Mia Darien's Blog, page 29

Character Interview: Allison Merritt & Romy from "The Treasure Hunter's Lady"

Today's special guests are Allison Merritt and Romy, from The Treasure Hunter's Lady. Thanks for being here!

* * *

Mia: What is the name of the book where we'll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?

Romy: It's called The Treasure Hunter's Lady. I'd love to tell you about it. It's a steampunk romance with lots of adventure. The story circles around this ancient artifact everyone is trying to get their hands on called the Diamond of Uktena, an ostrich-sized jewel supposedly mounted on the head of a giant, unfriendly, sentient serpent god in the Dakota Territories.

My father is a world-famous archeologist who gave up his career after we were nearly killed in an incident prior to the opening of the book, but he's coerced into hunting for the jewel at the coaxing of an old friend. And I discover that a rough-shod Texan named Abel Courte is after the Diamond as well. Rather than be forced into a marriage I don't want, arranged by my father, I stow away on an airship and follow Abel. We clash quite a bit at first until it's very obvious that we can't keep our hands off of each other. We see and experience a lot of unusual things, including sabotage on the airship, a giant waterfall that's a portal to another world, and getting abducted by natives.

Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

Romy: I'm the heroine of the story, rightly so, because there aren't many women in it and someone had to take up the mantle of beautiful, stubborn heroine. My mother died when I was a little girl and my father decided he would rather travel than spend his time teaching in London, so I didn't have the most idealistic upbringing. England is my place of birth, but I'm much more comfortable traveling. Or I was, until a certain treasure hunting cowboy caught my interest.

Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won't tell.

Romy: I secretly think she was trying to drown me about 3/4 of the way through the novel. We get caught in a lot of water right around that time. There we were, poor, bedraggled characters who'd been kicked repeatedly and she just kept bringing challenge after challenge—but she swears it's because that's what makes the story interesting and hopefully makes us more sympathetic.

Mia: How do you feel about the story you're in?

Romy: There are a lot of ups and downs and for a while I felt pretty bleak about the ending. A lot of heart-thumping moments where I just wasn't sure what to do and even with all my experience, I was up the proverbial creek. It took a great deal of working together with Abel to pull this adventure off, but in the end it all worked out for the best. Well, most of it.

Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?

Romy: Absolutely. Being a character brought me to life, otherwise I might just be a shadow in the author's head. I think I got lucky pulling a starring roll in the book. I could've been one of those background characters that's just there to make a scene more colorful.

Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.

Romy: It looks very comfortable. As I mentioned, I love to travel, but I suspect with the right cowboy at my side, I could adapt very easily to a more domestic lifestyle.

Mia: What do you know about your author's plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?

Romy: Well, at first, she just planned to write us a novella that might have never seen the light of day if she hadn't decided to add on and write a novel-length book. Then because one of the minor characters in our book caught her attention, she decided to write a trilogy. I'm mentioned in the second novel, but neither Abel or I made it in. There's a rumor we might show up in the third one though.

Mia: Let's say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?

Romy: Hands down, unanimous vote goes to Rachel McAdams. She's a natural redhead, sassy, sweet and has a killer smile. There's no question.

* * *

Author Bio: A life-long love of reading turned Allison Merritt into an indie author who writes historical, paranormal and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. When she's not writing or reading, she hikes in national parks and conservation areas. Allison graduated from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri with a B.A. in mass communications that's gathering dust after it was determined that she's better at writing fluff than hard news.

Buy Link: Kindle

Buy Link:

Cats & Dogs

 

Madison has been ordered by friend, room-mate and boss (Sadie Stanton) to go away for a weekend and try to relax. Although Madison resists at first, she soon meets a handsome man who helps her do just that… until the two of them are embroiled in the mystery of a murder, with Madison's handsome man as the prime suspect!

* * *

This is a new Adelheid short story. It's available exclusively (and free) to those who sign up for my newsletter!

Character Interview: Charlie from Elizabeth Kirke's "More than Magic: Semester Abroad"

Today's interview is with Charlie, who is an interesting magical being from Elizabeth Kirke's More than Magic: Semester Abroad, and thank you to them both for being here!

* * *

Q: Ah, so you're going on this cruise, too? Well, isn't that nice. I'm just here seeing a friend off. Have you ever been cruising before?

A: I've never been on any sort of boat before! Ship rather, I keep getting corrected there. But my friends are going and I've always wanted to travel more.

Q: What port are you most looking forward to? This ship has a good line-up.

A: Valpariso, Chile. I'm taking a plane up to the Atacama Desert for a few days. Someone told me that it's the driest desert in the world or something. It's our fourth port, so I think I'll be more than ready to spend some quality time in a desert by the time we get there.

Q: If you don't mind my saying, you seem… *lowers voice* …a little more than normal.

A: What, you mean you weren't expecting to see a fire elemental this close to the ocean? Believe me, I didn't expect it either.

Q: Really? Well, now, isn't that interesting! It doesn't really seem like a cruise is the kind of place you'd want to be, though, considering.

A: Yeah…to say I'm nervous about this is an understatement. But, what's life without a little risk? Plus, since it's for college credit, my agency is paying for the entire cruise and I'd be crazy not to pass that up.

Q: That makes sense then. Work does bring us to all kinds of places. If you don't mind my asking, what kind of work do you do?

A: I work for MES. I'm a security and secrecy coordinator.

Q: MES? Don't think I've heard of that, but with a title like that, it sounds like your work is a bit of a story.

A. What, seriously? You've never heard of the Magical Enforcement and Security agency? Pretty much every magic works for us at one time or another, not to mention every magical law gets drafted in our of our offices. Although I've never worked in the legal department. I basically go out and work with businesses and the like – ones with both magic and non-magic employees and customers – to make sure that they can do their thing without the non-magics getting suspicious. I am also an agent though, so I do get to get my hands dirty now and again.

Q: Ah, right. I see. Well, I hope you're not expecting to have to get your hands too dirty on the cruise! *laughs*

A: Heck no! I didn't even bring my badge. I'm just looking forward to kicking back with my friends and enjoying the summer…in spite of the fact I'll be on a boat.

* * *

Author Bio: Elizabeth has always loved writing and the ocean.  Semester Aboard, the first novel in the More than Magic series, was the first time that Elizabeth brought her two passions together. When she isn't writing, Elizabeth enjoys reading, baking, and crafting.  She lives with her fiance and their turtle, Donny.

Blog: http://elizabeth-kirke.blogspot.com/

Buy Link: Smashwords

Buy Link: Kindle

Buy Link: Nook

New Interview with Kim Mullican!

Today I stopped by the site of Kim Mullican to chat for a bit. Check it out!

http://kimmullican.com/2012/03/04/author-mia-darien-stops-by/

Character Interview: T. M. Souders & Lexie from "Waiting on Hope"

Please welcome today: T. M. Souders and Lexi, from Waiting on Hope! Thanks to both of them for joining us!

* * *

Mia: What is the name of the book where we'll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?

Lexie: My story is told in the book Waiting On Hope. It is about my journey through tragedy towards hope, as I struggle to come to terms with an unexpected pregnancy resulting from act of betrayl. I have nowhere to turn, so I go home to my parent's farm where I try to find refuge and heal. What I didn't expect was my ex-fiance to jump back into my life and for the feelings I still harbored for him to return.

Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

Lexie: I'm the main character. The story is about my journey. I want you to know that my rape does not define me. I still have my bad days, but I have overcome such odds. I've found happiness again,v despite my past.

Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won't tell.

Lexie: Ugh! The author is a slave driver! I owe a lot to her though. I wanted to give up on everything, but then she made me go to therapy. It was hard and I was ready to tell her to forget it! I'm glad I listened though. Other wise, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Mia: How do you feel about the story you're in?

Lexie: It's not a story I like to talk about because it was a long hard road, but it had to be told. For some, my story will be uplifting, others may even be able to relate to it. No matter what, I feel it really shows that overcoming tragedy is possible. Love and support help heal, and the resiliency of the human spirit is an amazing thing.

Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?

Lexie: Not really, lol. But I didn't have much choice. The author forced me to share!

Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.

Lexie: I see my future as being very bright.

Mia: What do you know about your author's plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?

Lexie: No. She started thinking about it, but I told her, "forget it!"

Mia: Let's say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?

Lexie: Ah! Now we're talking! I would love to be in a movie and have Natalie Portman play me!

* * *

Author Bio: T.M. Souders was born in Johnstown, PA and grew up in a suburb outside of Pittsburgh. She graduated in 2004, from Youngstown State University, with a degree in Psychology and minor in Women's Studies. She is the author of bestselling women's fiction novel, Waiting on Hope, as well as the holiday novelette Dashing Through The Snow. Her young adult novel, Freedom Road, is to be released by the end of the year. She currently lives in rural Ohio with her husband and children. She loves to hear from readers. Please feel free to visit her website and contact her! http://tsouders.com/

Buy Link: Kindle

Buy Link: Amazon – Print

Read an Ebook Week

March 4 – 10 is Read an Ebook Week! Smashwords is part of the fun, and When Forever Died is joining the promotion. For this week only, you can use this coupon code to get the book for 50% off!

Coupon Code: REW50

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/130977

While you're there, check out some of the other great Smashwords books taking part in the promotion. Remember, this is only good for this week (starting tomorrow) and only at Smashwords!

New Interview!

Today I have a new interview posted with Cege Smith, a fellow paranormal author, as apparently the first in her new Author Spotlight series. I'm honored! It was a fun interview that took a slightly different course than the "average" author interview, so if you ever wanted to know more about Mia Darien, check it out!

http://www.cegesmith.com/?p=91

Character Interview: Harry from Graham Smith's "Harry Charters Chronicles"

Please welcome today Graham Smith and Harry Charters, from Harry Charters Chronicles. I'd like to thank Graham for giving me the chance to write a little bit about a big-shoulder broad in his hard-boiled world!

* * *

I was dumping the empty bourbon bottle into the trash can beside my desk when the door opens and in walks 5'10″ of long-legged blonde. She looks thoroughly around the room before removing her sunglasses. "Harry Charters?"

"Yeah, that's me."

She folds herself into a chair, stretching out her slender calves, delicately crossed at the ankles. "I hear that you're a man who is willing to go a little… beyond the usual efforts for a case."

"Ain't too many people would share that information. Tell me who told you so I can pay them a visit."

"I don't think that's the issue here, Mr Charters, but if it puts your mind at rest all I've heard were rumours. Your reaction, or should I say over-reaction, confirms what I heard about what you did for the girls at the dock. At least, I heard what's been said about it." She tilts her head, a pointed look in her blue eyes. She doesn't look like she's going to say how she heard about it, but she seems to be telling the truth.

Taking the last bottle of bourbon from the case in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet, I refill my glass and after a quick search find a clean one into. I pour three fingers which I give to the dame.

"Don't go believin' all the bad stuff you been hearing about me."

"Who said it was bad?" She was a cool one, I'll give her that.

"All I do is solve the cases. If I have to defend myself and my clients then that's what I do. I've been called a vigilante, a mercenary and an assassin. I ain't none of those things, and to me those are just words dumb folk use to describe things they don't understand."

She inhales slowly, deliberately. "Is it the right case, or just the money that compels you to such… extraordinary lengths?"

"Anyone who came in here trying to hire me to hurt someone or kill for them would get thrown out on their ass. I deal with things as they come up. I don't go planning on hurting people, it just kinda happens when they cross me."

She gives me a full length coat of looking at before pushing me further, "So if the case and money don't dictate your actions, then what does?"

"Conscience and the moral satisfaction of seeing justice done. When I see bums and punks running round acting like big shots and hurtin' ordinary folks then I take the time to show 'em the error of their ways."

Taking out a cigarette, she lights it like she has all the time in the world. "And just how far would you be willing to go, if it was called for?"

"Ain't no way a law abiding man can answer that without putting his ass in Ol' Sparky. Let's just say that I've been in fights for my life and I'm still here."

"Well then, Mr. Charters," she takes a long drag, "I have a job I'd like to hire you for…"

* * *

Author Bio: Graham Smith is married with a young son. A time served joiner he has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. For the last eleven years he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland. An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer for the well respected review site Crimesquad.com for over two years. As well as reviewing for Crimesquad.com Graham has also interviewed such stellar names as David Baldacci, Jeffrey Deaver, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Matt Hilton, current CWA Chair Peter James, Mark Billingham and many others. When not working, his time is spent reading, writing and playing games with his son. He enjoys socialising and spending time with friends and family.

Blog: http://grahamsmithwriter.blogspot.com/

Buy Link: Kindle

The Genesis of Adelheid

Today, the following post is also being hosted on the blog of Nancy Popovich. Thank you for hosting me and giving me the chance to share with your readers the crazy path an idea can take!

I will be including this on the Adelheid page of the site.

* * *

The Genesis of Adelheid

The dedication to Cameron's Law thanks all of those who walked the long road to life that Adelheid took, and it has been a long road.

Some authors have an idea and can type out their stories to perfection inside of a few months. For others, it takes more work. For me and the Adelheid series, it's been more than ten years in the making. Here's a look at where and how it started, and where it's ended up.

You could say that an examination of the Adelheid series is to look at the evolution of a story and an idea.

When I was younger, I read the first three Anne Rice vampire stories, I devoured the Vampire Files by P. N. Elrod (and still count her among my favorite authors) and I loved the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Of course, I fell off the wagon on the Blake series when she went round a bend I didn't like (sometime around Cerulean Sins and Micah, can't remember exactly now) but she was a strong influence.

I also loved Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta, Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum, and Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone. (Again, all of them lost me later on in the series but I inhaled their earlier books.)

So, it was really no surprise when – at sixteen – I decided to write This Shade of Night.

I believe I was ultimately inspired by Anita Blake and the idea of preternatural legality, though I thought at the time that she was missing a lot of marks she could have been hitting with it. So, I did what many authors do and decided to fix what I didn't like, so I wrote my own story.

At sixteen, what do we really know, though?

I started the series in Salem, Massachussetts though I don't live there. (Visited several times, having grown up two hours away.) I made Sadie an investigator for an agency called Preterantural, Unlimited. She was half vampire, half were-tiger. It was set in 2018, fifteen years after the law. I mangled a half dozen bits of lore into the story because I thought they were cool, as well as the mystery and romance.

I even self-published through iUniverse almost ten years ago. And believe it or not, it met with a decent reception from a magazine reviewer. Of course, that magazine was a trade publication now gone defunct, but still, the story had potential. I wrote two more books in the series, one featuring Dakota the theriomorph hunter and the third back to Sadie. These never went further than friends and family.

Life caught up with me. Marriage, divorce, marriage, changing jobs, changing houses, having a child… You get the idea. I stopped writing for a while and didn't pick it up again, for good, until the past couple of years. I had to return to my roots, but this time, I was going to do it right. I decided that more needed to go into it.

I decided to create a new town. I gave it a history. I created a private listing of the location, the businesses, the population, who founded it, and so on.

I researched the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and modeled the path of the Preternatural Rights Act of 2010 after it, calling it Cameron's Law after the Harvard law student and werewolf (Cameron St John) who pioneered it. I gave the law a history. I moved it all to our timeline to achieve the affect on the setting I had always intended but didn't make as much sense before.

I brainstormed with a biologist friend to come up with preternatural biology, and chose what lore I'd use. I wrote a guide to the preternatural, which is at the end of every story.

I made Sadie the owner of the agency, because she had always been the "anchor" character. I gave her history with Cameron St John, and more about her efforts in bringing the law into being. I put Cameron's sister Madison as the agency's secretary and Sadie's best friend to anchor that history. I made her all vampire, because the half-breed thing just seemed silly. I re-plotted and rewrote, taking elements of the previous drafts but streamlining, tweaking, and making it work better.

Cameron's Law – as a book – was born and, I have to say, to generally good response and now the second book, When Forever Died, is also out. This one kept a lot from its original version, as Dakota hasn't changed much, but so far so good there too.

Just like a writer, a story can mature. I might have had an okay, or even a good, story when it started but once it had matured and grown along with me, it's become a better story.

And it only took twelve years to do it!

Character Interview: Kim Mullican & Kat from "Taking Control"

I'd like to thank Kim Mullican and Kat for joining me today! I will warn my readers that there's a bit of colorful language in this interview, so you have been warned.

* * *

Mia: What is the name of the book where we'll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?

Kat: The book Kim Mullican wrote about me is called Taking Control. It's for sale on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I'm no good at talking about myself. As my shrink can tell you, I'm a bit cold and withdrawn. So I'll just tell you what the blurb on the book says:

Kat Trueblood, genetically engineered medium and former CIA Agent, thought she had escaped the danger and drama of her previous life. She has a stable job as a paralegal, is dating her first girlfriend, and has plenty of time to spend with her best friend and guardian – a ghost named Grant.

In denial about missing the action of her former life, Kat's thrust head first back into it when the Russian mafia – the same guys who raped and tortured her for two weeks during active duty – targets her and her family. The CIA forces her to choose between working with the FBI to catch a serial killer who is slaughtering area drag queens or leaving her family at risk.

Distracted by discovering Grant is in love with her and her girlfriend ending up on the suspect list, Kat finds herself as the hunted instead of the hunter. Captured by the killer, she must face her inner demons in order to survive and end the serial killer's mayhem.

Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

Kat: My parents were forced by the government to mate, creating me and my twin sister, Kris. I was made to kill, to be super intelligent and a killing machine. Kim wrote the book with me center stage. I'm a sexy badass with a potty mouth. I also have a huge chip on my shoulder after those assholes in Russia kidnapped me, raping and beating me almost to death. I lost control of myself and my life. The book is about my journey, taking control of my life again. Of course, I kick some ass too. But I'm not invincible. She made me vulnerable at times, for that, I will make her pay.

Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won't tell.

Kat: She's not so bad if you look past the drinking, foul language, bi-sexual writing tendency and chain smoking. I mean she spent a lot of time thinking about me, picturing me and building an entire world about me. But she did talk a little too much about my sex life. Don't tell her I said this, but she's one twisted bitch. I really think she needs professional help. The serial killer gave me nightmares. To make matters worse, she has a pain-in-the-ass-juvenile-delinquent acting ghost that has followed me around since I was a kid. Did I mention she made me dress like a drag-queen? Like I said – twisted.

Mia: How do you feel about the story you're in?

Kat: Well, it's complex, like me. It's a bit twisted, like her. It has a few surprises, which is nice. I like that it's pretty fast paced. All in all, I like it, even if parts of it were disturbing. I guess this would be time to be responsible (Kim's done her best to make me try to be responsible.) This book is not for the meek and mild. There's rape, murder, sex and lesbian sex scenes. There's also foul language, strippers and drag queens. So I wouldn't suggest this book to Christian Conservatives.

Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?

Kat: Oh, who wouldn't. She made me sort of a badass and a hot mess.

Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.

Kat: Things may have improved in TAKING CONTROL, but we all know, life has a way of kicking you in the lady berries. Things won't stay happy for me for long. I sense some further control issues coming down the turnpike, and sex, and a down home ass-whooping.

Mia: What do you know about your author's plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?

Kat: Kim's addicted to writing. I don't think it matters if she sells books or not. She's going to keep putting stories out there, whether the world is ready for them or not.

Mia: Let's say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?

Kat: Gina Carano. While Haywire was a huge disappointment for me, Gina is sexy as hell and she already really knows how to kick ass, so she wouldn't need to be trained.

* * *

Author Bio: I write on a little table I stuffed in the corner of my tiny living room in my microscopic house in Northwest Indiana. I tie on a hell of a Carolina Rig, have more tools than most guys I know and a strong addiction to coffee. I have 4 kids, 2 cats and an American Bulldog that thinks she is a person. My only hope is to write stories people enjoy!

I currently have two books on the market: TAKING CONTROL and IMMORTAL DECISION. You can find me on Twitter @kimmullican or on my webpage http://kimmullican.com/

Buy Link: Kindle

Buy Link: Nook