Interview with romance author Michelle Garren Flye

Romance author Michelle Garren Flye helps me kick off a new week by chatting with me about her new contemporary romance, Becoming Magic.

During her virtual book tour, Michelle 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:

Michelle Garren Flye is an award-winning romance author of eleven novels and counting. Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com, among others. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library, Butcher Shop Quartet and Tattered Souls. Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina.

Welcome, Michelle. Please share a little bit about your current release.

Becoming Magic is the fifth book in my Sleight of Hand series, which features magicians (stage magicians, not the paranormal wizard kind) as heroes/heroines. Becoming Magic is a little darker than my other books in this series. The heroine was sexually assaulted as a young woman and hasn’t totally recovered from it. The hero, a sexy movie star turned magician, has a tough time convincing her to let down her guard with him long enough for him to convince her he’s a good guy. Which he definitely is.

What inspired you to write this book?

So many things. Women are at a point in history where real change can and is occurring for us. From the #Metoo Movement to running for office, we’re stronger and braver and more present than we’ve ever been before. Yet the romance genre—which is written and read mostly by women—isn’t reflecting that. There are still so many alpha heroes, controlling relationships, rape fantasies and sexual practices like sadomasochism that were once marginalized but are now prevalent in the romance genre. As women, we need to make up our minds. Do we want to be treated like sex toys or do we want to be respected? And why should it make a man less sexy to be willing to wait? That’s what my “new kind of romance” is all about. My heroes make waiting for the woman very sexy. Here’s an excerpt that might just prove my point.

Excerpt from Becoming Magic:

She reached for a handful of popcorn and her hand brushed his. When she turned her head and met the gaze of the same pair of clear blue eyes as those on the screen, her heart skipped a beat and she froze. For an eternity of a half second, neither of them moved, then he slowly turned his hand over and folded his fingers over hers. “Is this okay?”

“Yes.” She breathed the single word, then added, “And no.”

“No?” He raised his eyebrows.

“I really want some popcorn.”

“And I still really want to kiss you.” His eyes flickered down to her lips. Then he sighed and released her hand. “I guess one of us should get what they want, huh?”

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m currently putting the finishing touches on Dickens Magic, book 6 in the Sleight of Hand series. It’s a Christmas book and it’ll be out on October 31. I’m also working on another project that I’m very excited about, but I’m not quite ready to reveal any details about it. It’s in the very early stages. I think it could be my best one yet (I always strive to make the next book the best, anyway.) All I will say at this point is that it is a contemporary romance, it’s not part of any series, and it’s got more action in it than you would expect from one of my contemporary romances. There’s even an explosion!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I was seven years old I started writing short stories and I remember my mother saying someday I could be an author. That word “author” filled me with awe back then, and I didn’t even really know what it meant. But it’s something I’ve aspired to my entire life. I guess I realized I had achieved that aspiration sometime around two years ago when I started answering “writer” for occupation on forms.

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?

Yes. I write every second I can. I have three kids ranging from fifth grade to first-year college student, so it’s much easier now than it used to be, but I still don’t have an actual regimen for writing. I don’t think writing is something you can fix to certain hours. Sometimes I can write from eight in the morning to almost three in the afternoon (school day). Other days I can’t get going in the morning, so I do something else for a while and work at night. I’m typing this at midnight, for instance. And then there are the days when I stare blankly at the computer for far too long and let myself get distracted by Facebook or Twitter or CNN. And then I feel awful because I know better, but I did it anyway.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’m not sure if this counts as a quirk, but I am a big believer in serendipity. I’m a “pantser”, meaning I don’t plot out every aspect of my story. I don’t have a storyboard with everything planned out for me to write from. I write bits and pieces, though I’ve gotten better at mostly writing straight through instead of a scene here and another one there. But with almost every book I’ve ever written, I’ve had a moment where I think, Oh my God, I didn’t even know that was going to happen and now it fits in perfectly with this other piece and they fit with that piece.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Well, I’ve been writing since I was seven years old, so I’ll have to go with writer. I had a brief career as a journalist and another, slightly longer, career as a librarian, but I’ve always, always, always wanted to be a writer. I’m lucky enough to do it full-time now. Or as full-time as a mother of three can get.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Just that I hope they’ll give Becoming Magic a try. And let me know what they think! I say all the time that I love reviews, good or bad. I like to know if my writing works for people and if not, why. It helps me grow as a writer, and for that, I thank anyone who ever bothers to review my work.

Links:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thank you so much for having me!

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Interview with YA fantasy-adventure author Mark J. Morrison

Author Mark J Morrison joins me today and we’re chatting about this new YA fantasy adventure, TwoSpells.

Bio:

Mark was born number seven of eight children in a small town in Ohio. His family moved to Florida where he grew up, met an incredible women, got married and raised four fantastic children, three boys and a girl.

Many years later an empty nest left him to his true calling, storytelling. His first remarkable story is about a heroin whose courage and unrestrained personality, like his daughters, breathes passion and fervor into this adrenaline packed fantastical story.

Welcome, Mark. Please tell us about your current release.

TwoSpells is a magical tale about a set of teenage twins, Sarah and Jon, who find out that they're heirs to an ancient, magical realm containing an enchanted library that can transport a reader to anywhere or anytime the author has written into the story.

They're soon caught up in an inter-dimensional war between good and evil, both sides looking to claim the library's unique magical enchantment. Along the way, the twins meet astonishing and fascinating characters who can do amazing things, but not all are good. Some are of unspeakably horrific creation and are bent on one thing: destroying the two strange intruders who have entered and disrupted their sacred two-dimensional domain.

Sarah and Jon must leave behind their much simpler life as Regulars and embrace their new positions as successors to a very special kingdom designed for their kind only, the Irregulars.

What inspired you to write this book?

One daughter-in-law is a librarian and I love her like my own daughter. So I thought I’d just create a fantastical story about a library. It actually started out as a mid-grade fantasy adventure story about the internal battle between the electronic word of books pushing the written word out of existence. Within a week or so it morphed into a completely polar opposite story that it is today. She loves it so much knowing she inspired its writing. She only asked one favor; more faeries in book two. And I’ve obliged. I’ve started a month ago fleshing out book two of the series and I’ve created a whole new way of looking at the heritage and development of the faeries world. She positively loves the new approach to their existence.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Well, I’m finishing one that I’ve been writing at the same time as TwoSpells, titled Corky.

It’s about a young pig named Corky witnesses his mother’s abduction, leaving he and his father alone and frightened, both now forced to fend for themselves.

His father enrolled him an obedience school for dogs where he doesn't fit in because of his very unique physical differences.

He must overcome adversity and discrimination at every turn which he manages to defeat valiantly. He eventually becomes overwhelmed and runs away from home, only to face a wild series of twisted mishaps, strange characters, brazen heroes and wicked villains.

His remarkable adventure will ultimately mold him into the most interesting pig in the world.

Then of course the second of the TwoSpells series already partially fleshed out and outlined.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Since I wrote a horrific essay that was five pages long and basically a run-on sentence. I still have to temper my way of speaking without pause away from my fingers during my writing sessions or between gasp of oxygen. My mom says I have the gift, or the curse, of gab. I thought that it was pretty darn good at the time.

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 do have a 40-hour work week as a counselor, but the industry I worked prior to this one worked me most weeks 80 hours. So consequently, I have another full week to write for pure joy. I start writing at about 3:00 am every morning until I leave for my day job at 7:30 am. When I get home around 3:00 each weekday I start up again until about 6:00 pm. But on weekends I take it up a few notches with all the free time. Realistically I work on my writing projects for about 25 -30 hours a week. I am a husband of 35 years, a father of four and a grandfather of two as well.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I came from a huge family. And as most folks with large families know, board games are an inexpensive way to entertain ourselves. We'd always get a batch of new games at Christmas along with a new pair of socks and underwear. On one particular low budget Christmas, my father introduced us to a game he claimed he'd invented called, “Uh!”

We'd all gather in the living room and one of us was elected to start. That person would have to create a totally fictitious story out of thin air. They'd pause mid-sentence and let the next player take over from there. This continued around the room until someone hesitated or said “uh”. That player was out and the game continued until only one person was left. The stories were creative and often incredibly strange, each of us attempting to make the next in line chuckle and fumble. It was an awesome game of improvisation and I credit my love of storytelling to that silly game.

So to answer that question; I can make up a story about most anything you throw at me instantly. Improvisation was a trained game from childhood.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An adult. Wait that’s too vague, isn’t it? I really think I wanted to do something in the sales field like my father. He used to take me on sales calls with him as a boy all the time. He’d be talking and me listening and reading comic books. I loved the way he interacted with folks. My father was an uneducated genius. Everyone I knew loved him, I miss him every day.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I hope they enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoyed writing them. They’ll see I write in a conversational style and refuse to talk down to either children or young adults. The reason for that is simple, I truly feel more like I’m talking up or on an even playing field with them. My body aged but my mind found the fountain of youth.

I write everything directly from my mind’s eye. Some of my friends and family say my stories read like movies. My response is always the same, they were movies first in my mind, I only wrote them down on paper.

Thanks for being here today, Mark! Happy writing!

Book blurb blitz for Island Shifters by Valerie Zambito

Today is a book blurb blitz tour stop for the fantasy novel Island Shifters: An Oath of the Blood by Valerie Zambito.

Valerie will be awarding several print copies of her book to randomly drawn commentors during her tour (US only) and a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commentor during the tour. Many chances to win, so make sure to leave an e-mail address with your comment if you want a chance at the prizes. And if you'd like to increase your chances, visit other stops and leave comments there.

Blurb:

When your family, your home, and the very land you stand on are destroyed, what do you do? If you are a shifter of Massa, you turn around and fight. You fight, because the blood oath will have it no other way.

The idyllic lives of four elemental shifters living in the exiled land of Pyraan are shattered when a tour of legion duty gives witness to a brutal enemy invasion. Despite the heroic efforts of the shifters, the land falls to the invaders. As the only survivors, the four friends are forced to flee south into the lands from which they were banished to warn of the invasion. Heartbroken and weary, the shifters soon learn that the safe haven they hoped to find is cloaked in danger. Throughout a journey fraught with prophesy, betrayal and peril, an enduring friendship prevails, love blossoms, and a riveting saga unravels.

Excerpt:

The three Dwarves pushed their way back into the pitch-blackness of the palace.

“Dillon, where is the torch?” asked Janin, and Rogan could hear her fumbling around.

Dillon sounded panicked. “I left one right here and it is gone!”

Now that his eyes were adjusting to the gloom, Rogan could see the outline of the two Dwarves feeling around in the dark for the torch. He called forth a flame of light. “Does this help?”

They both looked up at him with a gasp, a mixture of both surprise and anger on their faces. “Do not do that!” snarled Janin.

Shaking his head in confusion, Rogan said, “We need light, do we not? This is light.”

“It is light created from magic which, in case you have not heard, is outlawed on this island,” retorted Dillon.

“Yes, well, the world has changed, Dillon. The Magical Kingdom of Pyraan has been destroyed, we are under threat of slavery at best and annihilation at worse by a rogue Mage, and we are running for our lives from a King who wants to murder me. Against that, you are worried about a flame to light our way?”

“Good point,” murmured Dillon with a shrug.

Rogan turned away from them in frustration. “I do not understand this fear of magic. Please tell me so I understand!”

Dillon shuffled his feet, at a loss as to how to answer his question. Janin had no such qualms. “Have you forgotten that you were exiled in Pyraan for a reason, shifter? Did they not teach you anything about the legacy of magic use?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, and the legacy of magic before three evil Mages decided to destroy the world was inspiring. Magic was used to heal the dying, to create cures for the sick, to defend the weak. Does having magic automatically make you an evil person? If a Dwarf kills another, does it make all Dwarves murderers? If a dog bites a child, does it mean all dogs bite people?” He shook his head in frustration. “You cannot confine the legacy of magic to the Mage War, you just cannot.”

Janin gazed at him with a look he could not identify. “No, and I will admit that there are valuable uses to magic. But, there is also the ability to cause great harm on a very large scale. If one Dwarf kills another, it is one person. If a dog bites a child, it is one child. If an evil Mage decides to use magic for sinister purpose, he can destroy the world. That, my friend, is why we are afraid.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Fantasy author, Valerie Zambito, lives in York, New York with her husband and three sons. After having been involved in a busy sales career for twenty years, a passionate love for great storytelling, world building, character creation, and all things magic have led to the release of her epic fantasy series, Island Shifters, and young adult, paranormal romance series, Angels of the Knights.

Books:

Book One: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Blood

Book Two: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Mage

Book Three: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Children

Book Four: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Kings

Angels of the Knights - Fallon

Angels of the Knights - Blane

Classroom Heroes

Website: http://www.valeriezambito.com/

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Island-Shifters-Fantasy-Series-ebook/dp/B0063EONHS

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/island-shifters-an-oath-of-the-blood-valerie-zambito/1107956340

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/island-shifters-oath-blood/id489783195?mt=11

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/107230