Today we are pleased to welcome J. Hali Steele

Mistress Bella, I’d like to thank you for taking time to talk with me.

1) First, could you start by telling us what you are currently working on for publication and/or about your current release?

On October 16^th, A Panther’s Flight will be available from Eirelander Publishing and I can’t wait for readers to get to know Leron and Edy. Writing their story was a joy. I have a few things in the works that will be premiering soon. One story is about amateur ballroom dancing and I’m working on a series about erotic angels of which the first book released on October 9th. It will probably cause a bit of a stir. The cover art done by Les Byerly at Ellora’s Cave may get me booted from Facebook, MySpace, heck – everywhere but my own website where it holds center stage right now…*laughing* Oh, go ahead – take a peek: www.angelsinlove.net

2) Could you please tell us a little about yourself?

Well, I live in SE Pennsylvania which is far too cold for me. I want to move back to southern California where they have basically one season – HOT! Southwest Arizona might work also, as long as I’m warm all the time. I have a son and 4 cats and I’ve spoiled them all. My son’s 36 and would laugh at that. I used to do quarter mile drag racing and I still enjoy going to watch my son and his dad race on the weekends. I’m waiting for one of them to put my butt back in the driver’s seat.

As a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian. Readers should be able to tell from my stories that cats are like little angels to me and I think they make the best pets. I enjoy watching them grow and play. In my neighborhood, I’m the one who does the rescuing. I nearly always have what I call “porch kitties”, and they live well until I find them a loving home. All animals have always held a special place in my heart and I’m a supporter of my local SPCA. Spay and neuter!

3) Give us a sneak peak into your current release

Leron, the hero of A Panther’s Flight, is Sovereign Kind, which is the warrior class of the Kind species of big cats infected with vampyre blood. He’s a panther who’s afraid he may take too much blood and become a feared transgressor. Those are the cats that turn violent and deadly, draining their prey of blood, then gorging on the flesh. This happened to someone close to him. Now that he’s met his mate, Edy, who’s close to her first change to panther, he fears this addiction will overcome him. Stranded together in the desert, they have to battle nature and a really bad secret he’s kept from her that may destroy their budding relationship. Hey not sure you can use it but I’ve done a video for the book, it’s here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux9jEeNlgIY

4) Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or just start writing?

I start with an outline that I usually end up using as the synopsis. It hits all the points of the story and I start writing from there. I’m pretty much a panster, and once I began the story my characters have a way of taking over. Sometimes I can stop them, but they’re wily creatures and have backed me into a corner on many occasions. *grins*

5) What genre is your favorite to write?  Read? 

Definitely paranormal, and preferably erotic. I enjoy the twists and turns that take place when dealing with the paranormal genre. You can practically take it anywhere. I like to push the limits of the worlds I create. I also enjoy a good dose of humor laced in as well. And, of course, there’s the sex. Exploring that side of any relationship is a bonus for me because I like watching how my characters deal with each other emotionally once they’ve already been together physically.

6) Favorite authors?

That would be Kerrelyn Sparks and Lynsay Sands. Both have a way of making their characters come to life. I laugh from beginning to end with their books. There characters are sexy, charming, and funny; still, they can be deadly as hell. I like how they’ve both have changed the landscape for the ‘undead’. When I start one of their stories I know I’m not going to get a darn thing done until I reach the last word on the last page.

7) Is there a genre you haven't written, but would love to tackle in the future?

No. I write erotica in the three genres that are the most exciting to me and don’t see that changing. I’ve written paranormal, contemporary and I’ve done a ménage, which I’d like to do more of. I can’t foresee that I’d write in any of the other genres. I’m not a Sci-Fi fan and the same goes with Historical and BDSM. Even when they have paranormal elements, they just don’t excite the part of my brain that says “write me”. I do love a good suspense but I don’t have what it takes to tackle that genre.

8) What's planned next for your writing career?

I know most people are aiming for New York – I’m not. I’m perfectly happy writing for epubs and I’ve been very lucky to be with 3 good publishers. My editors have all been fantastic and each has taught me so much. Down the road, if I change my mind and decide to try for NY – my editors have prepared me.

9) Do you work well with deadlines?  Or do they stall your writing process?

I had an editor ask me for a follow up story in June that they wanted to release in August and I got it done. I guess I don’t sweat deadlines. *laughing* None have had to send an email asking where are my edits or rewrites – at least not yet! No, deadlines don’t bother me.

10) What influenced you to submit your work for publication?

My awesome sisters! I tell everyone they are my heroines and each, in fact, appears in my works. Don’t tell them that LOL. No, they’re fine with it, even begged to have their names somewhere in a story. They’ve read everything I write and always told me to try for publication and finally – I listened. I have to thank them for pushing me and for supporting me 100%.

11) What gets you in the writing mood?  Music, reading, etc.

Music can do it every time. I listen to Soundscapes – I know, weird – but I like the sounds of nature and instruments and prefer there be no words, which are very distracting to me. I am a big fan, however, of the ladies who sing blues when I’m relaxing. Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan are my favs. Whenever I write sex scenes, I pull out the tango CDs. There’s just something about the rhythmic Latin sound that moves me.

12) What is the best way for readers to contact you?

I have a website: www.jhalisteele.com I blog every Friday at www.paranormalromantics.blogspot.com and I blog the 6^th of each month at www.trampyvamps.blogspot.com. I also have a Yahoo Group that I’d love readers to join and they’re welcome to participate in my writing madness- it’s http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jhalisteele and I do Facebook at www.facebook.com/purpleprose as well as Twitter with the name sovereignkind.

I’ve really had a good time and thanks again for having me.

 Thanks for joining us today!