Today we’re talking with Stacy McKitrick, an author friend of mine who writes paranormal romance. I just finished reading her newest book, Biting the Curse and this is what I said in my review:

There are four things you can always count on finding inside the covers of her books:
1) Vampires or ghosts. In this case, it’s vampires.
2) A mystery–Why do heroine Janie’s significant others always seem to meet with unfortunate (and lethal) accidents?
3) A great romance between likable characters who earn their eventual happiness.
4) At least one or two laugh-out-loud funny moments. 

The thing I love best about the humor is that it’s not a clumsy add-on, but built deep into the way the characters behave–not just to make the joke, but because that’s who they are.

I actually stopped reading and texted her after I read one particularly hilarious scene. I’m eagerly awaiting her next book, which features Perry, who is probably her funniest character, at least among her vampires.

Let’s find out more!

Question 1: Tell us a little bit about your new book.

Biting the Curse (the fifth book in the Bitten by Love series and a FINALIST in the Oklahoma Romance Writers International Digital Awards) is about a vampire finally finding his perfect mate only to discover she thinks she’s cursed and has given up on love. It features Sam Kincaid as the vampire (who made his first appearance in A Vampire Wedding) and Janie Robinson as the poor cursed mortal, as well as series regular Perry Davenport (because Perry just can’t NOT be in one of my books since his first appearance in Bite Me, I’m Yours, I guess). It’s set in January in Detroit and Cleveland, so lots of darkness and snow. Here’s the blurb:

When Janie Robinson says “I do,” she might as well call the morgue.

Two days after her wedding, David died in a car accident.

The day after she accepted his proposal, Justin fell to his death at work.

The day after she agreed to move in, Aaron died in a freakish drone accident.

Now Sam wants to date her because she’s some kind of Perfect Mate.

If she’s perfectly anything, she’s perfectly cursed and she’s not about to risk Sam’s life.

 

Sam Kincaid is a vampire.

He has been searching for Janie since the day he let her go.

Her so-called curse doesn’t bother him until he becomes the killer’s next target.

He’s never feared for his life before, but if he lets her go again, it wouldn’t be worth living.

 

Question 2:  You originally published through Kensington, but these days you’re self-published. Please compare and contrast the two experiences.

The parts I loved about being published by Kensington: They edited my books without me paying them. They created the cover without me paying them. They formatted the books (digital and print) and released them wide. They got reviews before release date. They included me in their party at Romantic Times Conventions (so some visibility there).

The parts I didn’t love: Having to submit each book. Waiting to see if it was selected or rejected. Not knowing when they put my books on sale. Not being able to track my sales.

When they rejected my fourth submission, Blind Temptation, because the market was too full of paranormal romances (especially vampire romances), that’s when I decided to self-publish. Yeah, it’s more stressful. I can’t always find an editor. I hate picking covers or figuring out what should go on them. And uploading my books in all the different book stores is really time consuming. Plus, it’s way more expensive to do it on my own. Surprisingly, I made more money with Kensington, but after 3 years I asked for my rights back and got them. Figured if they didn’t want my new books, why should they have my older ones?

Question 3: You lived in Alaska for a while. What took you there and how does it compare to living in Ohio?

I lived in Alaska twice. First time as a single person in the US Army. They sent me to Ft. Greely (near Delta Junction). I hated the cold (born and raised in Southern California), but I loved the beauty of it. The mountains. The wildlife. I also discovered Army life wasn’t so bad (I was ready to get out after my 3 years were up) and ended up re-enlisting for Arizona (closer to home and where I met my hubby). My second time was as a married person. Hubby re-enlisted for Alaska and we ended up at Ft. Wainwright (Fairbanks). I got out when I was pregnant with my son (who I consider my souvenir from the state!). I still hated the cold (it can get down to 40 below), but there’s something about the place that felt really special. Doesn’t compare to Ohio, that ‘s for sure. It’s all cities and farmland around here. Up there you have some cities, but mostly forest and mountains. Very peaceful. And very isolated. Maybe that’s why I liked it so much.

 

Stacy McKitrick fell in love with paranormal romance, decided to write her own, and found her passion in life. She used to work in accounting, now she spends her time with vampires and ghosts, and is the author of the Bitten by Love and the Ghostly Encounters series. Born in California, she currently resides in Ohio with her husband. You can learn more about Stacy at her website www.stacymckitrick.com.

Buy links:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T8F7BYL/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/biting-the-curse-stacy-mckitrick/1132154386?ean=2940161328767

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/biting-the-curse

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/biting-the-curse/id1469527645

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Stacy_McKitrick_Biting_the_Curse?id=rMaxDwAAQBAJ

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/945106