Monday, May 13, 2013

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews author Kaylie Austen

Joining me is author Kaylie Austen. Her book, Hellhound, is a paranormal mystery/suspense and was released on May 1st.

Welcome Kaylie! I am glad you could stop by during your whirlwind of a blog tour! Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

Thank you for having me! Hellhound is the story of Selene, aka the Hellhound, and her struggle with breaking away from her pre-ordained life. She’s a Mythian, a direct descendant of Greek Gods, and her powerful bloodlines dictate that she marry another firstborn of Elders to become part of the ruling council that will one day take the world back from mortals. The problem? She hates being told what to do, when to do it, and who to marry. She’d rather cave into her darker side than to be brought into the light, literally (she absorbs power through the moonlight while the Elders soak energy from the sun).

Selene takes the bold step of mating with a tracker, a class beneath her. Demetrius shows her the world and how to hunt. With her prized weapon, he names her the Hellhound to the clans of Mythos. Things are shaky, but Selene’s entire world turns upside down when her father and intended, Nathanial, are found dead. All eyes focus on Demetrius. The evidence mounts against him. And, since Selene is now a huntress, the council gives her the order to bring in her accused lover. A race against time to find the truth, the Hellhound must work quickly to outwit super-human archers, shape-shifting sentinels, the cerebral chamber of the muses, and a deceitful council before she’s forced to annihilate her lover.
I can relate to 'breaking away' in order to be happy. Describe the genre of this particular title, and is this the only genre you write in?  
Hellhound is a blend of several genres: Paranormal, mystery, suspense, and romance. I also write dark fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary in both adult and YA.
What is your writing routine like?
I don’t have a routine, per say. Ideas flood into my head, storylines form, dialogue crops up, and I have to get it all down before it consumes me. It’s actually quite hectic in my head during a writing episode. I type fast, between 500-10,000 words a day, usually in the afternoon and evening. I spend weeks on editing, revising before sending the manuscript to beta readers. I’ll obsess a little longer before sending it out, and even then, I always find something to change or tweak with every read thereafter.
I type fast, but spelling and grammer cause headaches for me! Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?  
To have people tell me, or write reviews, about how much they loved the story. That’s a great feeling to know someone enjoyed my work.    
I agree! Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract? 
I know it sounds generic and every author says it, but it’s true. Never give up. If you try to give up writing, and the words keep coming, then you know you’re destined to be a writer. During all this writing, read and learn the craft. Always continue to grow.
What’s next for you?
This month I will be participating in an exciting month-long blog tour with giveaways, although truth be told, I’m a bit tempted to keep those prizes for myself. As far as novels go, I have a deliciously disturbing YA dark fantasy coming out later this year.
BOOK BLURB
Selene is the Hellhound, a powerful and ruthless descendant of the Greek gods. She is bound by tradition and tied by bloodlines to lead her people against the mortals. Although she is arranged to marry Nathanial, she falls for Demetrius, the self-professed Black Angel, and things take a bitter twist. When she stumbles across the corpses of her father and Nathanial, all eyes move in on Demetrius. Selene must take the assignment to hunt down her accused lover. Facing the untrustworthy cerebral chamber, powerful shape-shifting sentinels, superhuman archers, and a deceitful Council, the Hellhound must work quickly to uncover the truth before she is forced to annihilate her lover.
Excerpt from Hellhound
  I stepped over the threshold. The doors closed behind me with an echo that bounced against thick interior walls. I stood as close to the doors as possible in the empty, twelve-foot, circular chamber. The smooth, metal walls were bare, dark. One, small light to my left illuminated the room, and cast odd shadows in the distance.
  The ancient muses lived in our domicile, trapped in this chamber for the purpose of the Council. They materialized from thin air. Dense, colored particles gave the appearance of solid flesh cloaked in cloth, similar to a hologram.
  I hated giving them my memories. No one should know them except me, but relinquishing them proved I was not a criminal.
  The cloth-like façade covered their faces. The woman in the middle stepped forward.     “Welcome, Selene.”
  “We recognize you anywhere,” another spoke.
  Their majestic voices echoed, creating a haunting ripple of sound.  
   I swallowed. “Let’s get this over with.”
  All three smirked and rushed into me at once. I gasped as their force slammed me against the door. For the most part, they dissipated into air, but a small portion passed through my skull and entered my brain. I dropped to my knees and cradled my head between curled fingers. With my teeth clenched, jaw tight, and eyes pressed, I rocked on my haunches.
  The muses moved across my thoughts, creating a vicious headache as they replicated memories and stored them in the chamber.
  My body heat rose. Sweat beads tickled as they slid down my flesh. My breathing escalated until my lungs hurt, my chest burned. I thought my head might explode, as if my brain throbbed, pounded against bone. Heavy breathing turned into muffled whimpers. Panting turned into hissing. Just when I lost self-control, just before screaming, the pain vanished. The muses disappeared and took with them everything I knew.
How can my readers buy your book? 

Online stores such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble
 
 
 
Readers can go to the publisher’s home page at
 
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kaylie Austen was born in India and raised in Austin, Texas where she attended the University of Texas. Her multi-cultural upbringing fueled her desire for languages, cultures, and travel. Kaylie is perhaps best known for her sudden and infectious laugh. She enjoys anything science fiction and fantasy related, and writes in both genres for adults and young adults. She currently lives in beautiful Washington State with an amazing husband. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to contact her. 
You can find more information about Kaylie Austen and her book, Hellhound, at
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