Contemporary Authors

Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes

Bigel, Kate

WORK TITLE: Maelcom Daimon Desire
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://katebigel.com/
CITY:
STATE: CA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American

https://www.bigel.net/kate_bio.htm

RESEARCHER NOTES:

PERSONAL

Born in Boston, MA; married; husband’s name Jordan; children: Jonah.

EDUCATION:

Attended art school.

ADDRESS

CAREER

Writer, novelist, art director, and educator. Microsoft Corporation, Simulation Games Group, Redmond, WA, art director.

WRITINGS

  • Sorcha in Snowflakes (novel), InWorld Studios Publishing 2017
  • "DAIMON SOLDIER" SERIES; PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVELS
  • Naberius Daimon Soldier, InWorld Studios Publishing 2017
  • Maelcom Daimon Desire , InWorld Studios Publishing 2017
  • Gusion Daimon Heart , InWorld Studios Publishing 2018

SIDELIGHTS

Kate Bigel is a writer and novelist with something of a mobile home/address: she lives on a sailboat with her husband, and the two frequently travel up and down the Pacific Coast. Bigel was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in Concord, New Hampshire. However, her interest in travel was sparked early as the daughter of a historian and academic who would often take up research positions and exchange professorships in Europe, England, and elsewhere. “I loved discovering new countries, going to new schools and having adventures,” Bigel stated on the Kate Bigel website.

While working as an artist in New York, Bigel met Jordan, the man who would become her husband. He told her about his interest in having a boat and sailing frequently. She indulged his interest in sailing during their courtship, despite the fact that she got seasick. Later, Jordan’s marriage proposal included the possibility of sailing around the world as a married couple. Skeptical, Bigel said yes to the marriage but wasn’t so sure about the global sailing, she noted on her website.

Shortly after they got married, Bigel and her husband left New York and moved to Seattle. Bigel secured a position at Microsoft Corporation where she worked as art director of the Simulations Games Group, she reported on her website. The couple had a son, Jonah, in 1996, and in 2000, “I quit my job in August of 2000 so we could sail down the coast before the autumn storms of the North Pacific kicked up. I became a fulltime sailor, teacher, artist and odd job Queen,” she stated. Bigel and her family have lived on their sailboat in the Pacific for more than five years, and she reports that “the rewards and experiences have been such that it has outweighed any negatives.”

As a writer, Bigel creates paranormal romance novels, such as her “Daimon Soldier” series. The series features protagonists who are daimons, a type of demon with characteristics reminiscent of Vikings. Their adventures feature military action, supernatural backgrounds, and romance between sultry, handsome daimon characters and human females.

Naberius Daimon Soldier

In Naberius Daimon Soldier, Naberius Vasteras is a general in the daimon military who has been exiled to the realm of Earth after the Daimon Wars. Soon after arriving in this dimension of existence, Naberius meets Jessalyn Weiss, a beautiful intelligence analyst sent to investigate and find out as much as she can about him. Soon after their first meeting, Jessalyn and Naberius find themselves feeling the first sparks of interest in each other. Gradually, the initial interest evolves into passionate desire. Jessalyn can’t resist the handsome Naberius, while Naberius himself is drawn to Jessalyn’s intelligence and beauty.

Unfortunately, both hold a secret that could have significant consequences. Jessalyn’s troubled past may emerge as an obstacle to their relationship. Naberius’s secret is much more profound. All that he has shown Jessalyn so far has been his human form. Unknown to her, he also has another, much more terrifying daimon form that looks more like the traditional mythological creature, complete with horns. If he ever shows her what his true form is like, their relationship will have reached a point of no return. But can he do that and risk losing her when she finds out what she’s actually fallen in love with?

Maelcom Daimon Desire

Maelcom Daimon Desire features the title character, who was a supporting character in the previous novel. Maelcom Skov-Baern is also a daimon, a shape-shifting creature who is almost 100 years old despite the fact that he looks like a rugged and handsome man in his early thirties. Maelcom is a recent retiree from the special forces in Denmark. Now, he is more interested in getting involved in intelligence issues in Europe that have an impact on the daimon community. Among his first missions is the investigation of a report that could expose daimons and make humans aware of their existence. The person who filed the report, an intelligence analyst who is more of a conspiracy theorist than a real investigator, is the lodger of Agnes “Nessa” Gustafson. Nessa is an artist and a pacifist, but she agrees to help Maelcom once he has given her a carefully altered version of his reason for being there. Inevitably, although Nessa and Maelcom are opposites in almost every way, they experience a strong attraction that finally brings them together in an erotic relationship. Maelcom struggles to hide his true form from her and to resist the pressures of the daimon mating urge, a frightening biological imperative unique to daimons that could shatter their relationship and leave Nessa traumatized.

Throughout the novel, noted a Kirkus Reviews writer, Bigel “nicely builds up the itchy, teasing heat between her protagonists, leading to erotic scenes that are well-written and steamy.” The Kirkus Reviews contributor concluded that Maelcom Daimon Desire is “Enjoyable on every level, with exciting action, erotic romance, and psychological insights.”

Gusion Daimon Heart

The third “Daimon Soldier” book, Gusion Daimon Heart, combines political intrigue, adventure, and high-intensity romance. The novel tells the story of Gusion, a former soldier with a fearsome reputation as a berserker, and Tatianna, an ice daimon who is supposed to be on her way back to the daimon realm after finishing her assignment in the Earth dimension.

Gusion has found a comfortable existence as a bar owner on Earth. He is still in charge of all security for the daimons on Earth, but he has settled into a relaxed lifestyle that includes uniquely Earth-style entertainments such as heavy metal music, surfing, computer games, and cosplay. When he meets Tatianna, however, his interest in these activities is surpassed by the first twinges of the daimon mating urge. For her part, Tatianna has never trusted a fellow daimon with her emotions, and she finds she must play a more careful political game now that she has attained a position on the daimon ruling council. She knows she can’t return to the daimon realm with Gusion. However, Gusion has something to say about that, and he swears that he’d do anything necessary to have her for his own, even if it puts both of them in political trouble and physical danger.

BIOCRIT

PERIODICALS

  • Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2018, review of Maelcom Daimon Desire.

ONLINE

  • Kate Bigel website, http://www.bigel.net (July 9, 2018).

  • Naberius: Daimon Soldie - 2017 InWorld Studios,
  • Maelcom Daimon Desire - 2017 InWorld Studios,
  • Gusion: Daimon Heart - 2018 InWorld Studios,
  • Sorcha in Snowflakes - 2017 InWorld Studios,
  • Kate Bigel Home Page - https://www.bigel.net/kate_bio.htm

    A Bit About Kate

    Katharine (Kate) Bigel (maiden name: Reiche).

    I was born in Boston , MA . I grew in Concord but spent a great deal of time traveling being taken around Europe as a child. My father, a historian, would get grants and exchange professorships and off we would go to Berlin or England or where ever! I loved discovering new countries, going to new schools and having adventures. I guess the seed was sowed early for enjoying traveling.

    I have to explain how I decided to go sailing or rather who enticed me. When I met Jordan , he told me about how he always wanted to have a boat and sail. I was a starving artist in NYC making videos and paintings. I was not the most water orientated person but he clearly had a plan. First, I learnt how to dive and we went to Jamaica to get my certification. Then he suggested we do a “bareboat charter” in the British Virgin Islands . I discover I get seasick! But I loved the water, the heat and the boat. When Jordan proposed marriage - he said "But you know we are going to sail around the world." Yeah sure I thought thinking we would never have the money for that and I enthusiastically said yes. We got married in a wonderful ceremony at his Dad and Step-Mom's place in upstate New York . Our honeymoon was a bareboat charter through half the Caribbean in 3 weeks. It was awesome and I got sea sick less.

    We wanted to leave NYC and smell green instead of exhaust and we moved to Seattle . I got a job at Microsoft and ended up becoming Art Director of the Simulations Games Group. It was the most amazing job and I had a such a great time that it hardly felt like work. I learnt tons about planes, car racing, computer games and being a good manager. I indulged my game playing self a great deal. I enjoyed working with smart and talented people making cool games together.

    Our son, Jonah, was born in 1996. He was a wonderful happy and silly addition to our lives. We loved living and working in Seattle . We had a large comfortable house in Redmond . We found a boat and bought it and started working on it. I loved my job and couldn’t believe that I was going to really leave. But sometimes an opportunity is too amazing and you have to grab it.

    I quit my job in August of 2000 so we could sail down the coast before the autumn storms of the North Pacific kicked up. I became a fulltime sailor, teacher, artist and odd job Queen. It was big transition. Sometimes difficult particularly when faced with a big sink of dirty dishes or in a bad storm, I wondered “what am I doing?” but the rewards and experiences have been such that it has outweighed any negatives. My job as Jonah's teacher takes a lot of time but it is very gratifying and fun to spend so much time with him.

    I don't get seasick as often as I used to so things are better in that department. I am good up to 30 knots of wind and I have good medicine. Going to weather still makes me green - that's trying to sail into the wind for you landlubbers - a very uncomfortable motion.

    I love the places we see, so interesting and varied. We have been in the Pacific for five years and I don’t know if we will continue on but its has been a wonderful time. It's so exciting to arrive in a new country by sail. The people we meet are wonderful particularly in the more remote islands. The best is dropping anchor into a blue lagoon and jumping overboard to check the anchor amid beautiful fish and lovely coral.

  • Kate Bigel Home Page - https://katebigel.com/about/

    ABOUT

    KATE BIGEL
    Kate Bigel grew up a bookworm in a family of bookworms—the kind of little girl who walked down hallways at school reading and bumping into people. She went to art school and painted narrative works from her imagination. She found her way into the computer game business and worked there for years. Kate lives with her husband on a sailboat because it’s home and they love to travel. They sailed around the Pacific once and hope to head out for more adventures soon. She is really happy for e-books or the boat would have sunk by now.

    She is hoping to continue on her journey around the world while she writes more and more stories.

    Kate Bigel writes stories with heart, adventure and a touch of magic.

    IMG_4738 copy

    Email me at KB (at) katebigel.com

  • Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B01N3SLTSK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1?redirectedFromKindleDbs=true

    Kate Bigel grew up a bookworm in a family of bookworms—the kind of little girl who walked down hallways at school reading and bumping into people. She went to art school and painted narrative works from her imagination. She found her way into the computer game business and worked there for years. Kate lives with her husband on a sailboat because it’s home and they love to travel. They sailed around the Pacific once and hope to head out for more adventures soon. She is really happy for ebooks or the boat would have sunk by now.

Bigel, Kate: MAELCOM DAIMON DESIRE
Kirkus Reviews. (Mar. 1, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Bigel, Kate MAELCOM DAIMON DESIRE InWorld Studios Publishing (Indie Fiction) $12.99 11, 30 ISBN: 978-0-9985558-2-9

In this paranormal romance/thriller, a daimon ex-soldier and a Swedish artist unite on a mission and in the bedroom.

Maelcom Skov-Baern, nearly 100 years old (his ID says 33), is a daimon, a species related to humans whose members can alter their forms. First introduced as a supporting player in Naberius: Daimon Soldier (2017), Maelcom is the star of this tale, having retired as a warrior in Denmark's Special Forces to focus on daimon-related intelligence issues in Europe. Going to a Stockholm bar to investigate a report that could expose the existence of daimons, Maelcom meets Agnes "Nessa" Gustafson, 26, a pacifist artist. Her lodger, an intelligence analyst, filed the report. Maelcom rescues Nessa when she's almost raped, and when he tells her the edited truth about his mission, she decides to help (although the lodger is a fairly harmless conspiracy nut, he and his associates need looking into). Nessa and Maelcom couldn't be more different, physically and otherwise, but they feel a strong mutual attraction and have in common a history of trauma. As the two track down information, visit a music festival, dodge dangers, fight bad guys, and have narrow escapes, erotic heat sizzles between them. This challenges Maelcom to hide his true form from Nessa--and to conceal from himself the daimon mating urge, a more serious matter than hooking up. In her follow-up to Naberius, Bigel (Sorcha in Snowflakes, 2017, etc.) provides a well-integrated backstory and exposition, making this a winning stand-alone novel. Also successful is her blend of romance, spycraft thrills, and the paranormal, bolstered by thoughtful psychological exploration of her characters, particularly the PTSD theme. Both Nessa and Maelcom have reasons to admire each other's courage, and Nessa's emotional intelligence is a huge asset; in her own way, she's as protective as the big, strong ex-soldier. Bigel nicely builds up the itchy, teasing heat between her protagonists, leading to erotic scenes that are well-written and steamy. More than that, Nessa and Maelcom just plain like each other, in a way that the author always makes believable.

Enjoyable on every level, with exciting action, erotic romance, and psychological insights.

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Bigel, Kate: MAELCOM DAIMON DESIRE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A528959735/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=71deb781. Accessed 24 June 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A528959735

"Bigel, Kate: MAELCOM DAIMON DESIRE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A528959735/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=71deb781. Accessed 24 June 2018.