Welcome Author R.C. Murphy

Welcome to my Reading Nook, R.C. Murphy. Please make yourself at home and let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink.

Oh, cool. I can have one of each? Cabana people, that is. I hope they make a mean margarita.

Comfortable? Wonderful. Now let’s get started.

Tell us about your favorite character from your books.

My favorite character from a published book has to be Wolfrik, one of the many incubi in Enslaved. He started off as filler—just someone for the main character to confide in, but once I made it further into the book, he’d stolen my heart.

There is one other character I’ve created who I love to hate, Aksel. It remains to be seen if I will have time to finish writing his book, though, so I’ll keep His Evilness tucked away where he belongs.

Tell us about your current/upcoming release. What inspired this story?

Enslaved has possibly the cheesiest origin ever—it came to me in a dream one night. The dream was so vivid and compelling, I hopped out of bed and jotted the basis for the story on a Post-It note and added it to the pile of novel ideas. About a week later, I went back to the idea and started working on it. The characters, Shayla and Deryck, insisted I let them talk.

Deryck is an incubus, bound to servitude since he was ripped from his human mother’s womb by his father, the Egyptian god Min. Incubi live secluded from the humans they service and the gods who created them. They can never go free, or at least that’s what they’ve been told. Deryck didn’t know he could live a normal life until The Powers That Be put him in the path of Shayla, an office aid who’s survived an abusive marriage.

When in the day/night do you write? How long per day?

Once upon a time, I was a night-writer (not to be confused with Knight Rider). But as I progressed into a full-time Big Girl Writer, I realized I needed to start work with my first cup of coffee, or I wouldn’t make it anywhere with my novels.

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Right now, finding time to create new words. A billion projects and family demands always seem to pop up any time I’m getting ready to start a new project. At some point, I have to completely isolate myself and Just Write.

What does your family think of your writing career?

My mother is my biggest supporter. She’s always been an avid reader, so when I decided to start writing, she fully encouraged it. As for the rest of my family, I’m not sure if they understand I want to make a of career writing. They’re under the impression that this is a phase and I’ll be moving on to a “real” job soon.

What do you think makes a good story?

Twists, turns, and raw emotions. Life isn’t straight-forward and neither should a story. In order to make readers care for your characters, they have to go through just as much hell as an actual person.

Plotter or Pantser? Why?

I switched teams. ::gasp:: I know, blasphemous! When I started writing Enslaved I realized the story and the realms involved were far too big for me to try and contain in my mind. This is the first novel I’ve fully plotted before, and I have to say I’m addicted to the speed I can work with after writing a nice, detailed outline beforehand.

How do you develop your plots and your characters? Do you use any set formula?

Main characters I allow to “create” themselves, coaxing them out of the chaos in my mind. I will add details—quirks, physical features they don’t fill in, family. But for the most part, they are their own creatures. Supporting cast is vastly different, they’re created to fill certain roles for the main cast.

For every character, I have a worksheet in the book bible (reference guide) that’s filled out before I begin writing past the first chapter.

What book are you reading now? Any favorite authors/books you want to do a shout out for?

I’m currently devouring George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. It sucked me in and I do not wish to be free just yet. The characters and world are so rich, and so different from what I write, it is a welcomed change of pace.

As for favorite authors, as always I must pay homage to the wonderful Sherrilyn Kenyon. Her work ethic and the kindness with which she treats her readers is something I aspire to. Not to mention her drool-worthy Dark-Hunters.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I watch awful, and I do mean awful B-movies. It started as a joke, I’d collect a bunch of bad movies and subject my friends and boyfriend at the time to them. But after a while, they grew on me—kinda like a fungus. There is a certain joy to be had sitting around and making drinking games out of how many times you can spot the production crew accidentally caught in frame on film.

Morning Person or Night Person? 

I’m more of a “Whenever the heck I feel fully awake” person. It doesn’t matter if it is seven o’clock in the morning or midnight, so long as I am alert.

Coffee, tea or other drink to get you moving in the morning? 

I alternate between coffee and tea, depending on my mood. If I’m having a hard time getting going, I’ll go for coffee. Otherwise, it is usually a pot of nice oolong tea on my desk when I start work for the day.

What is coming up from you in 2013? Anything you want to tease us with?

Aside from the release of Enslaved, I plan to write and release a prequel to my novella Be Ours Forever, which is currently without a title. The prequel will feature Jarlan, an enforcer for the vampire Elders, and Meghan, who is a little bit of a mystery.

After the prequel is done and released this summer (ish. Maybe. Hopefully), I’m not sure what I’ll be working on, but whatever it is, it likely won’t be released until 2014.

Anything else you want to add?

Thank you so much for having me on your site. Can I keep one of the cabana boys?

Teaser from Enslaved

The gods are flawed . . . and they make awful parents.

Deryck knows first-hand the cruelty of the gods. Three thousand years after his birth, he is still trapped, forced to service humans as an Incubus—unable to chose who he sleeps with, and living a life completely devoid of love. There is no out for him. No hope. Or so he thought.

Shayla McIntire spent five years getting her life back on track after the accident claiming her husband’s life. She is content to a nice, boring, subdued life free of the abuse she suffered before. Her friends are worried. They want her to find the man of her dreams and move on.

Little do they know, the Powers That Be have decided the man of Shayla’s dreams for her. There’s just one hitch, he’s enslaved to the gods and it will take power she doesn’t know she has to free him. Deryck isn’t the only one hoping Shayla will free him, though.

Enslaved Snippet:

“Oh no, don’t you dare,” Faye warned.

“What?”

Her friend dragged her to a rack of blouses in the back corner of the store. “You’ve got that frightened bunny look. They don’t care what you try on.”

Before she could respond, Faye shoved clothes in her arms. Shayla followed in her wake, taking everything the other woman thought she should try on. She hated shopping with a passion. It was something only done when one’s last pair of good jeans developed a hole in the ass. Good lord, she thought, looking at the armload of clothes, silk and linen sure weighs a lot.

Faye pushed her into the nearest changing stall and followed.

“I can dress myself.”

“Of course you can, but this way I can make sure you try everything on.” She snatched something off the top of the pile. “Start with this.”

Dangling from Faye’s slender fingers was a screaming red and black lace bra. The matching panties sat on top of the clothes they’d grabbed. Mortified, Shayla batted the thing away when her friend tried to hand it to her.

“I’m not trying that on!”

“You’re putting it on, even if I have to wrestle you into it. Every woman needs a sexy bra. Your off-brand Target bra is a shame to womankind.” She shook the offensive garment. “Put. It. On.”

“Why did I suggest we go shopping?”

Faye rolled her eyes and shoved the bra in her hand. “Your subconscious is ready to move on and I don’t want Mr. Dreamguy to come into existence and see you in that beige thing you’re wearing.”

She didn’t even bother to ask how the other woman knew what bra she wore. They knew each other far too well. Turning around, Shayla stripped out of her t-shirt and slid out of her comfy bra. With a few curses, she wrangled her size Ds into the new bra. Eyes closed, she turned back around.

“I must look like a porn star,” she complained and reached to unhook it.

An electronic click made her open her eyes. Faye grinned. Her phone disappeared down the top of her blouse. The sneaky bitch took a picture.

“Delete it, Faye!”

“Nope.” She pushed Shayla in front of the mirror. “You look gorgeous. We’re getting the bra and the panties. Don’t argue that you don’t have anyone to wear them for. Wear them for yourself, okay? Come on, try on something else while your tits look awesome.”

Grudgingly, she admitted to herself that her breasts looked good in the flashy bra. No way she’d say it out loud and prove Faye right. Pride kept her mouth shut while her friend played Barbie with her. How she managed to pick the right sizes in everything confounded Shayla.

After what felt like an eternity of wedging herself into designer clothes, they decided on two outfits she could mix and match to make her wardrobe not one of a woman so long on the rebound her backside felt like it was made of rubber. At the register, their friend Klara chuckled softly as she scanned the matching bra and panties. Shayla’s cheeks heated. She wanted to kill Faye for embarrassing her. Only a little, though. Without Faye, she’d have no one to drag her out of the house on bad days.