Thursday, September 6, 2012

Interview and Giveaway with Marne Ann Kirk




Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

Thank you so much for having me today, Wenona. I’m very happy to be here. I’m a mother of seven not-so-little-anymore beasties and the grandmother to the cutest two boy angels to fall to Earth. I have an amazing husband, and we live in paradise. I don’t always feel this way, but today I do
When I’m not writing, I love to read, bake (especially anything chocolate), garden (although I didn’t get to plant one this year), and I’m a total foodie (as evidenced by my no-so-svelte body). I also love the mountains—hiking, camping, fishing, boating, nature walks, I’m game.

A crazy little factoid, I spent summers in my youth not far from where you live in Michigan. I don’t know if you’re old enough to remember this, but there was a place called Boblo Island? It closed down several years ago. Some of my favorite memories are from that island.

I write fantasy romance and paranormal romance. My fantasy romance, Love Chosen, is available now. My paranormal romance, Goddess on the Run, will be available September 17th. Things are moving fast, but it’s an exciting ride.
Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

Love Chosen is a fantasy romance about a fae barkeep with attitude, a Queen’s guard with no time for disobedience, and a killer threatening what they both hold dear. Here’s the book blurb:

For millennia, dragon and fae have peacefully co-existed, but the fae themselves have lived segregated and very different lives.

Now a malevolence threatens to separate them all permanently. Can a Queen's guard and a rebellious outlaw join forces to defeat this common enemy?

Tyler's touch sparks fierce desire, drawing Issie to him, but she despises his way of life and all that palace society represents. If he learns she wields majic to help the less fortunate escape the kingdom, he'll charge her with treason. Her punishment - death.

Issie is a sassy rebel who is constantly looking for ways to circumvent the conventions of their society. Tyler's head warns that she's a non-majical lower, beneath him. His heart sees by her inner strength and outer beauty. Only a binding love will lend them strength to save her life - their world.

Can either of them bend enough to trust that love?
***
I have to warn you, though, it is a bit on the sensual side and I do like the details…


Are you a mom (or parent)?

Um…they would argue they parent me, but yes. I am a parent and, more importantly, a grand-parent. I do that much, much better.

If yes do you find it hard to juggle writing and parenting?

Oh yes. Lately, I feel like it was easier to write when all of my seven children were young and living at home than it is now. But my youngest son has spent the ENTIRE SUMMER laid up with a serious wound and several surgeries, so that might have dampened my outlook on juggling the two…just a titch…

And before that happened? Well, before that happened, my second oldest daughter has some serious health conditions which consume a good deal of our time. Before we found out about that, it was…

Well, my point is there is always something going on in life. That’s just the way life is, and I have to force time for writing if I want to make it happen. So, I have writers’ night every Tuesday night—five hours away from the house, to write. I have my office (we removed the table from the dining room, and threw a few desks, a bookshelf or two, and some computers in there. It works for me), where I have become quite proficient at blocking out people and conversations. And at least twice a year I go on writing retreats, where I hang out with other writers and JUST WRITE. Those are pure heaven. Pure. Heaven. (I need one of those soon…)


Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

No. But I do, on occasion take sayings or bits of personalities from my children and their friends or acquaintances. For instance, one of my daughters worked in a gentleman’s club for a while--she was a waitress, a champagne hostess, a dancer--and some of the people she’d tell me about, some of the stories she’d come home with…well, sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction. So, every once in a while, the flavor of one of those people will find its way into my story.

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?

Oh heavens, what a fantastic question! And yes! Love Chosen is a fantasy romance, but it’s also a story about universal love, about acceptance in an intolerant world.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

Well, I look like your average, sweet, biddable housewife. And I am pretty traditional. But I’m also what some friends and I have affectionately termed “bubble-gum goth.” I love tattoos (even though I have none…phobia of needles), I can spend entirely too much time looking at steampunk clothes and accessories on-line (though I don’t buy many, because I have this weight-goal thing), I absolutely adore hockey and UFC, and Lily Allen and Kill Hannah are as wonderful to me as Katy Perry, Enya and Trans-Sylvanian Orchestra or Epica. Oh, and I have a sieve for a memory. Seriously, I think I hit my head one too many times (I pretty clutzy).



Is there a genre(s) that you’d like to write that you haven’t tackled yet?

Oh, yes. Someday I will add mystery and character-driven horror to my list of published novels. Just, not yet.


If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?

 Yes, it is. Love Dared is book two of the Fae Dragon Chronicles. It will be available in 2013. You meet Dare in Love Chosen (he’s Queen Morgana’s errand runner and just a youngling). In Love Dared, he is all grown up and oh, so yummy.

The fae have scattered, the dragons are gone, hope is but a distant and forgotten memory…

Just as Willow’s people fall to a crazed king, Dare, a warrior more compelling than any before him, comes whispering of magical people and promising to save Willow’s kingdom for the small price of her cooperation. All she must do? Go with him to meet these fae.

So why doesn’t she trust him?

Dare will do anything for the fae and his Queen, even sacrifice the Chosen One, if that’s what it takes to save their race. What’s one life compared to the lives of many?

But Love has a way of mocking even the best laid plans…


What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?

My next book to release is a paranormal romance. Goddess on the Run is available September 17th. I’m very excited about it. And I’m working on book two in that series now.


What is in your to read pile?

There are so many…  Demon Hunt, by Christine Ashworth; Of a Darker Nature, by Michelle Clay; Shadow’s Claim, by Kresley Cole; Haunted, by Jeanne Stein are a few.

Gosh. This was amazing fun. Thanks again, for having me hang with you! I hope there are questions


August 24 review
Silver Sleep

August 25 Promo 
Book Nerd Revealed Blog

August 26 Guest blog
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!

August 27 Interview
Fang-tastic Books

August 28 Promo
Captivated Reading

August 29 Interview

September 1 Guest blog
Books & Other Spells

September 2 Guest blog and review
The Book Maven

Sept 3 promo

September 4 Guest blog
TBQ's Book Palace

September 5 Promo
Mila Ramos, Paranormal & Contemporary Romance 

September 6 Interview
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom

September 7 Promo
Rabid Reads – 

September 7 review
The Reading Owl




Love Chosen
The Fae Dragon Chronicles, Book One
By Marne Ann Kirk      

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

ISBN:  978-1937254490
ASIN: 978-1-937254-50-6

Number of pages: 277
Word Count: 86,100 words


Book Description:

For millennia, dragon and fae have peacefully co-existed, but the fae themselves have lived segregated and very different lives.

Now a malevolence threatens to separate them all permanently. Can a Queen's guard and a rebellious outlaw join forces to defeat this common enemy?

Tyler's touch sparks fierce desire, drawing Issie to him, but she despises his way of life and all that palace society represents. If he learns she wields majic to help the less fortunate escape the kingdom, he'll charge her with treason. Her punishment - death.

Issie is a sassy rebel who is constantly looking for ways to circumvent the conventions of their society. Tyler's head warns that she's a non-majical lower, beneath him. His heart sees by her inner strength and outer beauty. Only a binding love will lend them strength to save her life - their world.

Author Bio:

Marne Ann Kirk grew up wild, exploring the vast high deserts and mountains of the West with her family as a child. Marne Ann loved making up stories and, well, lied about just about everything. Thankfully, she grew out of the lying stage...now she calls it story-telling.

Her debut novel, “Love Chosen: Book One of The Fae Dragon Chronicles,” is available now. “Love Dared: Book Two of The Fae Dragon Chronicles,” is coming soon. “Goddess on the Run,” a paranormal romance, will be available September 17, 2012. You can find out more about Marne Ann through her publisher, Crescent Moon Press, or visit her at: www.marneannkirk.com  or www.cowboysndragonscafe.blogspot.com



Twitter: MarneAnn


                                    


a Rafflecopter giveaway

2 comments:

Marne Ann said...

Thank you again, for having me here today, Wenona. I just love your blog! I'm travelling today; but because of the wonders of internet, I'll still be able to hang out here, too!...and no, I'm not driving.
I want to share with you, that new release, Goddess on the Run, I spoke of during the interview--it was released early. It's available NOW! And yes, I'm super excited about this!
Anyway, throw some questions or comments at me. Please!

Chiseled in Rock said...

Go Marne! See you at the Renaissance!

Gusto