TBR welcomes Maeve Greyson

TBR: TBR is pleased to welcome Maeve Greyson. Will you share a little bit about yourself, Maeve?

Maeve: *sigh* Why is that question ALWAYS the most difficult to answer? By the way, before I bore…er…um…tell you a little about myself, I’d like to thank you ever so much for having me over for a bit of a chat. I just love this site and I’m honored to be here. Now. A little about myself? I like to think of myself as an ever-changing work in progress. Wife, Mom, YaYa (code for grandma), steel mill worker and last but I hope FAR from least, I’m a writer. Season all of the above with a heavy dose of animal lover, nature appreciator and avid reader, and you’ve described me to a “tee”.

TBR: Tell us about The Highlander’s Fury and where it's available.

Maeve: My latest paranormal romance, THE HIGHLANDER’S FURY, will be released on March 2^nd from The Wild Rose Press. It’s a visit with a different member of the MacKay clan introduced to readers in BEYOND A HIGHLAND WHISPER. THE HIGHLANDER’S FURY will be available in both print an ebook format at The Wild Rose Press and other online retailers. Here’s the “Books” link on mywebsite for more information. 

TBR: Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.

Maeve:

An average day in the life of an immortal Fury?

Flex powers. Locate evil. Administer justice.

Until Ciara’s goddess mothers convince her to seduce a brooding mortal and bear the man a gifted child. All she has to do is swap places with his betrothed. A simple task−become the seductive wife, bear the man a child and train the young one in the Ways. Once the boy reaches seven years of age, they’ll swap her back with the wife Faolan thinks he selected and Ciara can resume her job of rousting wickedness from the world.

Faolan MacKay’s advisors plague him daily about his matrimonial duties as laird, dragging prospects from across the Highlands: plump dowries attached to each one.

Faolan’s lost everyone he’s ever loved. He’d rather go straight to the fiery pits of Hell than down the wedding aisle. Out of desperation, a plan takes seed. He’ll select a wife he can ignore. There’s just one problem with this foolproof theory. Nobody ignores Ciara.

Against his better judgment, he’s enthralled with the woman and to Ciara’s surprise, this strange thing called love burns hotter than her hunger for vengeance.

At the end of the seven years the ruse is up, all will return to as it was. Can the bond of love overcome the mandate of the ultimate powers?

Excerpt:

A sudden awareness of shifting energies pulled Ciara from her silent plotting.   Reaching out with her essence, her aura stroked him.  She caressed Faolan’s soul with the power of her mind.   Ciara sensed the energies surrounding the man respond to her aura’s touch.  As she found herself appraised by the dark brooding man before her, a delicious shiver tickled up her spine. 

Faolan’s eyes flashed and his gaze locked with hers, his jaw rippled as he clenched his teeth.  Silent laughter bubbled in her throat.  His expression said he sensed the energies as well.  With a stiff bow, he brushed the tips of his fingers to her outstretched hand.  “Mistress Dierdra, ‘tis a pleasure to meet ye.  Welcome to Castle MacKay.”

Ciara strained to keep from smiling at the MacKay chieftain’s obvious discomfort.  She slid her hand deeper into his moist palm as she floated closer to him.  Murky colors of unease swirled and shifted in Faolan’s aura.  The poor man was miserable.  Did he find matrimony so undesirable?  “Please, Laird MacKay, I would ask that you call me Ciara.  That’s the name my mother always used.” 

As Faolan inched a step back in retreat, Ciara caught her breath.

Faolan cleared his throat and repeated his formal welcome.  His head snapped forward with a stiff nod as though attached by a rusty hinge.  “Lady Ciara, welcome to the MacKay keep.  Welcome to your new home.” 

As he tried to retreat another step, he lurched to a stop as he bumped into a body.  Maxwell had come to stand right behind him on the dais.

Ciara couldn’t resist a wicked smile.  Now Faolan couldn’t escape her.

TBR: What inspired you to write about the theme?

Maeve: I’ve always loved Celtic myths and legends. The old folk tales colored with ancient rituals and beliefs are just too tempting to resist.

TBR: Are you a plotter or pantser?

Maeve: Both. I always attempt to plot out my stories but my Muse invariably kidnaps my characters and leads them astray.

TBR: How do you develop your characters?

Maeve: I don’t. They handle that themselves during their constant banter inside my head.

TBR: Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share?

Maeve: Yes. It’s quite a recent quote from Tom Hanks but I find it very inspiring and quite appropriate for a writer.  “If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great.”

TBR: Did any music inspire your book? Do you have a playlist?

Maeve: I’m afraid not. While I enjoy many different styles of music ranging from Vivaldi to the Black Eyed Peas…I need silence when I write or I tense up and become very frustrated with my inability to concentrate.

TBR: Which of your characters would you most/least like to invite to dinner, and why?

Maeve: Least like to invite? Alec. He’s Ciara’s confidante and he’s cursed by the Goddess Brid to forever assume the form of a raven. Needless to say, because of this curse, he’s a bit surly and quite the smart ass. I’m afraid he’d smart off to me one time too many and I’d have to pluck him and put him in a pie.

Most like to invite? Keagan. He’s Faolan and Ciara’s son. A gifted child, wise beyond his years and able to communicate with animals. I could visit with Keagan for hours.

TBR: What's next for you?
Maeve:  March is turning out to be a busy month. On the 27^th, my paranormal romance that won Kensington Brava and RT Book Reviews 2011 Writing with the Stars contest will be released. I’m very excited to launch ETERNITY’S MARK into the world.

TBR: What’s the most challenging aspect of writing? Most rewarding?
Maeve:  Most challenging? Balancing a full time job, writing, editing, blogging, and family…not necessarily in that order.

Most rewarding? Having someone tell me they loved my story and couldn’t put it down until they’d finished the entire book.

TBR: What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?
Maeve: The “oddest” comment I’ve ever received was that I should never have animals in my books because readers don’t like them and they’re cliché.

The “best” comment I ever got was that my book should be made into a movie. And no. It was NOT a friend or relative. It was an unbiased reader. I swear.

TBR: Where can readers find you on the web?
Maeve: 

http://www.maevegreyson.com/

https://www.amazon.com/author/maevegreyson

http://www.facebook.com/maeve.greyson.page

http://twitter.com/#!/maevegreyson

TBR: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Maeve: Do readers like author newsletters?

TBR: Readers, Maeve is giving one lucky commenter a PDF copy of The Highlander’s Fury. She'll pick a winner next week and announce the winner here.

Thanks for visiting TBR, Maeve. All the best to you.