Donna: Now, moving on to Elves! The Isle of Moon, what was your inspiration for this place and how did you research the world it resides in?
KS: As much as I adore the Love at Stake gang, I eventually grew tired of the fact that all the vamps and shifters had the same powers. Wouldn’t it be fun, I thought, to invent a cast of characters where each one could have a different power? Also, I had learned from writing paranormal books that I really loved world-building. So I thought why not challenge myself with the ultimate in world-building—an entirely new world! But I needed a reason why this world would have only a few supernatural people. That is when I came up with the idea of two moons. Twice a year, the moons eclipse, or as the local people call it, they embrace. On those nights, any child born will have some sort of magical power. They are called The Embraced. The setting is a medieval-type world, so I had to do research on castles and medieval-type weaponry. And I had great fun coming up with different kinds of magical powers.
Donna: The girls/women become sisters in a found family sort of circumstance was one sister easier to write than the others? Does one reflect your personality? Where does Sorcha fit on this spectrum? What makes her tick?
KS: I think Sorcha was the easiest for me to write, mostly because I enjoyed her sense of humor. Sorcha never intended to fall in love or even be a heroine of her own story. She fell into it by accident, trying to protect her sister Gwennore and then trying to protect the dragon shifter, Aleksi. Sorcha’s power is the ability to start a fire. The mysterious Woodsman is able to control wood and communicate with trees. His power relies on wood, while her power destroys wood. Together, they are combustible!
Donna: Do you have a particular elf in history or lore that is a favorite for you?
KS: While writing the Woodsman, I was imagining Legolas from The Lord of the Rings. I wanted my elf to be very calm and in control, not to mention gorgeous. And of course, Sorcha is fiery and unpredictable. She will turn his world upside down, and maybe even set it on fire.
Donna: When you write a series as fantastical as this one, do you have the story fully mapped out in your head from the beginning or do you let the characters take you on a journey of their choosing? I would imagine embracing the magic can be a tricky, daunting task.
KS: I started the series only knowing a few things: that the five sisters were all Embraced and that they would end up bringing peace to a war-torn world. I knew there would be five books, one for each sister. I knew their future husbands would also have some sort of magical power and become kings. And I knew that the Chameleon would be the bad guy. That’s about it! So, each book has been a journey into the unknown. That makes it a bit scary, but also exciting!
Donna: Maeve is the next sister to find her HEA in this series and I sense a shifter love in her future (YAY!). What can we expect from this book? What magical ability would you like to have at your disposal?
KS: You’re right!! Maeve and Brody will finally come together as they struggle to defeat the Chameleon and the last remaining members of the Circle of Five. This will be the grand finale of the series, answering all the questions, revealing all the secrets, and ending with an epic battle that will involve all the main characters from the previous books. It’s called The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea, and it releases August 25, 2020.
I think I would prefer to be like Brody and able to shift into any animal. Especially an eagle, so I could fly anywhere I want. Unfortunately, you arrive without any clothes!
View Comments
I enjoyed the Love at Stake series but the Embraced series is far and away my favorite romance series. Ever. I have recommended it to many friends, family and of course, customers (I manage a book store). As much as I enjoy the books, I equally love having people come back happy and eager for the next installment. I'm sad to see the sisters story come to an end, but hopeful that we might get a new series with the kids stories!
I love your stories and series! I hope that you continue writing stories for us!