lol
**Ali: Maya, you just had your first release, For Her Pleasure, with a New York publisher... how did it feel the moment you heard the news you had sold to Berkley?
Maya: It was a bit surreal. I had just sold my first ebook (Seducing Simon) and this sale came right after, so in a very short time, I went from not having sold anything to selling to Samhain and Berkley in short order. And then came the panic. Wow, they're going to PAY me to write? What if no one buys my stories?? lololol
**Ali: Currently, three of your books deal with menage relationships, plus, you have one upcoming, with Love Me, Still... did these stories start out with the idea that there would be three or more in the relationship, or is that just how things worked out?
Maya: I can't say that any of my stories have ever been "just the way things work out" because the nuts and bolts of the story always come to me in the beginning, and once it does, I can't bear to change it around. With Colters' Woman the image of these three really gorgeous brothers having a really tender relationship with Holly just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. Yes, there was a lot of sex in the book, but the story wasn't about the sex. At least not to me. It was totally about the love that developed between them all.
**Ali: What does your family think about having a writer in the family? Do any of them read your books?
Maya: My children, particularly my oldest son thinks it's the coolest thing ever. My husband has read a lot of my books, not all, but his favorites are my historicals. He really loved Her Majesty, My Love, but then I'm not surprised lol. It had all the stuff guys like. Action, adventure etc.
**Ali: When you're not writing (and for my sake, I hope that doesn't happen too often, lol) what do you like to do?
Maya: I read a lot. I binge read kind of like I binge write. I also love to hunt and fish. In fact, today, I'm not really here lol. I'm out in El Campo dove hunting with the hubby and kids. (I'll be around later in the weekend though to answer any questions!)
**Ali: Maya, I'm just so excited that you've written a werewolf story, which is currently a theme that I just crave, lol. How did you feel about writing a werewolf story, and would you do it again?
Maya: Hmm, I never set out to write a certain type of story. Meaning I didn't just decide one day to write a werewolf story. Again, it was one of those things that just came to me. Love Me, Still has an old west quality to it. I purposely didn't assign a time period so the reader can immerse themselves in the story and decide. I don't know that I'll write another werewolf story. I won't say no, but I can't say definitively yes either *g* How's that for a non answer? If a werewolf story grabs me by the throat, then yeah, I'll be all over it. I have some other shifter stories coming out next year, but none of them are werewolves ;) I have a heroine who is a cheetah. I'm launching a new paranormal action/adventure series in February with "Into the Mist" and the hero is an elemental shifter who can take the form of mist, water, smoke, etc. There are two secondary characters who are cat shifters and they'll get their story (think menage here *g*)
**Ali: Finally, when are some of your recent favorite reads and why?
Maya: I haven't actually gotten a lot of recent reading done :( Been busting hiney on the writing. The last binge I went on, though, I read Hannah Howell's entire backlist. I happened to pick up Beauty and the Beast and was hooked. Wonderful story. So I sorta went nuts on her backlist. I have some ebooks piled up that I really want to read, but I won't have time for a few more weeks. It's rare for me to actually have a To Be Read Pile, but right now I do. I have at least half a dozen ebooks waiting on me. *sigh*
**Ali: Ugh, I could go on and on asking you questions, lol... There's just so much I'd like to know :) But, I'll give others a chance to post any questions they may have for you :) Thanks again, Maya. I hope you come back here as a guest again sometimes soon... mmm, maybe around December to talk about your werewolf story, Love Me, Still? Just an idea, lol
Maya:For you? Of course *g* I won't be around today but I'll check in tomorrow afternoon and answer any additional questions. Thanks for having me!
********************
I also want to thank all the visitors on my blog for stopping by :)
Be sure to ask Maya any questions you have and remember that'll count as an entry into this weeks giveaway of one of her print books :)
Winners will be announced this weekend.
~Ali
20 comments:
What's your favorite holiday?
Maya, If you are getting on the paranormal, may I suggest a ghost story? Okay, I'm always looking for new ghost stories and if your creative process is so fluid, maybe a hint would nudge you in that direction. :-)
Maya with all of your recent releases, how do you figure out what to work on next? I mean where do all the ideas for your novels come from?
Great interview Ali and Maya!
When it comes to writing a new story do you do any research?
Have you ever based a character on a family member or friend?
If you could go back in time to any year, what year would you pick and why?
Great interview enjoyed the questions and answers :)
I have 2 questions I would love to ask Maya :)
Q1. What do you hope readers get out of reading one of your books?
Q2: What is the most valuable piece of advice that you have ever been given?
Hugssss
LindaH
Maya, Do you have a hard time letting go of your character at the end of a book?
I enjoyed the interview! Nice interview! Can't wait to read some of your books. Like you, I have a long list of TBR pile.
Hi Maya,
Will you be doing a vampire story in the future. And if you could revisit one of yor book's what one would it be and why would you pick it?
I am a big paranormal fan and will definitely be looking forward to your werewolf story and your new series. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
*sneaking in for a second from the hotel*
Favorite holiday: Definitely Christmas. I love everything about it. Love Perry Como and Andy Williams Christmas albums.
ghost story: While I won't say never, I'll say likely never ;) the problem with ghosts is that someone has to die in order to become a ghost, and well, I don't deal with death very well at all. I don't even like thinking about death *g* And the quickest way for an author to ever lose me is to kill a main character off in a book. grrrrr.
What to work on: Well, before the days of deadlines, I pretty much wrote what grabbed me. Now I have a schedule of what has to be written when and in what order because of deadlines and release dates. As for where the ideas come, most of the time, out of the blue lol. I'm having a wee problem right now because seriously, I am swamped. I have a proposal to finish by the end of this month, I have two books to finish by the end of November and an idea I'm really excited about hit me this week. I've taken notes on it and even written a chapter because I really, really love it, but logically, I can't work on it for some time yet. :(
Research: Sometimes it's fun, others it's a pain in the butt, but it's always necessary. I get hung up on the little things. Right now, I'm at a standstill with a proposal because of one teeny, tiny, insignificant detail. I mean seriously, it's so minute but until I figure it out, I can't get everything else squared away in my mind. So yeah, lots of research *g*
No, I've never based a character on a family member or a friend. My family and friends are nutjobs and I like to think most of my characters are somewhat sane.
Hmm pick a year. I think I'd love to be with Lewis and Clark when they get that first glimpse of the Pacific, hell, when they get their first look at the west. Can you imagine?
What I hope any reader gets from one of my books is that they haven't just wasted their time. I don't want them to wish for that couple of hours back lol. They don't have to think my story is the best piece of literature ever, but if they can gain a glimmer of satisfaction from something I wrote, I'm happy.
Best piece of advice. I always say, for really good conversation, talk to yourself. *g* In that vein, I gave myself what I still believe is a rather sound piece of advice. Never look to others to measure my accomplishments. In other words, don't use someone else's yardstick to measure myself with.
Now thay you have experience writing shifters, any chance you will ever write a shifter story? That would be so cool! I enjoyed the interview and it has been a fun week. Thanks for being here.
Bethre,
YES! *sob* Man, oh man, there are times when I just don't want the story to end. It's hard to let go of people I live with day in and day out for weeks and weeks.
Sheila,
I don't have any imminent plans to write a vampire story. I've had story ideas in the past but nothing that has come to past. I won't rule it out, because I have a really cool female vampire who likes to talk to me at times, but she's not on my to do list anytime in the near future ;)
Hmm which book would I revisit. That's hard because I do go back and visit them all at various points. I know some authors who absolutely won't read their books after they're published. I'm not one of them lol. Damn it, I sweated blood and wept tears over creating that book, there's no way I'm going to put it down forever and never look back.
So yeah, I go back and visit my characters. Pretty much all of them.
Cherie,
I have a few shifter stories coming up in the next year *g* Into the Mist is a shifter story and it releases in Feb. I have a novella about a female cheetah shifter releasing early next year (dont have a definite date yet)
I'm also working on the sequel to Into the Mist which features two cat shifters (heroes) and is a menage story.
I'll have more info on these stories later this year as well as excerpts and blurbs etc posted to my website. I have a really cool trailer for Into the Mist that I just saw last week *g*
great interview. Just wanted to say Brazen was great. Read it today.
Pam, so glad you liked Brazen! :) I always expect readers to hate my stories so it's such a thrill when they don't *g*
Thank You Maya for answering my questions. Enjoyed your answers. I also enjoyed others question & your answers. It's great to learn more about an author :)
Hugssss
LindaH
Thanks for sharing all this week with us about being an author. I think I've got to make plans to attend the next RT convention so that I can meet you.
Laura, if you decide to go, be sure and email me. I'd love to meet you! :)
Post a Comment