Today I am speaking with Kira Stone. Kira, thanks for taking the time to speak with me today.

My pleasure!

I visited your intriguing blue satin website, wow! You certainly have a long list of books. The Loveland series and Vampire Magic series sounds interesting. Why don’t we begin by you telling us something about these series?

The Loveland series is about a group of minor minions who defected from Satan's camp to work for ALMA, the All Loving, Mothering Authority. As you can imagine, demons, and satyrs, and succubi have a hard time going straight... errrrr... legit. ALMA has plans for them all as she accumulates worshipers so that she can apply for full deity status, and it usually involves a whole lot of love.

The Vampire Magic series involves the cooperation, or lack thereof, between two groups, the vampires and the witches. Vampire Lords are created through witch magic, but the witches don't like sharing their natural magic with such unnatural creatures and the vampires don't like admitting that they need the witches for anything. It makes for some rather... heated... encounters.

Do you have more upcoming projects or soon to be releases that you would love to share?

Next month Changeling Press is releasing a series of books called Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs. It's about a company on an island off the coast of Canada that's inhabited by supernatural beings (a phoenix, a vampire, a water sprite, etc.) who make aphrodisiacs, and all the trouble that can cause. My book is coming out 9/9/06, and involves a clash over habitat contamination between the manger of the fisheries division and the environmental engineer who runs an aviary rehabilitation center, and the human wetlands specialist who is brought in to settle the matter.

Also coming up in the next six months is a sequel to both the Vampire Magic series and the Loveland series.

What is your favorite type of genre to write? Your favorite to read?

To write... what I would call contemporary fantasy, that is fantasy creatures such as the vampires and witches and elementals in urban or at least modern day settings.

To read... much the same thing, although I tend to read a lot of books by authors I like as people and that can take me to a wide variety of worlds.

When you are deciding your genre, do your characters decide for you?

They decide. Well, let me rephrase that. I start out with a "what if" question. What if a guy were sitting in the middle of the desert sipping a frosty beer? What would make that plausible? Why would he be there? The genre is already set by the setting/character that sparks the idea.

How do you feel about having your own books reviewed and what value, if any, do you get from them?

Wow, excellent question. It's important, absolutely, because it tells me whether or not what I've done is being well received. At the same time, I also value other means of reader feedback, and feedback from multiple sources. It's practically impossible to write a book with universal appeal, so I don't expect universal praise. What I value most are comments where specific things they liked or didn't like are mentioned.

If you could go back in time, where would you go and when? And if you could go back in time, would you wish to change anything?

Part of me would love to make sure the Pacific Rim had a working tsunami alert center before it was needed. I'd love to prevent the cellular mutation and subsequent human contamination that brought about the AIDs epidemic, or save an animal from extinction. But by tinkering with those events, I would never be sure what future destiny I'd impact by doing so. Unless someone guarantee that I wouldn't make things worse by doing so, I very much doubt I'd change anything at all.

But for a place and time to visit... probably Scotland before the English took over. We've traced some of my ancestors back that far, and I'd very much enjoy getting to meet them.

While writing, how does the story develop for you? Do you go from start to finish or create scenes as they come to you?

My writing style has evolved since I started actually finishing stories instead of just beginning them. *g* Now I start with a scene, usually a chapter's worth of words. Then I write a synopsis so that I know I have a complete plot. (I really loathe getting to the third quarter of a book and finding that there's no logical way out of the problems my characters find themselves in.) And then I write from the beginning to the end, although I do tend to bounce from scene to scene as I get closer to the finish.

Is there anything else in your life that you would like to accomplish or just do since you have become an author?

I want to be an editor, because I love helping others to bring out the best in their work. I'd also like to get a gemology certification, so I can play with expensive colored stones.

Could you describe for us your idea of the perfect man?

I don't think there is such a creature, just as there is no perfect woman. People are supposed to be flawed. That's what makes them special.

Do you have a habit that you know you will never change?

Picking up pennies on the sidewalk. I can always use an extra bit of luck. *g*

Does Kira have any pet peeves to share?

Intolerance. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, even to voice it, but I'd rather not be force-fed one as if there's no possible alternative.

Do you have anything else you would like to share with your readers?

My comment about feedback is genuine. I really want to hear what readers think about my books. I can't promise to incorporate every suggestion, but I will listen and reply.

For Fun: Showers or soothing, relaxing bubble baths?

Showers. Long and hot, and cat-less. (One of my cats likes to sing to me when I'm in the shower.)

For Fun: If you could go anywhere and visit for a week where would you go? And is there anyone you would take with you?

A week... hmmm... probably North Carolina. Or maybe Maine. I've never been there, but I've always wanted to explore it. As for traveling companions, yeah, I'd have one or two. Road trips are more fun when you aren't the only one going.

Do you have a website other than www.kirastonebooks.com that you would like to share with your readers?

Not a website, but please feel free to join my yahoo group. Mostly, it's a notification list, but I'm always willing to answer questions, and I've even been known to ask a few. *g*

It was great having you with us today, Kira. I wish you the best in your series. They sound wonderful.

Thank you very much for having me, Linda. I had a great time.
Kira Stone

Interviewed by: Linda L