Today I'm hosting Keta Diablo on her wonderful Blog Tour for her current erotic romance Where the Rain is Made. I'm happy that she has stopped by to answer some very interesting interview questions that I had such a fun time reading and I'm sure you all will too. And to find out more about the CONTEST where you can win a free eBook read the bottom of the interview.

I’ll say the male/male novellas are quicker because they’re not full-length novels. The erotic romance is almost always full novels. And there’s more research with the historical romance. I enjoy writing both because of the variety and the different lengths, but if you really pinned me down I’d have to say I’m really fond of reading and writing historical romance.

The first book I wrote was a sensual historical based on a real-life event in my family history. Not too long after that first book I began writing erotic romance and like I mentioned above added Gay fiction. Several years ago I wrote an erotic fantasy romance called Dust and Moonlight and I really enjoyed writing that genre too. I hope to do another fantasy/time travel one day. More information about Dust and Moonlight (Amazon Kindle) here.

I absolutely loved The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne and hope to get to the other books in the series soon. I think she’s a wonderful writer with an amazing grasp of plot and character depth. Like many authors, I don’t have a lot of time to read so I have to be very selective in what I choose. I’ll often read the reviews and ask around if I’m on the lookout for a new book. My TBR pile AND TBR list is huge. I still have book sitting on my nightstand that I received last Christmas and haven’t had the time to open them yet. I know, pathetic.

When time, I do read in a wide variety. Right now, I have about three books going, which isn’t unusual for me. One is a fantasy, one is a historical romance and the other is a book on writing.

Thank you for asking about Where the Rain is Made. My youngest son is responsible for the inspiration behind the book. About six years ago he took a keen interest in American history, particularly Native American history. I can’t tell you the number of hours we spent at the library checking out books and reading about all the different tribes. For some reason, he loved the history on the Dog Soldiers and so we accumulated a lot of documents, research articles, etc. About a year later, his reading interests shifted, and here I was with all this information about the Cheyenne. It made sense that I would write a book about the Dog Soldiers.

Keta Diablo is one of my favorite erotic romance authors and because I enjoyed her male/male contemporary erotic romance releases Crossroads, Crossroads Revisited and Crossroads Showdown, which are the first three books in her Crossroads series and her Male/Male contemporary short story, Hot and Sticky, with Amber Quill | Amber Allure. So when I got the chance to read her just upcoming Male/Male historical novella, Long, Hard Ride, with the new online publisher Decadent Publishing. I read a very intriguing excerpt on Keta's website that had me wanting to read the novel as soon as possible. The story starts off where we meet Grayson Drake and he has been sent by a covert spy agency from the South to break Marx Wellbourne out of Elmira Prison at all costs. Gray has been ordered to return Wellbourne to Richmond so the Confederate Army can pick his brain about the maps he’s memorized but Gray soon discovers Marx is courting death from malaria and pneumonia.

Keta Diablo is one of my favorite erotic romance authors and because I enjoyed her male/male contemporary erotic romance releases Crossroads, Crossroads Revisited and Crossroads Showdown, which are the first three books in her Crossroads series. So when I got the chance to read her just released Male/Male contemporary short story, Hot and Sticky, with Amber Quill | Amber Allure. I read a very intriguing excerpt on Keta's website that had me wanting to read the novel as soon as possible. The story starts off where we meet Hugh Landon, an up and coming lawyer in Washington, D.C., who is in big trouble because when his career hangs in the balance over a missing file, Hugh must call his paralegal, Milan Vassar at the midnight hour and plead for assistance. Hugh has been having trouble controling his sexual fantasies about Milan ever since he started workign with him 8 months ago and being with him at that late of an hour pushes him to the edge.

Today I have the pleasure of reviewing an Advance Readers Copy of Keta Diablo's upcoming release from Ravenous Romance called The Sin Eater's Prince, which you got a sneak peek at in the anthology, Boys of the Bite. I've had the pleasure of reviewing several of Keta's other books and was excited about getting my hands on a copy of her first full-length vampire novel. And I have to say I'm glad that I did because though I had a lot of things going on in my life I had a great time reading it. The novel starts with the hero, Owen Rhys, the sin eater of his village in Wales, who has been shunned by the local villagers his entire life—except by Andras Maddock, the local physician who is the other hero of the novel. We see how Owen lives by himself since his father's death with no one to care for him or love him the way he wants to be love. Owen and Andras have a chemistry that you can read from the very start of the novel when Owen is called to go about doing his job as a Sin Eater with Andras going with him as a doctor to the families homes. At first Owen is trying to deny that he was in love with the one man he thinks will never return that love but all that changes. Owen is shocked when Andras saves him from death at the hands of a vampire and admits he cares deeply for Owen. Owen suspected that Andras was a vampire for a while but it wasn't until the attack that he finally confirmed his suspicion that he was a long tooth that his father had warned him about.

Dagan, son of Traherne, the vampire Andras killed to save Owen, will stop at nothing to avenge his father’s death and obtain the Prince of Wales’s mystic sword from Andras. The divine claymore holds the power to grant immunity from the sun’s harsh rays—the one exemption the dark Lords of the Underworld has sought for centuries. While reading this novel I did have to trouble with the Welsh words that were used throughout the novel, which sometimes happens when I read historical romances, but that didn't take away from my enjoying the plot of the story. There is a lot of revenge, redemption, dark versus light, good versus evil in this novel that had me virtually flipping the pages to find out what will happen next for Owen and Andras. There are some pretty heated love scenes between Owen and Andras that had me wanting them to never end since I could practically feel the heat and lust coming from the both. I always seem to enjoy the love scenes from Keta's books both erotic romances and m/m erotic romances because they are so tastefully written. Keta Diablo delivers a novel that is about star-crossed love and sorcery mixed with physical lust and blood lust combined that will keep you on your toes wanting to know what will happen next. I have to say again that I'm glad that I got the chance to get my hands on an ARC of this novel because it was such a joy to read. I look forward to reading any of Keta's future books and we may be lucky enough to get another book about Owen and Andras since I think that the ending of this novel might just be the beginning for them. I give this book 4 Open Books:

Here is the description of the book from Keta's website and picture:

THE SIN EATER'S PRINCE by Keta Diablo $6.99 (135 Pages)

Owen Rhys, the sin eater of his village in Wales, has been shunned by the local villagers his entire life—except by Andras Maddock, the local physician. In love with the one man he thinks will never return that love, Owen is shocked when Andras saves him from death at the hands of a vampire and admits he cares deeply for Owen. Dagan, son of Traherne, the vampire Andras killed to save Owen, will stop at nothing to avenge his father’s death and obtain the Prince of Wales’s mystic sword from Andras. The divine claymore holds the power to grant immunity from the sun’s harsh rays—the one exemption the dark Lords of the Underworld has sought for centuries. Star-crossed love, sorcery, and bloodlust collide on a vengeful path where only one side can remain victorious. Revenge and redemption. Dark versus light. Good versus evil. The Sin Eater’s Prince.

Keta Diablo is one of my favorite erotic romance authors and because I enjoyed her erotic historical romances I thought I would try out her upcoming male/male contemporary erotic romance release. After reading Keta's Crossroads, the first book in her Crossroads series as well as, Crossroads Revisited, which is the second book in her series. I read a very intense and intriguing excerpt on Keta's website that had me wanting to read the novel as soon as possible especially since I loved the first and second book. Now the main character Frank McGuire is an ex-cop turned private investigator after the death of his police partner Quinn Brennan's death. Frank is a very intriguing character who I really loved reading about because he is such a big, strong and handsome man who has a special ability to commune with the dead since he was a child. His relationship with his partner Quinn was very special to him because he was a father figure who took Frank under his wing and made him apart of his own family. Now Rand is Quinn's son, who has had a crush on Frank since even his father's death, and he really wants to have a relationship with Frank but isn't getting it right now. Rand wants Frank to tell him that he loves him and wants to have an open relationship that shows that to him but Frank is not ready for that even though I know that he does love Rand very much. After everything Rand and Frank have gone through in the first book, Crossroads, things really start to heat up for them both in the second book Crossroads Revisited. The third book in the Crossroads series is about to come out in November and I've had the pleasure of receiving an Advanced Readers Copy. In Crossroads Showdown things get more series in Rand and Frank's relationship which is great because I really love them and want them to have their happily ever after since they've been through a lot together. Tough PI, Frank McGuire, attempts to help the FBI locate three abducted children from a small town in West Virginia and this leads for Rand and Frank's relationship with one another to start to change. While channeling his inner spirit for assistance, he mistakenly calls forth a ghost and as Frank races against time to locate the missing girls, he receives help from the most unlikely of sources. To complicate matters, Rand has decided its time Frank commit to their relationship—or run the risk of Rand being gone for good when he returns.

This book is a must have! If you have read Crossroads and loved it as much as I did then you need to get your hands on a copy of Crossroads Revisited now because it is just as good and even better than the first. But that is not the end because Crossroads Showdown will give you a deeper look into the tough PI Frank which some readers have commented is a bit too touch and sometimes seems a bit cruel. In this novel you will see a new side of Frank because he is not a cruel man but someone who has lived a rough life and has been toughen by it. There is suspense in this novel that will keep you guessing about where things will lead Frank in the end as well as what will happen between Frank and Rand who both seem to be coming a bit to terms about where their relationship is heading. I really liked how Frank and Rand have developed in this novel because I really felt that they could have a great relationship with one another if they had a bit more time together so they could feel each other out enough to be comfortable to show their emotional sides. Keta Diablo delivers yet another steamy, hot, sexy and mysterious male/male erotic romance novel that will have you panting as well as making you want more and for the story to never end since you only just get a peek at Frank's new side. I was sad to have finished this novel in less than 6 hours but I just couldn't stop reading it until I found out how things would end for Frank and Rand after getting to see them together after finally trying to make a start on a real relationship. Now that I've read it I hope that Keta will finishing writing up the last novel in the Crossroads series and gives me more about Frank and Rand so I can see if their relationship will make it like I so want it to. I give this book 5 open books:

Here is the description of the e-book from Keta's website and picture:

Tough PI, Frank McGuire, attempts to help the FBI locate three abducted children from a small town in West Virginia. While channeling his inner spirit for assistance, he mistakenly calls forth a ghost. As Frank races against time to locate the missing girls, he receives help from the most unlikely of sources. To complicate matters, Rand has decided its time Frank commit to their relationship—or run the risk of Rand being gone when he returns.

Keta Diablo is one of my favorite erotic romance authors and because I enjoyed her erotic historical romances I thought I would try out her new male/male contemporary erotic romance. After reading Keta's Crossroads, which is the first book in her three book series, I was both excited and a bit nervous to read her second book in her Crossroads series. I read a very intense and intriguing excerpt on Keta's website that had me wanting to read the novel as soon as possible especially since I loved the first book. Now the main character Frank McGuire is an ex-cop turned private investigator after the death of his police partner Quinn Brennan's death. Frank is a very intriguing character who I really loved reading about because he is such a big, strong and handsome man who has a special ability to commune with the dead since he was a child. His relationship with his partner Quinn was very special to him because he was a father figure who took Frank under his wing and made him apart of his own family.

Keta Diablo delivers yet another steamy, hot, sexy and mysterious male/male erotic romance novel that will have you panting as well as making you want more and for the story to never end. I was sad to have finished this novel in less than 4 hours but I just couldn't stop reading it until I found out how things would end for Frank and Rand after getting to see them together after finally trying to make a start on a real relationship. Now that I've read it I hope that Keta will finishing writing up the last novel in the Crossroads series and gives me more about Frank and Rand so I can see if their relationship will make it like I so want it to. After reading my second male/male erotic romance I want to read more and look forward to reading any more male/male erotic romance by Keta Diablo and other amazing authors. I give this book 5 open books:

Here is the description of the e-book from Keta's website and picture:

Well this is my second male/male book and again Keta Diablo is the woman I have gone to in order to get more into this new genre for me since I loved her novel Crossroads. Well this novel starts on Valentine's day and the main character is named Valentine Giovanni. Since his breakup with his boyfriend, Valentine Giovanni, a month ago, Deke’s life seemed meaningless. The moment Val found out he’d cheated on him, the shit hit the fan...and Deke’s shoes hit the pavement because Val couldn't believe that Deke would cheat on him. He didn’t have time to explain the why of it because Val wouldn’t believe him, and even Deke didn’t fully comprehend why he cheated since he loved him. He told himself that Val deserved better than him because he needed a submissive who completely trusted him and was commited wholly to his rough sex and demands. So rather than Deke talking over his fears and insecurities, he forced a breakup by admitting he’d cheated on Val though it was a painful scene, an angry, gut-wrenching, debacle that ended in a screaming rage.

Keta Diablo is one of my favorite erotic romance authors and because I enjoyed her erotic historical romances I thought I would try out her new male/male contemporary erotic romance. I've never read a male/male romance or an erotic male/male romance so when I got my hands on a copy of Keta Diablo's Crossroads I was both excited a a bit nervous because it was my first but it won't be my last. Keta really promoted this book well and I was hooked into reading the novel after first seeing the marvelously and colorfully put together cover. I also read a very intense and intriguing excerpt on Keta's website that had me wanting to read the novel as soon as possible. Now the main character Frank McGuire is an ex-cop turned private investigator after the death of his police partner Quinn Brennan's death. Frank is a very intriguing character who I really loved reading about because he is such a big, strong and handsome man who has a special ability to commune with the dead since he was a child. His relationship with his partner Quinn was very special to him because he was a father figure who took Frank under his wing and made him apart of his own family.

Quinn also didn't judge Frank for being gay and was very accepting of it even up to his death in Frank's arms in a shooting. Frank put distance between Quinn's family and himself after the funeral because he thought it would be best. So it was a bit of a surprise to Frank when Quinn's widow Emily calls him for help in finding her 22-year-old son Rand who hasn't called or answers any of the messages that her 20-year-old daughter Marlow and her have left him. Frank has had an attraction to Rand since he last saw him at Quinn's funeral five years ago and even though Frank has tried to suppress that attraction it all changes when he finally find Rand. Frank has searched for him in four different billiard places before finding him at the fifth one, which he meets the bartender who gives him very weird vibes. That is when things get really hot and heavy between Frank and Rand, which really sets off the start of their relationship with one another.

There is also a mysterious serial killer called The Black Rail is on the loose during the novel and Frank is recruited to help the police catch and put the killer away for a long time. Keta Diablo delivers a steamy, hot, sexy and mysterious male/male erotic romance novel that will make want more and for the story to never end. I was sad to have finished this novel in less than 4 hours but I just couldn't stop reading it until I found out how things would end for Frank and Rand. Now that I've read it I hope that Keta will maybe write up another story with Frank and Rand so I can see if their relationship will make it like I so want it to. After reading my first male/male erotic romance I want to read more and look forward to reading any more male/male erotic romance by Keta Diablo and other amazing authors. I give this book 5 open books:

Here is the description of the e-book from Keta's website and picture:

Handsome ex-cop Frank McGuire finds himself on a quest to locate his dead partner's missing son. Rand Brennan has an identity issue, exercabated since the death of his father. Hoping to find himself, Rand drops out of college, takes to the streets and doesn't realize he's embroiled in duplicity and murder. In order to save Rand, Frank must confront the nefarious killers and...confront his long-suppressed feelings for Rand.

Well in my bio I mentioned that I joined up to be a reviewer for the website Manic Readers and this is one of my first reviews for them. I also reviewed an advance readers copy of the first book in Susan Mallery's new series Lone Star Sisters so keep an eye out for that review. This isn't my first Keta Diablo novel and it definitely won't be my last so check out my review of her novel Land of Falling Stars. Now for my review of her novel Decadent Deceptions that I wrote for Manic Readers.

Penniless, her parents and brother dead, Sophia Whitfield struggles to save her beloved childhood home during the Civil War. Another bluecoat is staggering down the hill, but before Sophia allows him to rob and pilfer like the others, she shoots him. How was she to know it was Gavin, the dark knight of her youth, carrying secrets too horrific to imagine and a passion that ignites her deepest desires?

Keta Diablo guest blogged here about her currently release Land of Falling Stars last Thursday, January 8th. As promised I've interviewed Keta about her writing and a bit about her personal life too for your enjoyment. Keta contacted me about reviewing one of her three erotic eBooks (Land of the Falling Stars, Dust Moonlight and Decadent Deceptions) so she could get the word out to readers about her lovely erotic historical and paranormal eBooks. I was sad that I could only chose just one of her eBooks to review because they all sounded so good especially after I read the really HOT excerpts. But I had to so I chose Land of the Falling Stars to review and I will be reviewing it here on the blog very soon so keep a watch out for it soon. Now for the interview you will all enjoy:

Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life? Which author inspired you to start writing romance?

Keta Diablo: Not until about seven years ago. Laura London books from the 80’s inspired me—a husband and wife team who wrote under a pseudonym and I loved their style. Its purple prose in today’s market and probably wouldn’t be accepted, but oh, so descriptive. Many times while reading (alone) I laughed until I was in tears. If a writer can transport you “there” they win the blue ribbon with me.

Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you?

Keta: I began writing historical fiction (think Sara Donati the Wilderness series). And then branched out to romance and erotica.

Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?

Keta: The first series I wrote was under a pen name, historical fiction, and yes, I still have it, although the contract has run out. There has been some interest in this series, so who knows, you may see it again in 2009!

Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and did it take you a long time to gather that research?

Keta: If it’s historical, a lot of research is involved, not so much for fantasy. Readers are very astute and will call you on historical inaccuracies. Whereas, with fantasy they are a wee bit more tolerant. In fantasy, authors can build a make-believe world and strange, alien creatures. It’s expected and readers will suspend their disbelief for fantasy.

Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your latest novel and release Land of Falling Stars?

Keta: I’m a huge Civil War buff. I came across an article about cousins who lived in Georgia, were best friends, and yet fought against one another in the war. That sent me on a path of thinking...what if two men loved the same woman, they were best friends and yet one fought for the North the other for the South? And what if, one killed the other accidentally in battle? These sub-plots conjured a bucket load of conflict and in romance, conflict is a must. The more the better.

Phoebe: How did you come up with the concepts for your previous novels Dust and Moonlight and Decadent Deception?

Keta: Dust and Moonlight was my first fantasy. I had never written one before and some fellow authors asked me to write a short story for their anthology. Before it was released, the reviews were very positive. I pulled Dust and Moonlight from the anthology as soon as they found a replacement and lengthened it into a full length novel.

Decadent Deceptions was a novel I wrote for the 2008 Molly Contest (one of the top three contests in romance). I was thrilled to receive notification that I made the finals in the erotica category. After that, the story was placed quickly with Noble Romance.

Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels?

Keta: I admit I’m a “panster”, no outlines, no note cards. I plot the story in my head for months and when I’ve gone through every scene, every conversation between the characters, I sit down to write. The first scene I write might end up in the middle of the book, and often I work backwards. This seems to work for me and gives me free rein with the plot and the characters. It is rather unconventional, I think.

Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?

Keta: Series are a huge undertaking and you must plan far ahead. Your secondary characters need to be strong enough to support a story of their own. And the plot has to be sustainable for long-term interest with your readers. Stand-alones are easier, yet must also be compelling. Competition out there is very stiff, so your writing and story, no matter whether they are stand-alones or series, must draw your reader in and hook them from the beginning.

Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?

Keta: I admit I was blessed and my first book was accepted. It was with a medium size e-publisher and I am very grateful for the opportunity. I’ve learned a lot along the way and am happy I started out on a low rung of the ladder. You can’t enjoy the peak of the mountain if there isn’t adversity and angst along the way.

Phoebe: How did you feel when you finally saw your first published book came out and how do you feel about your other novels being published?

Keta: Like every author I was thrilled. I write because I love it. It’s like breathing air. I can’t imagine not writing, not even if my books didn’t sell.

Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?

Keta: Personal life? Is this a trick question? I don’t have much of a personal life. I imagine you’d hear that from most authors. There are deadlines, commitments, promises you must keep. So my motto is: “Keep on trucking.” Sleep is elusive, entertainment is rare, and movies and television are almost non-existent. Are you sure you want to be a writer? I bet most readers think we travel around in limos and eat Godiva chocolates whenever we want. That’s so far from the truth. Most days, you’ll find me plugging away at the computer in my jammies with a cat sitting on my mouse and a dog curled up at my feet.

Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?

Keta: Sleep, read and...sleep.

Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?

Keta: See above answer (lol). No, I love gardening and playing with my cat and dog. I’m an animal freak. My family tells me if I don’t stop rescuing them from the local animal shelter, I’ll have to get a “real” job. “What” I say, “I have a real job!”

Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?

Keta: I did get some wonderful advice and I’ll pass it on to those who want to write: Persistence, patience and perseverance. Don’t listen to the naysayers and if anyone tells you to “get a real job” ditch them.

Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?

Keta: Join every writing group you can, yahoo groups included that pertain to your genre. Immerse yourself with other social networks on writing, support your fellow authors and promote until your fingers shrivel up like dried potatoes. And remember this motto in your journey: Harm None.

Phoebe: Now for a question that I have been meaning to ask an author. Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)?

Keta: I read mostly what I write, erotica, historical and fantasy. It’s imperative you know your market, what publishers are buying and try to be like Wayne Gretsky—don’t think about where you’re going, anticipate where that puck is going.