Thursday, February 27, 2014

I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH


"I convinced myself I was 'not good enough'...when I finally let go of 'not good enough'...the squashed down writing dream just came bubbling right up to the surface..."



My guest is romance writer, Megan Mulry. The USA Today best selling author had convinced herself she good enough to write story. Guest what? Megan can and writes fun, sexy romantic fiction. Intriguing, no?
Makes me wonder how many writers let the 'I'm not good enough' hold them back?  
It's a pleasure to have Megan visiting with us Over Coffee and she was gracious enough to take the time to answer a few questions for me.   

Thanks so much for inviting me to hang out Over Coffee. I love to laugh and cry (as you can see from my Twitter bio) and I love coffee. And glitches? I got ‘em. So, this should be a match made in heaven.

  • How much do current events play into your writing?
A ton! My first manuscript (briefly self-published on a whim in 2010, then withdrawn, and maybe one day—after copious revisions—to be properly published) was inspired by the Lockerbie bombing and Pan Am #103. The entire book sprang from and revolved around that event and how it affected those involved. Later, an obituary about a British aristocrat caught my interest and became the seed that spawned the four books in the Unruly Royals series.

  • How often to you get your ideas from what you read or see in the news?
I don’t write suspense very often, but when I weave a suspenseful subplot in (there’s a pretty grisly kidnapping and near-rape in one of my future books) it’s disheartening to realize that anything gruesome I try to invent has already happened. Especially, where I live in Florida, in 2013 there were a spate of horribly tragic domestic murder/suicides. So, I suppose it’s not that I get my ideas from that, but rather that I think, “Oh well, it’s not like I’m writing something preposterous.” (That whole truth is stranger than fiction thing, I guess.)

How often do you see kernel something (via news, a friend’s relaying an incident, the odd online story) and think, wow, that would be cool to write about with xyz additions to make it even better…

Pretty much all day, every day. For example, we moved recently, and of the eight-man-team that moved us, I could probably write a book with each man as the hero. It didn't hurt that they were all super nice, super muscly, and sweating most of the time. But I digress.

  • What inspired this series of characters?
The Unruly Royals series was originally inspired by a few articles I had read about the Duke of Norfolk and extended family. Various women I’d met or read about over the years inspired the heroines. Working in New York City and/or London for any amount of time provides a lifetime of dynamic-female-character ideas!

  • Have you always wanted to write or was there events that lead you to writing?
I can’t say I always wanted to write, because I had done such a good job of talking myself out of it—I convinced myself I was “not good enough”—but deep down, probably yes, I always wanted to write. So when I finally let go of “not good enough” (*kicks not-good-enough to the curb*) it was like the squashed down writing dream just came bubbling right up to the surface, like, “Hey! Remember me? I’m your dream. Let’s do this!”

  • With the book’s release, as you look back, what was the biggest surprise that occurred while you were writing the story?
So many surprises! I guess I had Abby pretty well sorted out (in that she was totally not sorted out and was going to be struggling with her own view of herself and what she really wanted out of life). But the real surprise was Eliot. I had no idea he would be so tenderhearted…for some reason I thought he would be the stereotypical billionaire hard-ass who would be transformed or won over by the heroine. But the more I developed his character, the more it became clear that he had this inner core of intense vulnerability and love. My editor really helped me delve into his family background to reveal why he was the way he was.

  • Megan, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions and chat with us! Quite the inspiration. :-)

What fun questions! Thanks so much for taking an interest in my writing and for inviting me to visit!

  

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

BUY: AmazonB&NB-A-M,IndieBound
Being royal isn't all it's cracked up to be...
Abigail Heyworth, youngest daughter of the 18th Duke of Northrop, is not your typical British royal—she'll take a recycling drive over a charity ball any day. She can't stand hats and heels. Abby's not getting much sympathy, of course, because everyone thinks the life of royalty is so charmed.
But to Abigail, keeping up appearances is unbearable, while running away doesn't seem to work either. Just when she feels like she's getting whiplash from swinging between flat-out rebellion to miserable capitulation, Abigail meets an all-American self-made millionaire who challenges her on every level.
It may turn out that what Abigail is searching for kind of resembles the American Dream..
                                                                                                                              

Megan Mulry writes sexy, stylish, romantic fiction. Her first book, A Royal PainUSA Today bestseller,was an NPR Best Book of 2012. Before discovering her passion for romance novels, she worked in magazine publishing and finance. After many years in New York, Boston, London, and Chicago, she now lives with her family in Florida. 

You can find Megan: Facebook – Goodreads - Twitter – Website – Pinterest













Wednesday, February 26, 2014

BROOKLYN ANN—WRITING THE UNUSUAL




My guest is paranormal author, Brooklyn Ann. She writes fun paranormals with memorable characters, set in both historical and contemporary times, and filled with humor, sass, and a bit of snark. 
Brooklyn was gracious enough to answer a few questions for me.

Welcome back to Over Coffee, Brooklyn! 

In your latest book, Wrenching Fate, you've introduced some unusual job choices for both your hero and heroine. A mechanic with a muscle car fetish? A vampire who is a financial adviser? Both are…hmm…different job choices. What made you decide that?

Akasha's character came to mind when I was in the process of restoring my 1980 Datsun 210. I kept envisioning a character who was much more knowledgeable and stronger than I was, chugging a Coors (ewww) and working on big muscle cars, which I'd always admired. She was always so gruff and angry that I wondered what had happened to make her that way. Well, she showed me, and, well, you'll have to read to find out.

As for Silas, although I'd envisioned him becoming a vampire when he fell on the battlefield in Scotland in 1513, his character seemed more reserved than that of an ancient berserker. As a clairvoyant and a Lord Vampire, he would have to be very good at handling money. The finance industry fit him like a glove. He definitely is a businessman... but he's still a warrior underneath his Armani suits. :)

One thing I admired about your characters (especially the women)—they aren't weak or whiny. They've overcome quite a bit. What’s something you admire about Akasha? About Silas?

I admire Akasha's refusal to take shit from anyone and willingness to do anything to protect those she cares about.
I admire Silas's diplomacy and the way he doesn't judge others.

How did writing this novel differ from writing other books?

For one thing, writing a book that takes place in my own back yard was extremely different from my works set in 19th Century Britain. For another, even though these characters are definitely more "real" in my head, getting them to translate to the page was hard for some reason.

Tell us a bit about you? When you were little what did you want to grow up to be?

When I was younger, I kept vacillating between "Paleontologist" and "Rock star." Alas, neither came to be. I was a mechanic for a few years and now I'm a romance author. I never would have believed it. :)

When you’re not writing or working, what are things you like to do?

I like to work on cars, draw, paint, cook, watch cheesy B-horror movies, and of course, read.

What was the single best or luckiest thing that got you published?

I hate to admit, but I think it was the title I came up with for my first regency paranormal romance, BITE ME, YOUR GRACE. That title was originally a joke title I threw out on twitter, but people liked it so much that I took the dare and queried it under that name. I ended up getting a lot of interest among agents and editors and eventually landed my book deal.

What was the biggest adjustment you had to make in life to include your writing?

I had to cut back on movies and book binges and completely stop doing Karaoke and playing on the dart league. I need all that time for writing, researching, and editing. In short, I became a hermit.

What will we see next from you?

My second historical paranormal romance, ONE BITE PER NIGHT releases in August. 
Here’s the blurb

  • Since Sia brought up my characters’ unconventional jobs, what are some of the more interesting character occupations you've seen in romance novels? 
Comment for a chance to win an e-copy of WRENCHING FATE!

                                                                                                                                                      


WRENCHING FATE--Brides of Prophesy I

Silas McNaught, Lord Vampire of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is elated when he finds Akasha Hope, the woman his psychic visions revealed to him centuries ago. 

To his surprise, Akasha is infuriated when Silas interferes with her life. Furthermore, she is nothing like the sweet woman he’d envisioned. Instead she's a foul mouthed mechanic and, due to being the accidental result of a military experiment, she possesses the strength of ten men ….and government agents are looking for her. 


BUY: AmazonApple (ibook store),B&N (Nook and Print)
Kobo Google Play



                                                                                                                                            

A former mechanic turned paranormal romance author, Brooklyn Ann lives in the beautiful city of Coeur d’Alene with her son, her cat, and a 1980 Datsun 210. She can be found online at http://brooklynann.blogspot.com as well as on twitter and facebook.
Published by SourcebooksBITE ME, YOUR GRACE (April 2013)
ONE BITE PER NIGHT (August 2014)BITE AT FIRST SIGHT (To be announced)    Published by Broken AngelsWRENCHING FATE (February 2014)IRONIC SACRIFICE (To be announced)