Monday, September 15, 2014

Interview and Giveaway with Marie Michelle Coleman


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

I’m a librarian by background so I love to dig in and do research and I’m always reading something. My experience as a law librarian in a large law firm gave me a true feel for life as an associate attorney as my main character, Casey Sloane, must experience it. It also gave me an insider understanding of the vibe and rhythm inherent to that environment. I do work full time now in a job where I spend lots of quality time with librarians, attorneys, and all kinds of interesting Washington, D.C. types. Working full time and writing does create a bit of a life balance issue but also provides many rewards. Sleep is probably not one of them though.

We just added a new member to our family this summer. She’s a rescue dog and she came to us with the name Lucy Lu. She’s part American Eskimo and part Chihuahua. Of course, she’s the cutest, smartest part of both and a wonderful companion for me when I’m writing away. She’s helping me with the life balance thing too.

My genre is paranormal romance/urban fantasy. I love reading mysteries, YA, and regencies as well. However, when it comes time to sit down and write, it’s paranormal all the way. I have a sense of humor and I try to let that shine through in my writing.

Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

My latest release is my debut novel, Bespoken: A Nightangel and Daydreamer Novel. It’s a paranormal romance/urban fantasy set in Washington, D.C. Casey Sloane is a young, driven attorney fighting her way up the ladder to a law firm partnership. She doesn’t have time for hobbies, just a few daydreams. When the beautiful and mesmerizing nightangel Gabriel arrives in her daydreams, she’s taken by surprise. When he steps out of her secret daydreams and turns up on her doorstep, she’s not surprised anymore, she’s stunned. The nightangel is looking for a real life, real-time relationship with her. All she’s looking for is a way to shut down the nightangel before she does something stupid – like say yes to every one of his demands. It turns out a little daydreaming can be dangerous.

Are you a mom?

I’m a mom with kids who are out of college now.  They are both awesome and have been a huge support to me as a writer. A while back, my son actually let me read him an early version of my entire novel, chapter by chapter over a period of about a month. Today, he’s a great sounding board and I often bounce ideas for my books off him. Whether it’s book titles or an intriguing secondary character, my daughter is always willing to listen and give me her opinion as well. Between the two of them I have a trusted team of advisors always available for consultation. The most important thing my kids have done for me as a writer is to believe in me with an absolute unshakable faith. They’ve helped me keep a positive attitude and push past the fear that is inherent in putting yourself out there. They inspire me to be brave and trust in myself.

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

Yes. Be open to change and be willing to step past fear toward understanding. This is something Casey Sloane grapples with as she gets to know the nightangel Gabriel on the other side of the daydreams. Stepping out of our comfort zone isn’t easy but it’s an important part of living a fulfilling life. Casey’s stubborn desire not to budge from what has worked for her up to the point of Gabriel’s arrival on her doorstep doesn’t really serve either of them but it’s hard for her to let it go. Pushing aside fear for love is difficult but not impossible.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

Before I wrote about angels and vampires, I blogged about the sunny side of life. My blog chronicled my life as a working mom living in suburbia with all the inherent challenges that two kids, a husband, an excruciating commute, a demanding job, and a busy household to maintain can supply. I like to laugh and this blog helped me keep my sense of humor. One of my goals in writing it was to remind people (and myself) that sometimes stuff that’s not so funny when it’s happening is pretty funny later on. My blog helped me realize that writing my paranormal romance without some flashes of humor in it wasn’t being true to my writing voice. Bespoken is a much better book for that insight.

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

I’m working on book 2 and 3 of the Nightangel and Daydreamer series now. In Book 2, Casey and Gabriel will pick up right where they left off in Bespoken and they’ll be joined by some characters I’m pretty sure readers will be excited to see again. Uber cool librarian, Mira, and Casey’s take-no-prisoners best friend, Ricki, will definitely be back. Phillips & Row will continue to be the perfect toxic environment for the ambitious young attorney. Of course, the arrogant Derek Rider will be stirring up some trouble. He just can’t help himself. Readers can expect to get a glimpse of the extended paranormal community hidden in plain sight in the Washington, D.C. area in the next books.

What book are you reading now?

I’m reading Lethal Outlook by Victoria Laurie right now. I’m a fan of both her Psychic Eye and Ghost Hunter Mystery series.

What is in your to read pile?

I’ve always got a huge To Read pile going. Here are some of the books sitting on the top of the stack right now:

·       Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles) by Kevin Hearne
·       Dark Currents: Agent of Hel by Jacqueline Carey
·       Moon Island  (Vampire for Hire series) by J.R. Rain
·       Mind Games by Kiersten White
·       Sorcery and the Single Girl (Jane Madison series) by Mindy Klasky

·       Danger in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday

Bespoken
A Nightangel and Daydreamer Novel
Book One
Marie Michelle Coleman

Genre:  paranormal romance/urban fantasy

Publisher:  Suburban Island Publishing

ISBN:  978-0991146628
ASIN:  B00IXA9UKK

395 pages on Kindle
368 pages in paperback
Word Count:  92,000

Cover Artist:  Doug Pecht

Book Description: 

Nobody ever told Casey how dangerous a little daydreaming could be.

Casey Sloane appreciates the power of a good daydream. It’s the perfect antidote to the pressures of her hectic life as an associate attorney at a high-powered Washington, D.C. law firm. When the nightangel Gabriel takes up residence in those dreams, Casey is more delighted than surprised. Gabriel is the perfect mixture of danger, otherworldly beauty, and out-and-out temptation required to throw her daydreams into a state of perpetual overdrive.

But when the nightangel sheds his wings and arrives in the real world for a real-time relationship with Casey, she gets a quick education on the unforeseen consequences of secret daydreams.

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4YeTJQqJy_g   

Available at Amazon  BN  Smashwords  ARe  Txtr  iTunes


EXCERPT TWO:

The music rose in her ears. She turned from it. She let it ebb until all she could hear was its echo. She was drifting toward Gabriel and the flame-light. Where she wanted to be was with him—right or not. She didn’t care if it was perilous. Bring it on, angel. And then let’s call it a night.
She approached the arched window of rough gray stone draped in white. She yanked back the curtain, compelled to have at least one glance into the landscape of the dream before leaving. A cry escaped her lips before she could stop it. She could not believe what was spread out before her. The sky was the color of cold mud. The garden below was barren, as if settled into the dead of winter. The roses were blooming though, on leafless stems, mostly prickle and nothing green about them. The flowers themselves were washed out and papery. The wind was a low moan and it flung itself on her now that it was unrestrained by the heavy draperies. She stood there a long time taking it in. She did not see Gabriel but she knew he was nearby. His closeness made her weak and breathless. She wished she were back under his cold wings now—safe and sound, safe with him—but it was too late for that. She laid her hands on the window ledge. She held it tight. She waited for him.
The rough-hewn stone was jagged beneath her fingers. The sky was darker now—rust-red with no light underneath. Sharp little snowflakes began to fly through the air, they cut at the flesh where they touched and began to cover the garden over. The wind smelled of nothing but the cold heart of winter. The blood began to roar in her veins, her pulse to race. She did not have to look. She knew he was there. Draw back, her reason said. Stay a bit longer, her heart responded.
She closed her eyes as he came beside her and when she opened them again it was to a sky a shade of dark lavender she had never seen before. It faded into a crisp, starless black; the wind grew lower and swept the snow away. Now that the scent of rain, green grass, and roses clung to the air, it was warmer. The roses were in full bloom and calling out to her as flowers do in dreams. She glimpsed Gabriel beside her through the veil of her lowered lashes.
“Just a while longer, Casey,” he murmured through lips of hungry red. “Let us come to an understanding. It is important.” He cast a coaxing smile her way; a white, sharp secret lay behind it. The harsh rustle of his transparent wings reverberated in the quiet room.
Yes, there was definitely more of the bloodangel than dreamangel about Gabriel now.



About the Author: 

Marie Michelle Coleman is a paranormal romance and urban fantasy author whose book, Bespoken, is the first in the Nightangel and Daydreamer series. She's been in love with the written word since she was old enough to turn the pages of her first book. She's always had a fascination with vampires and angels. Sitting down at the keyboard and turning on the paranormal blender was a natural next step.

Marie lives in the Washington D.C. area. She believes in the power of a compelling dream, the therapeutic merits of loud music, and the benefits of always being in the middle of reading a great book. Marie has a soft spot for a good romance and likes to laugh. Jane Austen is her favorite author. She'll probably always be a little in love with Mr. Darcy.

She grows roses in her garden but no matter how hard she tries, they don't look anything like the ones in Casey Sloane's daydreams.





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3 comments:

Unknown said...

What a great interview with the author. I've added this book to my reading list now.

Unknown said...

Thanks for adding Bespoken to your reading list, Barbara Ann. I'm so happy you liked the interview!

Unknown said...

Wenona - Thanks so much for being part of the Bespoken virtual book tour!