Vickie McKeehan - An Author Interview in the HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on bestselling Author Vickie McKeehan. Vickie writes romantic suspense.

Author Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Ghosts, Military

Website: Vickie McKeehan
Author's Blog: Vickie McKeehan - Romance. Darkness. Suspense.
Twitter: @VickieMcKeehan
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Author Description:
Vickie writes romantic suspense. She's the author of three distinctive, very different series of books, The Evil Trilogy, the Pelican Pointe series, and the Skye Cree novels.? She's just finished her ninth book, The Bones Will Tell, the second story in the Skye Cree saga.

?Vickie loves to write and enjoys getting two people together, involving them in some type of danger, mystery or suspense guaranteed to challenge the budding relationship between the two main characters.

Her female leads are usually strong-willed, independent women and definitely not the kind who sit around whimpering, waiting for someone to rescue them. Not only that, when you read one of Vickie's books, you'll get a happy ending.

Vickie loves the outdoors, loves to play video games, and enjoys watching football with the hubby. If you've ever read any of her books, you know she's a die-hard Raider fan, which means she has the patience of Job. ?

She's convinced the best food on earth is French fries. Whenever she's writing she keeps two things on hand at all times. Chocolate and Cheetos.

Vickie is proud to be a member of Romance Writers of America.


SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Let’s start with what’s next. Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called Starlight Dunes is coming in December. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?

Right now, Starlight Dunes is set for release in mid-December. It’s Brent Cody’s and River Amandez’s story. As for a teaser, someone’s trying to kill Brent and River has a huge secret she’s keeping to herself. When the two of them connect, it will change Pelican Pointe forever.

You have a good following on twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? How did you build your following in your niche? Did you use forums, newsletters and methods like that?

Social media is a must for marketing, especially if you’re a writer. Having a presence on Twitter, Facebook, and the Internet in general, is essential for success. But like anything else, social media isn’t the sole relationship builder you need to establish yourself with readers. Like any good team, it all has to come together in order to click. That means using every tool available to you to keep your books where people can see them and see you.

Do you do book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?

I do book signings usually at book clubs. For example, in the month of September I did two, one in San Diego and one in Los Angeles. A reader usually contacts me through my website or messages me on Facebook asking about making an appearance to sign copies of my books and to answer questions while I’m there about the characters, the storyline, or the next book in the series, if there is one. Most readers use Facebook or my website, vickiemckeehan.com to send me a message, which is fine. They can also DM me on Twitter.

You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

Thank you, James. That’s a true compliment to the designers I’ve worked with in the past. I have a hands-on approach and work very closely with my designers to convey what I feel best reflects the theme of the book.

Besides the Romance Writers of America, what other writer support groups do you belong too? Do they help with the writing, marketing and the publishing process?

Connecting with other writers always makes the process a little better, a little easier.

Has the advent of ebooks changed anything in your writing, getting the book to your readers and the relationship with your readers and fans?

I think ebooks makes the whole publishing process easier and faster and more efficient than the printed book. Although I’ll always love a book in print, I’m blown away by the fact that some one thousand plus books will fit on my Kindle. That’s the power of having your own personal “library” at your fingertips without ever leaving your house. How great is that? How advanced technology-wise is that? It’s nothing short of fantastic having so many books right there!

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

My promotional days are still the best resources for getting new readers. Like anything else there have been a few problems to iron out along the way. But usually the benefits far outweigh any issues that may arise.

You have a great blog. You do a great job keeping readers informed, marketing your books and supporting other writers like CAROLYN ARNOLD. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media and maintain your blog?

Thanks for that, James! I still don’t know why I dragged my feet so long about starting a blog. I love having one now! The only problem with it is coming up with new content. I’m the first to admit I’m not as good about writing articles as I should be. Writing books takes up most of my days. I salute those other writers like Carolyn Arnold though who can do it all and make it look effortless. Carolyn’s one who does it all.

What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?

I rely totally on my readers for their reviews. Readers also connect with me by posting on my Facebook wall and sending me messages through my website. I have a special menu at www.vickiemckeehan.com for just those types of comments. All those listed are in addition to the reviews posted on Amazon. I’m blown away by the number of people who message me. It’s been like that from the start. After people read the Evil Secrets Trilogy I received numerous emails from child abuse victims. It was amazing that so many people connected with Kit’s, Baylee’s and Quinn’s childhoods.

I like the idea of mixing chocolate into your scheme of things. I have seen other authors use blood. How did you come up with that idea?

This one’s easy. I love chocolate.



Author's Book List
Lighthouse Reef - A Pelican Pointe Novel -- Book Four
Murder and Mystery. Welcome back to Pelican Pointe.

~Lighthouse Reef~

Up-and-coming lawyer Kinsey Wyatt has come to Pelican Pointe to prove she's the real deal. Little does she know that a mysterious stranger, Logan Donnelly, a secretive and seductive artist, harbors a black secret that will put her skills and her wits--and her love--to the test. For when the town's darkest hour is at hand, drawing them into a cat-and-mouse game of murder and deception, the past and present collide in a stunning climax that will have your heart pounding to the mind-blowing end.


Order the Book From: Amazon
The Bones of Others - A Skye Cree Novel -- Book One
Some monsters live in your head. Not this one.

Brutalized as a young girl by a vile sexual predator, Skye Cree is a survivor. Guided by the visions of her mystical spirit guide to the whereabouts of abducted girls, she uses her unique abilities to turn her horrifying past into a positive force for justice. Fighting the demons that have haunted her for years, she trusts only in herself--until she falls hard for a man for the first time in her life. Now, discovering her abductor is back with a vengeance, she becomes locked in a deadly race against time to stop the horrors of an evil human-trafficking ring that threatens to tear her world, and her newfound love apart.


Order the Book From: Amazon
Dancing Tides - A Pelican Pointe Novel -- Book Three
From darkness comes light ... and a second chance.

For marine biologist Keegan Fanning, the grief of losing her grandparents is too painful to bear. As if battling her own demons is not enough, she discovers that saving a total stranger from committing suicide forges an unlikely bond that will bring them together in ways they could never imagine--a bond of trust and love that is quickly put to the test at the hand of a psychotic killer who has them in his sights.


Order the Book From: Amazon
Ending Evil - The Evil Secrets Trilogy - Book Three
The Evil Trilogy
Despite growing up together in their trendy Beverly Hills neighborhood, three best friends hide dark childhoods, each in their own way. The lives of Kit, Baylee and Quinn have been anything but perfect. Little do they know a stranger is about to unravel long, buried secrets, bringing the past back to life with a vengeance.

Ending Evil
The castoff daughter of rock star, Nick Tyler and artist, Ella Canyon, Quinn is determined to overcome her grim childhood and achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. Over the years her friends have provided support like family, but even they have no idea the dark secrets she harbors. And when Cade Boyd sets out to end her life, she's forced to make decisions that will put everything she holds dear at risk.

Attorney Reese Brennan is drawn to the first year resident doctor. But Quinn's resistance to him only makes him more steadfast. He suspects she's had a difficult past. But he isn't prepared to learn the truth. When Cade Boyd ramps up his efforts to make Quinn pay for the past, together Reese and Quinn will do anything to crush what's left of a legal dynasty. They'll cross the line. They'll break the law. They'll take extreme measures to put an end to the evil, now and forever.


Order the Book From: Amazon
Deeper Evil - The Evil Secrets Trilogy - Book Two
The Evil Trilogy
Despite growing up together in their trendy Beverly Hills neighborhood, three best friends hide dark childhoods, each in their own way. The lives of Kit, Baylee and Quinn have been anything but perfect. Little do they know a stranger is about to unravel long, buried secrets, bringing the past back to life with a vengeance.

Deeper Evil
Baylee Scott is the daughter of renowned director William Scott and actress Sarah Moreland. Baylee has worked for years to put her father's abusive alcoholic outbursts behind her. She's also overcome her mother's abandonment at the age of three. That is, until one night at a charity event, an acquaintance ends up turning her world upside down. Now, with an infant daughter Baylee lives in fear her secret will be found out by the man she's been hiding from for almost a year, a man from one of the most powerful legal dynasties in California.

Dylan Burke is determined to win over the single mother, Baylee Scott, and protect her and baby Sarah. Dylan has his work cut out for him, however, when he opens up a can of worms delving into William Scott's past, a past that hides a twenty-two year old murder. It's also another vital link to the legal dynasty. Tangled in a maze of murderous lies and deceit, the two discover the truth about the legal empire and its founders and just how far the heirs will go to get what they want.


Order the Book From: Amazon
Hidden Moon Bay - A Pelican Pointe Novel -- Book Two
Starting over takes a heart of courage. Staying alive takes two.

~Hidden Moon Bay

Fleeing into the night along a dark coastal road, Hayden Ryan is determined to grab hold of a new life, free of the clutches of a ruthless Russian mobster--her former boss. But when she meets the ruggedly handsome deputy sheriff of sleepy Pelican Pointe, starting over grows ever more complicated. Fighting for freedom, yet trapped between a suspicious cop and a burning desire to be with him, can she survive with a price on her head?


Order the Book From: Amazon
Promise Cove - A Pelican Pointe Novel -- Book One 1
Sometimes, a promise kept can change your life.

~Promise Cove~

Reeling from the violent death of her husband in war-torn Iraq, Jordan Phillips is at her wit's end, left to fend for herself and her baby. Alone and desperate in backwater Pelican Pointe, she faces an uphill battle against a judgmental and hostile town as she tries to rebuild her life. But when a mysterious and handsome stranger with a tragic secret appears, her fragile new world threatens to come crashing down around her. A heartbreaking story of love and romance, Promise Cove will hold you breathless until the very last page.


Order the Book From: Amazon
Just Evil - The Evil Secrets Trilogy - Book One
The Evil Trilogy
Despite growing up together in their trendy Beverly Hills neighborhood, three best friends hide dark childhoods. The lives of Kit, Baylee and Quinn have been anything but perfect. Little do they know a stranger is about to unravel long, buried secrets, bringing the past back to life with a vengeance.

Just Evil
Kit Griffin has finally overcome a painful childhood at the hands of her mother, former actress Alana Stevens. No longer living in the grasp of the cold, tyrannical woman, Kit's life is finally on track. That is, until Alana is found brutally murdered on Mother's Day, pulling Kit back to the dark horrors of her past. To make matters worse, the police consider Kit the prime suspect.

Jake Boston is an old family friend and the man Kit has loved since she was a teen. He's fighting his own demons as a suspect in his wife's murder two years earlier. Despite his past, he's determined to win Kit over once and for all. But before that can happen they need to convince the police there's a killer working his way down a list with cold-hearted vengeance in mind.

Forced to delve into Alana's dark past, Jake and Kit uncover a forty-year-old double murder leading them straight to the door of a legal dynasty. Soon they find out just how far the heirs will go to keep the past buried.


Order the Book From: Amazon
Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
HBS eBook Author’s Corner
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Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.