Interview with Celeste Prater author of Fueled by Lust: Caelius with a giveaway

Celeste Prater has generously agreed to let me interrogate her as part of her tour and in conjunction with my Ghoulishly Good Monster Mash Mix Up. :-) She is representing aliens!

I was born and raised in a small town between Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin. Wanting to see more than my small Texas town, I joined the Marines, which satisfied my craving to see more of the U.S. and my drive to see if I could be one of the few and the proud.

A firm believer in educating the mind, I have achieved several advanced degrees, the latest being a master’s of science.

My true love is writing erotic romance, especially about alien hunks that know how to treat their females.

Drusus, Severus, Cato, Lucien, Caelius, Maxim and many more have swirled in my dreams until I had to bring them to life and allow them to find love within the pages of the Fueled by Lust book series.

Book 1 DRUSUS was nominated as Top 5 Finalist and placed 3rd in the 2014 RWA Passionate Ink’s 9th Annual Passionate Plume Book Contest in Erotic SciFi/Fantasy Category, Book 2 SEVERUS achieved BEST BOOK review rating and won April 2014 BOOK OF THE MONTH Reader Poll at LONG AND SHORT REVIEWS, Book 3 CATO won the May/June 2014 BOOK OF THE MONTH Reader Poll at LONG AND SHORT REVIEWS. All currently released books in the series have resided made it into the Top 5 Bestseller Lists at Bookstrand.com within days of release as well as making it into the Top 10 Hottest New Releases in Erotic Science Fiction on Amazon.

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Without any more fuss, here's the what's what:

What is your favorite type of monster to write about? Read about?

Ooohhhh! Monsters! Just hearing the word makes my skin crawl. It gave me a flashback to a time when I was little and my uncle was babysitting me and my sister. We were about five or six at the time. He was watching a movie called The One-eyed Monster. I remember standing behind his chair, gripping his shoulder, and being unable to look away. He thought it was hilarious. We had nightmares for weeks after that. I think he got in trouble. LOL!

I haven’t written anything about monsters, so I don’t have a favorite to wax poetically about. My characters are the antithesis of the definition (a person or creature of unnatural or extreme ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty). My alien guys are hunkilicious of the highest order. You run TOWARD them, not away (big sigh).

The last book I read that had monsters in it was the J.R. Ward Brotherhood series. The Omega is a sick you-know-what. He gave me chill bumps. Another one was Laurell K. Hamilton when she raised an entire cemetery of dead people, zombies basically. That was pretty wicked.

Yes, I would definitely run toward your aliens. ;-) When I say monster, I don't really envision them as being ugly or cruel. Things have changed and werewolves, vampires, witches, etc... are not always thought of to be evil or wicked, ugly is often not in the cards for them either. It is just easier to lump all of the creatures into one category. :D

What do you envision their greatest characteristic to be? Their worst?

Hmmm, I’d have to say for the Omega, his best characteristic was his ability to regenerate. You can’t kill him. His worst was that he liked to abuse the men he turned into his army. I’m talking some sick stuff here. He thought he was ‘loving’ them, but the victim certainly didn’t think so. Ewww! 

What two creatures would you love to see go toe to toe in a battle? You will be judged for creativity. ;-) Feel free to describe the battle.

For sure it would be the Kraken and the Roc. Norse mythology versus an Arabic fairytale. Epic!

For those of you that haven’t heard of them, here’s the deets. The Kraken is a humongous squid that’s large enough to pull a full sized ship completely underwater. The Roc is just as big and strong, yet it’s a bird of prey. So powerful according to the legends, that it could snatch a full grown elephant up from the ground as if it was nothing but a tiny mouse. So, can you imagine that encounter if the two should ever meet? No? Hmm, how about this…

Roc lifted a talon and scraped the dried blood from the edge of a long black nail with his hooked beak. The faint scent from his last kill three days prior only further reminded him of his growling belly. He needed to slay something, and fast. Lifting his gaze he scanned the vastness of the sea from his perch along the tall, jagged cliffs of Montrose. It wasn’t long before his eyes caught movement below the churning green waters. It was but a work of a moment for him to lift and catch the currents. The fifty foot spread of his wings quickly brought him to his target. His heart beat rapidly as he dove headfirst toward the marine life that drifted just below the surface, oblivious to his rapid approach.

Moments before the strike, Roc bent his huge body backward and extended the lethal claws. The movement was as natural to him as breathing. He’d never lost what he sought. He issued a piercing screech of victory as his talons sunk heavily into the malleable flesh of his prey. Quickly he batted his wings to lift to the sky with his treasure. He would eat for two days upon its carcass.

The slap of wet flesh against his neck came as a surprise. It moved to concern when he felt the base of his tail wrapped in an iron vise. He fought to keep his body stable as he began the battle for his life. Horror washed his senses as he bent his head and watched the creature below him extending long, seeking arms that easily wrapped his neck, left leg and torso. Tighter and tighter the embrace became, until he battled for every breath. Anger surged through his gut and he struck at the muscled flesh with his tremendous beak until blood flowed in rivers down his body. Unable to maintain the air current, Roc tumbled in a swirling freefall as he slashed and tore his way to a freedom that never came.

Roc felt the air rush from his lungs as his back impacted with the unyielding sea. His gaze took in that which he’d now determined to be his equal in strength and horror. This wasn’t the sleek gray fish he’d dined on in the past, but a monster with vicious hooked tentacles and snapping jaws. He comforted himself in the knowledge that the creature had suffered just as much. Their eyes locked as the pressing waters pulled them further and further into its unforgivable depths. Two titans locked into a losing battle slowly drifted away into the blackness.

Wow! That was definitely creative, to say the least! So descriptive. Thank you!

Which type of monster do you think would make the best love interest and why? The worst?

Oh, hands down the best monster for a love interest would be Bigfoot. If the theory is correct that the size of a man’s feet is equivalent to the size of his…uh, well you know the rest, then he’ll make some accepting woman VERY happy. And the cuddling? The best, bar none. He’d keep her warm at night as he wraps her up (maybe twice) in those extremely hairy arms. Just think, he could share hair care tips with his lady love.

The worst would be a zombie. I mean, really. When the good parts start falling off, what use is he?

Too true on both accounts! :P


What scares you? 

Hands down it’s the doll Annabelle. I JUST saw the movie trailer yesterday and my creep factor went through the roof. Anything that’s in the near vicinity of being like the Chucky doll will send me screaming from the room like a banshee maniac. If anyone ever tried to spook me with one, they better be wearing some body armor, because I’m going to go all Texan, biker, former Marine on your ass. It won’t be pretty. 

What scares your aliens?

Since my alien Insedi would probably be considered ‘creatures’ by anyone that didn’t know them, I’ll have to say that finding out that a female that shows signs as a potential mate and then turns out to be a certified nut-bag. To discover that you’d could’ve been tied for a thousand years to a harpy, knife-wielding, deranged woman would scare the piss out of any male, no matter what planet they come from. 

Yeah, I'll give you that!

Choose three of the following and tell us what your creature would do with them, make out of them, use them for or what reaction they would have to them: an apple, an gemstone, a silver chain, a fish, a rat, a deer, a toad, a piece of pizza heavily dosed with garlic, a flower, treasure belonging to someone else, fire, a spider, a worm, a ball of string, a microphone and speakers, a wooden club, a mirror, a book, a cemetery, a boat, a moonlight bonfire, a sunny afternoon, a walk through the forest on an overcast day, a wooden stick, a Popsicle, a broom, a tree, a lost person, a baby, a body of water, a cross, a cage, wolfs bane, a rock, a rubber band, a chicken, a rabbit, a cave, rope, a piece of candy, 

When I looked at this list, three of the Insedi warriors popped out very quickly.

Flower: Caelius would immediately think of his mate. He has a very sensual mind. No simple presentation of a single flower below her nose so she can inhale and look up to him with soft eyes, or laying it quietly on a tray next to her orange juice. Nope, that dude could turn a simple daisy into a sex toy. By time he was done, there’d be petals scattered all of the bed, the stem stuck in her hair, and bees buzzing around her nipples as they tried to collect the pollen dust.

Rope: Oh, yes. This is Cato’s arena. As soon as he spotted it, he’d snatch it up and test its sturdiness, the softness, and the color. He’d pick a blindfold the same color of the rope and surprise his mate while she’s doing something as innocent as sweeping the kitchen. He’d have her eyes covered and steadily peeling the layers of her clothes away as he studied his surroundings. Ah, the doorknob to the pantry looks good. No wait, the silver towel ring above the sink, much better. He could easily bend her over the…well, you get the picture.

Rubber band: Maxim would turn the things into a source of irritation for any Insedi that walked into his path. Rapid fire missiles into their coffee or hair until one stuck its landing, a biting pop to the back of the leg as they walked upstairs to the dressing room, or finding their G strings attached to the light fixtures just before they needed to be onstage. He’d turn it into an art form of madness until they begged for mercy…or he simply ran out of his current play toy. 

I am so loving these answers! :D

What type of candy would you be apt to grab? Give out?

Well, I’m going to pretend that I don’t work out every morning, and that candy is a protein. So, having said that…I’d have to grab a Heath Bar. Chocolate on the outside and crisp toffee on the inside. Nirvana!

I’d definitely give out bags of M&M’s. I can’t picture anyone giving you the hairy eyeball and a smirk if you give them those little delicious disks of chocolate heaven. Would probably save my house from getting egged, too. Do you remember getting those orange or black wrapped chewy hunks of brown stuff that tried to be candy, but tasted more like putty and threatened to stick to your teeth for eternity? What in the heck were those people thinking? I wished they’d just their porch light off.

LOL! I do remember those. My children still receive them sometimes. *Shutters*

What do you think is the most mis-construed idea about aliens?

For some, the first thing that pops into their heads when they hear the word “Alien” is the Ridley Scott movie that pitted Sigourney Weaver against the scariest, vilest things that would jump out of a slimy egg pod, attach to your face, and then eventually explode out of your chest. Oh, yeah. That’s definitely a monster/alien combo. Also, the word itself already gives us a preconceived notion that they’re not like us. As with any grouping animal mentality, if it doesn’t look the same, then it’s to be feared. So, from square one they already have a strike against them.

Unlike monsters (and I’m going by the definition that their external persona is a dead giveaway on the mean factor), an alien could be considered doubly scary because they may be extremely beautiful and still want to crawl down your throat and present you with your entrails. So, that’s strike two. Best to fear and kill it before it can turn on you, right?

Unless the alien can quickly present an external shell that’s not frightening and immediately prove that they don’t have nefarious intentions, they’re doomed. 

What is a least known trait about your aliens?

They have to move around when they drink hard alcohol. If they sit still, it’s like ramping the alcohol content up ten-fold. The last thing you want staggering down the street is a 6’4 muscle-packed and plastered Insedi warrior that can mist at will. You’d never get him in the damn car to take him home.

Thanks for having me today, Brenda. It was a blast! Big shout out to my fans! xoxo 

Thank you Celeste! You did an awesome job!

Purchase it from:

BookStrand

BLURB:

Caelius Meron strips at Heat Seekers Male Revue just so he can find his mate. So imagine his shock when he finds her in a cooking class he was forced to attend. So what’s the problem? There’s twenty-two of them according to Rhia Brennan. Undaunted by her claim that he’s too young, Caelius battles every roadblock she places. But what if one may be too difficult to ignore?

Kallon Aceso knows exactly who should own his heart, but Ulixes Dionysus doesn’t appear to want it. But is it really something else buried so deep that it may keep them apart forever?

Travel with these two Insedi as they both chase their hearts desire, only to be thwarted by misconceptions and mistakes from the past. Can they scale these insurmountable walls, or will they have to walk away and forever mourn what they could never have?

Book 5 in the Fueled By Lust Series brings back the sexy males that make your legs tremble just by saying your name.

Excerpt:

Gracefully, he sank to his knees and lowered until the robe stretched tightly across his legs. He laid the staff to the side and passed each hand across the top of the fire. The haunting sound of violins drifted throughout the room and instantly brought chills to her skin.

Captivated, she watched as he pulled his palms toward his body, as if cleansing himself with smoke from the flames. Broad hands rose to wooden clasps holding the robe together, and gently flipped them open one by one. Rhia caught herself leaning forward. She was enthralled, and she wasn’t the only one. He had everyone’s attention. Even the waiters stood still as statues as the mesmerizing event unfolded.

The last clasp fell away, and his long fingers began to slowly peel the material from his shoulders. Rhia couldn’t fathom how it was possible to make clothes removal an art form. This man was a master of seduction. His chest and belly teased through the parting material before the robe slipped completely off and drifted to the floor. Rhia’s breath caught in her throat. It was Caelius.

He wore nothing but a black loincloth and animal-skin moccasins covering the lower half of his muscular calves. His hair was loose and falling sensually around his shoulders, emphasizing the predator tooth gleaming between his bunching pecs. He looked like an ancient warrior spiritually preparing for an upcoming battle. The nipple ring twinkled in the light of the fire, and her mouth instantly watered. The flames danced and painted wavering shadows across his body. Every muscle he owned became deeply defined and beautiful. He was truly magnificent.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure that you enter today's GGMMMU giveaway as well! Celeste has offered a copy of Fueled By Lust: Cato (book three) as the prize! Thank you again Celeste! :D

Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. It is a great chance to win a book you'd like to have! The link can be found at the top of the page.