What inspired you to become an author?
Two things inspired me to become an author. The first was my constant love of
reading. When I read the Twilight Series
I was completely captivated by the words and emotions of the experiences that
the characters. When I was younger I had
written a short story and later took a writing course shortly after I was
married. I really never took off with
writing because then because I was always too busy with work, kids, life, and
all the other endless things that take up time.
However, when my husband came down with cancer I realized the “I can do
that later” might never come. So
determined to start writing I dove in and haven’t looked back. I’ve been writing now for about three years
now and have completed a total of twelve books with ten published by August of
this year.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I don’t think I have a particular writing style
other than I like to create visual background with my words and interlace it
with tension and emotions that capture the imagination. I like action so I like my books to be fast
paced. If I get bored with them how can
I expect my readers to be excited? So I
work hard at making sure the stories are exciting and keep them on the edge of
their seat but at the same time draw them in to the characters and the romance. I like to create the ideas and write down the
synopsis first and then create the entire book from there. Sometimes I just start from a few notes or
jot down notes as I write. Sometimes I
don’t do anything. The characters seem
to have a life of their own and just take over my imagination like The Source
in The Wild Saga.
How did you come up with the title for your latest
book?
I read once that a title should be short and
concise. Too long and it might not jump
out at the reader. The Hybrid – my
latest book picks up on the fact that the main character is a blend of human
DNA and alien DNA. She is breathtaking
and unique no matter what her outer appearance. In The Wild Clan Sagas I chose
The Source (second book in the series) because in genetics the genetic material
always has an original pure source that started it all. In the series the rare female born with the
pure genetic material was a source, hence the name. For my Sphinx Warrior Series I wanted to include
the ancient past in the name since that is where the social structure from the
characters came from. The first book was
Sphinx Resurrected and plays on the fact that the characters genetics are
related to the Sphinx of Egyptian times.
The Resurrected part came from the fact they were trying to rebuild a
race that was almost extinct by find the one woman who could save them.
Is there a message in your novel that you want
readers to grasp?
The central premise of The Wild Clan Sagas,
including The Hybrid is that no matter how advanced civilization becomes or
what challenges face us love is the most important factor. Love and family is everything to fight for no
matter what the cost. In the Hybrid,
Sara longs for love and Justin has lost his family and has been captured by
BioGen. Together they find each other
and escape. They are fated to become
lovers and only as a team will they find their freedom to escape to The
Wilds. They will be free to love who
they want and be with their family without the influence of a futuristic
government determined to use them as nothing but genetic material for
procreation.
Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a
true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?
Some of the descriptions in the books are from
experiences I may have had such as riding on underground trains as in The
Source and The Hybrid when I was in England.
Another experience came from camping in log cabins on the waterfront of
a lake which was incredibly peaceful when I was in Tennessee visiting family at
Christmas. That was where I came up with
the idea of The Wilds and where the Rogue live in what was known as Canada. Some of the personalities –both good and bad
– I have used with the characters of my books from people I have meet through
the years, especially while I was in the military. Some of the emotions that I have experienced
I have captured and integrated in my books.
I find it very therapeutic to work out real life issues this way in the
imagination of my books. I can fight an
enemy which may be a negative emotion in real life that I want to get rid of.
What books/authors have influenced your life?
My favorite genres when I was younger was science
fiction/fantasy but as I grew older I got into romance. After a while I found that I lived some
sub-genres than others in the romance realm.
My favorite I have found are the paranormal or superhuman realm of
romance such as those written by JR Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood and
Sherrilyn Kenyon and her Dark Hunters.
These books captured my imagination and I liked all of the brooding
males, action, and dark enemies to fight, not to mention the incredible heroines
that end up with the guy. I also enjoyed
The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer because it touched the young woman in me
from back in the day.
If you had to choose, which writer would you
consider a mentor?
I would have to say JR Ward and all of her
incredible Black Dagger Brotherhood men.
Her writing was both exciting and dark and I like all of the brooding
males running around. There was no pansy
cutesy hand holding and love scenes. No,
the character interactions are raw and more realistic including the male view
on “feelings” and the way they think.
She captured both the masculine and feminine (and some in between) in
her writing. She wasn’t afraid to take
her scenes to the extreme of the sensual or the disgusting. All of it was fascinating and kept my
attention for hours.
What book are you reading now?
When I’m not into my writing I’m working on Cat’s
Lair by Christine Feehan – one of the Leopards Series. She is an incredible writer as well and I’ve
enjoyed her books for year. She was my
first paranormal romance writer that I indulged in before JR Ward or the
others. Her Dark Series with the
Carpathians was the first time I got into the series format and since then have
always been fascinated with series. I
think the multi-book format allows a writer to better develop not only the
characters but a whole complete society and structure for the characters to
exist in. That is why I have gone toward
the direction of series writing. The
Source started as a single book but after writing it I realized it has so many
characters and plot lines that I could continue to build on and work with.
What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?
My most current project is finishing with the
advertising and other items still pending for The Hybrid. Most of the work is done but there is always
one more detail or one more location to get the word out to my readers that I
have another novel that has been released.
My other current project is writing the newest novel in The Midnight
Riders Series – Road To Ravishment. I am
excited because it is the fourth in the series and involves Mace – a hunk of a
blond-haired, emerald green-eyed biker who will do anything to protect the
Spirit Heart he is assigned to protect.
Kayla is that Spirit Heart who is determined to destroy the demons
trying to find her and steal her soul.
She is a DJ by night and hides among her technology from the Scythian
Spirit Demons. When she runs into Mace
she initially thinks he is the enemy because she trust no one even when he is
trying to save her. Needless to say the
tension between these two is incredible going from outright enemy to red hot
lovers. I can hardly wait to finish so
the novel will be ready to release to the world.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Absolutely.
The Hybrid is a continuation of The Wild Clan Sagas. The first book being The Source. In The Hybrid, Sara is a genetically created
Hybrid who hides herself using her ability to disguise herself as a BioGen
Monitor. In her duties she is assigned
to guard one of the subjects of a research study who happens to be Justin who
was captured and enslaved by BioGen.
Sara will help him gain his freedom and in the process will gain her
own. Together they will make a run for
The Wilds where Justin’s family and the Rogues live in freedom. Battles will be waged between the controlling
government and those who want to live in freedom. Unexpected alliances will be made between
Defiance and the Rogues in an effort to survive. Trust will grow between Sara and Justin amid
the chaos and from that trust will blossom a love which will give them the
power to escape BioGen.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really
strikes you about their work?
I would have to say JR Ward and all of her
incredible Black Dagger Brotherhood men.
Her writing was both exciting and dark and I like all of the brooding
males running around. There was no pansy
cutesy hand holding and love scenes. No,
the character interactions are raw and more realistic including the male view
on “feelings” and the way they think.
She captured both the masculine and feminine (and some in between) in
her writing. She wasn’t afraid to take
her scenes to the extreme of the sensual or the disgusting. All of it was fascinating and kept my
attention for hours.
Who designed the cover of your latest book?
Believe it or not – I did! I have been working to know how to do all the
various details of creating, editing, formatting, and publishing a book
including the artistry of book cover making.
When I was younger I took a year and studied graphic design plus I was a
bit on the artsy side anyway in my hobbies.
My husband taught me the basics of Photoshop and I found different sites
I could purchase images from. A little practice
and voila – I think the first cover came out pretty good. I have been tweaking my skills and The Hybrid
is my third cover I have created. I am
also learning to make my own book videos as well and my first one is complete
and out on my website for viewing for The Hybrid.
The Hybrid
The Wild Clan Sagas
Novel 2
Christine Murphy
Genre: Futuristic Romance
Publisher: KnightFall Publishing
Date of Publication: August 1, 2015
ISBN: 9781311085313
ASIN: B00Z8QXLXO
Number of pages: 200
Word Count: 139,328
Cover Artist: Christine Murphy
Book Description:
Sara, a hidden Hybrid disguised as a BioGen Monitor, will find an enslaved Justin being experimented on. She will help him gain his freedom and in the process will gain her own. Trust will grow between them and from that trust will blossom a love which will give them the power to escape BioGen.
Excerpt 1:
At first she
refused to look at the inside of the room. Instead, she shoved the door closed
and took a deep breath. Finally, she focused in enough so from the corner of
her eyes she could see the room was the same, unchanged from the past. Same
sterile white walls, white floor, silver equipment with the many wires and
probes, and same medical trays with the shiny silver scissors and scalpels. All
of it in her mind were instruments of torture. All she knew was she had to get
a grip or she would soon be the one on the table being experimented on.
Distracted she nearly jumped a foot
when the Gatherer dressed in white surgical scrubs stepped into view and called
out, “I’d be careful if I were you. Even though he’s strapped down this male is
a fighter, especially with the amount of hormones and drugs we have pumped into
him. He’s already taken out two Monitors and several guards.”
Immediately on the alert Sara spun
around to face the male. In her mental state she had unintentionally wandered
straight over to where the exam table was located. Glancing up her intention
was to quickly back off, but the moment she looked at him she was frozen in
place. Every cell of her being focused in on what could only be called the most
incredible male she had ever seen. Lying on an exam table, which was tilted up
at a 45 degree angle, he was strapped down by his feet, ankles, waist, and his
head.
Sara couldn’t help notice every inch
of his body was hard muscle encased in tanned skin and every inch of that body
strained to escape the bonds. The only area remotely covered was his pelvic
area and even that was barely a scrap of white material. She had read books,
she had seen pictures, she had heard whispers from other Monitors who had been
privy to seeing a male of such caliber. Nothing did justice to those words or
images to Sara. This man was virile and obviously aroused, she was sure, by
whatever cocktail the Gatherer had given him.
Feeling a rare blush creep up to her
cheeks Sara had every intention of turning away until she looked into the
male’s face. The breath immediately left her as she beheld the most handsome
face she had ever seen, which was saying a lot, considering what she had seen
before were prime examples in books and on-line programs. Even scowling
furiously while he fought to free himself he still was incredible with his
thick layered raven black hair and eyes of a multi-hued hazel which seemed to
see straight into her soul..
Meeting those eyes, she gasped and
the air that had left her lungs rushed in with a vengeance. Her world seemed to
upend for a moment in time as the chiseled features of that face registered in
her mind. There was no mistaking the strong jaw, the cheeks, the nose,
everything that marked this man as one of the mysterious Wilders, the founding
family who had rejected BioGen’s requirements. Deep inside she knew she had to
do something to save him, but no matter what she did she was damned. Save him
and reveal herself, leave him and know he would die.
The fire she had fought to keep deep
inside seemed to sense the presence of the man and heat rushed through her
system. In a panic, and knowing her eyes were going to change, Sara tried to
look away, but something kept her sight glued to the incredible man before her.
Coming to her senses she finally managed to lower her gaze but not before the
male’s eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed like he had found his own
prey to hunt.
About the Author:
Christine Murphy started her writing career at a young age even before she was putting words to paper. Living in the Midwest left her with plenty of time to read and develop her creative mind. Her first short story was written in grade school and was in a fantasy-type style. Later she took an online course in writing and created another story based on the adventures of a Native-American youth searching for her purpose in life and filled with lots of symbology.
Science-fiction fantasy was her main reading preference but quickly shifted to romance. In the beginning she preferred Contemporary Romance but that didn't last long when she discovered Christine Feehan and JR Ward. Paranormal Romance had infected her and she read as much of it as her voracious mind could adsorb.
Eventually Christine joined the work force, and although she continued to read, she didn't pursue her need to create her own worlds other than in her head. Her imagination continued but reality kept her busy including a successful medical based career in the military. Working as a clinical laboratory scientist she was stationed in several locations in the United States and in numerous areas of the world including England, Italy, Germany, Africa, and the Middle East. Finally her career brought her to a small town outside the Tampa Bay area in Florida. This is where she finally realized time is too short to put off those enjoyments in life especially when her husband was struck with leukemia. He successfully recovered but it made her decide she wanted to pursue writing which seemed to be put off her whole life.
Within two years she had completed an entire series - The Sphinx Warriors Series, and started the first book of The Wild Clan Sagas. Currently she continues to write from her Florida home while looking out her back lanai to a small pond where the wild-life gathers and the flowers bloom in exotic pinks and purples. This is her place of peace and freedom she has searched for all her life and where her husband and crazy African Gray Parrot, Raider, hang out with her. It’s the place where her creativity runs wild while she spins tales of adventure and passion. She captures the unique characters, civilizations, conflict, passion, and love in her writing from the fantasies which still spin in her head. She captures the strong, spirited, and powerfully attracted characters and all of their adventures and share it with others who are searching for that very thing to make their lives more exciting.
If she accomplishes nothing else in life, she hopes to share the romantically magical worlds and the lovers she sees with all of the passionate readers out there. Her next projects are continuing to work on her Wild Clan Sagas and her Midnight Riders Series as she partners with KnightFall Publishing and CK Productions.
Website: http://christinemurphybooks.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CLMurphyBooks
Red Sage:
Amazon Author Page:
Smashwords:
Authorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/CLMurphyBooks
The Romance Studio Author Page: http://theromancestudio.com/fm/cmurphy.htm
TheRomanceReviews Author Page: http://www.theromancereviews.com/cwmurphy2016
Manic Readers Author Page: https://www.manicreaders.com/ChristineMurphy/
Book Daily Author Profile:
BookPulse Page: http://www.bookpulse.com/book/the_sphinx_warriors_series
1 comments:
Thanks so much for sponsoring my book - The Hybrid. I hope everyone enjoys the interview and the other information. Thanks to all who come and visit. Please make sure you sign up for the giveaway.
Christine Murphy
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