INterview & Giveaway with Melissa Mayhue

LITERAL ADDICTION and Book Monster Reviews 

are pleased to welcome Melissa Mayhue 

to our sites today.   

Melissa has a great bio on her website so we thought we’d 

borrow it for today’s Event:

About Melissa

Faced with telling you all about me, I realized...I'm not very interesting! So, rather than bore you with useless trivia about my life, [I was an only child, born and raised in Texas], I'll share the story of how I came to be a writer.

First and foremost, I am a reader. Some of my best memories are of my mother taking me to the local library every week during the summer to check out armloads of books. I could hardly wait to get home, dive into the stories, and get lost in a whole new, wonderful world. My prized possession as a girl was an entire shelf of Nancy Drew Mysteries. I adored Nancy Drew.

My first experience with writing a book came at age 13. I developed a fascination with genealogy and, after spending time visiting older relatives to gather information, I found I had all sorts of wonderful family stories. What on earth could I do with all those [mostly false] tales? Why, I'd write a sweeping, 600+ page novel of course! A tale of life through several generations, spanning two centuries. It would be fantastic.

Armed with purpose and enthusiasm, I sat down at my big typewriter, [yes, I'm dating myself...typewriter, not keyboard], and began Page One. Hours later I had almost completed two whole pages. [double spaced, of course]. Hmmmmm... An entire day and I had barely two pages to show for it? [rather boring pages, at that].

Maybe I wasn't cut out to be an author after all.

In spite of my writing setback, I retained my passion for books. I simply concentrated on reading other people's books. Lots of books. All kinds of books. Until I discovered Romance. Finally, a world I could escape to where I knew I'd always find a happy ending! I devoured them, literally reading hundreds.

Years passed before the writing bug seriously bit again. I was working in downtown Denver and, as so many writers advised, every lunch hour I took my pad and pen [actually, I preferred a pencil] and headed for my favorite coffee shop to spend my 50 minutes writing.

Unfortunately, my favorite coffee shop was in a book store. Invariably, I'd end up writing nothing. There were too many fascinating people to watch, too many interesting conversations to hear and then, of course, there were all the books to distract me.

Still, I had these two characters living in my head, wanting their story told...

Then came the summer we took our second family vacation to Scotland. On the Black Isle [ which isn't black or even an isle ], near the pretty little town of Rosemarkie, we parked our rented car and hiked back into a magically beautiful placed called Fairy Glen. Resting on a large rock at the edge of a waterfall and pool, lulled by the lush nature of the setting, I suddenly realized THIS was the place for Cate and Connor. For the remainder of that trip, I'd catch glimpses of them, in a castle, standing at the foot of a crumbling staircase, or riding through a highland meadow.

Once I finally sat down at my keyboard and decided the time had come to give those two life, I found, amazingly enough, they weren't the only characters running around in my head. There were a bunch of them... all clamoring for their own turn!

My GOAL, as a writer, is to give each of those noisy characters a life in their own story.

My HOPE, as a writer, is that you'll enjoy reading their stories as much as I enjoy writing them!

Melissa is the proud creator of the DAUGHTERS OF THE GLEN and WARRIOR series.  You can check out her entire available backlist HERE.

DAUGHTERS OF THE GLEN has 8 books – “Thirty Nights With a Highland Husband”, “Highland Guardian”, “Soul of a Highlander”, “A Highlander of Her Own”, “A Highlander’s Destiny”, “A Highlander’s Homecoming”, “Healing the Highlander” and “Highlander’s Curse”.

WARRIOR consists of 3 books – “Warrior’s Redemption”, “Warrior’s Last Gift” (which was just released 10/2/12), and “Warrior Reborn”, which is coming 10/30/12.

For those of you new to Melissa’s work, we thought we'd give you the book synopses for a handful of the books to get you up to speed…

“Thirty Nights With a Highland Husband”

 DAUGHTERS OF THE GLEN Book #1

SCOTLAND, 1272. Connor MacKiernan, a descendant of the Fae Prince, is a warrior who lives only for honor and duty. Though he's vowed never to marry, that's exactly what he must do to save his sister. Enter a little Faerie magic, and the search for a bride is on. DENVER, 2007. Caitlyn Coryell is having a really bad day -- she just discovered her fiance with another woman Imagine her surprise when she puts on some sexy lingerie and an antique pendant and Connor appears in her bedroom, begging for her help. He offers a simple yet outrageous adventure: travel to his time, marry him, and return home.

But nothing's simple when Cate is trapped in the thirteenth century. The wedding's delayed, someone's trying to kill her, and in the middle of all this, she realizes she's falling in love with a man who can only be her husband for thirty nights.

“Soul of a Highlander”

 DAUGHERS OF THE GLEN Book #3:

Nine years ago, Faerie Magic saved Mairi MacKiernan at the cost of her dreams of happiness, snatching her from her life in 1272, and depositing her in the twenty-first century. Now, she must save the last Daughter of the MacKiernan family...who was murdered in 1295. Transported back in time at her request, Mairi finds herself captured by the same evil men as before Is this the price the Faerie Magic requires of her this time? Ramos Servans has dedicated his dreams to service as a Guardian, but when he discovers the evil unleashed on the Mortal Plain by his father and their people, he swears he will atone by ridding the world of Nuadian deceit. Part of his mission involves rescuing a lovely Highland lassie, and in the passion that grows between them, Ramos and Mairi find a new dream.

But falling in love can be dangerous when Faerie Magic is involved. Dreams may not be the only cost....

“A Highlander’s Destiny”

 DAUGHTERS OF THE GLEN Book #5:

JESSE CORYELL, a descendant of the Fae, is a man in search of his destiny. He's tried to lose himself in his work, taking on the worst mankind has to offer, but what he really needs to find is his true love. When he sets out to help a mysterious woman find her sister, what he gets is much more than he bargained for: battling an undeniable attraction to his sexy new client while fighting an ancient evil to keep her safe.

DESTINY NOBLE, abandoned by everyone she's ever loved, will stop at nothing in her desperate quest to find her sister. Authorities have declared Leah a runaway, but Destiny knows better. Her dream visions have shown her the frightening truth. They've also shown her Jesse. But finding her Soulmate could result in the most painful loss of all, when she's forced to choose between loving Jesse and saving Leah.

Jesse and Destiny race against time to save an innocent girl from a powerful ancient evil. Is true love their best weapon...or will they be required to sacrifice their own destiny?

“Highlander’s Curse”

 DAUGHTERS OF THE GLEN Book #8:

When COLIN MACALISTER is cursed by the Faerie Queen and ends up in the bed of a twenty-first-century woman--who also happens to be the most beautiful creature he's ever laid eyes on--he's torn between anger and lust. Colin is determined to see Scotland free of English control and must return to the fourteenth century, yet he cannot forget the woman who haunts his dreams and stirs him with scorching desire. ABIGAIL PORTER can't believe her luck. After making a wish to find her soul mate, she wakes up to find a gorgeous man in her bed Can he really be a medieval Highlander summoned by her Faerie Magic, however? It seems crazy, but when Abby discovers someone wants to enslave her because of her Faerie heritage, she agrees to flee with Colin to 1306 Scotland to avoid capture. Thwarting danger at every turn, Abby and Colin surrender to an irresistible passion. But is the magic of true love powerful enough to save them?

“Warrior’s Redemption”

 WARRIORS Book #1:

Will the magic of modern romance help him defeat an evil ancient power?

MALCOLM MACDOWYLT sees himself a failed warrior, haunted by the death of the woman he married to become laird of Clan MacGahan. Neither his Viking heritage nor his claim to descend from Norse gods can restore his confidence in his ability to protect his people. His sister is held captive, her life in jeopardy, and his Magically powerful half brother wants him dead. The last thing he needs is more responsibility, but that's exactly what he gets when his Faerie mother-in-law arrives seeking justice for her daughter in the form of an enticing woman from seven hundred years in the future.

DANIELLE DEARMON has waited fifteen years to discover the life she is supposed to live. She just never dreamed she'd end up in the thirteenth century with a handsome Scot bent on saving everyone but himself.

With the lives of those most dear to him hanging in the balance, Malcolm sets out to battle a powerful evil Magic, only to learn that the redemption he seeks exists only in the arms of the woman he loves.

“Warrior’s Last Gift”

 WARRIORS Book #2:

JUST RELEASED 10/2/12

An enthralling eNovella that combines time-travel, the Scottish Highlands, and a touch of Norse mythology—linking the Daughter of the Glens series with the Warriors series spin-off. 


When Jeanne MacGhie had nowhere to turn, Eymer Horvesson stepped in with an offer of marriage. He asked for only one favor in return…and now that he’s dead, Jeanne will stop at nothing to keep her promise to the young warrior—even though it means turning to the one man she swore she’d never speak to again.

Eric MacNicol never expected a cavalier refusal to wed would result in his losing the one thing he truly wanted in life. When a warrior’s final request forces him on a cross-country quest with the widow, he must battle his inner demons to make the right decision this time. Only one last gift from a fallen warrior can offer them both a second chance at true love….

“Warrior Reborn”

 WARRIORS Book #3:

COMING 10/30/12

Only his love can free her.

Former special ops agent CHASE NOBLE has been searching his whole life for the place where he belongs. As a descendant of Fae, he senses fate has more in store for him. And he will not rest until he discovers what his true purpose is. When he travels back in time to medieval Scotland, he discovers his mission is to save a beautiful woman -- the same woman he is destined to be with.

CHRISTIANA MacDOWYLT possesses the gift of foresight. Prisoner of her evil half brother, Christiana has visions that show her that only one warrior can rescue her -- a man she is mysteriously drawn to. The only problem is, he's in the future. Now she must rely on the magic of a Faerie to transport him to the past. And when Christiana finally meets Chase, the sparks between them set off a smoldering desire. But will the magic that brought them together also tear them apart?

 Now that we’ve sufficiently teased you and have you all adding more books to your TBR and scoping out your favorite book seller, how about we get to the Interview and learn some more about Melissa and her books?

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Hi Melissa!  Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to come and chat with us today, and to let our followers and members get to know you and your books a little bit better.

Melissa: Thank you for the invitation to visit!  There’s nothing I like better than getting to spend time chatting with people who love books as much as I do!

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  We always start by getting to know our guest author a little bit better… 

Q1): Can you tell us 3 things about yourself (no matter how random) that we can't find out easily on the internet?

Melissa:  1 – I was an only child

      2 – I’m allergic to penicillin

      3 – I collect antique British teacups & saucers

Q2):  What are 2 things that always make you smile, and 2 things that never fail to piss you off?

Melissa: Always makes me smile:  my Boston terrier Oscar, my toddler grandsons

Always pisses me off:  Someone telling a bald-faced lie and any form of cruelty to animals or children

Q3):   If you could spend the day with anyone – alive, dead, fictional, etc – who would you want it to be, why, and what would you want to do? 

Melissa:  My great, great, great grandfather, James Alexander.  I’d love to spend some time finding out about where he came from and who his people are because he’s been my genealogical ‘brick wall’ for about nine years now. 

Q4):  What is a typical writing day like for you?  Do you have something you can’t do without, interesting writing quirks, something you need to get the creative juices flowing, etc?

Melissa: My typical day begins with a cup of coffee [with Hazelnut creamer] to accompany my reading through my email and the news of the day.  Then I feed my dogs, makeup my bed and head out to my office.  Typical ends right there.  J  If I’m at the beginning of a book, I likely spend the next several hours researching, both in books and online.  If I’m near deadline, I turn on iTunes and start writing.  If it’s near a book release, I’m probably spending the day writing blog posts or doing interviews.  And when, like now, I’m on deadline AND near a book release?  Hmmm… I drink lots of sweet iced tea and stress over not getting anything done quickly enough!

Q5):  If you were to describe yourself in 5 words, what would they be?

Melissa:  Time-deprived, Wife, mother, grandmother, writer

Q6):  Are there any specific authors and/or titles that you feel inspired you to become the writer you are today?

Melissa: I have been a devoted reader since I picked up my first Dick, Jane and Spot book. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Pippi Longstockings, who felt like a real person to me. I loved every single Nancy Drew mystery and I still have an old copy of The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart sitting on my Keeper Shelf.  And while I’m sure everything I’ve ever read has had some tiny bit of influence on me, the one book that pushed me into finally writing my own books was The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams.  Why that one?  Because I loved, loved, loved the story and would have thought it perfect if Mr. Adams had just seen fit to work on that relationship between Thor and Kate and let them have their own Happy Ever After at the end.  Of course, Mr. Adams wasn’t writing a romance.  Which was why I decided I needed to write my own books...to develop characters I loved and make them happy.  J

Q7):  What are the best and worst parts of writing for you?

Melissa:  The best parts are [1] when the words are just flowing and I know exactly where I’m going and the characters are all talking at once in my head and [2] when I hear from readers who have loved the stories.  The worst parts are [1] when the deadline to turn in a book is just weeks away and there’s nothing going on in my head but crickets and [2] on Release Day when I always panic and am sure no one will buy another book. [That’s the double-edged sword of an over-active imagination... I can always imagine the worst as well as the best!] 

Q8):  Was there any specific inspiration behind the creation of the DAUGHTERS OF THE GLEN series?

Melissa:  Some of the pieces of that series were floating around in my head for a year or two before I actually began to write it.  But a vacation to Scotland led us to a spot on the Black Isle near Rosemarkie called The Fairy Glen and it was there that the whole story began to come together for me. After that, I ‘met’ Cate, the heroine as I walked through the ruins of Dunnottar Castle and Connor popped into my head as I stood staring out toward a grave on a tiny island behind our hotel in Glen Coe.

Q9): What about WARRIORS?

Melissa: The characters who inhabit the WARRIORS sprang from the Daughters of the Glen series.  I first met Malcolm MacDowylt [who I originally wrote to be a bad guy, but who refused to play that role] in A Highlander’s Homecoming.  The more scenes he and his brother showed up in, the more I knew they had their own story that needed telling.

Q10):  Is DAUGHTERS OF THE GLEN finalized with book 8 being the last installment? 

Melissa: No. J  There are too many characters from that series who would haunt me forever if their stories weren’t told.  

 

Q11):  How many books do you have planned for WARRIORS? 

Melissa:  I think there will be at least five...and there could well be more than that, depending on what characters pop up as the stories progress. [And whether or not people buy the books so that my publisher continues to publish them!]

Q12):  Has there been an instance of your career so far that you’re exceptionally proud of?  Why?

Melissa:  I was thrilled to be nominated for a RITA award in 2011 since that’s sort of the Oscar award for Romance Writers.  But to be honest, the moments that have meant the most to me are when I get those notes from readers... like the young woman who wrote to tell me that her husband had just left for his second tour in Iraq and how reading my books kept her sane by taking her out of her real world, giving her a few hours where she didn’t have to worry over whether or not he’d come home again. Or the woman who was undergoing dialysis and carried my books along with her to distract her from her ordeal by allowing her to escape into the Highlands.  I get a lump in my throat just telling you about those wonderful ladies.

Q13):  What were the biggest challenges in bringing your 2 series to life?

Melissa:  Staying true to the individual characters.  Making sure I told their stories in a way that made each one of them different from all the other characters. 

Q14):  Do you have anything in the works outside of the series that we featured that you’d like to tell us about?

Melissa: I’ve been tinkering around with an idea for a contemporary series, but so far, I’ve had my hands full just keeping up with writing two books a year in my current series.  And even if I do start a new one, I want to make sure I can continue to write these stories, too.

Q15):  Would you like to say anything special to your readers and fans while we have you here today?

Melissa:  I’m so honored that there are so many of you who have visited my world and found that you enjoy yourselves there!  I hope you’ll continue to love reading the books as much as I love writing them. 

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Melissa, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed having you with us today and are excited to turn some new readers on to your work.  We would love to have you back again for your next big release if you’re interested!

Melissa:  I’d love to come back!  And I’d like to take a moment to extend an invitation to all your readers to visit my website at www.MelissaMayhue.com where they can learn more about both series.  There’s even a ShoutBox there where you can leave questions or comments and I always respond.

Melissa is graciously offering up a signed set of both books in The Warriors series, WARRIOR’S REDEMPTION and WARRIOR REBORN, to a winner from Book Monster Reviews and another winner over at 

LITERAL ADDICTION.

To Enter:

Fill out the Rafflecopter widget for Melissa’s Event, follow the directions, take action, and mark as ‘Done’.  Make sure that your Rafflecopter email address is correct!

Want a 2nd chance to win??  

Go to LITERALADDICTION and enter over there as well.

GOOD LUCK!!!

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