Interview and Giveaway with Amber Skyze and Katalina Leon

What inspired you to become an author?

Amber Skyze: I was a stay at home mom and doing a ton of reading. I didn’t care for all the stories I read, and felt I could write something I wanted to read. Little did I know how difficult it really is! J

Katalina Leon: I was an artist and I simply could not paint the stories that were popping into my head. I had to teach myself to write.

Do you write in different genres?

Amber Skyze: I write contemporary, suspense and paranormal

Katalina Leon: Yes. I love jumping around.

If yes which is your favorite genre to write?

Katalina Leon: I love writing paranormal fantasy with a historical twist. That’s my favorite. I also love Sci-fi and I am currently developing another book series that includes a parallel timeline.

Amber Skyze: Contemporary is my favorite.

How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

Katalina Leon: We wrote the book under Amber’s original title but as is often the case our publisher Loose Id wanted another title. Amber, our editor Rory and I created lists of possible titles, did a little mix and matching with the wording, voted and chose “Claimed By Dragons” as the best strong mental image we could create.

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

Amber Skyze: The title always comes first…most of the time it’s the title I’m writing to.

Katalina Leon: I always have a working title that helps me emotionally connect to the tone of the story, but I remain flexible because about 50% of the time I’ll be asked to make a title change.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Katalina Leon: Always! “Claimed By Dragons” has overt overtones of loving the “other”, the unexpected soul mate, and seeing the beauty in alternative lifestyles. There is also a heroic rebelliousness to this story. The main characters Jael, Roarke and Kypton have to put their lives on the line and fight for the right to be lovers.

Amber Skyze: Usually believe in love if nothing else. A happily ever after is obtainable. Coming from an abusive relationship I never dreamed this possible. Now I’m in a very loving relationship.

Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?

Katalina Leon: Heavens no! This book contains gorgeous dragon shifters hiding in the work place, a dragon’s love nest on Mount Kilimanjaro and a battle with a paramilitary group of professional dragon slayers. None of these things have happened to me.

What book are you reading now?

Katalina Leon: I am currently reading and really enjoying Clay and Susan Griffith’s “Vampire Empire” series from Prometheus Books.

What books are in your to read pile?

Amber Skyze: No Easy Day, by Mark Owens…Mutual Desire by Dalton Diaz and April Fool’s by Blanche Marriott, just to name a few.

Katalina Leon: The top of TBR pile contains Tessie Bradford’s “Hanna’s Handyman” from Resplendence Press and Amber Skyze “Out To Protect” from Loose Id.

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

Katalina Leon: I am currently finishing a short novel for a new Ellora’s Cave paranormal book series. I’m one of ten contributing authors. After that’s finished, I need to start Devon’s story for the Bag Of Tricks series and beyond that I have lots of WIP’s to polish and sub to a couple of new-to-me publishers. I think 2013 is going to be very busy.

Amber Skyze: I have a M/M coming out in November called Out to Project. It’s a coming out theme about two detectives.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Blurb: Claimed By Dragons

In an odd Wiccan shop in Salem, Jael pulls an unusual stone from a witch’s wish bag. Little does she know her wildest dreams of adventure and a torrid affair with two gorgeous co-workers are about to come true—in spades.

Jael’s dreamy boss, Roarke offers her the assignment of a lifetime: a photo safari to Mount Kilimanjaro. The African scenery is stunning but the unexpected arrival of her two office crushes, Roarke and Kypton ignites her passion. Just as the trio is getting steamy at a beautiful waterfall, danger intervenes forcing the men to reveal their secret. They're dragons. And now, to save her life, they have no choice but to abduct a startled Jael to their mountain lair on Kilimanjaro.

In the dragons' love nest, Jael learns the truth about their origins and explores all the erotic possibilities two eager lovers can offer. Love awakens, but the guys are being stalked by a covert group of dragon hunters and withholding a life or death secret that will push Jael’s courageous heart and commitment to the limits.

Warning: Story contains gorgeous male shape shifters eager to mate, lots of hot male action between two loving men, scorching ménage with one lucky woman, anal play for all, and polyandry with a happy ending. What more do you want?

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Amber Skyze: Lately I’ve had a hard time writing sex scenes. After 30+ books, each with a minimum of 3 sex scenes it’s become difficult to find unique positions and places to have it! lol

Katalina Leon: I’m a slow poke. I get lost in my mind and stop typing. It’s often a challenge to get my daily word count.

Do you have to travel much to do research for your books?

Katalina Leon: I’ve been fortunate to do some adventure-style, rough and wild travel in Central and South America, South East Asia the South Pacific. My dream vacation would be to visit museums in Italy and Spain, but my husband is an insect and orchid collector so guess where we go?  Hint, it’s hot, steamy, muddy with hopefully no malicious machete-wielding humans in sight. I’ve been forced to climb for my life and stay in the treetops and wait it out until swarms of army ants passed. At this time in my life I’d rather see Rome.

Who designed the cover of your latest book?

Amber Skyze: Valerie Tibbs. I adore all her work.

Katalina Leon: Valerie Tibbs designed the book covers for both “The Strix” and “Claimed By Dragons”. I love her. God willing Valerie will be our cover artist for the entire Bag Of Tricks series.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Katalina Leon: Become your own dream boss, be lenient with schedules and generous with praise. Apply discipline with a fair hand and don’t over do it. Most of all have fun! If you’re not entertained by your own writing, something is wrong.

Amber Skyze: Never give up. If your dream is to be published, learn the craft and write every day if only 100 words a day. Oh, and submit, submit, submit. If you don’t get your work out there, no one will have the chance to accept it!

Do you have a song or playlist (book soundtrack) that you think represents this book?

Katalina Leon: I love the music we used in our “Claimed By Dragons” book trailer. This is Kaya Project and it’s got a great earthy groove to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9iN7Ajq4o4

Claimed By Dragons

Bag Of Tricks Book 2
Amber Skyze and Katalina Leon

Genre: Erotic-romance, paranormal, dragon-shifters, ménage & polyamory.

Publisher: Loose Id Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-61118-903-2

Number of pages: 286

Word Count: 92k

Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs

Loose Id   All Romance eBooks  Amazon

Book Description:

In an odd Wiccan shop in Salem, Jael pulls an unusual stone from a witch’s wish bag. Little does she know her wildest dreams of adventure and a torrid affair with two gorgeous co-workers are about to come true—in spades.

Jael’s dreamy boss, Roarke offers her the assignment of a lifetime: a photo safari to Mount Kilimanjaro. The African scenery is stunning but the unexpected arrival of her two office crushes, Roarke and Kypton ignites her passion. Just as the trio is getting steamy at a beautiful waterfall, danger intervenes forcing the men to reveal their secret. They're dragons. And now, to save her life, they have no choice but to abduct a startled Jael to their mountain lair on Kilimanjaro.

In the dragons' love nest, Jael learns the truth about their origins and explores all the erotic possibilities two eager lovers can offer. Love awakens, but the guys are being stalked by a covert group of dragon hunters and withholding a life or death secret that will push Jael’s courageous heart and commitment to the limits.

Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices, menage (m/m/f).

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/F9iN7Ajq4o4

About the Authors:

Katalina Leon

I’m an artist, an author, mother and wife. I write for Loose Id Publishing and Ellora’s Cave. I try to bring a touch of the mystical and a big sense of adventure to everything I write because I believe there’s a bold, kick-ass heroine inside all of us who wants to take a wild ride with a strong worthy hero.

Night Owl Reviews Author page http://erotica.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Pages/Authors/Katalina-Leon.aspx

Seven Sexy Scribes blog http://sevensexyscribes.blogspot.com/?zx=9dc4c582426b5efe

Katalina’s blog http://katalinaleon111.blogspot.com/

Ellora’s Cave http://www.jasminejade.com/m-569-katalina-leon.aspx   

Facebook: www.facebook.com/katalina.leon.142

Amber Skyze

From a very young age, Amber Skyze began making up stories–the only child syndrome. Telling tall tales to all her friends she never dreamed of putting words on paper. In fact if anyone asked her if she would write when she grew up, she’d have laughed.

It wasn’t until raising children and reading all those romances that she decided–hey, I can write these. HA! Easier said than done.

When not crafting hot, steamy tales, this New York transplant now resides in Rhode Island with her husband, four children (who force her to work a day job), and three dogs.

She currently writes for Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id and is self-published.

www.amberskyze.com

http://amberskyze.blogspot.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway