The Interview
GRACIE: I’m
excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Margay! Please tell us a little about
yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?
MARGAY: Thank you! I’m so happy to be here! Hmm, a
little about me. Well, I am related to some pretty well known writers on my
grandmother’s side (James Russell Lowell, Amy Lowell, Robert Lowell), so I
guess it was destined for me to follow in their path! I began writing or
creating stories in some form or manner since I learned how to hold a crayon
and I've been writing ever since. But it wasn’t until I was older (I won’t say
how much older!) that I seriously began to pursue it as in publishing what I
wrote. Before that, I wrote for me – and the occasional family member or friend
who was able to con me into letting them read it. Now I write for everyone!
But, ultimately, I write because I love it and can’t imagine not doing it. I
write for me first, because it makes me happy when I write.
GRACIE: Is there
any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing? Any one thing
or person that influenced the genre you write in?
MARGAY: It’s kind
of funny. Up until I was in junior high, I didn’t even realize that what I was
doing had a name – writing. It was just something I did all the time. I didn’t
put a label on it. But it was a junior high English teacher that put a name to
it and encouraged me in my writing, so I always credit Miss Black with being my
initial inspiration to pursue and hone the craft of writing. She was the first
one who saw the talent and encouraged it.
GRACIE: When did
you get The Call and what was your first published book?
MARGAY: My first
published book is Nora’s Soul and it was published back in 2008.
GRACIE: What do
you know now about writing and the publishing industry now that you wish you’d
known before you started?
MARGAY: Hmm, that
is a good question. I think, first and foremost, that this isn’t an industry
for the faint of heart. You have to have kind of a thick skin if you want to
succeed, not everyone’s going to love your writing/story as much as you, and if
you really want to succeed, you have to have complete faith in yourself and
don’t give up until you find the right match. And if a reviewer doesn’t like
your work, don’t lash out at them because it’s their opinion and they’re
entitled to it. Be gracious. Just say thank you for taking the time to review
it and move on. Same with fans on social media networks. Twitter and Facebook
can be powerful tools to get your work out there, but they can also be the
quickest way to spread word of your bad behavior. So again, just be gracious
and move on.
GRACIE: Sounds
like wise advice! Please, give us a little story behind the story and what
inspired The Wolves of Destiny series.
MARGAY: I
actually wrote a post on this because people always want to know! But here it
is in a nutshell: There was a call for a novella contest with the theme of
wolves and I had these scenes rattling around in my head, inspired by a book I
just read, scenes about how I wished the story had progressed. So when I saw
the call for the novella contest, I started thinking more seriously about those
scenes and the possibility of culling them together into a story. Then I saw an
article about wolves being sighted in Massachusetts for the first time in about
150 years and just like that, the story fell into place!
GRACIE: In
Sloane Wolf, the first book in The
Wolves of Destiny series, Micah Sloane is a strong alpha male who will do
whatever he needs to protect those he cares about. What do you consider Micah’s
Achilles’ heel and how do you go about stomping it?
MARGAY: Oh, wow,
what an insightful question! I love it! I think Micah’s Achilles’ heel is his
family. He is extremely protective of everyone he cares about and will do
anything to protect them – and their secret. So what would you do with that?
Well, if you’re me, you put his family in situations that are high risk and see
what he’ll do about it and who better to start with than his 12-year old
sister, Ava?
GRACIE: Shiloh
Beck has grown up knowing she is special and has been immorally cut off from
the family who loves her and whom she loves because of her gift. What aspect of
Shiloh’s personality do you think make her a perfect match for the formidable
and legendary Micah?
MARGAY: Oh,
you’re good! Like Micah, Shiloh is all about family. Despite what has been
drilled into her mind about her family (that they abandoned her) by the men of
The Institute, she doesn’t believe it. Her whole existence has come down to
getting to the truth about what happened to her family and, hopefully,
reuniting with them. She will do whatever she needs to in order to achieve
that. She’s a lot like Micah in that respect. Plus, she’s not afraid to tangle
with him – to an extent. She knows when to back off, when not to push him,
unlike his siblings who tend to keep pushing until he pushes back. Shiloh knows
when not to cross the line and will take a step back. But she’s not a
push-over. If she thinks you don’t want her around, she will walk away with
head held high.
GRACIE: Of all
the stories you’ve written so far, which is your favorite and why?
MARGAY: Oh,
that’s so hard! I love all of my stories. Each one is so different than the
other, so it’s difficult to choose one. So I will say only this: my favorite
story is always the one I’m currently working on.
GRACIE: I know
this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your
characters is your favorite and why?
MARGAY: Yes, it
is! I really have a soft spot for Shiloh – probably because she grew up without
a mother and could really use one!
GRACIE: What
about your characters makes them unique?
MARGAY: I do try
to make each character unique in their own way – I don’t ever want to do
stories with cookie cutter characters. For Sloane Wolf, it would go something
like this:
Micah is the alpha male who takes care of the family, but he
loves The Last of the Mohicans and has always wanted to reenact a certain scene
in the movie (if you read the book, you’ll discover which one!)
Shiloh grew up away from her family because of her “gift” –
she’s an empath – but what makes her unique is that, although she’s been
trained to kick ass and take no prisoners, she is socially inept because she’s
been kept away from the influences of society for so long. So in some ways,
she’s very innocent.
GRACIE: What is
your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?
MARGAY: I love
the planning of it – the research, the playing around with ideas, figuring out
characters, generally daydreaming about scenes I want to write, that sort of
thing. Least favorite would be trying to summarize the story for the synopsis
and queries. I’ve always found that to be the hardest part.
GRACIE: Are you a
pantser or do you outline?
MARGAY: I think
it depends on the depth of the story. The more detailed and layered it is, the
more complex the outline. I used to do very detailed outlines for everything I
wrote. Ironically, I think Sloane Wolf was one of the first stories I wrote in
the pantser fashion – it just flowed from the pen. It didn’t need an outline,
for some strange reason.
GRACIE: If you
weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?
MARGAY: I was
always interested in psychology, so something in that field, I think.
GRACIE: Who are
some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why
they’re your favorites.
MARGAY: My all
time favorite – besides Jane Austen, of course – is Julia Quinn. I just love
her Regencies and her series about the Bridgertons is my favorite. I also love
the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig and According to Jane by Marilyn
Brant. I’ve been reading a lot of YA
lately and some of my favorites are the Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick,
the Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins, and Hourglass by Myra McIntire.
GRACIE: What are
you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in
the future?
MARGAY: I am
working on the next book in the wolves series, of course, and revamping Nora’s
Soul and working on other stories in that series. I’m also working on a story
about a psychic who, while doing a hunt at a local mansion, uncovers a family
curse that links her family to the family that owns the mansion in a very
intriguing way.
GRACIE: Wow,
sounds like your fans have some interesting things to expect from you! Do you
have a website and/or how can readers contact you?
GRACIE: Where and
how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?
MARGAY: My book
can be purchased at Amazon.com, Smashwords and MuseItUpPublishing
GRACIE: What
advice do you have for beginning writers?
MARGAY: Never
give up if you truly believe in yourself and your writing and want to pursue
it. If this is the case, listen to what other people tell you if they’re trying
to give you advice or constructive feedback (I won’t say criticism, that sounds
so negative), and never stop honing your craft. Even when you’ve been
published, continue to learn, to read articles on writing or even take courses
from time to time. It’s always good to test yourself and stretch your abilities.
GRACIE: Anything
else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?
MARGAY: I would
love to invite readers to tell me what they like about paranormal romances in
general or shapeshifting wolves in particular. Are there any scenarios you
haven’t seen that you’d like to?
GRACIE: Margay, thanks so much for taking time from
your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and
giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let
you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!
MARGAY: Gracie,
thank you so much! It has been an absolute pleasure.
