• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Contact Me
  • Review Policy
  • About This Blog
  • Request a Review
  • Author Spotlight Request
  • Privacy Policy

Nautical Star Books

Gay Romance Book Reviews, Book Giveaways, Author Tours and New Releases

  • Reviews
  • Giveaways
  • Book Tours
  • Authors
  • Free Reads
  • Excerpts
  • New Releases
  • Cover Reveals
  • Book Series
  • LGBTQ Publishers

Author Spotlight: Cassie Sweet and her newest book Kiss of Death: Alchemists and Elementals Book III

April 17, 2015 by Devan Huff Leave a Comment

The Author Spotlight will focus on a different author every few weeks – it may feature an experienced writer who has a long history of published books, or a new author who is destined to be a future star. Today our Author Spotlight will be on Cassie Sweet. You can keep in touch with Cassie at the links following the interview!

Posts feature books that may have been provided at no charge & may be sponsored. Post contains affiliate links & I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on links.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Author Spotlight: Cassie Sweet

Author Spotlight Image 2

First off, I want to thank Cassie  for taking the time to answer these questions for me. Please feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comment section below!

 

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

What is the title of your newest or upcoming book?

Kiss of Death: Alchemists and Elementals Book III

What publisher is this book being published by?

Dreamspinner Press

What is the publication date?

5/15/2015

Alchemists and Elementals Book III

Purchase link: Dreamspinner

Alchemists and Elementals Book III

 

THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Cassie Sweet is switching locations and leaving the long, cold New Jersey winters for the sunshine of Florida. She lives with her artist husband, Dave and their rambunctious canine, Lily. When not writing, Cassie spends her time watching doctumentaries, reading reasearch materials, and having deep philosophical discussions with her hubby about the fate of the crew on the Red Dwarf and will they have an 11th season or not.

Can you give the readers a brief summary of your latest book?

Headmaster Oberon Bertolini, has been placed in a difficult position. Seventeen years ago, his lover, Hazrael, the most powerful etherealthant to ever live, was abducted and presumed dead when no trace of him could be found on either the physical or metaphysical plane. Through a miraculous turn of events, Hazrael has returned to the fold with no memory of his time with the necromancers or the atrocities he was forced to inflict on humanity while under their control. Oberon is torn between his memories of the man Hazrael used to be, and the one who now stands before him, trying to make amends for deeds preformed without his consent or knowledge. Fear fills Hazrael as new, odd powers manifest as he physically heals. Necromantic carvings decorate his body, reminders he is altered from his alchemists’ teachings. He is now other and the chasm between those he thought were his friends and himself is a divide he despairs he’ll never bridge unless he can help them defeat the necromancers and gain a bit of revenge for all they’d done to him. If he can rise above his circumstances and begin anew, redemption might very well be within his grasp. But a visit from the Hierophant, a religious seer, warns Hazrael that the marks he bears are the Kiss of Death, a way for the necromancers to track him. He knows to win the war he must sacrifice himself to save those he loves, but wants only to live the future he and Oberon had planned together as young lovers so many years ago.

What genre does it fall in?

Fantasy Romance

Will you share a few words about your latest book, other than the usual blurb?

Redemption is never an easy path to tread, even more so when one has been forced to live and serve the necromancers. It takes a strong will and great fortitude to find the light in the dark.

Give us a little insight into your main characters! Who are they?

Oh, Hazrael! My heart actually bled for this character. He’s so tortured and tries to do the right thing to help those who were once his friends. His former captors have changed him in ways he doesn’t realize or understand. His powers are many, but without a way to control them. His treatment at the hands of the necromancers was brutual and unforgiving. Now if he can only forgive himself and move on. As for Oberon. Dear, sweet Oberon. Seeing his former lover alive after believing him dead for so long is a shock. He’s conflicted between the man he’d known so long ago and the creature the necromancers have made. Still, he feels in his heart that deep inside the real Hazrael is struggling to get out. He’ll do what he can to help, even if it means both their destruction.

Will we be seeing these characters again any time soon? Is this book part of a series?

Yes, this is the final book in the Alchemists and Elementals series. I do have plans for a follow up series that will take place 500 years later.

Tell us a little bit about your writing style. When and where is your favorite time/place to write?

It all depends. Since at the moment my household is in flux, (moving across country is never an easy proposition), I’ve been using the living room for my work area, since I’ve packed up my office. I write better in the mornings and will do the bulk of my work then. Since I write on about 3-4 books at once, I can keep a writing session going until the evening. At times I’ll close the computer and write long hand on a spiral notebook. I’ve managed to fix quite a few plot tangles that way.

What sort of book do you enjoy reading in your free time? What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it?

Last book I read was the final book in the Coldfire Triology by C.S. Friedman. I thought it was very well done and a brilliant conclusion to a great series.

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? Have you held any interesting jobs while you worked on your books?

I’ve pretty much dabbled in writing since I could first hold a chubby pencil and learned my letters. I started writing seriously for publication a little over 20 years ago. During that time, I’ve pretty much held one job in the healthcare industry. As a result I can write body trauma that will make your hair turn white. Prior to that I worked as a waitress, hostess, radio DJ, sold life & health insurance. I’ve had a lot of interesting experiences over the years, and regret none of them.

What does your writing process look like?

You know those clover-leaf traffic patterns you see in major cities? Yeah, that’s what it would resemble if I drew a schematic of it. It’s very round-about. I used to be a compulsive plotter. I’ve since gone a bit more on the wild side and started having more of a vague idea of where I’m going and then just get in the writing car and drive. Even when I plotted the book out, I never really stuck to it anyhow, so I think I always was more of a pantser at heart. However, I do like to use my spiral notebooks to figure out direction if I’m stuck or to do a bit of pre-writing in the evenings and then go back the next morning and flesh the scene out. After I finish a book, I’ll let it set for a few days or weeks while I work on something else, and then go back and do a critical read where I take notes on anything that sticks out or catches my eyes. After that I work on those scenes that need fixing or fleshing out, fix continuity errors I might have and then ship it off to the submissions editor.

Why did you choose to write GLBTQ romance? Why not another genre?

With 4 different pen names I write across all genres. Cassie Sweet is the only one that write purely m/m. I never really set out to write m/m it happened when I got the idea for the first Alchemist and Elemental book, Eye of Truth. It was one of those moments where the characters simply said, “Yeah, we’re gay.” I was like, all right, good to know, now let’s get this done. I found while writing that book that I really loved it. I’ve always enjoyed writing heroes, so this is just an extension of that enjoyment. Under my other pen names I do have a few characters who are bisexual, so I guess I’ve been writing GLBTQ characters for longer than I’ve had the Cassie Sweet name.

One last questions…totally unrelated to books! I am a passionate foodie. Is there one thing in your pantry that you would be horrified for people to know that you eat?

Pressurized cheese. – I know. What can I say other than there isn’t any in there at the moment. It’s my only defense.

Thankyou so much for answering my questions. I think my readers will enjoy learning more about you! Good luck in your future writing!

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE AUTHOR:

Find out more about Cassie by visiting the author’s website. You can also check out their profile on Goodreads or follow on Facebook or Twitter.

Devan Huff
Devan Huff

Filed Under: Authors Tagged With: Author, Cassie Sweet

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

STAY CONNECTED

Affiliate Link Disclosure

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Devan's books

A Vampire's Heart
really liked it
A Vampire's Heart
by Kayleigh Sky
Review first posted on Nautical Star Books . I can honestly say that A Vampire's Heart by Kayleigh Sky has got to be one of the best vampire romances I have read in quite some time.  This is the first book of the  Ellowyn Found trilogy ...
Robbie
it was amazing
Robbie
by Ella Frank
Review first posted on Nautical Star Books . If you are looking for a scorching hot MMM romance with fabulous characters, Confessions: Robbie by Ella Frank was incredible. This is book one of the Confessions series and includes several...
Where Death Meets the Devil
it was amazing
Where Death Meets the Devil
by L.J. Hayward
Review first posted on Nautical Star Books . This is the first book by L.J. Hayward that I have read. I can honestly say that it was a fabulous story that had my nose stuck in the book for the entire weekend. If you love good suspense...
Throwing Stones
really liked it
Throwing Stones
by Avery Cockburn
Review first posted on Nautical Star Books . Throwing Stones is the first in a spinoff series related to the Glasgow Lads football/soccer books, but may be read as a stand-alone novel. I have read several of the previous romance books b...
Trick Roller
it was amazing
Trick Roller
by Cordelia Kingsbridge

goodreads.com

Follow Us on Pinterest!

Visit Nautical Star Books's profile on Pinterest.

Commonly Used Tags

A.M. Arthur Amish Annabeth Albert Anthology Author BDSM Bisexual Blog Tour Carina Press Christmas Contemporary Crime Dreamspinner Press Eli Easton fantasy Female/Female Free Read Giveaway Historical Interlude Press Keira Andrews L.A. Witt Less Than Three Press Loose ID M/M/M Male/Male Menage Morticia Knight mystery New Releases Nic Starr Paranormal Pride Publishing Quinn Anderson Riptide Publishing RJ Scott Samhain Publishing Science Fiction Shifters Siren Publishing Suspense Tara Lain Torquere Press V.L. Locey Young Adult

© 2010–2025 · Nautical Star Books ·

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT