Welcome , please tell my readers a little about yourself :-)
Bio: C.V. Madison is a licensed
massage therapist, author, feminist and gamer full of schadenfreude pie and
Mountain Dew. She pens urban fantasy, horror and steampunk with a side of heavy
romance. Her characters are straight, LGBTQIA and some shades not on the spectrum. She has
been published in both fiction and non-fiction anthologies.
Through the month of November, she can be found in local coffee
houses, over caffeinated and armed with her trusty laptop as she strives to
bang out 50,000 words in 30 days for National
Novel Writer's Month. She serves as a Municipal Liaison for
Columbus, Ohio.
C.V. does book reviews for the Yeah Books! blog and Masquerade
Crew as well as hosting book tours with Ally Nation. She also
writes for the Caffeine Crew and
is a member of the D20 Girls. She
often procrastinates on Twitter.
Q: Can you tell our readers a little about your
writing? What genres do you enjoy writing?
I write primarily romance, but it comes
in the form of fantasy, horror and steampunk. Although I've been known to do
contemporary and most of my work has been LGBTQIA. I guess the best word would
be “eclectic”.
Q: Do you write on a schedule or when the Muse
decides?
I try to write a little bit every day.
Sometimes life doesn't let that happen.
Q:
Can you tell us about your writing process, for example, do you write an
outline first?
I used to be a pantser, but recently
I've found myself plotting a little more. I often get a brilliant idea for an
opening scene and write from there until I'm exhausted. Then I go through and
plot out the rest.
Q: What qualities do you instill in your heroes?
That varies from hero to hero. The hero
of my contemporary The Layover is a kinky, saucy boy. The hero of With Proper
Maintenance is a neat freak with big shoes to fill.
Q.
Coffee or tea?
Since working in an indie coffeehouse, I
love my coffee. Especially Blue Mountain coffee. However, I've been drinking a
lot more tea lately.
Q.
Beach or countryside?
Beach. No questions asked. As long as
it's warm and sunny.
Q.
Do you write about the places you know or prefer to take your readers to exotic
places?
I haven't written many of the places I
know. I've visited Chicago. I'd like to set something in Toronto, but we'll see
what happens there.
Q:
Where do you get your inspiration?
Random ideas pop into my head. Sometimes
they come from dreams. Sometimes from story prompts. And sometimes I read a
book and go, “Cool concept, but I'd rather do it this way.”
Q:
Would you change anything in your life to make writing easier.
I've made changes in my life so writing
is easier. I suffer with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. Without
getting into all the symptoms, getting help has made writing much easier.
Q:
We have all suffered submission rejections. How do you cope? Do you have any
advice to other writers on coping with rejection?
I've been incredibly lucky. I've only
gotten three rejection letters so far and all of the advice given was pretty
spot on. I coped by joining a crit group to get better. The better you are, the
less rejection letters you'll get.
I offer the same advice with rejection
as I do with taking critique. Read the rejection. Put the letter or email away
for a week. Then go back and read it again. Often the sting is out of it by
then and you can make real progress in making the changes that need to be done.
Q:
What do you like to read and who are your favourite authors?
I really like Laura Anne Gilman and her
Retriever series. I really liked Orson Scott Card's Ender saga. And Tigana by
Guy Gavriel Kay does emotion like nobody else. I also really like Nathaniel
Hawthorne.
Q:
Do you write one novel at a time or do you move between works in progress?
If I have a submission call for
something pressing, I jump between. If not, I usually stick with one at a time,
but I often get ideas in the middle of a novel for another work I've been doing
and sometimes pause to jot a scene or two.
Q:
Do you have times when the Muse is away on holiday?
Most certainly. I've had a recent three
month hiatus. Although I call all my characters who are clamouring for
attention my “muses”, so maybe that's not an accurate answer. My characters are
always with me. Inspiration, however, is sometimes not.
Q.
What motivates you to write?
I have a head full of characters who
insist their stories be told. I also enjoy the outlet of pouring words onto a
page. It's very cathartic.
Q.
What advice would you give to unpublished authors approaching an e publisher?
Write. Revise. Get someone published to
crit your work. Revise again. Your friends and family, as much as they love
you, are your cheerleaders, not your peers. You need someone who can give you
hard advice on what you've written before those dreaded rejection letters come
in.
Q:
Is there anything you would like to share with us about upcoming releases?
I wrote a post apocalyptic ninja short
story that is slated for publication. No release date yet, but I'm pretty
excited. I'd like to do a novel from the short story.
Q:
Can
you tell us a little about your current novel? What inspired you to write this
story?
The story was for an anthology
submission call and wound up being its own novella instead. Ethan has been with
me for a few years and I'd like to write a book about his mechanical adventures
in the future. I've always liked odd couple stories and Ethan and Cecil are
about as different as you can get. They say opposites attract!
Title: With Proper Maintenance
Author: C.V. Madison
Release date: 09 October 2014
Publisher: Jupiter Gardens Press
Blurb:
Named the youngest
head engineer in the history of his company, Ethan Cole’s first voyage on the
Platinum Bow is his chance to stand out from his father’s shadow. His dream is
dashed by the roguish Cecil Goode, promoted to Ethan’s position just before the
ship sets sail. When the Bow is hijacked by pirates, Ethan and Cecil have to work
together to bring the pirates’ nearly wrecked ship to safety. Will they make it
to port before the ship plummets from the sky? And what will become
of the combustible passion between them? Will it outlast the pirate attack?
Book buy links:
·
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/483202
Author's links
Giveaway codes:
If you buy your copy
of With Proper Maintenance from the Jupiter Gardens Press website and use the
promo code GAYSTEAM, you get a copy of Angelia Sparrow's steampunk story Sky
Rat for $0.99!
Excerpt 1
Ethan signed the bottom
of the requisition form and gave the list another once-over. Accuracy was the
key to a clean, tight, steam-powered airship. All forms were submitted in
triplicate with neat, easy to read handwriting. Two copies would be on the
captain’s desk within the hour, just as promised.
Three sharp raps brought him from his work as he
finished the final pen stroke. Ethan set aside his quill, careful not to spill
ink or make a mis-mark on the copied requisition forms, and pulled open the
door.
Captain Quinn, a tall man with a head of thick black
hair, a lantern jaw with a cleft chin and, presently, five-o-clock
shadow, filled the doorway. He wore no coat and tie, his shirt was unfastened
three buttons down and his trousers hung wrinkled. Ethan hoped he covered his
shock at the captain’s attire.
“Good evening, Engineer Cole. I hope I find you well.”
“Indeed. What might I do for you, Captain?”
“Have you walked through the engine compartment? Is
everything satisfactory for departure?”
“I found a few pieces in need of attention. I am
duplicating requisition forms now, sir.”
“Requisition form?” The captain’s thick fingers pinched
the corner and plucked the crisp page from Ethan’s grasp. “I can’t even read
this.”
Ethan’s cheeks heated. How could he have been so
foolish as to keep the original in hand when he answered the door?
“I will make the submitted forms legible.”
“Tut, tut, tut.” The captain wagged a stout finger and
leaned in, his cologne mixing with the bourbon on his breath. “You come highly
recommended. I have no worry. Go, find what you need, stop off at the office on
the way back and give them your forms. I can’t exactly allow them to see me
like this and expect to keep my job, now can I?”
Ethan shook his head and took a step back. The captain
weaved in the doorway and, thankfully, returned from whence he came. Once the
pervasive odor of stale bedsheets and hair oil dissipated, Ethan drew a breath
of relief. If the captain didn’t dry out, Ethan would be certain they wouldn’t
leave port. A captain should keep his wits about him at all times. At any point
a mechanical failure or invading ship could kill an entire crew. Ethan would not
become another casualty of piracy.
