Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a stay-at-home-mom and writer, everything else is optional!
Legend has it, I was born with a book in my hands. When I was a kid, my mom would ground me from reading in order to get me to do my chores. To this day, I can readily ignore the real world in favor of the imaginary one lurking between the pages of my current addiction. My dad — also an avid reader — introduced me to Tolkien in my late elementary years, and I never looked back. I love escaping to worlds where magic and monsters are real, especially stories with kick-butt heroines and dangerously attractive heroes.
Despite my voracious book appetite, I didn’t start creative writing until I was working as a number cruncher in a big accounting firm. With an hour plus commute by train every day, and a demanding left-brain occupation, I needed a mobile creative outlet. A pen and paper are about as mobile as it gets! As the pages began to fill, I quickly moved onto a tiny laptop, and a writer was born. Now I get to create my own fantasies!
I currently live in Southern California with my wonderfully supportive husband, two daughters, and a ridiculously energetic dog.
Sanyare: The Last Descendant is my first published novel, but I also have a free short story prequel, Pixie Tamer, available now on Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and Kobo. I’m currently working on the sequel to Sanyare, the uninspired working title: Sanyare Book 2. You can learn more about me and my writing on my website and facebook page!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Sanyare: The Last Descendant was inspired by the character of Rie. She popped into my head one day and wouldn’t leave me alone!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I just gave birth to my youngest daughter in April 2015, so right now my writing is all over the place. Literally. Right now I’m standing at my kitchen table with my daughter in a Moby Wrap baby carrier, bouncing from side to side while she sleeps and I type. I work in spare moments throughout the day, and try to make sure I always have something to work on, no matter where I am or what device I have with me!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The list is long and convoluted. I started reading fantasy as a kid, the classics from J.R.R. Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey. In high school I was addicted to Laurell K. Hamilton. Lately I’ve been reading a lot by Faith Hunter (the Jane Yellowrock series is awesome), Nathan Lowell (love the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series), Nalini Singh (psy-changeling series), and Jeff Wheeler (Muirwood books).
Every book I read influences me a little. For example, I love the fight scenes written by Faith Hunter. She is a master at bringing in all five senses and keeping the action short and tense. But Nathan Lowell has a slower more relaxed writing style that still manages to hook the reader and keep the pages turning. I can’t write like either of them, I just write like me, but I try to learn as much as possible and incorporate the best into my own writing.
What are you working on now?
The sequel to Sanyare: The Last Descendant, with the uninspired working title, Sanyare Book 2.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning about book promotion, and experimenting, so I don’t have a best practice yet. I’ll let you know!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing. Don’t get discouraged, but also try to be objective about your skills. Don’t jump into publishing or submitting to agents until you’re sure your work is great. There’s a lot of competition out there, but if you keep an eye on the long game, you’ll get there eventually.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write the damn book!
What are you reading now?
Fathom, by Merrie Destefano.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on the sequel to Sanyare: The Last Descendant now. I also have a couple of short stories in the Sanyare Universe percolating in the back of my brain, and oddly enough, a new character for a Sci-Fi novel or short is clamoring for attention, so I may be branching out into a new genre soon.
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?
Pride and Prejudice, Lord of the Rings (I’m cheating, and counting the whole trilogy), Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh, and The Dragonriders of Pern original trilogy (now a boxed set…it counts!)
Author Websites and Profiles
Megan Haskell Website
Megan Haskell Amazon Profile
Megan Haskell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account