Tell us about your new book? The Queen of the Realm of Faerie is a fairy tale fantasy. Melia, the main character, is an eighteen-year-old half-faerie, half-mortal.
What’s it about? The story is about Melia’s journey to find the place where she belongs as she untangles her family legacy and takes on her own life challenges. True Love's First Kiss is a compilation of the first three books in the series.
Why did you write it? When my maternal grandmother passed away, I had a strong need to pass on what she’d given me. In The Queen of the Realm of Faerie, the spring faerie, Flora, is the character inspired by Grandma. Flora isn’t Grandma, but she is the essence of her, and the relationship she has with Melia transforms the half-faerie like my relationship with Grandma transformed me.
Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it - What keeps you going? I have nowhere else to go. If I stopped writing, there’s nothing that could fill that writing-shaped hole.
What is your favorite quality about yourself? My sense of humor. I love things that are funny and clever. I love dry humor and dark humor. I love seeing the funny side of the things, I hope I never lose that quality. It gives me many excuses to laugh and smile, both within myself, at myself, and out loud. As I remember my mother, she was quite irreverent; she made me laugh and giggle. To be able to step outside of what’s expected by social norms, traditions, conventions and laugh (maybe even snicker a bit) is freeing and fun.
What is your least favorite quality about yourself? I miss things. Obvious things. I can be so focused and obsessed with what’s in front of me that sometimes I just miss the damnedest things. And then I’ll be like, How could I have missed that?
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? “When you go back, the reason you left will still be there.” That is something my husband said during one of early conversations. Until then, I had a serious problem with going back to situations I’d left for good reason. When he said that, a light went off inside me. Whenever I think about going back, I think about those words. I rarely, maybe never, go back anymore. I’m much happier for it.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing? Although there was much conflict in my family, they are all readers and many of them are writers. There is no doubt that growing up in an environment where the written word and verbal expression were highly valued affected my own verbal abilities and drive to express myself through words.
Who designed the cover? My husband designs the covers. It’s a wonderful, collaborative process, but he does the heavy lifting. He has a natural eye for color and composition.
What are your current writing projects now? My priority is to complete The Queen of the Realm of Faerie series.
Do you have any advice for writers? Finish the book. Then keep writing. More than anything, finishing books has allowed me, and forced me, to grow as a writer.
What do you do to unwind and relax? I spend time with my husband, we laugh, talk, and just enjoy hanging out together. I also love to play with my cats, get lazy in the backyard, and read.
If you could leave your readers with one bit of wisdom, what would you want it to be? Pay attention to the people you deeply love. Spend time with them, get to know them better, enjoy them. None of us will be here forever.
When you wish to end your career, stop writing, and look back on your life, what thoughts would you like to have? I’d like to feel proud of my body of work. I’d like to think that I brought something to the world conversation; that I made people smile, laugh, shed a tear, nod their head, and perhaps feel more free to love. For whatever reason, I grew up with an idea that love wasn’t real, that it couldn’t last, it was almost something to be laughed at, but it’s not. In the end it’s the only thing that’s real or lasting. True love is always worthy of celebration, it’s the most dynamic and powerful energy on the planet.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Fantasy
Rating – PG
More details about the author & the book
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