Anna Kyle is in Love with Her Characters

FALLING IN LOVE WITH MY CHARACTERS 

Thanks for having me on your blog, Roxanne. Still cannot get “story strumpet” out of my head, btw. It’s possibly a permanent resident there now so thanks.

I absolutely love sinking into other worlds while reading. When that world blends romance with the breathless pace of an urban fantasy filled with magic, shapeshifters, vamps, or demons, even better. Throw in the sprawling epic fantasy packed with kings and intrigue and betrayals, well, all my boxes are checked and I am one happy camper. I find all that in paranormal romances. Yum and may I please have another?

So when I decided to finally put the paranormal romance rattling around in my head on paper, I knew exactly what I wanted. I created the world of the Wolf King and filled it with shapeshifters, mages, Fae and kings and sprinkled it with battles and romance and humor. The humor was key--some of my favorite PNRs made me laugh out loud.

While writing book two in the series, Skye Falling, I fell in love with Lake and Skye. The fae halfing princess Skye is funny, impulsive, smart (if a bit naïve), and boldly unafraid. When she and Lake meet, Skye is reveling in the sights and sounds of the human realm inside a nightclub in Chicago. I found her delightful to write, so different from the heroine in Book 1. One reviewer called Skye a firecracker and I l think that sums her up really well. She is also freaking determined to get what she wants, coming up with new plans on the fly if her old ones go awry (and of course they do); nothing truly stops her.

Lake, the handsome wolf shapeshifter sent to capture her, stands in her way, or tries to, anyway. As an Enforcer Lake lives and breathes the rules of war and because of that he’s very disciplined and orderly. The feisty Skye constantly surprises him. I loved exploring those two very different personalities as they clashed and then as they meshed and are tested before their HEA. I don’t think I’m giving anything away by saying the sassy princess wins her wolf. It is a romance, after all. Sigh. They truly are perfect for each other.

I hope your readers enjoy the journey of Lake and Skye as much I enjoyed writing it. Happy reading!!

About the Book:

Skye, a Fae-shapeshifter halfing, could die if she doesn’t find out how to wake her dormant wolf, so mere rumors of the Wolf King’s return are enough to convince her to sneak through the portal between Faerie and Chicago in search of his aid. But the dizzyingly bright lights and sounds of the human realm are too tempting to ignore. So is the sexy shapeshifter wolf intent on capturing her—the one who stirs her sleeping wolf just long enough to bind the handsome stranger in a mate-bond.

Lake is willing to do anything to protect the Wolf King, a man he also calls friend. So when he receives word that a Fae princess has slipped into Chicago, he suspects a plot to assassinate the Wolf King. He’s certain capturing her will be as easy as locating her—that was his first mistake. Not only is his wolf a little too interested in Skye, but the wolf accepts her mate-bond without any say-so from him. As he unravels the truth surrounding the smart-mouthed princess and whether she’s hunting his friend or being hunted by someone else, Lake’s mission changes: protect Skye at all costs. And keep her for himself.

About the Wolf King Series:  

Whispers of the Wolf King’s return after a thousand years absence foretell the resurrection of an ancient evil and stir up hidden enemies. The shapeshifters, magic-users, Omegas (the shifter/mage hybrids), and the Fae must turn their blades, fangs, and claws away from each other and work together to defeat a growing horde that threatens the extinction of them all.  The key to the Others’ future is connected to the past but they’re so busy fighting each other they may not see it in time.
 

SKYE FALLING excerpt:

Sand whipped into the air. A whirling vortex sprang up and halted the shifter’s forward progress and then lifted him four feet above the beach. Stunned by what she’d created, Skye dropped her hand and the wolf landed on the beach with a thump. Sand coated every inch of his body, but before he could act on his growl’s implied threat, Skye hurriedly lifted him back into a new sand tornado.

She’d practiced her power regularly, in secret as advised by her father, but had never been able to marshal this kind of force before. Skye could snuff out lanterns and blow papers off her father’s desk but not much more. The wolf’s surprise had turned to anger in his second ride. His eyes were narrowed against the stinging sand, but Skye could see their golden glow. The enormity of what she was about to do hit her.

She could stop it now and be returned to her father or, the lesser possibility, the torture of the Dark Fae. Both meant death.

Or.

That small word meant life. Not a tough decision. He strained to get to her and shouted, but the roar of the wind whipped his voice away. She summoned a life jacket onto his torso, followed by a pair of orange water wings around his arms. He glanced down and roared helplessly as he comprehended what she planned. He pointed a finger at her, then pointed down. Yeah, like she’d do that. Stupid wolf.

“It’s not personal, wolf,” she said, pleased her voice was calm. Skye raised her shaking hands. With a flick of her wrist she flung him out into the deep lake, far enough that she’d have a chance to escape but not so far he would succumb to hypothermia. She winced as he bounced across the lake’s surface like a skipping stone. Once. Twice. Three times before she could see him bobbing in the waves. It was done. No going back now.

She hoped he could swim and wished for a moment she had sent a raft with him. Skye took off toward Union Station in the pre-dawn shadows, ignoring the enraged wolf’s cursing dwindling in the distance. Her fingers wove as she ran and her soggy dress changed to her standard gray tunic and leggings and boots. Fear gave her an added boost of speed as she zigzagged through the city just starting to wake up. The first train out was at 6:00 a.m., only an hour away.

About the Author: 

Anna wrote her first story at age 12 on her dad’s old manual typewriter and though the technology has changed, she hasn’t stopped since.  She lives in the Midwest surrounded by family and friends and dogs and horses.  They’ve forgiven her (mostly) when they appear in her stories.  She reads everything she can get her hands on but romances, especially paranormals, are her favorite. Vampires, humans, Fae, shapeshifters, or demons, it doesn’t matter - Anna’s heart goes pitter-pat for the Happily Ever After.  Hot heroes + strong, funny heroines = Awesome.