FantasyUltimate works to cover the fantasy industry and promote the industry's authors. Below is a brief interview with Maureen A. Miller, a lovely woman and great writer who has been a huge support for me. After the interview, you'll find Maureen's bio and details about her books.
Me--where did you get the idea for Beyond: Two Suns?
Maureen--Well, without giving away too much about the first book, BEYOND, I knew at the end of it that Aimee needed to complete her college dreams, and that Zak needed to go back to his planet and save its inhabitants. Both equally admirable goals! :) In BEYOND it was all told from Aimee's perspective, but in TWO SUNS we get to delve into Zak's mind. TWO SUNS was going to be all about Aimee and Zak being reunited...but naturally, I didn't want to make it easy for them. Aimee is quite resourceful though, she will do whatever she has to. Nothing is going to keep her from finding Zak, and that is how my idea for TWO SUNS came to be. What type of hurtles could I throw at her?
Me--how does the current book market effect your writing?
Maureen--The book market will never affect my writing. I will always write what I want to. But it MAY affect my sales! LOL Seriously, though, once upon a time I thought I would write for the 'market' that was selling the best, but that attitude is reflected in your writing. You can tell when someone is writing something that isn't from their heart.
Me--do you think there are things that could be improved in the overall fantasy market?
Maureen--Fantasy has come a long way! A LONG way! It's not sitting in the back seat anymore. It's sitting in the front seat and trying to grab the steering wheel.
Me--how similar do you think Beyond: Two Suns is to other books in the market?
Maureen--I doubt it is similar at all...probably because I'm strange. :) Technically TWO SUNS is supposed to be a sci-fi, but it has ties to normal life on Earth. It has romance...more romance than BEYOND had. It's a hybrid.
Me--Was there any particular reason you switched from writing romantic suspense to fantasy/sci-fi?
Maureen--I had a tale stuck in my head that just wanted to be put on paper. I think we all have a tale of some type lurking in the back of our minds, begging to come out even if the tale goes against all the publishing rules in the world. Romantic Suspense is a safe genre. BEYOND is not a 'publishing-safe' genre. But that is why people self-publish.
Me--what fantasy authors motivate you?
Maureen--I work with so many fantastic authors on a daily basis and I am in awe of every one of them, so I don't know that I can answer that and risk ruling anyone out.
Me--what do you see for the fantasy market 5 or 10 years from now? Do you think it will as strong then as it is now, or do you think it will be so saturated the category will be obsolete?
Maureen--I don't see the fantasy market fading at all. I can predict the downswing of other markets, but fantasy will remain strong because we all fantasize. We all want to read about something off-the-edge. There is a delicious line between reality and fantasy, and walking it and reading it produces such a thrill.
Me--Beyond: Two Suns has romance. Why do you think paranormal romance is so hot? Do you like writing it more than romantic suspense?
Maureen--I have to be honest, at the very core, I'm a romance writer. That means that no matter what genre, or what circumstances, I'm going to look for the happy ending. That may make me corny, but it's just the way I am. I just don't like my romances to come easy. I want my characters to have to work for it. So whether it is a serial killer, or an alien from another planet, my happy couples will always have some foe to battle. :)
Thank you so much for having me here, Grace!
BIO
Maureen A. Miller is the romantic suspense author of Endless Night with Carina Press, and the Golden Heart-nominated, Widow’s Tale.
Working in the software industry for fifteen years in a job that required extensive travel, instead of reading during all those lengthy airport layovers, Maureen chose to write. Escapism at its best. Six novels were produced in those years of travel.
Recently, Maureen branched out into the Young Adult market with Beyond and Beyond: Two Suns. She is having fun keeping her head in the stars!
Maureen is also the founder of www.JustRomanticSuspense.com, and the soon to follow, www.JustContemporaryRomance.com and www.JustParanormalRomance.com
You can also find Maureen at www.maureenamiller.com
-or-
The BEYOND Series at www.beyond-book.com
Maureen A. Miller is the romantic suspense author of Endless Night with Carina Press, and the Golden Heart-nominated, Widow’s Tale.
Working in the software industry for fifteen years in a job that required extensive travel, instead of reading during all those lengthy airport layovers, Maureen chose to write. Escapism at its best. Six novels were produced in those years of travel.
Recently, Maureen branched out into the Young Adult market with Beyond and Beyond: Two Suns. She is having fun keeping her head in the stars!
Maureen is also the founder of www.JustRomanticSuspense.com, and the soon to follow, www.JustContemporaryRomance.com and www.JustParanormalRomance.com
You can also find Maureen at www.maureenamiller.com
-or-
The BEYOND Series at www.beyond-book.com
BEYOND: TWO SUNS
They were coming. It wasn't so much the sound that revealed them. It was the subtle vibration of the ground beneath his feet, like the percussion of a distant explosion. It was their march. The dead tread of stone against sand. A ghostly gait of menace.
And today was that day...
