Guest Author Day with Belinda McBride and a Contest

CONTEST INFORMATION: Belinda is giving away a choice of an e-book: either Blacque/Bleu, or Silver/Steel (the new title) in .pdf to one lucky reader. Leave a comment with your email address in order to be entered. Winner to be announced here on this post on Dec. 5th.

Welcome to Love Romances & More Reviews Belinda. Comfortable? Let’s begin, shall we?

Please tell us a little about yourself and how long you've been writing. Have you always gravitated toward being an author? 

Hello, and thank you for hosting me today! About me…well, when I was very young, I discovered books. I loved them so much, and I loved to re-tell stories my own way, that my grandmother said I ought to be an author. It took awhile…like decades to finally just put my hands on a keyboard and write, but it’s something I always identified with.

How do you balance family life with your writing?  

With a lot of help! My daughters are adults now and living their own lives, but I caregive for a disabled niece and my elderly mother. I also have several dogs, so my daily life revolves around dog food, laundry, medicine and more laundry. Somewhere in there, I manage to clear my mind and work.

If you could trade places with a character in one of your books, who would it be and why?  

Melody Feris. She’s the mother of Travis Feris Blacque from the upcoming Silver/Steel. Why? You’ll have to read the story to find out for yourself. Just suffice it to say that the little omega is about to be put in an enviable position. <g>

Anything your fans would be surprised to know about you?  

I don’t know…I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I had a blast when my kids were little and needed me to go on roller coasters with them. While I don’t practice anymore, I spent a lot of years studying Hsing-I, a little known Chinese martial art.

Dealing with writing deadlines can be a challenge. What do you do to cope with the stress?  

I eat a lot of M&Ms.

Is there something special you do to celebrate when one of your books is released?  

Traditionally, I tend to go down on release day and donate blood components. I’m a huge advocate of being a donor. There are too few people who can donate, and those who can generally don’t.

Tell us about your latest/upcoming release. What is this gem about? 

Silver/Steel is the sequel to Blacque/Bleu. It’s a m/m paranormal romance featuring an older man/younger man pairing. A much older man. Much, much, much older man…

In Blacque/Bleu, Travis barely showed up in the story, and was there as an antagonist. I started thinking about him and what it must be like to have a father like Dane and a brother like Lukas Blacque. Travis moves through his daily life scared, always on guard because anyone with an axe to grind with Dane or Lukas will take it out on him instead. Yet he’s got these hidden, compassionate depths.

His love interest is Dylan, who is an ancient fae who has endured centuries enslaved to a cruel master. Dylan has one single focus in life…survive long enough to be free. Travis is the key to his freedom, yet he’s also the obstruction Dylan faces.

Anything coming from you in the next few months you want to share or are working on? 

Yes, I’m revising a novella called Toxic, which was the first Truckee Wolves story. It’s being expanded to novel length and will be released at Loose Id. I’m also working on a m/m series that revolve around minor Greek gods moving around in today’s society. That’s called the Aphrodite Project and the series isn’t yet sold.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?  

I just indulged in a couple books from my TBR pile, I just finished Rent Boy by Fyn Alexander and Calling the Show by J.A. Rock. Both are five star reads, IMO. I just bought His Own Devices by Jessica Freely and am waiting for a break to start that. I’m waiting on the next JR Ward and just frothing at the bit to get to the latest by Patricia Briggs (Love her Alpha and Omega series) and Nalini Singh’s archangels books.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?  

I’ve been really fortunate, I’ve been able to meet dozens of my favorite authors at conventions and events. There are several who had direct influence on my becoming a writer, and I’ve been able to tell them in person! I’d love to meet Morgan Hawke, I’m a total fangirl of nearly everything she writes. J

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing? 

This is not only an art, it’s a craft and a job, so don’t fall into the “I’m a storyteller, not a writer” trap. You are a writer. You don’t expect a painter to do their job without paint or a sculptor to sculpt without their tools and training. So as a writer, your tools are your knowledge and skills. If you don’t know the basics of language and grammar, learn it. Then move on and learn the finer points of writing within your genre. Learn to avoid passive voice, define the POV (point of view) in your story. Study the writing of other authors and take the time to read books and manuals on writing. Being a good writer will make you a publishable writer.

If we asked your muse to describe you in five words, what would they say about you? 

Distracted, impulsive, sleepy, obsessive, random

Anything else you want to add? Links?

My website is: http://www.belindamcbride.com

My blog is: http://www.belindam.blogspot.com

Silver/Steel

Arcada Series, Book 2

Loose Id Publishing

Coming December 4th, 2012

M/M Paranormal, BDSM

http://www.loose-id.com/authors/a-f/belinda-mcbride/arcada-2-silver-steel.html

When dream hunter Dylan Ryve spots a beautiful shapeshifter raising hell in a bar, he knows he wants the wild young man. But Travis Feris is more to Dylan than a few hot minutes outside in the snow; he's the assassin's ticket into the magical town of Arcada. He didn't plan to rescue the kid, but when he found the shifter being attacked, the opportunity to play hero was too good to pass up.

Through the solitude of a long winter night, Dylan walks in Travis's fevered dreams, learning about Arcada and the pack, and showing the shifter the man he'd been so very long ago. When morning comes, both men know their lives will be forever entwined.

From Dylan, Travis learns that he is a strong, valued member of the pack. The dreamwalker sees his own worth reflected back at him in the dark blue eyes of the wolf. Yet when Dylan has the chance to free himself from centuries of enslavement, can he betray the man he has come to love?