Interview with Catherine McLean
The Blog Ring of Power Presents...
An Interview with Author Catherine McLean
Fellow Broad Universe member (and horse lover), Catherine McLean is here today to share a little bit about herself and to tell us about her latest novels, Karma and Mayhem and Jewels of the Sky--published back-to-back in September and November (wow!). I love the cover for Karma and Mayhem!
This is part one of a five-part interview. Be sure to check out the other BRoP sites for the rest of the interview:
Part 2 @ Teresa's site - Thursday, January 31
Part 3 @ Emily's site - Friday, January 1
Part 4 @ Sandra's site - Monday, February 4
Part 5 @ Dean's site - Tuesday, February
BRoP: When and why did you begin writing?
Catherine: I have always written but never took writing as anything more than something I did well. That is, until an accident resulted in a bulging disk in my lower back. To divert my mind from the pain, I wrote my first novel. The joy and concentration of writing muted the pain that the pills couldn't quite override. Since I could no longer make a living as an executive secretary, my husband encouraged me to send out my novel. A literary agent was kind enough to reply and tell me I was a storyteller but that I needed to bring the art and craft of fiction to my work. In other words, what I didn't understand (and which 99% of all novices who want to write a novel don't understand) was that a novel has a structure, one readers expect. He also said there were fiction devices and techniques of presentation that made fiction appealing to readers and I needed to educate myself before I wrote any more. Thus began an odyssey of learning craft to enhance my storytelling talent.
BRoP: Tell us about your early works–what was the first thing you ever wrote.
Catherine: My first story was about a pony. (I was horse-crazy, I think, since birth. LOL) Anyway, I was in third grade and that first story was written on yellow tablet paper and with a pencil. When I showed the story to my teacher and parents, I got the "oh, how nice," but it was my optometrist who tacked that story onto his bulletin board. Ah, how proud I was! And, yes, I do regret I never asked for the story back.
BRoP: When did you first consider yourself a professional writer?
Catherine: The day I scheduled an appointment with a professional photographer to take a head-shot that would go on my novels, website, etc. Having those photos constantly reminds me that I'm a "professional" storyteller.
BRoP: What genre do you write?
Catherine: Romance is at the top of my list but that romance must come packaged with a story, with characters that seem like real people dealing with some type of trouble. I also like fantasy/paranormal elements and almost always prefer a futuristic milieu of other worlds and planets. (My novel, Karma and Mayhem, is a paranormal-fantasy-romance on a future-Earth colony and Jewels of the Sky is a fantasy/sci-fi adventure.)
BRoP: What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
Catherine: The themes of my stories usually involve good versus evil. Of course, I'm partial to the good guys winning, so there's a "happy" or "good" ending or outcome. My stories let a reader escape into another realm and enjoy people-characters they can fall in love with or sympathize with or root for.
BRoP: What format is your book available in (print, e-book, audio book, etc.)?
Catherine: Karma and Mayhem is available only an e-book; Jewels of the Sky is available both as a paperback and as an e-book
Where can readers can stalk you:
Website | Karma and Mayhem Blog | Jewels of the Sky Blog | Linked In | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon | Pinterest
CATHERINE MCLEAN: Although she wrote her first short story in third grade, it would be 1993 before she took writing fiction seriously and began selling short stories, then writing novels. She has been an executive secretary, journalist, editor, and a horseperson (Morgan Sport Horses). Currently, she is a writing instructor, workshop speaker, and author.
KARMA AND MAYHEM: Tienan is a warlock and a lawman determined to solve a series of diabolical murders. An incident in his youth gave him a terror of death and made him fear his birthright soul, an energy symbiote called a veed which gives Tienan extraordinary skills. Hosting that veed has also contributed to Tienan's failed relationships with women and convinced him true love doesn't exist.Janay is an ex-militia woman down on her luck who is haunted by personal demons, and real ones. When she rescues Tienan's brother, Tienan considers her a gutsy but semi-deranged commando. She's audacious and unconventional, but with all she's been through in her life, it rankles that she still believes in true love.
So can Tienan accept and trust in his love for Janay, embrace the power needed to wield an Executioner's Katana, and defeat a triad of murderous witches intent on immortality?
JEWEL OF THE SKY: Being a direct descendant of the captain who massacred the Mayans, Darq is a Wysotti woman and a duty-oriented, pragmatic interstellar fighter pilot. She doesn't believe in miracles or forgiveness, or that J'Hi-inti (god) would ever rescind the death curse on her people for what happened to the Mayans. Only J'Hi-inti hears one compelling plea for reconciliation and decides to let chaos rule--and test Darq. After all, she's a wild card like her nefarious ancestor. What will she do when she faces the ruthless alien fleet commander who spearheads the blitzkrieg that is to finally destroy her homeworld, and who she once witnessed murder her cadet comrades? Blinded by hate and survivor guilt, all that stands between survival and extinction, heaven or hell, for Darq and her people is mercy– or a miracle.The Blog Ring of Power (BRoP) is a consortium of five speculative fiction writers who have banded together to bring you highlights from the current speculative fiction market--news, reviews, and interviews with speculative fiction authors--with an emphasis on small-press and self-published authors. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and relax. Have we got a story for you...
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