H K Carlton - Terrific interview with multi-published hot romance author!

Aloha H K! Thanks so much for being over here on my blog, my fellow Muse author, H. K. Carlton!  She is a multi-published Canadian writer of romance, in contemporary, paranormal, family saga and erotica. From time travel to historicals, she'll never pick just one genre to write in, there are too many possibilities and variety is creativities playground!  

Tell our readers a wee bit about yourself. What are 5 things you wished you’d done, have done or are still to do, on the Bucket List? J

1.  I would love to go to Scotland.

2.  Tour England with my mum and see where she grew up and visit the places she’s always talked about.

3.  I wish I’d gone to college or university before I’d ‘settled’ down. Ha! There’s still time, right?

4.  CHECK this ONE off the list! :D Have a book published!

5. And on the ‘out of the realm of possibility bucket list’, one of those dreams that you wish ( with your heart ) would come true, but know ( in your mind ) will never happen—I would love to see my Always Cambridge Series, as a movie. :p But I wonder if this is a common desire of all authors after we’ve fulfilled the publishing goal.:-) (Meg: I think so. :-) Well, it is for me anyway. LOL)

Tell us about the genre you write, why do you love it and how did you get into it?

I write romance but several different sub-genres of it. Historical romance, contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and romantic suspense. Originally, I thought I was going to pen strictly historical but the very first manuscript that was accepted by a publisher was an erotic story. And I found I really enjoy writing in that genre. (but now even my tame stuff has a smutty edge to it). I also like the variety of writing other things. And when a story comes to me, I go with it and worry about what genre it might fit into later.

What’s your most favorite restaurant in the world? Where, why and the best dish/es they make?

A pizza joint from my beloved hometown. Sometimes my mum will bring me one of their extra large ‘specials’ for a treat when she comes up for a visit and often for my birthday. Love my Mum! :D They also make a chicken cacciatore and manicotti to die for.

This is not from the place that H K's mum brings it from, but I thought it looked yummy anyway. :-) 

Remember those ads for Expedia (if not, just play along) that asked, ‘If you could go anywhere in the world, but have to go right now?’ Where would you have gone and would you have said to YES to right now? What pulls and entices you to that country?

Scotland. I have always wanted to visit. I am an enormous Scottish historical romance reader. Well, I used to be when I had time to read and this is also probably why I thought that it would be my genre. My mum is British as I mentioned and my father’s grandfather was from Scotland. I have always been enamoured with the UK. I want me a Highlander. I should have put him on the Bucket List, Meg! :-) (Meg: Yes, you should have. :-) If you don't ask, you don't get.) Although, my husband might have a problem with this. Or maybe he wouldn’t. LOL

What parts of you, are incorporated into your characters?

It depends. Sometimes there is nothing of me in the story. And in other instances there is a ton. In my first two novels I incorporated quite a few of my own insecurities and personality into the heroines. And there is a lot of me in Holly Cambridge from my Always Cambridge Series. Quirks, I guess. Although her life itself is beyond anything I could ever imagine. But lately, the characters I’ve been writing are just characters with no real attachment. Perhaps I am finally learning how to separate. I also tend to throw in a UK curve in most of my stories too. Not all, but most. LOL

Favorite male hero/public figure you admire in the world, dead or alive, and why?

I found the next two questions, tough, Meg. Geez! At the moment, I would have to say Robin Williams is the person I admire. He was such a talent even while battling his demons. He was an incredibly generous man not only as an actor but also as a human being. He entertained us and taught us by example. I was also touched by how the entire world seemed to be moved by his passing. He will be missed and I hope in some way, he is aware what an impact he had on so many people. Including me.

Favorite female heroine/public figure you admire in the world, dead or alive, and why?

I found this one the toughest and this is probably going to sound cliché and predictable but Charlotte Bronte. One of my all time favourite books is Jane Eyre. I wouldn’t mind meeting Karen Marie Moning either. I love her books. (Wow... no, we haven't had anyone say Charlotte Bronte yet. So thanks :-) Someone new!)

Have you ever had a character just “do their own thing?” Have you ever had an argument with one of your characters? Or anything else odd happen?

I’ve had several of my characters take over. Gard Marschand from historical romance The Devil Take You was the first. I wanted to write something different for a historical romance. The original idea was for the ‘hero’ to be anything but. And Gard fit the bill. He’s just a bad guy. The ultimate anti-hero. Gard ran the show, from beginning to end. 

But more recently, Victor Mayhue, the mob boss’ son from my Always Cambridge series, and I had quite the battle. Originally the Always Cambridge story was meant to be a stand alone. But every time I tried to give the original hero and heroine their happily-ever-after, there was the very charming and drop-dead gorgeous, Victor, insisting that the story wasn’t finished yet. He was right and thankfully badgered me into a six book series. Actually the entire series ‘did it’s own thing’.  As I was writing, sometimes even I was surprised by the twists and turns the story took.

What’s your passion in life?

My kids and my writing.

What’s your writer’s routine? Do you write whenever or at certain times? Are you a pantser or plotter? Where do you like to write?

I like to write in bed with the laptop. I write when time allows or when the creativeness is flowing and have been known to pull all-nighters. I usually just let the characters and the story have their way with things. Often when the original idea begins, I don’t have a beginning, middle and end. The act of writing is what gives me the direction. And I just go with it. Of course, often I have to go back and add some fillers to pull everything together, but it works for me. (Meg: I write exactly the same way you do, down to my laptop in bed. LOL) 

If you could pick a past life, what time period would appeal to you and why? Would you be male or female? Rich or poor?

I guess medieval times would appeal. I know you’re all shocked by that. Although, I do like my modern comforts, like you know, running water, plumbing and deodorant. LOL I guess I’d want to be rich. Money tends to be a worry in any time, doesn’t it. Male or female, hmmm… I think I would want to be female. With a big strapping Highlander as my mate. J

What new things are you working on or have coming up?

I’m working on several things, but mainly an erotic romance mystery set in the 1950’s. I also have a contemporary erotic romance piece in for submission and am waiting to hear on that one. I’ve also got a paranormal erotic series coming out in the winter/spring/summer 2014/15 with MuseItUp Publishing for the Wild Darkness Calls themed stories. It is a series of short stories entitled Lustful Possession. A total of seven in all, the first is Meet Me in the Dark. 

It started out as just one story and snowballed. I’m also toiling with some ideas for another set of Always Cambridge books. Thanks to the readers, who seem to want a spin-off of the original saga. It might take me some time though, I am a bit Cambridged out after the six books in six month release schedule from that series. But it feels really good to have one of my stories so well received.

Thanks for having me, Meg. Aloha!

Meg: Aloha and mahalo to you H K!!! Thanks so much for being here and giving fun answers. :-) It's been excellent! Aloha Meg :-) 

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Within this frame, his curse is time…

Hannah Keys thinks she’s setting off on the trip of her dreams, but after one mishap after another—beginning with her best friend abandoning her in the airport and ending with the man of her dreams dead—she’s renaming it the vacation from hell.

When Hannah Keys discovers a four-hundred-year-old portrait in Wales, she is intrigued and somewhat saddened by the handsome Highlander portrayed by the artist’s masterful, lifelike strokes. But when she runs into the majorly hunky model for the painting—in the flesh, in the middle of the night—she learns first-hand all about masterful strokes when she shares a night of medieval passion with him.

Lockhart Munro has been cursed inside the portrait until he meets Hannah Keys. For four hundred years, no one has heard him or seen him, let alone touched him. The one woman who can do all these things may be the key to his long-awaited freedom.

But if Hannah sets Lockhart free from his prison, will she be cursed to spend the rest of her lifetime without him?

Or perhaps freeing Lockhart will be just the beginning…