The Coven Series – Audiobook Tour and Giveaway

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

I started on the journey way back in fifth grade. I was assigned to write a short story and I discovered I loved coming up with ideas. I had always been an avid reader with a reading level well above my grade level (reading on a college level at that point in life). Once I started, I couldn’t really stop. I first published a novel in 2012, when I discovered self publishing.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

I cannot write in silence! I have to have something in the background, a tv or music, conversation, something. Silence unnerves me

What are some of your pet peeves?

In writing? I’ll go with that. Biggest one, a romance with two people who clearly hate each other. No matter if it’s a hetero or LGBT romance, that irks my immortal soul. Especially when those two characters have valid reason to hate each other but they get paired up anyway. Drives me insane.

Where were you born/grew up at?

St. Louis, Missouri, a big part of the setting in my first series, the Dragon Hunters.

If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?

Probably drunk, since I’m dying and how else does one cope with that?

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I play videogames, lots of them. A good role playing game, preferably Dragon Age, maybe the latest wrestling game, or some old school games.

How to find time to write as a parent?

I write when they’re sleep. When I worked traditionally, I wrote at work. Now I write when they’re at school. I might even be in the living room writing while they watch TV.

Do you have a favorite movie?

V for Vendetta. I watch it over and over again. I just love the story, I love the lead character, V. Fabulously dark and realistic movie, to me anyway.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

All of them, though honestly I think they’d do better as a Game of Thrones type of series on cable or Netflix. There’s a lot to go through even in a three hour movie.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

A dragon, it’s in the name. Suits my temperament, especially during editing.

What inspired you to write this book?

Well, it’s the second in a series. I waited entirely too long to release it. But it was time to continue the story of Talis and Dion. I knew I had to give them something new to face, not just in the sense of an antagonist, but I needed to delve a little deeper into their relationship.

What can we expect from you in the future?

More in this series, and more in my original Dragon Hunters series. But I want to branch out, so there’s a young adult oriented novel floating around in my head. Could other LGBT romance stories that aren’t in either series

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?

Every character fights with me to tell their story. I have an idea on what I want to do starting it, and it always changes. People end up with different mates, people die that I didn’t intend to die or live when I didn’t want them to. For these characters, Talis and Dion fought me to the end. Can’t tell too much more without giving away the ending, but there are constant arguments in my head with characters.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Sunder?

Talis is the leader of the Coven, which has grown since the first book. Dion is his husband, a cambion or half demon, and much newer to all things magical. Teryn is Talis’ sister, really headstrong, also a half demon, and with Talis she’s awfully catty. Cian is Teryn’s husband, descended from druids. Everyone has their secrets in the group. Perhaps it’s better to say flaws.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

Again, they were the same main characters as the first book. But originally, it was my love of all things witchy and magical. The characters are loosely based off of people I know. Sometimes I pull out their best qualities, and sometimes their worst.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?

Name searches on Google, honestly. One of those baby name sites. It gets really hard after publishing five or six books to come up with new names on your own.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

There is a lot of humor in this book, and a lot of sex. Going back through it to look for excerpts was both hilarious and frustrating.

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

Talis has a horrible temper that he tries to keep in check. He’s a bit controlling, but it’s because the others made him the sole leader of the Coven. Dion is insecure. It’s hard for him to believe that Talis would really choose to be with him, but also he’s inexperienced, both in the man on man relationship department and the magical world. He feels like a burden at times. Teryn can be extremely hard headed, also somewhat controlling but not willing to take on the responsibilities her brother has. Cian is normally the level headed one, but has a few blind spots, especially when his wife is threatened.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel?

Depends. I came up with the first novel on my own, the Lost Dragon, in about five minutes. The Coven series has had different people contribute to the titles.