Hello, today I am pleased to be here with Kay Derwydd, author of The Legacy, which is currently out right now and I know I enjoyed reading it very much, I tend to love the paranormal and vampires.*grins* We are about to celebrate Thanksgiving, but you graciously set aside a little time for our chat. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi Lainey, I’m so happy that you enjoyed The Legacy and I’m excited for this opportunity! Some Noteworthy News: Blessed Sacrament, the sequel to The Legacy, is in-progress.

Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)

Hmm… let’s see…I’m thirty (as of November 16th), and have three children ages: 4,5 and 13). I live in Delaware with my partner of five years. I was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in North Alabama (Florence, Killen, and Huntsville areas). I have two years of college under my belt as well. As most of my readers know, I write as Kay Derwydd and Mychael Black. I also consider myself omnigendered – feeling myself to be both male and female.

Hobbies include: writing, music (I’m a huge fan of Judas Priest and Tool), computer games (namely Stronghold, Stronghold Crusader, and World of Warcraft), studying anything related to Wales, studying castle construction, and anything relating to the Middle Ages, and studying religions (including my own path as a Druid).

What kind of jobs did you do prior to becoming an author?

Ooo…good question! Let’s see: collections clerk for a law firm, fast food cook, hotel housekeeper. But the most notable job I’ve held is that of an exotic dancer. *grins* I danced in many clubs in Huntsville, Alabama under the name Elizabeth. That was a lot of fun. *laughs*

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Well, not really. My first love was (and still is) Archaeology. I was working toward my Bachelor’s in English (with a History minor) and had aspirations of a PhD in Archaeology down the road. After two years, however, I was burned out. Archaeology was supposed to be my career and writing simply a hobby. *laughs*

How did you get started in your writing career?

I’ve always written – poems, songs, and such. But stories? Not a whole lot. Then several years ago, I tried my hand at horror. It was a horrible attempt at best, but it gave me another outlet.

What kind of research do you do?

All kinds. Here lately, I’ve researched such topics as : the Third Crusade, semiautomatic pistols, pirate history, and ship construction. It really depends on the stories I’m currently working on, though I do have my favorite topics.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

Usually the characters, though that’s not always the case. When my guys come to me, they’re usually strong-willed and push everything out of the way, demanding their stories. Settings rarely hit me first.

Do you have more than one project going at a time?

*laughs* Oh, Lord! I don’t think my Muse is capable of working on one thing at a time. At any given moment, I have at least three or four projects going. For example, under both Kay and Mychael (Black), I have four stories that I’m concentrating on right now.

How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

Each one of my men has a little bit of me in him, although I’m far more humble than most of them. *chuckles* As for experiences, there have been a few instances, but not many.

What do you think about love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?

Lord, no. Half the time, I have to remind my guys that: “Yes, we DO need a plot!” If I gave them free reign, I’d be back to writing strictly gay porn. *laughs* I started writing gay porn before gay romance and every once in a while, I just write a sex scene for the hell of it. I love writing sex, but maybe that’s just the Scorpio in me. *winks*

When it comes to reading them, I want the explicit stuff, but only if it fits the story’s style. Some stories don’t need the explicitness; some positively demand it. I like sounds and tastes and smells and textures. I know what the parts are and I know how to use them. What I want is to know what’s going on in the men’s minds while they’re loving (or not).

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

Chemistry. If my screen doesn’t melt with the first meeting, the relationship won’t fly for me. I have a weakness for alpha men, especially when they’re put with other alpha men. I don’t like perfect guys, though. I want the men to have depth. (Lord, that was a loaded statement. *laughs*) I want them to have flaws, but I also want them to have their good points.

Why did you decide to write romance novels?

Now that I can pinpoint. In the aforementioned horror story, I had my first gay couple: Matt and Austin. The story was told in the 1st POV from the view of a female ghost, but when I wrote the love scenes with Matt and Austin, I found myself falling more into their minds than hers. I wanted to explore the romantic side to male-male relationships. The rest is history.

Have you a favorite book from among your own books? Favorite hero?

Favorite book? Blessed Sacrament. It’s the sequel to The Legacy. It’s been a pain in the butt to write, but it’s as close to my heart (if not more so) than The Legacy. As for favorite hero? Mychael Potter (from The Legacy). He’s my Muse. He’s arrogant, temperamental, and a general pain in the ass …but he’s also sexy as Hell and I love him to death. *laughs*

On behalf of Coffee Time Romance I want to thank you Kay for chatting with us. I can see now that our readers will definitely see YOU, the person, more now when they read your books. I hope you enjoyed our session today. To learn more about Kay Derwydd, please go and visit her websites and blog, you can even email her. Thank you again for taking your holiday time with us.

WOW, you are a fantastic person to interview, thanks again.