Welcome Mychael Black today & a Contest

Give a warm welcome to author Mychael Black today.

CONTEST PRIZE: One reader will win Magic & the Pagan print, Realms of Fantasy print (2 prizes for 1 winner) today. Contest will run till February 22nd and to enter, all you need to do is leave a comment with your email address in the comment in case you win we have a way to contact you on your prize. 

How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?

I've been writing since I was a kid. It's in my blood. As for writing professionally, that didn't start until around 2005. I have an insatiable need to tell stories, and I adore doing so in worlds I've created.

What makes your characters so vulnerable yet strong? Can you describe them to us? What do you do when characters stop talking to you when writing?

No matter their true nature, all my characters possess human qualities, including vices and weaknesses. I honestly don't believe in perfection, and I certainly won't write it. There's simply no story if the characters are all perfect, with no flaws whatsoever. There's no challenge. As for when they stop talking... I try threats. It doesn't always work. *laughs*

You have some great secondary characters in your books. Will we see spin offs in regards to them in their own story lines? Do you prefer writing series books over non series or does it matter?

Thank you! It's become a rather moment when a secondary character does NOT want his/her own book. Spin-offs are really common, whether it's something I've done solo, or something I wrote with Shayne. I don't necessarily set out to write series books; it just sort of happens. I can go with either.

What do you think is the level of sensuality/heat in your books? What can readers expect from your books with respect to sexual content and sensuality?

*chuckles* Ultra-hot? I'd say so, anyway. I definitely don't hold back when sex is involved, but I also tailor the scenes to the overall atmosphere and my characters' personalities and moods.

Please tell us about your latest/upcoming release(s). What are they all about?

My latest release is the last of my Dark Reign series from Changeling Press. It's Marcus Deleon's story. He's the leader for the pack that's been fighting a rather sadistic vampire named Dalton Gray.

In terms of stuff coming up, nothing right around the corner, but Shayne and I are working on the last few thousand words for the third book for Mael and Cian (The Prince's Angel, And the Two Shall Become One). Like the first two books, TPA 3 (Forever May Not Be Long Enough is the actual title) will be with Torquere Press. We've also got a few other things we're working on once TPA 3 is done.

For myself, I've finally sat down and started on the second book in my Secrets of Socendor series with Samhain Publishing. Granted, it's certainly not the only in-progress thing I'm working on, but I write when the guys wanna talk.

What genre do you write in? Is there a genre you haven't tried yet but want to in the future?

I'm assuming you don't mean pairing, which is male/male for anyone who doesn't know yet. Genre-wise, I honestly can't think of a genre yet that I haven't at least *tried* to tackle. Sci-fi isn't my forte, but Shayne and I have touched on it. Historical we've done, as have I. My favorite, though, is a tie between fantasy and paranormal.

What is the last line of your last WIP you worked on that you wrote?

Okay, it's two lines: dialogue, and a reaction. It's from Dragonblade, Secrets of Socendor 2, and it's a gentle debate between half-siblings, namely Kalen (a military general) and Vanya (an elven archer):

"I know nothing about ruling. I'm more likely to shoot first and ask questions later."

Kalen's lips twitched at the memory of their first meeting.

What do you do for fun/relax? Any hobbies?

I'm an avid gamer geek. MMOs (Everquest 2 is the current one, though I've played EQ 1, World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Rift, Age of Conan, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. I'm waiting for Tera.); simulation/strategy games like Stronghold, The Sims, that sort of thing; and adventure games like Dragon Age, Dragon Age 2, and the Diablo series.

Beyond the comp, I read and paint with acrylics.

Is there a story that you’d like to tell but you think the world isn’t ready to receive it?

Heh. I think I did that with my Torquere story, Specula. It's a BDSM romance, but it's very much a niche kink of medical fetishism.

If you could be one of your characters - Who would you be? And why?

Oh Lord. I have to pick ONE?! Hm. Probably Cian Carmichael, of the TPA books. Why? Because he gets to sleep with Mael Black. ;)

What do you do on a typical writing day?

Sit on the couch with the laptop, headphones on, music on, and growl at anyone who dares to come near me. LOL

Can you please give us an idea on what you are working on for the future?

The biggest one is Mael and Cian third (and final) book. It's definitely not the last Romanorum book, but it is the last one for them. They swore to torture us if we put them through another one after this.

Other would be Secrets of Socendor 2.

What’s better to write about-perfect characters or flawed ones? And why?

Flawed. Absolutely. Like I said before, there's no such thing as perfect, and writing a perfect character would make for a VERY boring story.

When you have writer's block how do you break free?

Considering I just came out of a nearly-two-year stint of blockage, I can safely say it's a nightmare when it hits. I'm not entirely sure how I got out of it, to be honest. All I know is that Shayne and I are writing again--and not just together. We've both experienced a resurgence in our wells of creativity.

Few fun ones:

If you could travel to any time period, where would you and why? Middle Ages, Wales. My mother's family (maternal side) is of Welsh descent. Why? Because it's my favorite period of history, and one I've studied extensively for many, many years.

Hollywood has come calling and is interested in Magic & The Pagan. You get to pick the actors to play the main characters, Evan and Aidan. What book do you choose and who do you choose to play these characters?

Magic & the Pagan, and although I'm not sure who I'd want for Evan (the mortal pagan), I'd do anything to see Bill Kaulitz (of Tokio Hotel) play my dark fae necromancer, Aidan Loriel. Of course, Bill's hair would be straight and not all over the place like it usually is, and it'd be red. But... yeah. Bill has that young but ethereal beauty that Aidan does.

What is your one favorite foods to enjoy?

Chinese. I'm a sucker for Chinese and Japanese food, but especially Chinese.

Any weird cravings when writing?

Eh, not really. Used to be that I'd drink a lot (and I mean a LOT) of Mountain Dew. It seems to go hand in hand with gaming... go figure. But I've cut out sodas, and therefore, I haven't had a Dew in...wow, ages.

Anything else to add?

Just want to thank you for this chance to chat, and if folks want to find me, I'm out there:

Email: mychaelblack@gmail.com

Site: http://www.mychaelblackbooks.com

Blog: http://kjohnson1976.livejournal.com

Enter into a world of magic, lust, love and betrayal.

Evan Bartholomew lives life as a gay pagan with a deep interest in magic. Not wise choices in the small town he resides in. When he comes across a book of magic in an old bookstore, he fantasizes about the portrait of a man within its pages.

The first time Evan attempts one of the spells in the book, he finds himself in a world he never knew existed, completely clueless. A world of demons, magic, a queen who wants to kill him, a king who lusts after him, and the man of his fantasies, Aidan Loriel.

Product Warnings

This title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, violence, hot gay men, a few elves, a demon, and a determined king. Oh, and magic thrown in for good measure.