Nurture Book Tour – Relic Defender: Key of Solomon by Cassiel Knight + Giveaway

Author Bio:

In a job that pays the mortgage and allows her to indulge in her real passion, writing, Kim Wollenburg, writing as Cassiel Knight, works for Clackamas County in the beautiful state of Oregon. Crazily passionate about the writing industry, Kim published a paranormal romance with Samhain Publishing and has a post-apocalypse novella coming in early 2012 from Lyrical Press. She writes paranormal romances with kick-assitude that blend archeology and mythology – just a few of her favorite things. Kim is the proud current president of Rose City Romance Writers, a feisty bunch of talented writers who are just as passionate about writing as they are about helping each other succeed.

When she’s not writing or doing writing-related things, Kim enjoys spending time with her patient and loving husband of 20 years and thrives with the adorable companionship of her three Shih Tzus, Ginger, Abby and Chloe.

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I’d like to welcome author Cassiel Knight to Juniper Grove today! Cassiel has graciously allowed me to interview her as part of her Nurture Virtual Book Tour. Check out her interview below:

Without giving too much away, can you tell us what Relic Defender: Key of Solomon is about?

The heroine, Lexi, is a lonely archeology student seeking to forget her painful past. Against her will, she is swept into a fierce battle between good and evil and must team up with sexy Mikos, a fallen angel on the path to redemption, to find King Solomon’s legendary book of magic to save the human race.

How long did it take you to write this book?

Much longer than I wanted. Mostly because I had to keep redoing the first chapter. I just could not get one I liked. Or, rather, I wrote ones I liked but they just didn’t show the book well, especially in contests. Even after I finished, I kept going back to redo. Ended up with quite a few discarded first chapters.

What was your inspiration to write this book?

Wanting to write something different then the market was doing and I’d always loved the idea of angels but I didn’t necessarily want to write an “angelic” being so I when I discovered fallen angels then learned King Solomon was said to have been able to control them, I found my story.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

Because Mikos, my fallen angel, is just so darn sexy and delicious.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

It takes me forever to get a character’s name and my critique partners were always getting new pages and kept asking, who is so and so? I’d have to tell them that’s the heroine’s or hero’s new name. It got to be quite a joke. I’m not as bad now but it still takes me long time to settle on just the right name for my characters – all of them – big and small.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Hugging my shih tzus, gardening and reading and I love going to conferences and doing other writing-related stuff.

What does your family think of your writing?

My Mom and sisters are proud and happy for me. My husband wonders when I’ll make enough so he can quit. I tell him, “Honey, if anyone is going to quit because of my writing, it’s going to be me.” Of course, I am nowhere near that yet. :)

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a published author?

Write a good book. Seriously. That’s the key to the whole thing. And then I’d add, and make the book something you believe in because you, unless you are Nora Roberts who has hundreds of books out, are going to be with that book a long time.

What genre do you find the most difficult to write in and why?

Erotica. It’s popular, I’d love to be able to but I can’t quite wrap my head around writing so many sex scenes. I’m very plot-driven and I don’t equate the two in my head.

Is there anything that you find challenging in your writing?

Writing. Yep, the actual writing. And mostly the sagging middle. I do beginnings and endings but it’s all the stuff in the middle that causes me heartache. Usually right around page 100.

Do you ever experience writer’s block and if so, how to you overcome it?

All the time and I haven’t, not really. I just keep pushing and pushing and writing and writing until stuff comes out. And if you’ve ever heard, “The more your write, the easier it is”?, it’s true, so true. I try to write something every day related to storytelling. If I don’t, if there is too many days between writing, it’s like starting all over again. That’s where writing block (for me) comes from.

What is the last book you read?

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones and then the sequel, Second Grave on the Left. Wonderful story! I had a happy, thrilled sigh at the end of the first and sometime near the end of the second; I actually teared up (in a good way). Only one other book ever did that so needless to say, I’m pleased to have found Ms. Jones.

Do you have any writing projects you are currently working on?

Sure do. First, I just finished edits for my post-apocalyptic romance coming out from my new publisher, Lyrical Press, in February. The page isn’t up yet but if you want to read an excerpt, you can visit my blog at www.CassielKnight.com. I’m 200 pages into The Death Skull, book 2 (after Key of Solomon) and I’m revising a third which I like to say is Tomb Raider meets the Librarian.

What does the word success mean to you?

Several things:

Writing full time
Having two to three books out a year
Readers waiting for my stories

If you had to trade lives with someone for an entire week, who would you trade with? Keep in mind that they would be living your life as well.

Well, now, you had me until that last part. I couldn’t do that to someone I liked. I work as a records coordinator during my day job. It is not exciting. Really. I’m not joking.  It would be totally mean to swap my job with someone else and I can’t think of anyone I don’t like. :)

What is the best advice anyone has ever given to you?

Nora Roberts didn’t give this to me personally but it’s still great advice and I think about it all the time. Now, I’m going to paraphrase because I’ve heard it credited to her in several different ways (does anyone know what she actually said?) – I can fix a bad page; I can’t fix a blank page. When I get stuck, this is what I hang on to. I love revising so this works great.

One food you would never eat?

Any raw seafood but especially oysters, clams. Shudder. :)

Thank you Cassiel for that amazing interview! I’m a firm believer in eating nothing that comes from the sea.

Relic Defender: Key of Solomon by Cassiel Knight

Synopsis:

Anthropology PhD candidate Lexi Harrison never bares it all when she belly dances for a strip club crowd. She doesn’t have to—she’s that good. Every performance earns money toward her degree, and restores the sense of power that her painful childhood ripped away.

Something is different about tonight. A man whose silver gaze seems to touch her skin beneath her veils. When a rowdy customer crosses the line, he comes to her rescue with the speed of a falcon—complete with wings.

Mikos Tyomni has never seen anyone dance the raqs sharqi like Lexi. Trust his tormentor, Archangel Michael, to put him in close contact with the cause of his downfall: a mortal woman. Particularly this mortal woman. The Defender. He has only thirty days to win her trust before Hell’s deadliest demons attempt the mother of all prison breaks.

No matter how sexy the messenger is, Lexi’s career plans don’t include some crazy idea that she’s the last line of defense against the forces of evil. Until her university mentor’s murder leaves her holding the key to Hell. And fighting a losing battle against a passion with the unholy power to bring down Heaven…

Be sure to check back on October 28th to read my review of Relic Defender: Key of Solomon and a special excerpt!

You can find a complete list of tour stops HERE but here are the next few in line:

• October 4th – Tammy G. @ News and Reviews from the Heart of the Dragons Den
• October 5th – Grace L. @  Books Like Breathing
• October 6th – Laurie J. @ Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews

Giveaway Time!

One lucky reader will win an eBook copy of Relic Defender: Key of Solomon by Cassiel Knight! Giveaway is international and ends at 11:59PM EST on October 25th, 2011.

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED*

Where you can find and follow Cassiel Knight:

Author Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook Profile
Goodreads Profile

Buy the BOOK at:

Amazon.com – Kindle
Amazon.ca – Paperback Pre-order
Amazon.co.uk – Kindle
Barnes & Noble – NOOKBook
Samhain Publishing
Lulu – eBook

Happy Reading,

Jaidis