Happy New Year! Today on Backward Momentum we have a guest author visiting. I interviewed her about her writing and her new book in her Road to Hell series. So pull up a chair, get a cup of coffee and find out what all the talk is about. At the end of this post is a chance to win some of the great prize packages Gracen has up for grabs, so don't go away.
Gracen: I’m a mother of two very active boys. I stay
busy taxi my children from basketball, football and guitar, to helping with
homework, and watching Supernatural and The Walking Dead with them. I’ve been
married for 21 years to my personal hero and I wouldn’t trade my life for
nothing in the world. I write what I call horromance—a combination of horror
and romance—and paranormal erotica.
Tell
us about your latest book. Do you have
anything new in the works and can you tell us about it?
Gracen: My newest release is the third book in the Road to Hell series. It’s the conclusion
to the love triangle that was started in Pandora’s
Box. I’m working on edits to Taboo
Kisses, a paranormal ménage. I’m also writing the next books in the Road to Hell series—books 3.5 and
4—while writing another paranormal ménage titled Demon Spelled.
What
was your inspiration behind your latest release?
Gracen: The inspiration behind the Road to Hell series was spawned from a
nightmare. Basically, a demon was gunning for my children and when I woke, it
got me to wondering ‘what if’ that happened in real life to a woman who didn’t
believe in the supernatural? That one ‘what if’ spawned a whole lot of ‘what
ifs’ and the story came to life. To read more in-depth about that nightmare click
the following link: http://chastitybush.blogspot.com/2012/12/spotlight-author-gracen-miller.html
Do
you have a particular writing style and how would you describe it?
Gracen: I’d call my writing style as “sitting in the
hot seat”. I love my muse—who is named Dom because he’s such a Dom in the truest sense of the word!—but with him in charge,
rarely does the storyline turn out the way I originally envisioned. I have a
vague beginning, middle and end, but what emerges is rarely how I intended and
oftentimes something totally different, with an entirely altered ending.
Have
you ever had your characters take over while writing a book? If so, tell us
about it.
Gracen: Ha! All the time! LOL How I planned to end
the love triangle in the Road to Hell
series—with my villain dying and Madison living happily ever after with
Nix…even though you can’t see me, I’m dying of laughter here. That original
plan went out the door by book 2, Hell’s
Phoenix. I spent days and hours arguing with my Muse and my BFF about the
ending to the love triangle because I knew from page one of the final book that
my original plan was no longer the ending for the series. Convincing my BFF
that the new plan was in the best interest of the series was freakin difficult!
lol
What
are the hardest scenes for you to write?
Gracen: Sex scenes because I want the reader to feel
every single moment as if they have swapped places with the heroine—or hero. The
reader should be aroused when they
finish reading a sex scene! Making sure all limbs and digits haven’t increased
in numbers or that the same words don’t become repetitive can be challenging. I
mean, the characters can only gasp, sigh or moan, so many times before it
become tedious. I’ll revamp a sex scene at least a dozen times before I’m
satisfied with it.
The
easiest?
Gracen: Sounds creepy and maybe a bit psychotic, but
the torture, death or fighting scenes flow really quickly and easily for me.
What
advice would you give to writers just starting out?
Gracen: Don’t give up on writing that book. Write
what you love, not what you think
readers will love. Challenge yourself to do the unthinkable and listen to respectful
criticism—I’m not talking about those who trash you for fun, but those who give
honest to goodness criticism. That’ll help you improve your weak points.
Writing takes lots of hard work and dedication to get the story written. Most
of all, don’t ever let anyone kill your dreams of being a writer! Your dreams
are as important and as realistic as Joe-Schmoo who wants to be a lawyer.
People tend to disqualify the dreams of a writer as inconsequential, so
chin-up, square your shoulders and say ‘screw them, my dreams are important,
too’. Nothing agitates me more than family and friends who aren’t supportive.
When did you know that you wanted
to be a writer?
Gracen:
I’ve known since sixth grade I was a
writer, I just didn’t think of becoming an author until sometime in High
School.
Quickies:
Boxers or Briefs?Gracen: I prefer boxer-briefs on my husband. Mmm…sooooo sexy.
Beta or Alpha?
Gracen:
I’m definitely the beta, with brief moments of alphaness when my husband is
acting like an idiot.
Do blondes have more fun?
Gracen:
LOL I’ve been every color of the hair spectrum, blonde, redhead and brunette.
Blondes and redheads get more attention, but some of my most fun years were as
a brunette.
Where
you can stalk me—not really!—but I would love to meet and interact with
you:
Road
to Hell series FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Road-to-Hell-series/112564408814796?ref=ts
Thanks
for allowing me to join you!
Huggles,
Gracen
BUY
LINKS:
Amazon:
Barnes
and Noble:
Smashwords:
Noble
Romance Publishing:
a Rafflecopter giveaway