Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook, Sean. Please let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink and make yourself at home. Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down to business.
Q: So tell us about yourself. What got you interested in writing? Who are your publisher(s)?
I love telling stories and that's essentially what writing is, telling the stories of the men who live in my head.
My publishers are Amber Allure, Changeling, Dreamspinner, Torquere Press and Total E-Bound.
Q: What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?
Character, character, character. For me, it's all about the characters. Without them, the rest doesn't work.
Q: Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?
I let the characters tell me who they are. I might think I know all about them, but more than once, I've been writing and been surprised in that 'I didn't know that about you' way.
As for favorite, I can't pick just one character, because my guys come in pairs (or more) and you can't have one without the other(s). The Jarheads are probably my favorite, though there are some Hammer couples who will give them a run for their money.
The most challenging? Probably Forrest from Gravity. That book was very hard to write, probably the hardest I've ever written.
Q: What is your favorite way to relax after a hard day working and writing?
I do love a beer at the end of a hard day. It relaxes the hell out of me.
Q: What is the one era you would love to go visit and why?
I'd love to go into the future and see what amazing things have been invented and how the human race is doing.
Q: What is one historical figure you would love to chat with and why?
Jacques Cousteau -- for a long time he was the reason why I wanted to become marine biologist.
Q: Please tell us about your latest release. What inspired it?
Full Disclosure is about a lawyer and his new personal assistant. I wanted to take the romance trope of the high powered businessman and his secretary and turn it on it's ear. What if the secretary was all toppy and the boss the one submitting? It's from Amber Allure:http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/FullDisclosure.html
Q: Out of all your books, do you have a favorite one? If not, then which one is closest to your heart?
The Jarheads are probably closest to my heart, so all of their books would qualify.
Q: The editing process is a very important process in an author’s life. How do you define the editing process for any of your books? Is there a routine you follow when in editing mode?
If I have time, I put a finished book aside for a few days or a week, and then I go back through it to get ready for submission. If I don't have time, I do it right away. Once I get edits back from an editor I try to tackle them as quickly as possible.
Q: What is your process to writing? Do you fly by the seat of your pants and just write? Do you outline your story/characters first then sit and write? Do you use mood music, candles or anything?
I let the characters dictate what I'm doing, so even if I think I know where things are going, that's not necessarily where they wind up. Sometimes I have music on, sometimes I get into a groove with the quiet.
Q: What genres and authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?
Science Fiction and Fantasy -- I love a lot of that, authors too numerous to mention. BA Tortuga for my cowboy fix. Stephen King when I want to be scared.
Q: What do you hope readers take with them, after reading one of your stories? What do you hope they feel, or learn?
I hope they feel happy at the culmination of a love story, and that they know that love is for everyone.
Q: If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Writer. Lover. Dork.
Q: What is the strangest source of writing inspiration you’ve ever had?
Believe it or not a fight with my partner.
Q: If your muse were to talk behind your back, what secrets would he/she tell?
That I can be distracted by the new and shiny -- if a new and fascinating man shows up, I'm likely to drop whatever else I'm doing to start writing his story.
Q: What is the most ridiculous thing that you have thought about doing to any of your characters but never did?
Breaking up the jarheads. They refused. Loudly. Messily. Emphatically. ;)
Q: Want to tell us about any projects you are working on?
I've always got a number of works in progress open. At the moment there are several Hammer stories going, the next Chess book...
Q: Anything else you want to add?
Thank you Dawn for the interview!
Smoke and Fire by Sean Michael
Daslin is a fire mage living in a school on the Mountain, where he tries to stay out of trouble, not an easy task as Daslin not only is accident prone, but can’t always control the fires he creates. The masters despair of him ever getting total control, and he has been forbidden to leave the draughty hallways and
His new roommate, Avan, is unlike anyone Daslin has ever met. Avan comes from the plains where he can go naked and commune with the elements without impediment. He doesn’t like the Mountain, where he’s been sent to learn to use his powers more efficiently; at least that’s the excuse the elders give him. Avan suspects they just want him out of the way.
Avan is as delighted with his new roommate as Daslin is bemused by him. Can they get up to more than just mischief?
Excerpt:
Avan sat next to Das. "You're pretty cute." He tugged at Das' sleeve. "How many layers have you got on anyway?"
"Six." The answer popped out automatically before Das even realized he was going to say anything, then Avan's words hit him and he squeaked. "Cute? Me?"
"Yeah, Baldy. You." One of Avan's hands slid over his scalp. "Feels neat."
A shivery, fascinating, utterly terrifying sensation shot through Das, making him hop up from the bed and walk over to grab his long, black cape. His scalp tingled, and he forced himself not to look into the glass and see if Avan's hand had left a mark.
"I've got to get to my lab. Master Pandele's going to want to see results before the full moon, and I've got a beginning level pyrokenesis class to teach and supper to steal, 'cause they're having something scary in the main hall." Das stopped as he pulled his hood up, covering his face, made himself settle. He was being silly and skittish. Avan was new and alone and just being nice. No panicking allowed. No making up excuses to run away allowed, either. "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, hungry enough to maybe try the something scary." Avan stood easily, obviously at ease in his skin. All of his skin. Which Das couldn't help but see. "But stealing something edible sounds like fun."
Das nodded. "The cooks make apple pies on third day. They cool them in the pantry, and there's a secret passage that I found wandering the... uh... you want an apple?" Das pointed to the huge, scarred, brass bowl on his desk filled with deep red fruit. "They give them to me to keep me out of the gardens."
Avan sauntered over to the bowl and picked an apple, taking a large bite, wiping the juice from his chin with his forearm. "Why don't they want you in the gardens?"
"Trees don't have an appreciation for spontaneous combustion, and I have a history of being a bit accident-prone." Das tossed over a small towel. "Surely someone warned you about living with me?"
"Accident prone? Warned?" Avan's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, Daslin, I think you're going to be fun."
"Either that or deadly. It's kind of a temperament, phase of the moon thing." Das couldn't help but smile. "Put some clothes on, then, and we'll go snatch some food and I'll show you around a bit, maybe find Pandele and see what they want to do with you."
"You're taking care of me..." Avan came over and kissed him softly on the corner of his mouth. "You're sweet." And then Avan was rummaging through his pack, pulling out a slip of material and fastening a brief loincloth around his hips. "I don't understand this fascination most people have with clothes."
Das blinked, one hand resting on the corner of his mouth where Avan had... Kissed him. His new, brash, fascinating, naked roommate had just kissed him.
"Cold. I get cold." Das shook his head and headed toward the door. "Come on, the pies are best hot." He couldn't help but notice that, at the moment, he wasn't cold. Not at all.
"Six." The answer popped out automatically before Das even realized he was going to say anything, then Avan's words hit him and he squeaked. "Cute? Me?"
"Yeah, Baldy. You." One of Avan's hands slid over his scalp. "Feels neat."
A shivery, fascinating, utterly terrifying sensation shot through Das, making him hop up from the bed and walk over to grab his long, black cape. His scalp tingled, and he forced himself not to look into the glass and see if Avan's hand had left a mark.
"I've got to get to my lab. Master Pandele's going to want to see results before the full moon, and I've got a beginning level pyrokenesis class to teach and supper to steal, 'cause they're having something scary in the main hall." Das stopped as he pulled his hood up, covering his face, made himself settle. He was being silly and skittish. Avan was new and alone and just being nice. No panicking allowed. No making up excuses to run away allowed, either. "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, hungry enough to maybe try the something scary." Avan stood easily, obviously at ease in his skin. All of his skin. Which Das couldn't help but see. "But stealing something edible sounds like fun."
Das nodded. "The cooks make apple pies on third day. They cool them in the pantry, and there's a secret passage that I found wandering the... uh... you want an apple?" Das pointed to the huge, scarred, brass bowl on his desk filled with deep red fruit. "They give them to me to keep me out of the gardens."
Avan sauntered over to the bowl and picked an apple, taking a large bite, wiping the juice from his chin with his forearm. "Why don't they want you in the gardens?"
"Trees don't have an appreciation for spontaneous combustion, and I have a history of being a bit accident-prone." Das tossed over a small towel. "Surely someone warned you about living with me?"
"Accident prone? Warned?" Avan's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, Daslin, I think you're going to be fun."
"Either that or deadly. It's kind of a temperament, phase of the moon thing." Das couldn't help but smile. "Put some clothes on, then, and we'll go snatch some food and I'll show you around a bit, maybe find Pandele and see what they want to do with you."
"You're taking care of me..." Avan came over and kissed him softly on the corner of his mouth. "You're sweet." And then Avan was rummaging through his pack, pulling out a slip of material and fastening a brief loincloth around his hips. "I don't understand this fascination most people have with clothes."
Das blinked, one hand resting on the corner of his mouth where Avan had... Kissed him. His new, brash, fascinating, naked roommate had just kissed him.
"Cold. I get cold." Das shook his head and headed toward the door. "Come on, the pies are best hot." He couldn't help but notice that, at the moment, he wasn't cold. Not at all.
4 comments:
Characters!!! Exactly why Sean Michael is one of my favorite authors. I can't wait to get my ebook copy of Peace Within The Quiet today.
Kristi P
Gravity was an amazing book.
*gasp* Break up the jarheads???? Sacrilege! Thank you SO much for the wonderful stories and characters. They have been an amazing solace to me at times.
I agree with Araya, no one breaks up the Jarheads, great that the characters agree :P Thank you for the interview, I always love to learn more about an author. I always look forward to your stories, because I know I get interesting characters that in some way will get their own HEA :)
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