We had the pleasure of welcoming back Katee Robert, bestselling author and writing machine, whose third installment in the Dark Olympus series, Wicked Beauty, releases in June. This time around, we got to ask her about high-stakes competitions, polyamorous ships in books and so much more, plus Katee shares an excerpt from Wicked Beauty with us at the end of the interview!
Hi, Katee! Thanks for joining us again! Tell our readers a bit about yourself!
Thank you so much for having me back! I’m a romance author who specializes in spicy romance and has a deep and abiding love of all retellings and reimaginings. I’m a workaholic, so other than writing and spending entirely too much time on social media, I’m usually reading or knitting or contemplating what new color I should dye my hair (I’ve almost managed the complete rainbow).
Lightning round: What are the first books that come to mind when you hear the words “deadly competition,” “sexual tension overload,” and “political schemes”?
Deadly competition always makes me think of The Most Dangerous Game. Honestly, I think about that book far more than I probably should. I blame my 9th grade English teacher. His reading list left an impression!
Sexual tension overload is definitely A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland. It comes out later this year, but it’s my favorite read of 2022 so far.
And Political schemes? Definitely Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey. She wrote a political back and forth that truly boggles the mind, and she’s created one of my favorite villains of all time.
Now, onto Wicked Beauty! What can readers expect?
Short answer: Mess. A delightful mess. It’s a polyamorous love story set against the background of a tournament where the consequences for losing are devastating. And, of course, my customary level of spice!
Wicked Beauty has an incredibly high-stakes, action-packed competition for the title of Ares at its center. Without spoiling too much, did you have a favorite scene while writing the competition?
My favorite scene is one that, ironically, wasn’t in the first draft. It’s the second trial (there are three, of course. Three is a pretty number). It was added in during edits, and I got to pull one of my id list items: a maze. It’s also the turning point for each of the characters in different ways, which is like hitting the top of the roller coaster ascent and then there’s nothing else to do but hang on through the drop.
In Wicked Beauty, Helen, Patroclus and Achilles find their way to each other. What, in your opinion, makes the perfectly balanced polyamorous ship?
I’m always focused on character first, so I often look at triad polyamorous ships as a weighted triangle that needs to be perfectly balanced. How do they fit together? Patroclus and Achilles have a pretty good relationship before Helen is introduced to it, so what is she bringing to the relationship that was missing before? For these three, it comes down to Patroclus being Helen’s soft place to land, and Achilles being the one who will go toe to toe with her and takes her strength as fact. Helen’s presence gives Achilles pause for the first time in his life—something he actually needed, even if he’d never admit it. And, for Patroclus, she’s meeting him on a different level than Achilles does.
In Wicked Beauty, we get a deeper understanding of the current political situation in Olympus. What would readers be shocked to learn about the dark secrets the Thirteen harbor?
I think there isn’t much people would be surprised to find about the Thirteen, but I’m hoping that Hermes will throw them for a bit of a loop as the series continues. Which I can’t fully explain without spoilers, so I’ll keep that nice and vague for now.
With more books following in the Dark Olympus series, what are you looking forward to the most while writing and what is challenging you to put down on paper?
I’m writing the sixth book right now and it’s probably the most challenging book I’ve ever written. It’s Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis, and Pandora in an open poly knot, so there are four point of view characters and a LOT of feelings. Also mess. So much mess. Trying to balance the emotional stuff, the sex, the scheming, and the greater plot… It’s a LOT. I’m enjoying it, but also terrified that I’m going to boggle it.
Wicked Beauty has a captivating mix of action, tension and secrets – if you had to pick songs to describe Helen, Patroclus and Achilles on their own and one that fits them together, which ones would you go for?
Helen is probably mad woman by Taylor Swift, at least at the start of the book.
Patroclus is most definitely Drinking Song for the Socially Anxious by The Amazing Devil.
Achilles is Irresistable by Fall Out Boy.
And all three of them? Probably Love Me Better by MOTHICA.
With Wicked Beauty releasing soon, what other project(s) are you currently working on? Care to share a tidbit about it with us?
I’m wrapping up work in a super secret project, but I’ll share a little bit, just for you! It’s coming in July. For those who have checked out my book The Dragon’s Bride, they might recognize one of the characters involved…
I’m not sure what I expect, but Ramanu finishes their examination and focus on me. “Hello, little witch.”
“Demon.” I study them right back. Gods, they cut a fine figure. Broad shoulders. Long black claws that match their horns. Deep crimson skin and teeth that are little too sharp. They’re wearing black pants that are loose and flowing, and a fitted black shirt. It’s not quite a Catholic priest’s get-up, but it’s close enough. “You look like something out of a naughty nun’s wet dream. Did you dress up just for me?”
They laugh, a deep booming sound. “A summoning is rare. I like to look the part.”
“The part of a demonic priest?”
“Not quite.” They touch their collar. It’s round and fitted, but there isn’t a bit of white in sight. “You’re not terrified at all. That’s a relief. Dealing with the sobbing and hysterics is exhausting.”
I might be desperate, but I’m not that desperate. I glare. “You’re the one in my circle. Maybe you should be terrified of me.”
If anything, their smile broadens, flashing those too-sharp teeth. “All right, little witch. I’ll play. Show me your claws.”
Last but not least, hit us with your book recommendations!
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi is releasing at the end of June and it’s PHENOMENAL. It’s a fantasy told through the eyes of three characters, each with a different blood color (which creates the caste system in that world). It’s a story of revenge and it’s got a tournament arc AND it’s got a queer romantic subplot.
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland, out in August. I mentioned this earlier, but this book is SO FREAKING GOOD. It’s got some of the best anxiety rep (in my personal experience with anxiety, at least) I’ve ever read, and an amazingly tense slow-burn romance between a prince and his grumpy bodyguard.
And, finally, Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen, out in July. This YA fantasy made my soul so happy. The heroine is cranky and guarded and completely unrepentant about doing what it takes to survive—and get ahead. Throw in a prophecy, a hate-to-love romantic subplot, and a mystery around beasts showing up and this book is a WIN.
WICKED BEAUTY EXCERPT
I turn back to Patroclus and Helen. She’s switched legs, and it irritates me further that neither of them even noticed me standing here. That spurs me into motion, the possessive ugly thing inside me taking control. I stop a foot from them and snarl. “Get up.”
Patroclus startles, which pisses me off more. He’s damn near impossible to sneak up on because he’s always thinking ten steps ahead, and yet he’s so focused on this woman that it put his big brain on hold. He sits back and shifts his hips as if I can’t tell that he’s got a raging boner. I glare at him and then turn my attention to her. “Up.”
Helen looks good. Damn it, I hate that she looks good. She’s got on a pair of pants and a sports bra that cling to her sweaty skin, showing off her toned stomach and nice tits. She sits up slowly, her expression pure challenge. “He was helping me stretch.”
“I can see exactly what he was doing.” It would be bad enough to have been the one to catch them, but with the Minotaur watching, judging, fucking laughing, I can’t get a hold of my anger. “You.” I point at Patroclus. “Get your head on straight.”
“Achilles—”
I ignore the exasperation in his tone and turn to Helen. “And you. Back to your fucking room, princess.”
“Funny thing, that.” She pushes to her feet, and I fucking loathe the way Patroclus watches her as if he’s going to jump in and catch her if she stumbles. The Minotaur is right; she’s working fast, and she’s working on my man. Helen stretches her arms over her head, pure challenge in those amber eyes. “You’re not the boss of me.”
“Helen.” Now Patroclus turns that exasperation in her direction, which is another indicator of how close they’ve gotten in such a short time. He might be soft, but he’s very careful about who he extends his circle of protection to because of it. It usually takes ages for him to warm up to a new person. How the fuck did she manage it in just a few days? It can’t be because she knew him before I did. It can’t.
“I might not be the boss of you right now, but I’m going to be your husband and you will stop acting like a spoiled little brat.”
Patroclus sucks in a breath, and Helen’s spine goes ramrod straight. “Say that again,” she snarls.
I don’t bother. Instead I grab her and toss her over my shoulder. Patroclus starts to move forward, but I hold up a hand. “I don’t want to hear shit from you right now. Do your workout. We’ll talk later.” I don’t give him a chance to respond. I just turn and haul a cursing Helen out of the gym and through the halls. After the briefest hesitation, I go through my door instead of hers.
I barely have a chance to set her on her feet before she swings on me. I dodge back, easily catching her fist. “Sloppy.”
“I’ll show you sloppy, you asshole.” She aims a kick for my balls, and I turn my hips. The impact hits my thigh and she’s put enough strength behind it to stagger me. She’s quick, too, dancing back a step and snapping another kick at my face.
I catch her ankle and yank her off her feet, following her to the ground when she immediately tries to jump back up. She’s scrappy; I’ll give her that. She manages to elbow me in the face before I wrestle her to the floor and pin her wrists on either side of her head. “That’s enough.”
“Fuck you.” She’s so furious, she’s vibrating, her amber eyes practically shooting lasers at me. “No wonder you want to be Ares. You’re just like the last one: a fucking bully.”
“Shut up.”
But she doesn’t. She snarls in my face and tries to throw me off her, like I don’t outweigh her by a shit-ton. And she keeps running that godsdamned mouth. “Poor little Achilles got his pride hurt because Patroclus was nice to me. Gods, you’re pathetic.”
“Shut up,” I grind out.
“Make me!”
There is no excuse for what happens next. One moment I’m ready to haul her to her feet and kick her ass out my door. The next… I don’t know who moves first. Maybe she arches up. Maybe I dip down. The end result is that I’m kissing Helen Kasios, precious princess of Olympus, the woman I fully intend to marry when I become Ares.
She tastes like victory.
