Friday 1 February 2013

Please Welcome Author Misty Burke and enter our giveaway. (18+)

Please welcome Misty Burke to my blog today.

She will be answering some questions for us and has also been generous enough to offer one of her books for a giveaway.

Please note all entrants to the giveaway must be 18 or over.

You will see all of Misty's titles throughout the interview and also be able to read an excerpt from one of her novels.



 Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I’m a stay-at-home mom with four great kids and a wonderfully supportive husband. So it’s only when I’m not enjoying family time that I try to find a few moments to sit at my computer. And what do I do at my computer, you might ask? Well I try to have at least two writing projects going at the same time, usually a romantic fiction novel of some sort and a poetry collection. I also have at least one free-lance editing project. Oh, and did I mention, I just started graduate school. LOL. If I thought my life was busy before, it’s a three-ring-circus now. And to be quite honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way.


Other than writing, what else are you passionate about?

Teaching writing. As much as I enjoy being an author and poet, I’m passionate about helping others achieve their writing goals. That’s why I ventured into the editing world, that’s why I’m getting my Master’s degree in Creative Writing… my “larger” goal in life is to become a college writing professor and help others reach achieve their dreams.


What made you decide to become a writer?

Writing has been my hobby for as long as I can remember. It’s been my escape and my joy. It’s the essence of my long-time love affair with words. So there was no real “deciding” to become a writer, being a writer is just an extension of who I’ve always been.


Can you tell us a bit about your book?

Well, which book would you like to know about? I’ve got a little something for everyone in the romance genre. In Urban Fantasy, I have two novels – The Midnight Cup and The Last Watcher. In Paranormal Romance, I have four – The Genie of the Portrait, Meeting Online Bites, Chasing Tabby, and Catching Hell (I also have two short, paranormal romances in two different anthologies). In Steampunk, I have one erotic – The Madame of Gravestone. And in contemporary, I have two stories – A Twister of Fate and Truth or Dare.

But to give you a little taste of my writing, here is an excerpt from The Midnight Cup

     Standing in the moonlight, he watched the neon sign blink in the window of the coffee house across the street. College kids came and went around him. Yet none seemed to notice his presence. The stranger had spent years learning to blend into the shadows.
     The night hours slowly passed. It wasn’t until he could feel the coming dawn that he strode across the street and walked inside. Only a few students were left as he took a seat at a corner table. He was keenly aware that the backroom was now empty and this fact pleased the woman behind the counter.
     Oddly though, she hadn’t stopped staring at him since he entered. The delicate beauty could somehow see through his shades of practiced darkness and it unnerved him. The tattoo that circled his left bicep felt like it tightened.
     They locked eyes as she approached. “What are you?” She leaned in and pretended to wipe down his table.
     “I was just wondering the same thing about you.” She reminded him of a skittish foal.  He reached out to touch her hand and she jerked back.
     “Is that why you’re here?” Looking hurt, then angry, she motioned to the door. “Get out.”
     “You’ve got this all wrong.” The stranger shook his head in confusion and then pointed toward the red curtain. “I’m here to help you with your little…problem.”
     She froze and gave him a long, hard look. “I’ll ask you again. What are you?”
     He pulled a large wooden stake out of his trench coat and laid it on the table. “I’m a slayer.”
     She sat down at his table and spoke with soft, hesitant words. “Are you part of the Society?”
     The question hung in the air as he watched tiny sparkles of gold dance in her light blue eyes.        Unknowingly, he reached for her again. The jolt of electricity that followed caused him to take in a quick breath of air. The surge was sudden and left warmth. Staring down at their point of contact, his large hand covering hers, he smiled in awe. “I’m Marcus McKinney. And yes, I’m with the Society.”
     “Then you know I’m a natural,” she paused only a moment, “don’t you?”
     The glowing warmth evaporated as quickly as it had arrived. In one fluid motion, he disconnected from her and picked up the stake. Damn it, Josh. This was not in your report. He hid the weapon back in the folds of his trench coat and questioned his next move. There wasn’t supposed to be any other paranormal element. The Society might care, but his fight was only with the vampires. This white witch was not his problem.
     The woman across from him looked so innocent. “Whatever it is that causes your heart to darken…”
     The slayer pushed back his chair and stood. “Let’s get this straight. I’ve no interest in your natural magic or your pity. My assignment is only the coven of vampires you harbor. Don’t get in my way.”
****
     Serenity didn’t have to watch him leave. She could feel it. This slayer, with his curly brown hair and eyes the color of dark chocolate, had an aura she hadn’t experienced before. It was more complex and torn than the simplicity of a human. Yet it didn’t have the vast emptiness of the vampire either. His soul was different, unique, hidden in shadow. Marcus McKinney was circled with a deep fog. There were layers to this man she just couldn’t see and that intrigued her.
     In fact, she couldn’t think of much else as she closed up the coffee shop. Even after saying goodbye to her staff and locking the doors, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. It was clear to her that his fight with Ivan’s clan was personal. For he might be shaped like a slayer, with years of physical training, but there was more to him than that. Marcus wasn’t just another Society drone. He couldn’t be.


What are your current / future projects?


I have several future projects coming out in 2013 and I’m so excited about each one! There is Minivan Meltdown (a poetry collection I wrote with my awesome hubby), Puzzle Pieces (a poetry collection to help raise awareness for Autism), Turning Thirty (a paranormal romance), Wicked Wonderland (a poetry and short story collection I’m writing with Zoey Sweete), and Chase (a paranormal romantic suspence).


Would you consider yourself adventurous?

Not at all. I consider myself more of the “big-chicken” type. LOL. My idea of an adventure is reading and/or writing one.


Chocolate or ice cream?

Chocolate. The answer is always chocolate.


Where can readers find you and more about your book(s)? Where can they purchase your book(s)? 

Readers can visit my website at http://www.mistyburke.com
I’ve added cover art, blurbs, and several purchasing links. So my website is the best place to start.


Lindsay - Thank you for joining us today! I hope everyone has enjoyed the interview and don't forget, if you are 18 years or over, you can enter our giveaway below. Good Luck to all!








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1 comment:

  1. I love reading about fellow author, their lives, and how they feel about what they do! Great interview Misty, keep up the amazing work, and Lindsay it is wonderful that you host authors on your blog!

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