Gracie C. McKeever

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Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

My name is Gracie C. McKeever and I'm a romance and erotic romance author. I haven't gotten up the nerve to leave my day job and do the writing gig full-time, so I still work a 9 to 5, but I get in the writing and promotion whenever I can, carving out time between work and leisure. I love to travel but I haven't been to nearly as many states and countries as I would like, though I have knocked several places off my bucket list. My favorite places to visit so far have been Greece (specifically Mykonos and Santorini) and Hawaii (Maui). New Orleans is running a close third as, like Hawaii, I traveled to both locales solo and enjoyed the solitude and the challenge of getting out of my comfort zone to travel alone.

When and why did you start writing books?

I started writing when I was a child, in second grade. I've always written. I've always loved to write and to read and been fascinated by the written word. Reading and enjoying books made me want to write my own book, not necessarily a classic, but something that was enjoyable and memorable to several people in addition to my family and friends. I've always written "long" so novels were always on my radar. I think I finished my first book in my early twenties, and it's been long- cannibalized for parts and used in more than a few of my current published book and short stories.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

It really wasn't a choice or conscious decision. I love writing, and I always wanted to be read. Tackling writing as a career was the only way to fulfill that passion.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

I always balk at this question and you've probably heard this response before: asking an author which of their books or characters is their favorite is like asking a mother which one of her children is her favorite. I love all my books and characters for different reasons. I love New Life Incognita for being the first book I ever published. I love the characters as reflections of so much of myself and my background despite the supernatural themes. New Life Incognita taught me the value of research and I delved deep into the wiccan belief system to make sure I portrayed it accurately and that my wiccan characters were true-to-life. Beneath the Surface was my first published erotic romance and I have a lot of fond memories creating it and shopping it around before it finally found a home at Siren Publishing.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

I would have to say Eternal Designs was my hardest to write. It definitely took the longest to finish (so far) and I had to figure out a way to write myself out of a corner early on. I think it helped me to recognize how not to write myself into a corner in my following books and for that, I'm grateful.

Who is your favourite author and book?

That's difficult to nail down. I have so many favorites--past and present. I love and have read all of Octavia E. Butler's books so I would have to put her at the top of my list and I would have to say her Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents are two of my favorite books. I love the Vampire Queen series by Joey W. Hill and the realistic and provocative way she portrays the BDSM sub-culture and its practitioners. I love Shannon McKenna's romantic suspense thrillers and her intense and erotic sex scenes. I really enjoy the inventiveness of Larissa Ione's Demonica series. Tina Wainscott's On the Way to Heaven (aka Until I Die Again) inspired my paranormal romance New Life Incognita so I can't forget to mention her or her romance book(s) about second chances (one of my favorite tropes).

What book are you reading right now?

I'm reading a couple on my phone and one on my Kindle: Random Acts of Crazy by Julia Kent, The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay and Educating Peter by Arabella Maghri.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

I get my inspiration from just about anything. A name I hear at the clinic, a great metaphor or quote (all of which I collect on my phone in notes and in little notebooks). A snappy piece of dialogue. Anything and everything inspires and is fodder for my writing and my books.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love playing handball, kickboxing, spending time with my family and bingeing on my favorite TV shows.

Do you have any new books in the works?

I just released the 2nd book in my Muses Trilogy, Picture Perfect: Drake & Thora, and will be releasing the 3rd and final book, Deadly Interlude: Griffin & Sela, in April. I'll be releasing two anthologies in the next few months--one of erotic romance stories and the other a collection of fantasy and paranormal stories. I'm also currently working on Savage Beauty, the fifth book in my erotic romance Play On series.