Anniversary Celebrations: Author Visit and Give-Away: Kaje Harper

Today one of the most loved M/M authors is in the clubhouse. Kaje Harper is as skilled at writing short, poignant stories as she is writing full length crime, fantasy, sci-fi and, of course, romance novels. Personally, Mac - from her Life Lesson's series - is one of my all time favourite characters (in book two...well I think it is the most romantic scene I've read, ever. I love love and it shows in that book, in that scene, boy does it show...but I digress)... So basically, it is a huge honour to have Kaje join us for out anniversary celebrations. To get to know this amazing author better, we chucked a few questions at her...

Welcome, Kaje. Straight in with the questions... What are your favourite M/M themes? 
I'm a big fan of hurt/comfort in stories - I love seeing two men deal with tough times and pain, and turn together to hope and love. I like established couples and sequels, watching the guys grow and become more than they thought they could be as they overcome external obstacles. And I enjoy a book that has a second genre - mystery, fantasy, SciFi, historical - to give the plot added density.

What books do you consider Desert Island Keepers?
I have almost 300 books on my Goodreads "favourites" shelf, but if I had to choose a dozen M/M books... "Sidecar" and "Chase in Shadow" by Amy Lane, "Scrap Metal" by Harper Fox, "Forget Me Not" by Jordan Castillo Price, "Turbulence" by Lyn Gala, "Muscling Through" by J.L. Merrow, "The Magpie Lord" by K.J. Charles, "Faster Than the Speed of Light" by Lucius Parhelion, "The Butterfly King" by Edmond Manning, "The General and the Horse Lord" by Sarah Black, "The Student Prince" by FayJay, "Whistling in the Dark" by Tamara Allen... damn, that's already twelve, isn't it. So many other great books. Could I just bring my Nook and a solar charger to that desert island?

What's your go-to tasty beverage?
I drink pots of black tea (usually Strong Assam) with milk. My husband refers to me as a device for turning tea into words.

Do you have any secret talents? Inquiring minds want to know!
Not really. I'm pretty good at making weird Halloween costumes (from the years when my kids wanted to be things like an active volcano or a jellyfish or a refrigerator. I miss those years.)

If you had to choose to be one magical beast, what would it be and why? (You don't have to say unicorn...but we won't say neigh either). 
A cat. What, you think they're not magical? They get fed twice a day, soft places to sleep, never have to work, make toys out of anything, are allowed to have attitude and sneer at their humans, and seem to understand everything you say. (Insult a cat and see what happens. A dog will go by your tone of voice and not care. A cat will get back at you someday.) They are totally hiding their true nature and the fact that no one suspects and everyone treats them as harmless and cuddly? Totally magic.
Cats are totally magical creatures!!! 

Who's your favourite porn star? 
I'm afraid I don't watch porn so I don't know. There are some pretty guys who go by on my Facebook feed pictures, though. I'm a sucker for high cheekbones, dark hair with fair skin and blue eyes.

Do you have author envy? Whose words do you read and think, "GAH, I wish I wrote that!"? In general, Lois McMaster Bujold creates characters who have such humanity combined with bone-deep integrity, that I wish I'd written them so they'd live in my own head. In M/M, Amy Lane for the heart-grabbing emotion and characters I love, Harper Fox for the lyrical narrative voice, K.J. Charles for the way her characters interact on multiple levels, with snark and heat, and for the great lines.

Any new projects you're currently working on? 
I'm wrapping up the sequel to "The Rebuilding Year" - off to beta readers soon (and I'm still trying to find a title for it.) Then I've started a new mystery with a hint of paranormal, maybe first of a new series. The sequel to "The Family We Make" is percolating, but hasn't come together enough to write it yet.
Oooh - yay, LOVED The Rebuilding Year! Thank you so much for joining us today Kaje, it really has been a pprivilege.

BMBR would like to offer an e-copy of any of Kaje's already published books to one lucky winner.To enter to win please leave a comment on this blog post and let us know (1) your name and a means of contacting you (e.g., email, Twitter handle, link to Goodreads account, etc.) and let us know (2) Who your must read author is and why. The giveaway is open until 10:00PM (Pacific time) on November 15th. Shortly thereafter, we will contact a winner whom we will select using a highly scientific "names in a hat" method (or, you know, an internet randomiser). 

Good Luck!