I'm pleased to bring you Margay Leah Justice today, talking about her books and other fun things!
(Q) Thanks for stopping by my blog! Let’s
start with the basics: where are you from? Is there any place online you’d like
to direct us to learn more about you?
Born and bred in Massachusetts! You can read
more about me and my writing here: http://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com
(Q) I always love hearing about how the idea for a particular book came about. Please fill us in on how you got the idea for Sloane Wolf.
It actually started out as just some scenes
that popped into my head while reading (then watching the movie version) of a
popular paranormal series a couple of years ago. I never intended to do
anything with it until I saw a contest with the theme of wolves and I thought,
why not? I had those scenes kicking around in my head and then I happened
across some news stories about gray wolves returning to Massachusetts after a
150-year absence and before I knew it, I had a story. Problem was, the
guidelines called for a novella and, well, I’m not very good at writing short!
I over shot the word count, but I loved the story so much as it was, I couldn’t
conceive of cutting it down to fit the word count. Instead, I shopped it
elsewhere.
(Q) Which authors have most influenced your own writing?
I think every author I read has some
influence on my writing or, more precisely, on my ideas of what it means to be
a writer. I learn by example and there are so many good ones out there, I don’t
think I could whittle it down to just one.
(Q) What do you do for fun other than writing?
Lots of reading and knitting. I am a knitting
fanatic! As a matter of fact, I am so far gone in the knitting realm, I am
actually designing my own patterns now.
(Q) If you could describe your ideal writing spot, where would it be? What music would you listen to (if at all)? What treats would you have on hand?
My ideal writing spot is anywhere that allows
the words to flow. Music isn’t really a necessity for me while writing, but
it’s always nice to have some chocolate on hand.
(Q) Plotter or pantser? Both? Neither?
(Q) Plotter or pantser? Both? Neither?
I’m a little bit of both. Sometimes, I go to
great lengths to plot out a story (especially if it has an intricate plot), so
much so that I refer to this outline as my first draft! Other times, the story
just flows from the fingers as if of its own volition. Sloane Wolf was more the
latter than the former. I sketched out a few ideas, but most of the story just
flowed organically from my mind to the keyboard.
(Q) Do you have any new projects that you are working on? Care to share?
I always have way too many things in the
works! I am working on a sequel to Sloane Wolf right now, among other things.
(Q) What kinds of marketing do you think are the most successful in terms of getting your name/book out there? (Curious minds are taking notes!)
I’m always looking for that answer myself! I
think one thing that I tried out that seems to be successful is participating
in blog hops.
(Q) If you'd like to add anything, please do so.
I would love to give away one e-copy of
Sloane Wolf to a reader!
(Q) How about an excerpt to tantalize the readers?
(Q) How about an excerpt to tantalize the readers?
A slight shift in the wind was
Shiloh Beck’s only indication that something was out of the ordinary. So
slight, in fact, it was nearly indiscernible. A whisper of air across her
cheek, fanning over the skin in a manner that scarcely ruffled the loose tendril
resting there. Nor did it elicit a reaction from the people who milled about in
front of the country store, she noticed upon casting a surreptitious glance
their way. Oh, no, only she would notice something monumental had just
happened. Shiloh Beck. The sensitive.
Lifting
a hand to her right cheek under the guise of brushing the hair from her face,
Shiloh scanned the surrounding area with a critical eye. The place had its
charm with the abundant woodlands as far as the eye could see in either
direction, the "highway" cutting a swathe through it and running
parallel to a river that snaked behind the house—store. Quaint. A welcoming
sight with the porch that wrapped around it like a warm embrace, dotted with
strategically placed loveseats and rockers. Intentional? It worked.
But
that wasn't the origin of the shift.
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For more than a hundred and fifty years, the gray wolf has failed to roam the hills of Massachusetts, leading to the belief that they are extinct. But with a spattering of sightings across the Berkshires, the legend of the gray wolf comes to fruition. The product of that legend, Micah Sloane will go to great lengths to protect his kind from the threat of outsiders, who seek to exploit the legend for their own interests. One thing he didn’t count on, however, was finding his soul mate in the company of such men.
From the first time she predicted a stranger’s imminent death when she was little more than a child, Shiloh Beck knew she was different. Wishing to cultivate her gift, her parents made the fateful decision to enroll her in a private school for paranormally gifted children. Unbeknownst to them, the school was just a front for a research facility simply called the Institute, whose secret board members weaned gifted children from their families to exploit their gifts. Shiloh has spent the better part of her life trying to escape the Institute and reunite with the family she was told had abandoned her.
From their first meeting, Micah and Shiloh share a connection that goes beyond the normal to bond them in a way that love alone cannot. But before they can build a life together, they must deal with the fall-out when the legend of the wolves collides with the men behind the Institute.
From the first time she predicted a stranger’s imminent death when she was little more than a child, Shiloh Beck knew she was different. Wishing to cultivate her gift, her parents made the fateful decision to enroll her in a private school for paranormally gifted children. Unbeknownst to them, the school was just a front for a research facility simply called the Institute, whose secret board members weaned gifted children from their families to exploit their gifts. Shiloh has spent the better part of her life trying to escape the Institute and reunite with the family she was told had abandoned her.
From their first meeting, Micah and Shiloh share a connection that goes beyond the normal to bond them in a way that love alone cannot. But before they can build a life together, they must deal with the fall-out when the legend of the wolves collides with the men behind the Institute.
You can find out more, or purchase a copy on Amazon!
Descended from the same bloodline that spawned the likes of James Russell, Amy and Robert Lowell, Margay Leah Justice was fated to be a writer herself from a young age. But even before she knew that there was a name for what she was doing, she knew one thing: She had a deep and unconditional love for the written word. A love that would challenge her in times of need, abandon her in times of distress, and rediscover her in times of hope. Through her writing, Margay has learned to cope with every curve ball life has thrown her, including the challenges of single parenting, the harsh realities of living in a shelter, coping with the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, and the roller coaster ride of dealing with a child who suffers from bipolar disorder. But along the way she has rediscovered the amazing power of words.
Margay currently lives in Massachusetts with her two daughters, two cats, and a myriad of characters who vie for her attention and demand that their own stories be told. In her spare time, she is an avid knitter, knitting her way through a stash of yarn that almost rivals her tbr pile!
