Thursday, November 8, 2018

Blog Tour Author Interview with Giveaway: Forever in Starlight (Starlight #3) by Susan Mac Nicol


Book info:
Title:  Forever in Starlight
Author:  Susan Mac Nicol
Series:  Starlight #3
Publication date: August 29th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
Bennett and Cassie are at it again, this time looking the ultimate challenge in the eye and deciding, after everything they’ve been through, why not?
AFTER ALL THIS TIME
Some people are meant to be together, even if they find each other through tragedy. When Bennett Saville’s brother jumped off a bridge and landed on Cassandra Wallace’s car, their lives become intertwined in a way they never wanted to unravel. But so much has happened, and most of it would have been soul destroying if they hadn’t had each other. And now, after all these years, they are ready to take the final step to declare their love, but Bennett’s star is rising fast, and being a famous actor with a hit movie might undo all the trust they have built their love on.
ALWAYS
Cassie isn’t the jealous, insecure type, but things have changed, and so has Bennett. Coming into his prime as a man and as a highly regarded actor, Cassie, ten years older than her lover, begins to worry that their foundation is shaky, and that she can’t compete with the jiggly twenty year-olds who throw themselves in Bennett’s path. What she can’t see is herself through Bennett’s eyes. If she could, she would know always and forever is all he ever wanted with his Cass.

Author Interview:
1.     What does your writing process look like? Do you know the whole story when you start?  Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)?  If you plan it out, how do you do that?  Outline, notecards, post-it-notes, etc.?  

My writing process is one of winging it. I do have a brief idea when I start the story, but no more than a few paragraphs. I also know the two main characters, i.e. their appearance and some characteristics. I don’t plot much more out, preferring to write and see what develops as I do so. I do keep a timeline though, of main events and dates and times, so that I don’t overlap anything and have a general idea of how long things and events are taking. I don’t outline, or do the Post-It note thingy.

2.     Do you edit as you go, or wait till you're finished before you edit?  How many times would you say you go over it yourself before having another set of eyes look it over? 
I try to get the story down as much as possible before doing edits. Then once I’ve finished, I start at the beginning and do the editing. I probably do this about four or five times. Then I send the story to my beta readers who check the story for structural and plot flaws. Once I get their feedback, I go over the story again and fix things, implement new suggestions etc. Only once I’m sure the story is the best I can get it does it go to my editor at the publisher.

3.     Are you part of a writers group that gets together and helps each other with their writing?
I used to be part of a writing group, but this was more for support of the writing process than the critique bit. My beta readers are the best critics I could have,

4.     How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?
I find inspiration in many places. It might be a chance remark I hear, a place I visit, or something I see on the television or in a magazine.

5.     What tips do you have for aspiring writers?
Take a creative writing class before you begin. I had no clue about the craft of writing when I started, and this would have helped.
Write whenever you can and get the story down, no matter what. Editing takes care of the things you miss and you can add or delete anything that doesn’t fit after the story is done.

6.   What are your favorite:
Books/authors/genres:   I love thriller and horror, psychological novels and supernatural ones. Some of my favourite authors are Jonathan Kellerman, Phil Rickman and Stephen King. In my own genre, I’m a huge fan of Josh Lanyon, Harper Fox, and John Wiltshire.
Movies/TV Shows:                 CSI, NCIS, The Exorcist, Criminal Minds, Scorpion
Music:                                      The Killers, Foo Fighters, IAMX, Adam Lambert
Food/Writing snack:              Crisps or chips, sausage rolls, cheese and biscuits
--> 
Author Bio:
The ‘Official’ stuff
Susan writes steamy, sexy and fun contemporary stories, some suspenseful, some gritty and dark and others that hopefully make you think. She’s also Editor in Chief at Divine Magazine, an online LGBTQ e-zine, and a Charity Board trustee at The Being Me Campaign in London.
Susan attained PAN status with the Romance Writers of America with her first M/M book, Stripped Bare. She’s currently a member of The Society of Authors in the UK, and the Authors Guild in the US. She enjoys being a member of Queer Romance Ink, All Author, Book + Main Bites, and the Paranormal Romance Guild.
The ‘Unofficial’ stuff
She loves going to the theatre, live music concerts (especially if it’s her man crush Adam Lambert) walks in the countryside, a good G & T, lazing away afternoons reading a good book, and watching re-runs of Silent Witness.
Her chequered past includes being mistaken for a prostitute in the city of Johannesburg, being chased by a rhino on a dusty Kenyan road, getting kicked out of a youth club for being a ‘bad influence’ (she encourages free thinking), and having an aunt who was engaged to Cliff Richard.

GIVEAWAY!

XBTBanner1