I would like to start out by thanking everyone for stopping by our new blog. To celebrate we have with us today author Keta Diablo. Keta has over fifteen books to her resume and many more to come. Welcome Keta.
Thanks so much for having me at your new lovely blog. Wishes for much success!
Thank you, you have been a wonderful supporter since the minute I mentioned our plans to start the page and even volunteered to do an interview to kick off the site. So here we go…..
You originally started out writing Historical Erotica what inspired you to begin writing M/M Romance?
Actually, Annette, I began writing sensual romance, a mix of historical and paranormal. When the publishers asked for erotic romance, I concentrated more on the sexual aspect of scenes and read a lot of erotic romance. And then I branched off into reading gay fiction. At that time, I was very curious about the emotional side of relationships and wondered how men would react in certain situations. I think I discovered that men in just about all aspects of life are more direct and rather than stew and analyze a situation will for the most part say what they think. Quite directly.
For instance, I've been blessed with raising both boys and girls. If you ask a girl if she took a toy away from her friend, she might hem and haw, and likely you won't get a direct response. Yet, if I asked my boys the same question they'd say, "Yes, and here's why." I think that carries over into their adult relationships and I adore frankness. I became very curious about the differences between men and women in a relationship and wondered how they might react when confronted with similar angst or dilemmas.
Tell us a little about your new releases Magnolia Heat coming next week June 14th and Blood Oath being released on June 20th?
Thanks so much for asking! Both are male/male novellas. Magnolia Heat is a historical and Blood Oath a vampire. Here are the blurbs for the books which I think best explains the story line.
Blood Oath – Coming June 20th from Amber Quill Press. Link to web site: http://www.blogger.com/goog_170189414/
When Kale MacDonald's beloved grandmother dies, she leaves him a letter urging him to travel to Savannah, GA to find his destiny. Kale is confronted by a strange, decadent man who appears to be stalking him. He's also confronted by a trio of rogue vampires intent on killing him. Mystery and danger collide in the City of Secrets, and no one is who they appear to be.
Magnolia Heat, Gay Fiction, Noble Romance, http://www.nobleromance.com/
Coming in June 14th
Craven and his friend Anthony discover they're in over their heads the night they're caught spying on Beresford Hall. When Craven meets the dark, mysterious Dominic Beresford, he wonders if fate really does step in to take you by surprise when you least expect. Sizzling Heat. Bondage. Man Love. A male/male historical that will leave you breathless.
You have several books coming up in the future with Phaze and Noble Publishing can you give us any hints to what the books are about?
About a year ago I started a series for Phaze called CROSSROADS. The main character in this book is a private investigator, and one I might add, who was not very likable in the first book. There has been a lot of discussion about Frank McGuire. Reviewers have analyzed, chastised and lauded his personality. I anticipated this and am willing to take the flack along with the praise for my characterization of Frank. I don’t write cookie-cutter characters and take some risks in pushing them to the limit. There is also a “forced seduction” scene in the first Crossroads book which was also very controversial. I intended to write the novella this way and intended to write Frank the way I saw him, warts and all. Let’s face it, all people come with blemishes, flaws and to fictionalize them as perfect would be an injustice I think.
I wrote the first three novellas in the series and readers wanted more of Frank and Rand. Phaze just released the fourth novella and two more will be released in August and November respectively. Due to the popularity of the series, the first three were combined and are now available in print at Phaze here: http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Crossroads+Print/exact_match=exact
I adore Noble Romance and have been with them since they started up several years ago. I don’t see that changing. I write mostly male/male for Noble too, however I do have an erotic romance available titled Decadent Deceptions. Of all the books I’ve written, DD is the book of my heart. The full-length novel finaled in the 2008 Molly Contest and has done very well in the market. Noble just released The Devil’s Heel (a best-seller at All Romance Ebooks) under my name, a male/male/pirate and of course, Magnolia Heat will be released on the 14th of June and Lip Service, male/male/contemporary on the 5th of July. My projects are ongoing with Noble Romance so you’ll have to check my male/male blog to see what’s coming next (http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com/).
I’d like to also mention the wonderful Decadent Publishing owned by Samantha Gail. DP will open August 1st and I’ve written a male/male western called Long, Hard Ride for their debut.
You have a variety in the books you write out of all the genres do you have a preference?
I’m often asked this question. Writing is fickle (lol). My preference is erotic romance and yet the male/male seems much easier to write for me. If you can figure that one out, please e-mail me and tell me why.
What do you like most about writing? What about the one thing you hate about it?
I love the freedom that comes with writing, particularly in the summer months. I live in the Midwest where winters are brutal, but we have the loveliest weather in spring and summer. I enjoy being outdoors and if I want to stop writing in the middle of the afternoon and head up the local town that has the most delicious ice cream cones in the country, I don’t feel the least bit guilty. And I love to garden, mostly flowers, and I don’t think I’d have the time to spend in my garden if I worked a fulltime job out of the home.
There’s nothing I “hate” about writing, but like all writers I agonize over the words, the sentences and the stories. You’d be surprised how many times I hit the delete button, wiping out an entire scene because I’ve convinced myself a third grader can write better than me. The stories you might think are really good possibly aren’t for readers and the ones I question, have done very well for me. So again, if you figure this out, drop me an e-mail so I know the secret.
This one is more for Carla who is having the battle of her life with one of her characters. Do you ever find you cannot seem to connect with a character?
LOL – see above. The answer is yes. When that happens, I put the story away for a bit and try to walk inside his/her skin. I’m not necessarily talking about whether or not I like the character, but rather something is not right with his dialogue or actions. As in, Frank would never say or do that and you know that, Keta. That’s a disconnection of a sort and until I figure out how Frank would react, I stop writing. Often I don’t name my characters until I’m halfway through the book. I have a need to make sure the name suits the character. Unfortunately, I was the same way when my children were born. Dylan, my youngest wasn’t named for four days. The nurses started to panic and came into my room at least three times a day – birth record in hand. I told them not to panic, that I would name the baby as soon as I spent some time with him/her and determined what name suited them best. After all, a name is something you carry with you for the rest of your life, and a character must sometimes carry their name through an entire series. I can’t see Frank as a Brandon, for instance.
If we were given a peek at your book collection what authors would we find?
Oh, no, you’ll not likely catching me naming favorites. I have so many. I read in a wide variety of genres. How about if I tell you what I’m reading right now and you won’t know whether it’s my first read by that author or whether I buy all her/his books? And yes, I often have 4-5 books going at once. What can I say, it’s me and my short attention span?
The Bronze Horseman, Pauline Simons
Rage Against Heaven, Fred Mustard Stewart
Lord of Sin, Madeline Hunter
Belldonna, Anne Bishop
Forbidden, Helen Kirkman
The Spymaster’s Lady, Joanna Bourne (hint, hint – I have more than one of her books)
I read Emma Wildes and Emma Holly, and last, but not certainly not least, Speaks the Nightbird, Robert McCammon
Any parting knowledge you wish to give to our readers or future writers?
The same thing every author says to aspiring writers: Pursue your dream and never give up. There’s only one way to learn how to write or learn what works for you and that’s this: “Put your butt in the chair and write, and then write some more.”
For readers I could write an essay. I’m fully aware of the strong connection between writers and readers, and that bond is this: A mutual love of the written word. I also realize that without loyal readers it wouldn’t be as enjoyable. Yes, I would still write, but there’s nothing like receiving an e-mail from a stranger saying, “I just read Hot and Sticky and LOVED it!” It still amazes me that someone would take the time from their busy life to contact me. I’m honored and humbled at the same time.
Again, thank you so much, Annette, for having me. You know my heart is in the right place when I wish you much success with your new blog. I know you’re a great supporter of authors and readers and also have an abiding love for books in your soul. You can’t go wrong with that combination.
My heartfelt good wishes, Keta
You can find Keta on the Internet here:
Twitter: @ketadiablo
Thank you so much Keta for spending some time with us and for the kind words. Now for the contest, just leave a comment or question and on June 14th release day for Magnolia Heat we will randomly select three winners. Each winner will receive a Keta Diablo book of their choice.
P.S. Sorry about this getting done later than expected, got stuck in traffic behind a tractor who decided he needed the whole road. I apologize to all of you.
Before I Wake 
