Q&A Interview and Giveaway with Heather Killough-Walden

Heather Killough-Walden Interview Intro:

Happy Monday everyone!  LITERAL ADDICTION and Book Monster Reviews are very happy to welcome bestselling author Heather Killough-Walden to our sites today!  

Heather is a California native currently living in Texas with her husband and child.

Heather’s educational background includes religious studies, archeology, and law. She has traveled all over the world but hopes to one day live in a town with a world-class hockey team, since she loves the Pens!

Heather is the proud creator of numerous independent titles as well as the OCTOBER TRILOGY and THE BIG BAD WOLF and THE LOST ANGEL series.  The first book of THE LOST ANGEL series, “Avenger’s Angel”, was just released on November 1^st and we’re going to help Heather promote and celebrate!

All of Heather’s books are amazing, but for the sake of this interview, let’s focus on the three series so we can acquaint new readers with her work a bit before we get to know her better.
 

“The Heat”, THE BIG BAD WOLF Book #1 Synopsis:

The women of Baton Rouge have often dreamed about Daniel Kane; his blue-black hair, sapphire-blue eyes and the muscular body that has so deliciously held many of them captive in bed. Lily St. Claire has dreamed of him too, but her dreams are different: Daniel approaches her in human form before there is a blinding flash of light. In the next instant, a large black wolf stands in his place, watching her through Daniel’s piercing blue eyes.

Having returned to Louisiana after a decade away, Lily meets up with Daniel again. He’s now the Police Chief of Baton Rouge, and she fast becomes victim to his Southern drawl, slow sexuality, and killer smile.

For Daniel, Lily St. Claire was the girl who got away. But when she returns and Daniel catches her scent, he knows that his attraction to her is something more; she was always meant to be his. Beautiful golden-haired and golden-eyed Lily St. Claire is his Dormant, the one woman on Earth meant to share his life and become his mate. Dormants are rare and more precious than anything to an alpha, for Hunters continue to viciously attack the werewolf community, ever dwindling their already scant numbers – and Dormants are the only females alive who can bear werewolf children.

Just as a murderous crime wave breaks out in Baton Rouge, Daniel forces his mark upon Lily for her protection. He soon learns, however, that even his mark can only protect her so far, as she finds herself the prey of both werewolf and Hunter alike.

“The Strip”, THE BIG BAD WOLF Book #2 Synopsis:

The emerald-eyed Malcolm Cole is a cursed werewolf, an alpha in the most powerful sense who has given up hope for any kind of happiness or peace in his life.

Until he catches wind of Claire.

Claire St.James, who goes by Charlie among friends, is an amazing young woman with an incredibly special gift. Cole recognizes this at once and swears on the spot to claim Charlie as his mate.

Of course, he isn't the only one with such plans. Pretty, red-headed Charlie is too precious to let go of without a fight, and one of the most powerful alpha werewolves in the world has already staked a claim, whether Charlie - and Cole - like it or not.

“The Spell”, THE BIG BAD WOLF Book #3 Synopsis:

Dannai, who is also known as the Healer, has begun dreaming of werewolves. She'd always been able to hide the fact that she was a dormant, using her magic to shield the sweet, promising scent from the alphas she's been forced to work around. But now that they've invaded her dreams, her world has really been turned upside down. For, though every dormant dreams of her intended mate - Dannai is dreaming of two wolves, not one. And neither one of them is good news. One is a notorious killer. The other is Lucas Caige.

Lucas Caige is a man with a haunting past. A warlock took his brother from him fifty years ago and he's spent his life outrunning that dark magic. But fate has a way of throwing sand in your gears - and just when Caige thought he could forever leave behind the magic that brought pain to his life, his path crosses that of the Healer. Dannai unwittingly casts her spell over him the moment he lays eyes on her. She's stunning, she's kind, and everything about her wreaks havoc on his senses.

She's also magic incarnate.

But if Dannai thinks that's going to stop him from doing everything in his power to make her his mate, the little witch has another thing coming.

“The Hunt” THE BIG BAD WOLF Book #4 Synopsis:

Byron Caige has been a prisoner for the last fifty years of his supernaturally long life. Just when he gives up hope of ever knowing the taste of freedom again, he is unwittingly rescued by the very same woman who only wants to see him dead. Katherine Dare - Kat - is smart, fast, strong and beautiful - but unfortunately she's a Hunter, and she's convinced that Byron murdered her father twenty years ago.

She's also Byron's dormant.

As supernatural war breaks out amongst the otherworldly of Earth and threatens the existence of entire races, Kat is faced with a terrible decision. Should she give up her cause and believe Caige when he professes his innocence? Or should she fight him and possibly avenge her father's taken life - even while she forfeits her own?

“Sam I Am” OCTOBER TRILOGY Book #1 Synopsis:

Seventeen year-old Logan Wright has always turned to the make-believe world of her written words to escape the pain of her real life. Through her writing, she lives vicariously, creating gorgeous but dangerous male characters who hunt down, and fight for, their chosen mates. For a vice, it's a safe one. Normally.
However, this is October.
The moon is full, the cemetery is filled with mists, and the misspoken words of an ages-old spell have released an ancient force. It is shapeless - nameless. Until it happens upon the words of a beautiful young bard and takes the wickedly handsome form of one of her creations.
Now Logan finds herself the object of desire for a boy who appears to be everything she ever dreamed of. Sam Hain is tall, strong, and gorgeous. He wants her; there’s no denying that. So, what’s the problem?
Sam’s kisses come with sharp teeth – and a dark promise.
Logan, her friends, and her long-time crush must band together in order to save her from the force they unwittingly awakened. They have one month. And it’s going to be a long one.

“Avenger’s Angel” LOST ANGEL Book #1 Synopsis (Just released November 1, 2011):

When four female angels were created for the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Azrael, a chaos spurned by jealousy erupted, and the archesses were secreted to Earth. The four favored archangels followed, prompting a search that has last millennia. But for Uriel, the former Archangel of vengeance, the search ends the moment he lays eyes on Eleanor Granger, his one true arches. Can he protect her from the danger lying in wait for her-and win her heart?

You’re hooked already, aren’t you!?  What do you say we learn some more about the author behind these fabulous titles…

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Hi Heather!  We’re very happy to have you here today, and are excited to help you promote and celebrate the release of “Avenger’s Angel”! 

HEATHER: Hi! Thank you for having me. J

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  We always like to start out by getting to know our guest author’s a little bit better.

Q1): Can you tell us 3 things about yourself that we couldn’t find out easily on the Internet?

HEATHER: I’m a leather journal junkie, a boot aficionado, and I sleep to the sound of a rain machine (actually just a rain app on my iPad).

Q2):  When did you start writing?

HEATHER: When I was about four years old. I kept a Hello Kitty journal. I had it until I was in second grade, at which point I chronicled a boy kissing me, and me promptly slapping him afterwards.

Q3):  What are 3 things that never fail to make you smile?

HEATHER: Frasier, the sound of thunder, and a ride in my Shelby.

Q4):  What are some of your hobbies and/or things that you enjoy doing when you’re not writing or taking care of other author business?

HEATHER: I used to enjoy photography, but now I’m so busy, I really just try to spend every extra second of time that I come by with my family.

Q5):  If you could interview any of your characters, what are the top 3 things you would ask, to whom would they be directed, and how do you think they would answer?

HEATHER: I would ask Samael who was going to win the Stanley Cup in 2013 (answer: “Penguins, of course”), I would ask Eleanore if she could please make it rain in Lubbock (answer: “sure thing, sweetie”) and I would ask Daniel Kane if he ever farted (answer: “No.”)

Q6):  Who are some of your favorite authors, and what are a couple titles in your TBR pile/list right now?

HEATHER: 1. Terry Pratchett; really want to read his new release, Snuff  2. Samuel Clemens; really want to finish his autobiography  3. Anything magical, such as Helen Stringer’s Spellbinder series; the new one is The Midnight Gate and I desperately want to relax with it.

Q7):  With Fantasy being such a popular genre these days, what made you choose it, and what about it fascinates you personally?

HEATHER: It’s not real. What better reason to love it?

Q8):  What are the best and worst parts of writing for you?

HEATHER: The best part of writing is the escape, the freedom, the way you can become god-like in your power to create and un-create anything you want. The worst part is dry spells or writer’s blocks. I hate those. I hate being so swamped, so overwhelmed with the reality of life, that even though my soul craves the release of writing, my body and mind simply can’t keep up.

Q9):  If you could describe yourself in 5 words what would they be?

HEATHER: Can they be phrases instead of words? If so, I would go with: hyper sensitive, anxious, fiercely determined, talented, and right now more than a little bit tired. J

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  O.K, now we’ll ask some questions directly related to books and your writing…  J

Q10):  Was there any specific inspiration that led to the concept and creation of THE BIG BAD WOLF or THE LOST ANGEL series?

HEATHER: The Big Bad Wolves created themselves. I had this vision one day of a man on a Harley in the sticky-hot Louisiana summer night darkness, and Daniel Kane took over. And then Malcolm Cole made his appearance and completely stole the show. From there, it was a matter of honing my writing skills and responding to the plethora of requests I was receiving for more books in the series. Thus, The Spell was born and made the New York Times bestseller list.

For the Lost Angels series, to be honest the first idea I had for it was a bit of a joke. I was bemused about something and set out to poke fun. But when I did, the characters I’d created began to take over, demanding that their stories be told. It happens that way sometimes. Writing is like a box of chocolates. LOL

Q11):  Do you have a personal favorite book of yours so far; maybe one that has deeper meaning for you, etc?

HEATHER: I love Hell Bent. I love it because it has no paranormal aspects to it and no sex scene and yet everyone who reads it agrees that it is by far the most sexually tense, amazingly hot book that I’ve written so far. Everyone falls in love with Jack Thane. I can see that. He’s human – so fatally flawed – and even so, he’s absolutely perfect.

Q12):  What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, logistical, etc) in bringing the “Avenger’s Angel” to life?

HEATHER: This was my first print book. I went from having absolute control over my own work because I was an indie author of eBooks – to having much less control over what was going to happen with my work. Someone else picked the cover, someone else determined when it would be released, someone else determined how much it would cost, and several other someone elses had a very big say in what would be inside of the book material-wise. That was an incredibly difficult adjustment for me to make. I honestly felt as though I was with sharks and had no idea where the shore was. For a while, it was pretty miserable. I wanted to throw in the pen. But I managed to find some amount of strength deep within myself – a diamond-hard determination to see to its fruition one of my greatest dreams - and I muscled on. I learned a lot about the print pub business and how to succeed within it. And now Avenger’s Angel is hitting the shelves.

Q13):  Is there an underlying message in THE BIG BAD WOLF series that you’re hoping your readers will grasp?

HEATHER: One of the things I absolutely love about self publishing is that I can lace my work with deeper meaning. Deeper meaning is one of the reasons I write. My soul… I feel positively ancient some days. I feel like I’ve felt everything, to every depth, and can’t forget those feelings to save my life. So when I can share these observations and musings with the world – that is the epitome of purpose to me.

With the Big Bad Wolf series, I was able to throw in these tidbits and they were never edited out. Quite the opposite, in fact. Amazon has this wonderful feature where readers can highlight quotes in a book on their Kindles, and when enough people have highlighted the same quote, that quote will appear on the sales page on Amazon beneath the book description. I have a lot of these, I’m proud to say. It means that people caught on and my messages were heard: messages about human nature, about the relativity of time, about the different degrees of fear – and so forth. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to know that I actually reached someone. That’s positively priceless.

Q14):  How many books do you have planned for THE BIG BAD WOLF and THE LOST ANGEL series?

HEATHER: The Big Bad Wolf series is at a close, however a spinoff series called The Kings is in the works, and it will feature everyone’s favorite BBW characters.

The Lost Angels series consists of five full-length novels and one introductory novella. As planned at the moment, they are as follows:

1.  Always Angel (introductory eBook only novella now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble)

2.  Avenger’s Angel

3.  Messenger’s Angel

4.  Death’s Angel

5.  Warrior’s Angel

6.  The Last Angel

Q15):  What can we look forward to in the next installment of THE OCTOBER TRILOGY?

HEATHER: Mystery, magic, fantasy, spooky scenery and settings, and further character development.

Q16):  What do you have in store for us as THE BIG BAD WOLF and THE LOST ANGEL series progress?

HEATHER:  I can’t tell you what I have in store for you. That would be a mega-spoiler. But I can say this: You’re going to gasp, you’re going to laugh, you’re going to blush, and you’re going to ogle the page in wonder. You won’t be disappointed.

Q17):  Way in the future, when you decided to stop writing and retire, what do you hope your thoughts are, and what do you hope other people’s thoughts will be, about the legacy you’re leaving behind?

HEATHER: I will never stop writing. Okay, that’s not true. When I’m dead, I might stop. And if I do, well then, I guess I hope that people quote me from time to time in wisdom, agree that my books were better than my movies, and try their best to keep the bird shit off of my statues.

Q18):  Is there a question that you’ve thought it would be great to be asked in an interview but have never been asked?  How would you answer that question?

HEATHER: I guess it would be nice to have someone say, “What would you tell readers if you could? What have you been wanting to tell them for a long time?” And I would say, “I love my readers. But I do wish they would understand that no matter how much they beg for something particular to happen in one of my books, it probably won’t happen. Or if it IS going to happen, then it’s already been written. By the time the first novel in the Lost Angels series hit the shelves, for instance, the third novel was already edited. So don’t stress. Don’t reach and push and pull and fidget. LOL Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Q19):  Is there anything specific you would like to say to your readers while we have you here today?

HEATHER: OOPS! See Question 18. ;)

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Heather, thank you so much for being with us today.  We’re excited to chat with you a little bit later, and hope we can have you back to promote one of your new releases in 2012!

HEATHER:  It’s a date! And thank you so much for having me here. It’s been a pleasure. J

If you would like to keep up with Heather, you can find her here:

Website:  http://www.killough-walden.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heather-Killough-Walden/204947809542189

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/KilloughWalden

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3427995.Heather_Killough_Walden?origin=

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CONTEST:

Heather is graciously offering up a signed copy of Avenger’s Angel to a winner from Book Monster Reviews. 

To Enter, make sure you’re a member of the Book Monster Blog by clicking on the "JOIN THIS SITE" button on the top left hand side of blog page, then, post a comment to this interview thread with your email address. 

Don't forget to drop by the LITERAL ADDICTION website (http://www.literaladdiction.com/) and follow the directions and links to enter their contest for an extra chance to win!!!

*Any comments without an email address will NOT be entered into drawing.

GOOD LUCK!!!