Book Blather

Please meet Melinda Skye! Her debut novel Misdirection is now available as an e-book and will be out in print format in August.

1.     Tell us about your new release, Misdirection.

-        Misdirection is a novel I wrote way back in 2003 as my senior thesis in college. For the full story, see my guest post at: http://www.skyladawncameron.com/blog/guest-author-melinda-skye.  After I graduated, I sort of put it away while getting on in the real world and only just recently pulled it back out to look at it. I’d written a couple other books in the meantime, and learned a lot about publishing along the way and decided to give Misdirection a chance.  I had to completely re-work it, after so many years the technology was humorously out of date.  But with some help I got it all fixed up and now everyone gets to read it!

-        It’s a romantic suspense novel, where the main characters are spies for a covert government agency. They think they’re on the trail of a thief, but instead uncover a terrorist plot. Even though they start out not wanting to work as partners, eventually they get to understand each other and work well together. For a more official description (one that I spent a lot of time working on!) see: http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Misdirection

2.     You also write a fantasy series, Sisters of the Sword under the name Skye Forbes. Does that make you feel a bit schizoid?

-        Some days, yeah.  I try and separate the two out and not work on both in one day, to make thing easier for me.  Fortunately, the two styles are so completely different that at least I don’t get characters or plots confused. The Sisters of the Sword are urban fantasy novels, focused on Norse mythology. The heroines are the nine Valkyries and they interact with creatures and people from all different mythologies.  I really love the paranormal aspect of it, since that’s some of my favorite stuff to read.

3.     Tell us about your plans for future books, or books you dream of writing one day.

-        Right now, I’m in the middle of working on the sequel to Misdirection, tentatively called Misconception. It’s going to feature Griff, a minor character in Misdirection, as the hero of his own book.  Also underway is another of the Sisters of the Sword series.  And if that weren’t enough, I’m working on a screenplay with my critique/writing partner, the lovely Sonja Foust (http://sonjafoust.com/).  I’d love to write a YA novel someday – I have a couple of plots floating around in my mind that I think would suit a teenage heroine, so now I just need to find the time to work on them!  For me, it’s really a matter of not having enough free time to get to all the books I want to write.  Having a day job can be a real drag!

4.     What part of yourself did you include in the characters (hobbies, attitudes, background)?

-        I’m told Viv, the heroine in Misdirection, talks a lot like I do.  I didn’t really intend to make her like me, but I was pretty new to writing at the time I created her.  When I was younger, I really wanted to be a spy, so that’s sort of how the job and plot came to be. Otherwise, I try and make the characters stand alone. Especially in my Sisters of the Sword series, I don’t have much connection to an immortal Valkyrie.  But Viv definitely is more of a reflection of myself. I love romance novels, can’t stand people who make assumptions about me before they’ve even met me, and don’t have any tolerance for stupidity.  I wish I knew more about growing up wealthy and gorgeous is Boston high society, but alas, that part is made up.  I try and make my characters accessible to everyone, even if you aren’t a spy or a sword-wielding Valkyrie. 

5.     What do you like best about writing? What’s your least favorite?

-        I love creating new worlds and new people. I constantly think about plot lines and characters and whole new worlds and I love sharing those things with people.  I just love words, in general. I was an English major in college and a lot of that grammar/reading nerdiness has stuck with me.  In general, I just love books, whether I’m creating them or reading them.  I also love the writer community. There are so many wonderful people out there that I’ve gotten to know through writing. 

-        My biggest pet peeve about the whole thing is the glacially slow pace of the publishing industry.  There has to be some way to streamline the industry.  I’d love to make it all a little bit more efficient.  At least there are great people out there to make the waiting easier!  I also sometimes wish I could both spend time with my husband/friends AND write at the same time. But I work better without distractions, so I have to balance my time, which can be a drag, sometimes.

6.     What was the last book you read?

-        I’m currently re-reading Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series in anticipation of his new book coming out in July.  I love his novels – he’s an incredible author.  After I finish that up, I’m planning on reading Ilona Andrews’ newest book.

7.     Do you have a favorite genre?

-        I’m pretty flexible, as long as I know it’s going to have a happy ending.  I most often gravitate, these days, to science fiction/fantasy books, but I still love romance and mysteries.  I rarely read “literature” these days, thanks to an overdose in college of depressing books, but there are still some great books out there that I pick up every once in a while.

8.     Please share a favorite quote with us.

-        “Some books leave us free and some books make us free.”  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here's more about Melinda:

In accordance with multiple confidentiality agreements, Melinda Skye would like to affirm that the events in this book bear no

resemblance to her life. None at all. She swears she lives a mundane quiet life in Portland, Oregon with her husband

and their menagerie of crazy pets and does not fly off to Paris at a moment's notice to avert international disasters. And that wasn't her you saw on the plane to Istanbul.

Where to buy books:  Mundania -http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Misdirection
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Misdirection-ebook/dp/B0057ZF3J6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1309146784&sr=8-2

Follow Melinda at:

twitter:  https://twitter.com/skyesblue
facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melinda-Skye/183651181667364
Her website:  http://melindaskye.com