Interview with Kylie Wolfe, author of Rayven’s Keep #scifirom #sfrb @KylieW1
Hello Kylie! Welcome to Mark of the Stars! It’s a pleasure to have you here today. Tell us about your new release.
KW: Rayven’s Keep is my debut novel and I am so excited to have it released through Lyrical Press! It’s a Science Fiction Romance about complete opposites thrown together by circumstance and who must rely on each other to stay alive.
Nick Rayven is a former soldier, a survivor of a war that devastated his home world and cast him adrift. He has fought hard to make a new life for himself and the last thing he needs is to be saddled with an heiress running for her life. Keeping Tru Creighton alive and out of trouble is almost not worth the credits her family is paying him to protect her. His growing attraction to her complicates matters, blurring the lines between his strong sense of duty and emotions he thought long dead. No matter how hard he tries to keep her at a distance she still manages to pierce the walls he builds against her.
Tru never expected to find herself thrust into the middle of an inter-planetary conspiracy involving drugs and murder. Her sheltered life has not prepared her for the harsh realities she now faces. Struggling to cope with her changed circumstances she is drawn to Nick, to his strength and solid presence. Falling in love with him was easy, convincing him they belong together – not so much.
Describe the heroine in three words.
KW: Fiesty, determined, romantic
What traits does the hero posses that makes the heroine swoon?
KW: It isn’t just what he looks like- the strong and disciplines body, the roguish walk, the glint of danger in his eyes – it’s what she senses he is deep down inside. Nick Rayven is hero material, steadfast and honorable, bold and powerful, with a hint of vulnerability. What woman can resist a package like that?
What was your inspiration for this story?
KW: The first sentence. Seriously! It just popped into my head one day and wouldn’t leave me alone. From there the story just sort of evolved.
Who is your favorite character from this book? Can you include an excerpt involving this character?
KW: My favorite character has to be Nick. He’s a warrior, a man who has seen the worst and survived. He’s not prepared to deal with one small female that gets under his skin and shakes him out of the emotional vacuum he’s been living in.
Nick was no stranger to the tumult of feelings coursing through his body. He’d felt the punch-drunk assault of adrenaline many times in his career. He understood the heady rush of euphoria once the danger had passed and knew firsthand the reckless need for physical release in its aftermath. He recognized it a very human response to the need to reaffirm life continued.
All those feelings and needs made his hands shake and drawing breath into his oxygen-starved lungs difficult. He wanted to follow Tru to her bed and sink into her warmth with a painful intensity leaving his muscles taut and his emotions a tangled mess.
If the situation were different, he would have gone with his friends to a tavern and indulged in the usual male bonding ritual of congratulatory back-thumping and drinking until he was either too drunk to stand or had found a bed partner. A sobering thought. He’d been younger then, still idealistic and sure of his ability to survive what life threw at him. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and he’d learned surviving was sometimes almost too painful to be endured.
To let her walk away had cost him. The heavy thud of his heartbeat pulsed in his temple and restless energy held muscles rigid. He called himself ten kinds of a fool, even though he knew he did the right thing. He ran a hand across the back of his neck before he went in search of a canister of ale he knew was onboard. He didn’t drink often, but tonight promised to be long and lonely.
After he snagged the chilled canister, he returned to the bridge. Slouching in his chair, he nursed the drink and stared moodily into space.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
KW: I think I land somewhere in between. I am not prone to outlining the plot in any detail, but I know where I want the story to go and flesh it out from there. Sometimes I am surprised when there is an unforeseen twist, but I love the idea of chasing it and seeing where the story goes.
What genres do you enjoy reading?
KW: I just plain love to read and my book collection is taking over my house! I just finished reading a regency novel and next on my list is a mystery. The only thing I don’t read is horror. I don’t like being scared. Okay, I admit it…I am a total chicken!
What is your favorite book that you’ve read?
KW: The Rainbow Season by Lisa Gregory. I have read it so many times it is looking dog-eared. It is a wonderful love story with two characters you can’t help but root for.
Do you belong to a critique group or have critique partners? If so, what have you learned from them? How has it affected your writing?
KW: I have a critique partner and she is wonderful. We have very different writing styles, but somehow it works. She always knows exactly the right word I am looking for and is a genius at untangling my convoluted sentences. She helps me delve deeper into the emotions of my characters and doesn’t hesitate to let me know when my story is getting off track. It is important to have someone whose opinion and suggestions you trust. How can you grow as a writer if you are only told what you want to hear?
What is the best piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?
KW: Never give up! No matter how many rejections you receive, how much advice or criticism you get, it is important to believe in yourself and the story you want to tell. Keep learning and keep moving forward. You will get there!
Great advice! Where can my readers find you?
KW: Blog: http://www.kyliewolfe.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KylieW1/.
Where can my readers find your books?
KW: Through Lyrical Press and wherever eBooks are available.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to be a guest on your blog. It was a lot of fun answering your questions! ~Kylie
Rayven’s Keep by Kylie Wolfe
Tru Creighton wants her wealthy and powerful family to take her seriously. Sneaking away to investigate bookkeeping discrepancies from one of their holdings seems the perfect opportunity to prove her worth. Stranded on a hostile planet with a price on her head, she seizes her one opportunity for survival.
Nick Rayven, determined to build his reputation and fledgling security company, doesn’t flinch at difficult and dangerous missions. A former soldier and refugee from a war-demolished planet, he battles to create order and stifle his painful memories. His hard-won accomplishments are threatened when a spoiled heiress in danger awakens emotions he thought long gone.
Two people with plenty to prove risk everything to unravel their tangled missions. His sense of duty and vulnerable heart compel him to fight his growing attraction to her. Her heart demands she follow it straight into his arms. The people behind the conspiracy keeping them together and in harm’s way have other ideas.
CONTENT WARNING: Language & Violence
TAG: Drugs, murder, conspiracy, and a headstrong heiress complicate his covert security mission.
A Lyrical Press Science Fiction Romance
Excerpt:
The lights shut off, except those on the helm, casting eerie blue shadows on their faces. Tru’s apprehension rose as she tested her shoulder harness and fidgeted in her seat. She looked to him, and drew strength from his rock-solid presence. She didn’t know much about solar storms– only enough to be frightened. She clutched the armrest.
“Impact in three, two…” Siren intoned matter-of-factly.
The invisible wave hit them and electrical sparks flashed over the ship’s nose, coming at them with terrifying swiftness. Blistering shocks pulsed along her skin and nerves felt as if they were on fire, burning her up from the inside out.
“Shields strong, life support holding,” Siren continued.
The ship bucked and lurched, snapping Tru’s head forward then back.
“Siren, how long until we’re out of the storm?” Nick demanded, while he continued to monitor the power to the shields and make rapid adjustments only he understood.
The ship’s engine groaned and metal screeched from the force of the storm. Lights flickered on the helm, sparks flying from wires affected by the solar pulses battering them.
“Hang on, Tru. We’re almost through,” he assured her while he swiftly rerouted connections.
