I have
a special interview with paranormal romance author Amy McKinley today.
As she
does a virtual book tour for her novel Hidden,
Amy will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift
card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your
chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there,
too.
Bio:
Amy McKinley
is a freelance writer and author. She lives in Illinois with her husband, their
four talented teenagers, and three mischievous cats. Her debut novel, Hidden is
the first in the Five Fates Series.
Welcome, Amy. Please tell us about Hidden.
Hidden is the first book in the Five Fates Series and I’m so excited for its release!
Half-demon, half-goddess, Jade’s fate makes her a pawn in an epic battle among the gods. Hidden on Earth with her sisters, she successfully avoids the Oneiroi—the dream gods—bent on her destruction until the prophecy, long dormant, awakens a dark shadow within her.
Roen, a reclusive Worr demon known for his battles against the Oneiroi, is called to protect Jade. Together they must unlock their mysterious connection and find a way to beat back destiny. Can she outsmart the prophecy, change her fate, and find love—even when she learns who is connected to her destruction?
Excerpt from Hidden:
Hades kissed his wife, Persephone, one last time before
reluctantly relinquishing her above ground, where her mother impatiently
waited.
“Behave while I’m gone, Hades.” Persephone traced a
pink-kissed nail along her husband’s dark jawline.
He was loathe to shave too often as the rough stubble
against her skin excited her. “Six months is ridiculously long,” he murmured
against her lush lips. “Find a way to meet me at the meadow.”
Mischief danced in her eyes as she stepped onto the boat
which would ferry her along the River Styx, leading her out of the Underworld.
“It’s a date,” she purred, blowing her husband a sultry kiss.
That woman slays me. He watched until she was out of sight.
Once his bride was gone, his attention returned to his beloved Underworld and
the current state it was in.
Hades leapt onto his chariot. A resounding crack split the
air as he commanded his four black horses to lead him past boiling lava pits
and stalagmites to the deepest, fiery pits of the abyss—Tartarus.
Creatures scampered out of his way. Fallen angels and demons
went about their business—lest they draw his anger—as he thundered past.
Tormented screams echoed off cavernous walls and pools of fiery despair. His
pulse roared in his veins. He reveled at what he was about to see…
The Fates’ curse had begun.
Reining his steeds to a halt, he dismounted, his black boots
crunching on a mixture of bones and jagged pieces of rock. Amidst the prisons,
the things of nightmares tortured imprisoned souls.
A laugh rumbled up from his gut and rolled out. He threw
back his head then ran his hands through his black hair, freeing it from its
tie. Pers wasn’t here right now, due to his brother, Zeus’s, acquiescence to
Demeter.
Hades ignored the slow burn in his chest at the thought of
his wife being gone for six long months and focused on the game of persecuting
his brother instead, for he knew a thing or two about Aiesa’s offspring that
Zeus did not.
An ear-splitting scream rent the air, snapping Hades out of
his thoughts. New souls.
He knew who sent them. Although he benefitted from so many
entering his domain, his brother would not be happy.
What a perfect time to pay Zeus a visit.
Do you ever wish you were someone else? Who?
Yes and
no. I’m happy with so many aspects of my life. I have a wonderful family. But I
do wish I looked like Angelina Jolie or Kate Hudson with the magical powers of
Tabitha on Bewitched.
What did you do on your last birthday?
Ha!
Sometimes I can’t even remember what I did yesterday with how busy my family is.
One thing we always do is spend the day together. I love that. On my last
birthday we made fondue and went to the movies.
What part of the writing process do you
dread?
There
are a few things I dread. A draggy middle, a transitional scene that’s slow, or
a character I’m just not connecting with. That’s when I step back and do a
character sketch and get to know the one that’s giving me such a hard time.
Usually after spending an hour, or even a few days, everything clicks into
place. And for the draggy middle and scenes that just aren’t working? Revise,
revise, and revise!
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If
so, what do you do about it?
Absolutely!
I listen to music while I write, which is funny because the playlists are on a
loop and drive some members of my family crazy (Well, one is a writer too, so
she gets it.). The thing is, I don’t really hear the songs after a while. They
end up fading into the background and then I’m in a writer’s zone with music that
corresponds to the mood of the scene.
So when
I’m in writer’s block, I change the music and sometimes that shakes things up
enough for me to begin again. If not, I may go for a walk.
Anything else you’d like to share with the
readers?
I love connecting with my readers. I can be reached through these social media avenues:
Thank you, Amy!
