Backward Momentum

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.

Please tell the readers about yourself and the books you write?

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 was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing your books?

Gracen: That even when a publisher or editor thinks I’m going too far with my characters, those tend to be the scenes the readers love the most. I follow my gut instinct now. If the scene bothers me, I’ll trash it, but I won’t trash it based solely off the “expert” opinion. Publishers, agents and fellow authors also told me there wasn’t a market for the Road to Hell series because it was too graphic, horror ridden and erotic, which equated to “no market”. I’ve proven them all wrong, which indicates even those who supposedly know what the readers want aren’t always correct.

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:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/gracen.miller

Road to Hell series FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Road-to-Hell-series/112564408814796?ref=ts

Website: www.gracen-miller.com

Blog: http://madisonroadtohell.blogspot.com/

Thanks for allowing me to join you!

Huggles,

Gracen

BUY LINKS:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Gracen%20Miller&search-alias=digital-text

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/gracen-miller?store=allproducts&keyword=gracen+miller

Smashwords:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=gracen+miller

 Decadent Publishing:

http://www.decadentpublishing.com/advanced_search_result.php?osCsid=6c1232251c1e45744bd0b3ee7262f414&categories_id=&inc_subcat=1&pfrom=0&pto=999999&dfrom=&dto=&manufacturers_id=82

Noble Romance Publishing:

https://www.nobleromance.com/Books?author=61

 

Great fun, Gracen. Thanks for visiting today, and I've got your books, just need to dig into the leaning tower of TBR. Good luck with your tour and happy sales, to you.... Now enter the Rafflecopter for your chances to snag some of the goodies up for grabs.

D L

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