The May Author Interview…3 In One… with Mishka Jenkins

Hmmmm. Give me time fellahs. I must say the last blog had some very interesting reactions.

Noelle Clark got quite carried away about that parking ticket and dramatized our adventures Chez les Sheys……




Putting that aside and refusing to be upstaged by you hamsta dudes,  I’m sounding it today, ironing the banner and all,  for Mishka Jenkins, who commenters will know as Harliqueen. Mishka…

Mishka…

Mishka is here today talking about the exciting week she’s had, finally coming to the end of her publishing journey by putting out her books. So, without further hamsters, or ado
HERE SHE IS.

Shey.  So big week for you Mishka, can you tell us how hectic on the hectometre?

Mishka. I think it would have broke the scale! After editing was finished, everything just started to come together at a really fast pace. One minute it was formatting and worrying about what the covers would look like and then BAM! Release day.
 

Shey.  Can I ask what prompted you to put the three books out at once? Insanity or what?

Mishka. I think insanity would probably about cover it. Nah. I read some advice somewhere that it was more advisable for new authors to put out more than one book, so as potential readers could see the writer was serious in their craft. And I thought, ‘Well, why not? How can three books be harder than one?’ A statement which seemed so simple at the time.


Shey. You had a blog up the other week I loved http://awriterslifeformeblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/bad-boys-aliens-and-romance-oh-my/
about the bad boy hero and of course you have come to the right place for that. What can we expect from your heroes?
Right..that’s it…..


Mishka. I do love a bad boy, I can’t help myself, I know I shouldn’t.

My heroes are… all quite different actually now I think about it. Bane (from Stolen Bloodline) is a vampire with a chip on his shoulder, very broody and mysterious, but someone to make you swoon!


Shey. Gorgeous cover.

Mishka. Cassian (from Heart of the Arena) is a good guy, but he’s one of those men that has got an ego on him and as much as you wish you didn’t like him due to his ego, you can’t help yourself!

The Queen’s Jester is a little more complicated, love triangle kinda complicated. But if you want REAL bad boy, then you’d have to go for the Jester… Writing that guy got me in a bit of a tizzy that’s for sure!
Shey.  And your heroines?

Mishka. I do like my heroines, again, they’re very individual, but one of the my main goals when writing female leads is to make them real. For example, if you get kidnapped, you’re going to be terrified, no matter how strong you are, you’re going to be scared. I wanted readers to connect with my heroines, and feel them on a level where they could relate and think, ‘Yeah, I’d do that too!’.


Shey. Do you have a fav amongst them all, hero and heroine wise?







Mishka. Ahhhhhhh, you can’t ask me that! That’s like choosing your favourite child…

….Well, if you insist! Sabina is probably favourite heroine, from Heart of the Arena, due to all the horrible things I piled on her and how she came out stronger for it, but in a way that felt true to her.

Bane is my favourite hero. He’s a character I’ve had in my head for about ten years, so I am biased though!

Shey. Which hero or heroine was the hardest to write?

Mishka. You know, I think Cassian was the hardest. He was a good guy in a difficult situation, and I struggled with really understanding how to make him react, though I think that worked to the story’s advantage. You get a real sense of uncertainty in him, which is exactly how it should be in his place.

Shey.  You’ve a fabulous blog where you have detailed your writing journey.

http://awriterslifeformeblog.wordpress.com/

But what about you Mishka, can you tell us a bit about you? What made you want to write.


Mishka.  First of all, thank you.

Writing has been something I’ve always loved to do. Creating stories and characters is a part of me. I used to try and achieve this through comics and art, but I was too impatient to finish a comic! Writing is something I took to as long as I can remember. I love to get lost in characters and love stories and excitement! Who doesn’t want that?

Shey. You didn’t go down the traddy route, let’s face it the publishing industry is like shifting sand these days. Why did you decide to self publish?

Mishka. A good question! Part of the reason that I decided to start writing was because of the fact that self-publishing is open to us now. I didn’t want to go traditional publishing because I didn’t think it suited me as a person. I like being able to think that if my books do well, it was because I put that hard work into it. I am incredibly independent and self-publishing suits me perfectly in this way.

Also, I could make my books unique. The blurbs and covers are specific to the books, and I could achieve that because I knew the book inside out and chose what I wanted. (Though not so keen on the fact I had to model for the photos myself!- I really need to find some model friends.)

Shey. What’s been the biggest headache? I mean what wouldn’t you do again?

Mishka. I would never release three books at once again. I’m glad I did it, but blimey! Never again.


Shey. There’s a lot of folks follow this blog who are like you were last week!! That is as yet unpublished but aspiring.  What advice would you give them?

Mishka. Write as you want, write what you want. There is tons of advice and ‘rules’ out there, but in the end, if you want to write a story in a certain way, then do it! Your stories are your own and unique, and people will enjoy them for that reason.


Links:

Blog: https://awriterslifeformeblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mishka-Jenkins/260588067439282
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MishkaJenkins
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterLifeForMe

The Queen’s Jester:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/The-Queens-Jester-Mishka-Jenkins-ebook/dp/B00KLBISGG/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_tnr_1

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Queens-Jester-Mishka-Jenkins-ebook/dp/B00KLBISGG/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_6TCG

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/442154

Stolen Bloodline:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Bloodline-Mishka-Jenkins-ebook/dp/B00KLBS4BU/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_tnr_2

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stolen-Bloodline-Mishka-Jenkins-ebook/dp/B00KLBS4BU/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/442160

Heart of the Arena:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Arena-Mishka-Jenkins-ebook/dp/B00KLBT0G8/ref=la_B00KLDXDDW_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401274839&sr=1-1

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Arena-Mishka-Jenkins-ebook/dp/B00KLBT0G8/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_2

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/442163

Favourite bits:

The Queen’s Jester:

“Because he is my husband.”

“He is but a boy.”

“He is King,” she said, reminding herself as well as him.

“And yet.” The smirk on his face widened. “He is not the one you came seeking,” he said.

Stolen Bloodline:

“What is wrong with you?” Caden asked as though Bane had been replaced by an impostor.

“That is enough, Caden.”

“She’s put a chink in your armour, Bane, you better hope no one aims for it,” Caden replied. Even Imogen could understand the threat in his words.

Heart of the Arena:

“Cassian,” Sabina called as he made to stand and move away, forgetting to mask her voice, but the helmet helping to disguise its feminine tone. The gladiator glanced over his shoulder at her. “You win too.” It was a feeble statement, but once again his gaze had left her tongue-tied.

He spread his arms out wide. “Is there any doubt?” he asked with a grin and then moved back to the feast, lost within moments to a gaggle of excited women happy at his return.

Filed under: Author Interviews, heroes, heroines, writing Tagged: Heart of the Arena, heroes, heroines, Mishka Jenkins, Stolen Bloodline, The Queen's Jester, writing