Today, I have author Patricia Bates in the interview chair. She’s here to talk about her latest release A Hunter’s Desire, a m/m romantic suspense.
****
Part One: Patricia on A Hunter’s Desire
1. First, what’s your favourite scene in the book? Not in regards to writing, but reading, and why?
Patricia: The bar scene, it just shows how assumptions are wrong, people judge Rebel for his tattoos and piercings, and yet he’s smart, experienced, and knows his stuff.
2. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
Patricia: No, not really. I mean its a fast paced read, there is room for more of the story but I wanted to keep it to a good length rather than a monster.
3. What do you love most about your two main characters?
Patricia: Their snark, their passion, the belief in themselves they have.
4. What makes you want to shake your two main characters?
Patricia: Their dwelling on past mistakes, letting them control their current situations.
5. If you could spend time with one character from your book, who would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Patricia: Rebel Hunter, exploring around his property, talking to the ghosts, getting a feel for his work.
6. Did the characters hijack the story or did you feel like you had control of your book?
Patricia: LOL, oh boy, these boys took over pretty quickly, leaving me only the vessel to their story telling.
7. How did you come up with the title for your book?
Patricia: I had a title, but when we changed it I wanted something that would fit, and attract people’s attention. I did up a list of titles, ran them through the Lulu Title Challenge app and picked the top three then narrowed it down to A Hunter’s Desire.
8. If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the leads?
Patricia: Hmm Misha Collins for Gideon Palmer, and Dan Feuerriegel as Rebel.
9. If your book was a candle, what scent would it be and why?
Patricia: Pine and fresh dirt – they remind me of the location its set in.
10. If your book had a theme song, what would it be and why?
Patricia: You’ve got to hurt before you heal – because the characters have felt pain but haven’t allowed themselves to heal.
11. If your book was a colour, what would it be and why?
Patricia: Dark Grey just because of the shadows and the darkness within the book balanced by the light of the good.
12. If a reader asked you why they should read your book, what would you tell them?
Patricia: It’s a thrilling, twisting read which will entertain you, make you laugh, make you cry, cheer for the good guys and stick with you even after the last page is turned.
13. What can we expect from you in the future?
Patricia: I’m currently working on two projects, a Roman Gladitorial Romance and a Celtic romance.
Part Two: Patricia on Writing
1. Tell us about your writing process.
Patricia: My process is best described as controlled chaos. I write when the words flow, if I’m stuck I’ll start a new project, and can get lost in my writing. During the day I try to set myself a word count goal so I keep some productivity throughout the day, but there are days when I get zero written and others when I can pump out 3500-4000 words. Depends on my creative batteries being charged.
2. How much research goes into your books?
Patricia: A lot. It takes me months to write a book, and if there’s things I do know I can spend hours trying to track down the answers to the questions. My first book, Master’s Mistress took me 2 years to write, because it took me over a year to research.
3. What do you enjoy most about writing?
Patricia: The escape. There’s something empowering about being able to escape to a world I create, a time period or place I could never go to.
4. What do you enjoy least about writing?
Patricia: When the words won’t come. I can see the scene, know what I want to say and they don’t get from my brain to the page.
5. You can only recommend one of your novels to a reader, which would you choose from the books you’ve written so far, and why?
Patricia: Hmm, I’d say Counter Balance. I love the heroine she’s so determined to rise to any challenge.
6. What novel was your personal favourite to write, and why?
Patricia: This is a hard question to answer because I love all my books, but I’d have to say if I were picking just one, to go with Master’s Mistress… its my first novel published and it’s really a great book. I love the ancient Irish culture, the Vikings.
Part Three: All About Patricia
1. Readers know about the writer you, but what about the everyday you?
Patricia: I’m an avid reader, love to garden, to crochet. I have a podcast as well which is a challenge and a lot of fun to do.
2. What is something unique/quirky about you?
Patricia: I’m an introvert unless I’m doing public speaking then my personality changes to an extrovert.
3. What are some of your pet peeves?
Patricia: I hate when people talk over me, makes one feel invisible. Rude people, being interrupted when I’m busy.
4. Where were you born/grew up at?
Patricia: I was born in Northern BC, and grew up in central BC and Alberta Canada.
5. Describe yourself in five words or less!
Patricia: Hyper perfectionist and home body.
Part Four: Patricia on Reading
1. What book do you think everyone should read?
Patricia: All of them. I love reading, to me everyone should read. But if I have to nail down just one I’d have to say The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.
2. What fiction genre(s) do you read the most?
Patricia: Romance, Westerns, Historical.
3. Share your favourite character from a book that you’ve read, and why they are your fave.
Patricia: The Sacketts. They were just so real, and they didn’t know when to back down.
4. On average, how much do you read every week?
Patricia: I probably read three to four books a week.
****
Title: A Hunter’s Desire
Series: N/A
Author: Patricia Bates
Genre: Romance-Suspense, M/M
Heat Rating: Sensual
Length: 70k
Will death find them before a Medium and a Cop find a missing woman.
Blurb: Grissom is a town with dark secrets. When REBEL HUNTER, a paranormal consultant relocates to its outskirts, he unwittingly stumbles upon a mystery decades in the making. After one of his clients vanishes, Rebel is dragged into the investigation by homicide detective Gideon Palmer.
On a forced vacation, Gideon is in the right place at the wrong time and finds his downtime cut short by the disappearance of a wealthy socialite. As he investigates, he finds himself confronted by a wall of silence. The only bright spot is Rebel Hunter, a man of mystery and danger.
Drawn together, their chemistry is immediate and both men struggle with their emotions as they navigate the dark twists of the case. Can both men face their own ghosts to help find a missing woman before its too late.
****
Thick, dense clouds crept across the night sky, split apart by jagged forks of lightning. Their gnarled fingers oozed across the full moon as if to block the view of the horror playing out below. Heavy, pungent air filled with the odor of blood and sweat washed away the clean scent of rain gathering.
Eerie silence slunk through the shadows nature’s breath caught in disturbed anticipation. Flames danced in a shallow firepit, casting an orange glow on the men gathered, indistinct conversation flowing steadily. Glass bottles clanked together when a cooler was dropped near the fire. The lid was propped open as the men dug inside for their drinks. Laughter rose on the night winds, a mocking sound filling her ears.
Movements from the shadows had everyone turning. In unison, they pressed together, staring at the heavy-set man leading the way through the closed-in trees. One man stepped forward, the others parting to grant him access to the clearing. Behind him two others stood, their grip achingly tight around her arms.
Shivering, her teeth chattered as she struggled to lift her head. Pain speared most of her body, and blood oozed down her face, hot droplets falling to the exposed flesh above her bra. Her shoeless feet slid through the moist foliage of the forest floor. She whimpered when rough hands grabbed at her bare flesh and struggled futilely in their grasp as they yanked her forward.
The apparent leader gestured to a spot beyond the light. “Right there.”
Whiskey roughened, his voice penetrated the fog in her mind as she was dropped onto the ground. Her nose was filled with the stench of unwashed flesh as rough hands rolled her onto her back. They lifted her ankles and tied rough rope around them; she could hear the rustling as it was tied off. Spread-eagle across the ground, she sobbed. Weak and exhausted, she fought against their hands. Laughter echoed on the wind as the men paid little heed to her pleas.
His arms raised above his head, light catching and dancing off the long blade in his hand. A strange chant filled the night as everyone pressed in closer, their voices silencing hers. With the sharp movement of his hand, the waiting was over, shattered by the first agonized scream. Sobbing at the piercing heat flooding her, she felt the slow glide of metal through flesh. Her body spasmed as he plunged the knife deep. The hilt pressed in against her skin, the blade tugging at bone. Pleas were sobbed out, garbled and pain-soaked, even as the male voices drown out everything but their own chanting.
Birds screamed in protest, their wings beating a hasty retreat into the night. Branches creaked and groaned, the chatter of small night creatures rising to fade into nothing. Slow, steady, the patter of rain hit the ground. Blood popped and hissed as it fell upon the hot rocks near the fire. The slow, repetitive drip was drowned by the rapid plunges of the blade, the wet squish as it cut through flesh and bone. Scarlet trails oozed across the ground, pooling in the low dips before rolling into the shadows.
As though in protest, the clouds opened, rain soaking the forest. The fire hissed in angry denial with each icy droplet of water, steam rising with the smoke until it surrendered and flickered out, leaving nothing more than glowing coals.
Amid the pouring rain, the men scurried into the trees, fading into the night. Left alone, she choked, the heavy metallic taste of blood on her tongue. Her body flinched as life slowly ebbed from her. Through the darkness, the lone, bitter cry of a wolf echoed.
Bolting upright, Rebel gasped for air, his ears ringing with the haunting cry. The vise around his chest tightened until his lungs burned, no matter how much he inhaled. The slow glide of sweat trickling over his skin irritating the burn. He sucked in air, each desperate gasp agony. The weight setting on his chest only added to his frustration. The memory of drowning in his own blood clung to his mind as he panted, the metallic taste settling in his mouth. His throat was scorched as bile forced its way up, gagging him. Gulping in air, his head dropped forward, and his hands knotted into fists.
“Well, there goes any chance of getting a good night’s sleep.” He pushed the blankets aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The icy touch of the hardwood floor beneath his feet provided enough of a shock to jolt him into awareness. He stumbled from the bed and over to stare out of the window.
****
Born in Northern Canada, Patricia lives in Saskatchewan with her husband and son. With over a decade worth of experience in the publishing industry, she’s celebrated two best sellers, and is working on new books. Patricia is also an active podcaster and Authortuber.
Find Patricia: Web Site | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Linked In | Instagram | Newsletter Sign Up
Maggie Blackbird 