Friday, June 22, 2012

Meet Margery Scott

Hi Margery.

Welcome to Adventures in Authorland and thank you for being my guest today.

Would you like to tell us a little about your writing adventures.

How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

Right now, I have seven books and one short story available on Amazon. My favourite? Wow, that's like asking me which of my children is my favourite. They're all my favourites, each in their own way, but my favourite of all is always the one I'm working on right now.

Can you give us some details about your upcoming release/s?

I'm in the process of releasing three medical romances.

Stranded with the Surgeon is available now. Surgeon Aidan Stowe's hands will never fully recover, and he wants nothing more than to escape from the city and wallow in self-pity. When the plane carrying him to the Yukon crashes in the Canadian wilderness, only his knowledge - and nurse Kerry MacIntyre's hands - can save the lives of the injured passengers until help arrives. Both of them have sworn off romance for their own reasons, even though they can't deny the chemistry between them. But when they are rescued and the danger is past, can they leave their mutual attraction behind?

The second, The Surgeon's Homecoming, will be available on Amazon within the next few weeks. Family doctor Diana Guthrie never expected to see trauma surgeon Mark Chambers again after he turned his back on their love and opted to stay in Toronto rather than return to their home town in northern Ontario. But when her father, the only surgeon in the area, is injured, Mark, home on vacation, is persuaded to pitch in. Soon, he's not only healing Cooper's Crossing, he's healing Diana's heart as well. But will he break it again when he leaves?

And last but not least, The Firefighter and the Lady Doc. Heading the Emergency Department of a busy hospital and running a medical clinic in "Cockroach Estates" is all that Dr. Kate MacNaughton has time for. She certainly doesn't have the time or the need for any other commitments, especially not for Mike Lawurence, the firefighter who is a painful reminder of her late husband's tragic death. For Mike, winning Kate's heart, although difficult, is not impossible, but convincing her to take a chance on another firefighter just might be.

 When you are not writing, what are your hobbies, passions, etc?

Where do I start? I have so many other interests, and because of that I'm easily distracted. I knit, I crochet, I play (with) my piano. But the one thing that takes up most of my leisure time - I shoot pool. I play on a team in a competitive league, and even when I'm not playing in a match or a tournament, I spend a lot of time playing and practicing on the table in my basement. As with writing, practice brings improvement.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? Writing, or something else?
I was always an avid reader, but it didn't occur to me as a child that someone actually wrote the books I
loved. From the time I was tiny, the only thing I wanted to do when I grew up was to be a doctor. Believe it or not, I even read medical dictionaries for pleasure J Back then, scholarships and loans weren't available, so medical school wasn't possible. So I did the next best thing - I spent (mumble,  mumble) years working in the Pathology Department of my local hospital.

If you could time travel back, or forward, for one day, where would it be and why?

Easy question. I'd go back to the old west. Even as a little girl, I loved western novels and the western TV shows - Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, Wagon Train, etc. I have no idea why I was drawn to this time in history, especially considering my background. But every Saturday, I was glued to the TV to watch the pioneers and outlaws of the wild west. Unfortunately, I'm sure the reality wouldn't be even close to the Hollywood version.

Have you ever cried during a movie? If yes, which one and why?
LOL. Only one? Anyone who knows me knows I can cry on command. I can cry at anything that touches me - movies, Hallmark commercials, songs, even cartoons. As I've gotten older, I find I'm much more emotional than I used to be, probably because now I know from personal experience what real loss and sorrow are. These days, if there's a chance I'm going to need tissue, I make a point of watching alone.


Bio:

Although she was born in the Scottish lowlands, Margery now divides her time between her home in Canada and a vacation home in Florida.  To her, writing in only one genre is like eating only one kind of candy. Boring. A late bloomer, she didn't start writing until she found herself with an empty nest, free time, and an old typewriter her father found somewhere she'd rather not think about. She still has the empty nest on a lake far away from the city, but the typewriter has been replaced by a computer and free time is a thing of the past. Margery writes all across the genre board, from historical and medical romances to mainstream thrillers. When she's not writing or traveling in search of the perfect setting for her next novel, you can usually find her wielding a pair of knitting needles or a pool cue.

Thank you for visiting Margery. It was fantastic.

Jean

Friday, June 8, 2012

Meet Mackenzie Crowne

Time for another Adventure in Authorland. This time, fellow Wild Rose Press author, Mackenzie Crowne,  takes centre stage.

Sorry about the pics, Mac  

 What inspired you to write your first book?

To tell you the truth, I began writing down the stories in my head when I read one too many, really bad books. I figured, geez! If this person got published, I shouldn’t have a problem. How naïve I was. LOL But once Id begun, I found I couldn’t stop writing, despite the occasional rejection letter. I forged ahead with an Ignorance is bliss attitude, and Im so glad I did. I spent the next years developing my voice and learning the craft. I hit a writers block wall when my dad died, and didn’t write for nearly five years, until I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Dads spirit was heavy with me as I went through the various, nasty treatments, and I swear at one point, he chastised me for walking away from something I love. As soon as I felt well enough to think clearly, I began writing in earnest. Gift of the Realm was the first story in my renewed effort. 

 Do you see writing as a career?

 Id love to say, yes, I do, but I know how competitive the industry is. I also know myself. If I allow myself to get bogged down by the concept of writing as a business, Im afraid Ill eventually burn out. Losing my love of writing would be like losing a part of my soul. So, while I wont gripe over any financial success I find through my writing, I continue to focus on telling my stories for the simple joy of the process.
 In which genre do you prefer to write and why?

 I prefer to write contemporary romance, as those are the stories I reach for most often when I want to be entertained. However, any genre in romance does it for me, as long as the characters are engaging and the story is an interesting one. While most of my stories are contemporaries, I do have a couple of suspense manuscripts tucked away in a drawer. Gift of the Realm is the only fantasy Ive attempted. I find it amusing my odd departure gained me my first contract, but satisfying too, since I wrote the story with Dad in mind. He always loved a good fantasy tale.

 Can you give us some details about your upcoming release/s?

 My next release is a light-hearted contemporary romance. THAT DATING THING, available the first week of June, is a love story set against the backdrop of Wall Street greed. Sounds odd, I know, but I love the juxtaposition of financial crimes and heart-warming romance. Add a thirty million dollar inheritance, a rambunctious Great Dane, and a sexy, assistant district attorney with political ambitions, and Rylee Pierce, the only daughter of Wall Streets most notorious stock swindler, is in for the ride of her life.

 Have you ever travelled to a place and come away with a story unexpectedly?

 All the time. Gift of the Realm came from a visit to our ranch on the side of Mt Graham near the New Mexico border. My husband and I were headed to the ranch one night when I spotted a beam of light off in the distance. Someone must have crested a hill in their vehicle, because suddenly, the twin beams shot up into the sky like a door of light only to disappear a moment later. Just dont ask me how I went from a door of light to a fairy door within a ring of stones, because even I cant explain the path of my imagination on that one.

 If you could have any super hero power, what would it be?

 The power to heal. As a breast cancer survivor, I wouldn’tt wish the treatment necessary to beat the disease on my worst enemy. Wouldn’tt it be awesome to cure those women facing mastectomies and poisonous treatments before they had to actually experience them?

Tell us something about yourself, Mac

I’m a wife, mother, and grandmother. My husband and I have been blessed with two rambunctious little boys who we managed to raise into wonderful men without any disfiguring mishaps. Dirt bikes and ESPN are the order around our house, and life at the ‘Testosterone Ranch’ more closely resembles one of today’s wacky reality shows, than yesterday’s Leave It To Beaver. I’m one of eight kids, raised just north of Boston. My childhood was blessed with hordes of family and friends and I’m happy to report, that continues to be true today. I moved to Phoenix as an adult because living in the southwest feeds my soul. My love of books, specifically the romance genre, has been a lifelong affair, both as a reader and a writer. A bout with breast cancer sharpened my resolve to see my stories shared with others. As of today, I am a four-year survivor, living my dream.

My friends call me Mac. I hope you will too.

You can find me @ Mackenziecrowne.com

Gift of the Realm is available @ The Wild Rose Press& Amazon