Guest Author: J.C. McKenzie!

Good morning!  Please help me welcome guest author J.C. McKenzie to the blog today.  J.C. writes paranormal romance, and she's here today to share with you her newest book, THE SHUCKER'S BOOKTIQUE!  This is a new paranormal short story in The Wild Rose Press's "Lobster Cove" series.

1) How did you get started writing?
I've always loved writing. My mom has an English Major and used to write for a column in the local newspaper. She's always encouraged my creative side (side note: she's also an author - Jo-Ann Carson). When I won a flash fiction contest (The Sands of Time), I started to take my writing more seriously and enrolled in a course to work on the epic fantasy manuscript I'd completed. What I didn't realize was the course really meant a bunch of other inexperienced writers would hack and rip my pride and joy up and almost destroy my delicate writer's soul. Luckily, after that "course" finished, I found the RWA and supportive critique partners. I still can't look at that first manuscript, but I've moved on and I think the experience made me a stronger, thicker-skinned writer.

2) What interests or excites you most about your genre(s)?
I love the dark and twisted elements of paranormal and urban fantasy. I love the idea of the supernatural living among the mundane. I think it's the best form of escapism, and let's face it, sometimes we want to escape our every day lives just for a glimpse of the extraordinary.

3) Who or what is your favorite inspiration when writing?
I really admire Patricia Briggs and her writing style. Her ability to develop characters and a world so effortlessly and in a relatively low word count is inspirational. I'd LOVE to write like her. I'm also a huge fan of Kim Harrison and love how she entwines humour in her writing.

4) Tell me about your latest book or work in progress.
THE SHUCKER'S BOOKTIQUE releases today and is available from online retailers everywhere. I really enjoyed writing this story for several reasons. One, I was born and raised on the west coast of Canada. I am in love with the ocean and to write a story that focuses on the water element really appealed to me. Two, I just moved to southern Saskatchewan (husband's work), so for the first time in my life, I find myself without the deep blue to look upon. This story helped me work through a lot of the initial homesickness. And three, this is my first short story. I really enjoyed writing a simple story arc where I didn't have to constantly put my characters into new conflict. It's not nearly as stressful!

5) Please share with us the first paragraph of your latest work.
Bang! Bang! Bang!

Willa bolted upright in bed. The white sheets clung to her damp tank top and shorts. Her gut clenched, and foreboding trickled down her spine like sweat. The shapes of the furnishings in her aunt’s second floor guest room slowly materialized as her eyes adjusted to the dark night. Rain pounded against the bedroom window, and the birch trees groaned in the gale force winds outside. She closed her eyes and inhaled the lingering smells of sea breeze air with evening primrose and night-blooming cereus.

Must’ve been thunder.

Thank you for joining us today, J.C.!  If you want to know more about J.C. or her books, please check out the following links!
 

Buy THE SHUCKER'S BOOKTIQUE at:

The Wild Rose Press

Amazon

Email:  charlottecopper.author@gmail.com

Website:  http://www.jckckenzie.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/j.c.mckenzie.author

Twitter:  @JC_McKenzie