Welcome to Coffee Chat

As a special treat to my fans, I’m starting a series of blog post called Coffee Chat. My good friend, Tracy Arnett, helped me come up with this idea a while back, but due to some personal issues on both ends, we weren’t able to launch these segments. Now that life calmed down enough to for us to get back on track, we’ve decided to move forward with the project.

In case  you didn’t know, Tracy runs Spunky & Sassy Bookaholics and is one of the best interviewers I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. So sit back, grab your favorite cup of coffee (or booze. we don’t judge 🙂 ) and enjoy some behind the scene info about my books, characters, and writing career.

*Spoiler Alert: If you have not read Soulmate 1-4, you may want to wait to read this post.

Series Post 1

Tracy: I would love to chat more about your characters. I want to know more about the first group of Soulmates and ‘unfortunate’ couples. What led Nate to where he is now?

Kelli: A huge factor in Nate’s downfall is Nicholas Lewis. Nate made an effort to befriend Nick when he first arrived in Brightsville. Nick was just discovering he had powers and the family history of the Psi. Being a telepath wasn’t easy. Imagine reading other people’s minds, especially a teenager who is already in a cloud of hormonal confusion. Nick felt weird around other kids so he didn’t make friends easily. The mere notion that Nate wanted to be friends confused him until he learned that Nate was Psi.

Then, Anna came along. Since Nick was her soulmate, it was love at first sight from the moment they laid eyes on each other. Too bad Nate was around to witness this. A while later, Nick sees Nate and Anna together. Jealousy rears its ugly head, and Nick uses his abilities to dig deeper. When he reads Nate’s mind, he discovers he’s in love with Anna. I could go on, but I’m planning a prequel for these characters.

Tracy: Wow! I knew jealousy played some part in it as Nate loved Anna too. So Nate is the third wheel in their relationship, but where did Delia come into the picture? How did Nate fall for her when he was in love with Anna? That is the part I don’t really understand. I know with Layne that he fought his attraction to Heaven because Dylan and him had been friends for so long, and Layne felt that Dylan was his best friend. That is why he turned to Faith and made that colossal mistake… Plus he was thinking with another body part. The Beast has a mind of its own.

Kelli: Yeah, you could say that… 😉 Okay, back to the original question. Delia came into the picture when the trio went to college. She and Nate are soulmates but an unfortunate pair. He loved Delia and cared about her, but Anna owned his heart. That conflict affected his relationship with both women.

He’s kinda like Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vadar. He wanted the power to control things, including Anna. His love for a woman and his loss of her turned him dark. So did his struggle to find his place in the universe. It damaged him and forced him to do things he regretted, but he didn’t feel he had a choice. Delia loved him and endured the heartbreak for Dylan. When Spencer came along, the pain Nate caused her from day one, eased. The bond between a Seeker and her Keeper is powerful.

I’d like to add that there is much more to Nate and Anna’s story that’s coming to light soon.

Tracy: Speaking of the bond between a Seeker and a Keeper, how can their relationship change to soulmates like we see happening with Layne and Heaven? I know that the reason Heaven said she was with Layne was because she needed to save his life, but how could she betray Dylan like that? I know a lot of Dylan and Heaven fans see it this way. Personally, I say follow your heart. Can you give some insight without giving away anything that hasn’t been revealed yet? I don’t want any spoilers. I love finding out when I read the book.

Kelli: Heaven and Layne aren’t like most Seekers and Keepers. They share an affinity. We learn in What the Heart Desires that an affinity bond is a soulmate bond, the strongest bond, because the soulmates are Twin Flames. Heaven struggled with her decision to save Layne because she knew what it would do to Dylan. She didn’t realized she was fighting against the connection with her ‘true’ soulmate—something she couldn’t deny. Resisting Layne at that point would be like resisting air. As with most of us, we don’t get to choose who we fall in love with. It just happens. Both she and Layne have fought the pull between them since book 1. But there is so much more to this storyline, and I promise it will all make sense by the end of the series.

Tracy: So what happens with Dylan and Heaven and their connection? Does it just stop because she’s giving in to her connection with Layne? Sorry, I know these questions are probably ones you can’t answer, but I just wonder about all these decisions that Layne and Heaven are making and how they will impact the people around them.

Kelli: Dylan and Heaven are still soulmates. Their connection hasn’t disappeared. Unfortunately, it’s full of pain, and their daughter is trying to protect them. You have to remember too that Heaven and Layne’s bond isn’t complete. As book 5 & 6 unfold, and more is revealed, you’ll see that things aren’t always what they seem. I know this may not make sense now, but it will. Remember my Darth Vadar comparison? He didn’t go dark without some, uh, help…

That’s it for this week. If you’d like to check out the next post in this series, you can find it here.

Much love and hugs!

Kelli~