Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work.
Today, Elizabeth Noble – Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE lives by the adage “I can’t not write.” She doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t make up stories and eventually she learned how to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M fiction. A part of every day is spent living in worlds she created that are filled with intrigue and espionage. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural.
When she’s not chronicling the adventures of her many characters, Elizabeth is a veterinary nurse living in her native Cleveland, Ohio. She has three grown children and now happily shares her little, brick house with a spunky Cardigan Welsh Corgi and his sidekick, tabby cat. Elizabeth is a fan of baseball, basketball (go Cavs and Cleveland Baseball) and gardening. She can often be found working in her ‘outside office’ listening to classic rock and plotter her next novel waiting for it to be dark enough to gaze at the stars.
Elizabeth has received a number of amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.
Thanks so much, Elizabeth, for joining me!
Elizabeth Noble: I’d like to thank you and your readers for having me here today and putting my books in your spotlight!
J. Scott Coatsworth: Glad to have you! Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
EN: Yes, I do read any reviews I find. When I was going through the books I took back from a publisher with the intention of self-publishing I found the reviews helpful when deciding on changes/additions to make to each story during the re-editing process. How I handle them depends on where they’re posted. Good reviews on review blogs I share on social media, which, I hope in some small way helps build the blog’s audience. I put a little quote from the review and a link to the blog on my website and I thank the reviewer and blog. Goodreads reviews I ‘like’ and put a simple thank you in the comments. There are no bad reviews because everyone’s opinion matters. There are less-than-glowing reviews and those I generally don’t respond to in any way. On my website there is a link to Amazon and Goodreads reviews section for each of my books.
JSC: How long have you been writing?
EN: Since before I could write! Ever since I can remember, I’ve been making up stories. When I was a small child, I told my stories to anyone who’d listen. I lived with my grandparents and I’m sure they were very happy when I learned to write and switched from the spoken to written word because they finally got some quiet.
JSC: How did you choose the topic for this book?
EN: Code Name Jack Rabbit, and the entire The Vampire Guard series came about for a few reasons. The characters are from The Sleepless City series I wrote with Anne Barwell. That series ended, but the characters just kept right on talking to me and demanded their stories continue. All the attributes vampires (and werewolves) have almost make them superheroes. I love spy stories and I love the paranormal. What could be better than combining the two to create some paranormal spies?
JSC: What secondary character would you like to explore more? Tell me about him or her.
EN: Jasper Coate. He’s a werewolf, Lucas Coate’s uncle and Lucas is a lot like him. They both question things, don’t simply accept a thought or tradition because that’s the way it’s always been done. Neither is afraid to change their opinions based on what they learn. In both The Sleepless City and The Vampire Guard, Jasper has leant the main characters support and help in some unexpected, and valiant ways. I feel he and his lover, Carl, will eventually have bigger parts and maybe their own book.
JSC: We know what you like to write, but what do you like to read in your free time, and why?
EN: When I read fiction it’s scifi and mysteries mainly. There are a few BDSM authors I enjoy as well. When I read non-fiction my loves are astronomy, geology, archeology as well as any sort of science-based articles. Because those interests do well in the sorts of books I write, they double as fun research.
JSC: What pets are currently on your keyboard, and what are their names? Pictures?
EN: I never turn down a chance to talk about my four-foots. I have a dog, Finn. He’s a Cardigan Welsh Corgi and a buff-tabby cat, Murphy. They’re buddies and my buddies!
JSC: Were you a voracious reader as a child?
EN: Good heavens, yes! I was the kid who was told to get my nose out of a book and go outside. So, I’d go outside and read…lol
JSC: What are some day jobs that you have held? If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.
EN: For most of my life I’ve worked in veterinary medicine and I’m currently a veterinary nurse. I’ve also done stints in a grocery store bakery, teacher’s aide in a school, taught astronomy in a grade school program and worked in a video rental store. Everything a writer does impacts their writing, or at least that’s how I feel. There are four-footed characters in my books who are important secondary characters.
JSC: What’s your drink of choice?
EN: Caffeine! I love both coffee and tea. I drink them in hot and cold versions. I’m a little picky and I get my coffee beans whole and grind them fresh to make a hot cup. I use loose tea leaves when I drink hot tea. I brew my own cold-brew coffee and my own iced tea to make my special iced tea blend.
JSC: What are you working on now?
EN: I’m working on The Vampire Guard series. Book one, Code Name Jack Rabbit will be released January 12, 2021, so just about a month from today! Vampires and werewolves live long lives, and the characters from The Sleepless City have more story to tell. While The Sleepless City was a paranormal romance/urban fantasy The Vampire Guard is different. There is a romantic element, however romance isn’t the focus. It’s mainly an urban fantasy/paranormal thriller/spyfi centering on espionage and the use of high-tech gadgets. The second book in the series, Quarry will be out late spring or early summer 2021. The third book, Endosymbiont is still in progress.
And now for Elizabeth’s new book: Code Name Jack Rabbit:
Vampires and werewolves live long lives. The Sleepless City saga might have ended but the story continues…
Welcome to The Vampire Guard, where legend and myth meet science and technology.
Vampires make the best spies. Throw a smart-mouthed werewolf in with three vampires, mix well, and The Vampire Guard’s newest team is bound to become one of their greatest assets. Super spies with a full range of skills. Warrior, hacker, thief, and scientist. They get in, do the job and get out before the bad guys ever know what hit them.
Forge, Blair, Declan, and Lucas are thrust into the world of high-tech spies and top-secret espionage conspiracies. Recruited into the world’s most elite and secret organization with one singular mission. Protect those who can’t defend themselves from ruin.
Life becomes complicated when an impending Presidential visit to their town, Boggslake, throws them headlong into the world of the vampires and werewolves of the Vampire Guard. Very quickly they uncover and confront a werewolf terrorist organization known as the Qiguan.
Together they must thwart an assassination attempt on the open waters of Lake Superior while tracking a previously unknown biological weapon controlled by the Qiguan—a weapon which may very well mean death for one of them.
Get It On Amazon
Excerpt
Lucas decided it was his good luck—no, it was a real blessing—neither Declan nor Forge could read his mind. Right now he wanted to kill them both. Lucas could do it too. Ten minutes wolfed out was all he needed. Vampires might be faster, but werewolves were stronger.
Being in a surveillance van with three vampires wasn’t the fun and excitement one might expect it to be. Lucas liked Kai, but he was sure Ori would agree that in this circumstance, Kai would have to die too.
Forge was pacing, at least as well as a man could inside a van with three other decently sized men. Lucas was leaning against one side, gazing at a camera feed, and doing his best to stay out of the way and not strangle Forge.
Declan put both hands on Forge’s shoulders and said, “Jonas, he’ll be fine.”
“He’s never done anything like this.” Forge turned and stared at the monitor. “Damn, I wish I could see him and not just hear him.”
“Jonas, it’s a pizza parlor, and she’s a research scientist. What the hell can she do to him?” Declan asked. Forge and Kai both turned to look at him. Declan heaved a sigh and shoved Forge into the seat beside Kai. “Relax. You can hear every word they say and feel what Blair feels. If anything goes wrong, you’ll know it practically before he does. You and I muddled through information collection with far less support and lived.” Declan rolled his eyes and focused on Lucas.
“I should go out there and back him up. In case.” Forge started to stand, but Lucas helped Declan push him back down.
“In case of what? They run out of pepperoni?” Lucas asked.
“She might recognize you,” Kai said. “You’re the head detective of this town. There is no need to take the risk someone will recognize you and blow everything. Besides, when making contact with someone with the express purpose of entering some sort of relationship with them, having your bond mate hanging around a few feet away is a bad idea.”
“He speaks from experience,” Ori chimed in and chuckled.
“You all do realize I can hear you, right?” Blair’s voice was crisp and clear coming from the speaker.
“Heads up. There she is. She’s about to walk through the door,” Kai said. He pointed to the monitor. “Got to love predictable people.”
Elizabeth’s Author Links:
Website http://www.elizabeth-noble.com
E-Mail: elizabeth.noble19@gmail.com
Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/gDB_6P
Circles website: http://bit.ly/2aryKUQ
Vampire Guard website: http://bit.ly/232TyHH
JMS page: http://bit.ly/2MRnmYC
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bqjwCc
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1BZ2Doa
Facebook Author page: http://bit.ly/2yULsIM
Twitter: @elizabethnoble1
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2yUgVus
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2b8IQdL
QueeRomance Ink: http://bit.ly/2jmzVfk
Liminal Fiction: https://bit.ly/2Y84k4u
Gay Romance Readers Club: http://bit.ly/2S5UNdP
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2YzjHlr
Bookstrand: http://bit.ly/2Z7zHzq
BookBub: http://bit.ly/3m01SHg
Facebook group:
www.facebook.com/groups/onthepatiowithelizabethnoble/
Facebook The Sleepless City Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesleeplesscity