#AuthorInterview with Laney Kaye

Laney Kaye is one of my Wild Rose Press sisters and she lives in Australia, where it is currently summer, as opposed to here in Canada where it is the dead of winter. But I'm not bitter. Not even a little. But I digress. Laney answered some of my interview questions and I'm thrilled to have this interesting author on my blog. Welcome Laney!

Where did you get the idea for your new novel? 

My co writer and I brainstormed via Twitter DM—we live on opposite sides of the world, so we’ve never actually ‘spoken’, despite a long friendship and putting out multiple books, both together and separately. As we write this series under pseudonyms, we decided we wanted to break out of the mold of our ‘real’ identities and create something totally different. We discussed what sort of shifter would meet our description of ‘hot’ (that was a memorable conversation!) and then had amazing fun fleshing out an alien world to fit.

What was the most difficult thing about writing this book?

Because we co-write, we rarely had a clear idea of where the story would go—or, perhaps more accurately, how it would get there. It was a case of waiting for the other author to send in their chapter, then responding with “You did WHAT to him/her? How am I supposed to get them out of that?”

Did you always want to be a writer?

Absolutely. I fell in love with Enid Blyton’s stories when I learned to read, at around three years of age. Growing up in country Australia, we had no television, no entertainment other than what the seaside and country offered (okay, so that wasn’t exactly a hardship…picture the gorgeous South Australian coast, and the rolling plains of the Riverlands…), and I’d lose myself in the Enchanted Wood. I read the books to my children, multiple times, and still have all the original copies. When you love something that much, I guess it’s only natural to want to emulate your idol, in some fashion, even if not by writing in the same genre (which is not to say I don’t have a fairy story beneath my bed…)

Do you work on more than one book at a time?

Always. While writing CAT SHIFTERS OF AAIDAR, I also worked on LINE (book 2 in The Lure of the Mer series) for The Wild Rose Press. Book 1, HOOK, releases on 4th Feb, and, like Cats, is also about shifters—but hot Aussie lifeguards, the descendants of Poseidon.

Do you have any words of advice to beginning writers?

I’m sure everyone says it, but that’s because it’s true – keep on writing. It’s a craft, there’s always room for improvement, and you will  improve. Get yourself a range of critique partners—you need those who will pad your ego, pat your back and provide a safe space for venting. But be aware that you also need those with a firm hand to run the red pen through your work.

Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?

Living between the sea and the vines in country South Australia, I grew up in more rural areas of the state. I guess I’ve been writing forever…I won a school writing competition when I was in Grade Three (sadly, with a story I can still partially remember, despite the decades since!) and a poetry contest when I was in Year 12. Life intervened for a few years, but I never ‘stopped’ writing, just slowed. Now, running my own private practice, I have more time to spend on the craft and write absolutely every day. Well, okay; some days I only edit, because the brain has turned into grey mush, but that still counts, right?

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it? Does it help you with your writing?

I’m a Professional Counselor by training. It’s invaluable for my creativity as, under my ‘real’ name, I write across a range of genres, many of which require a knowledge of psychology.

Do you have any pets? Are you cat person or a dog person? Or are you into totally different pets, like goldfish? What do you like best about your pet?

The fact that I have four cats (a lot are rescues, don’t judge!) should make this an easy question to answer…yet, we are in the process of also adopting a canine companion! Oh, and there’s an aquarium full of tropical fish alongside my desk, several chickens outside the back door (one of whom currently thinks it’s a rooster, which means I may have to buy my neighbors chocolates…), and, until a recent influx of brown snakes, we did have free-range pet rabbits.

I admit the cats are my favorites, though—as my Twitter and Instagram feeds evidence! With four very distinct personalities, there’s always one to cuddle, one to laugh at, one to hunt for, and one being grumpy at the other three.

What do you like best about your hero in CAT SHIFTERS OF AAIDAR: ESCAPE? 

Herc is a liger-shifter, and obstinate in his belief that he could never bond with anyone outside his race. He’s all brawn and bravado—until a tiny female brings him to his knees

What do you like best about your heroine? 

Maya may be tiny—but she’s feisty and determined to be the match of any man. She has to be, as she has a world to save.

How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?

The physical characteristics are tailored to what we need for the stories, and also to cover a diverse range. Names…well, if you send us fan mail, chances are, you WILL find your name in something ;-)

How can readers reach you or find you online?

I have a large social media presence, but divide it between my ‘real’ name and this pseudonym. I’m always happy to chat (no, it’s not procrastination, I swear!) so look me up and say hi!
Twitter   Amazon  Instagram  Web page   Goodreads  BookBub

Tell us a little about your current work in progress.

Christina and I have just wrapped up all four books in the CAT SHIFTERS OF AAIDAR series, and we’re moving on to a series about the Dragarians, who featured in the final book.
I’m also working on a spicy romantic series about the Australian Fae, tentatively titled RANGERS OF THE RANGES, editing a couple of contemporary romances my agent has placed with a publisher…and I’m working on a couple of women’s fiction titles under my ‘other’ name. Never a dull moment, in this business!

What’s your tagline? Why did you choose it?

Four cat shifter warriors find their destined mates on a dangerous alien planet.

This is actually the tagline for the entire series. As each of the books follow a different shifter, we needed something snappy that would cover all the arcs of their different stories, which weave into the bigger picture of the alien world they’re deployed to.

Do you have an event coming up you’d like to tell us about?

Okay, I’m going to whisper, because the news isn’t out yet, and I may be in trouble with Christina for blabbing…but CAT SHIFTERS OF AAIDAR: ESCAPE will be on sale on Amazon for 99cents Jan 18-22nd to mark the release of the fourth and final book in the series. Because Australia and England don’t get the benefit of these discounts, we’ve manually marked the price there as low as we are able.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why? 

All my books are clearly labeled with the series number and, though they do stand alone, they are better read in order, to benefit from the world-building.

Tell us about your next (or current) release.

CAT SHIFTERS OF AAIDAR: ENDINGS releases in just a few days, and is the final in this series. The Resistance and the Refugees will join forces in an attempt to finally defeat the Regime…and they may have a little off-world help.
(and HOOK, The Lure of the Mer, releases only a couple of days after that!)

Congratulations on your two new releases! Thank you for being my guest, Laney.

Laney Kaye: HEROES, HEART, & HEAT

A professional counselor, Laney messes with heads by day and imaginations by night. Living in the wilds of Australia...okay, not so much the wilds, as in a country town...her property is inhabited by a generous mix of bitey, stingy, poisonous, and furry varieties of Australian wildlife, as evidenced by her twitter feed.


Laney writes steamy contemporary, hot fantasy, and slightly-supernatural romance. Under her "real" name, she also pens women's fiction, adult contemporary, and young adult titles.

Buy Links:

CAT SHIFTERS OF AAIDAR:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HDNPQXN/ref=series_rw_dp_sw