by brenna | Jun 29, 2012 | Between the Lines |
Kate writes Historical and Fantasy Romance. When she’s not dreaming up sexy heroes and feisty heroines, she’s reading, gardening or tending to her menagerie of pets.
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Marine biologist Morgan Johansson doesn’t believe in fairy tales, so when rumors of a sexy male siren surface, she sets out on her boat to prove them wrong. But when she’s tossed overboard by her ex, she comes face to face with a strong, virile siren who’s undeniably real and promises to awaken her every erotic fantasy.
Racing to save his people, Erik, heir to the siren kingdom, must find the one woman destined to be his queen. When Morgan hits the water, he feels her presence and knows instantly she’s the one. Now he must convince her to abandon her strict scientific beliefs and submit to the powerful desire that grips them both. But one question remains to be answered…
Will Morgan return to the surface, or will she surrender to the Siren Prince?
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Kate is not only a very talented writer, but also my critique partner and dear friend. I’m so thrilled to be able to feature her this month as her first publication, the novella SURRENDER TO THE SIREN PRINCE is available as of June 1st from the Wild Rose Press.
Amazon | nook | Sony
How long have you been writing and what are your preferred genres?
I started writing seriously for publication about 5 years ago, and I love the allure of a different place or time, so fantasy and Regency are my favorites to write.
Who are your favorite authors to read? Whose writing style do you most admire?
Oh, man, there are so many fantastic authors. Anne Stuart will always be one of my favorites. She writes sinfully delicious heroes who are bad to the bone, but oh-so-yummy.
What was your reasoning behind selecting the novella format for your first published work?
The novella length just seemed to fit well with the story I wanted to tell. It allowed me to keep the focus on the romance, which is the best part of any book for me.
Tell us about the Siren world of your novella. What was your inspiration and how did you do your world building?
The book takes place in alternate world, deep beneath the sea, where the Greek gods still have power and influence. Since I was very young, I’ve always been fascinated with mythology—magic, love, betrayal, redemption, what’s not to love? So when I decided I was going to write fantasy, it was only natural that I reach for the Greek myths for inspiration.
World building is always a tricky, especially in the novella length. I tried hard to give the reader a sense of time and place without overwhelming the story with too much detail. It’s a tricky balance, but I hope I pulled it off.
What projects are you working on now? Any longer fiction in your future?
I’m currently working on a short, novella length Regency and a full length Regency.
What advice would you give an aspiring author?
Write. It’s really as simple as that. Write, write, then write some more.
Find out more about this rising star at her website.
by brenna | Jun 19, 2012 | Bren's Blog, Doing the Write Thing |
Leg chewed off by mutant boa constrictor? MAKE GOOD ART.
Cat exploded? MAKE GOOD ART.
Words of wisdom from one of my favorite living authors:
by brenna | Jun 1, 2012 | Bren's Blog |
I believe they are in order for my wonderful, amazing and talented critique partner, Kate McKinley, who has just been published.
SURRENDER TO THE SIREN PRINCE
Hot new novella!
Marine biologist Morgan Johansson doesn’t believe in fairy tales, so when rumors of a sexy male siren surface, she sets out on her boat to prove them wrong. But when she’s tossed overboard by her ex, she comes face to face with a strong, virile siren who’s undeniably real and promises to awaken her every erotic fantasy.
Racing to save his people, Erik, heir to the siren kingdom, must find the one woman destined to be his queen. When Morgan hits the water, he feels her presence and knows instantly she’s the one. Now he must convince her to abandon her strict scientific beliefs and submit to the powerful desire that grips them both. But one question remains to be answered…
Will Morgan return to the surface, or will she surrender to the siren prince?
I critiqued this novella as it was being written and let me tell you, it is spicy and delicious!
Purchase SURRENDER TO THE SIREN PRINCE here
by brenna | Apr 26, 2012 | The World According to Bren |
On the furthest stretch of western coastline along the edge of the contiguous United States lie a series of three bays: Birch Bay, Semiahmoo Bay, and Boundary Bay, a scoop of calm, blue-green ocean that extends between the USA and Canada. Places like Drayton Harbor, Blaine, Semiahmoo First Nation Reserve, Surrey, White Rock, Crescent Beach and Ocean Park all skirt the coastline here.
I spent every other childhood summer here and in many ways it feels as home to me as the place I grew up, over a thousand miles away. Memories entwine with images and as I glance over the snapshots I took as a teenager, many of them center around this portion of coastline that connect my two countries: the USA and Canada.
This stretch of seashore reflects me and who I am. I am American and Canadian, among other things. Just like these bays. Throughout the summers of my childhood and adolescence, I dug for clams and collected driftwood at Birch Bay, built sand castles at White Rock Beach, photographed stunning sunsets at Drayton Harbor, hunted for sea treasures at Crescent Beach, played in the shadow of the Peace Arch, and crabbed off the pier in Semiahmoo Bay.
The connection for me here is as simple and as a part of me as breath and heartbeat. I truly was lucky, but for me it was normal. It was our typical summer break visiting Grandma and all our other relatives in the north. Looking back, it was a gift. One I’m willing to share with you.
Boundary bay is comprised of communities in the state of Washington and the province of British Columbia. A historically significant monument, the Peace Arch, calls this bay home. The Samish first peoples once had lands here and now own a luxury resort off Drayton Harbor.
The border between U.S. and Canada and a distant view of the Peace Arch
From Blaine, WA, looking out over Drayton Harbor
In my childhood idylls, I have many memories of this particular pier that faces the Semiahmoo spit. We used to lower crab traps and spend hours here.
The tide washes in, devouring sandbars at Crescent Beach, B.C.
The next generation discovers a magical beach: My boys could have played at Crescent Beach for hours on this gorgeous spring day.
Plenty of rocks to throw here. And shells to collect. Per my instructions, they were only allowed to take two things each.
Be sure to visit my
pinterest board Happy Places for these and more choice views of Drayton Harbor, Birch Bay and Boundary Bay.
by brenna | Feb 3, 2012 | The World According to Bren |
This video is jaw droppingly amazing. The photography, the music. And one of the most amazing places on earth. If you ever ever get a chance to go, take it.
I know I’ve blogged about Yosemite before in Happy Places. But when I saw this video, I knew I had to tuck it away and save it to watch on those days when I feel particularly down in the dumps.
Enjoy!
