Hi everyone! First, if you’re looking for the winner of my NA Scavenger Hunt giveaway, it will be announced on the main Scavenger Hunt page July 4th. Also, if you’d like chance to win e-ARCs of HIS DARK MAGIC, then be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Here.
Next, I wanted to give a shout out to the three authors who took part in last month’s Two Question . . . mini author blog tour: Janet Walden, Ken Schrader, and Anne Raven. It was fantastic to learn more about you. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I love getting an inside look at other authors, their hopes, fears, and writing process. It bolsters me and gives me new insights, and ideas. Hope you all enjoyed the Two Questions interviews as much as I did.
If you missed the tour, check out their blogs for their recap interviews! Janet. Ken. Anne.
If you missed the tour, check out their blogs for their recap interviews! Janet. Ken. Anne.
Just for fun, I’ve gather together all my answers to the same questions and shared them below in one longer interview.
"Two Questions with... Pat Esden
Why do you write?
Publishing can be a very stressful industry. But when I’m in the zone writing and lost in my stories, it’s quite the opposite. It’s energizing and a more immersive form of stress relief than watching TV or reading. It’s a way to step into another person’s shoes and get lost in as wild of adventure as I can dream up. Perhaps most of all, I can write stories I would like to read with endings of my making.
What is the hardest part about writing?
The hardest part for me (other than the first draft) is when I reach the point in revision where my instincts tell me something isn’t working quite right, but I can’t put my finger on it. Usually my instincts give me a general message like—something is off in the last quarter of this book or something about this character is off kilter. Luckily honest, strong critique partners is the remedy for this. Sometimes it’s a larger issue. Or it can be a small mistake I’m making.
If you could give Past You one piece of advice, what would it be?
I’ve always loved writing and dreamed of having a career as an author. However I also loved my previous career as a florist. I feel like I began my transition from one career to the other about five years later than I should have. I had been warned, but didn’t truly understand that years can pass between getting an agent, selling a book, and when the novel actually appears on the shelf at a bookstore. Self-publishing has changed this on one side of the coin, but traditional publication still takes ages.
Where do you derive the most satisfaction from your writing?
I’m a devious author at heart. I love adding or tinkering foreshadowing. It’s such a trill to know that a tiny hint or detail will be vital, and then slip it into the story so only the most careful reader will suspect it is a clue. I also like to add information that isn’t vital, but will deepen the story for readers who take their time. These details often relate to past history of the character or the world.
What attracted you to your genre(s)?
I write fantasy set in the contemporary world because I love the idea of magic being within our grasp. What if . . . the things we dream or imagine of are real, dangers or wonderful things. I also like how fantasy can empower the average person to make a huge difference, something I believe we are capable of doing with or without magic.
Do you see any issues in your genre and how are you addressing them?
I wouldn’t say as much issues as the importance of keeping up with the fast sweeping changes in my chosen genres. I straddle the line between romance and fantasy. My books feature some open door sex, so things like consent, safe sex, as well as gender and sexual identity need to be considered at length when I develop my stories and characters. Today’s romance novels are not the same as the bodice rippers from the distant past, but they also are different from the romance of even five years ago. Reading newly published books and being aware of changes is beyond important.
What is your "Go-to" thing that you treat yourself to when you finish a first draft?
I don’t celebrate until the novel is revised for months and finally sent into my editor. First, I take a few days off and celebrate with lobster. It’s one of my favorite splurges. Then I go on a reading binge. The best way to clear my head and get ready for the next project is to make a dent in my to-be-read pile. Right now, I’m taking one such break. Currently, I’m reading THE DARKLING BRIDE by Laura Andersen, THE RULES OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman, and PRICELESS by Robert K. Wittman.
HIS DARK MAGIC (Northern Circle Coven series book 1)
Its power is legendary. It can fulfill every impossible magical desire. But for one young witch seeking redemption, the Northern Circle coven will challenge her skills—and her heart—beyond measure.
One tragic impulsive mistake made Chloe Winslow an outcast to her influential magic family. As a medical student, she wants to combine science with sorcery to heal those she hurt and right her wrongs. But brilliant, charismatic Devlin Marsh re-routes her plans with a once-in-eternity offer: membership in the exclusive Northern Circle, a mysterious Vermont coven known for pushing the limits.
Enthralled by Devlin and their mesmerizing mutual attraction, Chloe makes a dangerous sacrifice to help the Circle’s high priestess awaken Merlin himself—and learn his timeless cures. But a foreshadowing soon causes Chloe to doubt the Circle's real motives, as well as Devlin’s . . .
Now Merlin's demonic shade is loose in the human world, while Chloe and Devlin's uneasy alliance will pit them against ancient enemies, malevolent illusions, and shattering betrayal. And with the fate of two realms in the balance, Chloe must risk her untried power against a force she can't defeat—and a passion that could destroy her.
One tragic impulsive mistake made Chloe Winslow an outcast to her influential magic family. As a medical student, she wants to combine science with sorcery to heal those she hurt and right her wrongs. But brilliant, charismatic Devlin Marsh re-routes her plans with a once-in-eternity offer: membership in the exclusive Northern Circle, a mysterious Vermont coven known for pushing the limits.
Enthralled by Devlin and their mesmerizing mutual attraction, Chloe makes a dangerous sacrifice to help the Circle’s high priestess awaken Merlin himself—and learn his timeless cures. But a foreshadowing soon causes Chloe to doubt the Circle's real motives, as well as Devlin’s . . .
Now Merlin's demonic shade is loose in the human world, while Chloe and Devlin's uneasy alliance will pit them against ancient enemies, malevolent illusions, and shattering betrayal. And with the fate of two realms in the balance, Chloe must risk her untried power against a force she can't defeat—and a passion that could destroy her.
BIO:
Pat Esdenwould love to say she spent her childhood in intellectual pursuits. The truth is she was fonder of exploring abandoned houses and old cemeteries.When not out on her own adventures, she can be found in her northern Vermont home writing stories about brave, smart women and the men who capture their hearts.
Sheis the author of the contemporary paranormal Dark Heartseries from Kensington Books, and the upcoming Northern Circle Covenseries. Her short fiction has appeared in a number of publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show,the Mythopoeic Society’s Mythic Circle, George Scither’s Cat Tales Anthology, and the Fragments of Darknessanthology.
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