Welcome to FAR, Kara. Kara Fey is the author of the fierce and fun House of Moons series.

How did Hana receive the joy of being your first heroine in The Seeding? Was she more persistent than the others?

Hana burst into my mind with all the subtlety of a tornado. She hated her life, but felt trapped by her family, duty, and society. She wanted so much more, but needed that final straw to draw upon her courage and make changes in her life. I think a lot of us feel trapped by circumstances, so she appealed to me on a very personal level.

Kiel Lonrev and Hana’s story deals with power, pride, and passion within a world where men and women are not equals. Did their story just enter your mind and life or did you have to work on it?

I knew Hana needed a sudden and intense PUSH that would force her to make some long-overdue decisions. I needed something so elementally against her nature that she would have no choice but to take drastic action. But Kiel had to be perfect for her. Not only did he have to be man enough to survive the ordeal of being captured, he had to be both deserving of her love, and mentally/spiritually strong enough to forgive.

Charla’s quandary is a Shadow Master with a mission of his own. When writing the House of Moons: Shadow Master did Padraic immediately appear as a perfect match for Charla or did you have to search him out?

Padraic appeared in the first book and is Kiel’s half brother. I knew when he first introduced himself to me that he and Charla were destined to be together. Charla was a brutal bitch, and utterly alone. She needed someone equal in power, someone she couldn’t intimidate to introduce her to true pleasure and equality in a relationship. Padraic doesn’t take orders from anyone and won’t bow to her independence. He realizes she is strong in her own right, but still can’t overcome his innate need to protect her. That dichotomy is what ultimately seduces Charla.

House of Moons: The Slave excerpt is tantalizingly short. When will it be released?

I’m writing it now and hoping for an April/May release. The book is taking a surprisingly complex turn and will probably be about twice the length of the first two. The tangle of wills is also more similar to Kiel and Hana’s. There’s murder, betrayal, distrust, and sexual domination. This is my favorite story of the three. Intense. Very intense! Here’s a blurb…

House of Moons 3: The Slave is hotter than anything I've ever written. How do you command a woman with unlimited power? Will she ever be strong enough to admit she WANTS to be dominated, and brave enough to give up control? Tobiath is a royal spy, an assassin, and totally fearless. Kamara's magic is useless against him. Now the "playing field" is level. Or is it?

Princess Kamara and Tobiath’s story of duty and love is further complicated by their society’s hatred of each other. How do you work in the inner struggle and realization that equality between the sexes is possible?

Princess Kamara is a free-born princess and has lived with men her whole life. Their struggle comes from her position of royalty and his as a treasonous spy and servant to the throne. She is terribly influential in her magic, unfortunately for her - he is immune. All the rules change for her when she meets this man whom she can’t control. Kamara desperately wants him – despite the fact she knows he betrayed everything she believes in.

Hallie from Book 4: The Spy promises to continue your tradition of strong and independent females. How do you keep your heroines intrinsically different yet from the same universe?

I look for examples in the “real” world. Wimpy heroines make me daft. I take notice of real-life women around me; those who inspire me, or make me wish I were more like them. Then I take aspects of their individuality and weave them into my characters.

How does Lerik differ from you previous heroes? Is his personality uniquely created for Hallie or did he appear independent but ready to challenge Hallie?

Lerik and Hallie are the next generation. All the rules have changed, and Lerik has a secret connection to the Antheans that I don’t want to reveal just yet. Needless to say, he’s not as merciful as the previous heroes. He has a score to settle, and Hallie is going to get in his way. 

Are there any sneak peaks into Book 5: The Sinner that you are willing to share with our avid readers?

The Sinner is still evolving, but I know the hero is my most disturbing and difficult to tame. (Oh, the fun! I love these guys!) He’s stalking my mind from the shadows at the moment – not yet ready to enlighten me as to his desires. I know, whatever he tells me, it’s going to be dark, dangerous, and sexy as hell. I can hardly wait!

Do you ever feel like your characters are trying to take over your mind?

LOL! Are you kidding me? I even DREAM about them. They never shut up. I wonder sometimes if all writers are a little bit crazy with all these voices running around in our heads demanding to have their stories told. But to be honest, I’d feel completely lost without them. I mean, what the heck do other people THINK about when they’re driving, or stuck at the dentist for an hour, etc… Without the stories running rampant in my head, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself!

Are there any other genres you would like to explore?

Vampires fascinate me. As do other worlds. Anything paranormal, sci-fi, or fantasy related gets me riled up. I would like to take a stab at introducing something new, and very erotic, into the “real” world we all live in. That sounds like a great adventure and one I do plan to undertake at some point.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your books?

They’re such a joy to write. They’re fast-paced, intense, sensual thrill rides that I’m tickled to share with readers. I live vicariously through them, and hope you can too! My goal is to make each story as different and unique as the characters that live the tales! I just want to thank everyone for sharing the adventure with me!

Is there any music that inspires your writing?

Rip-roaring Metallica or hard rock for battle scenes, slow sexy stuff, or jazz with a sexy beat for love scenes. Whatever mood I’m in, or need to BE in, there’s always some music to take me there. That’s what makes music so fantastic!

Do you have a specific routine before you write? Do you write in one area only or everywhere?

I have three little ones, so I can’t write until they’re off to bed. Assuming the poor abused DH can survive without my company for a couple of hours, it’s grab the laptop and hit the couch with my late-night soda. (Caffeine is such a hard habit to break!)

Who/What inspired you to write?

I honestly don’t know. I’ve been passionate about books for as long as I can remember. Writing, for me, is a natural extension of that obsession. I also have a deep, driving desire to reach out to people and touch their hearts and minds with my stories.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Oh, boy! Here my psyche will be revealed! LOL. OK, here goes… Christine Feehan, far and away, is my #1 Favorite. Others are David Eddings, Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake books, Sherilyn Kenyon, Ann McCaffrey, Dan Brown, Susan Grant, Stephen King’s The Stand, Susan Caroll, and Robin McKinley.

Is there a way other than your website for fans to keep updated?

I also have an author newsletter loop with a monthly newsletter and release announcements. To subscribe send an e-mail to: KaraFeyAuthorGroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

What final advice would you offer to writers who are seeking publication?

Mentoring is everything in this business! Find a writer’s group. Join! Go to meetings! Keep writing and learn, learn, learn everything you can! And write, write, write. Submit, submit, submit! Never stop. Never. That’s all you can do. If the passion for writing sustains you through that process, then destiny will find you.

Finally, any last thoughts.

Just a heart-felt thanks for the great questions, Dena! I don’t get a chance to interact on the loops much because of my hectic life, so I am excited to have that opportunity here. I have a 6, 4, and 1 year old that are the true joy of my life, a teaching job, a husband who runs two businesses out of my front room, most of my family in another state, and a very messy house. My e-mail and web interactions suffer because every free minute I get, I sleep. When I can sacrifice a little beauty sleep, I write! So, I just want to say “HI!” to everyone now, and thank you so much for reading!

Thank you Kara for taking the time to answer my questions and give us a glimpse into your life and world. For more information about Kara Fey and her books, visit her website at http://www.karafey.com/index.html.



Interviewed by:
Dena