My friend, Anna Kyle, recently released her very first book–a paranormal romance entitled Skye Falling. It’s the first in a series and I’m almost as excited for her as she is for herself, so I asked her if I could interview her about it for my blog. She said yes 🙂
First, a little bit about her book:
Skye, a Fae-shapeshifter halfing, could die if she doesn’t find out how to wake her dormant wolf, so mere rumors of the Wolf King’s return are enough to convince her to sneak through the portal between Faerie and Chicago in search of his aid. But the dizzyingly bright lights and sounds of the human realm are too tempting to ignore. So is the sexy shapeshifter wolf intent on capturing her—the one who stirs her sleeping wolf just long enough to bind the handsome stranger in a mate-bond.
Lake is willing to do anything to protect the Wolf King, a man he also calls friend. So when he receives word that a Fae princess has slipped into Chicago, he suspects a plot to assassinate the Wolf King. He’s certain capturing her will be as easy as locating her—that was his first mistake. Not only is his wolf a little too interested in Skye, but the wolf accepts her mate-bond without any say-so from him. As he unravels the truth surrounding the smart-mouthed princess and whether she’s hunting his friend or being hunted by someone else, Lake’s mission changes: protect Skye at all costs. And keep her for himself.
Interview with Anna Kyle
What has been your favourite part of the publication process so far? What has been the most difficult?
It’s like a climbing a mountain and every stop becomes the highest you’ve ever gone. The acceptance email was my favorite until I got the editing letter. Having someone as invested as me in making the story the best it could be was just…wow. That was replaced by the line edits which was then replaced by actual publication. All new highs. The most difficult part was the waiting. Everything would be quiet on the Midwestern front then suddenly there’d be a flurry of emails needing this or that like ASAP. Then another lull of waiting. Now I know, so I won’t be so antsy for the next one!
What is it about shapeshifters that makes you want to write about them?
I’m a huge reader across all genres but the first time I picked up a paranormal romance I was hooked. I remember it vividly. It was a book by Christina Dodd called The Scent of Darkness about a family of shapeshifters. I read it from start to finish then read the entire series and never looked back. I loved the idea of two forces inside one person, and those forces don’t always align and how that affected the relationships of those around them. It fascinates me to this very day.
How about the Wolf King series in general? I know everyone asks but I’m curious, what inspired you to write it?
Well, I had some unexpected time on my hands and I’d had this story idea banging around in my head for a while, so I let it out ïŠ After a few months it became apparent that my paranormal romance couldn’t be wrapped up in one book and truth be told, I didn’t want it to be wrapped up. I created this world filled with shapeshifters and magic and Fae and kings and sprinkled it with battles and romance and humor. I’m lucky to be able to stay there for a few more books to explore the good versus evil storyline…and to discover more heroes and heroines to throw together!
In Skye Falling we see wolves and coyote shapeshifters–are there other kinds of shifters out in the world waiting for us to discover in future works?
Let’s see. There’s more wolves and coyotes in the next book, a grizzly bear, some black bears, a tiger, a bobcat who likes to blow things up, and a hyena who scares the heck out of the grizzly. Since the book is set on a horse farm, there are lots of horses and dogs, too (the regular variety).
In Skye Falling it seems very important that mate bonding is a thing which stopped happening for a long time and now appears to be re-occurring. Why did mate bonding stop in the first place?
Yes, the return of the mate-bond is very significant to the Wolf King series. But to say any more would be spoiler-y so
I’m a pretty big fan of Alton Tremont. Any chance we’re going to get to read a story starring him?
Me, too! He has a larger role in Omega Rising. And YES he’ll have his own book later!
If Skye could change any one thing about Lake what, if anything, would it be? What would Lake choose to change about Skye?
Skye is free-spirited and impulsive which is very different from Lake’s more subdued, orderly personality. He thinks before he acts, she leaps without looking. I don’t think they’d change anything about each other because those differences are what the other truly needed (but didn’t know it).
What is your favourite thing about Skye? What about Lake? What about Skye and Lake as a couple?
Skye is awesome. She’s funny and smart and always trying to outwit her opponent. That fact that she’s not very good at acting (or keeping the Fae mask on) makes me love her even more. Lake, well, I just plain adore him. He’s a smoking hot wolf completely unprepared for the whirlwind that is Princess Skye, so I love the way he adapts and accepts her but doesn’t let her pull any of her sh*t, either. I can’t imagine them with anyone but each other, so that’s a darn good team. Five stars as a couple! ïŠ
What’s next for you?
I’ve got line edits coming up on Omega Rising and in the meantime I’ll be outlining then writing book 3 of the Wolf King series. Whoohoo! I hope to throw in a short story or two when book 3 gets grumpy with me. Yeah, I can do a lot of damage to my free time but it’s FUN.
