What is your favorite thing about being a writer?
I can escape. You enter another world with characters who are friends and that you know better than you do some in the real world. You go on adventures with them and do things that you can only dream about. And when you’ve finished your story and it’s put on sale, there is nothing like those reviews from people telling you how much they enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next.
What genre(s) do you write?
I started off writing Paranormal Romance, but I’ve moved to a few other genres. I have a love story, a Christmas trilogy as well as paranormal stories. I don’t think it helps to be put into one type of category, as an author you have to be versatile and write about many topics. I’m currently co-writing an erotica novel for example – far removed from my normal work.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Finding the time is the hardest. I work full time. I have a home to look after, family to visit, which means I have to write late at night. The research is also very time consuming. My vampire books are part of a trilogy and I am writing the last part now. The second book had to incorporate 300 years of mortal and immortal life so I had to get timelines right and also any historical things that were happening at that time. This last book is about the crusades, I have to get everything right, the dates, the leaders, the areas of battle, the armour, everything. And after all of that – it’s those edits!
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Oh I am most definitely a plotter. I have to know where my characters are going well before I write a word. When I have an idea for a story, I usually have the way I want it to start and also the ending. Depending on the story I may already have the underlying message or theme of the entire story. I write a catch line on several sheets of paper. Maybe up to thirty pages at a time with what is happening at that moment. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle, putting the pieces together and then writing what happens around that point. I can’t just write a story in order, I tend to write it in bits from different times and hope that by the time I have written the piece before it, it makes some sort of sense…
What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
I hope they take some enjoyment from the stories. I hope they’ve managed to escape for a few hours and that they connected with my characters and love them as much as I do.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
My last novel Ordinary Wins is about never giving up, never feeling your day has passed. I want women who get to a certain age to realize that it’s not a world run my young people, it’s not run by beauty and that they can win. You can often get to a point in your life where you give up, you feel you just can’t compete with what’s out there. But you can…
How long have you been a writer?
I used to write stories in school. They would just come into my head and I’d write. My teachers were always limiting me to ten pages per essay – I could fill notebooks! When I left school I started to write short stories for magazines, you’ve all seen the types, they are usually two pages long, sometimes shorter. It was a nice bit of money to earn while I was at college. After that I stopped for a few years, but there was always a story trying to get out. It took a while but as soon as I sat down and put pen to paper, it all came flooding back. I guess it’s always with you, just as you get older, the nagging voices in your head start getting louder.
Are any of your characters based on real people or events?
Ha! I was asked that about Ordinary Wins, the answer is – maybe. Read it and see if you agree? I couldn’t possibly comment.
Judgement of Souls was written around a nightclub that I used to go to. The people in the story resemble real people and the club is described as the real club. So in that circumstance, yes it is based on real people…
What’s something fans would find fascinating about you?
I’ve worked on some great television programmes! Torchwood, Doctor Who as well as some well known British documentaries and music programmes.
Where are you from?
I live in Cardiff, Wales, home to castles, mountains, rugby, Doctor Who and Torchwood, with my partner and three little mad dogs and I work for a well-known TV broadcasting company. I love living in Cardiff because, for all its modernisation, there are still remnants of an old Victorian city. I love writing and will always base my stories in Cardiff because it has such character. When I can, I go out to the coast and take photographs, we have a lovely castle in the city centre and a fairytale one just on the outskirts, so when I feel I can’t write anything, I take a ramble to those locations and it clears my head.
How do you come up with the titles?
Judgement of Souls is mentioned in a song (The Sacrament) by a band called HiM.
My church is not of silver and gold,
It's glory lies beyond judgement of souls
The commandments are of consolation and warmth
I loved that line when I heard it. It fitted the story so well as it’s about a lost book, a book that contains the souls of those kindred.
I try to think about what the novel is about and come up with a few alternative titles, as the story progresses, the titles become more relevant and eventually one becomes the winner. Ordinary Wins was titled that way because just for once, I wanted to win and I would think of myself as ordinary. If you read that story, you’ll know what I mean.
Here are some questions just for fun. Answer as many as you would like.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
I have so many. But if I’m honest there’s an island just off the UK called Jersey (Channel Islands). It’s small but I know every inch of it. I can breathe when I’m there, I can think, some of it is quite wild but it’s so beautiful. I intend to go back there before this year is out too.
What kind of kid were you in school? Which social path did you take?
I had lots of friends, but I always did as I was told, I wasn’t a rebel. I liked certain parts of school, especially lunchtimes, there was always something to do. I was a reporter for the school magazine and worked my way up to editor. I looked out for some of the younger kids, especially if they were loners, nothing worse than being a kid who thinks they don’t fit in.
Which food could you not live without?
Oh I love my food! I am such a carnivore, so I suppose it would be chicken and pasta. But I love fish too! And potatoes. And rice! And chocolate! Is chocolate food? And coffee! Chocolate and coffee – they are beans right? So a food source!
Do you have any pets?
I have three Yorkshire terriers. They have ruined my home, have more toys than the average child and they have cost me a fortune in upkeep… and they are my world.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you travel?
I’m conflicted here because my two top destinations change weekly. Same two places, just the order. Los Angeles and Santorini.
Do you have siblings? What was it like growing up with them?
I have a sister. My father died when we were quite young so it’s always just been Mum, sister and me. It was lonely growing up, our family stayed very distant from us and pretty much only came to see us when they wanted something. We looked out for each other and nothing has changed much in that respect.
What was your first car?
A Volkswagen Golf.. it leaked oil. I used to carry a bottle of oil and a tray with me to work. I’d park up and place the tray under the car and catch the oil that leaked and then poured it back into the car to go home.
Do you have a favorite beverage that you drink when you write?
I drink black coffee. Lately I’ve been using a brand called Black Fuel. It’s an American company so I only take small cups with me while I write. Not that it’s expensive – just the shipping costs. That’s a total rip off by the postal companies.
Have you ever felt as though you were born in the wrong era? If so what era did you belong in?
No I love this era! We have everything and life is so much easier. I dare anyone to say how tough it is when we get welfare to buy food, we get housing so we’re not out in the streets. Yes it is tough for a lot of families, but go back 100 years and see who had it tougher?
What genre of books do you enjoy reading? Do you have a favorite author?
I’m a paranormal and horror fan. I read a lot of Anne Rice and Stephen King.
I can’t read mushy romantic stories, love isn’t hearts and flowers.
Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.
I am co-writing a new story. It’s an erotic comedy centered on two Welsh girls that go on holiday and meet two jewel thieves…
I am also writing the last of the vampire trilogy.
I have two scripts on the go. I am co-writer with a TV and Movie script that have been submitted to a major TV company.
Where can readers find you?
US:http://www.amazon.com/Judgement-of-Souls-ebook/dp/B006QFPHJC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Judgement-of-Souls-ebook/dp/B006QFPHJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328965289&sr=8-1
Europe: http://www.amazon.de/Margarita-Felices/e/B007BHDIVS
http://www.amazon.com/Margarita-Felices/e/B007BHDIVS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
http://www.facebook.com/JudgementOfSouls3TheKissAtDawn
Follow me on Twitter: @felicm60
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/felicm60/
I can escape. You enter another world with characters who are friends and that you know better than you do some in the real world. You go on adventures with them and do things that you can only dream about. And when you’ve finished your story and it’s put on sale, there is nothing like those reviews from people telling you how much they enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next.
What genre(s) do you write?
I started off writing Paranormal Romance, but I’ve moved to a few other genres. I have a love story, a Christmas trilogy as well as paranormal stories. I don’t think it helps to be put into one type of category, as an author you have to be versatile and write about many topics. I’m currently co-writing an erotica novel for example – far removed from my normal work.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Finding the time is the hardest. I work full time. I have a home to look after, family to visit, which means I have to write late at night. The research is also very time consuming. My vampire books are part of a trilogy and I am writing the last part now. The second book had to incorporate 300 years of mortal and immortal life so I had to get timelines right and also any historical things that were happening at that time. This last book is about the crusades, I have to get everything right, the dates, the leaders, the areas of battle, the armour, everything. And after all of that – it’s those edits!
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Oh I am most definitely a plotter. I have to know where my characters are going well before I write a word. When I have an idea for a story, I usually have the way I want it to start and also the ending. Depending on the story I may already have the underlying message or theme of the entire story. I write a catch line on several sheets of paper. Maybe up to thirty pages at a time with what is happening at that moment. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle, putting the pieces together and then writing what happens around that point. I can’t just write a story in order, I tend to write it in bits from different times and hope that by the time I have written the piece before it, it makes some sort of sense…
What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
I hope they take some enjoyment from the stories. I hope they’ve managed to escape for a few hours and that they connected with my characters and love them as much as I do.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
My last novel Ordinary Wins is about never giving up, never feeling your day has passed. I want women who get to a certain age to realize that it’s not a world run my young people, it’s not run by beauty and that they can win. You can often get to a point in your life where you give up, you feel you just can’t compete with what’s out there. But you can…
How long have you been a writer?
I used to write stories in school. They would just come into my head and I’d write. My teachers were always limiting me to ten pages per essay – I could fill notebooks! When I left school I started to write short stories for magazines, you’ve all seen the types, they are usually two pages long, sometimes shorter. It was a nice bit of money to earn while I was at college. After that I stopped for a few years, but there was always a story trying to get out. It took a while but as soon as I sat down and put pen to paper, it all came flooding back. I guess it’s always with you, just as you get older, the nagging voices in your head start getting louder.
Are any of your characters based on real people or events?
Ha! I was asked that about Ordinary Wins, the answer is – maybe. Read it and see if you agree? I couldn’t possibly comment.
Judgement of Souls was written around a nightclub that I used to go to. The people in the story resemble real people and the club is described as the real club. So in that circumstance, yes it is based on real people…
What’s something fans would find fascinating about you?
I’ve worked on some great television programmes! Torchwood, Doctor Who as well as some well known British documentaries and music programmes.
Where are you from?
I live in Cardiff, Wales, home to castles, mountains, rugby, Doctor Who and Torchwood, with my partner and three little mad dogs and I work for a well-known TV broadcasting company. I love living in Cardiff because, for all its modernisation, there are still remnants of an old Victorian city. I love writing and will always base my stories in Cardiff because it has such character. When I can, I go out to the coast and take photographs, we have a lovely castle in the city centre and a fairytale one just on the outskirts, so when I feel I can’t write anything, I take a ramble to those locations and it clears my head.
How do you come up with the titles?
Judgement of Souls is mentioned in a song (The Sacrament) by a band called HiM.
My church is not of silver and gold,
It's glory lies beyond judgement of souls
The commandments are of consolation and warmth
I loved that line when I heard it. It fitted the story so well as it’s about a lost book, a book that contains the souls of those kindred.
I try to think about what the novel is about and come up with a few alternative titles, as the story progresses, the titles become more relevant and eventually one becomes the winner. Ordinary Wins was titled that way because just for once, I wanted to win and I would think of myself as ordinary. If you read that story, you’ll know what I mean.
Here are some questions just for fun. Answer as many as you would like.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
I have so many. But if I’m honest there’s an island just off the UK called Jersey (Channel Islands). It’s small but I know every inch of it. I can breathe when I’m there, I can think, some of it is quite wild but it’s so beautiful. I intend to go back there before this year is out too.
What kind of kid were you in school? Which social path did you take?
I had lots of friends, but I always did as I was told, I wasn’t a rebel. I liked certain parts of school, especially lunchtimes, there was always something to do. I was a reporter for the school magazine and worked my way up to editor. I looked out for some of the younger kids, especially if they were loners, nothing worse than being a kid who thinks they don’t fit in.
Which food could you not live without?
Oh I love my food! I am such a carnivore, so I suppose it would be chicken and pasta. But I love fish too! And potatoes. And rice! And chocolate! Is chocolate food? And coffee! Chocolate and coffee – they are beans right? So a food source!
Do you have any pets?
I have three Yorkshire terriers. They have ruined my home, have more toys than the average child and they have cost me a fortune in upkeep… and they are my world.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you travel?
I’m conflicted here because my two top destinations change weekly. Same two places, just the order. Los Angeles and Santorini.
Do you have siblings? What was it like growing up with them?
I have a sister. My father died when we were quite young so it’s always just been Mum, sister and me. It was lonely growing up, our family stayed very distant from us and pretty much only came to see us when they wanted something. We looked out for each other and nothing has changed much in that respect.
What was your first car?
A Volkswagen Golf.. it leaked oil. I used to carry a bottle of oil and a tray with me to work. I’d park up and place the tray under the car and catch the oil that leaked and then poured it back into the car to go home.
Do you have a favorite beverage that you drink when you write?
I drink black coffee. Lately I’ve been using a brand called Black Fuel. It’s an American company so I only take small cups with me while I write. Not that it’s expensive – just the shipping costs. That’s a total rip off by the postal companies.
Have you ever felt as though you were born in the wrong era? If so what era did you belong in?
No I love this era! We have everything and life is so much easier. I dare anyone to say how tough it is when we get welfare to buy food, we get housing so we’re not out in the streets. Yes it is tough for a lot of families, but go back 100 years and see who had it tougher?
What genre of books do you enjoy reading? Do you have a favorite author?
I’m a paranormal and horror fan. I read a lot of Anne Rice and Stephen King.
I can’t read mushy romantic stories, love isn’t hearts and flowers.
Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.
- I had a famous auntie in Spain. She was the countries first female radio personality.
- I’ve been in the Spanish version of Hello magazine.
- I got advice from an Oscar winner about a movie contract I was thinking of signing.
- My vampire books have been optioned for a future movie.
- I was John Barrowman’s PA on Torchwood series 1 and he still rang me to help him with things on series 2 when I wasn’t working on it anymore.
I am co-writing a new story. It’s an erotic comedy centered on two Welsh girls that go on holiday and meet two jewel thieves…
I am also writing the last of the vampire trilogy.
I have two scripts on the go. I am co-writer with a TV and Movie script that have been submitted to a major TV company.
Where can readers find you?
US:http://www.amazon.com/Judgement-of-Souls-ebook/dp/B006QFPHJC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Judgement-of-Souls-ebook/dp/B006QFPHJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328965289&sr=8-1
Europe: http://www.amazon.de/Margarita-Felices/e/B007BHDIVS
http://www.amazon.com/Margarita-Felices/e/B007BHDIVS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
http://www.facebook.com/JudgementOfSouls3TheKissAtDawn
Follow me on Twitter: @felicm60
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/felicm60/
ORDINARY WINS
Almost everything written about love is a load of crap. Sorry, but it’s true.
“Tis better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.” (Alfred Tennyson, In Memoriam).
Well perhaps Tennyson should have tested his theory first? Most love stories are about people who fall in love and share a love that is equal.
But what about the rest of us?
What about those of us who fail in love? Not because we haven’t tried it, but because we’ve opted for the biggest wankers in history and we think they will love us back the way they should. We are the victims of the unjust affair.
And then there’s this too.
In life it always appears as though luck strikes other people. There are those born beautiful and there are those who grow into beautiful swans. There are those who look as though they have a ring of bright light around them. Maybe it’s their blonde hair, their tall and slim shapes, the fact they always seem to get the attractive and successful partner that makes them stand out. They achieve greatness in their jobs and are always able to balance work and home life and have equally beautiful babies and live in luxury most of their days.
And again, then there are the others.
Us.
The ordinary women who struggle through life to try and make themselves half as popular and as beautiful, just to have someone notice and desire them.
And then someone catches their eye. He could be a character on television or he could be a musician and their life becomes seriously screwed up and it is never the same again. Oh fuck, when it comes down to it, just the mention of the person’s name makes their heart pound. It makes every nerve in their body act in spasms and it turns them into a teenager with a crush.
But maybe worse, it turns them into a fangirl.
Almost everything written about love is a load of crap. Sorry, but it’s true.
“Tis better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.” (Alfred Tennyson, In Memoriam).
Well perhaps Tennyson should have tested his theory first? Most love stories are about people who fall in love and share a love that is equal.
But what about the rest of us?
What about those of us who fail in love? Not because we haven’t tried it, but because we’ve opted for the biggest wankers in history and we think they will love us back the way they should. We are the victims of the unjust affair.
And then there’s this too.
In life it always appears as though luck strikes other people. There are those born beautiful and there are those who grow into beautiful swans. There are those who look as though they have a ring of bright light around them. Maybe it’s their blonde hair, their tall and slim shapes, the fact they always seem to get the attractive and successful partner that makes them stand out. They achieve greatness in their jobs and are always able to balance work and home life and have equally beautiful babies and live in luxury most of their days.
And again, then there are the others.
Us.
The ordinary women who struggle through life to try and make themselves half as popular and as beautiful, just to have someone notice and desire them.
And then someone catches their eye. He could be a character on television or he could be a musician and their life becomes seriously screwed up and it is never the same again. Oh fuck, when it comes down to it, just the mention of the person’s name makes their heart pound. It makes every nerve in their body act in spasms and it turns them into a teenager with a crush.
But maybe worse, it turns them into a fangirl.
JUDGEMENT OF SOULS 3: Kiss at Dawn
The Underground Palace was a refuge for people tired of the usual designer-clad, boom-cha music clubs that filled the city. Set back in the older part of town away from the trendy clubs, it was an 18th century Gothic-styled church with pillars and arches to the front and sides decorated with spirals and stone roses, that up to three years ago had most of its roof resting between rotting benches and overgrown plants and was in urgent need of repair.
But when Daniel and Tobey saw it they knew it was perfect, and spent nearly every penny they owned in restoring it. With its newly acquired underground reputation, the club catered to head-banging heavy metal, Goths and Indie freaks and was ‘the’ place to hide and become someone else, if only for a few hours. It was a full house tonight as Daniel and Tobey sat together, transfixed on the dance floor. It had been Daniel’s idea to hold a Halloween fancy dress party; usually they didn’t bother, leaving that sort of event to the over-commercialized clubs in the town, but they needed an excuse to bring more punters in tonight.
Daniel Moore was in his middle thirties, with shoulder length dark brown hair and emerald green eyes. He wasn’t paying too much attention to the scantily clad women dancing provocatively close by him to gain his interest. Instead, he chose to busy himself by rolling a cigarette and then lighting it; he’d seen it all before and it was getting to be old hat.
But his friend Tobey Jacobs sat fascinated at what he saw was on offer; even Daniel’s chatter didn’t deter his gaze from at least one young woman in particular. Tobey smiled as the woman made her way towards him. His short blonde hair glistened under the theatrical lights that bounced off the walls and was offset by the blueness of his eyes and the playful, yet mischievous look they portrayed.
The Underground Palace was a refuge for people tired of the usual designer-clad, boom-cha music clubs that filled the city. Set back in the older part of town away from the trendy clubs, it was an 18th century Gothic-styled church with pillars and arches to the front and sides decorated with spirals and stone roses, that up to three years ago had most of its roof resting between rotting benches and overgrown plants and was in urgent need of repair.
But when Daniel and Tobey saw it they knew it was perfect, and spent nearly every penny they owned in restoring it. With its newly acquired underground reputation, the club catered to head-banging heavy metal, Goths and Indie freaks and was ‘the’ place to hide and become someone else, if only for a few hours. It was a full house tonight as Daniel and Tobey sat together, transfixed on the dance floor. It had been Daniel’s idea to hold a Halloween fancy dress party; usually they didn’t bother, leaving that sort of event to the over-commercialized clubs in the town, but they needed an excuse to bring more punters in tonight.
Daniel Moore was in his middle thirties, with shoulder length dark brown hair and emerald green eyes. He wasn’t paying too much attention to the scantily clad women dancing provocatively close by him to gain his interest. Instead, he chose to busy himself by rolling a cigarette and then lighting it; he’d seen it all before and it was getting to be old hat.
But his friend Tobey Jacobs sat fascinated at what he saw was on offer; even Daniel’s chatter didn’t deter his gaze from at least one young woman in particular. Tobey smiled as the woman made her way towards him. His short blonde hair glistened under the theatrical lights that bounced off the walls and was offset by the blueness of his eyes and the playful, yet mischievous look they portrayed.
