Henry Cavill – Maria Gibbs

Can we start with your name and where you’re from?
I write under my given name, Nicola C. Priest, but people tend to call me Nicky. Midlands girl, born & bred.
Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?
Completely true. When I was younger, I used to love reading Stephen King and James Patterson, mainly because my mom loved to read those authors so I picked up her books, but now I’m predominantly a romance girl and love to read Nicole Edwards and Kristy Bromberg
What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?
Most of my books are contemporary romance, but one of my in progress books, Perception, leans towards the Crime genre, with a touch of romance thrown in.
If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?
Just one character? Don’t think I could do that, but Id happily take all seven of the Walker Brothers from Nicole Edwards’ Alluring Indulgence series. Seven hot, sexy cowboys; what’s not to love there?
When did you first start writing?
I’ve loved writing since I was in school. Our creative writing classes were always my favourite. I started writing fanfiction based on various TV shows but it wasn’t until a certain trilogy came out that I decided to have a go at writing something original. I figured if she could do it, then so could I.
Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?
I do plan to some degree, but I tend to just write and go where the characters take me. I never know how a story is going to end until I get there. Two of the books I’ve released ended in completely different ways to what I originally envisioned.
Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)
Tough one, but I’d have to say Jackson MacKenzie out of Somewhere Love Remains. I won’t go into details, but there are parts of that book that mean a lot to me and I’ll leave it there.
Was there an event in your life that triggered a particular book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?
Somewhere Love Remains. I had an armed forces penpal back when I was a teenager.
Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?
Yes. I’m working on the sequel to Heart & Soul, called Mind & Soul which has a couple of twists people won’t see coming. The second I’m working on is Perception, which is a little different to what I usually write.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?
Just write. I’m a firm believer that everyone has at least one book inside them, but you won’t get anywhere unless you write. All the editing and formatting comes after, just get the words on the paper and the rest will follow.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I work full time as a financial services contractor so that takes up most of my day. When I’m not working or writing, I go to the gym and catch up on my reading list.
What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?
Definitely the marketing. Getting a new book out there is hard and I hate pestering people or posting repeatedly on pages/groups. I know how it makes me feel seeing the same post over and over, but then I remember that this person is trying to do the same things as me, they’re just being a bit more forward lol
We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?
I hate it when people assume that just because I have a book on Amazon, I must be raking in the cash. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve heard “You’re an author? You must be loaded” or words to that effect. I wish I was loaded, but as most of us indie authors can attest, that’s just not the case
What is your idea of happiness?
Being able to give up my full-time job so that I can write for a living instead. I’d love to be able to earn my living as an author.
For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.
For me it would have to be a log cabin in the middle of nowhere, with an open log fire and huge armchair. I’d have a glass of my favourite wine next to me with the fire roaring, warming the room and casting a soft glow over the furnishings. I’d have my Macbook on my lap and just let the words flow.
What makes you laugh/cry?
I’m a big softie. Anything that my nieces and nephews achieve always has me in tears, and they’re not even m kids! My niece recently took park in the Children in Need choir which was televised and when I caught a glimpse of her on the TV I teared up. I’m a sucker for sappy movies too.
You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature. Hmmmmm. I think I’d take the inspirations behind my leading men. Henry Cavill inspired Alistair Lockwood; there’s just something about him and I could look at him all day. That man can wear a suit like no other. Canadian actor Yannick Bisson inspired Jason Harper, again, very easy on the eyes, but also a fantastic cook so he’d be able to keep all of out energies up. The last one, and I’m not giving a name here as it’s personal, is the inspiration for Jackson MacKenzie. He’s a good friend of mine and has helped me through some tough time. I wouldn’t be without him in my life.
What is your most annoying habit?
I’m the queen of the saying “I’ll do it in a minute.” It drives my husband mad as whatever it is never gets done and he ends up doing it himself. My memory is terrible so unless I do something there and then, I completely forget about it.
Please tell me about your books? For each one please send a pic (kindle cover would be perfect)
I have three books out at the moment: Heart & Soul is part one in the Heartland series. You have Alistair Lockwood, Hollywood moviestar and heartthrob, you meets clerical assistant Samantha Westfield during a meeting. There’s an instant attraction, but both have dark secrets that they want to keep hidden.

Somewhere Love Remains tells the tale of Olivia and Jackson, two people who connect when Olivia places an advert for an armed forces penpal. Throughout the years Olivia falls for Jackson, but he falls for someone else and they lose touch. Jump to 14 years later and a chance encounter has them reconnecting, but they’re both different to what the other remembers.

Chase the Knight is a novella you can read in 45 minutes. Abigail’s life is threatened by her dad’s shady work dealings so he hires Alexander Chase, and undercover cop, to protect her. Can’t really say much more without giving it away.

Mind and Soul & Perception are currently in progress. Mind & Soul carries on six weeks after Heart & Soul ended with Alistair and Samantna trying to move on with their lives. Perception is a little different to the other books in that it is a crime book where several girls have gone missing, with two turning up later, apparently murdered.

Lightning round
Tea or Coffee? Tea
Cash or credit? Cash
Cats or Dogs? Cats
Beach or Mountain? Beach
Summer or Winter? Summer
Sweet or Savoury? Savoury
Early riser or late riser? Late Riser
Morning or Night? Night
Christmas Tree – real or fake? Real
Sex – Lights on or off? Both

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.
Please leave Facebook, Twitter, Website links so we can check you out further.

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nicola-C.-Priest/e/B00GW2VPUE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1484058652&sr=1-1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolacpriest

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NicolaCPAuthor

Website: https://www.nicolacpriest.co.uk

1.Can we start with your name and where you’re from?

I’m Laura Morgan, originally from Essex but I now live in the West Midlands.

2. Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?

Oh absolutely. I love reading anything dark and powerful. I found there was a real gap in that market a few years ago and that was what inspired me to write my first dark novel. They say if you can’t read the book you’re trying to find, then you have to write it, and that’s exactly what I did!

I do have a few big influences though. JR Ward is one of my all time favourites, as is Pepper Winters and Colleen Hoover.

3. What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?

I’m one who crosses over. I have a dark paranormal series, a contemporary romance duology and a crime novel coming out soon. I also write dystopian science fiction under another pen name too. I just write what comes to me, regardless of genre.

4. If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?

I’d have to say Rhage from the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I’ve always had a thing for the bad guy with a heart and he was the one character who stayed with me long after reading about him. I’d love to take him and make him my own. To pop him in my worlds and see what happens!

5. When did you first start writing?

I’ve always made up stories since being a child, but I only started properly writing them down around four years ago. I hadn’t even realised that coming up with stories in my head wasn’t what everyone did. I figured it was the norm to conjure up characters and storylines, but got the shock of my life when I realised that wasn’t quite the case. That realisation gave the push I needed to finally put pen to paper.

6. Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?

Both really. I plan some, usually at night while I tell myself a story to fall asleep. Then the next day, I type up what I came up with and then some more.

7. Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)

My favourite character has to be Cate, the Dark Queen in my Black Rose series. She’s dealt some pretty bad cards in the first book and is pushed in directions she doesn’t want to be, but then she finds her strength and turns it all around. She becomes a force to be reckoned with and I absolutely love her for every moment of it.

8. Was there an event in your life that triggered a particular book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?

Not really. There are a few real moments I have added along the way. Secret scenes only those who know me really well will spot, but most of all I will see a real-life scenario and ask ‘what if?’ That’s what makes it into the story rather than a real event as such.

9. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?

I’m about to release a new story called Rough Love. This one is a modern day tale of both the good and bad in our world. A world where love can conquer all, but at the same time the monsters can also win a few of the battles along the way. It’s a contemporary crime with elements of romance, but fundamentally it’s a mystery and a dark one at that!

10. What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?

Don’t get too swallowed up in sweating the small stuff. Just sit down and write. Blurt out an initial draft and don’t give up. It’s better to have a rough draft you can work on a million times than nothing at all.

11.What do you do when you’re not writing?

I love to sing and am part of the Military Wives Choir, through which I’ve had some great opportunities to sing with famous artists and even go on the radio with the amazing Chris Evans. I’ve written poems and songs for them as well and hope to have even more input as time goes on. It’s something I hadn’t thought I’d love so much when I started out doing but now couldn’t live without!

12. What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?

The marketing. I’m too nice and don’t like to bombard people or shove my cards under anyone’s nose I find. I’m awkward like that, but I guess it comes with the territory or being a loner who sits in front of a computer for hours on end talking to imaginary people lol!

13. We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?

Because I write romance, the amount of people who tell me random stories about their lovelife is unreal! But then they almost always follow up their story with a, ‘but don’t put that in your book!’ Really?! I think you fail to comprehend the complexity of the writers’ imagination if you think I’m going to put you in my next book 😉

14. What is your idea of happiness?

Being able to write and do what I love for the foreseeable future. I truly love what I do and would adore being able to write full time. My family are incredibly supportive and it’d also be amazing not to have to sacrifice my family time so much.

15. For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.

I love to sit down in my nice and warm writing cave with my coffee brewed to perfection and perhaps a biscuit or two for dunking. Next, it’s on with the writing playlist and I choose whichever one ties in with my current piece of writing. With (ideally) no distractions, I then close my eyes, focus on the story, and begin to type. The words are then not simply black and white symbols on a page, but the narration of the movie playing out in my head. They flow perfectly and only stop when I say so…

16. What makes you laugh/cry?

I’m a sucker for love. I cry at the sweetest of stories and the heart-warming ones. Laughing wise, I’m like a twelve year old. A good fart joke or someone falling over will get me giggling every single time!

17. You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature.

I’ve got a serious fan-girl situation going on with a singer/writer called Corey Taylor so he’d be first on my list for shooting the breeze, singing together and having some fun (he also comes across as a hilarious guy.) After that, I’d have to go with some eye candy—the one and only Tom Hardy. He’s a great actor and has been the inspiration behind many of my leading men so he’d have to come along to keep on inspiring me 😉 Then, I’m thinking some more eye candy and my other inspiration, Henry Cavill. He seems so nice and gentlemanly, but also like he’d fun and perhaps let me ogle him while he’s swimming and hunting 😉

18. What is your most annoying habit?

I don’t think I have one really? My hubby might tell you differently though, but I do know I can be quite annoying with grinding my teeth at night. I sometimes wake myself up with the noise it’s that bad, oops!

19. Please tell me about your books? For each one please send a pic (kindle cover would be perfect)

I have quite an extensive collection now! The Black Rose series is my dark paranormal collection. They have angels and demons galore, and of course all the dark deeds you might expect given the setting. I cover controversial and taboo subjects, as well as the age-old concept of balance between the worlds of light and dark. I drag the reader kicking and screaming through both the good and bad in this and other worlds.

My contemporary romances Forever Lost and Forever Loved are set in the real world, but one just as dark in its own way. You have hookers and gangsters, but also the story of a young woman who’s overcoming her own history via their world. Plus, you have a hot alpha lead you cannot help but fall in love with haha!

With my science fiction, I wrote from another perspective. One of a futuristic society where the human race is no longer in charge of the earth. Following an alien invasion, the series begins with the story of a young woman who has been brought up under their reign, but she has a bright future ahead of her, if only she can overcome the obstacles in her path first.

Lightning round
Tea or Coffee? Both! Earl grey tea for me though, if you please
Cash or credit? Cash
Cats or Dogs? Dogs – I have a furry friend who sits by my feet as I type
Beach or Mountain? Beach, but always in the shade otherwise I melt haha
Summer or Winter? Winter
Sweet or Savoury? Savoury – I’m a crisp monster
Early riser or late riser? Late riser for sure!
Morning or Night? Night
Christmas Tree – real or fake? Fake
Sex – Lights on or off? On!

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.
Please leave Facebook, Twitter, Website links so we can check you out further.