Please share with us your path to being published. How long did you write before your first book was published?
Born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually, my earliest playmates were fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became my portable pals. An only child, I began writing at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating my own happy endings – usually consisting of large families. Writing has always been my “second” job, squeezing in time between my day job and “life.” After my first book was published, I returned to school and received my MA in English. Then I began writing in earnest.
How many books did you write before the first was published?
The first book I wrote was published – a cookbook. My first novel is still sitting on my hard drive, but my second novel was published.
Who was your first publisher? What was the name of your first book?
My first publisher was Hippocrene, Inc., for a cookbook entitled The Best of Polish Cooking. It’s now in its fifth edition.
Five Star First Edition Romance, a subsidiary of Macmillan, published my second novel, entitled Sovereignty of the Dragons.
Have you ever finaled or won in a writing contest? If so, which contest(s), which book(s), and which year(s)? Do you feel contests are a good use of your energy and time? Would you recommend that writers enter them? Why or why not?
Although I won several writing contests in school, so far, I’ve never entered any writing contests for my books.
What is your favorite animal, real or mythical and why?
My favorite animal is horses. Last year, I began a nonprofit organization to rescue mustangs. I’m compelled to create a refuge for these treasured symbols of American freedom and independence: http://texash2oasis.org/Animal_Refuges.html
If you decided to no longer write, what would you do instead?
If I no longer wrote, I’d rescue mustangs and create a wildlife refuge: http://texash2oasis.org/Animal_Refuges.html
What are your best promotion tips for other writers? What works best for you?
Establish working relationships with other authors in your area. Speak at authors’ meetings or give readings at local clubs, all the while quietly promoting your name, not just your latest title.
Where do you get your ideas for your stories?
Traveling gives me ideas for stories. The locations spark ideas/plots/characters/conflicts. You could say that geography is the basis for my ideas.
Where are you published? Where can readers contact you?
Lyrical Press, Inc., is my publisher for Untimely Partners: http://www.lyricalpress.com/paranormal_romance.html
Contact me at my web site: http://karenhulenebartell.com/ I’d love to hear from you!
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1. My path to being published? I started writing fiction about eight years ago, before I knew anything about character development, plotting, or point-of-view. So, one could say I learned the hard way from a series of rejections. One very helpful publisher along the way, Vintage Romance Publishing, pointed me toward a fabulous character chart (www.charlottedillon.com), and I began attending seminars and taking fiction-writing classes at the local community college. I learned that to be successful my characters had to leap off the page. I also learned about read-on prompts and point-of-view. Armed with my new knowledge, I set to work revising my manuscript, and it was accepted by DCL Publishing in fall 2008.2. How many books did you write before the first was published? My first published novella, Love Fang, currently available through DCL Publishing, was the second book I wrote. It will be followed by two more novellas in my fang series.
3. What about contests? I was a finalist in www.twilighted.net’s original fiction contest, “Girl Power, Ghouls & Gorgeous Guys” for Love Fang in fall 2008. I was thrilled to have my manuscript judged by Candace Havens, author of the “charmed” books that became the TV series. She called my story a “hoot.” I think contests are terrific. Along with good reviews, they help sell books and establish an author’s reputation.
4. Favorite animal? DOGS, DOGS, DOGS! I feature my Chihuahua in most of my stories. She’s Bambino in Delora’s Necklace, Smokey in Love Fang, and Spooky in Three-Toed Annie. I also love dolphins and bats (being a vampire writer).
5. If I didn’t write? Well, I’ve kicked myself for not attending law school, but at my age, I don’t think I could start in a firm as an associate. Too much work!
6. Promotion tips? JUST DO IT! Speaking engagements, press releases, blogs, school presentations–they’re all worthwhile. Develop an extensive e-mail list and every single time you get a good review or a story in the newspaper, send it out to your list. That way, you’ll stay top-of-mind with a core group of avid readers.
7. Where do I get my ideas? Heaven only knows. Like my characters’ names, they just seem to appear. And please offer me a CHALLENGE. For instance, my publisher recently asked me to write a story for an upcoming anthology about the seven deadly sins. She asked that I write about SLOTH, something I knew nothing about. As a result, Three-Toed Annie was born. This inspirational romance will be my first story in PRINT, so I’m pretty excited about it.
8. Where am I published? My wonderful, wonderful publisher is DCL, www.thedarkcastlelords.com, where my books can be purchased. Also, readers are invited to contact me via www.myspace.com/susanblexrud or through by e-mail address, susanblexrud@bellsouth.net.
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Sneak peek into Delora’s Necklace by Susan Blexrud www.darkcastlelords.com
It was a dream for the books. She was glad she still wore the Mayan shift, which provided easy access. She eased her hand below the hem of the short dress and under the elastic of her bikini underwear. With her middle finger, she touched her engorged clitoris. She’d never been so wet. She felt the heat in her face and the swell of her breasts as she began to rhythmically massage her bud. With her other hand, she pinched her nipple until she bit her lip from her arousal.
Lying on her side, facing the slumbering Ashwan, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back as she continued to circle her erect nipple and rub her feminine bud. As in her dream, she tried to recapture the way Ashwan had orchestrated their pleasure, stopping at the precipice of her climax and allowing herself to prolong the ecstasy. All the while, she imagined Ashwan was inside her.
As pleasurable as her self-inflicted delight was, she reached the point where her strongest desire was to be filled with him, and that was something she couldn’t accomplish alone. She dragged her eyes open to find his smoldering eyes locked on her.
“Please, do not stop,” he said. “If I cannot pleasure you, then at least grant me the pleasure of watching you.”
Embarrassed beyond words, Delora turned her very frustrated self toward the wall and curled up in a ball. She addressed the wall. “I can’t believe you saw that.”
“I understand your frustration, my love. I have felt that way since you left.”
“It’s not frustration. I had a dream. That’s all.”
“And what did you dream of?”
“I dreamed we made love.” Damn, I shouldn’t have admitted that.
“A dream is a poor substitute for the real thing.” Ashwan smiled. “Please tell me about it.”
“We were in the cenote.”
“We made love in the cenote?” He chuckled. “That would be very difficult.”
She turned back to face him. “What’s so funny?”
“Well, my love, you are quite beautiful, and I have no doubt you have the power to arouse any man with nothing more than a look. But I fear that even you could not warm passion from a man in water so cold.”
“Okay, I think I get it,” Delora said with a touch of embarrassment.
“I would be glad to draw a picture on the cave wall to help you understand,” he said, no longer able to contain his amusement as his lips curled in a wide grin.
At first, Delora was a bit offended that Ashwan was making fun of her. “No thanks! I don’t need you to draw me a picture,” she said.
As hard as Delora tried to be upset that she was the object of Ashwan’s teasing, she couldn’t help but smile. Even so, she thought it best to put him in his place and said, “Well, I guess you Mayan warriors aren’t as hard, I mean as tough, as you think you are.”
With that, Ashwan’s smile faded. He looked at her for a moment, and then lowered himself back down onto his pallet, “Go back to sleep, Delora, and next time dream of the man in Miami when you are in the cold water. When you dream of a place where you and I really made love, please tell me about it. It will not be cold. It will be, how do you say…ah, yes…a scorcher.”
Ashwan plumped up the straw of his pallet and turned his back to her.
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Sneak look into Untimely Partners by Karen Hulene Bartell
Copyright 2009
A lump rose in her throat, and she gasped. Inexplicably, she began trembling. The plaque read that the skeletons were a burial offering, a human sacrifice found at the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. She couldn’t comprehend why, but she was drawn closer and closer until she was leaning over the low, Plexiglas barrier. Almost in a trance, she reached to touch, to gently commune with the skeletal remains. Suddenly she heard the dozen shrill pipes being blown loudly, heard the thud of children running, and felt herself being pushed over the foot-high barrier, straight into the skeletons’ sandy interment.
She screamed and felt herself falling…falling farther than a foot or two. She tumbled down through the sandy level via a translucent cornucopia, wide at the top that narrowed until it was a dimly lit, crystal clear tunnel. She felt herself dropping, dropping, like an endless roller coaster, the inertia of her fall forcing her faster and faster through this tapered cylinder. Finally, she landed with a bone-crunching thud that knocked the breath out of her.
When she awoke, she found it was dark except for the starlight.
Where am I? She looked around, thinking how closely the edifice resembled something she had seen but could not remember.
Huge gargoyles loomed in front of her, their eyes fitted with discs of black obsidian. She touched the volcanic glass eyes, feeling their cool smoothness. A wide stairway led to the top of the pyramid, rising seven stories high. Even in the gloom, she could see the rock and mortar were covered with brightly painted plaster in aqua, blue, and red shades.
Is this is the Temple of Quetzalcoatl? As she watched, Venus rose from the horizon. How did I get here?
A low woof alerted her of a white dog at her feet. It sniffed her warily and then began wagging its tail.
“How are you doing, girl?” she said, kneeling down. As she petted the dog, she turned her attention to the talud-tablero temple, wondering why the colors were so vivid.
Purchase Untimely Partners online: http://www.lyricalpress.com/paranormal_romance.html
Comments
21 Responses to “Author Spotlight: Karen Bartell and Susan Blexrud”
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Hello Karen and Susan,
Thanks for taking the time to be in the spotlight today. Both books sound wonderful. I definitly got t hem on my TBR list.
What inspired each book? Was it someething you read, saw on TV, heard onthe readio, etc?
I hope you enjoy yourself today!
Raine D.
Wow, that was great! I loved learning about each author and the books I know are going to be added to my to be read list. I think that is awesome about the Mustang rescue. how did you learn about rescuing them? And Susan, I myself love dogs. I love them so much I have 8 now. The mama just had a puppy. Only one but I think that is because that is all that I could handle. Mine are dachsunds. Every time I think of Chihuaha’s (spelling?) I think of the Taco Bell Dog! Thanks so much for sharing a little bit of yourselves, it was fun.
Raine, I’m looking forward to our chat at noon. My inspiration for Delora’s Necklace was a family vacation to the Yucatan Peninsula in March 2000. Climbing to the top of the pyramid at Chichen-Itza, I imagined the view as it must have been during the time of the Mayas, and the idea for Delora’s Necklace was born.
Hi Raine, Am here – looking forward to our chat!
Karen Hulene Bartell
Hi Raine! Karen and I are ready to CHAT! Fire away!
Susan and I are here – but our comments are not showing – are waiting for moderation ;^(
Karen
Hi Val,
Glad you liked the part about the mustang rescue! Animals are my passion – always try to include an animal as a character in my books. These mustangs were slated to be “euthanized” because they would have been sent back to the BLM as incorrigible. We took them in, have trained them, and are now placing them up for adoption.
A white dog is the character in Untimely Partners – and she plays quite a role in the plot.
Karen
Hi Raine,
Glad you like what you see in Untimely Partners! I was inspired to write it when I visited Teotihuacan several years ago. A double rainbow covered the sky, one end touching the Quetzlcoatl pyramid. That started an idea.
Why time travel ladies? What makes this genre so appealing to you both?
Raine D.
I’m a big history buff, so time travel allows me to plunk a modern heroine in an historical setting. I like the opportunities for romantic conflict!
Hi Karen and Susan! I enjoyed the interviews – its always nice to learn about the authors. I love horses and dogs too. The bring wild mustangs and donkeys to our county and auction them to good homes.
And nice excerpts! Sooo the question is.. how did you research time travel? I see Karen got inspiration from visiting the locale… then did you have to do a lot of work to learn about the history and cultures?
I did tons of research. I even have bibliography for this book. I did TOTALLY makeup one thing, though…using the bile of a tapir to make green eyeshadow is a complete fabrication.
Why time travel? I love history, traveling, and spooky elements. This just wraps them all into one enjoyable package for me ;^)
Researching? Yes, gads and gads of reading and going online. Gary Jennings was my inspiration with his Aztec series.
Inspiration for plot? At the Teotihuacan museum, there was an actual grave pit with skeletons, frozen in time, their bony arms still bound behind their backs. The “fence” was so low, I commented how dangerous it was – a person could fall right in…voila! The idea for the plot.
Hi ladies and guests,
Thanks for coming and leaving comments/questions for Susan and Karen.
Ladies….are you doing other time travel books or is this it for right now? Will there be spin offs fromthese books with secondary characters getting the spotlight?
Raine D.
Raine, thank you so much for having Susan and me on your Author Spotlight! It was a real pleasure joining you today ;^)
Well, it’s l p.m. here, and I’m signing off. Thanks, Raine, for spotlighted Delora’s Necklace today. Very much appreciated! And Karen, please stay in touch! Delora’s Necklace will be followed by Miami Mayan, so there’s more to come for Delora and her handsome Mayan warrior!
Yes, Untimely Partners is only the first of a series series of time-travel and paranormal romances set in ancient Toltec, Mayan, and Aztec locations. Please read an excerpt: http://www.karenhulenebartell.com/
http://www.lyricalpress.com/untimely_partners.html
Susan, it was a pleasure sharing the Spotlight with you ;^) So good to meet another author with the same specific genre! Thank you again, Raine!
Thank you both for being int he spotlight and sharing sneak looks into your time travel worlds.
Thanks to all those that popped in and asked a question/comment for them.
Much success and wonderful reviews for you both.
Raine D.