Erin McFadden's Adult/New Adult Contemporary Fantasy Novel

 I recently read a novel entitled Muse (Descended from Myth: Book One).  The Author of this novel, joins me to discuss the birth of  her book. She also shared information about upcoming projects.  Please welcome Erin McFadden.

Hi Erin!  I loved your book.  Please tell the readers of this blog a little bit about Muse (Descended from Myth: Book One).   

Muse (Descended from Myth: Book One), is a young adult/new adult contemporary fantasy loosely based on Greek mythology. It focuses on the world of Talents, the descendants of the original Muses and their dedicated protectors, the Brotherhood of Guardians.

 How did you come up with the idea for this book? 

I actually dreamt about this story before I started writing it. For as long as I can remember, I have had very vivid dreams. It’s sort of like watching a movie in my head. Luckily I’m also able to remember most of my dreams when I wake up. A lot of my best ideas come straight from my subconscious while I’m sleeping!

It’s amazing how many manuscripts derive from  a dream.  That’s how I came up with the idea for my first book.  How did you begin your writing career?

Muse is the first book that I have published, though I have several other stories lying around gathering dust. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but only began to seriously consider letting other people read my stories in the last few years. I suppose you could say that my writing was a secret hobby that has finally been exposed.

I believe Facebook plays a huge role in turning closet writers into published authors.  People love to read posts about their friends’ lives.  The acceptance gives you the courage to move forward with your writing passion.   You mentioned that Muse (Descended from Myth: Book One) is loosely based on Greek mythology and began as a dream, where did you find the inspiration?

I’ve always had a fondness for Greek and Roman mythology, and those tales formed the framework for the mythical elements in Muse. I also knew that I wanted a strong female main character who didn’t see herself as a victim.

How long did it take you to write your current novel?

The rough draft of Muse was written during the month of November 2012 as part of the National Novel Writing Month challenge (known as NaNoWriMo) after that initial draft, it went through several revisions and editing before it was published in September of 2013. 

I love the National Novel Writing Month challenge.  It is a fantastic program for writers.  I hope we don’t have to wait until next November for you to begin your next project. What else are you working on? 

I’m currently working on the second book in the Descended from Myth series, Talent and another unrelated novel, Whimper. Talent reveals even more about the Guardians and the corruption that is threatening their very existence. Whimper is a New Adult contemporary that deals with a new viral strain that threatens to wipe out the under forty age group as it spreads chaos. It was inspired by the T.S. Elliot poem, The Hollow Men. “This is the way the world ends/ Not with a bang but a whimper.”

We’ve discussed our shared pet peeve of typos in books (especially when your own book publishes with mistakes – grrr!).  Your book was beautifully written and edited. Who reads the drafts of your novels?

My husband is a high school administrator, but he was an English teacher first. He gets the honor of editing my first drafts and combing over my grammatical errors. I also have a few good friends who I can depend on to read and give me an honest opinion. I am very feedback driven, so I usually beg them to read chapters well before the first draft is ever finished. Once they’ve given me their critiques and I’ve revised every stray plot bunny I can find, off the manuscript goes to the editor for another round.

I enjoy meeting the person behind the writing, so I hope you won’t mind answering a few personal/silly questions.  Before I remove the focus away from your writing, I’d like to provide readers with links to find Erin McFadden and her novel, Muse (Descended from Myth: Book One). 

As a special gift, Erin has lowered the price of her e-book to 99 cents for readers of this blog.  Don’t delay in downloading the e-book version, the sale is for a limited time.

Erin McFadden https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erin-McFadden/578999152122792?ref=hl

Muse page: https://www.facebook.com/NovelMUSE

Twitter: @ErinMcF_Author

I also have Pinterest boards for Muse and my upcoming books. https://www.pinterest.com/McFaddenWrites/

If you would like to read the synopsis and the review I posted on Muse (Descended from Myth: Book One), click over to www.writergirlkatie.wordpress.com.

Here are a few fun questions.  What is your favorite snack while writing?

I have a silly superstition that I started in either college or late in high school where I would eat a frozen fudge bar if I got stuck on a paper or essay. Even now if I get really stuck you’re likely to find me in the ice cream section stocking up.

What is your day job?

I work in law enforcement as a communications officer. I answer 911 and dispatch for police, fire and EMS. I’ve also worked as a corrections officer and as a probation officer.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a veterinarian up until my freshman year of college when I realized that my chemistry skills were never going to be good enough to make the cut. I still love animals and I still cannot balance a chemical equation to save my life.

Is there anything else you would like to say to your readers?

I’m an avid reader myself and I would like to thank everyone who takes the time out of their own busy lives to step into my make believe world for a little while. I know there are thousands upon thousands of books available to every reader at the touch of a button. I cannot express how much it means to me every time someone picks Muse out of that infinite list and connects with my words. Thank you!

Once again, please let us know where can we find your book?

Muse is available in e-book format through most major retailers (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, etc.) and in paperback through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Createspace. 

Thank you for chatting with me, Erin.  I look forward to future work from you and wish you the very best.  I am off to buy frozen fudge bars.  I wonder where that craving came from?

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Would you like a feature in the Author Spotlight?  Visit my website (www.katie-mcknight-author.com) or stop by Facebook (www.facebook.com/katiemcknightauthorpage).