For your reading pleasure, we'll be featuring each author with a story of her choice for the next few weeks. Some will include interviews, and all will include excerpts. Today's featured author is Kharma Kelley.
1. When did you start writing?
I’ve enjoyed writing for many moons; since I was a kid. But I didn’t start writing seriously till I was a teenager. I wrote my 1st screenplay in Jr. High and my first vampire romance too. I read my vampire romance recently and it was terrible! Just trite dialogue and plot holes, but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? Fast forward into adulthood, I used to find excuses on why I couldn’t write. Always excuses…the sins of being a grown-up. Always think you have more time, right? When my brother suddenly passed away (also a writer—but with no excuses), I got inspired to complete my stories and stop making excuses. That was 2 years ago and the one positive thing from losing someone so dear to me. Now with 4 completed books, I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon! I love to write, because I’m a storyteller.You can ask anyone and they’d tell you. Water cooler talks ain’t got nothing on me ;)
2. What makes your stories unique?
Coming from a household and family that’s male majority, I love featuring strong female characters to support the hero. She’s fallible, real and may not always have the right motive, but she can make her own way. It’s a big deal to me since I grew up in a feminist household (believe it or not) There’s a partnership in the best romance stories. When you take two people and have them compliment each other, that’s when you’ve got a good thing in the works. My heroine can’t be strong all the time—that’s when she needs her man to run interference ;) I think you’ll get a lot of that in my stories. Lots of voids being filled! (that probably came out wrong!)
3. Is there a common thread that runs through your books?
Being different would be my most common theme in my current stories and in thinking about it; I guess it says a thing or two about me. I’ve always been a bit different and the best compliment I ever get from my friends is that I take people as they are. Acceptance (though we don’t like to admit it) is a great feeling. It really matters to us when the people we care about don’t see us in the light we want to be seen in. And in a world where being different is soooo hard, there’s always a story there. My characters will always be a “freak among the freaks”. Someone a bit off and trying to find their own piece of happiness in a tough world that I create that challenges them to embrace that difference. Or better yet, their love interest accepting that unique spirit. I hope my readers don’t get tired of that!
4. If money was of no concern, what would you envision as your perfect lifestyle?
Ah…I could see it now. I’m watching the crystal clear water rush up and crash little cool waves against my feet. My toes rub across the white sands as I sit under my palapa. In my hand is my Kindle. To my left is my laptop when I get the need to write. Time for another drinky-poo. Where is that cabana boy, I mean, my hubby? I look for a watch, but none exists. What time is it? Who cares? There’s no schedule to keep. Time doesn’t matter here. What matters is that the sun is warm, the sky is always blue and the Bahama Mamas never stop flowing! Eh, life is good.
5. Besides writing, what things are you most passionate about?
I’m a HUGE Minecraft fan (if you’re on Xbox, let a girl know) I adore photography and have my wedding photography business on hiatus as I write. Of course, cooking is a big passion of mine and happy to share some recipes for the foodies out there. I get bored easily, so I have knitting, painting and guitar to mix it up. Polymaths are annoying af, I know!
6. Not limited to writing, what do you believe to be some of your greatest accomplishments so far?
I would say that my biggest accomplishment is my entrepreneurship. I love running a business and having the independence to shape the course of it. I can’t say that all of it has gone off without a hitch, but it is those events that made me tougher and ready to face the bigger challenges. That and publishing my 1st book…those two things felt more awesome than anyone could imagine.
7. Name a few of your favorites
· Favorite color is Purple
· Always Sunny is my go-to show
· Horror & Sci-Fi are my favorite movie genres
· I could probably kick your butt in any film trivia (yes, that’s a challenge)
· My theme song right now is “Can’t Get Enough of Myself” by Santigold
· My celebrity boyfriend(s) are Idris Elba and Alexander Dreymon.
· My celebrity girl crush is Natalie Dormer
Half-human. Half-vampire. 100% Badass
Chloë nodded, "Yes, thanks. You should let me be the judge of whether you're interesting or not. C'mon, let's get some fun fact time in. Let me ask you three questions and we'll see what happens."
He groaned in dismay. "I have a feeling this will end badly. I’d rather not."
His uneasiness made her even more intrigued. Just what did he think she was going to ask him? He might not have thought it, but he was interesting. If there was a water cooler in the office, he would be the main topic around it every day. Almost everyone in the district had wondered something about him, and the most they churned about was hearsay and rumors. Having this type of access to him appeared to give her a sort of divine right to find out more about him.
Ethan came back to the sofa with a couple of mugs and handed her one. She felt the warmth of the mug and smiled to herself. He nuked the blood for me. He's so cute, I just wanna punch him in the face! As he sat down next to her, she noticed what his mug read and then looked at hers and smiled. She recognized them almost immediately.
"Oh my gods, I can't believe you still have these!" Chloë held up her mug and pointed to BITE ME written with an image of a bite mark on the edge of the mug.
"Why not? They're good mugs." He held up his in a cheers gesture, showing off the BEST BOSS EVER written on his. Chloë had given the two mugs to him last Christmas. They were definitely a gag gift and tacky as hell, but, nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to throw them out. It had been the first time he’d seen the warmer side of her he’d known she kept hidden from everyone else. Every time Chloë laughed, a piece of him lit up inside. She was infectious, and it felt bizarre yet comforting to have her in his home, curled up on his sofa. He wasn't used to company, but she seemed to fit right in. He took a sip of warm blood from his mug.
"Okay, Hunter. I'll give in because you came clean with me earlier. Three questions about me and I'll answer. That's it."
Chloë scooted to the edge of the sofa, eager to ring off her first question. "Sooo, how old are you really?"
Here we go. Ethan leaned back, "How old do you think I am?"
"Uh-uh." Chloë wagged her finger. "You don't get to turn this into a guessing game. We're talking honest, straight up answers here, boss."
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He hated to talk age because it often led down a rabbit hole into other questions that could give suspicion as to what he really was. But with a three-question limit, he doubted he was at risk this time.
Chloë sipped from her mug and shrugged. "Try me. 500? 800?"
"Three."
Chloë cocked her head in confusion. "That's all, 300? Ethan, that's not—"
"Three...thousand."
For more from Kharma Kelley, visit her on the web:
