What
inspired you to become an author?
I don’t think anything in particular influenced me
to be a writer, but when I was 7, I loved Enid Blyton. I’d always written short
stories and drawn pictures to go along with them, but that was the age I
realized, while reading her books, that I could do this as a grown-up.
Do
you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?
I nearly always come up with the title once the book is
finished. As I’m never sure where the characters will lead me, or what
direction the book will take, I always like to wait until the end, to find
something fitting for it.
Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true
life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?
I think a lot of the personal stories of my characters do
come from my own life, the locations are usually places I’ve been to. The only
thing that sprouts from nowhere seems to be the characters themselves. I always
feel you can make the reader feel your story much more strongly if you write
about what you know about. It would be no good me writing a story set in Egypt,
as I’ve never been (although would LOVE to go). I would never be able to make
the reader really feel it properly, as I’ve never been, and so I’ve never felt
what it is like to be there.
If
you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
It would have to be Charles Dickens. I know it’s not
a very modern choice, but I love that his books with their vivid social
commentary and full-of-life characters are just as relevant today as they were
in the 19th Century. His skill with writing, entwining wit with the
darkness of them is something that I really hope to one day emulate even a
little bit.
What
book are you reading now?
At the moment, I’m reading Eternal Island, by K.S.
Haigwood and Ella Medler—and I love it so far! It’s all about an island that is
invisible to the human eye, and is filled with magical creatures of all sorts,
witches, vampires…you name it! And a human girl, Ariana, is transported to the
island, where she finds that not only is she actually a powerful witch, but
that there are many other things there out of her control! It’s a great read,
and I’m really enjoying it so far.
What
is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?
At the moment I’m working on a short story for an
anthology with seven other authors, which will come out next Spring. I can’t
give away anything else yet, but keep an eye on Moon Rose Publishing to hear
more about it! I’m also writing up the next book in the series, ‘Keeper of
Shadows’.
Is
there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I think the biggest challenge I have—and this goes
for other authors, too—is keeping your ideas fresh. All stories have been written
before in some way, all creatures used in some form, but you have to be able to
put a new and exciting twist on that. It’s not always a difficult challenge,
sometimes it is. But it’s always fun!
Who
designed the cover of your latest book?
Well…it was actually me! *blushes* I also do paintings, so
it was a natural choice that I would do my own covers. They’re a mixture of
stock and painted artwork, so they always have my ‘stamp’ on them. I also
design covers for other authors, which makes sure I don’t grow slack with
practice! It also means that I always get to have exactly what is in my head on
the front cover, so the readers get the feel of what I’m trying to convey to
them.
Do
you have any advice for other writers?
Don’t do it!!! No, I’m only joking. Always do it, if
you can’t imagine doing anything else. Lots of people think that writing is a
wasted career move, and it will only end in tears. But I listened to those
people, and did jobs for years that I hated. It was only when I realized I
would never be happy doing anything else BUT writing, that I finally became
happy with my life. Now I do it for a living, and every day is wonderful. It
goes for anyone who is unhappy with what they do for a living. Life is there to
be enjoyed, so if you’re not enjoying it; you need to change it. I think what
is so exciting about life is that we always have a chance to change it for
whatever we really want.
Vigilante of Shadows
Scarlet Rain Series, Book One
Miranda Stork
Miranda Stork
Genre: Paranormal Thriller/Romance
Publisher: Moon Rose Publishing
Number of pages: 267
Word Count: 88,487
Cover Artist: Miranda Stork
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/vYI-jh8Fa48
Book Description:
Aodhan clutched uselessly at his head, groaning. He knew it was useless, because the voice was not inside his head. It followed him, skimming across buildings and land. It had followed him since he was sixteen, and it still followed him today, like a memory too horrific to be forgotten…
Aodhan is a shadow-demon, hardened and cold after years of being alone, after his love, his Entwined, was cruelly taken away from him. He has closed his heart to the world, and now spends his life ridding the world of men like those who took his beloved away, an immortal hit-man…
Arianwen Harris is a young DCI, working for York City Police. When a known criminal is found viciously killed, she finds herself trailing a hit-man who has seemed to escape clutches again and again…but she begins to find herself drawn to his dark charms and roguish good looks…
As their two worlds collide, Aodhan and Arianwen find themselves coming together to escape a far greater enemy, one that threatens to create a world far worse than the one they live in. As they battle to hold back the oncoming forces, fate has another plan; one to draw them together and heal their broken pasts together…
About the Author:
I was born in Guisborough, North Yorkshire in 1987 and have lived in various places around Britain, including Newcastle and Glasgow.
My writing is inspired by various writers, including the vivid characters of Charles Dickens, the imagination of Stephen King, and the gothic imagery of Anne Rice.
My love of horror began at an early age, when I was only three or four. I could read proficiently at the age of three, and devoured fairy-stories, but I always had a bent towards the darker stories, such as the Brother's Grimm's tales...Red Riding Hood was always a firm favourite, although I always felt sorry for the wolf, despite him having tried to eat everyone!
Amazon Author Page:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mirandastork
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authormirandastork
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1 comments:
Interesting comment on the titles. Great post. Thanks for sharing.
debby236 at gmail dot com
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