Becca Dale Talks about Her Sexy Shifter Story: Kya's King

Debbie: (Hands up around back of neck, tying on a huge plastic bib with two red lobsters on the front of it.) I’m so ready for this! Today we are back in South Dakota in Becca Dale’s backyard to talk about book one in her Sanctuary Series. She is also cooking us up some of her favorite treats that are traditions here is South Dakota. Lutefisk, lefse, rhubarb pie, and chislic.

Laura: We’re interviewing Becca Dale again? WooHoo!

Debbie: And she’s cooking!

BECCA Shares: Chislic is small chunks of

meat- lamb, beef, or venison, even goose

sometimes - that are deep fried to sear in the

juices then sprinkled with garlic salt. Sometimes

it is grilled but fried is better because it is

super juicy and delicious - some people put

batter on it, but I prefer it without. 

More

Laura: Even better! Okay, three questions. One, what is Lootfish, lefty, and chislelick? Sounds like you’re speaking a foreign language. And B, why the heck do you have two lobsters on that bib of yours? And three, where is my bib?

Debbie: (eyeroll) Number one, it’s Lutefisk pronounced [lʉːtfesk] and is some kind of Norwegian cod dish. Lefse – which is a Norwegian flatbread, and Chislic which is some kind of meat on a skewer dish found only in South Dakota. B, I’m from New England. Gotta represent! And Three, I’m not ur mamma! You have to learn how to dress yourself lady.

Laura: Hey, I didn’t ask you to dress me. Just where my darned bib is. Sheesh.

Debbie: You say potato….

Laura: Shhh…let’s not bicker in front of our hostess….

LAURA: Welcome, Becca! Great to have you back at Garland & Gould!

BECCA: It’s good to be back with you two. Thanks for having me by. In honor of the occasion, and because I am excited that Book 2 in the Sanctuary Series is almost ready for release, I want to give away books. For every five comments, I will give one reader choice from my backlist. (1-5 = 1 book / 6-10 = 2 and so on. The more comments the more winners!)

BECCA Shares: Lefse is a super thin potato

flatbread/tortilla-looking sort of thing. Served spread

with butter and sugar (white or brown) then folded

or rolled. Mild but delicious. 

DEBBIE: Oh, wow! That’s awesome! Thank you.

LAURA: You heard it guys…get to commenting! I’ve read lots of Becca’s stories and they are awesome! You won’t be disappointed. (turns to Becca) Tell us a little about the Kya’s King.

BECCA: Kya King tells of a shifter princess lost to her people and the fierce warrior assigned to protect her after her parents were assassinated. Drama, intrigue, passion, and true love all wrapped up with a hot, stubborn man and his very strong-minded lady.

DEBBIE: Ohhhhh. Stubborn man and strong-minded lady? I love a good battle of wills. Long as the Lady wins, lol!

LAURA:I agree! And with that in mind, lets talk about ladies first. Tell us a little about Kya. Describe her in three words.

BECCA: Determined, smart, and compassionate.

DEBBIE: Yup, sounds just like me!

BECCA Shares: Rhubarb pie is self explanatory I add
strawberries to mine. Tangy sweet with a crisp cinnamon
and sugar crust yum. Or rhubarb crisp super tangy
with lots of oatmeal and brown sugar crumble.

LAURA: Jinx! I was thinking the same thing about me.

DEBBIE: Copycatter! That is sooo more me th—

LAURA: Hey, you’re not supposed to be talking. I jinxed you.

DEBBIE: (Glares. Angry crickets chirp.)

LAURA: Okay…guess we can’t finish the interview without you. Debbie, Debbie, Debbie.

DEBBIE: Yes, Sheldon???? Anyway, as I was saying. Kya…so me!

LAURA: I’ll take the Sheldon remark as a compliment. J And really? Compassionate? If you were compassionate, you would’ve brought me a lobster bib, too, so I wouldn’t get splattered.

DEBBIE: I’ll have you know I am the epitome of compassion! If you want the truth, I thought the Red in the lobsters would clash with your RED hair. So, there. I was trying to be compassionate.

LAURA: (narrows gaze on Deb) My red hair, huh? Right. (turns to Becca) What does Kya think is her best feature?

BECCA: She’s not one to dwell on physical appearance, but once she shifts, she loves her tawny fur.

DEBBIE: Okay the similarity ends there. No fur here.

LAURA: HAHAHAHA How do our readers know? I mean, this is the Internet. They can’t see you.

DEBBIE: OMG! Really? How many shape-shifter authors do you know? Huh? Yeah thought so. The readers KNOW there is no such thing as a shape-shifter author. Sheesh.

LAURA: Okay, fine. Keep it a secret. Thought you’d want to break new ground. (turns to Becca) Well, since Debbie did best feature, I’ll ask what does Kya think is her worst feature and why?

BECCA: These are so tough. Her human frailty. She wishes she could be physically stronger.

LAURA: I’ve wished I could be taller. I swear, it’s like they made the kitchen for a six-foot tall man. Hmph.

DEBBIE: Of all the things you could wish for??? Taller? I think my worst feature is my knees. There isn’t enough distance between them and my ankles.

LAURA: Umm…if there was more distance, wouldn’t that make you taller? So, aren’t you wishing pretty much the same thing?

DEBBIE: Umm…no, duh. I’m wishing for better placement of my knees. Wow, you are considerably more senseless today than usual. Not enough coffee?

LAURA: Hey! Where’s that compassion you said you had? (smacks the back of Deb’s head) And senseless? If that were true, how come you didn’t get two wishes out of one like I did?

DEBBIE: How did you get two wishes by wishing you were taller?

LAURA: My big butt. If I’m taller, my butt will be smaller! J Voila, two for the price of one.

DEBBIE: Umm, not necessarily. I’ve seen some really tall people with equally large butts. So big wish fail right there, missy! HAH!

LAURA: Nah. All that’s changing is the leg length…everything else will even out. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. Okay, here we are talking about flaws. What is Kya’s fatal flaw?

BECCA: Her love for Ja could get him killed and land her in a tyrant’s bed.

DEBBIE: Damn, that would suck!

LAURA: Yeah. Sounds like a dicey situation…Not that a big butt is fatal…but I’m sure you worked Kya and Ja’s situation out for them. (wink) So, what is Kya’s favorite childhood memory?

BECCA: When she rode the ramps on her skateboard before her male friends could.

LAURA: A daredevil! Love it!

DEBBIE: Love a girl that kicks ass. On to the hero. What was the first thing Ja noticed about Kya?

BECCA: He’s known her all her life – so two answers, her freckles from childhood and her natural sexuality as an adult.

DEBBIE: Hey! I have freckles too!

LAURA: OMG…I did as a kid! My granddad kept saying if they’d all fill in, I’d have a pretty nice tan. LOL They never did.

DEBBIE: I’ve still got mine and I think if I live about eighty more years they will all merge and I can have that permanent tan he was talking about.

LAURA: Mine are mostly gone. Just on my arms. Hmm…I’d look pretty silly with only tanned arms, so I’ll just stick with what I have.

DEBBIE: No comment.

LAURA: (raises eyebrow) Really? No comment, none at all?

DEBBIE: (smiles sweetly) Becca, please describe Ja for our readers.

BECCA: Ja’s a black panther with green eyes and an elevated sense of duty and pride. His long dark hair is usually pulled back in human form, and he’s tall, lean and rugged – a warrior of old in the modern world.

LAURA: Mmm. Definite Alpha.

DEBBIE: Sounds dreamy!

LAURA: If he could take Kya anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

BECCA: Kya’s foster family is very important to her, so just far enough away that those who want her dead can never find her. Somewhere a princess can love a common man without repercussions.

DEBBIE: AWWWWWWWW!

LAURA: Yep, he’s a keeper all right. So, Becca, what makes this story different from other shifter stories?

BECCA: Ja and Kya themselves. Ja is set in the old ways and Kya wants to love him without the rules that forbid it. The blend of traditional and unconventional make this a very modern love story in a genre that tends to be one or the other.

LAURA: Sounds like there’s some Romeo & Juliet going on there…but with a happy ending. Love the blend of traditional and unconventional – really “outside the box”.

DEBBIE: Awesome! This sounds like a book I could definitely enjoy.

LAURA: Me too! So, a lot of authors have favorite parts of the books they write. Either it was the kernel of the story or maybe it was the part they were most looking forward to writing. Like in Sins of the Mind, I couldn’t wait to get to the cabin and write about all the horrible, bloody moments that led to the ending.

DEBBIE: Or how you just can’t wait to get the H&H together in Explosive Condition and write about…well, you know.

LAURA: Yeah. (grins) So, Becca, what is your fav part of Kya’s King?

BECCA: I adore the moment when Ja finally faces the fact that he cannot change Kya so he might as well yield and love her anyway. Gotta like it when a strong man understands the power of his woman.

DEBBIE: Absolutley!!

LAURA: Oh, yeah!

DEBBIE: As an author, I think the hardest thing to write is the end. I always want to make sure it’s an ending that has the reader sighing, mad that the story is over, but eager to go out and read the next one. Tough thing right there.

LAURA: I agree. And sometimes, the opening can be difficult. Picking the precise moment to start a story so it pulls the reader in and keeps them turning pages can be tough, too. Start too early, and they get bored. Start too late, and they get confused about what’s going on and who is who.

DEBBIE: Becca, what was the most difficult part of Kya’s King to write?

BECCA: When Ja tells himself he cannot have Kya—that she will be given to a man of royal blood and he will be forced turn aside. He knows if she does not follow the rules and attempts to stay with him, she’ll suffer for it, so he tries to drive her away to protect her. It was a challenge to clearly demonstrate that although his actions were harsh and less than heroic, his motivation stemmed from his need to shelter her from harm. The scene had a love/hate impact on me, but it is also the point where I truly understood my hero and I hope readers do as well.

DEBBIE: Great point. Here is something that is probably both hard and easy to understand for readers. We get just as caught up in our characters as they do and have to be true to them whether WE want to or not.

LAURA: It’s amazing when you start a story and you think you have a character nailed down…but then there’s a pivotal moment that adds a new depth to what you thought you knew. And when you look back at what you’ve already written, everything is already in place…building up to that moment. It’s like your subconscious knew the truth all along. So very cool.

DEBBIE: This happens to us all the time. Especially with the paranormal we did. Everything fell right into place, it was truly amazing. Can’t wait to find the perfect home for that one.

LAURA: Yes! Me, too! And then we have to write the rest of them. LOL Speaking of writing, Becca, I think you should tease our readers. Give them just a taste of Kya’s King…hmmm, how about the first seven sentences?

BECCA: Waa, I want eight but here is seven (sigh).

The moon hung a mere sliver in the night sky, barely breaking the darkness as Ja moved beyond the animal enclosures. Kya lay inside a brick building. Strange, she did not sleep in the open air among the other animals, as her true nature dictated. Night creatures greeted him, howled his name, and warned of her vulnerability, but he waved them quiet. He stepped through the garden door into her bedroom. She sprawled naked on her sleeping pallet. Long, tawny hair spread across the white pillowcase like satin embroidery, and lean, well-defined muscles confirmed her feline heritage despite her pale, hairless state.

DEBBIE: Very nice! I felt as if I were standing next to him watching.

LAURA: Awesome! I really like the description of her and how it also refers to her shifted self as well. Very cool! Oh, please add an excerpt at the end. And book cover, buy links.

BECCA: You got it!

 

Quickies

Chihuahua or St. Bernard?

BECCA: St. Bernard – affectionate, adorable and he carries liquor around his neck. What’s not to like?

Jason Aldean or Bon Jovi?

BECCA: Jason Aldean or better yet Tim McGraw

Quiet night with a book or dinner and a movie?

BECCA: Whichever the hubby wants to do. I am open to whatever the night brings.

5 O’clock shadow or clean shaven?

BECCA: Shadow - yum

Frog legs or Escargot?

BECCA: Frog legs if they’re good enough for Phil Robertson and family (Duck Dynasty), who am I to criticize? ;-)

Daisy’s or roses

BECCA: Cabbage roses

Nascar or baseball

BECCA: Neither? Is that a choice?

Camping or Fancy resort

BECCA: Camping though both rock for different reasons.

Car or Truck

BECCA: Truck – give me a man with a four-wheel-drive and a big engine – yeah that’s nice.


FINAL QUESTION

            You set your empty champagne flute on a passing waiter’s tray and smile. Damn good bubbly. Running your hands over the front of your Vera Wang original, you adjust the bodice where the flash drive is neatly tucked next to your…um, bosom. Your stilettos click on the marble steps as you march up to the mezzanine, intent on catching the back stairs up to the roof. Glancing over your shoulder, you nod. Everyone is distracted by the arrival of Gene Simmons—complete in full makeup and platform boots. Right on time.

            On your way up to the roof, you squeeze the diamond jewel dangling from your ear, signaling you’ll be at the LZ in five minutes. Pushing through the roof door, you step out into the cool night air. Your heart pounds. So many stairs. Gotta get back to those Zumba classes soon.

            You walk out over the graveled rooftop and…your high heel snaps. You stumble. You remove the ruined shoe. Damn. And these were my favorite Christian Louboutins. Well, I’ll just list them on my expense report for the CIA.

            The sound of rotors beating the air fill your ears, and you lurch across the rooftop toward the impending helicopter.

            “Not so fast, my sweet.”

            You whirl around. “Sig Buckmed.” You narrow your gaze on the opposing agent and the stocky pistol he’s got trained on you. “I see you found your way out of that field I left you in…after you nearly killed me.”

            “A delightful freefall I shall never forget.” He steps toward you, and you remember his strong arms around you…and a tangle of yarn. “Hand over the disk.”

            “Join the twenty-first century, Sig. It’s a flashdrive.” You cut your gaze toward the helicopter hovering ten feet from the building’s ledge. Yeah, even with a broken stiletto, you can make that. Question is, will sexy Sig shoot you? Hmm…a bullet wound or the CIA grilling you for an eon? You sprint for the helicopter and….snag the bottom rung of the ladder extended out the door.

            “Becca!”

            His sexy voice tugs at your libido, but you start climbing. Halfway up, the ladder jolts and you glance down. Sig has joined you. He aims his pistol and pulls the trigger. But instead of hitting you, he tags the helo’s gas tank. Damn, you’re going down.

            Mentally taking stock, you realize all you have is a lacy garter, a broken shoe, and pig-in-a-blanket you’d snagged off a passing hors d’oeuvre tray and tucked into your tight-fitting bodice—next to the flashdrive—for a midnight snack. What do you do?

BECCA: Smoke and flames dance across the chopper, ladder swinging wildly, as the pilot tries to spot a place to land. I figure I have two choices though the options are fading fast. I can let go and drop into the enormous pool below or ride this puppy to the ground and risk being crushed. The later isn’t really an option now that I think about it. Sig is hollering at me to jump, but he doesn’t really want to save me; he just wants what’s stuffed in my bra.

I shoot a glance up at the Marine hanging from the helicopter as he desperately tries to pull the ladder up or shake the king of the spies loose. I give the soldier a nod to assure him I’ve got this and point to the pool. He quickly rushes forward to tell get the pilot to hover over the water a bit longer. With luck I’ll have a solid minute to two before the helo needs to land or explodes. Desperate, I hike my skirt up to jerk off my garter and wrap it around my wrist before I shinny down the few feet separating me from Sig. He shifts so I can cling to the same rung he hangs from.

“Long time no see, hot shot,” I shout, shooting for casual and glib despite our predicament.

“Far too long, Becca.” He wraps his arm around my waist and every forbidden inch of him presses to me.

Damn it. The man barely has to say a word and I remember all the times I’ve caved to his sexy persuasion—his hands, mouth, and oh so freaking talented tongue. The image of the two of us, wet and clinging to one another as we make love in the massive private pool is almost more than I can resist, but I don’t dare give in to him this time. I lean close so he can hear me over the rapid whop-whop-whop of the rotor blades. “I know what you want.”

He cocks his left eyebrow in his usual arrogant manner. “You always know what I want, baby.”

I long to wrap my legs around him and forget everything that makes him wrong. Instead, I delve into my bra and find the short sausage. So different than the one nudging my lower abdomen, it hides completely in my palm. I pull it out, the hors d’oeuvre not Mr. Buckmed’s main attraction, mind you. I wiggle my hand into Sig’s pocket and deposit the pig-in-a-blanket before I pull away. “If I die, I want you to have this.”

“I won’t let you die.” His concern seems genuine and for a fleeting second I regret what I’m about to do, but the moment he pats his pocket to confirm the flashdrive is there, guilt passes.

I let my hand slip, knowing he will catch me. While I am snuggled up against him, I grab the garter and stretch it over the rung above me, wrapping it around both wrists and stuffing the heel from my broken shoe through the lace to lock my makeshift security strap in place.

With a quick glance to ensure we are above the pool, I nip at Sig’s ear, letting my breath tease him the way he likes best. “I’m gonna miss you.”

He looks confused for a moment. I take advantage while his guard is down and shove him from the ladder with a twist of my hips. He grabs my foot but my shoe slips off in his hand and he falls. Alone this time.

The Marine above me pulls me up, and we head for a safe landing spot. “I thought we were going to lose you, ma’am.”

I nod a polite thanks for his help. He’s cute in a too young, too inexperienced way, but my attention remains on the grown man below—the man with a sausage in his pocket and a sexy grin on his lips as he salutes my victory.

Too bad it doesn’t feel like I’ve won....


DEBBIE: I think we are going to have to have Becca back when Book 2 comes out. Her answers to these questions leave me wanting more. It can’t end like this! It can’t!

LAURA: The old sausage-in-the-pocket trick! LOVE IT! LOLOL Yes, absolutely, Becca must come back when her next book comes out so we can see what happens with her and Sig Buckmed. Thanks so much for joining us, Becca! What a blast!

BECCA: Thanks! Come back to South Dakota and I’ll make deep fried venison chislic, lefse and rhubarb pie for you, and my hubby will grill you up the finest South Dakota T-bones fresh from his brother's farm, along with grilled potatoes, onions and lemon pepper asparagus to go with everything else. Nothing sexier than a man willing to take care of others. We'll make you a South Dakota feast.

LAURA: Deal!

DEBBIE: I’m there! Just name the day and time!


Debbie: (wrapping all the leftovers up and dumping them in purse) Okay, where to now?

Laura: Um, what about another trip out into the Bad Lands?

Debbie: Sure you’re up to it? You know what happened last time.

Laura: Yeah…I lost my hair scrunchie while we were out there. It was my favorite one. All blue and well…scrunchie.

Debbie: (deep sigh and huge eye roll) I was talking about Hoodie dude finding us again. I’m getting tired of him showing up everywhere we go.

Laura: Isn’t he supposed to be like lightning or something—never shows up at the same place twice? If we get my scrunchie, we’ll be in the same spot.

Debbie: Famous last words. But it’s your fault if we run into him.

Laura: Just throw him all those leftovers you’re shoving in your bag.

Debbie: Umm, no! They’re mine. I'll buy you a new scrunchie.

 

Kya's King

By Becca Dale

“Oh, Malachi, what are we going to do with you?” The need to touch the animal through the bars sent her forward, though such an action could be suicide. “I wish I could help.”
The panther eased closer to the cage’s edge and reached out with his paw as if to comfort her. The image made Hannah smile.

Help me.

The voice from her dream floated from the cage. Malachi’s eyes held hers without wavering. She looked around for someone playing tricks on her, but the night remained still, eerily quiet, as it had been every night since the cat arrived. “Who’s out there?” No one answered her call. She strained to see beyond the dim circle of the yard light. Nothing moved.

Help me, Hannah.

Fear edged its way into her thoughts. Unconsciously, she slid toward Malachi to protect him. Her hand brushed the back of his massive paw.

He did not move. She crawled a little closer. The putrid smell of infection drifted from his open sore. “Do you trust me, Malachi?”

He lay still as she reached through the bars and patted his neck gently. With a shaky laugh, she pulled her hand back, glad it remained on the end of her arm.

“Maybe we should try this alone, you and I, huh?” She considered the insanity of the idea only a moment before she ran to the medical lab and gathered the necessary equipment. She had never treated an animal by herself but had assisted Harry often enough to feel confident in what she was doing.

Within moments she stood outside the cage once more. The cat lay as she had left him. On her knees, so as not to frighten him, Hannah inched across the safety line and sat next to the animal’s outstretched paw. She readied the antiseptic on a clean cloth and laid out bandages and antimicrobial solution. “Are you ready for this?” With a shaky smile, she gently patted his leg. “I hope so, because I’m not sure I am.” Her hand shook as she picked up the cloth. “Don’t eat me, okay?”


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