Category Archives: Author Interviews

The Beast Within Blog Tour STARTS TODAY!!!

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As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Below are direct hyperlinks to the tour blogs, just click on the link to open them. Tour posts will be up no later than 9:00pm CST on the date scheduled.

February 22nd

February 23rd

February 24th

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March 1st

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April 1st

April 2nd

Thank you to Silver Dagger Book Tours and all the amazing tour hosts that are participating and sharing The Beast Within!

K.M. Smith ~ Author Interview

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For Kristy Smith, writing is her passion and writing about vampires gets her blood flowin’. Growing up in Michigan and spending time in several parts of the world has provided her with unique perspectives and innumerable opportunities for storytelling.

Check out our interview on YouTube:

Check out K.M.’s book below!

(Click on the cover images to order your copy)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)

Turning Point – Adam is the resident vampire in a small college town in Michigan. It’s the same scenario every night: wander campus, snag a co-ed for dinner, get home before dawn. Rinse. Repeat–until an irresistible new professor appears. From the shadows, he follows her every footstep, lurking, until he witnesses a tragic accident. As life drains from the object of his desire, he is faced with an impossible choice: Should he intervene or not?

22 years later, Alice Peterson is well on her way to graduating from college. Her life and goals are set, and her future is bright. But Alice meets Adam and a tempestuous wind portends a different fate. Thrust into a world she thought to be fictitious, Alice must rely on wit, cunning and newfound powers if she hopes to survive. Adam will do what he must to keep Alice from learning too much about her past, including the unthinkable.

No good deed goes unpunished as familial bonds are pushed to their limit and new relationships are tested. Filled with action and bloodlust-fueled drama, read on to unlock the mystery when Alice reaches her Turning Point.

Follow her on Social Media here:

Sylvie Denied by Deborah Clark Vance – Author Interview

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As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Interview with the Author

Who designed your book covers?

The basic ideas are mine and my husband’s. I wanted a partially obstructed view of a woman to indicate some kind of internal and external struggles, wanted the dominant color to be blue and the type font san serif and white. We went through a couple of cover designers before getting the perfect one that I absolutely love.

What did you edit out of this book?

As mentioned, I cannibalized some earlier work, including an almost finished novel,  as I was looking for the main character and the plot. I had an idea for the ending of the almost finished novel, and as I was getting closer to the end, I thought the book really didn’t add much to the conversation. That is, I thought others might be saying the same thing by that time. What that might indicate is that when I started, the idea seemed original but I started seeing books that sounded too similar. I can’t think of anything that’s like “Sylvie Denied.” The funny thing about this is that bookstores and marketers want to know the genre so they can figure out where to shelve it and how to sell it.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?

I’m especially pleased with the ending. Part of the editing of the book involved playing with the sequence – determining what was the storyline and what was the backstory. Initially I brought together some short stories and then identified a main character and a plot. The ideas I wanted to express were all there, but I hadn’t yet figured out how to say it. I shouldn’t talk too much about the ending but will say that if you skip ahead and read it, it probably won’t make sense, so don’t do that!

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

I learned plenty – about myself and about how to write and market a novel. I was fortunate to have been in a writers’ group. Until Covid, I met every Monday evening for at least three years primarily with one other woman, though others would come and go. I think she and I complemented each other,  though our styles, perspectives and genres are different. We saw things in each other’s writing that needed to be strengthened, changed or even deleted. I treasure those times and am grateful for that support.

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Warning: there are a few incidents that may trigger negative reactions in sensitive readers.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I loved creating the world and populating it with characters who could animate issues that are important to me.

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?

Sylvie is driven to find out the truth about what’s going on in the world. She thinks adults aren’t seeing the reality in front of them and consequently feels that she needs to do it all on her own. She thinks she’ll be able to uncover wisdom by getting as close to the earth as possible, and by learning about oral traditions of people’s interactions with natural elements. Her quest is a spiritual one.

Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Deborah Clark Vance has lived throughout the US and in Italy. While raising her children, she earned a living by teaching piano lessons, selling her original artwork, editing a health journal, translating Italian, writing freelance articles and textbook chapters, working on a children’s educational TV series, teaching in a day treatment program for adults with mental and emotional illnesses, creating garden designs and teaching as a college adjunct. After completing a Ph.D. in Communication and Culture at Howard University, she taught and served as Chair of the Department of Communication & Cinema at McDaniel College in Maryland. Although she also contributed articles and chapters to academic publications, those only earned her a modicum of prestige rather than income. She’s keenly interested in the natural world as well as in social justice, spirituality and women’s issues. “Sylvie Denied” is her debut novel.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

I’m glad to be one of the many Silver Dagger Tour Hosts sharing information on Deborah Clark Vance and her latest novel Sylvie Denied.

Kassandra Flamouri ~ Author Interview

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Kassandra Flamouri holds a degree in Music from the Sunderman Conservatory of Gettysburg College, which she uses to moonlight as a folk musician while juggling writing, teaching, and earning a second degree.

Check out our interview on YouTube:

Check out HER book below!

(Click on the cover images to order your copy)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)

The Chalice and the Crown – Driven, talented, and determined to live up to her family’s fame, Sasha Nikolayeva is ballet’s crown princess. But just when Sasha lands her most prestigious role yet, she falls prey to a host of disturbing neurological symptoms that threaten to end her career and her very life. As her mind and body deteriorate, Sasha spirals into a nightmare world where beauty and cruelty exist in the same breath and villains rule from the shadows.

In the glittering, sharp-edged City of Roses, Sasha is no princess. She’s a thrall, a slave. Thousands like her suffer in cursed silence while citizens enjoy the splendor of the City, blissfully unaware that their servants are anything more than living dolls enchanted to do their bidding. But the City’s slavers know the truth, and they are always watching. One misstep could cost Sasha her life—or her soul.

Even as she endures the violence and indignity of captivity, Sasha can’t help being drawn to the beauty of her nightmare world and the underground rebels who offer her friendship, shelter, even love. Before Sasha can break her chains for good, she’ll need to choose between the life waiting for her at home and the countless lives she could save if she stays. To choose a nightmare over her real life, her future, would be madness…but maybe a little madness is just what it takes to change the fate of a city built on lies.

Follow her on Social Media here:

Guest Post by Cherie Colyer

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What inspired you to write this book?

Hi! I’m thrilled to be here with you today celebrating the launch of my newest book, Damned When I Didn’t. This was such a fun story to write, and it is home to some of my favorite characters. The premise for this book blossomed from my desire to write something that hasn’t been done before, which isn’t easy when there are so many authors writing amazing paranormal and supernatural stories. Well, you don’t find many YA succubus books. And then I thought, wouldn’t it be ironic if the succubus in my book is a virgin? How would that work? And how did she end up a succubus? Could she survive? Would she want to? I sure hoped so! So I put pen to paper (or more accurately, fingers to keyboard) and Avery Williams was born. She’s thrown into a life she didn’t ask for and she’s determined not to lose her morals or her human side.

Cherie Colyer is best known for her young adult, paranormal romance thrillers, including the Embrace series (featuring witchcraft) and Challenging Destiny (a story about outsmarting heaven and hell.) She usually has several book projects in the works. She enjoys helping budding writers improve their craft and learn more about the publishing industry. Cherie lives in Illinois with her family. She happily visits schools and libraries and is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators).

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Douglas Ford ~ Author Interview

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Douglas Ford is the author of the recent collection of weird fiction, Ape in the Ring. His short stories have appeared in such venues as Dark Moon Digest, Tales to Terrify, Weird City, as well as The Best Hardcore Horror, Volumes 3 and 4.

Check out our interview on YouTube:

Check out HIs book below!

(Click on the cover image(s) to order your copy)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)

APE IN THE RING – From the author of The Reattachment comes a frightening and twisted collection of stories that demonstrates Douglas Ford’s imagination at its best.

In these stories, a woman uncovers the buried memory of how she once disappeared inside the house of a murderer; a father waits and waits for his son to come out of a playground structure, unprepared for what finally does emerge; a group of foster children play an unconventional form of divination while protecting a secret together; the closet of a hotel room hides an unspeakable voyeur; and in the title story, a carnival offers ritualized combat with something that may or not be an ape.

Douglas Ford wields language like a sinister surgeon with a night-black scalpel. These stories cut down to the bone, exposing the darkness that lies just beneath the surface of our everyday world. This collection is a midnight carnival of dark wonders, terrifying and fascinating in equal measure.
–Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author, Tim Waggoner

Ape in the Ring and Other Tales of the Macabre and Uncanny is a must have collection for every horror library. Douglas Ford crafts stories that are disturbing, dripping with atmosphere, and claustrophobically frightening. You will be thinking about this book long after you have set it down.
-Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author, Owl Goingback

Follow him on Social Media here:

Somethin’ Kinda Wonderful by Ava West #giveaway

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As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Somethin’ Kinda Wonderful by Ava West ~ Genre: Contemporary Romance

A single event can change the course of someone’s entire life. In the blink of an eye, everything is altered and nothing remains the same.

Jaxon Ward had places he was going until disaster struck and the pain was crippling. Nothing helped until he ran into Nikki Bedford. His sister’s best friend and the girl he had once terrorized becomes his only salvation.

Nikki is cursed by her tragically long list of failed relationships and fears the same will become of her romance with Jaxon. Can they persevere or will he be another regret of hers?

Goodreads * Amazon

Writing has never been optional for Ava West. Like eating and breathing, it’s something integral to her existence. Everyday she is thankful to be able to make a career from something that brings her so much pleasure.

Ava has published her first novel, Somethin’ Kinda Wonderful, in 2021 and hopes to continuously put out work that touches her readers in the same way writing touches her.

Website * Facebook * Facebook

Would you like a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card or a Swag Pack with Signed Paperback (1 winner each)? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR!

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

From a young age, I was told I had the potential for being an incredible author but had no interest in writing professionally until I fell in love with books. I fell in love with romances like Carly Philips novels and mysteries from Mary Higgins Clark. From there, I started forming my own ideas and sharing them with my friends. It wasn’t quite fully formed ideas but the people I shared my ideas with demanded more so I started writing which slowly developed over ten years until I had the confidence to start publishing my work.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

When I was a preteen, before I got into writing, I was a figure skater and participated in a sychronized ice skating team that took first place in Nationals in 2003.

What are some of your pet peeves?

My number one pet peeve is when anyone is interrupted in the middle of talking. It had always gotten to me.

Where were you born/grew up at?

I was born in Tomball, Texas but grew up in Houston. Through my life, I have lived in Edmond, Oklahoma and Norton, Massachusetts.

What are you passionate about these days?

I am passionate about my writing, soending time with my family, and binge watching Vampire Diaries on Netflix.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

Witty, caring, goofy, and friendly.

What inspired you to write this book?

The main characters, Nikki and Jaxon, both suffer from anxiety and PTSD. These are things that my family and I battle with every day. I feel like it needed a light shined on it. I use my writing to force people to take a look at things no one wants to openly talk about.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I have a mass of books in the works. If you can think of a trope, I have a manuscript that deals with it! My next release will be a dark, BDSM, Age-Gap romance called His To Claim.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Somethin’ Kinda Wonderful?

Nikki is a college student, working in the Blood Moon Cafe. She is still dealing with the grief over her mother’s vicious rape and murder that Nikki witnessed over ten years before. She has her dad, Clark, and her best friend, Jessica, that she leans on for support until she runs into Jaxon in her cafe.

Jaxon has been struggling to cope with being soul-survivor of a bank robbery gone wrong. He’s isolated himself off from the world. He has his friends that care about him and his family but no one quite understands what he’s going through. No one does until he runs into Nikki.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I enjoyed writing all of the banter. It was so great. I was laughing so hard writing it. I also loved the drama and spreading out the clues to the mystery of Nikki’s mom’s murder. Writing Jaxon develop as a character was truly heartwarming.

Who designed your book covers?

My cover was designed by Eleanor Lloyd-Johns with Show of Schmidt Designs. She is incredible! She does all of my covers, teasers, and branding graphics.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Oh, I love this question. Jaxon would be played by Kit Harrington. I love him in Game of Thrones and he has a real Jaxon vibe to him. I wouldn’t settle for anyone else!

I would have Nikki be played be Kerri Medders. She is just so perfect!

What is your favorite part of this book and why?

My favorite part would have to be when Nikki and Jaxon have a completely honest discussion about their feelings. It comes immediately after a highly traumatic event for both characters and it makes them more honest and more responsive in Nikki’s case. She struggles with admitting her feelings because of past heartbreaks and she’s able to push past her fear to be honest with Jaxon. It’s a really beautiful scene.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

I would absolutely chill with Destiny. She is one of Nikki’s coworkers. She’s open and honest. I could totally see us getting a drink together. Girls night with my fictional character, absolutely!

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

My favorite is contemporary romance. I love work from Ivy Smoak and Jaine Diamond

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?

It depends on the book. If there is some drama going on, I need silence or my anxiety gets amped up so I can’t write and have to take a break. If things are calm, I prefer loud rock music and sometimes dance music.

Pen or type writer or computer?

It might make me strange but I perfer writing from my computer. I used to be a computer type of a writer but I went without a computer for so long that I learned to write on my phone. Now, it’s my comfort zone.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?

I’m halfway between a plotter and a pantser. I have an idea of the main events, more in detail if its part of a series that happens in the same time frame. I will spend a day or two daydreaming–I mean brainstorming! Once I’ve got all the main plot points and the characters personalities down, I start writing or jot down my ideas in a document to go back to when I’m ready to start writing.

I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about Somethin’ Kinda Wonderful by Ava West.

Kelly S. Marsden ~ Author Interview

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Kelly Marsden is a Yorkshire author who writes fantasy stories. Her first book, The Shadow Rises (Witch-Hunter #1), was published in January 2013 and she now has several successful series under her belt.

Check out our interview on YouTube:

Check out KELLY’s book below!

(Click on the cover images to order your copy)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)

With Midwinter just around the corner, Mark’s Nanna decides that it is time he learnt more about his family heritage. Learning witchcraft shouldn’t be too difficult, right? Balancing school, magic, and the distractions of the gorgeous new guy, should make this a very interesting winter.

Follow her on Social Media here:

Liane Carmen ~ Author Interview

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Meet Liane Carmen, author of the Investigation Duo Series. Like most authors, Liane hopes that her readers will vouch for her if her Google search history ever comes into question!

LIKE – SUBSCRIBE – AND COMMENT BELOW TO BE ENTERED FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ‘WHERE THE TRUTH HIDES’ BY LIANE CARMEN!!!

Check out our interview on YouTube:

Check out LIANE’S bookS below!

(Click on the cover images to order your copy)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)

Buried secrets can be deadly.

Becky Morgan has a life most women would envy until a car accident lands her in the hospital. She insists she’s fine, but it quickly becomes clear she’s changed. She’s forgetful, paranoid, short-tempered. Her husband wants to write off her change in personality to the IVF hormones she’s taking in an attempt to get pregnant.

Becky’s best friend, Jules Dalton, is a gorgeous, single woman, with a habit of sabotaging relationships. When Jules loses the man who could have been “the one,” she confronts the realization that being adopted at birth is contributing to her trust issues. She’s obsessed with finding out why she was given up and turns to DNA testing in hopes her matches will lead to her birth parents.

As Jules dives into her DNA results, Becky’s life soon becomes one she doesn’t recognize. Those closest to her are accusing her of things she simply can’t explain or remember. She’s terrified of losing everything: her career, her marriage, and her dream of becoming a mother.

Desperate to put the pieces of her shattered life back together, Becky needs her best friend more than ever. What she doesn’t realize is that Jules knows something that could explain everything away.

Becky has a dark past she’s unaware of. A darkness that’s coming for her.

It could also get her killed.

As a young girl, Donna Thomas tragically lost her mother and sibling. Her wealthy father has been emotionally absent ever since. As an adult, he refused to help, insisting she had to find her own way in life. When he dies, Donna’s convinced this is her chance to get what she deserves. After all, there is no other family.

But then his will deals her an unexpected blow. The estate is to be shared, not only with a mysterious stranger, but also a half-sister Donna didn’t know existed. It’s bad enough she has to share her father’s money, but his last words stipulate she doesn’t get a penny of her inheritance until she locates her half-sister.

Angry and bitter, Donna turns to Becky and Jules who’ve just opened the doors of their new detective agency. Having solved family mysteries of their own, they’re now ready to help others. As they follow the trail Donna’s father left behind, it becomes clear someone else is on the hunt as well. One accidental death in their path could be coincidental, but when it looks like the mystery beneficiary has been murdered, they don’t know who to trust.

As Becky and Jules scramble to find the connection behind Donna’s father and the murdered stranger, they worry time is running out. If they want to find Donna’s half-sister alive, they had better find her fast, because someone else seems to be one sinister step ahead of them—they want what’s theirs, and they’re prepared to kill anyone who gets in their way.

Follow her on Social Media here:

Dragon Blood by Mary Beesley #giveaway

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As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Dragon Blood (Draco Sang Trilogy Book 1) by Mary Beesley ~ Genre: YA Fantasy

Cal, a hungry sixteen-year-old sick of mining the sand, wants to fit in and make his ma proud, but instead, his violent tendencies bring shame. And the truth. He’s the son of a Draco Sang. Carriers of the Dragon’s blood, the Draco Sang transform into half human half beast as they mature into adults. And if Cal can’t control the dark impulses of his dragon blood, he’ll grow into a man-beast—and he’ll be hunted.

Ferth, son of a Draco Sang chief and last of his class to grow claws, needs to prove his worth to his father, or he’ll be sent to the slave house. Hiding his human heart, he joins the army headed south to conquer the fertile human lands.

Neither brother feels they belong. Cal is human, fighting against becoming a beastly Draco Sang, while Ferth is struggling to push back his humanity and transform into a worthy Draco warrior.

Before ever meeting in open battle, Ferth is sent to kill Cal. But when he learns they are brothers, he must decide which loyalty is stronger, blood or country. And whether to finally give in to his humanity.

Add to Goodreads * Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Books2Read

Mary Beesley believes humans are born to create, and promotes creativity in all its beautiful forms. She’s learning calligraphy and watercolor. She loves exploring our magnificent planet and finding all the best places to eat around the world. But nothing beats coming home and sharing a pot of slow-simmered minestrone and homemade sourdough with friends and family. If she’s not in her writing chair, you’ll probably find her hiking in the Utah mountains with her husband and four children.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Would you like a chance to win a $$25 Amazon gift card (2 winners)? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

An interview with Author Mary Beesley:

What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?

Leigh Bardugo, Robin McKinley, Naomi Novik, Sarah Maas, JK Rowling, Madeline Miller, Ken Follett, VE Schwab, Brent Weeks, Jane Austen, Brandon Sanderson…. I must stop, but it is so hard. There are so many great authors out there!

What is your writing process?

Every book has been a little different, just like humans, I think each of my books comes with a personality and unique challenges.

Dragon Blood is a trilogy, and I did more outlining on that project than any other because I needed to be very organized to plan three books ahead. But with Betting on Love that’s coming out in 2021, I saw in my mind a scene from it and just went with it with very few notes. With the book, To Unite a Realm, I saw an idea I wanted to explore. I wondered what it would be like to marry someone you hated and what kind of pressure would a person need to be under to accept that kind of marriage.

I have another manuscript that I’m working on that is an adult fantasy, and it’s the hardest draft I’ve ever worked on. This story is big and important and it’s really testing my patience and commitment and creativity. I’ve left it and come back to it three or four times now and I’m still not done with the first draft, but I think in the end it will be that much better for the work and effort.

Usually I like to buzz through the entire first draft start to finish within about three months. I live and breathe and sleep the story, and it’s so much easier for me to stay deep in it than to come in and out and try to keep finding the voice and narrative. Now that I have deadlines and edits due, it’s harder for me to carve out exclusive time to one book, but I’m learning and adjusting.

I will say that with each manuscript, I’ve had to see where I was going before I felt comfortable starting. I don’t usually have a full-fledged outline, but I know several important plot points I’m aiming for and that helps the draft flow. I usually have a notebook full of ideas and have spent months just thinking about the characters and the scenes before I ever start on the first draft.

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?

I have to spend a good bit of time with my main characters walking around my head before I start writing, but they are far from fully formed until after I start writing and truly seeing them act and come to life. Secondary characters get even less prewriting meditation time so it’s a lot of learning who my characters are as I write and they start to do this. It’s especially exciting when they start to do things on their own and unexpected and interesting things happen.

Do you see writing as a career?

YES!

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

I read as much as I can. I think it is one of the best ways to improve craft and creativity. I read all the genres—except horror and erotica. My favorites are fantasy and historical fiction, but I love so much that it was hard for me to even narrow it down to those two.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?

Silence. Sometimes if I am really all over the place, I’ll put on some classical music to pull myself together, but I just like to really focus in silence. I very difficult for me to draft when my husband or kids are home making noise.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

That’s a range as wide as 5 months to 5 years.

I am so happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing Dragon Blood by Mary Beesley.