Q&A with the Mortal Machine’s Remy #interview #releaseday

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I thought long and hard about how to celebrate the release of Midnight Dawn. I could talk about my challenges in writing the book, my inspiration, or the fact that the book is only 99 cents for a limited time, but it’s been done a million times before. Nope, I needed something new and epic.

Yesterday, it finally hit me. I needed Remy in the hot seat. Readers seem to be fascinated with my gentle giant, and I realized I know almost nothing about him.

It took some coaxing…okay, it took a whole load of coaxing and promises of peach pie with a gallon of ice cream, but he finally agreed to talk to me, and to you, the reader. He’ll be answering your questions all day long, so post them in the comments below.

 

Casting call: Jason Mamoa would play a great Remy, no?

INTERVIEW

“Hey, Remy,” I asked, settling into the chair across from him, close enough our knees brushed. “Um…why are you trying to strangle your own fingers, big guy? I’m not going to take a bite out of you. We’re just going to talk.”

He lifted his chin and studied me with his bright blue eyes that had a jade star as a mark of his sentinel status. Tribal tattoos covered one whole half of him, cutting his handsome, exotic face in two. Neither side of it appeared happy to be here. “Jus’ talk, huh?” he said in his creole accent of Hawaiian and Canadian English. “Then why you have that look in you eye, Adams?”

I raised a brow and smiled in a way I hoped appeared innocent. “What look would that be?”

“The one that usually come right before you do something nasty to one of us, especially my kolohe, Addison. I should know. I see it lots. An’ where’s my pie?”

I waved him off and sat back. Addison was finally growing into the big shoes she had to fill. Yeah, so I’d put her through hell, but she was strong. “Tell me about the first time you saw Sophia, and we’ll get you that pie.”

Remy sat up straighter, his features softening as they did every time I mentioned the young woman he’d adored in secret for decades. “She was in a tree when Asher an’ me find her. As wild and timid as a cat, and jus’ as skittish. She’d jus’ seen her first wraith, an’ it took me almost two hour to coax her down outta that tree.” He chuckled, and it wasn’t entirely a happy sound. His smile fell flat. “Only eighteen, and her life already full of darkness not even a mind-wipe could erase.”

“But now she has you to turn on the light.”

He half smiled and shook his ginormous head. “Her fadda hurt her, and I have big hands like he did. I scare her, too.”

I leaned forward and patted his knee. “Don’t you worry, big guy. I don’t think you scare her the way you think you do. She just doesn’t know how to be loved yet, because she’s never had that. Just keep being your patient, gentle self, and she’ll come around.”

“If you say so.” His cheeks reddened, and he went back to strangling his hands. “Now get on with this. Ask what you really want to know so I can get back to her.”

I sighed and reached for his hand to stop him from cutting off his own circulation and maybe give him some comfort, but one dark look from him sent me back in my chair. “A sentinel’s gifts are born of their fears, as you know. And Izan chooses his guardians based on their potential to have heightened emotions, which powers the Mortal Machine. Why did he choose you, Remy? What was your childhood like? I know everything about Sophia, but what scares you?”

An unsettling stillness came over him, as if his body had shut down while whatever wound I’d poked my finger into consumed him. I felt like a grade A asshole, but I didn’t take back the question. I needed to know before I wrote the next chapter of his life.

“I tell you if you promise nothing bad happen to Sophia in whatever nasty piece of work you write for us next.”

Ah! Nasty? I swallowed my snappy retort and rekindled my smile. “I think readers would throttle me if I ever hurt Sophia. I can’t promise she won’t shed some tears by the end, but I can promise that everything will turn out okay.”

“You version of ‘okay’ and mine totally different, I’d bet.” After an agonizing few minutes, he finally said, “Water.”

Squinting at him, I waited for more that never came. “I’m sorry, what about water?”

“I don’ like the water, okay?” he snarled. “Now jus’ drop it.”

No wonder he never went swimming. “You know I can’t do that. Why are you scared of the water, Remy?”

His knuckles made a terrible cracking sound as he curled one fist into the other. “My mother jealous my of the time my fadda spend with me. Try to drown me in the ocean when I was four year old.” His eyes iced over as he set his haunted stare on me. “You know what it feel like to have lungs full of salt water? To know the woman who give birth to me try to kill her own child? So yeah, that stick with a man for a good long while. Bring it up again, or you make my Sophia cry for any reason, you an’ me come to blows, you get me?”

My heart dropped at the pain in his voice. “Yeah, Remy. I get you. I’m sorry. You know I love you both to pieces, right?”

He sighed, and the aggressiveness that only moments before made me thankful for good bladder control disappeared as if it had never been. “Yeah, I know you do. Just be good, yeah?”

Good? He clearly didn’t know me very well. A person’s greatness often comes out of the hardest trials, and Remy would find his happy place at the end of his own hard road. Hopefully he didn’t throttle me after he found out what I had in store for them in Forever Dusk. Peach pie could fix anything, even an impending apocalypse. Couldn’t it?

Thanks for helping me celebrate the release of Midnight Dawn. Remy will be sticking around for a while today. If you have any questions for him, post them in the comments below and he’d be glad to answer.

Meet Charlie Kenmore

I had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Kenmore, paranormal romance author, through Alexx at Momcat Reviews.   Check out our chat below.

We all began our writing careers somewhere.  What inspired you to write your first book?

I needed a birthday present for D. Alexx. She loves paranormal romances. I thought, I’ll just write her a paranormal romance. How hard can it be? I barely finished Book One before her birthday.

Ah, that is so sweet!  I bet she loved it.  So you write for love, but who inspires your style?  If you had to choose, which writer would you consider to be your greatest mentor?

Anton Chekhov, the master of indirect action. He churned out “flash fiction” by the dozens.

I haven’t read anything by him.  I’ll definitely check him out now. I’m interested in your book.  Introduce the main characters to us.

On the “Heroes” side:

Prince Dzhok (goes by Jack) of the Qpiad (commonly misspelled as “cupid“ in Earthside English). He’s an All Realms Class Lover, with over 1980 children, including 22 with Salash, the High Sidhe Ambassador to the Court of Queen Amura of the Qpiad (Jack’s mother). He’s a human-appearing humanoid of average build and height. He’s much stronger and faster than any human, but much weaker than any of the heroines. His principal claim to fame is that he is always a perfect fit for his sexual partner, regardless of the species, size or color (yes color, since brown hamadryads and green hamadryads have different average lengths for their vaginal canals).

Salash, Jack’s oldest friend and lover. She’s got copper skin, flame red hair, and all chrome diopside green eyes. She may be short, but pound for pound, she’s one of the deadliest fighters in the Six Inhabited Realms. Her weapon of choice is a sword. It is always available, but Jack has no idea where she keeps it since she doesn’t wear a scabbard.

Brunhilde, the Valkyrie, a large, muscular warrior from the House of Odin. She was responsible for the custody of the Chosen before she escaped. Odin put out one of her eyes. She’s a long time acquaintance of Salash’s. Prefers to hit something first, and ask questions later. Her weapon of choice is a rune inscribed battle axe.

Vejamate, the Lithuanian Goddess, the Mother of Winds, a grandmotherly type. If something is in the wind, she’ll know about it. She can go anywhere there are winds.

The Gang at Halflings‘: Rowan-the eldest of Jack’s and Salash’s children, the bartender;

Khaarkh-Jack’s son by an Earth Elemental, 7’8” and 450 lbs, the bouncer;

KiKi-ik-Jack’s three-eyed, green skinned daughter by a wood nymph, the lounge singer.

Aithne and Birkita–Identical twin daughters of Jack and Salash. Salash’s youngest children, still live with her.

Alyxx, High Lady of the Qpiad, the Royal Court Healer. One of the foremost healers in the Six Inhabited Realms.

On the “Jury is still out” side:

High Lord Athol of the High Sidhe, Salash’s father, one of the foremost spymasters in the Six Inhabited Realms.

Queen Amura of the Qpiad, Jack’s mother, fond of Court intrigue.

On the “Villains” side:

The TechnoWitch, a human body stealing witch, who has her eye on taking the Anarch’s body.

Deimos and Phobos- identical twin who-knows-whats, raised by the TechnoWitch, proficient, amused by, and deadly with every kind of weapon, and every form of combat.

The Conspirators:  Setekh, Shiva, Themis, Loki, Empusa and Pelactere.

Oceanus, the Atlantian–possibly the oldest living mortal in the Six Inhabited Realms.

Finally, on the “All of the Above” side:

Chosen/Anarch/Earth Angel–born into the House of Odin, intended to be sacrificed to support the Veil under the High Sidhe’s First Accords, so never given a name. She escapes into the Veil, and becomes one with it. Her escape from the Veil imperils the Six Inhabited Realms.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I’m an attorney. Writing fiction is not the same as writing a legal brief. I have to get out of my “attorney” head. So if you were to ask me, “Are you out of your mind?” I’d reply, “I certainly hope so.”

It must be hard to switch hats like that.  To help with that, do you have any rituals when you sit down to write?  Coffee, certain music playing, that sort of thing.

First, I top off my iced tea. Then I place a snack where it is readily accessible. I put one or more dictionaries and thesauruses within arm’s reach, aaaaaaaand, I’m off.

Simple and easy.  I like that.  What advice would you give to aspiring writers who dream of publication?

Keep writing. Pay attention to the basics (ie spelling and grammar), but don’t obsess over it, particularly in the first draft. Get the story down. You can always go back and revise (provided the Muse failed to give it to you straight the first time).

You will get rejected. Live with it. It doesn’t mean that the work isn’t good. It means that the work isn’t suitable, at the time, for the intended publisher. Earth Angel was rejected several times. Each rejection included some words of encouragement, but noted that the work was not a good fit for their readership. Just find a publisher that is in tune with your target market.

Yes, we all have that stack of rejections, don’t we?  They’re just part of the business, though they still hurt.  🙂  Tell us your latest news and what’s next for you.

There are four more Seven Realms Tales under submission, including  The Flow of Magic, the sequel to Earth Angel.

I have a short story “Custody Battle” in the Dark Carnival anthology from Timid Pirate due out at the end of September.

My darker and naughtier alter ego, Ken Charles has a couple of works under contract with Naughty Nights Press. The Mercies of Cinderella is due out in February. The Naughty Ladies of Cotton Glen is due out in April.

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Buy Links:

Damnation Books   (must register-free)

Amazon.com

Omnilit

Blurb:

There are seven parallel worlds known as the Seven Realms which are separated by a Veil. Six are inhabited by all manner of entities, some natural, some not. That may not be the case for much longer. The first portion of the High Sidhe Prophecy of the Sevens has been fulfilled. The Anarch, who is one with the Veil, has escaped. If she chooses, she can part or drop the Veil or she can lift the Veil in its entirety. The Seven Realms will converge. The laws of physics and magic will collide head on. Unless she is stopped, there will be nothing left.

Queen Amura has called for an assembly of the signatories to the High Sidhe’s Second Accords, a multi-realm peace treaty to consider how to deal with the threat of the Anarch. An Earthside TechnoWitch and other dark forces also are seeking to control the Anarch. Prince Dzhok (Jack) , High Sidhe Ambassador Salash (Jack’s oldest friend and lover), and Valkyrie Brunhilde set out to find and befriend the Anarch before all is lost.

Excerpt:

Salash paused to give Jack a few minutes to consider her words and to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Jack took a moment, and then he saw the light. Unfortunately, it appeared to be attached to an oncoming train. Jack was no pacifist. Like Salash, he would kill to protect his children (and had). But as a pansexual high blood Prince of the Human Whisperers and Allied Kinds, “make love, not war” was not a mere platitude, but rather was the very core of his being. Jack knew that he would have little influence on the upcoming gathering in Paradox. This was not a symposium. It was a war council. And the outcome was fairly certain. His Mother and her allies would seek to kill the Chosen. And they would fail miserably.

Meet author M. L. Lacy

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to M. L. Lacy, author of the Chrysalis Series

What inspired you to write your first book?   

I’ve always had stories rattling around in my head, but this one wouldn’t leave and what started as a short story blossomed into a series. Now I have all the other stories pushing to get their say on paper too, but this one is my heart.

I hear you on the stories rattling around.  I often have that problem myself.  🙂  If you had to choose, which writer would you consider to be your greatest mentor?

Gosh…I’m going to say JK Rowling. Harry Potter reignited my imagination and made me stretch my limits and then made me stretch some more. Chrysalis took me out of my comfort zone and while it’s an adult read it stretches your imagination.

I love her books, too.  Tell us about your book, Chrysalis – The Awakening.  Introduce the main characters to us.

This is the first book in my series. This is the back cover blub:

All families have secrets. At 32, Bree Campbell discovers her entire life has been a secret. A human born into a family of magicals, she begins questioning everything and everyone around her. The prophecy told at her birth speaks of a Chosen One; the last and greatest of a long line of Chosen Ones charged with saving both the human and magical realms. Bree must face this reality and life with her new family; a clan of vampires protecting her. The sorceress, Esmeralda, will stop at nothing until this Chosen One is dead. None could then oppose her and she would be free to rid the world of all humans. Will Bree awaken the hidden powers and find inner strength needed to save the world?

Characters: Okay, there’s Bree, she is the heroin of the story. Then there is the clan of vampires that has protected her: Steven, her intended, her soul mate, her ultimate love. Bradley, the Alpha of the clan, Rick, and finally, Bill, who is her cousin…but not her cousin. The women that are in the clan: Madalyn – Bradley’s wife, Sandy – Rick’s wife, and Gina – Bill’s wife. Bree’s grandmother, Gran, as Bree calls her, makes several important appearances in the story. Then there are the evil-doers: Esmeralda, Bree’s arch nemeses and her henchman, Thomas.

There are multitudes of twists and turns and when you think you are heading in the right directions…it turns again.

The story takes place over seven days, with one side trip to Yellowstone, in Las Vegas. Bree knows nothing of the magical realm, or who or what she is to become. She joins her grandmother on the trip on the guise of going to a reunion, but the real reason is to make her aware of the magical realm…and reunite her with Steven…why you ask…you need to read the book to find out.

Sounds fantastic.  I can’t wait to read it.  Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?  

Staying away from the safe, the tried and true, and stretching out and trying new things.

Do you have any rituals when you sit down to write?  Coffee, certain music playing, that sort of thing.

I get up on the weekends, turn my computer on, make me a cup of coffee and sit down and type…and by the time I take my first drink of the coffee, it’s gone cold. I like it quiet. I like to hear the keys clicking on my key board and I type whatever comes in my head, I strive to get a chapter out in one sitting. Then I walk away, and when I come back a hour or so later…or longer, I re-read what I wrote, and continue. I don’t edit, I don’t worry about punctuation, grammar, spelling–nothing until the very end. When I’m completely satisfied, I then give it to my beta reader and wait for her feedback…and then I edit some more. All in all it takes me about 7-9 months.

I like quiet, too.  It’s amazing how quickly time can go by when we’re doing something we love.  What advice would you give to aspiring writers who dream of publication?

Stay true to your story, stay true to yourself and keep plugging along. I’ve been writing for only 5 years and have 4 books written, but I’ve been a dreamer for 50+.

Yep, I agree.  Perseverance often equals success. Tell us your latest news and what’s next for you.

My next series, it will be much smaller that Chrysalis, is set to go into edits in October 2011 with a scheduled release date of April 2012. Here is a small insight into the story and I’ve posted the first chapter on my website: www.mllacy.com

All that Kelsey had thought to be true her entire life, shattered upon hearing her grandmother’s deathbed confession; her parents had not died in a fire when she was three.

Along with a box of letters and cards sent to her grandparents when she was a child, her grandmother shared the awful truth that, although her parents, had planned to return for her, they never did. For reasons unknown, her mother’s family would never accept her, and there was someone who wanted her dead. Having promised to never remove it, the necklace she wears is the only thing protecting her.

Her only clues are what she finds in the box, which isn’t much. The cards in the box were purchased in Keystone, South Dakota—a place unbeknown to the human realm, where magickals lived. Unaware of that fact, Kelsey embarks on a journey to find her parents, learn who wants her dead, and discover how and why the necklace protects her.

So, if you’re looking for a great fall read, check out Chrysalis – The Awakening

Purchase from Amazon

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Stay tuned next week when I’ll bring you Charlie Kenmore