Alexis: Today we have USA Today Bestselling author, Mary Buckham visiting and she is giving away an ecopy of INVISIBLE FEARS to one lucky commenter!
Welcome Mary.
What are you working on now?
Mary: I’m working on the next full-length
book in the IR (Invisible Recruits) series. This one is called INVISIBLE
SECRETS and as the fifth full-length book in the series it has some major
twists to the lives of the core IR team members. It should be released late
September or early October. I’m also finishing up the final tweaks on my next
non-fiction writing craft book—WRITING ACTIVE HOOKS Book 1 which will be
released this September.
Alexis: Wow, you are busy. Where did you get
the idea for Invisible Recruits?
Mary: Originally the idea came from noticing
a speed trap and realizing that since a lot of law enforcement agencies use the
same types of cars, some speed traps are really easy to spot. Same issue
happens in undercover work, that criminals get very savvy about spotting a cop
so what if you used agents who were not trained in law enforcement ~ that would
be invisible to criminals because they’d look and act like the regular people
they are—a kindergarten teacher, debutante, etc. Then I threw in the paranormal
and preternatural element. What if you were a woman that hid your gift your
whole life and now all of a sudden have a chance to use that gift to battle
preternaturals in a world unaware that preternaturals exist?
Alexis: I love it! So what is your favorite
trait of Kelly McAllister?
Mary: Kelly McAllister, former kindergarten
teacher and current IR agent represents the good girl in most women. The way
we’ve been taught to behave, to hold back, to acknowledge others’ strengths but
not always our own. Placed in a position of leading her first mission I keep
placing her in more and more danger, testing her mettle, putting her through
multiple trials of fire. That’s when we discover who we truly are, not when
things are easy but when things get tough. It’s a fascinating journey of
self-discovery even as the reader finds herself rooting for Kelly even as they
worry about her through each step of her story.
Alexis: What has been the best piece of advice
you ever received for your writing career?
Mary: Never give up. Never surrender. Oh,
wait, that’s the motto from Galaxy Quest. Actually it’s very applicable. As a
writer I have the opportunity, every day, to give up, to stop writing, to turn
away and take another job that’s not fraught with so much insecurity and
variables outside of my control. It takes a daily leap of faith to face a blank
page, to assume there are readers that love the kind of stories I love to read
and write, that all the time invested in learning how to write and write better
and keep on writing, will be worth the time and attention. I’ve been very
fortunate in finding a very receptive audience for my stories, who encourage me
in so many ways, and, by taking the time to write a review or send me an email,
reaffirm that the risks are worth it, that I can truly say I won’t give up and
won’t surrender.
Alexis: Mary, thank you so much for visiting
us here at Happily Ever After Thoughts. It has been so fun chatting with you.
Check out the
blurb on INVISIBLE FEARS below.
INVISIBLE FEARS Blurb:
He’s a
preternatural fighting for the humans.
She's a human
fighting for the preternaturals.
Kelly
McAllister’s Invisible Recruit mission in Sierra Leone is to locate and secure
a threat to humans and preternaturals. Van Noziak is also there, with his own
secret mission, one that’s on a collision course with Kelly’s. In deepest
Africa the race against a deadly bloom reveals secrets, exposes fears, and
forces unlikely alliances.
I love
conflict. The
conflict between dark magic and white. The conflict between beings
created with
different needs and wants. Witches. Mage warlocks. Shifters, Weres, and demons
all trying to co-exist against their natures. Bring it on!
I'm a huge
paranormal and fantasy lover. Especially
Urban Fantasy and any paranormal fantasy series that allows me to throw myself
into magic and mystery page after page, book after book.
The
paranormal world of the Invisible Recruits is built on women who must learn to
embrace their preternatural talents to fight good and evil. Talents that
they've hidden from the human population for fear of being different.
But because I
love conflict I've dropped these women into a world where magic and fantasy
exist side by side with humans intentionally kept in the dark about Shifters,
Weres, warlocks, witches, and especially about magic.
Throw in a
strong dose of romantic suspense, emotional relationships to add more conflict,
and paranormal beings you've never heard of before, and you'll know why readers
can't get enough of this fast-paced paranormal thriller series.
Website: www.MaryBuckham.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryBuckham
Thank you Alexis for having me as your guest today. It's such a delight!
ReplyDeleteIt's always wonderful to have you, Mary :-)
DeleteNinja in the house! Mary, you're an inspiration to all of us. I loved the way you came up with your idea for the Invisible Recruits; I find a lot of inspiration in songs and movies. What is your favorite movie?
ReplyDeleteHi Marla! Appreciate your stopping by. Oh, favorite movie? That's so hard to nail down because it runs the gamut from Fifth Element to Pride and Prejudice (the one with Colin Firth) to Bull Durham to Practical Magic. I could go on and on except I feel the need for a movie fix coming on :-) Thanks for posting and asking a killer question that will keep my brain spinning all day!
DeleteAt least something good has come out of a speed trap! Lol! You know this ninja loves your books, and I cannot wait to read Invisible Secrets! Love the cover!
ReplyDeleteHi Kimberly and thanks for enjoying the series and being excited about the next book in the series. I woke up in the middle of the night last night already into the next two books in the series - Invisible Embrace which has some real heartbreak and then Alex's next novel. Must write faster!!
DeleteAwesome, Mary! It's always fascinating to find out how authors come up with their ideas for books. I'm currently reading Invisible Fate and totally loving it, the series and the interaction between the characters.. I love reading paranormal/preternatural books and am thrilled to have found your Invisible Recruits series! This Ninja can't wait for Invisible Secrets!
ReplyDeleteHello Connie and thank you so much for swinging by and sharing! This series is a blast to write. Biggest challenge is keeping the IR team members patient as they wait for Their stories to be told. Nothing like having a bunch of women with attitude yamming at me daily :-) Invisible Secrets is coming . . .
DeleteHi Mary! I've a ways to go before I get to Invisibe Fears, but I'm sure enjoying the journey. I like the strong women in this series, and the unorthodox methods of policing they need to do their jobs in their extraordinary world. I'm looking forward to reading as their stories develop
ReplyDeleteHi Joysann ~ you have no idea how much your feedback means to me. Thank you! Maybe I can get the next book - INVISIBLE SECRETS out before you get to it in the series :-) It's good to have a goal! Thanks for sharing and stopping by!
DeleteHi Mary! All of your books, fiction and non-fiction, are wonderful! I have learned a lot from you. And I love that your heroine's name is Kelly. :)
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Kelly S.
LOL Kelly ~ some of the coolest heroines I know share the name Kelly and you're one of them! Thanks for taking the time to visit and post today!
DeleteHi Mary! You have changed the way I read (and write) setting forever. The hard work you put into your writing makes it seem effortless--like magic. I can't think of any series I've looked forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteThank you Nanette! The day you sat down on that couch in LA was a very good day! Delighted that you're finding the Active Setting information helpful. I love getting to help writers up their craft abilities! Cheers ~ the 8th Sister :-)
DeleteHi Mary, I'm so glad that you share what you have learned about the craft of writing and do it in a way that is so accessible. Happy that our paths in PT and hope they will cross again.
ReplyDeleteHey Lynda ~ waving at you from the summer cool PNW! I love being able to share what I've learned through trial and error with other writers. Hoping it might save others some of the learning curve! Thanks for visiting and sharing!
DeletehI Mary, i am a big fan of yours. i have all the IR books and love them all. I am so happy to hear that you are not going to give up writing.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon and thank you! It's fans like you that makes writing a pure joy. One day, before I was published and I was so sure I'd never get to that point I went on a walk. I came to the decision that I was done, finished, going to find another way to make a living. Then I took a deep breath and started thinking about how I could rewrite the last scene. When I realized that for someone who'd 'quit' writing I still couldn't turn it off. The only alternative was to keep moving forward. Later that week I received the Call that a publishing house wanted my first book. :-)
ReplyDeletethat is awesome. and of course I am a ninja. lol i can imagine it is frustrating to try to get books published and sold.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the origin story for the IR series! Very interesting! From this reader's perspective, you make the writing thing seem so easy. So, keep kicking those blank pages butts! You do it so well!
ReplyDeleteHi Heather! Thank you for making my day. When I teach writing classes I remind students that good writing should look easy but that doesn't mean it's easy to get it to that point! Appreciate your swinging by and sharing!
DeleteI love Mary's IR series as well as her craft books. Looking forward to INVISIBLE SECRETS, can't wait! Your writing style and prolific ability to produce quality novels is an inspiration to those of us who are still working towards publication. Keep those stories coming! :)
ReplyDeleteAhhhh Debra, you're a sweetheart - thank you! Your day will be here soon. I'm rooting for you! Cheers!!!
DeleteInformative interview
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
Hi Lysette! Lovely to see you again here at Happily Ever After. Thanks for posting!
DeleteThe idea behind the Invisible Recruits Series makes a lot of sense. I am partial to Kelly's quest. Her journey to self discovery is fascinating. I admire and I can relate to her 'I can do it' attitude! Never give up is such valuable advice. I am delighted you ran with it!
ReplyDeleteThank you Claudia ~ it is fun to discover the kernel which creates a story and I always love the fact that if you give that same kernel to 100 different authors none of them would create the same story. Tickled pink too that you're enjoying Kelly. She has a lot of depth I'm still discovering :-)
DeleteJust to chime in and say that Mary is an excellent instructor and speaker. If she's ever in your neighborhood, make the effort to attend. You will leave the session a better writer. Her craft books are very detailed and give you lots of info to chew on. I am not surprised at all that her IR series is a hit.
ReplyDeleteHi Jody and thank you ever so much for the kind words. Hoping to get back to the CT area one of these days - one of my favorite places and so chock full of story ideas. Thanks for stopping by and posting!
DeleteHi Mary! We ninjas are really looking forward to Invisible Secrets, so write fast. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGail Hart
LOL! No pressure here Gail :-) I was writing on the ferry today because Kelly decided to up and change her story on me this week. No worries - it is coming!
Delete