Interview With Heather Kuehl
Dear Reader,
Please welcome Paranormal Author of the Sarah Vargas Series, Heather Kuehl!
SBR: What is your ideal hero?
HK: I have a soft spot of the bad boy with a soft side. I like the thought of being the woman capable of breaking down the walls the bad boy put up and getting close and personal.
SBR: Do you write a series? If so, how hard do you find it to keep all the details straight?
HK: Yes I do. It has been interesting trying to keep all the facts straight in my Sarah Vargas Series. I keep notes scribbled at my desk when I’m working on a Sarah Vargas book so that I can remember all the important details.
SBR: What was it like to sign your first publishing contract?
SBR: What was it like to sign your first publishing contract?
HK: It was like heaven; like all my dreams had come true.
SBR: What do you do when you have writer’s block?
HK: I have found that my writer’s block is when I wrote something that my main character didn’t agree with. I usually read through what I’ve written, and try to figure out what my main character didn’t like. Sometimes it’s a quick and easy fix, other times it involves a major rewrite.
SBR: When you sit down to start writing a book, what do you?
HK: I jot down the main plot for the book, including major characters. Then I sit down and make a rough outline, including any minor plots and hints of what’s to come (if it’s a series). Then I get to work.
SBR: Do you plot out your story before writing, or just go page to page, never knowing what will happen next?
HK: In a way, yes. I write a rough outline, but I’m not rigid in sticking to it. If the story line deviates from what I have written, I let it. I like to see where my characters go when left to their own devices.
SBR: Do you have any new releases? Tell us about them.
HK: Yes I do! My latest release with Eternal Press, Blood Moon, came out TODAY! It’s the third book in my Sarah Vargas Series. In this installment, Sarah knew that it was only a matter of time before the Blood Moon Corporation came for her. What she didn’t know is what lengths they would go to make sure that she had no where to run. Everyone Sarah has ever relied on is in danger during a time when friends become enemies, and Sarah quickly realizes that the Blood Moon Corporation will never give up until she is dead. The Blood Moon Corporation is coming, and even Sarah doesn’t think she can make it out alive.
SBR: What do you do when you have writer’s block?
HK: I have found that my writer’s block is when I wrote something that my main character didn’t agree with. I usually read through what I’ve written, and try to figure out what my main character didn’t like. Sometimes it’s a quick and easy fix, other times it involves a major rewrite.
SBR: When you sit down to start writing a book, what do you?
HK: I jot down the main plot for the book, including major characters. Then I sit down and make a rough outline, including any minor plots and hints of what’s to come (if it’s a series). Then I get to work.
SBR: Do you plot out your story before writing, or just go page to page, never knowing what will happen next?
HK: In a way, yes. I write a rough outline, but I’m not rigid in sticking to it. If the story line deviates from what I have written, I let it. I like to see where my characters go when left to their own devices.
SBR: Do you have any new releases? Tell us about them.
HK: Yes I do! My latest release with Eternal Press, Blood Moon, came out TODAY! It’s the third book in my Sarah Vargas Series. In this installment, Sarah knew that it was only a matter of time before the Blood Moon Corporation came for her. What she didn’t know is what lengths they would go to make sure that she had no where to run. Everyone Sarah has ever relied on is in danger during a time when friends become enemies, and Sarah quickly realizes that the Blood Moon Corporation will never give up until she is dead. The Blood Moon Corporation is coming, and even Sarah doesn’t think she can make it out alive.
SBR: Do
you want to share an excerpt of your latest release?
HK:
Rated: PG (NOTE: Before final edits) May contain Malevolent Dead spoilers
At times, I loved my mentor. It was a pity the BMC let him go. So many people like me needed a teacher like him.
Just like Jared’s death, the BMC’s abandonment of Dom made no sense. Why would they get rid of one of their best teachers?
I gasped as it came to me as clearly as a premonition. I felt my connection with Damian flair as my mind went into shock, putting pieces together that I didn’t know fit. It couldn’t be…
It made too much sense not to.
I looked up at Dom. “Why didn’t the BMC save you from Marcellus?” I asked with my voice barely above a whisper.
HK:
Rated: PG (NOTE: Before final edits) May contain Malevolent Dead spoilers
At times, I loved my mentor. It was a pity the BMC let him go. So many people like me needed a teacher like him.
Just like Jared’s death, the BMC’s abandonment of Dom made no sense. Why would they get rid of one of their best teachers?
I gasped as it came to me as clearly as a premonition. I felt my connection with Damian flair as my mind went into shock, putting pieces together that I didn’t know fit. It couldn’t be…
It made too much sense not to.
I looked up at Dom. “Why didn’t the BMC save you from Marcellus?” I asked with my voice barely above a whisper.
It
was the most obvious question, one that should have been asked the moment the
vampire necromancer died. I had been too busy grieving over Jared to think
straight.
Damian kept the metaphysical lines between us open, listening but careful not to say a word to distract me. I could feel him in my head, and I didn’t mind, one less person to tell.
Dom looked into my eyes and I could see indecision filling their black depths. He sighed as he backed away, and I thought that he decided not to tell when he faced me and said, “They ordered me to kill you.”
“And?” I asked. My blood ran cold. I felt the wolf inside me tense, preparing for an attack.
“And I refused,” Dom growled with disbelief written on his features. “Sarah, you’re like a daughter to me. I could never cause you harm.”
“What did the BMC do?”
“They said that they understood. The next day they sent me to take out Marcellus.”
I licked my lips. “They sent a vampire to kill a vampire necromancer?”
“Yes, that’s…” Dom froze. “They set me up.”
“No. I don’t think they did.”
“How do you figure? Sarah, I was controlled…”
“By a creature sent here to kill Damian, not me.”
Dom cocked his head to the side, and I screamed with frustration that he wasn’t putting it altogether.
“Think about it Dom! There are four people that I can fully trust; you, Donavan, Jared, and Damian.”
“Go on.”
“They sent Marcellus here to kill Damian. If he had succeeded, that would have taken care of one of my four. In doing so, the throne of Charleston would have been open to him, and I would be out of a safe place to live. Donovan should have killed you for killing his Weres. I should have been kicked out of the Clan for letting the dead Weres happen on my watch. Luckily, Donavan is more understanding than the BMC give him credit for. I would have been out of another safe house as well as a Clan to protect me. You, a vamp would sacrifice his own life to keep me safe. Jared…” I couldn’t say any more, and Dom started nodding as he thought it over.
“I can’t believe they would do this,” he said.
Donavan came over as Dom said these words. “Who?”
“The Blood Moon Corporation,” Dom and I said in unison.
“We’ve got to tell Damian,” Dom said as he dug into his pocket for his phone.
“There’s no need,” I said before he could pull it out. “He’s been in my head listening since I figured it out.”
I felt Damian’s anger rise to the surface, and suddenly I saw Damian as though I actually stood in his office. His black hair, once long enough to touch his knees, now barely brushed his shoulders. His plum-colored eyes burned with anger as he pulled book after book off the bookcase against his back wall.
Damian kept the metaphysical lines between us open, listening but careful not to say a word to distract me. I could feel him in my head, and I didn’t mind, one less person to tell.
Dom looked into my eyes and I could see indecision filling their black depths. He sighed as he backed away, and I thought that he decided not to tell when he faced me and said, “They ordered me to kill you.”
“And?” I asked. My blood ran cold. I felt the wolf inside me tense, preparing for an attack.
“And I refused,” Dom growled with disbelief written on his features. “Sarah, you’re like a daughter to me. I could never cause you harm.”
“What did the BMC do?”
“They said that they understood. The next day they sent me to take out Marcellus.”
I licked my lips. “They sent a vampire to kill a vampire necromancer?”
“Yes, that’s…” Dom froze. “They set me up.”
“No. I don’t think they did.”
“How do you figure? Sarah, I was controlled…”
“By a creature sent here to kill Damian, not me.”
Dom cocked his head to the side, and I screamed with frustration that he wasn’t putting it altogether.
“Think about it Dom! There are four people that I can fully trust; you, Donavan, Jared, and Damian.”
“Go on.”
“They sent Marcellus here to kill Damian. If he had succeeded, that would have taken care of one of my four. In doing so, the throne of Charleston would have been open to him, and I would be out of a safe place to live. Donovan should have killed you for killing his Weres. I should have been kicked out of the Clan for letting the dead Weres happen on my watch. Luckily, Donavan is more understanding than the BMC give him credit for. I would have been out of another safe house as well as a Clan to protect me. You, a vamp would sacrifice his own life to keep me safe. Jared…” I couldn’t say any more, and Dom started nodding as he thought it over.
“I can’t believe they would do this,” he said.
Donavan came over as Dom said these words. “Who?”
“The Blood Moon Corporation,” Dom and I said in unison.
“We’ve got to tell Damian,” Dom said as he dug into his pocket for his phone.
“There’s no need,” I said before he could pull it out. “He’s been in my head listening since I figured it out.”
I felt Damian’s anger rise to the surface, and suddenly I saw Damian as though I actually stood in his office. His black hair, once long enough to touch his knees, now barely brushed his shoulders. His plum-colored eyes burned with anger as he pulled book after book off the bookcase against his back wall.
SBR: What
do you have in store for your readers?
HK: Mayhem, dragons, born vampires, and surprise twists fill Blood Moon. I am also working on finishing my paranormal romance starring T.D. Drake, Gray Magic, and my paranormal YA romance Of Wolf and Man.
SBR: What are your hobbies?
HK: I like to garden when I’m not writing or chasing after my toddler. I call it a good growing season when I don’t kill anything. :o)
SBR: Do you cook or bake? Tell us about some of your favorite things to make.
HK: I like to do both, when I’m in the mood. I love experimenting with chicken and trying new recipes.
HK: Mayhem, dragons, born vampires, and surprise twists fill Blood Moon. I am also working on finishing my paranormal romance starring T.D. Drake, Gray Magic, and my paranormal YA romance Of Wolf and Man.
SBR: What are your hobbies?
HK: I like to garden when I’m not writing or chasing after my toddler. I call it a good growing season when I don’t kill anything. :o)
SBR: Do you cook or bake? Tell us about some of your favorite things to make.
HK: I like to do both, when I’m in the mood. I love experimenting with chicken and trying new recipes.
SBR: Do you have a recipe you want to share with our readers?
HK: Sure. It’s a sinfully delicious desert but let me warn you, you’ll need a major sweet tooth to appreciate it.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham craker crumbs
1 14oz can of sweatended condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 12 oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of peanut butter chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F
In a 13in x 9in baking pan, melt butter in the oven. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter, and then pour sweetened milk evenly over crumbs. Top with the chips and press firmly down.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly brown
Cool and cut into bars (25-36)
SBR: What is your favorite movie?
HK: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I can remember seeing it when it first came out in theaters, and no other movie has been able to surpass it since. I love Belle’s winter dress so much, I’m planning on trying to make my own.
Preheat oven to 350F
In a 13in x 9in baking pan, melt butter in the oven. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter, and then pour sweetened milk evenly over crumbs. Top with the chips and press firmly down.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly brown
Cool and cut into bars (25-36)
SBR: What is your favorite movie?
HK: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I can remember seeing it when it first came out in theaters, and no other movie has been able to surpass it since. I love Belle’s winter dress so much, I’m planning on trying to make my own.
SBR: What
is your favorite actor/character? Why?
HK: My favorite actor is Ryan Reynolds. He’s hot and funny. Need I say more?
SBR: If you could go on vacation and money wasn’t a concern, where would you travel to? What would you do?
HK: Wow, there’s so many places, it’s hard to choose just one… So I’m not! I saw a tour offered once that started in London and ended in Greece, stopping at tons of places along the way; Versailles palace in France, Auschwitz in Germany, Rome, etc. After writing a report in college on it, I’m dying to visit Versailles.
SBR: If you were handed a million dollars right now, guilt-free, what would you do with it?
SBR: What is your favorite actor/character? Why?
HK: My favorite actor is Ryan Reynolds. He’s hot and funny. Need I say more?
SBR: If you could go on vacation and money wasn’t a concern, where would you travel to? What would you do?
HK: Wow, there’s so many places, it’s hard to choose just one… So I’m not! I saw a tour offered once that started in London and ended in Greece, stopping at tons of places along the way; Versailles palace in France, Auschwitz in Germany, Rome, etc. After writing a report in college on it, I’m dying to visit Versailles.
SBR: If you were handed a million dollars right now, guilt-free, what would you do with it?
SBR: What is your favorite actor/character? Why?
HK: My favorite actor is Ryan Reynolds. He’s hot and funny. Need I say more?
SBR: If you could go on vacation and money wasn’t a concern, where would you travel to? What would you do?
HK: Wow, there’s so many places, it’s hard to choose just one… So I’m not! I saw a tour offered once that started in London and ended in Greece, stopping at tons of places along the way; Versailles palace in France, Auschwitz in Germany, Rome, etc. After writing a report in college on it, I’m dying to visit Versailles.
SBR: If you were handed a million dollars right now, guilt-free, what would you do with it?
HK: Donate a chunk of it to MUSC Children’s Hospital. Why? Well, when my son was three weeks old he had a condition known as Pyloric Stenosis; the muscle exiting the stomach had closed shut and he couldn’t digest his food, resulting in him vomiting everything he ate. If untreated, he would have starved to death. It’s actually quite a common condition, with our surgeon having performed around 70 of those surgeries that year alone. The staff was so friendly, from the surgeon to the nurses to the cleaning staff. I’ve always wanted to give back to them for helping my son (who, by the way, just turned two and will never ever have to worry about that complication again thanks to that surgery), and I have asked Eternal Press to donate all of the proceeds from Blood Moon to MUSC Children’s Hospital. Whether it’s my book earnings or a chunk of a million, it will never be enough to thank them for their kindness during such a rough time.
SBR: Dog or cat person?
HK: I love dogs, but I’ve found that I like owning cats more. They are very independent and not too much of a hassle to keep up with.
SBR: What CD is in your stereo/track on your MP3 player right now?
HK: I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m listening to Ke$ha while writing Gray Magic. My Muse is drinking up her glitter party music.
SBR: What kind of television shows do you watch?
HK: Mostly just NCIS and Bones now, but in the past I have watched Heroes, Veronica Mars, LOST, Sarah Conner Chronicles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse, Firefly (can’t we tell I love Joss Whedon? LoL).
SBR: If you could go on vacation and money wasn’t a concern, where would you travel to? What would you do?
HK: Wow, there’s so many places, it’s hard to choose just one… So I’m not! I saw a tour offered once that started in London and ended in Greece, stopping at tons of places along the way; Versailles palace in France, Auschwitz in Germany, Rome, etc. After writing a report in college on it, I’m dying to visit Versailles.
SBR: If you were handed a million dollars right now, guilt-free, what would you do with it?
HK: Donate a chunk of it to MUSC Children’s Hospital. Why? Well, when my son was three weeks old he had a condition known as Pyloric Stenosis; the muscle exiting the stomach had closed shut and he couldn’t digest his food, resulting in him vomiting everything he ate. If untreated, he would have starved to death. It’s actually quite a common condition, with our surgeon having performed around 70 of those surgeries that year alone. The staff was so friendly, from the surgeon to the nurses to the cleaning staff. I’ve always wanted to give back to them for helping my son (who, by the way, just turned two and will never ever have to worry about that complication again thanks to that surgery), and I have asked Eternal Press to donate all of the proceeds from Blood Moon to MUSC Children’s Hospital. Whether it’s my book earnings or a chunk of a million, it will never be enough to thank them for their kindness during such a rough time.
SBR: Dog or cat person?
HK: I love dogs, but I’ve found that I like owning cats more. They are very independent and not too much of a hassle to keep up with.
SBR: What CD is in your stereo/track on your MP3 player right now?
HK: I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m listening to Ke$ha while writing Gray Magic. My Muse is drinking up her glitter party music.
SBR: What kind of television shows do you watch?
HK: Mostly just NCIS and Bones now, but in the past I have watched Heroes, Veronica Mars, LOST, Sarah Conner Chronicles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse, Firefly (can’t we tell I love Joss Whedon? LoL).