31 Days of Book Prizes and Special Offers!

There are a lot of holiday specials going on between  now and Christmas, but Muse It Up Publishing has decided to do something different--they're celebrating 2012 by hosting 31 days of book specials and door prizes!

Beginning Dec. 1st, simply "Like" the Muse It Up Facebook page and share your favorite memory from 2012. Each day one person will be chosen to win a door prize, and everyone will be offered free reads and other book specials.

Then, on January 1st, 2013, one lucky winner will be chosen from all the comments to receive the grand prize, which is 31 ebooks that were published by Muse It Up in 2012! What a great way to fill your e-reader with awesome books to read all year long!

Check out the Muse It Up blog, and join in the Facebook event here. Here's to celebrating a great year!

--KSR Writer

Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Congratulations to Gary T., the winner of the Amazon gift card! Thank you to all who participated and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

It's that time of year again--a time to be thankful for all the wonderful people in our lives. As a thank you for all your support, I'm participating in the Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop hosted by I Am a Reader Not a Writer.

The prize is a $5 gift card to Amazon.com and all you have to do is pick one way to follow me--either via this blog, twitter or facebook (follow buttons are located on the right side of this blog). It's that simple! Just fill out the form below. The winner will be announced on Monday, Nov. 26th.

Be sure to check out all the other great giveaways in the list below! Happy Thanksgiving!

--KSR Writer

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Insight Into the Middle Grade Market

Last weekend I attended the SCBWI Kansas chapter's annual conference. Titled "Let's Make Magic," with faculty that included editor Arthur Levine and authors Mike Jung and Jay Asher, it certainly lived up to its name.

While many of the presentations were very informative, I found one especially interesting. Literary agent Mary Kole gave an overview of the middle grade and young adult markets. Her information is included in her new book WRITING IRRESISTIBLE KIDLIT (which I plan to purchase). But I want to share some of the highlights from her presentation (mainly because I'm a middle grade author!)

Overview of the Middle Grade Market:

• A book's protagonist should be age 13 and under. Although the term "tween" books has become popular, a "tween" bookshelf doesn't exist. The market still divides it into middle grade and young adult. Middle grade readers read "up" so by having a 13-year-old main character, you will appeal to readers as young as age 8.

• The average length for middle grade books is 35,000 words and shouldn't go higher than 60,000 words. While some kids at this age are voracious readers and can handle the higher word counts, many readers are reluctant (especially boys) so keeping word count shorter will help capture more readers. Both boy and girl readers fall into this age group so it's good to have characters of both genders. 

• Fantasy and adventure books are the most popular in this market. Literary books do exist, but many agents/publishers are still looking for the commercial appeal that will sell. Series are extremely popular, but a first book that stands alone is a necessity. The story can have loose ends, but it needs to resolve itself emotionally at the end of the first book.

• Middle grade language should not be edgy--it needs to be appropriate for the age especially since parents, teachers, and librarians still act as gatekeepers for this age group. Romance should be portrayed simply as sweet.

• Historical fiction is welcome in middle grade, and "historical" now includes anything from the 1980s and prior! However, historical fiction only works if the time period is necessary to the story (if the story could be told during any time period, then make it contemporary).

• Middle grade is a world of contrasts--kids feel the pull to have some independence but want to remain kids. Major changes are happening both physically (puberty) and emotionally. They worry about how others will perceive them.

There are just as many tips for the YA market, all of which can be found in WRITING IRRESISTIBLE KIDLIT. Some of the information may seem obvious, but I think it's a great reminder of what middle grade authors should strive for when writing.

If you have additional helpful tips for middle grade authors, I'd love to hear them!

--KSR Writer

BLOOD TIDE by Holly Stacey: YA Tale of Slavery, Pirates, and Freedom

Today I'm excited to host a very talented writer and fellow team member with knowonder!, the online children's publication. Holly Stacey is the author of the YA historical fiction novel BLOOD TIDE, which is a fascinating tale of a slave girl from the Caribbean and her perils of finding freedom among a ship of pirates. Welcome, Holly!

Tell us a little about your background and how you became an author.

I started writing when I was old enough to hold a pen and I’ve been telling stories for just as long.  I always wanted to be a writer, but for some reason, ended up studying archaeology at university.  I suppose I felt that it would be good to have a day job that I loved too!  My grandmother was an English teacher, first at Wilson High School, then at Long Beach City College.  She used to take me to author’s talks and give me fiction books that were given to her by authors.  I read everything she gave me. 

I didn’t start seriously writing until I moved to the UK, long after I finished my MA in Medieval Archaeology.  My first novel is still in my bottom drawer and needs some serious re-working. My second novel, The Faerie Conspiracies, was much better and received good praise from editors, but no takers, so I self-published it.  It’s done okay, but I do long for the big break and a contract from one of the larger publishing companies.

After writing Faeries, I needed something a little more grounded and went from writing urban fiction/fantasy to historical fiction for teens.  The wet UK weather was making me long for blue sky adventure and pirates were on my mind.  Blood Tide took me years to write and research, but I still don’t tire of re-reading it when it’s cold and wet outside (especially the bits about the gold coins found at the base of a waterfall).

Writing short children’s stories for knowonder has been a boon as it helps my writing get out there and keeps me on track and keeps me positive between novels.

What is one of your favorite books and why?

I love A Wrinkle in Time.  I must have read it ten times as a child, I couldn’t get enough of the science fiction adventure, well I suppose it was just Madeline L’Engle herself!  I also love Treasure Island, Skullduggery Pleasant, The Hobbit and well, the list and genres go on…

What inspired you to write this book?

The main character.  Amber needed a tale told about her.  At my grandparents’ house, there is a portrait of a woman – a sketch really, and it felt so warm. The woman in the portrait jumped to life and it reminded me so much of Amber that I suppose the story had been at the back of my mind for some time.  I also wanted to write a book for teens.  Black History Month is filled with good books and historical facts, but as a teen, I think it’s easy to just get blasé with it all, especially when dates and events are bashed into your brain.  I wanted a historical tale with people they could relate to and learn a bit of history on the way.

How would you describe your writing process?

A labour of love.  With a small child at home, I’m not at liberty to do all-nighters any more, but write when it’s her afternoon nap time (really, I should be cleaning house, but why dust when you can be writing adventure?) I start with the characters, an introduction for me to get to know them, and before I know it, the story writes itself – I type as I write and as a touch typist, I can get a good flow of words as quick as they come to mind, so it’s easier than talking.  As I write, the entire events unfold in front of me and it’s very much like watching a film.  The tough part is going back to edit – then it’s just words on paper with a few grammatical mistakes.  I usually do three edits of a novel before sending it out to editors and readers to make suggestions.  Then it’s edits all over again.

How have you marketed your book?

I’ve set up a writer’s page on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Holly-Stacey/338509066242606) and keep followers informed on my progress and book releases, I’ve also contacted some friends who are editors to write reviews.  I also try to update my blog as much as possible: http://inkydoom.blogspot.co.uk/          

Goodreads has a good community of historical writers (all genres, really) that support each other too, which helps get the word out.

There is always more marketing that can be done – but the angle is that it’s a blend of slave history and pirates.  People who are missing Pirates of the Caribbean can read Blood Tide and feel like they’ve had another adventure in the aquamarine waters near Port Royal.

Really, it’s a long slog of e-mailing the right people to get interviews like this J

Please provide a favorite excerpt from your book.

They found their groups and began making their way to the steps when Hans appeared at the top of the exit, a dark figure outlined against the dawning light.

            ‘They’re coming this way!’  His breathing was laboured and his eyes slightly wild.  He stumbled two more steps, lost his footing, and tumbled head first into the sea below.

            A scream erupted from Amber’s throat and was silenced by E’s large hand.  Hans floated face down – a dagger protruding from his back.  One of the men dove in and pulled him to the ledge.  His body flopped lifelessly as it was hauled out of the water.  No one made a sound.  It was as if time had stopped from mere shock.

            ‘To arms!’ shouted Captain Emerus, turning red around the ears.

            The men’s voices merged into one freighting roar as they scrambled up the steps to take revenge.  Treasure was no longer on their mind… only blood.

            Amber watched them go, aware that Peep was standing next to her, his mouth slightly agape.  He was in shock, but Amber knew she needed to see to Hans first. She scrambled awkwardly down the rope and dipped her lower half into the water.  It was incredibly cold, but she took a deep breath and leaned back, looking up at the cave ceiling as she kicked.  She didn’t think about looking down into the deep blue beneath her or what could be swimming underneath and in a few moments, her back scraped along the ledge.

            Han’s body was still warm.  His eyes were glazed, but when she felt for a pulse, she found it.  ‘Thank da Lord,’ she whispered.  But he wasn’t breathing.  She rolled him over, and looked at the knife still sticking out.  She was sure it wasn’t in a vital spot.  Father Harold had taught her basic anatomy from one of his many books and the knife’s blade was in a fleshy area.  She took a breath and pulled it out.

            Hans’s body shivered and like a miracle, he coughed up some of the sea that he must have swallowed when he fell.  His eyes fluttered open and then shut again, his breathing raspy, but strong. 

            ‘Amber!’  Hans had managed to scrape out her name before losing consciousness.  There was a harsh laughter from the top of the steps.

            Her head whipped up.  There was an eastern-looking man with long plaits and a bright red sash filled with at least four muskets.  He grinned at her and pulled out a long sword.

            She stared.  She had nothing to defend herself with.  Her mind raced as the man came closer, chatting to her in his native tongue.  His grin made her think his mind wasn’t on a quick death.  Her hands scrambled to find something – a rock maybe.  The dagger reflected the pale lighting and she snatched it up, painfully aware that there was no way it could compare to a sword.

            He came closer, slowly descending the steps.  His teeth were shiny black as if he’d coated them with soot and grease.  He stopped speaking his language and tilted his head.  ‘Francais?’  He shook his head, mockingly.  ‘English? You speak English?’  His voice was high and he said the words awkwardly as if he hated the way they rolled off his tongue.

            But Amber had reacted enough for him to know she understood.

            ‘I will enjoy you,’ he said, coming closer.  ‘I speak English for you.  I like hear you scream.’

Where can readers find you and your book? 

On kindle – amazon.com 

or amazon.co.uk 

I love the fact that your main character was inspired by a painting! BLOOD TIDE is an intriguing historical fiction novel and I definitely recommend it to both teens and adults! Also be sure to check out many of Holly's great short stories for children at www.knowonder.com! 

--KSR Writer

YA Fantasy Author Marva Dasef Let's Her Writing Genie Out of Its Bottle

Today I'm happy to introduce Marva Dasef, a Muse It Up author with a number of books for teens. Her latest is a compilation of fantasy stories about a young girl's adventures with her genie called "Setara's Genie." Welcome, Marva!

When did you discover you had a “sense of fiction?”

I’m still wondering whether I do. I spent many years writing technical documentation, so I’m still learning (even after five years!) how to write fiction. It’s deeper, more complex, but must entertain. It’s harder to do than it looks.

What was your favorite book as a child? As an adult? How did those influence you as a writer?

I loved Walter Farley’s Black Stallion series, so I’ll put that at the top of the Kid-Read list. I was the horse-crazy girl and was owned by my first horse when I was ten. I learned to ride on a 16-hand, black saddlebred. I could easily pretend he was the Black Stallion in the Farley books.

What I got from Farley and other writers of young adult fiction was the ebb and flow of a fictional story. You have to include lots of excitement, but you need quiet pools of introspection to give the reader a chance to think about what’s going on in the story.

I got hooked on science fiction and fantasy as a teenager, and that’s been my go-to genre since. I write fantasy because I can do anything I darn well please in a story without worrying about the changes to the teen experience. I couldn’t tell you what a modern teen does, says, or thinks in a real-life setting, but give me a fantasy world, and I’m all set.

What inspired you to write this book?

I’m really not sure what inspired the original short story titled “Cadida and the Djinn.” I just thought it would be fun to turn a mythology upside down and sideways. I wrote a follow-up story about the girl and her genie, “Cadida and the Cave Demon.” After that, five more stories developed.

To sell it as a whole book, I added the frame story of the old story teller in the bazaar relating tales to a young spice seller. This is conceptually straight out of 1001 Arabian Nights. Scheherazade left her violent husband in mid-story every night so he wouldn’t kill her in the morning. Maybe readers don’t know this, but the stories in 1001 Arabian Nights are from multiple sources. Whoever puts together the 1001 stories (actually less than a hundred) can pick and choose between many traditional tales. The trick is to make all the stories come from a single voice. I hope my storyteller, Abu Nuwas, does this when he relates the seven adventures of Setara (changed the name when I decided to have all the character names to Arabic or Persian names).

How would you describe your writing process? What must you always have while writing?

I’m a plotter and have a fairly complete outline of the story which may be a short description of what will happen or be a fully developed scene. Then I go at it, changing the outline to fit where the story takes me. The end product bears some resemblance to the outline, but I have come up with entirely different endings on more than one occasion.

I couldn’t live without the internet for research. I like to use existing legends, fairy tales, and myths as a basis, then twist them however I please.

What has proven to be your most successful marketing tool?

That’s something I have yet to discover. I rarely market my best selling book. It just seems to sell on it’s own at a steady pace. I’m looking forward to the Christmas sales running through November and December. I always get a big bump in sales. I guess, then, the best marketing tool is to have an appealing book.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?

The importance of point of view. I learned that lesson from several terrific writers who’ve kindly read my work in draft stages. It’s a common mistake of beginning writers to “head hop” even within a paragraph! Just don’t do that. I’ve even seen some stories written in first person suddenly jump out of the consistent POV into another character’s head. Resist the urge to change POV. If you’re writing in first person, never leave that POV. It’s too personal to suddenly hop to another character. That’s why I write 3^rd person. It gives me a little distance from the character, even if I’m using close POV (showing the character’s thoughts).

Please provide a favorite excerpt from your book.

I like this excerpt because it has several of the characters from the book working together in a battle.

* * *

The pirates looked up, pulling out knives and swords. Setara thought maybe she hadn’t planned this out well enough but drew her own small knife and hoped for the best. A scimitar appeared in Basit’s hand. The two demons bared their claws and fangs. Hasib puffed real flames with every leap. Sheik barked furiously as he ran. Setara hoped they looked fearsome as they dashed toward the thieves.

The thieves also had a formidable array of sharp weaponry and did not appear afraid of the strange group attacking them. The two groups met in a clash of swords, knives, howling demons, a diving eagle, a leaping dog, and a flame-throwing horse.

“Let go of those horses!” Setara screamed and leaped at a pirate. She slashed her knife downward, cutting a long rent in the thief’s sleeve. He rounded on her with a sword, and she held her knife up to block. The sword slid off her knife blade, but the man immediately drew back his arm again. She was not ready with her knife, so she ducked her head, hoping to evade the sword slash. She heard a scream and looked up to see the thief flying away from her. “What the...”

A snort that sounded much like a laugh came from her left. She turned to see Hasib with a horsy grin on his long face and his powerful hind legs hitting the ground where the thief had been a mere second before.

All around, her friends were struggling with the thieves. Those confronted by Azizah and Kairav lost their will to fight and went running down the beach as fast as their legs could carry them in the loose sand. Setara thought it was a wonderful thing to have demon friends.

Sheik had bitten down on the arm of one of the thieves and was shaking the man back and forth. Basit laid about with swift strokes of his scimitar, forcing the men back toward the ocean. Unfortunately, another skiff had just come ashore with several more pirates. The thieves now outnumbered them nearly three to one.

“Basit! You must do something,” Setara shouted. Basit didn’t seem to hear her as he beat off the attack of one of the thieves. She wondered why he didn’t use magic but had no time to think about it. She saw a thief slash down on Kairav, sending the pool demon staggering back with a deep cut, blue blood pouring down his brawny arm. Another smacked Azizah on the side of the head, sending her reeling. Sheik yelped in pain, but Setara could not spare a moment to look while she fended off a muscular thief wielding a heavy club.

Things weren’t going very well at all.

* * *

Where can readers find you and your book?

I hang out in Facebook and on Twitter (@Gurina). I keep my website current with what’s new and I blog quite a bit. I’m doing a Halloween is for Witches series of posts about characters from my Witches of Galdorheim series. I’ll be giving away paperbacks (not just ebooks) to people who show up at my blog on Halloween and answer a few simple questions. Cheating is allowed. 

Website: http://tinyurl.com/DasefAuthor

Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com/

Setara’s Genie

A girl, a genie, a few demons. Would could go wrong?

MuseItUp Bookstore http://tinyurl.com/SetarasGenie

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00906ZAPU

Blurb:

Abu Nuwas sits in the bazaar telling stories to the passersby he can tempt to pay. He relates the adventures of the bored daughter of a rich merchant, Setara, and her genie, Basit, as they encounter the creatures of legend and folklore: a lonely cave demon seeking a home; a flying, fire-breathing horse who has lost his mate; a dragon searching for his family; an evil genie hunting for the man who bottled him; and a merboy prince cast out of his undersea kingdom.

I love that you were able to weave a number of short stories into one book, and the concept of a woman and her genie going on fantastical adventures together sounds so entertaining! Thank you for joining me today, Marva!

--KSR Writer

A Real Talent: Children's Author Kai Strand

Today I'm incredibly pleased to introduce a very talented children's author and colleague (fellow staff writer at knowonder! children's magazine), Kai Strand. Her latest middle grade book SAVE THE LEMMINGS is a fun read with a great premise. Welcome, Kai!

Tell us a little about your background and how you became an author.

I spent a number of years in corporate America keeping customers of the emerging technology world happy. I also got married and had four kids during that time. I turned in my letter of resignation on January 2, 2000 and became a stay at home mom to concentrate on raising our kids. The first day I was home, I was baking cookies (because that’s what stay-at-home moms do, right?) and my husband called to say he’d just been laid off. We had nothing keeping us in Southern California anymore, so we stuck a ‘for sale’ sign in the lawn and moved to Bend, Oregon. A few years later, when my third child started Kindergarten I started writing during the day. Heck with only one kid at home, it felt like I had all the time in the world! I wrote my first novel in 2 months and figured, “This is easy!” Yeah…well, can’t always be right.

What is one of your favorite books and why?

Thank you for saying “one of”. Cassandra Clare’s, City of Bones, captivated me. I actually read her novel, Clockwork Angel, first and loved it. I’d heard about her Mortal Instruments series and thought I’d give it a try since I’d enjoyed the first Infernal Devices book. I devoured City of Bones, and then plowed through the next two immediately. After reading the fourth in the series, it became my second favorite of her books (so far). The dynamics between Clary and Jace are explosive and compelling. I love that there is just enough mystery in the plot that I have to read to the end to figure it out. One day (in my spare time – grin) I’m going to go through that first book and highlight all the words/phrases/sentences that draw me in so I can dissect why it works so well.

What inspired you to write this book?

Save the Lemmings came to me while I slept. I didn’t dream it, but I woke before the sun one morning with a fully developed story in my head. Unfortunately, I was sleeping on the couch in a hotel room I was sharing with my sisters! I had to quietly slide my laptop out of my bag and power it up so I could type out the outline of a young female inventor whose invention, the Texty-Talky, goes nationwide and makes her an overnight sensation. Fame is exciting, but also can be pretty encroaching and sometimes downright ugly. Her reputation is dragged through the mud and she has to figure out how to regain control of her fate.

How would you describe your writing process?

Kind of jerky. Nothing like that first novel that just flowed out of me. I often work on a couple novels at once. Plus I write blog posts and interview guests for my blog. When I’m lucky, I get to visit other blogs, like this. And I write short stories. I try to do a little of each every day. Or at least most days.

How have you marketed your book?

I’ve had several generous bloggers, like you, who have hosted me on their sites with guest posts, interviews or a book feature. I have another middle grade book that published just a couple weeks after Save the Lemmings, so I’m taking both of them on a virtual book tour through World of Ink all this month (October) and November.

What advice would you give to other authors?

Whether you are a full time or part time writer, be a professional author. Writing can be a hobby as long as you aren’t pursuing publication, but once you decide you want your work out there, respect those you work with by always treating your writing as a career.

Read a lot of books written for your target audience. Read the popular titles, the lesser-known titles, books by the big six publishers, small presses (like mine) and self-published titles. Determine what you think works well and what makes you cringe.

Please provide a favorite excerpt from your book.

This excerpt is special because it is when main character, Natalie, discovers the SAVE THE LEMMINGS! Foundation. She and Jayne (one of her three best friends,) are working in Natalie’s lab, trying to come up with a design for the case of Natalie’s Texty-Talky invention:

Excerpt from the copyrighted work Save the Lemmings:

“Cardboard and construction paper?” Natalie asked. She nudged Jayne’s hand away from the thigh it was scratching before picking up the dustcovers, folding them and putting them in a drawer alongside alphabetized CDs, anti-static clothes, banded, bagged and labeled USB cables, hand tools for emergency computer repair which Tamilla usually used, a hot glue gun, and a coil of wire.

“I think it needs to be sturdier. What’s that floor stuff?” Jayne asked as she typed in the search bar: yellow lemminant. She hit enter.

“Are you thinking of laminate?” Natalie asked.

“Oh yeah!” Jayne started to type again.

“Wait!” Natalie said. She reached forward and brushed Jayne’s hand away from the computer mouse, then directed the pointer to a search result: SAVE THE LEMMINGS! She clicked on it and the screen filled with a close-up shot of a Yellow Steppe Lemming. The caption read: Thousands of lemmings a year commit mass suicide during their migration. You can make a difference! Join SAVE THE LEMMINGS! today and help us fence the cliffs of the Arctic.

Natalie’s breath caught. “They’re so cute!”

Jayne snorted at her friend. “Are you serious? It looks like the pet hamster I had when I was seven!”

“Oh, I remember Fuzzy. He was such a cuddly-bun!” Natalie whined on key. “I can’t believe these adorable little creatures commit mass suicide. That is so sad.”

“Oh my gosh, you have tears in your eyes. Natalie, we’re working on your invention here. Don’t get distracted by the gross little rodent.”

“He’s not gross; he’s cute. Look at his whiskers and all the colors in his fur. Doesn’t his fur look soft? Oh, it’s so sad that they die.” Natalie gently rubbed the monitor in a petting motion with an anti-static dust cloth.

“You know what?” Jayne said, springing into action. “I’ll bookmark this page for you. You can come back to it later when I’m gone, okay?”

“Oh yeah, that’ll work,” Natalie said. “Don’t you think he’s cute?”

Jayne finished typing the correct spelling of laminate into the search bar and clicked the enter key. “No, I don’t.”

(End of excerpt)

Where can readers find you and your book?

Readers can read blurbs about my books, find buy links and downloadable documents and links to my published short stories on my website: www.kaistrand.com.

They can get Save the Lemmings through their local bookstore or they can order print and electronic copies at:

Featherweight Press
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Thanks, Kathy, for letting me visit with you and your readers today! I appreciate it.

About Save the Lemmings: 8^th grade inventor, Natalie Isabelle Cailean Edwards is the N.I.C.E. girl who finishes last with the kids in school. Sappy inspirational phrases and monochromatic outfits have all but her best friends wrinkling their nose at her. When Natalie’s invention, the Texty-Talky, goes nationwide, she becomes an overnight sensation. Suddenly her days consist of photo shoots and interviews with little time left for her friends. A local reporter shatters her good-girl image by reporting a graffiti incident and the media launches into a smear campaign. It is so bad, even her friends start to believe the stories. Will Natalie be able to overcome the lies being printed about her?

About the author: Kai Strand writes fiction for middle grade and young adult readers. Her debut novel, The Weaver, was a finalist in the 2012 EPIC eBook Awards. The Wishing Well: Another Weaver Tale is set in the same storytelling village as The Weaver. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four amazing kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, "Do your dishes!" She and her family hike, geocache, and canoe in beautiful Central Oregon, where they call home.

To find out more about Kai’s books, download companion documents, find links to her published short stories and discover all the places to find Kai both virtually and in person, visit her website: www.kaistrand.com. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to send her an email or visit her facebook page, Kai Strand, Author. 

Thanks for visiting today, Kai! It's a joy working with you and I wish you lots of success!

--KSR Writer 

Meet Paranormal Author Margaret Millmore--THE BEGINNING: THE FOUR

If you love paranormal novels and especially love a series, then I'd like to introduce you to Margaret Millmore's story about the "Dark Ones," Volume 1 appropriately titled: THE BEGINNING: THE FOUR. Welcome, Margaret!

Tell us a little about your background and how you became an author.

I was born and raised in Southern California and moved to San Francisco in 1991. I currently reside there with my husband.  I am the grandniece of Irish author Benedict Kiely and the second cousin of Irish author Sharon Owens. I’ve always loved books of all kinds and hoped that one day I would have the time to sit down and write one (I’ve been making up stories since I was young, jotting them down and filing them away). When the opportunity arose for me to dedicate myself to writing full time, I jumped at it.

What is one of your favorite books and why?

Honestly, I don’t have just ‘one’ favorite. Stephen King’s Dark Tower series and his book The Stand are only equaled by Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes (and honestly almost all of the books these two have written could be squished into my top ‘five’ favorites….)

What inspired you to write this book series?

Oddly enough, I don’t actually recall what inspired this book (it started as just one very long book and my publisher asked me to split it up, thus it became a series). I can say that I drew on the dynamics of friendship that I’ve experienced throughout my life to develop my characters and their relationships, but other than that, it just sort of came to me one day. I’m a big fan of fiction and paranormal fiction is just fun stuff as far as I’m concerned and I have to admit I do love vampires and werewolves.

How would you describe your writing process?

I guess I would say its jumbled… the idea comes to me and I get started like a racehorse leaving the gate, but then things peter out and I have step away for a while. After a few days or even weeks the ideas begin to flow again and I make notes, write chapters and then piece it all together later, eventually a book is born.

What has proven to be your most successful marketing tool?

I’m not sure to be honest. I use as much social media as I can, I know that’s important and the way of the ‘new’ world. But I haven’t actually sat down and charted what’s working and what’s not.

What advice would you give to other authors?

It sounds like a cliché, but don’t give up! Write, re-write and do it all over again. It’s not easy, in fact it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it’s worth it.

Please provide a favorite excerpt from your book.

‘Kate came to first and said, “Are you saying they’re going to change into these monsters?” She looked horrified. He shook his head, “No Kate, they are not monsters and will not be monsters.”’

Where can readers find you and your book?

 www.margaretmillmore.com 

The Beginning on Amazon

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter: @MMillmore

World Castle Publishing

Doppelganger-Experiment on Amazon

Goodreads

Thanks for visiting today, Margaret! I'm sure fans will be anxious for Book two to come out!

--KSR Writer