Hello!
This time I had the pleasure of interviewing author Karen Y. Matthews about her upcoming book Sweet Surrender, among other things.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself.
Karen Y. Matthews: I am a single mother of three with my oldest child having my two grandchildren (at the moment). My youngest is twenty. I love to garden; vegetables, herbal and floral. I also like to do crafts and crochet. Art has been a huge part of my life along with animals. I am a huge animal lover. I am down to earth and treat people the way I would want to be treated by others. Furthermore, I live in Florida.
I have been writing books since the age of five during a kindergarten project of writing and illustrating a one-paragraph story; which I gladly accepted and wrote about two swans that fell in love at a pond. I won the school contest and my story was exhibited at the local library. That was the beginning of my writing career.
I am a true Heroin in real life. I will take you along for the ride during danger and love with many more novels to come.
I have heard so many people tell others not to read a certain book because it was not their taste. Furthermore, I always tell someone when they tell me not to read something Thank you for your input I think I’ll read it anyway” It just absolutely drives me crazy when someone tries to push their feelings onto someone else. So, with that in mind, I started my own saying….
“A story is only as good as You think it is; Not what someone else thinks of it.” By: K. Y. Matthews
I have read some excellent books that I would have missed out on if I had listened to that person.
Q: Do you remember the first story you wrote?
Karen Y. Matthews: As I stated above, my first story was when I was five years old. I wrote a one-paragraph story and drew a picture to go along with it. It was about two swans that fell in love at a pond.
Q: Were you inspired by someone or something?
Karen Y. Matthews: No, not really. I have always been a romantic I guess. I always wanted that special romance for everyone, even animals lol.
Q: What do you love about writing a story?
Karen Y. Matthews: The fact that I can make characters come alive and be whoever they want to be. Just like Halloween. You can dress up for a day and be whatever you fancy. Every person needs to tell their story even if it is a character.
Q: Can you tell us something about your upcoming book “Sweet Surrender” and the main character Emilia Brandson?
Karen Y. Matthews: Sweet Surrender is about a past spell that was put onto her family that all the women would not be able to fall in love. Emilia Brandson has to figure a way around the spell so that she can stop making wrong choices in men and be able to fall in love with the one man she really wants to be with. She is determined to overcome her families curse and let Derek Maxwell come knock on hearts’ door. Emilia is very smart; putting herself through law school and climbing the judicial ladder when everyone told her she couldn’t do it. That willpower will help Emilia fight when she goes up against the curse and treats it like a court case.
Q: When will you release the book?
Karen Y. Matthews: Hopefully I will be able to release Sweet Surrender by the end of July or August 2012
Q: What genre does the book fit best in?
Karen Y. Matthews: Romantic Suspense
Q: How long have you been working on this book?
Karen Y. Matthews: I have been working on Sweet Surrender for about three months now. I just start writing and later after I think I have finished the first part as I call it; I go back and sort it all out and make some sense out of it. That is where the story starts coming together and the characters come alive.
Q: How does it feel to have your book published?
Karen Y. Matthews: Wonderful; I have always been a big reader. I am happy that I can have people reading my novels and maybe inspire someone to write.
Q: I understand you also wrote a few other books. Can you tell us a bit about those?
Karen Y. Matthews: Beyond the Badge: Tino Sharma has spent fifteen years searching for a man that framed his uncle for murder. Kaylee Beria works in the family business as well as volunteering in her community for nearly ten years. When the two meet the sparks fly. That is why Kaylee wants to help Tino find the man that committed the murder. She has fallen for Tino while overcoming countless hurdles with him. Kaylee has to decide if she can overlook who the murderer is and continue to be a lover to Tino even though she knows Tino has no guilt about putting him behind bars, or worse…. killing him.
The Mansion: Renovation leads Kale McJonas to buried treasure and the love of his life. Kale has to find Sarah’s Grandfather Simon before he is murdered like the rest of Sarah’s family by finding secret passageways in the mansion and following clues that Simon has left for Sarah to figure out. Passion and danger heat up when Kale asks Sarah and her friends to stay at his house until they solve who is behind everything and catch the killer or killers.
The Mansion was actually the first novel that I wrote. I focused more on Beyond the Badge (which title was originally called Mystery Island) because I liked that novel better. Once I got back to working on The Mansion, I started to enjoy the characters more and put in a few more twists.
Q: Are you working on something new?
Karen Y. Matthews: Yes, I have several more ideas for upcoming novels with two that are in rough drafts at the moment. The titles for these novels are “Sacred Moon” and “Silent Power”.
Q: Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Karen Y. Matthews: Never give up on your dream. If you want to be an author then you will be an author. Read, read and read some more on how to put together your novel; how to add characters as the plot thickens and comes alive. Talk to other inspiring authors on blogs and writing sites or make your own blog or website.
Q: Which author inspires you?
Karen Y. Matthews: My favorite authors are Nora Roberts and John Grisham
Q: Where can people go and read your work?
Karen Y. Matthews: You can purchase my novels at Amazon Kindle. I am hoping to expand to book stores, libraries, etc. in the near future.
Q: Where can people find you on the internet?
www.kymatthews.weebly.com I am also on Twitter @KYMatthews and Facebook coming soon under KYMatthews.
Q: Is there anything else you want to share with the readers?
Karen Y. Matthews: A Big Thank You to all my fans and readers. If you would like to know more about me or have some novels suggestions or any ideas please visit my website www.kymatthews.weebly.com
Below is an excerpt from her upcoming book Sweet Surrender!
Chapter One
South Glamorgan Wales UK 1842
“You will never have me, my children, my children’s children and so on the way you want” Genevieve yelled out as the prince of darkness took her; ravishing her body as he had never tasted the erotica of a woman. Not listening to her pleads for him to stop, how could he with the beauty that was before him. The beauty he was enveloped around and planting his seed in. She lay there as he was finished feeling sickness and hatred towards the man who has been chosen to be her husband. “I will bear your child but know that it will never be chosen to be someones mate. It will marry for love, not surrender to someone like you ” she sat up, leaned forward and spat on the feet of her newly wedded husband. The spell has been done.
Ventura, California 2010
The intercom on the phone kept buzzing and driving Emilia crazy. “Miss Brandson, your ten o’clock meeting is starting soon” “Okay, I’m on my way. Just getting a few more details together” she then hit the intercom button and spoke to herself under her breath ‘They can just wait a blasted moment’ and swivelled her chair around to meet Derek Maxwell. The tall, dark and handsome with his heavenly blue eyes, muscular tanned body and rich black hair that has just enough wave in it to make you want to run your fingers through it. “Emmy, we gotta go. Got everything? ” “Yep, sure do” Emilia said as she was frozen in her seat for a split second. Emilia was short; five foot two and petite. Blonde hair and green eyes, toned but not enough for her liking. But then again, when did she have time to exercise. She didn’t have time to date let alone exercise.
The meeting was finally over. Emilia grabbed her belongings, shoving paperwork into her briefcase as she walked to the elevator “Hold the door please” she yelled out. Derek Maxwell put a hand to the elevator door without a word. “Thank you” is all she said staring him in his eyes holding all the paperwork she hadn’t yet been able to shove and wished she could be swimming in those eyes for eternity. The vision in her head vanished with the sound of his voice asking her if she was alright. “Yes, I fine. Just remembered something is all. ” and turned to the elevator door. The elevator dinged and Derek announced his floor and gave Emilia a wink. The door closed and Emilia still stood with lust as her facial expression. She heard a sigh as the elevator started moving again “You scared the shit out of me” Tammy Tate looked at Emilia as if she was crazy. “Well, you did” “What were you thinking about as if I have to ask with the look on your face? ” The two women chuckled and talked the remainder of the elevator ride.