Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a
writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law,
journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and
lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen! In possession of a wicked pen and an overly
inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of multiple works of fiction, including
the Kinky
Briefs series, The Garage Dweller, A
Touchdown to Remember, and The
President’s Wife.
When not
spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other
professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, where she shares a home with
her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional
bottle of red wine.
Ms.
Kay 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!
Beverley: Why do you
write romance?
Seelie: Because
I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting
relationship, which is not always love. There’s the chase, the courtship, the
falling, the surrender. That’s what I try to capture in my stories.
Beverley: Do you prefer
a certain type of romantic hero?
Seelie: I
adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can
be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger
just hooks me!
Beverley: Why did you
write “Snatching Dianna?”
Seelie: Actually,
for two reasons. First, when writing the
Kinky Briefs series, there were
certain couples I fell in love with: The
Sheikh and his American lawyer wife who sue terrorists on behalf of their
victims, the police chief (with a preference for handcuffs) and his criminal
defense attorney wife who seek to right wrongs, and the covert agent and his
law professor wife, who are smart, funny, and incredibly hot! Each of these
couples have wonderful relationships and incredible lives. And each and every
one of them is dedicated to preserving justice. I wanted their stories to
continue. So, I created the Feisty Lawyers series. Second, “Snatching Dianna”
deals with a law student who is kidnapped by a slave trafficking cartel. This plot
permitted me to focus not only on the continuing problem of slave trafficking,
but also on the investigative issues behind finding a missing adult. In this
story, there is no evidence and no witnesses. It’s takes a lot of investigative
savvy to piece together seemingly unrelated clues. I love complex puzzles and
this story lets me go wild!
Beverley: Why slave
trafficking? That seems like such an uncomfortable subject.
Seelie: My book ends with this statement: Experts
say that more than 3,000 people around the world are sold, kidnapped, or forced
into slavery each day, many of them children. Even in the United States, men,
woman, and children are snatched off the
streets for the purpose of human slavery. Slave traffickers do not discriminate
by race, gender, religion, education, or socio-economic status. Victims of
slave trafficking come from all walks of life, as do those who traffic in
humans. It is a crime of international proportions and one that requires
committed international cooperation.
As a lawyer and a human being, I think
it is a topic worth calling attention to.
Beverley: This book
includes three very different couples. Wasn’t it a little hard to keep track?
Seelie: (laughs)
At times. However, each couple is at a different stage in their lives and each
took a different journey to find one another. That helps to keep them separate.
Beverley: Romantic
suspense is a new genre for you. You’re most known for your Kinky Briefs
series, which are collections of stories about lawyers in love, with a dash of
kink. Why the shift from erotic romance?
Seelie: I
have always had a preference for mysteries and thrillers. I enjoy plots that
challenge the mind. Plus, I am a big James Bond fan. My characters still enjoy
erotic, loving relationships, but now the action focuses on solving a dilemma
or crime. Instead of “metaphorical guns,” these
characters wield real ones. (Wink!)
Beverley: How does
your former profession as a lawyer impact your writing?
Seelie: After
30 years, the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I
can’t flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world
and that naturally guides my characters and plots. Little peculiarities that I
have witnessed in lawyers and the law always work their way into my stories.
Beverley: Any plans
to write outside the romance genre completely?
Seelie: Actually,
I ghostwrite non-fiction for other professionals—doctors, lawyers, financial
gurus—so I dip my toes into a lot of different genres. However, I have been
itching to write a book about a relative who founded a religious cult. I
researched it for years and found a lot of information that had been buried. I
have a pile of paper a foot high. Someday, I need to go through it carefully
and start writing. I have the interest, just not the time.
Beverley: The cover
of the book clearly says “Snatching Dianna” is part one in the Feisty Lawyers
Series. How many more books can we look
forward to?
Seelie: At
this point, I’m not sure. In each book, I introduce new characters with
compelling stories, so it is difficult to predict how and when their stories
will be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
However, the second book, “Infamy,” is in the queue, and I have a good
start on the third, “Cult.” There should be at least one more after that.
Blurb for Snatching Dianna
The hours are counting down as
investigators try to prove that Dianna Murphy has been snatched. Unfortunately,
without witnesses and solid evidence, all the police really know is that she is
missing.
When
suburban Milwaukee law student Dianna Murphy fails to connect with her
roommate, there is no real evidence that she has been snatched. Until Law Professor
Janet MacLachlan, a former covert secret agent, discovers a single clue, one
that points to a taking by a slave trafficking cartel. In a race against time,
Janet recruits her husband, secret agent Cade Matthews, small-town Police Chief
David Manders and his wife, criminal defense attorney Julianna Constant, and
other law students to uncover the truth. Can they prove she has been taken, before Dianna disappears without a
trace?
Excerpt for Snatching Dianna:
After what
seemed like hours in the sweltering van, it lurched to a stop.
Dianna heard a
man bark orders. A door to the van opened and someone pulled the rope from her
feet, then removed her hood. She took a deep breath. A man grabbed her by the arm, forced to her
feet, and pulled from the van. Dianna stumbled when she hit the ground. The stones were hot and her feet were
covered by athletic socks, no shoes. Show
no weakness.
Dianna
immediately surveyed her surroundings. It was still night, but she was in a
well-lit courtyard. A large stone mansion stood in front of her. She looked to
her right, then her left. The courtyard was enclosed by a large stone fence, at
least eight feet high. A fortress. Fortunately, Dianna was a rock-climber. She
could rappel over the fence with the right equipment. All she would need was
something to serve as a pick, maybe a rope. A knife, a screwdriver, even a
fork. Keep your eyes and ears open. Be
ready.
A large black
man, dressed in a white suit and a maroon turban, walked out of the front door
and down the stairs. He stopped and flashed a malevolent smile. He flung his
arms wide and in a cultured baritone boomed, “Welcome to paradise, ladies. I
hope you enjoy your stay.”
Some of the
guards laughed.
“Crikey,” Tillie
muttered. “Sounds like a blasted genie.”
Dianna glanced
sideways and for the first time, got a look at her new friend. She was tall and
thin, her body well defined. She looked strong and aware, almost fierce. Her
eyes seemed to be studying the place, taking everything in. She showed no fear.
Instead, she seemed interested. Something was off. Tillie did not act like a
victim as the others did. She was not cowed. Was she a cop? Or like Dianna,
someone who would not permit themselves to be broken?
There was only
one thing of which Dianna was certain. She had found a friend. A useful one.
Buy Links for Snatching Dianna:
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