~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let's get to M. and her answers to my questions.
~Out of all the stories you’ve written,
which one are you most proud of?
Right
now, I’d have to say Priceless. It
was written for a Valentine’s contest and is one of my favorites. It’s really a
sweet story of love at first sight and how two men from different walks of life
can make a relationship work. Then, of course, there was Cupid popping in and
out of the story. He kept making demands on me to find him a mate, and he had
one picked out, thank you very much. LOL.
But
honestly, Faded Love that’s coming
out in the Storm Moon Press anthology called Carved in Flesh has a special place in my heart… because of the
story line.
~Which
character caused you the most difficulty to write?
Out of what I have published, I’d have to say Ziang from Nighttime Wishes because of the
tentacles. I didn’t want him to be freaky—strong? Yes. A warrior? Yes. And maybe a little
intimidating…absolutely. But not freaky. When you’re dealing with tentacles,
they can get freaky lol.
~When do you do your best writing…
morning, afternoon, evening, night?
It
really depends on what the hubby is working, but I’m much fresher in the
mornings. That’s not to say I’m a morning person lol. I’m actually not. I stay
up most nights until midnight. J
~Do you plan your stories and, if so, to
what extent?
I
do outline, yes. I have the plot figured out and have an idea on how I want the
story to end. That doesn’t mean things don’t get thrown out the window if my
Muse feels like it lol. Sometimes he changes the character completely, which
messes me up. Or we fight about how I want something to be… and normally he
wins!
~How many stories do you work on at any
one time?
Oh
Lord. I don’t know lol. I have the main story, of course. That one gets first
attention. But if things are lagging, then I’ll jump to a second story that’s
on my main list in Word. Then there are the short flash stories I do with the
Wednesday Briefers. Oh, I have a story running on Mondays right now too. Hmm,
then there are small word count stories for anthologies… Oh my. It sounds like
I just bounce all over the place lol.
Carved
In Flesh- an anthology due out September 14th by
Storm Moon Press
People often say that the true perfection in the
human form is in its imperfections. Scars are visceral reminders of a person's
past, a sign of an event that can never fade. Whether it was gained in combat,
a traumatic experience, or part of a ritual with a lover, scars are the
ultimate labels. Carved in Flesh features short stories in which at
least one character sports physical scars—visible to the naked eye, and
prominent enough to spark a conversation.
Faded
Love
by M.A. Church
Excerpt:
“Will?” Ashley’s hand was gently held and pulled
down. Why did Will’s voice sound so funny, like he was hoarse? “Will? What’s
going on? Where am I? What’s on my face?”
“Listen to me. You’re in the hospital.”
“Hospital? Why the hell am I in the hospital?”
Straining, he was finally able to make out the pale walls, and smell a scent he
had always associated with hospitals: cleaners and sickness.
“You don’t remember… anything?” Will bent over
Ashley, still holding his hands. God, Will’s skin was so warm, and his was so
cold. “Tell me what you remember.”
“Was on my way home from that shoot. You called. I
was going to call you back… Will?” Ashley’s voice rose and cracked. “Then,
nothing until now. What—what… Will?”
One of Will’s strong hands managed to loosen itself
from Ashley’s death grip and brushed Ashley’s hair back from his face. “You’re
in the hospital. There was an accident, a bad accident. You were hit on the way
home two days ago.”
“Fuck me! Two days ago?” Ashley bit his lip as pain
spiked in his ribs. “How bad? Who hit me?”
“It was pretty bad. You have bruised ribs from the
impact with the steering wheel, your arm is bruised—not broken—and more bruises
over your body. I forgot the driver’s name. They hit you on the passenger side,
slammed you into a street light. Two people in the other car died.”
“Died? Jesus.” Every time Ashley tried to lift his
hand to his face, Will stopped him. “What’s wrong with my vision? Why can I
only see out of one side?”
Gripping his hand, Will hesitated. “You were struck
so hard your head hit the driver side window.”
Ashley gripped Will’s hand. There was more, he just
knew it. What little he could make out of Will’s concerned face told him that.
“And? Tell me, dammit!”
“The window
busted. There was glass everywhere. Oh God, Ashley, I’m so sorry. You were cut.
On your face… and—and… there’s going to be a scar.”
“A scar?” Ashley whispered, and then his voice
gained in strength as horror stabbed at him. “A scar, on my face? My face?
No! Oh my God, no! How bad, Will? How fucking bad?”
Tears soaked Will’s voice. “From the hair line to
under your chin. Jesus, Ashley. I’m so sorry.”
The screams from Ashley’s room brought most of the
nursing staff at a dead run.
~~~
Keep in mind I picked that excerpt. Storm Moon may
use something else. J
This was the picture that inspired the story. I took one look at this and knew
immediately what I wanted to write.
And God, this guy is so damn sexy lol.
Oh, and the Carved in Flesh anthology is available for pre-order right now.
Click this link to check it out.
Oh, and the Carved in Flesh anthology is available for pre-order right now.
Click this link to check it out.
Where to find me:
Twitter @nomoretears00
Facebook: M.A. Church http://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Chur...
Big thank you to Tali for letting me take over her
blog once again lol!
~M
My pleasure, M! (As many here know, I beta read quite a few of M's stories... well, this is one of them. It's a powerful story and I'm thrilled to talk it up!)
♥♥♥♥♥
My pleasure, M! (As many here know, I beta read quite a few of M's stories... well, this is one of them. It's a powerful story and I'm thrilled to talk it up!)
Great post, Tali--and Ma, I can't wait to read more of your stories!
ReplyDeleteHey Michael! :) Thank you.
DeleteAnd thanks again Tali; it's always a pleasure being here. :)
~M
Hi guys! Glad you could make this a party. :D
ReplyDelete