Maggie Blackbird

Today, I have fellow eXtasy Books author Seelie Kay in the inteview chair.  We’re discussing her latest release Ye Gods! The Law is an Ass!, book two in the Donovan Trait series, a paranormal romantic suspense.  Don’t forget to check out the excerpt.

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1. First, what’s your favourite scene in the book? Not in regards to writing, but reading, and why?

Seelie:  When Donovan Trait holds his son for the first time. Vampires don’t have strong emotions, but the unlikely birth of his child overwhelms him and opens his heart a brand new feeling: Love.

2. What inspired you to write this book?

Seelie:  Donovan Trait is a vampire lawyer. In the human world, a very respected lawyer. I wanted to give him the opportunity to shine in the vampire world. So I created a scenario where his turned vampire bride Shirley is unfairly punished for an unintentionally violating their marital agreement, as well as other outdated, outrageous, and outright discriminatory laws—she unintentionally  To survive and protect their unborn child, they must not only fight back, but also rebel. In this instance, human history provides them with the path. That gave me the opportunity to draw parallels between the fight for human rights and the rights of vampires who aren’t purebloods. It also allowed me to poke at the continued need of both societies to embrace social change. Perhaps surprisingly, the vampires lag far behind the humans in terms of equality and individual freedoms. However, in the end, the message is clear: Whether human or vampire, an individual is entitled to certain rights and liberties. And no human or vampire has a right to deny them.

3. If you could spend time with one character from your book, who would it be? And what would you do during that day?

Seelie:  Judge Shirley Magnusen Trait. She has been put through the ringer amd thrived, first as a human, then a newly turned vampire. I would love to sit down with a cuppa and chat about everything that has happened to her in a very short period of time.

4. What do you love most about your two main characters?

Seelie:  Donovan and Shirley Magnusen Trait are a power couple in the human world, but are also finding their footing in the vampire world. I love their relationship and their passion–for each other, their family, and their world.

5. What makes you want to shake your main character?

Seelie:  Donovan Trait has been a vampire for centuries, and although he is a prince and on the ruling council, he has reached the point where he no longer questions authority. He accepts things as they are. He needs a “Come to Jesus” moment and he gets it!

6. How did you come up with title for your book?

Seelie:  Sometimes, law is not reflective of a civilized world, but rather a reaction to our prejudices and fears. That can result in laws that are unfair and unjust.  In Charles Dicken’s “Oliver Twist,” Mr. Bumble declares that the law is an ass and I was playing off that. However, upon further research, I learned the phrase originated in a play published by the English dramatist George Chapman in 1654 – Revenge for Honour:

“Ere he shall lose an eye for such a trifle… For doing deeds of nature! I’m ashamed. The law is such an ass.”

7. If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Seelie:  Tom Ellis from ‘Lucifer.”

8. If your book was a candle, what scent would it be and why?

Seelie:  Lavender with a kick of pepper! Often soothing, but when trouble pops up, oh my!

9. If your book had a theme song, what would it be and why?

Seelie:  A play on “The Liberty Song.” (1768)

10. If your book was a colour, what would it be and why?

Seelie:  Blue. On its face, calm. But underneath lies a multitude of manifestations. You never know what you’re going to get!

11. What would you tell a reader if they asked you why they should read your book?

Seelie:  It’s entertaining, but also thought-provoking. A reminder that liberty is something we cannot take for granted.

12. What can we expect from you in the future?

I am working on a holiday story, as well as Book Three in the Donovan Trait series and Book Two in the Royals Gone Rogue series.

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Title: Ye Gods! The Law is an Ass!
Series: Donovan Trait, Book Two
Author: Seelie Kay
Genre(s): Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense
Heat Rating: Three flames
Publication Date: September 3, 2021
Word Count: 145 pages, 44,705 words

It was the Great Lie, and it could destroy the Vampire Nation.

Blurb:  In First, We Kill All the Lawyers, vampire lawyer Donovan Trait survived repeated attacks by a serial killer. Now, after violating a marital agreement with the Vampire Coalition, and several ancient Vampire Laws, Donovan, and his newly-turned vampire bride are on the run. You see, in exchange for permitting a pure-blood vampire to marry a turned human, the Traits agreed to allow vampire scientists to monitor the conception and birth of their children. When Judge Shirley Magnusen Trait turns up accidentally pregnant on her wedding day, the fury of the Coalition is unleashed. The tribunal recommends unacceptable punitive action and the Traits are forced to flee to a mysterious island of vampire nuns. The Traits are, by profession, seekers of the truth. But this time, the truth may not set them free. In fact, it could start a revolution. Will the Traits escape the clutches of the Coalition and keep their babies safe? Or will their family be…eliminated?

Goodreads | eXtasy Books

Jonathan opened the envelope and reviewed the report. When he got to the last page, his eyes grew wide. “Donovan, it seems Shirley had a reason for that lightheadedness.”

Donovan gasped. “What is it?”

His father handed him the document and pointed at the bottom of the page. “She’s pregnant.”

Donovan grabbed at the wall. Overwhelmed with unfamiliar emotion, he settled onto a chair and rested his head in his hands. “Ye Gods,” he muttered. “I’m going to be a father.”

“And I am to be a grandfather, finally. However, I am afraid the Coalition may have a problem with this. They may not permit your marriage today or anytime soon.”

Donovan Trait turned to his father, his eyes filled with fury. “Why does it matter? We’re already married in the human world and we are about to repeat our vows before all in the Vampire Kingdom. This doesn’t change anything. It’s not like we are going to have a child out of wedlock. We have broken no laws.”

Jonathan Trait arched a fluffy white brow. “We need to discuss this, son.” He sat beside him. “The problem is, you explicitly agreed to allow the Coalition to oversee the conception and birth of any children born of this joining. Every step of the process was to be observed, studied, and documented. You know this.”

“So, they are going to force us to terminate the pregnancy and start over?” Donovan groaned. “It’s too late. I will not force her to start over. They can be voyeurs the next time. I am sure Shirley will have no problem with the monitoring of her pregnancy. It’s not like she can consult with a human physician. They would not understand that her child may have fangs in utero. And the blood work…” He shuddered. “I can’t imagine what…”

Jonathan frowned. “The agreement says from the point of conception, son.  You know what sticklers they are. Our women became barren more than a century ago. We need to understand why. From a scientific perspective, we need to know exactly what was different, so we can find a solution.”

Donovan harrumphed. “Seriously? Did they wish to observe while I made love to my wife? That’s ludicrous. Horny old bastards.”

Jonathan chuckled. “Some of those old fuddie-duddies would stroke out if forced to watch a virile man like you seduce his wife.” His expression turned somber. “Let’s look at the facts as we know them. As a lawyer, that’s a process with which you are familiar.

“Human women can’t carry a vampire child to term. We know that. They miscarry. The human uterus is simply not strong enough to withstand the damage caused by a developing vampire fetus. Those fangs shred the amniotic sac. However, we also don’t know if a female vampire can carry a human baby to term. Shirley may not be able to provide the fetus with the nutrition that it needs to develop properly.

“In addition, we don’t know the point of conception, which means we don’t know if Shirley was fully turned when she conceived. We also don’t know what the genetic makeup of the baby will be and whether that will change as the pregnancy progresses. Furthermore, we don’t know whether the baby’s genetics will alter after birth. We don’t know what the child will need to survive. We don’t know much.

“That raises several questions, Donovan. Is Shirley’s life in danger? And is your child’s life in danger? Not just physically and genetically, but socially. The baby is an anomaly. To some, an adnomination. A freak. He or she will constantly be in danger. If you had kept to the agreement, she and the baby would have been protected. Now everything is at risk.”

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Award-winning author Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, sometimes with a dash of kink.

Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s wicked pen has resulted in nineteen works of fiction, including the new paranormal romance series Donovan Trait, as well the erotic romance Kinky Briefs series and The Feisty Lawyers romantic suspense series. She also authored The Last Christmas, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The President’s Daughter, Seizing Hope, The White House Wedding, and participated in the romance anthology Pieces of Us.

When not spinning romantic tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. Currently, she resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.

Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

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