An Interview with KH LeMoyne, author of Betrayal's Shadow

1. What do you do when you are not writing?

I read, though that’s a luxury. I used to read as often as I could. Then I decided to write full-time. Writing and the business of writing tend to take more hours than I have in day. I do make time everyday for my family and when the weather gets nice, the dog practically pulls me away from the keyboard. Probably a good thing.

2. Do you have a day job as well?

I had a career in information technology and web application development. When the opportunity presented itself, in the form of downsizing, I reconsidered my options and looked at what I wanted to do for my next career. My enjoyment of writing made that an easy choice. I’ve been writing full-time for the last several years.

3. Where do you get your ideas?

From everywhere and I don’t intend that as a glib answer. The Guardian series was intended to address the question of whether the human race was alone in its creation. They are a supernatural race originating in the same Eden as Adam and Eve, but with the legacy of guiding mankind toward its ultimate destiny. Their history and true origin are woven through each story with the final answers presented in the last book of the series.

Betrayal’s Shadows introduces the Guardians after a plague has killed most of the adult Guardians on earth. The children under the age of maturity were sent to the Sanctum in Eden for their protection. It was children raising children. Not only has much of their history been lost, but now as adults they are unable to find mates within their race, and the curse of the plague still hovers over them. This series weaves bits of actual history, myth, and deviations of both. That is a consistent approach I use in all of the series I write.

4. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

My first published book was Return of the Legacy, the first in a fantasy romance series. That was my first experience with interacting with editors and a publisher and feeling my way through the publishing process and all of the peripheral work. I worked with an incredibly talented cover designer for the book, Robin Ludwig who also designs the Guardian books. And I learned some of the nuances of publicizing, which was completely new. I’ve been very lucky to work with wonderful people.

5. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?

Honestly, my journey was probably the best for me because by the time I was publishing, I was very prepared to make writing my career. But if I knew then what I know now, I would have been less hesitant earlier, started with gusto much sooner, and developed a tougher skin.

6. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

These days there are a number of small and medium press publishers who are wonderful to work. The industry has many options. Indie publishing is prevalent as well with a huge number of freelance editors, proofreaders, cover artists, and publicist to support those efforts. If a book is clean and well written with an interesting storyline, it is likely to find a market somewhere. Though I’ll admit that if one’s heart is set on a large New York publisher (with the numbers of those decreasing these days), the wait could be much longer.

For me, the book I love, the book of my heart, tends to be whichever book I’m working on currently. If I don’t really like the characters and want make them interesting and worthy of success, then the story flounders so I have to be totally invested in the story. But I do have a few stories that I started on maybe twenty years ago that should never see the light of day! Truly, I was in love with historical romances at that time, and still like them. I had a story set in Spain around the inquisition. It had little going for it other than I liked the setting because I’d lived in Spain.

7. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

I wish. Honestly, no. I have no magical abilities or wild adventures from my past to save the world. I do write about characters who embrace the qualities that I respect and admire. So maybe that’s the small part of me in there.

8. What project are you working on now?

I am currently working on Destiny’s Mark, the third book in the Guardian of Eden series. This is Tsu’s book, the Guardian defense master, and the story of his mate and the unique complications she introduces to the Guardian race. Destiny’s Mark is targeted for late summer release.

9. Will you have a new book coming out soon?

Dragon Rider’s Gift: A Portal of Destiny Tale, is being released in April. This is a fantasy romance and a spin-off of my Portal’s of Destiny series. I became enamored of the dragon riders and they needed their own story for their battle against the evil mage of Brennagmore.

10. Anything else that you want to add or discuss...

I would just like to thank you very much for hosting me. If anyone has any comments or questions they can always drop me a line at my website: www.khlemoyne.com or my blog: www.fantasypoweredbylove.com

~Kate

KH LeMoyne

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