A Chat with Shannan Albright author of Beloved Wizard

Shannan and I are sitting down today for a relaxing chat. Pull up your lawn chair, your favorite drink and join us. I also have all the details on the first release in her Knights of Excalibur series.

Title: Beloved Wizard

by: Shannan Albright

Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Length: 70 Pages
Sub-Genres: Romance

Blurb:

Merci Tramaine is not happy to be called back into service by her old boss Arthur, especially when she is charged to find her missing ex-lover. Drake Monroe is Merlin reincarnated. With his powers bound by the Goddess Nimue, he has become a skilled fighter, but is no match for Nimue who kidnapped him, determined to destroy him forever.

The bloodline of Morgan Le Fey taints Merci, keeping her on the edge between light and dark. The goddess’s wicked trap springs shut, leaving both Drake and Merci racing against the clock. Passions ignite once again, but are they too late to plan a future or will they be torn from each other?

This time for eternity.

Shannan lets dig right in with a hard question, lol. Picture your favorite place in the world. Now, can you tell us a little bit about the place you’ve pictured?

A pristine white beach at low tide, the waves lapping up to shore in lazy surges, the fizzing sound of sea meeting land lulling, encouraging you to relax and leave the stress of the world behind. Here there are no deadlines, micro-management or responsibilities. Here there is only a complete state of being in the moment, one with nature around you. The breeze is warm, not over heated. Just a pleasant caress against the skin the scents of sea and land with a floral undertone of Gardenia’s and Jasmine. If this place doesn’t exists, it should so I can go there. Lol!

And so I can go there too. You relaxed me with your favorite place. What was the last book you read that made a lasting impression on you?

Easy since I just read it. JR Ward’s Lover at Last. I have read quite a bit of M/M and never have I found such dimension within the struggles to be in love with the same sex. She covers all the bases and with such sensitivity and passion I was sad to have finished it.

I’ve heard wonderful things about Lover at Last. I’m very much looking forward to reading an experiencing it. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

Lol, Got a few years? I started writing in 1980 and hit every brick wall there was and then some new ones. I decided to go a different way with my writing after illustrating a children’s book and started putting together a graphic novel…, which is still unfinished. Along the way I got back into writing, became an RWA member and spent a few years just taking workshops. When a new e-publisher was looking for short stories I figured what the hell, I’ll just add to my pile of rejections and submitted for their Christmas anthology. I was accepted and boy, it took a while for the shock to wear off on that one. The rest, as they say is history.

Persistence paid off, I’m so glad to read that. Can you tell us about a criticism you’ve received that pushed you into a better writing place?

I got a rejection letter from a big New York publisher that told me to give it up. I didn’t have the talent and was wasting both there’s and my time. Well after I licked my wounds I got mad. Even if they never knew, I would be a published author. When someone tells me no I have a tendency to dig in and prove them wrong. Good and bad this is my nature. Guess the Cajun stubbornness in me won’t let things die, or take a person’s words as the truth.

Brilliant. You ignored the negativity, took the challenge, and you won. I love it. Which one of your characters would you NOT like to meet in real life?

I really, really wouldn’t like to run across Mordred. I may have to hurt him just for breathing. I’m not a violent person, but his superior snotty, entitled attitude drove me nuts even when I wrote him in I had to grit my teeth to get through it.

Lol. That’s awesome. Which one of your characters would you most like to meet in real life?

Viviane, Lady of the Lake would be a cool character to meet. She is so not what one expects of a goddess. A cross between Goth girl meets Anime, she would be a hoot to share an afternoon with.

I bet. You should write a blog post one day detailing an afternoon with her. I’m thinking, it would be a fun read. What turns you on creatively?

Oh this is easy. Oil painting or illustrating.

Cool. My mother and grandfather are painters. I love watching them create. What is your greatest fear?

Bad health. I think I can successfully meet any challenge but that. To have no control of your body as it shuts down? Way too scary for a control freak like me.

Agreed. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I would like to finish my graphic book and be a graphic artist. Okay, it’s sort of like the same thing, but with more art so it’s different. Lol!

Yes. That would bring your two interests together. Neat. What is your greatest extravagance?

It’s coming up in September. I’m taking my first cruise to the Bahamas. This is the first time I’m going out of the United States and I’m so stoked.

You are going to have a fabulous time. I’m back thinking on your first answer. J What is your favorite music (genre/artist/album/song)?

Nickleback followed by Maroon 5 and Train. And I can’t tell you what my fave is since I love all of their songs.

Rock-n-Roll with pop, I love it. What is your motto?

I see a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a train.

What are you working on now?

I am finishing a novella on my other series The Dark Breed Enforcers, plus the next full length book in the series. At the same time I am working on a Historical paranormal about Dragon shifters and I working two other first books in a series. One is tentatively called The Summoning: Rise of the Sentinels about angels called Watchers pitted against the bad guys called The Dark Guard. The other is called Demon Bewitched: A Cast Wars Novel. This deals with witches, demons and angels. That’s what’s on my plate for this year.J I hate to be idle as you can tell.

Thank you for having me on your blog. I had so much fun answering your questions.

That was a lot of fun, Shannan. Thanks for playing along.

Excerpt:

“I have no wish to be the next greatest anything. I like me just the way I am. I mind my own business and no one gets into my shit. Nice, quiet and uncomplicated.”

Color rose on Nimue’s fair complexion. Merci knew she’d just crossed the line, but couldn’t seem to care, even if the goddess could squash her like a bug. The only thing that mattered to her was Drake’s tall form moving ever closer toward them.

Nimue grabbed her upper arm in a punishing grip, whirled her around to face Drake. Nimue flung her hand out and Drake flew back like a puppet on a string, crashing into the far wall of the warehouse with a sickening flesh-meet-cinderblock thud. He lay crumpled amidst the debris like a broken doll.

Something snapped within Merci. Her blood scalded her veins. The taste of ash filled the back of her throat. Rage, cold and biting, filled her, coloring her vision in a red haze. Drawing energy from the earth, she channeled it up through her body, willing it to form. Her hands glowed, magic as hot as a stream of lava engulfed her. Her skin stung like the bite of a thousand fire ants as a small burst of electricity arched over her arms, snapping with pent up energy. The stench of ozone, hanging like a heavy cloud in the still air, filled the area. The force arched into Nimue, dropped her to the floor. Merci offered a feral smile while Nimue wreathed in pain against her magic. She bent down close enough for Nimue to hear her. “Since you don’t know me, I will explain this to you. You don’t fuck with what is mine. Drake, is mine.”

Buy Links:

Extasybooks.com | Amazon.com | Bookstrand.com | Sony E-book | Barnes and Noble

About The Author:

Growing up she was the dreamer in her family, something not always thought of as a positive thing. As a child she would draw and build stories around her pictures, so writing was a natural extension for her. Recently a family member told her that from now on she would encourage those dreamers she knew. Stating with hard work and focus dreams can come true. Shannan Albright is proof that dreaming can be a positive thing.

When not writing she spends her time between oil painting and reading. She loves writing paranormal, urban fantasy, historical and fantasy romances because of the world building and rich characters she finds. She loves dark, edgy heroes and heroines overcoming impossible odds internal and external.

She is a “hopeful” Romantic who believes a healthy relationship built on respect and a strong partnership is the key to a happy ever after.

Shannan Albright

@ShannanAlbright