Hi, everyone! Today I am honored to host fellow Princess, Kelly Lee. She’s the author of Murdering Eve and the upcoming sequel Battle Heat. Kelly is an amazing writer and a super person. I think you’ll like what you read here today. Be sure to stop by and say hi!
Hi, Kelly! Thanks for coming by the inkwell today to talk about your newest, BATTLE HEAT. This book is about Holly, an assassin, and Ares, the God of War. Where did you get the idea for this book?
Hi Michelle, thank you so much for having me!
The story of Holly and Ares was a little pre-destined. We meet both characters in Murdering Eve, the first book in the Four Realms series. At the end of that book, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Holly’s story would be next, because I literally HAD to know what happened to her next.
What do you like most about Holly and why will readers relate to her?
Holly is spectacularly fun to write. She’s sassy, takes zero crap, and even on her worst day has an incredibly biting sense of humor. Her life has not been a bed of roses, and even though she’s capable of doing truly atrocious things (like the crazy stuff she pulled in Murdering Eve), this book explains her backstory in a way that hopefully makes her very relatable.
Why did you decide to write about Ares, God of War?
Ares is such an interesting character in Greek Mythology. I’ve always been drawn to him. Even though he’s a bloodthirsty cur, I wanted to give him some history and motivation to make him a little more sympathetic. Sort of like, “Yeah, he’ll cut you down where you stand, but given who and what he is, can you blame him?”
Can you share a blurb for BATTLE HEAT?
Of course, thanks for asking!
Holly Okeanos is alone, held against her will by the immortal that destroyed her people. Desperate for revenge, she vows to fight until her last breath to regain her freedom.
The beast inside Ares must feed. He’s struggled to control the bloodlust since the dawn of time, but only carnage sates the monster within.
With an escalating rebellion and a resurrected Scarab to defeat, Ares doesn’t have time to deal with his infuriatingly beautiful captive, whose mere presence strangely calms the beast and settles his mind.
Could she be the woman to finally quiet the beast inside him? If she is, how will they overcome thousands of years of hatred between their races . . . and each other?
So this is part of a series. The first book being, MURDERING EVE. Where did you get the idea for writing this series?
I went to Europe for three weeks, and became truly enraptured with mythology. It became something of a passion/obsession for a bit. One night, I literally had a life altering dream, and the main character for Murdering Eve was born.
What kind of research did you have to do for these books? Was it extensive?
Sort of. I lock on to certain characters and research them voraciously. But I’m not a walking encyclopedia of Greek Mythology either – I delve into the Gods and Goddesses that suit my purposes. I’m fickle that way. 🙂
Why did you choose to write about Greek mythology? Do you have a favorite god/goddess?
Not surprisingly, my favorite is Ares, mostly because I feel like I know him inside and out. The Ares in my heart is truly my own creation at this point. My favorite thing is taking real mythology and giving it my own personal spin so that not only are the myths brought to life in a complete new way, but also suffused with action, suspense, and more than a little danger. If you pick up one of my books thinking you know how it will end because you are familiar with the myths, think again.
What are you writing habits?
I write whenever I can, wherever I can. My husband bought me a pocket-sized Bluetooth keyboard and hooked it up to my iPhone, so now I can literally write anywhere.
What’s in your TBR pile?
Several of my favorite authors have new books out. I’m a big Sherrilyn Kenyon fan (who isn’t), and JR Ward’s newest Black Dagger Brotherhood is already preordered. Karen Marie-Moning’s new book – ICED – just came out, and as soon as I gobble up a few others, I’m all over those. And of course, your new Knight book is coming out soon, which is a must-have!
What else do you have in store for lucky readers?
Book 3 in the series is in the works, titled “Defiance”. Also, I have another novel percolating that’s a completely different genre. I’m looking forward to digging into both projects.
Any special plans for the holidays this year?
I have a 5 year old and a 9 month old, so we’re going to kick it traditional by staying home, making cookies for Santa, and just being really thankful we’ve all got our health and each other.
Michelle – I can’t thank you enough for this wonderful interview. If your readers are interested in a contest, anyone who “likes” my facebook page between now and November 15th will be entered in a random drawing for a free copy of Murdering Eve, the first book in the series. Come get to know me. I LOVE new friends!
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If anyone is hankering for a little more of Battle Heat, they can visit my website to read an excerpt at www.kellyleefiction.com.
Buy Battle Heat now at Amazon for Kindle
Michelle, thanks so much for the game of twenty questions and for hosting me today!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you stopped by! 🙂