AUTHOR INTERVIEW with MELISSA BARKER- SIMPSON

Author and Angels continues to bring you hot sizzling authors on the Magical Solstice Fantasy Writers Tour with U.K.'s Melissa Barker Simpson of The book anthology Changing Worlds.


     If you could sum up your book in two words, what would they be?

Mel: Magical adventure.

   Very good. Now who is your target audience for your book? And why write fantasy?

Mel: Anyone who enjoys fantasy fiction, with a hint of romance and the paranormal. The genre chose me in this case. I’ve always loved fantasy, and I’ve had a character in my head for a while - a witch named Maddison. She is a hunter, one who usually goes looking for trouble. I find her extremely entertaining, and it got to a point where I had to create a world in which she could live, so she would stop following me around! Her favourite weapon is her hair, which is really fun to write.

   Sounds fun! Reminds me of Sindel from Mortal Kombat. I digress though. So who is your muse when writing? What is your inspiration?

Mel: I’ve always joked that the writer within me is a separate entity. That’s what it feels like at times. I put pen to paper and something always comes out; I’m often surprised by the results! The characters are my inspiration; the desire to tell stories and connect with readers.

   Truth my sister! That is one of my reason I write. I have a story to tell. Also perhaps I can move someone. Do you have any secret writing tips you can share?

Mel: I’ve always found, in addition to reading as often as I can, that writing short stories (with or without a prompt) teaches me discipline. Interviewing characters can be fun, or allowing them to have a fun; whether that’s unedited dialogue or scenes where there are no restrictions. I don’t have any secret writing tips. My advice would be to study the craft, learn from others, explore your strengths and weakness and write, write, write!

    Awesome tip! What do you love most about writing?

Mel: The prospect of taking readers on a journey, and sharing the joy that writing brings to me every day.
       Yes, writing does bring joy.  Alright I prefer mornings to write. Sometimes that doesn’t always happen, but do you have a personal favourite time of the day to write?

Mel: I generally write at night, because I have two teenagers in the house and a full-time job. But I can write at any time of the day. I don’t have a particular preference.

    Close us out with an inspirational quote for future writers out there.

Mel: I’d like to use one of my favourite quotes by Maya Angelou –
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” 

The Contract (Prequel to the Fractured Series) - Melissa Barker- Simpson

After the Demonic War, a battle which devastated the mortal realm, humans now stick to the world’s major cities. To even the score, and to protect those cities, hunters joined together to establish cells across the globe. Maddison Wood is part of an alpha cell within the north of England.
Though a skilled fighter and powerful witch, Maddison can be brash, and unpredictable. She has a penchant for trouble, and is usually the first to volunteer in battle. When she accepts an assignment to protect the Hympe King, Tobias Locke, Maddison’s fate becomes bound to his. As the stakes change, and she finds herself trapped inside the bowels of an enemy camp, Maddison must fight for her freedom, her independence, and for a prisoner who has not seen the light of day for almost a century.
Saunders' Choice:A Natural Gifts Novella By Gina Briganti
Saunders finds himself in a plane of existence called the Dreaming, where he encounters Velvet, the most exciting creature he will ever meet.  The answer seems obvious, but Saunders’ life has never been easy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I've been writing since, well...since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I often look back on those earlier stories, and apart from laughing at the heavy-handed drama, or cringing at my inexperience, I am reminded that I have always lived in other worlds.

My first novel was published in 2008, and I love nothing more than working on a new project. The voices inside my head invariably pull me in different directions, so although I try to work on one thing at a time, those who know me would tell you it doesn't always work!

I have a full-time job which, though does not involve writing per se, incorporates my love of language. As a British Sign Language Interpreter, I get to translate information between two languages which is (mostly) fun.

I have two beautiful daughters who bring me great joy. They also keep me grounded, because otherwise I would have my head in the clouds permanently!

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