Interview with Author Katee Robert

I've read and LOOOOVED books by author Katee Robert.  One was Young Adult and the other Adult.

Please welcome Katee to the blog...

M:  Hi Katee! Thank you for joining me today for an interview. I’m excited as I’ve read your new releases this year. Your novella kicking off your Sanctify series; The High Priestess, and I so need to get to the first novel that’s out as well, and also your first Young Adult book, The Hunter of the Dead, which I loved as well. *whispers* and it has zombies! Eep! *sing song* Lo-o-o-ved them! What a way to start off in the first year!

Alright, enough fan girl moment. Sorry, *clears throat* back on track here.

You’ve been busy with all the releases this year. How’s it feel as a newly published author to have all your work starting to filter out?

KR:  It’s… strange at times. I stumbled upon total strangers having a conversation about one of my books on Twitter and it blew my mind. I kind of feel like I’m dreaming and I really, really hope I never wake up. Unless it’s to Channing Tatum. I’d probably be okay with that.

LOL! That would be worth waking up next to. ;D

M:  Would you like to share with us a little about your books? I’m sure my followers have read my gleaming reviews, but please share a tidbit of each series with us. (and if you haven’t read my enthusiastic reviews, you should!)

KR:  I have a YA horror, Hunter of the Dead, that’s about a team who’s sole purpose is to eliminate zombie threats before they get to the point where people like you and I have to worry about them. The main character, Eden, is an eighteen-year-old sniper and she’s all sorts of damaged.

I also have a science fiction romance series that’s filled with badass women and the men who love them. They are named after tarot cards and tarot features pretty heavily into the series. Definitely a fun one—and HAWT.

Finally, I have a contemporary series called Come Undone. It’s zany and has a lot of those moments that no one quite believes happens in real life but… Well, they totally do. :)

M:  I’ve absolutely loved Eden in The Hunter of the Dead, your YA series, the story and Alejandro. Will we get more of Eden? We have to learn more about the zombie infection! Any estimate on how many books in the series?

KR:  I have at least one more book planned in the series, possibly another two more. I’m not sure exactly what the release schedule will look like, but Eden’s story isn’t finished yet.

M:  Oh and Alejandro….Mmm… Oh, he has some secrets to share with us, right?

KR:  Oh yes. Alejandro has a whole boatload of secrets—good, bad, and ugly.

M:  Oooo, Alehandro, good and bad...*dreamy eyes*

M:  I’ve finished the novella of your Adult Science Fiction Romance series and enjoyed the universe you’re creating here. It seems like you could have a vast creative universe here to play with. Do you have a whole large universe in mind for us? Will we get to see it in the series?

KR:  I actually have an entire universe created, as well as a whole list of planets and cultures and alien species. With each book, you’ll get to delve a bit deeper into the different planets and cultures. Ideally, there’s a spin-off series I’d like to write that explores a whole side of the universe that we only touch on with the Sanctify series.

M:  Wow!  You have it all mapped out! That is amazing, can't wait to learn more.

M:  Was it hard keeping the universe limited enough for a novella, thinking there is much more out there to share?

KR:  The novella had the advantage in that I actually wrote it after Queen of Swords, so I knew Gerard and Marianna’s story in its entirety. It was only a matter of putting it to the page.

M:  Marianna’s kind use cards to communicate to tell the past, present and future from their Lady. It seems the cards are a very important piece of the creation, are they similar to tarot cards?

KR:  They most definitely are tarot cards. I actually own the deck that Marianna’s daughter, Ophelia, uses (it’s mentioned in passing in The High Priestess).

M:  Any idea on how many books you might have in the adult series?

KR:  There will be three full-length books, in addition to the novella.

M:  With being a writer of Science Fiction, have you always been a fan of reading and watching it? Do you have a favorite sci fi show you watch(ed)?

KR:  I’m going to lose so much nerd-cred here, but I didn’t get into science fiction until a few years ago. I watched Serenity (I know, I KNOW. I had never heard of Firefly—don’t shoot me). It blew me away. From there, I ended up getting sucked into Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series. I was a gonner after that.

M:  Okay, so I watched Star Trek as a kid, but I've never seen Serenity or Firefly.  So you are not alone.  And Sirantha Jax series is amazing.  I loved it too.

M:  Now that you’ve written both adult and young adult, which do you find easier to write? Or pieces of both? Do they feel like two different mind sets?

KR:  In my head, there’s a very fine line between them, which is why there’s a decent chance I’ll be sticking to adult in the future. I always add too much in the way of violence and sex to be completely acceptable in young adult.

M:  Okay Katee, time for the fun questions as I’ll have to save some questions for when I have you back.

These questions, I ask all my guests on their first visit.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?

KR:  Two places on my bucket list are Italy and Australia.

M:  Tea or Coffee?

KR:  Coffee until noon and then tea LOL

M:  That is a great combo!  Get both in, in one day. lol

M:  Favorite Color?

KR:  Blue

M:  Favorite Childhood Fictional Creature?

KR:  Pegasus. I was so predictable.

M:  Now as an Adult what’s your Favorite Fictional Creature? (can be the same as Childhood one)

KR:  I have a strange addiction to phoenixes. I’m in love with the idea of rising from the ashes of your past lives.

M:  Favorite word? (any word at all)

KR:  Devastated. It’s the current favorite, though subject to change without notice.

M:  Katee, thank you so much for agreeing to stop for an interview. :D I do wish you all the best in words and pages, and look forward to several more of both from you. Thank you again.

KR:  Thank you for having me!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do hope you enjoyed the interview and learning more about Katee and her novels.  If you would like to hear my thoughts on the books I've read thus far, please feel free to stop by and comment.

Hunter of the Dead

The High Priestess

You can find Katee in many places:

Twitter:  @Katee_Robert

Facebook:  Katee Robert

Her Site/Blog:  Katee Robert

Do stop around and say hello to Katee, I'm sure she would love to hear from you.

If you are interested in her books, you can find them at any book selling site in Print and Ebook.

Book Review: The High Priestess

The High Priestess

By:  Katee Robert

Published By:  Entangled Publishing

Publish Date:  March 17, 2012

Format:  eNovella, 112pgs

Genre:  Science Fiction Romance

Series:  0.5 in Sanctify series

Recommendation:  Oh yes, for science romance fans and romance fans alike.  Great build of a universe and sparks of a romance.

Synopsis:
Marianna Zain is in trouble.  The handsome stranger she just kissed?  He's a member of the most terrifying hate-group in the universe.  Even after he takes her captive, Marianna can't shake her initial instincts that he's a man of worth...and her only chance at escaping death.

One of Sanctify's most decorated lieutenants, Gerard Leoni thought he had everything figured out.  But then he crosses paths with a Diviner, the most despised of the alien races, and is honor-bound to bring her in.  One night with Marianna makes him question everything he knows.

As the day of her scheduled execution draws near, Marianna forms a plan.  She's going to seduce Gerard - a task that would be simpler if she weren't being seduced as well.  But Sanctify doesn't take kindly to their people cavorting with aliens, and instead of finding a savior, Marianna may be dragging Gerard to his death alongside her...

First Sentence:
An unnatural calm blanketed the streets of Keiluna, as if its residents sensed a predator in their midst, searching for the perfect kill.

Purchase At:

Amazon ~ Kindle   /   Barnes & Nobles ~ Nook

My Thoughts and Summary:
Gerard and his team are on a mission; assassinate a group of aliens who have affiliated themselves with those against the Sanctify.  They are surprised when they think they accomplished their goal and Gerard is hurt.  Not able to move fast enough he sends his crew back to the ship to get away without him, and he stumbles out to find aid at a Sanctify sympathetic bar.  Marianna sees the injured man hobble through the door.  Her skin crawls with the Lady's push to read the cards, which is punishable if a Diviner doesn't do so when called.  This man feels like trouble to Marianna, which is what she avoids, yet she's drawn to meet him and the cards seem to confirm it.  Marianna has to be careful as Diviners are tortured and killed by Sanctify, but the cards wouldn't send her into trouble...or would they?  The cards, that the Lady guides, never lie.

This is the kind of romance reads I like.  I know I'm reading romance yet there is action to keep me going.  It feels the romance is worth it in with all the characters have to triumph.  There is a little bit of bitter with the sweet, and I like that.

Right off Katee wastes no time, into the meat of the happenings with action.  Katee knows her words are valuable in a novella and uses every one powerfully.  We meet Gerard and set the mood for his station in the Sanctify, see a world and his current job, along with meeting others and learning bits of the Sanctify to make you curious, filled with suspense and action.  All within the first chapter of ten pages.

In space sci fi reads I love that anything, one, place is possible.  In this novella we are packed full of world and alien possibilities.  We focus on what we have here, but you get the fill the universe can be rather large.

Gerard is of a group that believes anything not human, alien, can not be trusted.  Sanctify is a group of humans run by a High Priest, who purifies the universe by killing aliens.  They believe they are doing right.  Marianna is of a race the Sanctify looks the worse upon, and the Lady seems to have guided her right into their clutches.  Even thought every turn gets worse and worse for Marianna, the cards telling of the future give her glimpses of hope however Marianna finds herself and others she seduces to help her deeper in trouble waiting her death.

A man with a shred of doubt and a woman with a drop of hope and faith, even from different sides of the human spectrum, could make a difference and blossom a love.

We also have the first three chapters of the first novel, Queen of Swords, which is also now available.  Which I WILL be getting.



**I read this novella for my own enjoyment.
**This review is a collection of my thoughts.

Who? What? Where? (85)

Who are you with? Where are you at? What's happening?

Share with us just a little bit of what is happening in the book you are reading, right where you are now.

Just a tiny taste of what's happening, remember try to not give spoilers of the book.

(This is a new meme I'm going to try and will tweak as I go. And please don't laugh at my lame attempt at drawing. ;D )

This Week:

I'm on the filthy planet, Keiluna where Gerard and his crew just assassinated a crew of male Bolkerian who have elevated themselves to be noticed and receiving support of someone working against the Sanctify.  It seems a few of the crew have...issues with each other, or within themselves for some reason.  I'm curious to see what's happening with this group of men.

The High Priestess
By:  Katee Robert


Others have shown interest in joining in this post, and linking up.  So I've created a linky for that.
My only requests; copy the picture to use, and link back to My World...in words and pages.
Please visit any joining in.
Thank you!

Book Review: Hunter of the Dead

Hunter of the Dead

By:  Katee Robert

Published By:  Mundania Press

Publish Date:  June 26, 2012

Format:  Print 201pgs, 5" x 8"

Genre:  YA Urban Fantasy

Series:  First in series

Recommendation:  Oh Yes!  Killer read, with zombies lurking around to hunt along with making the mind wonder why things are happening.

Synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Eden Rosenberg knows how to kill and she's damn good at it.  Until recently, her life was pretty easy -- get a call from her team's mysterious employer, jet off to a new location, kill some zombies.

But the most recent call is different from the others.  Instead of being an isolated incident in the middle of nowhere, it's an entire village at risk.  By the time the team shows up, the village is empty, leaving only a handful of infected wandering the streets.  Or so it seems until they're ambushed by far too many zombies for their five-person team to deal with.

On the run and trapped within the valley, Eden is separated from her team when she tries to save a little girl from the inevitable fate of the bitten.  To make matters worse, she's forced to rely on Alejandro, the one man she swore never to trust again, to watch her back.  She hasn't seen him since he walked away from the team -- from her -- a year ago and she's not even sure what he's doing in the valley in the first place.

As Eden races to reunite with her team, she'll have to deal with a homicidal priest who's more than what he seems and a group of survivors she's pretty sure are too stupid to live.  But things are more complicated than she realized and soon Eden's forced to confront the truth about the infection; it isn't an accident and those responsible will do anything to ensure no one gets out of the valley alive.

First Sentence:
Eden watched the child in her scope, her finger poised on the trigger.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Eden and her team just finished their assignment in Costa Rica.  The jungle is making Eden restless and melancholy  missing the man who took off on her in a jungle and missing her father who made her feel safe before killed by a mugger.  Frustrated as her sister wants a normal life for Eden but Eden likes this life, of hunting and killing the infected, or zombies.  Shocked to receive a new call for a new assignment, Eden is excited to keep going and the team goes to Peru.  This case of zombie infection feels odd to Eden.  A town of two hundred is where it's starting, usually starts out in no where and comes to town for food.  As Eden, Jordan, Kaede, Taro, and Oz get into this assignment, things don't add up right.  The team gets in to deep with the mass number of zombies this time even losing one of their own.  They end up trapped here, more and more seeming on purpose and way to many infected for their liking.  But, the one they pick up again could spar lots of questions of their system on getting the assignments and the infection itself.  Edens weakness, little kids, brings Eden question the infection and saving people when she saves a little girl, that brings up her history, just to learn the little girl is infected and Eden does everything she can to try to save and still have her turn.  Being separated and trapped with the only entrance/exit to the valley blown shut Eden decides to seek revenge on the person behind killing her team.

We start right off with shooting zombies.  Seems zombies are becoming more and more lately for Eden and her sisters team.  A job they are good at.  Great action and movement in the story with the zombies.  Eden is a sniper on the team.  Her sister won't let her come down into the thick of the action on the front line with zombies.  Eden thinks it's that Jordan doesn't think she's ready, but part of me thinks it's a safety thing, along with being an amazing sniper.  Eden is one tough determined girl!  She's eighteen and started cleaning up the infected at fourteen, but traveled with her hunter father for many years prior.  She doesn't take kindly to being approached wrong in a bar, puts that man in his place.  She doesn't like being touched, and reacts to it.

The assignments are mysterious.  No one knows who the employer is.  Jordan gets a call and she calls the team together, they go, and supplies and a map when get off the plane are waiting.  Almost a Charlies Angels take on the employer.  And I'm more curious about this employer now.  I can't wait for the next book to learn more!

Eden lives in a different reality and world where life can end at any time in her profession.  This is a YA read, sixteen plus.  Eden is eighteen and she drinks ~ tequila, and had sex ~ only once, but she remembers that the man left her right after, a year ago and not seen or heard of since.  What needs to be remembered, Eden lives in a different reality.  One where zombies exist and she kills them and could die at any moment on an assignment.  In these countries, drinking alcohol at this age is okay.  But the man (as he's only a few years older than her) does come back and claim to never leave her again.  Eden shows great strength in resisting him and doing the "right thing" in the end.  There is great potential here for a strong relationship to grow, and I want to see that.

Okay, so...this is a zombie read.  And as many of you know, I don't do zombies.  Well... I LOVED this one!  It's a hunt, we are going in knowing we are going to find infected, and plan to kill them.  This I can handle.  And do with great ease.  There is a growing mystery here, and as the story goes.

I LOVE Eden, she's strong, smart and takes action.  I'm curious about where next we will go and learn with the employer and what Alejandro knows and has to share.  Oh so much to come!  I CAN NOT WAIT!!

Did I mention how much I loved this book? ;)

I say go get this one, for YA and Adults alike, you will enjoy it!

Want to purchase it?

I think you will really like this one.

If you purchase it in eBook format, it's only $4.39 at this time. (Usually $4.99)

I read this book for an honest review from the publisher.

Who? What? Where? (78)

Who are you with? Where are you at? What's happening?

Share with us just a little bit of what is happening in the book you are reading, right where you are now.

Just a tiny taste of what's happening, remember try to not give spoilers of the book.

(This is a new meme I'm going to try and will tweak as I go. And please don't laugh at my lame attempt at drawing. ;D )

This Week:

Eden and I just hiked with one special unexpected person and a little girl we saved, to the northern part of the jungle valley, away from the massively infected city...full of zombies.  However, the little girl is infected and we are getting ready to do the one thing to try and help keep her from turning...and it's not sounding all that pleasant.

Hunter of the Dead
By:  Katee Robert


Okay, yes.  I'm reading a zombie book.  You can pick your jaw up off the floor.  But we are killin' them!

Cover Release: Hunter of the Dead

Zombies!

Okay, so as many of you know I'm not really a zombie kinda person.  But, I heard of this book and read the description and it sucked me in.  I like my stories with more underlying and meaning.  For me most zombie books are just brainless monsters, this one sounds like zombies are here, but they are not the storyline's main purpose, which is wonderful to me.  Oh, yes there sounds like lots of hunting and killing of zombies, but there is a reason here.  AND it's YA!  Yes, a Young Adult Zombie read. :)

The cover has been released, and I want to share it all with you.

What do you think of the sounds of this one?

Description:
Eighteen-year-old Eden Rosenberg knows how to kill and she’s damn good at it. Until recently, her life was pretty easy – get a call from her team’s mysterious employer, jet off to a new location, kill some zombies.


But the most recent call is different from the others. Instead of being an isolated incident in the middle of nowhere, it’s an entire village at risk. By the time the team shows up, the village is empty, leaving only a handful of infected wandering the streets. Or so it seems until they’re ambushed by far too many zombies for their five-person team to deal with.


On the run and trapped within the valley, Eden is separated from her team when she tries to save a little girl from the inevitable fate of the bitten. To make matters worse, she’s forced to rely on Alejandro, the one man she swore never to trust again, to watch her back. She hasn’t seen him since he walked away from the team – from her – a year ago and she’s not even sure what he’s doing in the valley in the first place


As Eden races to reunite with her team, she’ll have to deal with a homicidal priest who’s more than what he seems and a group of survivors she’s pretty sure are too stupid to live. But things are more complicated than she realized and soon Eden’s forced to confront the truth about the infection; it isn’t an accident and those responsible will do anything to ensure no one gets out of the valley alive.