Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a fantasy writer from Scotland, currently living in Southern Arizona. I’m married, have two kids, three cats, two rats, a betta fish, and a Border Collie. I’ve been writing since I was twelve years old, but most of that has been for one of six newspapers and magazines I’ve worked on since graduating college. Only in the past few years have I pursued fiction and novel writing.
I’ve published two books in my Revelations Trilogy and one other, an historical romance, under a pen name.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Silver Shackles, which comes out on June 15, 2015, is the second book in the Revelations Trilogy, which is about a reporter–who also happens to be a jaguar shifter–who is instrumental in revealing the presence of Preternatural creatures to the rest of the world. Humans wake up one morning and discover that magic is real, and things like vampires and werewolves do actually exist. Faeries are real, too, but they didn’t come out of the skeleton closet and the Queen of the Winter Fae is not happy with Riley’s role in the Revelations. In order to save her life, Riley makes a deal with the Queen of the Summer Fae, and steals something from the Winter Court.
Silver Shackles is about the consequences of that theft and the shifting alliances and court intrigue within the Winter Court.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a special drawer in my writing desk that’s filled with snacks. I have gummi worms, red licorice, pretzel thins, trail mix, and dried fruit. So far, I’ve managed to keep it a secret from my children.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jim Butcher and Diana Gabaldon are my biggest influences. I greatly admire Butcher’s ability to weave hidden gems throughout his Dresden Files series, so something you learned–or maybe something so small and insignificant that you didn’t even pay attention to it–in one of the early books shows up in a major way later on in the series.
And Gabaldon’s characters are just SO. REAL. I strive to put a little of that into my own characters. I want them to be like people you might already know.
What are you working on now?
I have three books I’m working on right now. One is a YA dystopian cyberpunk kind of thing, one is a colliding worlds urban fantasy, and the other is the third book in the Revelations Trilogy.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of Mouth seems to be working the best for me right now. I’ve built up a pretty loyal fan base and through their recommendations and excitement, I’ve sold a lot of books!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
You really have to develop a thick skin. Not everyone will like your books. Some of them will be pretty harsh in their criticism. You have to expect this going in, otherwise you’ll never make it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever received is to know that once you release your book into the wild, it’s no longer YOUR book. Every reader will bring his or her own baggage into reading it, and all that stuff will change your book. No one will ever “get” what you’ve written the way you wrote it, the way you intended it to be. I think knowing this and really getting it into your head is a great way to deal with negative criticism.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading Bloodring, by Faith Hunter. It’s such a phenomenal book.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m just going to keep doing what I do–writing, revising, and publishing. That’s the life I want.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
2. Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson
3. Nightwatch, by Terry Pratchett
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