Q&A with #fantasy #pnr Author Marsha A. Moore

Today, I’m pleased to welcome a longtime online author friend Marsha A. Moore, an author of fantasy romance—and also a talented artist! After a move from Toledo to Tampa in 2008, she’s happily transforming into a Floridian, in love with the outdoors. You can learn more about Marsha and her Enchanted Bookstore Legends series at her website. The newest book in the series is Lost Volumes.

Now, let’s hear from Marsha—welcome!

Give us the “elevator pitch” for LOST VOLUMES.

Considering my husband and I just got back from a cruise with thousands of travelers who were tired of walking and clamoring for the slow elevators, I could get this all out…

   When Lyra McCauley learns residents of Dragonspeir’s Alliance are suffering with a deadly plague, she doesn’t heed the warnings of her fiancé, wizard Cullen Drake, to remain safe in her human world. After all, she’s the present Scribe—one of five strong women in her ancestry who possessed unique magic, each destined to protect the Alliance against the evil Black Dragon of the Dark Realm. With Cullen dependent upon Alliance power to maintain his immortality, the stakes are doubled for Lyra.

     She leaves her college teaching and puts herself at risk for the community afflicted by black magic. To find a cure, she and Cullen travel into the vile, lawless underworld of Terza to strike a bargain with an expert. Their efforts further enrage the Black Dragon, vowing to decimate the Alliance and avenge the murder of his heir.

     Lyra must secure the three lost volumes of the Book of Dragonspeir. Written by the three earliest Scribes, each book contains energy. Possession of the entire set will enable overthrow of the Dark Realm. Following clues into dangerous lands, Lyra and Cullen seek those volumes. His assistants, Kenzo the tiger owl and Noba the pseudodragon, prove invaluable aids. Only if they succeed, will the Alliance be safe

What is your favorite scene in the book?

I enjoyed the action when Lyra and Cullen traveled into the dark and mysterious underground world of Terza. There were some pretty seedy characters there and lots of strange black magic going on. Adding to the dangers were dragon-size scorpents, half scorpion half serpent creatures, that chased the pair.

What’s on your nightstand or top of your TBR pile?

The White Forest by Adam McOmber

Favorite book when you were a child:

Grimm’s Fairy Tales

Your five favorite authors:

Natasha Mostert; Erin Morgenstern; JK Rowling; Edgar Allan Poe; James Fenimore Cooper

Book you've faked reading:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I found myself skimming a lot, which I hate to do, in order to pick out the plot.

Book you're an evangelist for:

It would be a toss-up between Natasha Mostert’s Season of the Witch and Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus. In both of those, magic caused mental effects for both the giver and receiver. I enjoy the complexity of that theme and employ it myself in a very different way. My heroine, Lyra, must learn to mentally control her vast inherited powers as the new Scribe. That is something she struggles to master through the series.

Book you've bought for the cover:

The Illuminated Rumi by Michael Green

Book that changed your life:

In college, I loved reading Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. The symbolism is amazing; the more you read, the more layers you find. Inspired by that, I like to hide things in my stories.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

I could reread Season of the Witch again and enjoy picking up more hidden bits.

Most horrifying moment while reading a book:

A first book in a series ended without tying up any of the major problems. I learned to never do that to my readers.

What’s next?

I’m already at work writing the fourth book in my Enchanted Bookstore Legends, entitled Staurolite. I’m still enjoying working with these characters, letting them grow and develop. There will be five books in the series.

Thank you, Suzanne, for the great interview!

Thanks, Marsha!

For today’s giveaway, I’ll offer up another mystery book from my ridiculous TBR pile. What are you reading now? I just started Cynthia Eden’s new PNR, Angel in Chains. Rawr!

Up to five entries possible: +1 for comment, +1 for blog follow, +1 for Twitter follow, +1 for a Tweet or RT about the contest, +1 for a Facebook follow. Contests end at midnight CDT U.S. on Saturday, and winners are announced on Sunday’s blog.