I'm lucky to have Kristine Cayne stop by today for an interview and promotion of her books. She's an amazing writer and I enjoyed reading one of her books.
Thank you, Arianne! It’s a pleasure to be here with you today. I’ve got my cup of coffee and I’m ready to start. Fire away!
1. How did you pick your character names?
Picking character names is actually very difficult. You want a name that reflects a certain personality, not just for the author, but for the readers as well. There were some names I liked that my writers group thought didn’t sound heroic enough. :D
In general though, I make a list of names that were popular in the birth year of the character and then I look through it, trying on each name for size. Once I pick a name, I let it simmer for a while to be sure I still like it. If I don’t, I change it. I’ll often pick surnames from the phone book.
2. Where did you get your inspiration for the series?
Each book in the Deadly Vices series is quite different so the inspiration comes from different places. I came up with the idea for Deadly Obsession while reading about some of Gerard Butler’s more avid fans. It got me thinking about celebrities and stalkers, and how they managed to have any sort of “normal” relationships given the lack of privacy in lives they lead.
The hero of Deadly Addiction, Rémi Whitedeer, is the best friend of the hero of Deadly Obsession, Nic Lamoureux. He appears in Nic’s book, and is such a great character, that I knew I had to write a book about him. Since he’s native, I had to come up with a storyline where the central conflict arose from that very fact. I did some research and the story took form.
In Deadly Betrayal, the third book in the Deadly Vices series, the hero is Kaden. He’s Nic’s body, so he’s been in each of the previous two books. We find out a little bit about Kaden’s life in the military in the first book. We learn that he was shot in Afghanistan. Based on that, I came up with a story about him and the female Afghani doctor who saved his life.
A lot of the conflicts in my stories are loosely based in reality. I like to learn new things when I research my story, and I really enjoy creating characters and situations that allow the reader to learn as well.
In terms of appearance of the characters, I’m often inspired by actors. Nic was unusual in that way because I’ve always known what he looks like in my head, but I can’t find an photo that matches. Despite that, I’ve found some close approximations.Rémi Whitedeer.was originally based on a photo I have of Marcus Schenkenberg. Unfortunately, I do not have the means to purchase images of Marcus for use on my book covers. Instead, I found this very attractive gentleman who was more than happy to fill in Marcus’ shoes. In fact, I think the new Rémi’s… feet … are much bigger :)
Kaden is based on Chris Hemsworth. Again, I don’t have the $$ to be able to use a photo of him on my cover, so I’ll have to find someone else. Of course, no one is quite comparable.
3. Do you ever dream about your characters?
Oh yes. But I won’t elaborate on the kind of dreams :)
Seriously though, it’s not uncommon for me to dream of a scene I’m trying to write. I’ll often resolve plot holes in my sleep. That’s also when I come up with the best dialogue. The problem is that when I wake up, I can rarely remember any of it.
4. What do you do when going through a writer's block?
I’m very much a plotter, so when I get writer’s block, it isn’t because I don’t know what to write, but rather that the words just aren’t coming. In some cases, I force myself to write through it. I might set a timer for a short period of time, or I might go to a coffee shop or the library. I’ve also found that writing longhand helps, especially if I’m starting a new project or a new major part of the story. Perhaps this is because I know that I’ll get a chance to edit it before I put it in black on white.
5. Do you outline your stories
Very much so. I start with a concept, and work my way through the layers. By the time I start to write, I have the scene worked out in bullet form. Now that isn’t to say that I have the entire book in point form before I begin. No, I have a high-level plot and a good idea of the main contents of each chapter. But as I write, I deepen the plot, focusing on the next chapter, the next scene.
6. Do you have a clear picture of the scenes in your head when you're writing them?
Sometimes, and those are the ones that usually turn out the best. There is a scene in Deadly Obsession that came to me one day while I was driving to my critique partner’s house for one of our meetings. When I arrived, my eyes were red and my cheeks tear-stained. My critique partner asked what was wrong. I told her about the scene and we both cried. Naturally, I cried writing the scene, and then I cried again reading it to my critique partner. She cried again too, but then she’s a real softie :)
7. When is the next book coming out and do you have any other things you're working on?
The next book in the Deadly Vices series is Deadly Betrayal. I’m targeting its release for some time next winter/spring. The cover artist and I have started working on some concepts. Hopefully, next time we talk, I’ll have a cover to show you!I’ve also written a story called “Aftershocks” which will be appearing in the Romance in the Rain anthology put together by my writing group of six authors. The anthology features Marianne Stillings, a romantic suspense author you may have read. Each story in the anthology features a different member of the Caldwell family, beginning in the 1800s and ending in the near future (my story). We’re trying to release the anthology by late September/early October. I can’t wait for all of you to read it.
The biggest news I have is that I’m starting a new series of novella-length erotic romance books. The name of the series will be determined via a contest on my blog. The series features a team of technical rescue firefighters and their adventures both in and out of bed :) The first book in the series, Under His Command, will be an extended and much, much sexier version of “Aftershocks.” I’m hoping to release it before the Christmas holidays.
8. Anything you would like to ask our readers?
In your opinion, what is the difference or the line between a very sexy romantic suspense or contemporary story, and an erotic romance? I’m curious because I’ve read a couple erotic romances lately where there was a lot of sex, but it was less graphic than what I write in my romantic suspense books.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Arianne. I’ve really enjoyed chatting with you and your readers. Everyone, please feel free to ask me any other questions you may have.
~Kristine
Title: Deadly Obsession
Series: Deadly Vices. #1
Author: Kristine Cayne
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Buy Links: Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) $0.99 | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple iTunes | Diesel | ARe | Smashwords | Sony
Blurb:
When an Oscar-winning movie star meets a department-store photographer…
Movie star Nic Lamoureux appears to have a playboy’s perfect life. But it’s a part he plays, an act designed to conceal a dark secret he carries on his shoulders. His empty days and nights are a meaningless blur until he meets the woman who fulfills all his dreams. She and her son are the family he’s always wanted—if she can forgive a horrible mistake from his past.
A Hollywood dream…
Lauren James, a widowed single mother, earns barely enough money to support herself and her son. When she wins a photography contest and meets Nic, the man who stars in all her fantasies, her dreams, both professional and personal, are on the verge of becoming real. The attraction between Lauren and Nic is instant—and mutual. Their chemistry burns out of control during a photo shoot that could put Lauren on the fast track to a lucrative career.
Becomes a Hollywood nightmare
But an ill-advised kiss makes front-page news, and the lurid headlines threaten everything Nic and Lauren have hoped for. Before they know what’s happening, their relationship is further rocked by an obsessed and cunning stalker who’ll stop at nothing—not even murder—to have Nic to herself. When Nic falls for Lauren, the stalker zeroes in on her as the competition.
And the competition must be eliminated.
| Excerpt Lauren rolled her eyes. “Fine. Do it.” Nic bent down and brushed his lips against hers. For the first few seconds, she didn’t kiss him back, but she didn’t push him away, either. Then, on a sigh, she leaned into him and her arms locked around his neck. His tongue darted out to taste her bottom lip. Mmm… cherry—his new favorite flavor. When her mouth opened, he didn’t hesitate. He dove in. And drowned. He’d meant this to be a quick kiss, only now he just couldn’t stop. His lips traced a path to her throat. Cupping her bottom with his hands, he lifted her up, grinding against her. She moaned. It was a beautiful sound, one he definitely wanted to hear again. A loud noise pierced the fog of his lust. He raised his head from where he’d been nuzzling Lauren’s apple-scented neck to tell whoever it was to fuck off, but as the sexual haze cleared, he swallowed the words. The paparazzi had gathered around, applauding and calling out crude encouragements. Some snapped photos while others rolled film. Shit. He’d pay for this fuck-up and so would she. |
Praises:
"Stock up on ice cubes because this is definitely one sizzling debut. Readers will be hooked from the first sentence - on the book and on Nic! As rich as a white chocolate cheesecake, Cayne's entrance into the suspense genre is invigorating, explosive and simply intoxicating." - RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars Top Pick)
Winner for Best Romance – eFestival of Words “Best of the Independent Book Awards”
Title: Deadly Addiction
Series: Deadly Vices, #2
Author: Kristine Cayne
Arianne's Review
Buy Links: Amazon (Paperback)| Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | ARe | Kobo | Diesel
Blurb:
A proud people. A nation divided.Rémi Whitedeer, police officer turned substance-abuse counselor, dreams of restoring order to his tribe. Violence and crime are rampant throughout the unpoliced Iroquois reserve, and a civil war is brewing between the Guardians, a militant traditionalist group, and other tribal factions. As the mixed-race cousin of the Guardians’ leader, Rémi is caught in a no-man’s land—several groups lay claim to him, but all want him to deny his white blood.
A maverick cop on an anti-drug crusade.When she infiltrated the Vipers to take down the leader of the outlaw biker gang responsible for her brother’s death, police sergeant Alyssa Morgan got her man. But her superiors think she went too far. Her disregard for protocol and her ends-justify-the-means ethics have branded her an unreliable maverick. To salvage her career, she accepts an assignment to set up a squad of native provincial officers on a reserve.
A radical sovereigntist bent on freeing a nation.Decades of government oppression threaten the existence of the Iroquois Nation. But one man, Chaz Whitedeer, is determined to save his people no matter what the price, even if it means delving into the shadowy world of organized crime.
When Rémi and Alyssa uncover the Guardians’ drug-fueled scheme to fund their fight for true autonomy—a scheme involving the Vipers—Rémi must choose between loyalty to family and tribe or his growing love for Alyssa.
Can Rémi and Alyssa leave everything behind—even their very identities—for a future together?
| Sexy Excerpt Closing her eyes, Alyssa pressed the glass of water to her neck. “I can do the talking if that makes you feel any better.” Although Rémi heard the words, it would have taken an act of Parliament to get him to respond. The heat of her skin caused the condensation on the glass to liquefy. Like a tractor-beam, his gaze followed a drop of water as it slid down the long pale column of her neck, followed the curve of her right breast and slipped under the collar of her blue cotton T-shirt into the V of her cleavage. Oh fuck. He wanted to be that drop of water. He wanted to be snuggled between her warm ripe breasts. His cock swelled and lengthened, letting him know that it wanted to be there too. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed his hard-on away. This wasn’t the time and certainly not the place for Mr. Happy to make an appearance. But the more he tried not to think about where the drop had gone, the more he did. He’d thought he was a leg man, but he knew the truth now. It had slapped him in the face. He was a breast man. An “Alyssa’s breasts” man, and he fucking wanted to see them, to feel them, to taste them. Right now. |
About the Author:
Kristine Cayne is fascinated by the mysteries of human psychology—twisted secrets, deep-seated beliefs, out-of-control desires. Add in high-stakes scenarios and real-world villains, and you have a story worth writing, and reading.
The heroes and heroines of her Deadly Vices series are pitted against each other by their radically opposing life experiences. By overcoming their differences and finding common ground, they triumph over their enemies and find true happiness in each other’s arms.
Today she lives in the Pacific Northwest, thriving on the mix of cultures, languages, religions and ideologies. When she’s not writing, she’s people-watching, imagining entire life stories, and inventing all sorts of danger for the unsuspecting heroes and heroines who cross her path.