Interview with Guest Author ~ Keta Diablo

Hi Savanna, thanks so much for agreeing to host me on Shapeshifter Seductions. This is truly a great blog, and what a wonderful idea to specialize in Shapeshifters.

Savanna: Hi Keta, we do love our shapeshifters and weres here! Tell me, where do you get the inspirations for your books?

Keta: This is such a great question and once I’m asked often. Many of my ideas come from dreams, vivid dreams. And the others come from surfing the Net or research I’ve done in the past.

I’m here today to talk about Where The Rain Is Made, a time-travel/shapeshifter themed around the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. When my youngest son was 12, he took a sudden and intense interested in Native American history. I have no idea why. One tribe he seemed particularly drawn to was the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. We spent endless hours at the library searching for books about this fierce tribe of the plains and together we read many articles about them.

The Dog Soldiers had a very colorful past and a very tragic ending, as did most of the Native American tribes in US history. Dylan’s obsession with the Dog Soldiers lasted several years and I became as fascinated as him. Several years later, I wrote Where The Rain Is Made and dedicated the novel to Dylan. I hope like me, you love reading about history. Myth and lore abound in WTRIM, but most of what you’ll read is true about this great tribe.

Savanna: What is your favorite book from the books you have written so far? Who are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?

Keta: Where The Rain Is Made, of course, because of the special connection to my youngest son. Another novel I loved writing is Decadent Deceptions, an erotic historical that finaled in the 2008 RWA Molly Contest. DD is not a shapeshifter, but has an element of a serial killer, mystery, suspense and of course, an abundance of eroticism. (More about Decadent Deceptions here: http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=20)

Savanna: If you could travel through time to visit a special time period or famous person, what or who would it be and why?

Keta: Oh, boy, that’s a tough one for me because I love history, all eras. I suppose I’d choose the Civil War. I find this time in history intriguing for many reasons: the war itself and what really triggered it, the lush, thrilling era of antebellum life (pre-war), the elaborate attire for both men and women (how feminine women must have felt wearing six yards of silk), and the “rules of etiquette” that surrounded both men and women (think chivalry and wild flirtations).

For all the above reasons I wrote Land of Falling Stars several years ago, an erotic novel involving a love triangle, one woman and two men who adored her. (More about Land of Falling Stars here: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-landoffallingstars-13994-144.html
Caveat: The second place I’d choose if I could travel through time is to early Scotland. Love, love everything about this country, including the Celtic mysticism.

Savanna: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Keta: Oh, that’s easy. I’d be a rock star . . . if only the Good Lord had gifted me with the voice I needed to become one. Alas, I had to settle for being a writer (LOL).

Savanna: Tell us a bit about your new release.

Keta: Thanks so much for asking. I think I did above (another laugh). Give me a chance to talk about Where The Rain Is Made and I could go on for hours.

Here’s the blurb and a few snippets from the latest reviews:

A decadent-looking savage has captured Francesca DuVall and her brother, Marsh. Now she must spend every waking moment planning an escape. However, she never counted on the powerful draw of desire interfering with her scheme in the camp of the brutal Cheyenne dog soldiers.

Ethan Gray is a curator at a national museum . . . most of the time, but when he travels through time to help his beloved People he becomes Meko, leader of the most revered and feared tribe of the plains. Although their worlds are decades apart Meko can’t resist the dark beauty he kidnapped during a raid. He has many battles to fight but none he wants to win more than the one that will capture Cesca’s heart forever.

From the windswept plains of Colorado and the harsh life of a Dog Soldier to the placid life of a curator their love was fueled by passion and kindled by destiny.

Snippets of Latest Reviews:
Where the Rain Is Made is an edgy, compelling story. It tells a very solid tale - one rooted in history. – Pat’s Vampire Notes, FIVE Stars
Where the Rain is Made is a tale that is rich in history, emotions and love. Kudos to K. Diablo for penning such an impassioned story. 4.5 Stars, E-Cata Romance.

I cringed, flinched, sighed and shed a tear. Any story that can do that has my vote all the way. Ms. Diablo, I look forward to seeing more from you in the future :)” Nine out of Ten Stars, Seriously Reviewed.
This is a historical romance sure to magically sweep you back in time. A must read! Five Stars, Paranormal Romance, PNR
Do you use more than one element of the paranormal in your works?

At times, yes. In Where The Rain Is Made, we have time-travel and shapeshifting, a compelling combination.
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WHERE THE RAIN IS MADE ~ Excerpt:

Setup: Cesca is weary of all the violence in her life now that she lives in the camp of the Dog Soldiers. After a particularly gruesome incident involving her, she tells Meko it's over between them. Here, they're at a ceremonial dance and the argument escalates.

* * *
Cesca had never seen him so calm. Vapors rose from the water like a fine mist, sheathing his shoulders and head. Meko moved not an inch, and for a moment she wondered if he drew breath. He came toward her, the ripples circling, beckoning her. “It will never be over between us,” he whispered.

His words threw her mind into total disorder. She stiffened and thrust an arm out, hoping the action would be enough to hold him back. Yet still he advanced. He encircled her outstretched wrist with a gentle hand and pulled her to him. His warm breath fanned her wet skin. Drawing her head back, he bared her throat and delivered a series of lingering kisses to the throbbing pulse in her throat. His lips traveled along the damp flesh of her shoulder before he claimed her mouth.

A hot flame clawed through her belly when he slipped one hand beneath the water, pressed it against the small of her back and pulled her closer . . . closer until she felt the full length of his hard body against hers.

All desire to claw his face vanished. Any shred of resistance she intended to use disappeared as quickly as the space between them. His tongue probed the inside of her mouth. She clung to him with her legs wrapped around his hips. When he pulled back, her breaths came in short bursts. She heard a moan and prayed it wasn’t hers. Lucifer, she was such a fool for the man!

Meko cradled her in his arms and pushed through the water back to shore and laid her in the tall grass. A Cheyenne curse fell from his lips as he looked down at her. Events happened so fast, she couldn’t think. The soft beating of the drums, distant laughter, and the soothing sound of water trickling over rocks came to her through a fog.

And then she surrendered.
~~~

Decadent Publishing will release WHERE THE RAIN IS MADE on August 27th. Mark your calendars and stop in on Friday, August 27th here: http://tinyurl.com/37oepsy
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I also write gay fiction. In my best-selling series Crossroads, I delve into the paranormal element of “communing with the dead”. Frank McGuire is a Private Investigator who’s dedicated his life to locating missing children. In several of the novellas, Frank must communicate with ghosts in order to find the children.

I just love all elements of paranormal – don’t you??

More about the CROSSROADS series here: http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Crossroads. Four novellas have been written with two more coming in the near future. Stay tuned!

Thank you so much for having me, Savanna. Again, I love the blog and will be returning often to see what shapeshifters are stopping in next.

You can find Keta Diablo on the Net at the following links:

Keta’s Haunt, Author Home, http://www.ketadiablo.com
(sign up for my newsletter here to be eligible to win FREE books every month)

Keta’s Keep, Erotic Romance Blog, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com

The Stuff of Myth and Men, Gay Fiction Blog, http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com

Keta on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo