Welcome, Mel Favreaux

1: Thank you so much for being here, Mel Favreaux

First up is the obligatory question. When did you first begin writing?

I started writing when I was thirteen. It was short stories for friends in school for their unrequited crushes. It was fun and it kind of jumpstarted to full length novels from there.

2: What inspired you to write?

When I wrote those stories for my friends in school, it was the excitement I saw in their eyes when I had a new story. What put it over the top into full length novels was when I read a book by one of my favorite authors and I was so angry when I finished it, I knew I could write something better, (Mind you I was thirteen and I really disliked that particular book but still love the author.) I’ve been writing ever since.

3: What do you like the most and least about writing?

I love being able to make people feel. Cry or laugh. It’s an amazing feeling to know you’ve caused those emotions with just words.

The worst part for me is when I hit a total block when I’ve plugged away at a story for a month or so and things are moving smoothly and then WHAM! there’s the wall. Sometimes I have to move completely away from the story for a while, even years before I can go back and work my way around the block.

4: What do you for fun and relaxation when not writing?

I love to read. I read nearly everything and I have two children with highly active imaginations and a terror for a kitten. So I’m either hiding somewhere from my kids or the kitten, or I wait until all three have gone to bed to veg with a new book.

5: Which authors do you like to read?

I love nearly all genres so my favorite authors are spread out.

The classics: Shakespeare and Dickens. I love to read horror because I don’t scare easily, King, Koontz, and Saul. Mysteries: Patterson and Sanford. Paranormal: Kenyon, Love, Briggs, Loveland…there are quite a few and I haven’t even so much as dented my bookcases here.

6: What’s the one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

I have a very dark sense of humor that many people don’t get. If you can get past the awkward humor, I’m not really too bad of a person.

7: Tell me about your current novel, where I can find it and your website/blog.

Valor of a Woman can currently be found at Museituppublishing.com

And My blog

8: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Stay true to yourself and what you feel and never be afraid to write outside your “normal” style. You just might be surprised with what you come up with. Valor of a Woman was that surprise for me.

9: Do you base your characters on real-life people?

In this particular story, there is one character that is loosely based on someone I know. It’s the first name and a rough description of my mother. In a series I am working on I used a friend’s name and her description and the character has taken on a life of her own…but that’s a story for another time and hopefully when the series finally makes its way out.

10: Where do you get your ideas and what inspired you to write this book?

My ideas come from everywhere. Literally one word from someone can give me the tingles for a new story. What inspired me to write Valor? I had been going through hardcore critiques of my Paranormal Romance series and I was tired of all the rules being thrown at me. So I sat down and wrote a story that broke every one of them.

11: What are you currently working on?

I have currently gone back to my paranormal romance series. After that? Who knows, I write a little of everything it just depends on what strikes me at the moment.

12. Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?

I love to talk…a lot. Though I claim to be antisocial, I find myself carrying on conversations with absolute strangers for the fun of it. I never know where my next idea will come from and lots of them have come from random conversations.

Contest: To win a copy of my book go to: rafflecopter

Excerpt:

Jaren's arms circled her waist. Kimra's body tingled when his lips found a most sensitive place. "Keep that up, and we'll start the day the very same way it ended," she whispered as Jaren's mouth trailed up her neck. The gentle kiss caused quivers.

 "Good morning."

"It's sure enough starting off as one," she said with a grin, pulling back to look in his eyes.

Grinning, he tucked some hair behind her ears. "I'd hoped it would."

Kimra raised her brows seeing the honesty in his eyes. "Jaren, I only have a few—"

"I know, just a few days of vacation. Would…" He swallowed tightly and took a deep breath. "Would you spend the rest of them with me and Mac?"

Her heart thundered in her chest. Truth be known, she had nothing better to do. Aside from a deep-sea diving trip…she could put that off for a bit longer. The thought of spending nearly two weeks with him and his giant of a dog was incredibly far more appealing.

"I think…I—I think I'd like that very much," she said after a few moments of silence.

The heart-melting smile spread across his face again. Kimra's tummy fluttered with the struggle to push back the dark thoughts tying to sneak in and ruin these few moments of happiness.

For the next twelve days, she was going to fool herself into believing the happiness of the present without letting reality get in the way. She could do this. Jaren and Mac could help chase away the sadness and pain she'd have to deal with once her vacation ended. They were what she was searching for; a way to forget and make new memories.