At Winter's Demand
By
Kirsten Blacketer
Blurb:
A spirited country
girl at the mercy of a silent thief harboring a dangerous secret.
Working at the inn
Judith fears a constant state of boredom. One snowy night, three strange
gentlemen appear and topple her quiet haven into chaos. The leader kidnaps her
sister, leaving her under the stern eye of his silent compatriot. Her sister
had warned her one day she'd cross the line. With him, that doesn't take more
than a frying pan to the head.
Simon detests
disorder. Edmund charged him with one mission: find the jewels. But he never
counted on a feisty, curvaceous hellcat standing in his way. She demands to be
reunited with her sister in London, and Simon is more than willing to leave her
on his friend's doorstep. When she's kidnapped at King's Cross Station, he must
summon all his unsavory resources to find the woman who unwittingly stole his
heart.
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Author Name: Kirsten S. Blacketer
Author Bio:
Stick her in the middle of a chaotic home with two children, a hyperactive dog, and a camouflage-wearing husband, and she can cook and clean with the best of them. But when the sun goes down and the children are nestled in bed fast asleep, she tucks away her pots and broom and like Cinderella she transforms.
Her characters creep forth from the dark recesses of her mind taking their places in the castles and forests built from her words. No simpering heroines linger there with forlorn gazes turned to the horizon, waiting for their Prince Charming. They straighten their spine, arming themselves with blade and bow, prepared to do their part in defense of their honor and destiny. She breathes life into the women she believes our ancestors to be, showing how they lived and loved with passion and grace.
Never bored by the tales still left to tell, she battles the ever-sarcastic muse in her quest for romance.
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Excerpt:
As she washed the handful of dishes, Judith
lost herself in thought. When the door to the kitchen swung open, she jumped
and spun around, nearly dropping the bowl in her hand. She pressed a soapy hand
to her chest to still her fluttering heart and glanced up.
The silent stranger stood in the center of
the room, his gaze slowly moving along the walls. It slid past her without
hesitation. Judith frowned.
"You're about to drive me bloody
insane," she said through gritted teeth before turning back to her task.
She finished the rest of the dishes, dried them, and put them away.
He never wavered from his task. When she
passed him to put the pot on the shelf, his gaze fell on her for a brief
moment. Before she could even discern the color of his eyes, he turned his back
to her.
"Bloody knob," Judith swore as
she passed him again. His scent of leather mingling with notes of tobacco and
vanilla blended with the familiar aroma of baked bread. Stopping behind him,
she suppressed the urge to bury her face in his coat. Her eyes drifted closed,
and she inhaled, drawing the scents deep, letting them linger.
When she opened her eyes, a pair of smoky hazel
eyes stared at her. The faint shadow of a beard highlighted his jaw. His sharp
features accentuated by the way his black hair slicked back into a queue.
"Fetch me some of that stew."
Judith blinked twice, unsure if she heard
him correctly or not.
"You can talk. Saints above, would it
hurt you to polish your manners?" She pushed past him and reached for the
ladle. Her hand hovered over the spoon, and then she dropped it to her side to
hide the tremor. Her heart hammered in her chest as she turned back to him and
met his cool expression with a scowl.
Judith propped her hands on her hips.
"Tell me where my sister is first. You can at least do that much. I
deserve to know where she is and if she's even safe..." The words died on
her lips as he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a dangerous looking
silver pistol.
"The stew, and bread too." He
leveled the barrel at her and cocked the hammer.
Judith swallowed the scream clawing at the
back of her throat. With a nod, she ladled the stew into a large bowl and cut a
loaf of bread in half. The knife nearly slipped from her grip. She pinched her
eyes closed for a moment, refusing to look up and see the hollow barrel pointed
at her head. Once she set the meal on the counter before her, she backed away
without a word and wiped her hands on her apron in an attempt to hide their
trembling.
He uncocked the revolver and slid it back
beneath his coat. Without another word, he picked up the food and retreated
into the parlor.
When the door swung shut, Judith dropped
boneless to the floor. Her heart hammered in her chest as her hands shook.
A gun! He pointed a gun at me. She
buried her face in her hands and felt the hot tears against her palms.
"Jess, what the hell have you done to
me?"
Is there a message in your
novel that you want readers to grasp?
We all bring something
unique to every story we read. I'm not trying to make a statement with my stories.
I'm merely trying to entertain. I guess if I had to highlight a message in my
books, it's this: Love is worth the risk.
Was there an Author who
inspired you to write?
I can't think of one
specifically, although there are many authors I admire. Jane Austen, the Bronte
sisters, and a handful of modern romance authors like Teresa Medeiros and Tara
Janzen. All of them have inspired me to some extent. I can only hope my stories
have an impact on someone the way theirs have touched me.
How did you come up with the
characters in your books?
My heroes are always
inspired by either a male actor or a character in a film/tv show/book/game. I
like having visual inspiration. In The Thieves of Winter Series, I drew my
inspiration for the heroes from a Japanese visual novel game I found on my iPad
called Kissed by the Baddest Bidder. Three of the men in the game inspired
Edmund, Simon, and Monty. *dreamy sigh*
What are your current
projects?
I'm currently editing two
books: the third novella in the Thieves of Winter Series, Under Winter's
Control, and a prohibition era novel called Mississippi Moonshine.
I currently have no other
stories in the writing stage, but I'm digging for inspiration as we speak.
Do you see writing as a
career?
I try to. I've been a
stay-at-home mom for the last seven years. I'm fortunate my husband allows me
to stay home and write now even though the kids are in school. I'd like to keep
working toward making writing a full time career.
Do you ever picture yourself
and one of your heroines? If so, which
one?
Always. Every heroine I
write has some element of myself in them, as do my heroes. Each of my heroines
have a sassy, snarky side with a desire for independence. That's definitely me.
Do you have a favorite
heroine/hero from one of your books? If so, who?
Gabriel and Evelyn will
always be my favorite hero and heroine. They were my first and they'd been with
me the longest (since I was fifteen, I wrote their story when I was 29.)
They'll always have a special place in my heart.
What kind of research do you
do for your books?
I do research when I have
to. If I over-research, I get lost in the process. Most of the information
won't even be used in the book, so I try to keep it simple. I like to think the
historical details are like seasoning and the story is the main dish. You don't
want to overwhelm it, only enhance its natural flavor.
I have some great books and
resources that give me just the right amount of research to pull the story
together.
What is the hardest part of
writing your book?
Forcing myself to write. I
can find a million and one excuses not to do so, but I have to glue my butt to
the chair to get the word count down for the day.
If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?
Thank you for your support. Without you, I'd look like a
crazy person talking to myself. Seriously though, it means the world to me to
hear that my stories have entertained you if only for a short while. So thanks
you for reading my work.
What is your favorite Genre and why?
Romance. I love that I'm guaranteed a happy ending. Reality
can be miserable, so I love reading a book and knowing that at the end, I'll
find an emotionally satisfying ending. Life isn't as accommodating as a good
romance novel.
Do you prefer to write alone or do you like to collaborate
with other authors?
I like to write with my author friends. We sit on Skype and
do writing sprints. I find it helps motivate me to hit my word count and holds
me accountable. It also gives me a chance to collaborate with them if I find
myself stuck on a scene or need some guidance. My author friends are my best
resource and support.
Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you get
through it?
I push through it. I figure I can edit it later if it's
total crap. But if I start to write something, anything, then I can find some
momentum to keep going.
When you are reading a book, who is your favorite author?
Depends on my mood. I love a lot of different romance
authors, but many of them vary in subgenre. Sometimes I like a steamy
historical, other times I want an adventurous fairy tale, and then there are
times I want to read a contemporary with action and suspense. I have too many
authors I like to read to name them all.
Do you come up with the cover or does someone else do it?
I'm fortunate to have a cover artist who is willing to
collaborate with me on ideas for the covers. I normally choose the photo and
give her a vague idea of what I'm looking for, then she makes it happen. We're
an awesome team. I love her.
If you could change anything in your writing what would that
be?
Up the conflict. I naturally avoid conflict. I hate it in my
life. So trying to write it gives me anxiety. I would definitely change my
conflict building in my stories.
What book if any would you want to be made into a movie?
Any book? Hmmm...I'd really like Tara Janzen's Crazy Hot and
Crazy Cool books to be turned into movies. They're hot and have heart-pounding
action. I'd die for those to be movies.
Who would you want to play the hero/heroine?
Chis Evans and me....for all the roles. Amen.
Everyone uses computers, tablets, phones and no one uses
handwritten form or typewriters, what do you prefer to use?
Handwritten for plotting and notes. Computer for the actual
drafting process. Makes editing easier in the end.
Is there a ritual you do everything before you begin your
book?
No. I just write. That's the important part.
What do you do when you finish your book and turn it in to
the editor?
I drink...heavily. Hahahaha, just kidding. I start the next
story...and maybe enjoy a celebratory mixed drink.
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