New interview with romance author Meg Benjamin

Romance author Meg Benjamin is back for a visit. Today we’re chatting about her new paranormal novel, Unseen.

During her virtual book tour, Meg will be awarding a $20 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:

Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance. Her newest series, the Folk, is a paranormal trilogy from Soul Mate Publishing set in Colorado. Meg’s Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (all are available from Entangled Publishing). Along with contemporary romance, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews, Meg. Please tell us about your newest release.

Unseen is the second book in my Folk series. The Folk are descended from European fairies and living in the Rocky Mountain region. In Unseen my hero, Teran Richter, has been hired to find possible members of the Folk living in a remote mountain town, Animas, Colorado. Teran is half Seelie and half mortal, just leaning to accept his Folk heritage. He and his assistant, Reynard, arrive during Animas’s annual Fall Festival, which involves a lot of parades, some beer drinking, and a ritual burning of a straw man as the festival climax. However, what seems like a routine assignment soon becomes dangerous as Teran and Reynard are attacked by unknown enemies. Teran gets some help from the locals, including Marika Sager, a talented weaver who becomes a lot more than just his local contact. The final confrontation with their attackers brings help from an unexpected source. Can Teran prevail? Well, of course, but at what cost?

What inspired you to write this book?

This is the second book in the Folk Trilogy, so it picks up some of the threads from Book 1 and that’s a major influence. But I was also inspired by one of my favorite mountain towns, Crested Butte, Colorado, and their annual Vinotok Festival. Vinotok always struck me as the kind of festival supernatural beings would enjoy, so I had a great time bringing the festival and the Folk together.

What’s the next writing project?

The third book in the Folk series, Found, will be released in March 2019. It features many of the characters from the first two books, as well as the ongoing mystery of who’s trying to undermine the Folk and their leaders.

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)

It’s always a challenge getting the story worked out. I’m a plotter—I need to know where I’m going when I get started, so I have to work it out in advance. That’s pretty dreary, but it has to be done. Once I’ve got a road map worked out, I can feel free to take detours and scenic routes because I know there’s always a main road I can come back to.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?

My research for Unseen was largely into fairies and their traditions. I used Anna Franklin’s Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Fairies, which was a font of information as well as being a lot of fun. I read Franklin before I started working on the Folk series, and then used the notes I made to flesh out the Folk world.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.

I write in my study, which is on the second floor with a great view of the neighbors’ back yards. It’s not as scenic as our bedroom, which has a view of the mountains, but that’s sort of a plus since it keeps me from daydreaming too much. I have my beloved MacBook set up on the desk with my UE Boom speaker on the bookcase behind me. I can’t write and listen to music at the same time, but occasionally it’s great to take a break.

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?

I love reading thrillers, mysteries, and regency romances. Right now I’m working my way through Karen Rose’s Baltimore and Cincinnati thrillers, with occasional stops at Grace Burrowes regencies for relief.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?

I hope your readers will enjoy the Folk. It’s not a traditional paranormal series in a sense—Prince Bertie is a regency hero and Teran has some resemblance to a classic cop. But it’s got enough of the supernatural to appeal to readers who love fantasy. Plus it was a lot of fun to write!

Links:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Instagram | Kindle

Thank you for coming back to Reviews and Interviews!

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New interview with romance author Meg Benjamin

Romance author Meg Benjamin joins me today to talk about her new paranormal, Away.

During her virtual book tour, Meg will be awarding a $20 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:

Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. Her newest series, the Folk, is a paranormal trilogy set in Colorado. Meg’s Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (both are available from Entangled Publishing). Along with contemporary romance, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers. Meg’s Web site is http://www.MegBenjamin.com. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Meg loves to hear from readers—contact her at meg@megbenjamin.com.

Welcome, Meg. Please share a little bit about your current release.
Away is the first book in a new paranormal series, The Folk. My hero is a member of The Folk, a complex society of magical beings living in the foothill suburbs of Denver. You might call them fairies, but you probably shouldn’t do that in their hearing. My heroine is mortal, but one night she sees her brother in the parking lot at the club where she works—the same brother who disappeared and supposedly died in the mountains ten years earlier. She hires the hero to find out what’s happening, thinking he’s a private detective. He’s actually a police officer for the Folk rather than a detective, but he decides to help her anyway. The search for her brother turns up a much more sinister conspiracy that threatens my hero and heroine, as well as the Folk themselves.

What inspired you to write this book?
I love writing paranormal books, although most of my other books are contemporary romance. I love the idea of parallel worlds, that the supernatural lies just beneath the surface. And the supernatural can appear when you least expect it.

Excerpt from Away:

“Almost there,” Bertie called cheerfully. “What would you like . . .” He stopped, squinting at something in front of him.

Annie looked too. The fog seemed to have disappeared, leaving darkness behind. A peculiar kind of starless sky. She swung her Cyalume farther in front.

And saw absolute blackness ahead.

A wall of darkness had appeared in the road, snuffing out the light. The illumination from their chemlights seemed to bounce back, unable to penetrate the gloom

Behind her, Grim brought the car to a stop. “What is it?”

“Darkness,” Bertie said tersely. “All dark.”

A sound seemed to grow in front of them, a roaring grumble, like a distant waterfall. A distant waterfall that was somehow getting louder. Annie bit her lip, piercing the dark with her suddenly puny flare.

“It’s coming closer,” Bertie said softly.

Annie stared. The wall of darkness was moving, blanking out everything it touched. Annihilating the night around them.

 

What exciting story are you working on next?

Book 2 of the Folk, Unseen, is tentatively scheduled for an August release. It includes some of the same characters as Away, along with some new faces. It’s set in a mountain town, Animas, which is based on Crested Butte and includes a version of their famous Vinotuk Fall Festival. I love Crested Butte, and I had a lot of fun writing a romance based there.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Before I wrote romance, I was a college teacher, and I wrote lots of things that were part of my job. I can still remember the first article I had accepted by a journal, realizing I could actually do this for a living. Through all the other ups and downs, I still get that feeling when somebody likes my work.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’m retired from my day job now, so I do get to write full-time. I find that I work better in the afternoon for some reason, so I usually get my chores done in the morning. Then I spend the afternoon in my study, although I try to spell myself so that I don’t spend the afternoon sitting down. I’ll write for thirty minutes and then go do something else for five minutes, just to give my brain a rest and my muscles something different to do.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’m a planner, more’s the pity. I have to know where I’m going and how I’m going to end before I start. That doesn’t mean I won’t change things once I get going, but I need that outline in my hand before I can actually get started.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be the two things I ended up being: a writer and a teacher.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I really enjoyed writing The Folk, and I’d like to do more books set in this world. Many thanks to Soul Mate publishing for taking the series on. I hope everybody enjoys it as much as I did.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Buy Link

Thank you for being a return guest on my blog!

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Interview with contemporary romance author Meg Benjamin

I’m a tour stop today for author Meg Benjamin. She’s talking with me about her new contemporary romance story, Running on Empty.

During her virtual book tour, Meg will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice) 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:
Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. Her Konigsburg series for Samhain Publishing is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Ramos Family Trilogy is set in San Antonio’s King William District. Her Salt Box trilogy takes place in her new home the Colorado Rockies. She’s also the author of Going Up in Flames, part of the Sapphire Falls Kindle World series. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

Welcome, Meg. Please share a little bit about your current release.
Running On Empty is book three in my Salt Box Trilogy. Here’s the blurb:

She’s running her heart out to stay in the same place.

Ronnie Ventura has every reason to distrust Fairstein Productions: she’s had run-ins with their shows before. But Fairstein’s newest reality show offers Ronnie a chance to redeem herself from looking like a blonde bimbo. All she has to do is win a modified triathlon. Simple, right? Except this is Fairstein, and nothing is ever simple with them.

Ronnie’s boss at the Blarney Stone bar and café, owner Ted Saltzman, is a lot less convinced that another Fairstein show is just what Ronnie needs, particularly when he’s head over heels about Ronnie himself.  But she’s determined, and he’s a man in love.

Ted becomes her running coach, which fans their budding romance to a fever. But can Ronnie’s newfound confidence stand up to the usual Fairstein plots? And can Ted find a way to keep his true love in Salt Box if Hollywood tries to steal her away again?

What inspired you to write this book?
I really wanted to end the trilogy by returning to one of the supporting characters in Book 1 (Finding Mr. Right Now), Ronnie Ventura. Ronnie started off as a naïve and slightly exasperating bachelorette on a reality show, but through the course of the trilogy she develops into a much stronger, much more self-confident woman. I wanted to show what she’d learned and how much she’d grown from book 1.

Excerpt from Running on Empty:
Ted watched Ronnie circle the high school track. It was always a bit easier to train here since the track had quarter-mile markers and he could time her more accurately. Saturdays were the only time they could use it, though, until school was out.

They’d switched to two minutes of running followed by a minute of jogging for the warm-up, rather than the one-minute run, two-minute walk that he’d started with. Ronnie’s stride was really developing.

As he’d watched her over the past few weeks, he’d come to a surprising conclusion. Dick was right—Ronnie was a natural athlete. She loved to run, just like she loved to bike and swim.

He was a little embarrassed about how long it had taken him to realize the extent of her abilities. He was willing to bet that he would have wised up a lot sooner if she hadn’t been, well, Ronnie in all her Ronnieness. He wasn’t sure why the idea that a gorgeous woman could also be an athlete seemed so revolutionary. Probably more evidence of his troglodyte side.

Now she was sprinting down the stretch, knees pumping, arms swinging at her sides. She seemed to be enjoying herself, but lately she always seemed to be enjoying herself. The sight of Ronnie running full-out in shorts and T-shirt did predictable things to his libido.

Of course, the sight of Ronnie doing just about anything did predictable things to his libido these days. Even when he caught a glimpse of her bent over her bike, which was about as unsexy as you could get, he still found himself watching her long legs spin the pedals, her blonde hair steaming behind her helmet.

God she was lovely. And God he was a horny, lust-filled idiot around her.

What exciting story are you working on next?
My next is a trilogy about a family-owned brewery in Colorado: Brew Romance, Love On Tap, and Ale’s Well That Ends Well. It should be out next year.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I wrote for most of my life, since I was expected to publish a lot while I worked as a college English teacher. But I really wanted to try writing fiction. When I discovered romance and found my local chapter of the Romance Writers of America, I started to feel more confident about what I could do. When I finally got my first acceptance from Samhain Publishing (Venus In Blue Jeans), I began to feel like I’d actually made it.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
Since I retired from teaching, I write full time. I have a quota for myself—1,000 to 2,000 words a day. I usually write during the afternoon, but when I’m really under the gun, I write whenever I can. I’m lucky because I consider writing my full-time job and I make time for it before I make time for anything else.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’m an insane plotter. I can’t start writing until I’ve at least done a summary of what the plot’s going to be (and I usually do a lot more than that). I may not stick with the summary because characters will frequently take off in directions I hadn’t thought about, but I have to have it. It’s sort of like a security blanket: it keeps me from coming to a stopping point and having no idea what’s going to happen next.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a college professor. I have no idea why, but it always stuck with me. And that’s what I did!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I hope you all enjoy Running On Empty. It was a real labor of love for me. Originally, it was supposed to be published by Samhain, but after they started having problems, I got the rights back and taught myself how to publish it on my own. I just didn’t want the Salt Box Trilogy to be incomplete!

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon | Samhain | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | All Romance Ebooks

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

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