We have pulled author Heather Kuehl away from the computer and Mountain Dew® to chat with us for a few minutes….

Hi Heather what is your most current work out?

Malevolent Dead is going to be released by Eternal Press on September 7^th.

Tell us a little about Malevolent Dead, what inspired you to write it?

Malevolent Dead is the sequel to Fade to Black, also released by Eternal Press. It takes place six months after the conclusion of Fade.

Synopsis: To save everyone, she’ll have to do the unthinkable. Werewolf Sarah Vargas thought all she had to worry about was the Blood Moon Corporation’s retaliation. She never dreamed that another vampire would arrive, disputing Damian’s claim over the throne to Charleston, SC. To make matters worse, he is no ordinary vamp; he’s a vampire necromancer. Exceptionally hard to kill, Sarah will have do what ever she can to keep those that she loves safe… Even if it means doing the unthinkable.

For the most part, writing Fade to Black was the inspiration for the events in Malevolent Dead. I knew that Sarah’s story wasn’t finished. After all, she just pissed off the Blood Moon Corporation and you can’t do that and walk away unharmed. I wanted to know more about her and the world she lived in, so I sat down and got to work.

When you start writing, do you already have the story plotted out or do you let the characters dictate what will happen?

I have a rough outline showing what I know has to happen within the pages of the book. But there are always things that crop up that I have to make room for. I don’t mind. If my characters want to do something different and I still end up at the same place in the end, then so be it. I’m not about to tell them to shut up, LoL.

What inspired you to write in your genre?  Is this the genre you started writing in or have you morphed to this one?

I have to say that reading paranormal books is what got me to want to write them, but I didn’t always. I started out writing short stories set in a sword and sorcery world, many of which are online for your viewing pleasure. As I got used to the world I created, I realized that I wanted vampires and werewolves in there too. Then one day I thought, Hey, I’ve seen fantasy worlds with vamps in them but no paranormal worlds with dragons. That’s not fair! So I created a modern paranormal world that held all sorts of possibilities. You can see a dragon fly through the sky during the day and get bitten by a vamp at night. So far, it’s working great for me. I get to have my cake and eat it too.

Do you have a favorite character you have written?

I love to write about Sarah. She has the coolest friends and the hottest guys around her. She so angry about her past and so confused about her future. It’s interesting to see what she’s going to do next. However, my all time favorite character is a witch named T.D. Drake. She had a cameo in Promises to Keep, but I’m happy to say that she has a larger role in Malevolent Dead. She’s a bad ass witch who likes her guns and doesn’t like to be messed with.

Do you have a character that you look back on now and don’t like?

Not really. Each character has been created and placed where they are needed most. Sometimes I wish I did things a little different with them, but they each seem blossom with what they’re given.

Do you draw inspiration for your characters from real life? Any fun stories you could share?

While I try to avoid doing so with my main characters, my villains are drawn from real life. It’s so easy to take a situation or a person and mold them into the ultimate evil vampire or wicked sorceress. One of my characters, Dez, was originally based on a guy I dated in high school. So much has changed about the character though! The only way someone could see the resemblance now is from the Metallica t-shirts Dez always wears.

Name one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you.

Writing sex scenes embarrasses me. I have no clue why! I turned so red while writing the scenes in Malevolent Dead, and it got worse when I knew other people were going to read what I wrote. I hope that as time goes on and I write more romance that the embarrassment will go away.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Mountain Dew. I have tried to quit the stuff for years, but I keep coming back to that sweet caffeinated goodness. Right now I’m craving one so bad that I’m going to have my husband get one on his way home. Whoever said that caffeine isn’t addicting should really take a look at me.

What do you need before you start writing?  Anything that is just a must have or the creative juice don’t flow?

Mt. Dew and my muse. It doesn’t matter where I am or what’s going on around me. As long as I have both of those things I’m good to go.

Does music influence your writing?  If so, do any of your stories have a theme song?

Music does influence my writing, but it depends on the characters. When writing Starlette from Promises to Keep she demanded total silence. But Sarah from Fade to Black and Malevolent Dead needed Evanescence. The words spoke to the anger and confusion that is in Sarah’s heart.

If your story was optioned for a movie, who would play your characters?

If Malevolent Dead was optioned for a movie, I’d have Holly Marie Combs play Sarah and Ryan Reynolds (Mmm, yummy!) play Jared. Marcellus would be played by Liev Schreiber. The hardest to place would be Damian. I don’t have a clue who would play the centuries old born vamp hunk.

Where were you when you got your first contract?  Who did you tell first?

Where I’m sitting right now, in front of my computer. My first acceptance/contract came in my Yahoo! Inbox. I was excited, oh so excited, when I saw it but I didn’t start doing my happy dance until I read through the contract. Once I did, and everything within my contract was golden, I ran out to our living room to tell my husband.

How old were you when you read your first romance book?

Gosh I can’t remember. Most of the books I read had romantic undertones, but I don’t think I picked up an actual romance novel until I was in my twenties.

Are you writing full time now?  Or do you still have a pesky day job (or two, or three, or….)?

Kind of. LoL, I’m a stay at home mom to a beautiful 18 month old boy who has more energy than the Energizer Bunny. When he’s asleep I am able to get to my computer to write. I can’t wait until he’s at the age where I can write while he plays, but right now the moment he sees my laptop all he wants to do is play with it.

What are you currently working on, and what else is in the wings?

I’m trying to finish up the Sarah Vargas Series. I’m about half way through writing the last book, Blood Moon. After that I want to work on a paranormal romance novel centered around T.D. Drake. Or maybe finish my young adult paranormal romance about werewolves. Or maybe work on my fantasy romance novel centered around Amythist Dyier. I have so many ideas, I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Where can readers find you?

Visit me online at

http://www.heatherkuehl.com

http://www.heatherkuehl.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heather-Kuehl/172267734681?ref=nf http://twitter.com/heatherkuehl

And for the silly side – What is your favorite type of chocolate?

Ever been to Olive Garden? They have the best white chocolate raspberry cheesecake ever. I have never tasted anything like it. I love when chocolate and raspberry meet, and having those two mixed within a cheesecake is just plain sinful!