleb may just discover that sometimes breaking rules is
the only thing that can set you free.
INTERVIEW:
Q: Tell us a little about the series and how you came up with the
idea for it?
A: Well, the series is titled the Saints and Sinners. I imagined a
world where the fallen walk among us, battling to claim our souls for their
respective sides. But what if they were all looking for some form of
redemption? Whether it was in the eyes of a lover, or within themselves? And
the idea grew from there. Caleb and Jayde’s story came first. The next will be
Azrael and Syn who you meet in the first book, and the rest of the lineup, the
characters aren’t revealing yet…not even to me. There is a quote by Oscar Wilde
that always comes to mind when I think of this series~ The only difference
between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every
sinner has a future. It seems quite fitting.
Q: Caleb Thorne and Jayde Cross are the two main characters in A
Soul to Keep. How did their development come about? Are they based on
anyone you know?
A: They aren’t specifically based on a single person in my life.
They are a mash-up of characteristics, traits, and mannerisms from many people
I interact with on a daily basis. Slowly the bits and pieces culminate into a
character that I can hopefully be proud of and the reader can identify or fall
in love with. If I’ve developed them well enough, the creative process kicks
in, then they will talk to me, tell me their flaws, their struggles, likes, and
dislikes. So, yes, and no, is my short answer.
Q: How long have you been writing?
A: I’ve dabbled in writing on and off for years, but I didn’t write
my full complete story until about seven years ago. It was a story I wrote for
my mom as a birthday present, which I had no intention of submitting for
publication, but did at the promptings of some wonderful authors I met early on
in this journey. I've been writing ever since.
Q: What tools are must-haves for you when you sit down to write
(besides the obvious things)?
A: Cherry Coke or energy drink (which I know are not the healthiest
choices), paper and pen. (Oh, those are the obvious things), the writer’s
bible—a.k.a. the Chicago Manual of Style, research books, and I hate silence
when writing so I often have music playing in the background and create
playlists for every book.
Q: What books do you read when you have the chance? Any must have
authors or series?
A: I’m currently reading The Fault in Our Stars, and have a few
other young adult novels I’ve picked up from the library. My go to authors
though aren’t young adult and I’m dying for the new Vicki Pettersson book to
come out. It’s a slight break from her usual gritty urban fantasies I love, but
it’s mystery which is another favorite genre
Q: Have you had dreams realized as a result of your writing? Any
special memories that you would like to share...please, oh, please?
It took me a minute or two to come down out of the clouds enough to
see the small accomplished moments because with my first novel I went a little
crazy fantasizing about how much my life was about to change. I just knew I
would be the next Nora Roberts, or Sherrilyn Kenyon, or lunching with my idol
Vicki Pettersson, dishing publishing stories. Alas, those things never
happened, though I did have the honor of meeting my idol at a book signing and
getting a completely fab bunny ear picture with her (she was totally the giver
of bunny ears in the photo). While I'm still waiting for the big moment to
actualize, I work a day job, live paycheck to paycheck, but fully enjoy the
ups—a new book cover in my inbox, interacting with readers—and push through the
downs by reminding myself that every step is a part of making the dream a reality.
EXCERPT:
While
he was preoccupied, I glanced around at the other patrons. They all appeared
focused on their meals, or their dates. I reached over, flipped open the ring,
and let the liquid pour into the glass of scotch sitting on the table. With a
flick of my finger, the ring snapped shut and I pulled away from the man at my
side.
“How
about a toast?”
“What
should we toast to? Your beauty?” He winked at me. “Getting lucky.”
Not
in a million years.
“Survival.”
I raised my glass.
“Odd
thing to toast to.”
“Why
is it odd?” I studied him for a moment and when he didn’t respond, I continued.
“I learned a long time ago the will to survive drives people. It’s what drives
you.”
“And
you,” he said as he took a healthy swig of his scotch. “It’s one of the things
that draws me to you.”
“Then
I’m sure you will understand.” I watched over the rim of my glass as I took
another sip and his face quickly began to turn shades of red and purple.
“What
have you done?” He managed to choke out the words.
“What
was necessary to survive.” I leaned in close and whispered against his ear.
“Azrael's expecting you.”
Marco's
eyes widened and he gasped for air. Before anyone noticed their beloved boss
was choking, I grabbed my purse and slid out from the seat. I walked away, but
not fast enough to avoid hearing Marco struggling to catch his breath and the commotion
behind me as people rushed to his aid. There would be no saving him.
Once
a name landed in the hands of a reaper, there were only three things that could
stop the order from being carried out—a mortal willing to make a deal on their
behalf, the demon in charge of the assignment, or the reaper themselves.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Moira Keith is a lover of
shoes, a connoisseur of Guinness, baker of cocktail themed cupcakes, and an
overall complete mess! She is also a proud Texan by birth (and true Southern
girl at heart).
Moira lives in the city of
neon with her twin zombie sons, a fish, three parakeets, and a turtle.
Buy Links:
GIVEAWAY:
Moira Keith will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter.
The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteHow important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me!
ReplyDeleteOkay, Mai, I'm going to try this again. I tried multi-tasking at work and my answer got lost in cyber space. :(
ReplyDeleteNames...oh how I obssess over them. I have a spreadsheet of all the names I like. But when it comes down to the choosing, it's a combination of how it sounds, the meaning behind the name, and if it fits the story and the character. I like my names to tie into the mythology or theme I sprinkle in to the story as well. For example if the story is Celtic in nature, I want some names that will be more in line with that region or background. I read the name meanings. Does it fit the characters personality? Their role in the book? That sort of thing.
And no, I don't have a particular resource I can recommend or utilize more than others. The tried and true baby name books or websites are always good because you can find meanings, but even some genealogy sites are good resources too if you want historically accurate names.
Whew, that was a lengthy answer. 😊
thank you, Rita!
ReplyDeleteAppreciate you taking the time to stop in and take a peek!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading your interview, thank you!
ReplyDelete