Author Interview and Giveaway: Bec McMaster

Welcome to Bec McMaster on my blog today :)

1. Tell me about yourself?

Hi, I'm an Australian romance author who writes steampunk/paranormal romances for Sourcebooks. Travel is my soul, and I would love to see the entire world, whether it's by reading about it, writing it, or travelling it. I live in a small town with my very own hero and a dog who likes to keep me company while I write.

2. Tell us in a few words what Forged By Desire is about?

Forged By Desire features Garrett and Perry, a pair of Nighthawks (kind of like vampiric detectives in an alternate Victorian London), who have been friends forever, but when Perry goes undercover in a dashing red dress, Garrett realizes that she's not only beautiful - but has a side of sensuality he's never seen. And when a case delivers them straight into the hands of a notorious evil from Perry's past, soon they're battling not only their ever-growing feelings, but a monster they just might not be able to vanquish. 

3. Can this book be read as a standalone? As I know many wonder about this

Absolutely. One of the things I work really hard at, is making sure that a new reader can understand the world, while a reader familiar to the story isn't going to be bored by the same information. Each book in the series has its own 'ending' or HEA, while there is a plotline running throughout the overall series - I really admire the way Nalini Singh does this in her psy/changeling series. Each book can be read as standalone, but the overall plot is going somewhere, so this is my attempt at emulating that. 

4. How did you come up with this world?

I've long had this idea of a vampiric version of the ton (in my world, it's called the Echelon), which rule over London with an iron fist, and consider humans little more than cattle, but it took a glimpse of the two characters from the first book, Kiss of Steel, to make me see where this world was going. It all sprang from there. I think one of the most powerful tools a writer owns, is their sub-conscious. Sometimes I think it's working on stories even when I'm not consciously aware of it!

5. What makes these two so perfect for each other?

I always like the idea that opposites attract. I think people often admire a strength that their partner/love interest has, because perhaps they know it's a weakness of their own. Perry has always been that shy, awkward girl who knew she never fit in - now that she's found the Nighthawks, she hides a lot of herself behind male attire and attitude, and I think part of her fascination with Garrett is that he's so at ease with himself. He's the charmer, the type of guy who is witty and popular and well-liked, and because she's always been his partner and never a love interest, she's felt comfortable being herself around him in a way she's never been with anyone else. For Garrett, though he's always liked the ladies, he's never met the One - he's been waiting for someone to knock him off his feet for a long time, and when he realizes that she's right beneath his nose... it's a little bit of a shock. He's always adored Perry - he'd give his life for her - and it would be easy to say that all it takes for him to realize there's an attraction between them is that red dress, but in all honesty, for the first time he sees something beneath the facade she presents. The opera reveals a woman who is flirtatious and sensual and daring - and Garrett kind of realizes that his best friend, the one woman he can trust, is the one he's been looking for all along...

6. What are you working on right now?

I've just finished edits on Of Silk And Steam, which will be book five in the London Steampunk series. I love diving back into this world, especially with two characters I've been leading up to for a few books. We're going from friends-to-lovers in Forged, to enemies-to-lovers in Silk. It's a lot of fun! Other than that, I have about five sekrit projects on the go. 

Thanks!

Giveaway

Forged by Desire

1. Open to US and Canada

2. Ends Sep 27

3. Just enter

PS. I Have said it before. If your email is not here, or in your profile, you are out. I wont spend hours hunting someone down.

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FORGED BY DESIRE BY BEC MCMASTER – IN STORES SEPTEMBER 2014

“You're my breath when I feel like I can't catch my own."

Captain Garrett Reed of the Nighthawk guard has a deadly mission: capture a steel-jawed monster preying on women. He hates to put his partner, Perry, in jeopardy, but she’s the best bait he has. Little does he realize, he’s about to be caught in his own trap.

Perry has been half in love with Garrett for years, but this is not exactly the best time to start a relationship—especially when their investigation leads them directly into the clutches of the madman she thought she’d escaped...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. Read more about her at www.becmcmaster.com or follow her on Twitter, @BecMcMaster.

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