The Second Time Around

So many experiences are different the second time around. I discovered this fall that having a second child is a completely different experience from having your first.The same can be said for the second day of school, the second time you make a dish or go on a certain hike, and the list goes on. As I finalize Perilous Light and get ready for its March 30th release, I can't help reflecting on how different the experience is this time. Like all other "seconds" it's all about expectations.This time I have a much better idea of what to expect from the publication process, but on the flip side there are also more expectations both my own and those of my readers. I can only wonder how different it will feel on the third time around.

Behind the Gate Interview: Nancy Straight

This week I have the pleasure of welcoming Nancy Straight to the blog! Nancy is the author of the romantic and suspenseful Destiny Series!

Can you tell us a little bit about the Destiny series?  The Destiny Series trilogy is a Paranormal Romance with enough suspense to keep “thriller” junkies interested.  It’s about a couple that are thrown some pretty terrific obstacles and the only truth they know are that they should be together.  The heroine is strong, intelligent, witty, and has an exceptional moral compass.

What’s next? Do you have any other books/series in the works? I am always envious of authors that are able to work on multiple projects simultaneously.  Unfortunately I’m not one of them.  Destiny’s Wrath published the end of January.  A week later I began my current project.  It’s also in the Paranormal Romance genre.  The series is currently untitled but it is about a girl that loses her mother only to find a family she never knew.

What is your favorite part about being an author?  The feedback from readers!  There is nothing more exciting than getting a note or tweet from someone that just finished a book and says something like, “I read until 3 a.m.”  I love the Destiny Series, but I have been floored by the kind words and compliments from both people I don’t know and other authors that I admire.

What do you do when you are not writing? I have two sons, a husband, three dogs and a full time job, so my days are pretty full.  I’m  fortunate to have many things in my life that I love, in addition to the love of writing.

What are some of your favorite books and what do you look for in a good book? Alyssa – You know I loved Beckoning Light!  Others I think every Paranormal fan should read are:  Shelly Crane’s Significance Series, Charlotte Abel’s Channie Series, Shannon McDermott’s Beg for Mercy, and Nicole Williams’ Eden Series.  I look for real emotions to jump out of my kindle and drag me through the story.  Laughter, tears, joy – each of these books gave me a physical reaction when I read them.

If you found a hidden gate in your backyard, where would it lead to? Wow, great question!  I live in Charleston, so I routinely look for the hidden gate you described in your book, LOL!  There are so many places that I love, Pattaya Beach in Thailand was wonderful and I would like to go there again someday – I think that’s where my hidden gate would take me.  

Tell us four random things about yourself.  I served in the US Marine Corps for ten years.  I LOVE the Big Bang Theory on CBS.  I’m furious with HBO for screwing up Charlain Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse Series in their True Blood adaptation.   I am technologically challenged and have a blog to prove it – I’m working on improving my blog but have been focusing on writing the last couple weeks.

Thanks so much for coming by Nancy! I'm so excited to hear about the new series! 

If you want to learn more about the Destiny Series, Mandy of Twimom101 has a great review of Meeting Destiny: Twimom101 Meeting Destiny Review

Connect with Nancy: 

Goodreads

Twitter

Blog

Facebook

Amazon

New Voice

I'll be working with my editor on Perilous Light starting this week, but meanwhile I've been writing Flight, the first book in the Crescent Chronicles. A paranormal romance/urban fantasy, Flight is narrated by eighteen-year-old Allie as she heads down to New Orleans to spend the summer before starting college. One of the big differences in writing Flight has been the narration. As much as I love writing the dual narrative of the Afterglow Trilogy books, there is something satisfying about the more linear nature of a single point of view story. Allie is an entirely different girl from Charlotte and I'm enjoying the challenge of getting used to her voice. I'll keep you updated on the progress, but I should have Flight ready for an early fall release.

Behind the Gate Interview and Giveaway: Michelle I Brooks

In Beckoning Light, Charlotte finds a hidden world behind a gate.  Although you will not find any hidden worlds here, with this interview series I hope to give you a glimpse "Behind the Gate" of some great authors and fantastic bloggers.  

For the first Behind the Gates interview I have the pleasure of welcoming Michelle I Brooks, the author of the dark and unique YA paranormal romance/urban fantasy Bone Dressing. I loved Bone Dressing and I am really excited to read book two, The Dreaming. I got to talk a little with Michelle AND she has graciously offered a free e-book for giveaway.

               

Want to know more about Bone Dressing? Chandra at Unabridged Bookshelf has a great review: Unabridged Bookshelf Review of Bone Dressing

Where did you come up with the idea for Bone Dressing?

Bone Dressing visited me one night in my dreams … the whole series of seven books … the main characters, their tale from start to finish … the stories within their story … and the story that takes place outside the pages, within the reader. The details have come since, but the entire process has been more something that’s simply flowed through me, rather than something I created. It’s more like I’ve just given it breath, a voice of its own.

One of the great things about your books are the characters, how do you come up with them and are they based on real people?

Hmmm, how do I come up with them? Simply said, I don’t. They come up with me. Bone Dressing is told through the eyes, the heart and soul, of Syd. It’s the story of a young woman who’s a bit lost, a girl trying to make some sense of herself … of the world around her and her place in it. So, written from her perspective, Bone Dressing and the characters in it are ultimately her creation. Life is how we choose to see it. If I sat down to write and forced the creation of people as I chose, regardless of Syd, her feelings, her needs, the story wouldn’t be Syd’s, it would be mine.

Are they based on real people?

Well, yes and no. They are based on the sinner and the saint that live in the hearts of us all. The only difference is, some of us, Mr. A. for example, cozy up to the sinner, while others, like Patricia, are more comfortable with their own innate goodness. Syd tends to fall in the shadowed never-land that lies between the two. She struggles with either extreme, particularly within herself, as does Beau, although to a much lesser extent. Then, of course, there are the rare Sarah’s of the world who seem to see past all the definitions and simply see the whole person, perfect just as they are … no assembly required … utterly unbroken.

I know you are currently working on the sequel to Bone Dressing, The Dreaming. What are a few things readers can expect in this new book?

Huh! What to expect from Syd? Expect her to be exactly that … Syd. Nothing more, nothing less. But, do remember, Syd isn’t some lost little girl from Kansas who can’t seem to find her way home. Syd’s chosen to leave her world behind her ... she left all the comforts of her life, good and bad, to chase down her big, bad Wicked Witch of the West … and her sweet little dog “Toto” is a black panther capable of pulling the spirit from her very bones. So expect Syd to try to figure out how to use her newfound gifts, expect her to be faced with more of the unexpected, expect Mr. A to be hot on her heels … and expect Syd’s feelings for Beau to develop the way a girl’s do as she begins to face her own developing sensuality, her innate desirability.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I have three teenagers and a new hubby. What do I not do? I love and laugh, and hug and kiss, and cook and clean, and work and play, and try to find the time to write in the midst of it all … the hugging and kissing’s the best part though!

What are some of your favorite books, and what do you look for in a good book?

Favorite books … there are a million. I’m a sucker for a great story. Among my all-time favorites are The Hobbit, anything by Poe or Shakespeare, To Kill A Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye … As for what I look for in a good book, that’s easy. I look for something engaging, usually something from a perspective that’s different from my own. I’m definitely not put off by something written with a unique voice, or in an uncommon style of expression.

If you found a hidden gate in your backyard, where would it lead to?

Oooh, you heard about my hidden gates, did you?! Why, those are secret passages. They take me to the very edges of my own imagination … medieval castles shrouded in the mist, the taste of dark magic hanging in the air … white sandy beaches tattooed with only two set of footprints, mine and those of a mysterious  stranger hidden among the palm trees swaying gently in the balmy breeze … the blistering hot never-never deep within the Australian outback, where Syd’s adventures may have taken her …

Tell us four random things about yourself.

Four random things, huh? I adore the feeling of free-falling. The Middle Ages would probably have been a much more comfy time for me to have lived this life. Smother just about anything in habaneros or jalapeños and I can probably suck it down in ten seconds flat with a smile plastered on my face. Kissing booths are highly under-rated … what a great way to spend time in my next life, bringing joy to others through the warmth of a human touch. I am, after all, a kissing enthusiast … some things will never change.

To find out more about Michelle and her books check out these links:

http://michelleibrooks.com/

http://twitter.com/MichelleIbrooks

http://www.goodreads.com/michelleibrooks

https://www.facebook.com/BoneDressing

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment (with email) below and on January 26th I will randomly select the winner.  Thanks for stopping by!

Perilous Light Release Date

I'm excited to announce that Perilous Light will be out on March 30th!

Best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Storytelling

Life is full of circles, even if we don’t notice the cyclical nature of things right away.

I grew up listening to my father’s stories.They were filled with fantasy and always managed to transport me into another world. It wasn’t until later that I realized that the basis of many of his stories were books like Lord of the Rings. I wasn't disappointed by that realization—instead it excited me. I couldn’t imagine how amazing it would be to write a story that others would love enough to adapt into stories of their own—stories worthy of their children. It was these stories that cemented in me a lifelong love of fantasy that has fueled many of my book ideas.

My daughter is now old enough that I have become the storyteller. Although some tales are new, I can’t help but pull elements from the stories my father told me. And so the cycle continues. As I put my own spin onto the stories, infusing them with my voice, I can’t help but hope that my children will continue the tradition of storytelling. I hope that when they do, their stories contain hints of the tales told before.  

New Beckoning Light Cover

I'm very excited about this gorgeous cover designed by Laura Estill!