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 Dancing
with the Devil
Private
Investigator Nikki James grew up on the tough streets of
Lyndhurst and believes there's nothing left to surprise
her. All that changes the night she follows teenager
Monica Trevgard into the shadows-and becomes a pawn caught
in a war between two very different men. One fills her
mind with his madness, the other pushes his way into her
life-and her heart. Nikki knows how dangerous love can be,
but if she wants to survive, she must place her trust in a
man who could easily destroy her.
Michael
Kelly has come to Lyndhurst determined to end the war
between himself and another brother of the night. For 300
years he has existed in life's shadows, gradually learning
to control the life from death cravings of a vampire.
Nikki not only breaches his formidable barriers with her
psychic abilities, but makes Michael believe he may
finally have found a woman strong enough to walk by his
side and ease the loneliness in his heart. But will his
love be enough to protect her from a madman hell-bent on
revenge? Or will it drive her into his enemy's deadly
trap?
Only
together can they overcome the evil threatening to destroy
them both. But the secrets they keep from each other might
prove to be the greatest threat of all.
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 Keri
Arthur lives in Melbourne, Australia, and works
as a dessert
and function cook at the Essendon Football Club. She’s
married to a wonderful man who not only supports her
writing, but who also does the majority of the
housework. They have one daughter, and share their
house with an overweight corgi and a budgie who
refuses to fly or talk.
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How
did you feel when you learned Dancing with the Devil had
been nominated for the RBOTY?
I
had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming! Now that
my feet are back on solid earth, I’m simply honoured the
judges thought my book was good enough -- especially when you
consider the quality of the other novels. The worst part of it
was not being able to tell anyone except my family--that was the
hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life!
Was
Dancing With The Devil the first book you wrote? And if
so, how long did it take you to get it published?
Dancing
was the fourth book I wrote and was actually finished ten years
ago. During that time it underwent many revisions and quite a
few rejections. But it was the first book I truly believed was
good enough to get published, and I refused to give up on it.
ImaJinn actually rejected the novel the first time I submitted
it -- too much Aussie slang! But they did say if I wanted to
revise it, they’d be interested in seeing it again. So I
rewrote and resubmitted. The rest, as they say, is history.
So
you’re saying that you think any book is worth rewriting? Or
are there some books you wouldn’t consider rewriting?
In
my opinion rewriting is writing. That’s what makes a
book perfect. Although I must confess, my first three attempts
at writing a publishable novel were utterly unsuccessful and
will never see the light of day. (unless I get really, really
desperate for ideas.)
With
that in mind, was there a time you doubted you would ever be
published? If so, why?
To
be honest, yes. The market for paranormal romances, even now, is
so small that it’s tough for any book to get a look in,
particularly if the writer is an unknown. For many years I
really did wonder if I’d ever be good enough to make the
grade.
Obviously
ImaJinn saw a market value in your work. Have they requested
more of your books?
I’m
contracted for six books -- five of which have been completed --
and have just signed a second contract for four more.
WOW.
Doesn’t that daunt you in the slightest?
Yeah,
but it’s also comforting. At least I know my books have a home
to go to.
How
long have you been writing? And how long did it take you to have
Dancing With The Devil accepted by ImaJinn?
I’ve
been writing since I was twelve, but I’ve only seriously been
trying to get published in the last thirteen years. The first
rejection to the final version being accepted by ImaJinn took
six months.
Are
you pleased with ImaJinn as a publishing house?
I
can’t recommend them highly enough. Nothing is too much
trouble, and I can email them with questions day or night.
So
you rely heavily on your editor for support and recommendation?
I’ve
been lucky so far that most of my books haven’t required
serious editing. My main problems are the Aussie words still
creeping in, and the fact that grammar is not my strongest point
(But I’m learning!)
I
love the cover of Dancing With The Devil. Did you have
any input?
I’ve
got a wonderful artist, Pat Lazarus, who does all my covers.
ImaJinn always sends me the cover concept for an opinion before
it goes to print -- one of the nice bonuses of being with a
small publisher. In all my books so far, I’ve only made one
minor change to a cover and that was for Hearts In Darkness.
Is
that your second book?
No,
it’s the third, but the sequel to Dancing With The Devil.
The third in the series, Chasing the Shadows, should be
out in December this year.
Your
heroes are to die for. I suppose many readers have asked you
this question, but I’m curious -- where do you dig up these
gorgeous guys?
I
pinch them from the silver screen. Most of my heroes have been
modelled on actors -- for me, it’s an easy way out. I don’t
have to picture in my mind how a hero walks and talks, I just
have to watch a movie or TV show (and, of course, it’s an
excellent excuse to watch some of my favourite shows
<grin>). Gabriel Byrne was my last research subject--he
appears in my May/June release, Circle of Death. Adrian
Paul is my current project.
How
do you think up those...well....creepy plots?
By
reading too many Stephen King and James Herbert novels! I’ve
always loved both the romance and horror genres and saw no
reason why the two couldn’t be combined. And I love playing
the ‘what-if’ game with my heroines. I put my heroine in the
worst possible situation and tell her to wriggle out of this
one. When she does, I heap more on her. <grin> I’m mean
like that.
One
of the blurbs for Dancing with the Devil states it’s
a wild ride into the supernatural realm that is so realistic
that readers will sleep with garlic and religious icons in hand.
What do you think about that?
I
laughed! I actually didn’t think it was that creepy, but lots
of people have told me otherwise. But it’s nice to think my
readers get so deeply involved with my characters that they have
to look over their shoulder while reading.
Do
you write full-time?
No.
I have bills like everyone else and need to work. Like all
writers, I do dream of making enough money to write full-time.
Can
readers buy your books in Australia?
Not
easily, unfortunately. They can be ordered through Borders and
Rendezvous but they can take between 3 to 6 months to arrive in
Australia. The best way to buy any of my books is to go to www.imajinnbooks.com
or www.amazon.com
Anyone
who wants to read excerpts of my work can visit my website at www.keriarthur.com
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