SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author Kate Hill!

Joining me today in The Loft is author Kate Hill. Kate writes romantic fantasy, and paranormal and contemporary romance. She also writes science fiction, and erotic and LGBTQIA2S+ romance under the pen name, Saloni Quinby. When not writing, Kate enjoys reading, working out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history. In addition, she runs the Compelling Beasts Blog, which is dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate refers to herself as a "vegetarian New Englander."

Author Kate Hill

S: Welcome, Kate, and Happy New Year!

Critics say romance novels mislead readers about the reality of romance and in fact, give readers false expectations. Do you agree?

K: To me, that's like saying action movies give false expectations about how exciting life is for average people, that a mundane day can become an adventure with alien heroes and villains. No matter what the genre, books and movies aren’t like real life. It’s all fantasy, and everyone’s fantasies are different. That’s why there are so many subgenres and so many different types of characters. Fiction is for escape. Many children’s books include things like talking animals or toys that interact like real people. If children can handle fictional elements, then I hope adults can, too.

S: Exactly. Fiction is for escape. It is not real. I'm not sure how anyone could assume differently.

Do you write in other genres?

K: Yes. I also write short horror stories, most of them set in New England. I love the horror genre, and I like to mix horror elements into my romance books, as well. I have a horror collection called Country Whispers that includes stories about ghosts, genies, and motorcycles that run on something other than gasoline. I’m currently working on Country Whispers II.

S: Do you remember your first kiss?

K: It was awful. That’s what I remember most. A complete turn-off. Looking back, it’s funny. I learned a lot from that relationship.

S: My first kiss was in the kindergarten coat room and I got sent to the principal's office because of it. Fortunately, I didn't understand what the fuss was about, so it didn't traumatize me.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

K: I never believed in love at first sight until one day, my grandmother said to me that if you can hate someone on sight, why not love someone? To me that made good sense, and ever since then, I’ve believed it can happen. Has it ever happened to me? I can give a firm no, but who knows? Maybe someday it will.

S: Have you ever shelved or thrown out a manuscript?

K: Yes! Many. The one that really sticks in my mind, though, had a seriously annoying heroine. I thought about trying to revise and complete the manuscript, but there was no saving this character.

S: One of my teachers told me that writing a book about unlikable characters was a waste of time. Readers need to like the main characters or they won't keep reading.

What inspired "The Darkness Therein?"

K: It was a combination of things, but mostly it was the idea of a beautiful blond vampire martial artist with a dark past and a dangerous mission. Once Jocelyn formed in my mind, I had to write his story.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "The Darkness Therein?"

K: "The Darkness Therein" was my first published novel. It’s been through two publishers and many revisions to get to this point. This is the version of the story as I’ve always wanted it, and it’s truest to the characters. I’ve cleaned up the editing, and the love scenes fit the characters better than the out-of-print editions released by previous publishers. I’ve also added new scenes. I truly hope readers enjoy the changes.

Here's the blurb--

Jocelyn has chased his nemesis for centuries. He swore that nothing or no one would stand between him and revenge on the creature that destroyed his life. That same rival leads Jocelyn to the one person who can reconnect him to the human race.

Art student Charlie has no idea that her family history binds her to a creature of legend--until he appears in the form of a tall, beautiful man with a thirst for revenge. The last thing she wants is to follow his orders, but if she intends to stay alive, she has no choice.