MM MARCH MADNESS!!

March 15

Twinsie Talk is proud to present the 3rd Annual MM March Madness – a month to focus on the M/M, F/F, M/M/F, M/F/M authors. We love these books and want to share it with the rest of the world. Each day we will post an interview. We will also include any reviews that we have done on these books as well as links to the books.

Our hope is that you will love this genre as much as we do! <3

Today is devoted to CM Michaels

C.M Michaels grew up in a small town in northern Michigan as the youngest child of a close-knit family of seven. He met his wife, Teresa, while attending Saginaw Valley State University. Together they’ve provided a loving home for several four-legged “kids”, including Sophie, their eternally young at heart, hopelessly spoiled Spaniel. He has always enjoyed writing, and still has fond memories of reading his first book, a children’s novella, to local grade schools when he was 14. C.M. is currently working on the third book in the Sisters in Blood series along with a Fantasy romance called Kerrigan’s Race. An avid reader since discovering Jim Kjelgaard novels in early childhood, his favorite authors include Kelley Armstrong, Peter V. Brett, Richelle Mead, Rachel Caine and Laini Taylor. When he’s not writing, C.M. can be found curled up with a good book, watching movies or hitting the hiking trails with his wife. C.M. currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky.

Tell us about something about you (not included in your normal author bio) that maybe not everyone knows about you.

I am an avid outdoors-man and an ammeter wildlife photographer. My wife and I have visited Yellowstone National Park three times. During our visits we have been fortunate enough to capture great shots of wolves on the hunt, grizzly bears wrestling each other, black bears, coyotes, moose, elk, buffalo, eagles and many other wonderful creatures.

There’s been a trend in writing a series. How do you feel about series? Do you write them? Do you think they are easier or harder?

I am currently working on an Urban Fantasy and a Fantasy series. I really enjoy reading and writing series as it gives the author a chance to develop characters beyond what is possible in a stand-alone book and to have a broader plot-arc which readers can enjoy over a span of time. The characters from some of my favorites series have become so familiar that it feels like I am catching up with family when the next installment comes out. Hearing readers passionately speak about how strongly they identify with my characters has been one of the most rewarding aspects of becoming a writer.

Where do you do most of your writing?

I have a home office with an old-school PC. It provides me with a relatively quiet space so I can focus while still being close enough to the family room to not feel totally isolated from my wife. Someday I may break down and get a laptop. Imagining myself kicking back in the lush valleys of Yellowstone, watching buffalo lazily graze the day away while I work on my next creation is certainly a dream of mine 🙂

What are you currently reading? Any suggestions for your favorite books (beside your own, of course)?

I am currently reading the Weather Warden series by Rachel Caine. She is most known for her Morganville Vampire series which I really enjoyed. Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines and Vampire Academy series are two of my all-time favorites. Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series is wonderful, too. For Dystopian , I highly recommend Peter V. Brett’s Warded Man series and Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series.

Do you feel that this genre is growing? And what do you contribute to that growth or decline?

The Urban Fantasy genre is certainly growing. In spite of me consuming books at a frenzied pace, filling most of our basement, I am never at a shortage for new series to read. I think the reason the genre has so much appeal is that it is still set in the real world, making it easier for readers to imagine themselves as the main characters. At the same time, by introducing magic and the supernatural, the story-line isn’t as bound by the restrictions of ordinary life. More spectacular things can happen. There can be much larger surprises. If you enjoy a good romance sub-plot, rather than being limited to a wrong-side-of-the-tracks scenario, where characters overcome tired social biases to find true love, the hurdles can be much more daunting. Like having to change species, for example. The reader gets to imagine being accepted into a pack of werewolves or joining a vampire coven. The more fantastical world the reader gets to immerse themselves in the more fully they can escape the daily grind.

What is the most surprising thing you have learned about writing?

How much time is spent in the editing process. Between my own proofreads, making changes from Beta reader feedback, doing my full second draft review prior to submitting to my publisher, then the three rounds of edits with the assigned editor, over nine months is spent editing, versus about six months writing the first draft.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on finishing the first book in my Fantasy series called Kerrigan’s race, along with the third book in my Urban Fantasy, Sisters in Blood series.

What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?

Even after twenty years of marriage, Saturday night is date night with my wife. We are avid movie goers, and manage to catch most films on the big screen with a nice dinner at one of our favorite spots beforehand. It’s our chance each week to spend quality time together.

Tell us about your highest high and your lowest low in your career so far.  How has it changed you?

My highest high would be the day that I signed my first contract and became a published author. While there are certainly multiple avenues to get your work out there these days, for me, being traditionally published was my first huge goal in my writing career. My lowest low would be receiving the countless rejection letters, 145 in all, before landing the deal for my first book. In the end, the third request for a full manuscript landed me the deal. Even though I knew to expect them, reading through the pile of form rejection letters each day can still be disheartening after a while.

Prepare for a little bit of everything. Dangerous Waters was good but Omnipotent blood really outdoes itself. What happens in a world where you are the monster? You are the hunter, predator, monster…vampire. Just when you think things can’t get any worse you find out there are other monsters that are worse than you. Brooke and her family are on the move after the chaos that ensued at the mall. When trying to keep her family safe and trying to figure out her new powers she is abducted by a demon who wants to use her body and powers to overthrow the angels and the earthen realm. From here there is a one hell of a rollercoater ride. Brooke experiences abuse (sexual, mental, and physical) while her body is being overtaken by a demon. She somehow is able to hold on to a thread of her humanity that allows her to overcome the possession. She then has to face some very hard, heart wrenching decisions in order to help the angels fight the war against the demons. The story goes to many dark places while at the same time is witty and is filled with love. This is a beautifully chaotic story that will hold you in it’s clutches.

“Great. My girlfriend is a witch. Can’t wait until we have our first fight. You’ll probably turn me into a toad.”

“Lately, being around me was like doing research on the world’s deadliest neurotoxins while blindfolded and trapped inside an unstable nuclear reactor. I was a one-girl plague.”

“Horrific squeals and shrieks from the beasts doused in her napalm echoed off the rock walls even as others cried out, creating a macabre cacophony of death that sounded like something the devil himself would conduct.”

The one spoiler I will give is there is a happily ever after. Not quite what you expect but sooooo worth the read!

Enter the giveaway!! You could win a Kindle from the Twinsies or one of the great prizes donated by our featured authors during the MM March Madness Celebration!!

CM has kindly donated a signed paperback copy of Dangerous Waters along with pens and bookmarks from Dangerous Waters and Omnipotent Blood (US only)

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A big THANK YOU to all of the authors participating in our month long celebration!! We appreciate all that you do!!! MUAH!!

Much Love from the Twinsies!!! Angie, Brenda, Deb, Kelly, Kristi, Jen, Jo, and Melinda!!!

MM MARCH MADNESS!!

March 14

Twinsie Talk is proud to present the 3rd Annual MM March Madness – a month to focus on the M/M, F/F, M/M/F, M/F/M authors. We love these books and want to share it with the rest of the world. Each day we will post an interview. We will also include any reviews that we have done on these books as well as links to the books.

Our hope is that you will love this genre as much as we do! <3

Today is devoted to Sloan Johnson

Sloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s life. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass. When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after. Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book? Now, Sloan is a tattooed mom with a mohawk and two kids. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself with a good book and forget she has somewhere to be.

Tell us about something about you (not included in your normal author bio) that maybe not everyone knows about you.

I’ve held just about every job out there short of neurosurgeon. Before realizing that I could actually do something with my writing, I bounced from one job to the next, trying to figure out why I didn’t have a dream job that just fit.

There’s been a trend in writing a series. How do you feel about series? Do you write them? Do you think they are easier or harder?

I love writing them. I think the hardest thing about writing a series is knowing when it’s time to move on. As a reader, I almost always come to a point where I’ve enjoyed my time with a group of characters, but I’m ready for something new. As an author, I try to keep that feeling in mind.

Where do you do most of your writing?

Either on the couch or in my alcove. I can’t write in any public places because there are far too many distractions.

What are you currently reading? Any suggestions for your favorite books (beside your own, of course)?

I just finished Save of the Game by Avon Gale. I absolutely love that series! I’m also a huge fan of THIRDS by Charlie Cochet and just about anything by Renae Kaye, Keira Andrews, Leta Blake, Andrew Grey, and Christina Lee.

Do you feel that this genre is growing? And what do you contribute to that growth or decline?

I absolutely feel the genre is growing. I’d like to think that those of us who write both m/f and m/m are helping that growth because readers of one series will pick up the other and realize that m/m stories are absolutely amazing. I know that’s how I found m/m as a reader.

What is the most surprising thing you have learned about writing?

That getting the story on paper is the easiest part. Some days, it seems like pulling teeth, but it’s everything after “The End” that’s hard.

What are you working on now?

I have quite a bit in the works. This year has been very good to me and I’m looking forward to not only continuing the Homeruns series, but also introducing the Home in the Heartland series this month with Never Too Late. Dax: My life ended six years ago. No, really. I was dead on the side of the road following a gruesome motorcycle accident. From what I’ve been told, it’s only because of one stubborn man that I have another chance to make something of my life. I no longer hate him for screwing up what I thought I wanted. I want to thank him. NEED to tell him what his actions mean to me. Now, I’m headed back to the town I’ve never set foot in even though it’s a huge part of my life. I’m not thrilled about that, but the job offers haven’t exactly been flowing in. They’ll probably think I’m crazy, because there’s no way I won’t be able to look at every guy I walk past, wondering if he’s the one who saved me. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28100264-never-too-late Michael: My entire life, I wanted to save lives. I’d earned a full-ride scholarship and had been accepted to med schools across the country. I was so close to making those dreams a reality until the night held a dying man in my arms. I’ve never been able to get the images of his lifeless body caked in mud out of my head. Even when the paramedics tried to take over trying to save him, I couldn’t let go. I never let go. Eventually, my guilt over not doing more cost me everything but my son. And now, I worry I’ll lose him if I don’t get it together. I’ve often thought that if I could find him, maybe I could get some closure and finally get my life back on track. Now he’s here and I’m more of a mess than ever. Once the truth comes out, will he keep trying to save me or will he realize that it’s too late?

What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?

Curl up and watch a movie with the kids and husband.

Tell us about the highest HIGH and lowest LOW in your career so far. How has it changed you?

The highest high had to be when a reader sent me an email thanking me for making him feel normal. I won’t go into too many details, but he told me how my characters resonated with him on a very personal level and let him know that he was okay. There’s no greater feeling than that. As for the lows, I prefer to not dwell on them. The only thing that sticks in my mind is writing a book I loved and receiving a lot of backlash for it. The silver lining there is I wrote the story as I saw it in my mind, knowing it’d be a hot button for people for various reasons, but I didn’t let that stop me.

Enter the giveaway!! You could win a Kindle from the Twinsies or one of the great prizes donated by our featured authors during the MM March Madness Celebration!!

Sloan Johnson has donated one paperback copy of Never Too Late for those who subscribe to my newsletter.

Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A big THANK YOU to all of the authors participating in our month long celebration!! We appreciate all that you do!!! MUAH!!

Much Love from the Twinsies!!! Angie, Brenda, Deb, Kelly, Kristi, Jen, Jo, and Melinda!!!

MM MARCH MADNESS!!

March 11

Twinsie Talk is proud to present the 3rd Annual MM March Madness – a month to focus on the M/M, F/F, M/M/F, M/F/M authors. We love these books and want to share it with the rest of the world. Each day we will post an interview. We will also include any reviews that we have done on these books as well as links to the books.

Our hope is that you will love this genre as much as we do! <3

Today is devoted to Amie Nicole Walker

I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I’m a girly tomboy who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees. I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever-after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

Tell us about something about you (not included in your normal author bio) that maybe not everyone knows about you.

I am nearly a complete pantser when it comes to writing a book. I write up a cast of characters when I begin a project and sometimes I will have plot points that I want to hit. Other than that, I sit down at my laptop each day and I never know what’s going to happen in the story until the characters tell me. Pssst, I don’t hear voices! I think it’s important to note that!

There’s been a trend in writing a series. How do you feel about series? Do you write them? Do you think they are easier or harder?

There is no doubt that series appear to be more popular with readers at the moment. I think it’s because they get to spend more time with the characters they’ve come to love and it allows them to have a deeper connection. If I’m honest, my all-time favorite books are series and it’s for the reasons I just gave. I am currently writing the 5th book in my Fated Hearts series. Each book is about a different couple and can be read as part of the series or as a standalone book. I am planning a series for 2017 that will follow the same couple for at least two or three books. I’m not sure if writing a series is necessarily easier, but it is my preference at this time. I do have standalone novels in mind, but I’m not sure when they will be written.

Where do you do most of your writing?

I used to write in my bedroom before I was able to stay home and write fulltime. Now, I have a designated home office. I think I’ve outgrown my desk, but I’m too superstitious to buy a new one.

What are you currently reading? Any suggestions for your favorite books (beside your own, of course)?

I am currently reading Knights to Remember by Nicole Colville. I love that lady so very much – as a writer and a friend. I have so many favorite books and authors – some I’ve just discovered and others I’ve loved since I first started reading gay romance 2014. My current obsessions are John Wiltshire and Santino Hassell. They are so very talented! I have their newest books in my Kindle library and I’m using them as a writing reward. I make myself earn the privilege to read their books.

Do you feel that this genre is growing? And what do you contribute to that growth or decline?

This genre is exploding with new readers and writers all of the time. I think it’s a beautiful thing. I contribute a lot of the growth of our genre to some of the crossover writers like Nicole Edwards. For example, I read her Walker brother series and it was my first time reading any kind of guy on guy action. I loved it and wanted more so I started looking into gay romance novels and I haven’t looked back. I just love the genre.

What is the most surprising thing you have learned about writing?

The most surprising thing I’ve learned about writing is to trust myself. It sounds easier than it is to achieve. There are so many people telling you that you have to do this or have to do that, but I’ve learned to just tell the story that’s in my heart and trust that it won’t let me down.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on the 5th book in the Fated Hearts series. It’s titled Return to Me. It’s a second chance love story – the first I’ve attempted. I am looking at a late March or early April release.

What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?

My favorite thing to do on a Saturday night is go out on a dinner date with my husband. He’s still my biggest fan after 22 years.

Tell us about the highest HIGH and lowest LOW in your career so far. How has it changed you?

The highest of highs is earning that orange best seller ribbon on Amazon. You sit and stare at the screen and ask “me?” I would also say that getting to know my favorite authors that I used to fangirl over is really awesome too. The relationship I’ve developed with my readers means the world to me. I’ve not personally had anything that I would consider a low point in my short career. I look at everything as an opportunity to learn and grow.

<<INSERT ANY REVIEWS HERE>>

Enter the giveaway!! You could win a Kindle from the Twinsies or one of the great prizes donated by our featured authors during the MM March Madness Celebration!!

Amie Nicole Walker has donated  a $25 Amazon gift card

Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A big THANK YOU to all of the authors participating in our month long celebration!! We appreciate all that you do!!! MUAH!!

Much Love from the Twinsies!!! Angie, Brenda, Deb, Kelly, Kristi, Jen, Jo, and Melinda!!!