Interview and Giveaway: Dragonstone by Paula Millhouse

Hi, Fang-tastic Books! Thanks for having me on your site today to chat about Dragonstone, my Fantasy Romance with Boroughs Publishing Group.

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
I work in the medical field as a Family Nurse Practitioner during the day, and I write fiction in my off-hours. I find it’s the perfect escape from reality, and we all need a healthy dose of that, especially the creative minds among us. I’ve shared a love of all things fantasy since I was a child. Unicorns and rainbows gave way to dragons and Knights in Shining Armor as I grew up, and when I started writing it felt like a natural path to follow.
What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?
I find myself drawn to fantasy romance, and I figure, why give the vampires all the press? Let’s mix it up a little with elves, dragons, wizards, fairies, and hot romance. I even wrote a story about a Leprechaun – they’re very underrepresented in romance.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write a twist on the typical Knight saves the Princess from the Dragon. In Dragonstone, I reversed the roles.
Magnus is a royal dragon, and he has a huge future in front of him – a prophecy names him, an Aurora class dragon, as the dragon who will unite all the dragons on Chalvaren. A mercenary has stolen his egg.
He’s just hatched, only days old, and in order to fulfill said prophecy Kort, our Elven Prince chases the mercenary to an alternate dimension to recover Magnus. Guess what happens along the way? Yep, you guessed it, there’s a princess involved, and of course, the Dragonstone. The story details how warrior prince Kort tries everything in his power to return the stolen dragon to Chalvaren.

Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?
I confess, I love etymology, the study of name origins. I do like to match names with concepts, for instance, what they stand for. Sometimes a name just stands out for me, like both Magnus, and Kort did. I like the lyrical way they sound on my tongue. Coming up with my world’s name of Chalvaren was a challenge, but I’ve fallen for it, and I love visiting my fairy tale land where dragons rule the sky, and elves rule the kingdoms.
Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
Magnus, the dragonlet was so much fun to write. Everything we know about dragons, I twisted, and suddenly here’s this horse-sized little creature that seems to have flown away with all my reader’s hearts. I’m so stoked that happened.
Kort was the easiest to write. He’s this furious elf on an impossible quest and stacking the odds against him was an author’s greatest joy.
Mia was the most challenging to write. I tend to go all lily-livered on my heroines early on, but watching Mia develop into a kick-ass woman who knows what she wants, and goes after it, was quite a liberating experience.


What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
I have several, especially the final scene but you’ll have to read the book for that one. One of my favorites is when Magnus comes on scene for the first time. Here’s a short snippet: His wings spanned twenty feet when he flew in. Or, rather, fell in. Mia reached out as if she might ease his descent, and her action stopped Kort in his tracks. The elf’s mouth opened, his eyes wide, and then a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He placed his body in front of her as a shield.The dragon’s underbelly and the inside of his wings showed red, the subcutaneous tissue tender, undeveloped and showing through translucent scales. The beast screamed again, and the terror in the cry gripped Mia so that she instantly wanted to protect him. All instinct to take cover faded. “Listen to him! He can’t roar.” She pointed with one hand and with the other covered her mouth. “He can’t even fly. Holy hell, look at that!” she said as she watched the little dragon hit the ground with full force and roll, head-over-heels, bouncing across the meadow, screeching all the way.The ground trembled with the impact. Mia covered her eyes, looked away while her heart raced with worry. “I can’t watch. Oh, God, what if he broke a wing? Is he okay?”“Inside! NOW!” Kort demanded. He hauled Mia away from the scene and into the safety of her cottage.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
I think at some point all writers do in some form, whether they admit it or not. There’s a creative well in writers that can become depleted if we don’t take care and nourish that part of our soul. Travel helps. I like Pinterest as a form of therapy – it replenishes me to see all those incredible photographs. Music helps, and I maintain a small kitchen garden to stay in contact with nature.
I also have come to believe that any form of block is our brain trying to protect us from something. The trick is, discovering what that something is, and coming up with solid way to deal with the issue.


Do you write in different genres?
I do – I love romantic suspense. I have two novels on amazon with killer stories – Careful What You Wish For, and All Your Wishes. Another Fantasy Romance story I wrote is Three Wishes, from BPG.
Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?
No. When I find trouble with world-building in the fantasy stories, moving back into the contemporary feel of romantic suspense helps me keep writing.
When did you consider yourself a writer?
When I realized I couldn’t NOT write. And, I gotta confess, when I got that first royalty statement from my publisher, Boroughs Publishing Group, that slammed the sensation home for me. Holding my first printed novel in my hands (I used Create Space for paperbacks of my Wishes series) – Yeah, that was just like holding a newborn in my hands. Very cool.
What are your guilty pleasures in life?
Good red wine, dark chocolate, and reading

What can readers expect next from you?
The follow-up novel to DRAGONSTONE - working title, DRAGONS’ HEART.
Where can readers find you on the web?
http://www.paulamillhouse.com
Boroughs Publishing Group 
Smashwords
All eRomance Books 
 Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/pmillhouse
Facebook Address: http://www.facebook.com/authorpaula.millhouse
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/paulamillhouse

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DragonstonePrequel to A Kingdom of Chalvaren RomancePaula Millhouse
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Date of Publication: May 12, 2013
ISBN: 9781938876288ASIN: B00CRMRWPK
Number of pages: 39Word Count: 15,630
Amazon   Smashwords  ARe  Goodreads
Book Description:
Elf prince Kort Elias journeys to a new world in search of a stolen royal dragon egg and discovers a lost elven princess, a prophecy, and danger; and only true love--and an erotic magic he's never experienced--will set them free.
http://pinterest.com/pmillhouse/dragonstone/

About the Author:
Paula Millhouse grew up in Savannah, Georgia where Spanish moss whispers tales in breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, and the Intracoastal Waterway. As a child Paula soaked in the sunshine and heritage of cobblestones, pirate lore, and stories steeped in savory mysteries of the south. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, the Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal chapter, the Mystery/Suspense chapter (Kiss of Death), and a member of Savvy Authors.
In the southern tradition of storytellers, she loves sharing the lives of her characters with readers, and following her muse on the quest for happily-ever-afters in thrilling romantic fiction.
She lives with her husband at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains with their pack and pride of furry babies.
Website/Blog Address: www.paulamillhouse.com
Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/pmillhouse
Facebook Address: http://www.facebook.com/authorpaula.millhouse
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17915693-dragonstone---a-kingdom-of-chalvaren-romance
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/paulamillhouse

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