Renae Kaye Interviews Cardeno C.!

Thanks so much to the Blogger Girls for having me here. I have a habit of sharing release dates with the amazing Renae Kaye and we’re at it again (almost) right now. My book, Blue Mountain, releases today and Renae’s next book, Safe in His Arms, releases November 28th so we thought it’d be fun for Renae to interview me about Blue Mountain. “How is that connected?” you ask. I have no idea, but it gave the two of us a chance to chat, which is always welcome.

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Renae: Hi, Cardeno! Thanks for allowing me to interview you. I was so excited to see you have a new book out. Oooh – and a wolf pack one?

CC: Yes! I love shifter stories so I wanted to write another shifter collection. This one is novellas – each freestanding. The first one is called Blue Mountain.

Renae: The cover is gorgeous. Tell me – who does the covers for you, and how much input do you have into the design?

CC: Best question ever right out of the gate! This cover is really special to me because the artist is Jay Aheer, a reader. I have a Facebook Group, which is just a fun place for me to connect with readers and for readers to connect with each other. The group is pretty new so I’ve been getting to know people and Jay is one of those people. She is a cover artist and she shared some of her work. I immediately loved it, so when it was time for a cover for Blue Mountain, I went to Jay. It was a real joy for me to have someone with her talent, who also happens to be a reader, design the cover. (You can find information about Jay’s covers here.)

Renae: For those who don’t read shifter novels, what exactly is an Omega?

CC: In this particular universe, an Omega is a wolf whose nature is more submissive, calm, and sensitive than most wolves. They help a pack by binding members together and they derive great satisfaction from bringing happiness to other shifters.

Renae: Mitch sounds like a great Alpha wolf – patient and caring, but fierce when he needs to be. Is that what being an Alpha is all about?

CC: An Alpha’s primary function is to protect the pack. They keep everyone safe and help the pack prosper. Most shifters have predestined mates, who they put first in all things. But because Alphas have to focus on their pack, they’re granted mates only if they’re strong enough to both lead their packs well and cherish their mates as they were meant to be cherished. Mitch is a unique Alpha in that he has a twin brother who is also an Alpha. They have very different personalities that meld well to help the pack.

Renae: Which sort of character is your favourite? The Alpha? The underdog?

CC: I like both types of characters. It’s fun to write a tough guy Alpha whose strength is obvious, but it’s also wonderful to write about the underdog, whose strength shows in different ways.

Renae: I love opposites attract type of stuff. Is this what this is about? Does it have a HEA? (Prays Cardeno says yes).

CC: Yes, exactly! In this book, I got to write an Alpha who is so huge, strong, and powerful that even the people he dedicates his life to protecting fear him. And I got to write his mate — a submissive, small, beaten down Omega who has more strength than anyone the Alpha has ever known, himself included. (And don’t worry, there’s a HEA. Those are the only kinds of books I write.)

Renae: So this is the start of a new series? How many books do you anticipate being in the series?

CC: I think of my groupings as collections rather than series because each book is freestanding. For the Pack collection, I have a shifter universe with a set of rules and each book will live in that universe, but they’ll be independent. I have several books roughly sketched out. The next one will be called Red River.

Renae: Thanks again for the interview, and I am SO much looking forward to this.

CC: And I am beyond excited about Safe in His Arms. I love your books and this one sounds especially romantic. (And for anyone who hasn’t ordered it yet, you can get Safe in His Arms here.

About Blue Mountain

Exiled by his pack as a teen, Omega wolf Simon Moorehead learns to bury his gentle nature in the interest of survival. When a hulking, rough-faced Alpha catches Simon on pack territory, he tries to escape what he’s sure will be imminent death. But instead of killing him, the Alpha takes Simon home.

A man of action, Mitch Grant uproots his life to support his brother in leading the Blue Mountain pack. Mitch lives on the periphery, quietly protecting everyone, but always alone. A mate is a dream come true for Mitch, and he won’t let little things like Simon’s rejections, attacks, and insults get in their way. With patience, seduction, and genuine care, Mitch will ride out the storm while Simon slays his own ghosts and Mitch’s loneliness.

Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Don’t forget to check out JustJen and Nikyta’s review of Blue Mountain to see what they thought of it!

About Cardeno C.

Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.

You can find Cardeno at these sites: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Page & Blog.