Hi everyone,Today I have the lovely Krystal Brookes dropping by for a chat. Krystal is a fellow Pink Petal Books author and has several stories published with them. Her first story 'Bounty' is a sci fi tale and her second, 'Highland Fling' is part of the Kilrigh Heat series.
Hello and welcome!
Thanks for having me, Nicole.
How do you develop your plot and
characters?
I’d love to have a real answer to which
includes hours of meticulous plotting and scribbling ideas down in a note pad
in a coffee house down by the beach. But
the truth is, I’m a complete pantser. I
make it up as I go along. I’ll quite often talk to friends about my characters
or plots and that helps me decide for certain where certain stories or
characters are going.
What comes first, the plot or
characters?
Definitely plot. I tend to make my characters fit the story I
want to write.
Are you working on anything at the
present?
I have number of irons in the
fire. A new erotic science fiction story
about a ship lost in space, the third book in the Kilrigh Heat series, set at
New Year. A ménage fan fic. I also have a number of stories that I’ve
started but it will take a while to get round to writing them properly
What books or authors have most
influenced your own writing?
I got into
writing through reading Star Trek Voyager fan fiction, so a number those
writers really influenced me: Elem, Megara
How do you come up with the titles to
your books?
I usually look for a play on
words or something that stands out in the book.
Gemma is a bounty hunter in Bounty so it kind of just seemed
appropriate. I don’t want to spoil it by
explaining further. In Highland Fling,
Fiona doesn’t want a long term commitment so she suggests having a fling with
Brodie. It’s set in the Scottish islands
and was a good play on words.
If
you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern
conveniences with you, what would they be?
iPad, coffee maker, generator, wifi
modem, flushing toilet.
What
is your favourite book?
It changes
weekly, though I love Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.
What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?
Drawing. I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler.
Are you messy or tidy?
Very, very messy
What is your favourite food?
Meat Feast Pizza with
onions and mushrooms
What inspires your writing?
Just my over-active
imagination. Sometimes TV, other books or conversations I have with other
people.
Are you a sweet tooth? – what's your favourite sinful
sweet/cake/chocolate etc.
Definitely. I
love sweet pastries; especially yum yums (though I doubt anyone outside the UK
What made you want to be a writer?
A desire to be
able to exercise my over-active imagination on a daily basis.
Dreams and aspirations... what’s the one thing you
want to do, see or experience above all else?
I want to be able to give up my job and become a full time writer.
Highland Fling –
Blurb
When Fiona
Campbell travels home to the Island of Kilrigh for her best friend's wedding, she
doesn't count on meeting up with Brodie MacNeil, her childhood friend. Fiona
can’t help but be charmed by the Laird’s handsome son – until he starts to tell
her some home truths.
A city girl at
heart, Fiona tries to resist his charms and his offer of a life together on the
tiny island. Can Fiona heal the rift with her father enough to accept
Brodie's offer and take on the job as the island’s vet or will she walk out on
the one man she truly loves?
Highland Fling –
Excerpt
Fiona was
practically falling asleep when she heard a low chuckle from somewhere near her
feet. She sat up immediately, pulling her skirt down over her thighs. She found
Brodie's gaze raking up her legs and over her body, lingering momentarily on
her breasts before he turned and looked at Sarah.
“Gary was looking for you,
Sarah. Something to do with the baking competition.”
“Oh damn, I forgot,” said the
bride-to-be. “I get to choose who is going to make the cake for the wedding.
Brodie, will you look after Fiona?” She scampered away without waiting for a
reply.
Brodie threw himself down on the
grass beside her, his kilt splaying out beside him, and then he smiled.
“Is this Sarah's?” he asked,
lifting up the half-finished beer.
“Yes, but...”
“I doubt that she has anything
too infectious,” he shrugged, taking a mouthful of the now lukewarm liquid.
Fiona picked up her bag and pulled out her phone, trying to ignore her
companion. The bright sun made it impossible to see the screen, so she tossed
it back where it came from and studied the craggy hills in the distance.
“I'm sorry if I over-stepped the
mark yesterday,” said Brodie. “It's just... well... he has missed you, Fee. And
he also knows you've been having a hard time. John's been worried sick. You
barely even email him anymore.”
“It's none of your business.”
“I know, but he's my friend.”
“I'm not a child anymore.”
His gaze moved over her again as
he replied hoarsely, “Oh, Fee, you don't have to tell me that you're not a
child.”
Fiona shifted uncomfortably,
trying to find a way to change the conversation. His words were stirring
feelings in her that she had put to rest a long time ago. She spotted his
sporran sitting on the grass between them.
“What's wrong with your
sporran?” she asked. He was close now—too close—and his breath on her neck was
having a distracting effect.
“The chain broke. I'll be able
to fix it easy enough with a few tools when I get home.” His hand was sneaking
around her waist and she turned her head to find her lips close to his.
“Brodie, we used to play
together in your paddling pool. This is...”
“You are welcome to join me in
my paddling pool any time you like.” His voice was barely a whisper before his
lips grazed over hers. She closed her eyes and allowed him to tease her bottom
lip with his tongue before she parted her lips slightly. He pushed his tongue
into her mouth, gently forcing her teeth apart and exploring. She wrapped her
arms around his neck and he manoeuvred her back onto the grass, lifting his
body half on top of her. As they devoured one another hungrily, he grazed his
hand up from her waist to her breast, palming it gently.
She couldn’t believe how easily
she had accepted his advance and how quickly her body was responding to his
touch. She was usually careful about becoming intimate with a man, yet here she
was, making out behind the beer tent with Brodie MacNeil at the Highland games.
Fiona's head was swirling and she was very aware of his hardness pressing
against her thigh. He groaned as she gently nipped his bottom lip and he thrust
his hips against her thigh in response.
Fiona heard his name being
called over the tannoy first. She ripped her mouth away from his and batted his
hand away from her breast.
“What...?” growled Brodie,
moving down towards her neck.
“They're calling you.”
Brodie cocked his head and
nodded when his name came over the tannoy again.
“Shit, I'm entered into the
caber tossing competition.”
“The caber tossing competition
where you throw a big wooden log as far as you can?” She giggled, still aware
of his own “caber” pressing against her leg.
“Yes, what's wrong with that?”
He frowned.
“Oh, em, nothing. It just seems
funny. Here, you'll need your sporran. I have a safety pin to hold the chain
together for now.” She quickly removed the pin from her bag and fixed the
sporran. He grinned as he left her sitting on the grass, blowing her a kiss
before he walked around the corner and out of sight.
Bounty – Blurb
When Gemma Scott’s shuttle crash lands on Alcatraz
prison planet, she’s sure of one thing. If the impact doesn’t kill her, the
inmates will. She wakes up in the hut of a convicted terrorist and wonders how
long it will be until the handsome but dangerous man finds she was the one who
arrested him two years earlier. As their attraction grows, they work together
to help Gemma escape the dangerous planet. But they can’t deny the sparks that
fly between them.
Bounty- Excerpt
“I see you’re awake,” a gruff male voice stated.
Gemma looked in the direction of
the voice. Wherever she was, it was dark and damp smelling. Her mind was
struggling to make sense of what had happened. She could tell there had been an
accident but the immediate events before it were extremely fuzzy.
“Where...?”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re
safe–for now. How are you feeling?”
“Sore and groggy,” she replied
quietly.
She couldn’t quite make out the
man in the dim light. She didn’t recognize his voice or where she was. Her
memory was still fuzzy but something in the back of her mind scared her. She
seemed to be alone with this man and she certainly was not in a hospital.
“Yeah, well, that’s what happens
when you crash land your shuttle into a planet Ms. Scott.”
“How do you know my name?”
“Your ID was in your pocket. And
your phase gun was in your holster.”
“Where is my gun now?” Gemma
asked, trying to stop the fear in her voice.
“It’s safe.” The man moved
forward into the thin shaft of light coming from the dim overhead light on the
ceiling of the hut they seemed to be in. The man was tall, muscular and tanned,
with a shock of medium length brown hair. She recognized him, but couldn’t
quite recall from where.
“I’d prefer it if you returned
my gun. I need it.”
“I said it’s safe.”
She sat for a few moments trying
to remember what had happened. She knew she had to get her gun back from this
man but her head was too befuddled to form a coherent argument for now.
As the details of the accident
came back to her, she squinted again at her rescuer, trying to recall how she
knew him. She felt her blood drain as she remembered.
“I need to fix my shuttle,” said
Gemma, hoping that he hadn’t realized who she was.
“It’s dark outside, you won’t be
able to do anything just now.”
She tried to sit up but a shard
of intense pain ripped through her shoulder and made her fall back on the
pillow.
“You dislocated your shoulder,
so I had to put it back in the socket. It’s going to be sore for a while.”
She rubbed her shoulder and
grimaced.
“Thanks, I think.”
“If I’d left you in that
shuttle, believe me, you would have been murdered or worse.”
“What’s worse than being
murdered?”
“On this planet? Not being
murdered and being kept alive long enough to be aware of what they’re doing to
you.”
She shuddered.
“Thank you for not leaving me. I
heard them banging on the shuttle hull. How did you get rid of them?”
“I have a reputation around
here. Apparently I can rip a man’s throat out with my teeth.”
“Oh!” She wasn’t sure she wanted
to hear any more. The man smiled wolfishly at her.
“Don’t worry, Gemma. I’m not
hungry just now.”
She did her best not to show her
fear. Not having her phase pistol was a problem. She always felt braver on the
other end of the cold slender metal tool.
“Umm, what’s your name?”
“Rob. Rob Paris.”
His name triggered the memory
that she had buried under a hundred other missions. He was a terrorist and she
had hunted him for weeks before he had turned up on an abandoned planet on the
edge of Terran space. She’d stunned him and kept him unconscious as she had
transported him on her shuttle back to Earth to face trial. She wondered if he
would remember her. She’d shot him from behind, so with a bit of luck, he
hadn’t made the connection.
“Pleased to meet you. Are you a
prisoner here?”
“What do you think?” he drawled.
“Well, I assumed but...”
“But what?”
“Never mind. Can I get my pistol
please?”
“I said I was keeping it safe.”
“That’s very kind of you but I’d
prefer to have it, if it’s all the same to you.”
Rob walked over and sat on the
bed. He clasped her chin roughly in his hand and moved her head back, peering
into her eyes. He let go as suddenly as he had grabbed her.
“Hmph! You’re definitely
slightly concussed. As for your pistol; you’re in no shape to be carrying a
fire arm. If any of those brutes came in here, you’d never be able to get it
out the holster quick enough to kill them.”
“I always have my pistol set to
stun.”
“I noticed.”
“You noticed?”
“Well, I noticed it was set to
stun when I took it from you.” Gemma looked hard at him. Did he know? His gaze
was unwavering and she was having difficulty reading him.
Gritting her teeth, she swung
her legs out of the bed. Her shoulder was agony. Only then did she realize that
she was wearing nothing but her bra and panties.
“Where are my clothes?”
Contacts:
Web/blog: http://krystalbrookes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystalBrookes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystalBrookes
Love a good, Highlander story!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great story, Krystal.
Whitney K-E
Hi Whitney, I'm sure you would love this one!
DeleteSounds like both will be awesome books! Great interview. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for dropping by :D
Delete