Dark Mind Books Tours author Miranda Stork

Please welcome Author Miranda Stork onto the Road to Hell. Miranda Stork is the author of ERIN. Other books written by Miranda Stork are ‘Conner’, ‘With You In Spirit’, ‘Playing With Fire’, ‘An Ill Wind’, and ‘Craving’.

Now, it’s time to create a little hell and get to the good stuff by revealing all of Miranda Stork’s wicked secrets while on the Road to Hell. LOL Yeah, you wish! ;-D 

Grab your favorite drink, sink your teeth into something decadent, sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know Miranda Stork …

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GRACEN:  Tell me three things about yourself that we cannot find on the internet or in your bio?

Miranda: I’m not sure I should! Hehehe, just kidding. Well, let’s see…I’m incredibly flexible and can bend my fingers back onto my hand, and do ‘The Crab’ quite well. I used to work as a sous chef, and have a HUGE passion for Italian food. Annnnnd…..I used to be in a gothic metal band called ‘Arachne’. We were actually offered a contract until two of the band members fell out, and it was something I never went back to, choosing writing instead!

GRACEN: What hobbies and interests do you participate in when you’re not writing?

Miranda: That’s a big list! I love painting as much as writing, both oil and digital, so I do that usually if I’m not writing but want to do something creative. I also love cooking, and I’m a BIG movie geek, and have seen or own more films that anyone else I know. I love travelling, and several places I’ve been to appear in my books. I also love lots of sports, from Karate, to swimming, to hiking, to tennis. Although I’m not that good at tennis yet! And reading of course, as you cannot write well if you do not read well, as Stephen King says.

GRACEN: Do you have any writing quirks or certain things you MUST have or do before beginning the writing process?

Miranda: Hmm…I always have to have certain objects within reaching distance when I write. A drink, cigarettes, (I know, I’m sorry), and my MP3 player. And if I get too hot or cold I find it awkward to write, so there is usually a window open at the moment! And the TV is usually on in the background on a low volume, for white noise. I get easily distracted, so if it’s too quiet, #I notice every little sound and it puts me off.

GRACEN: If you were plotting to take over the world, how would you do it?

Miranda: I can’t tell you that! I will-oh….you mean hypothetically. Yeah, me too, me too…..*looks around shiftily* I’d probably start by getting lots of minions and get them to do most of it. I can be quite lazy sometimes, so it would probably fail at some point because I’d forgotten to do something!

GRACEN: If you could make one statement that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

Miranda: Well, as I’m Pagan, it would have to be the phrase that I live by-“Whatever you do in life, whether good or bad, will come back to you threefold.” It’s a good statement to remember.

GRACEN:  What genre do you write and why that genre?

Miranda: This is a tricky one, as I’m never sure myself. I suppose I would term it Paranormal Romance Suspense Fantasy. Mouthful, huh? I write in that genre because that’s how the story comes out. I never make an active decision to write in a particular genre, the story just tells itself, and fits in afterwards.

GRACEN: For those who are not yet familiar with Miranda Stork, can you please give us some details about the book and/or series?

Miranda: Of course! ‘Erin’ is the sequel to ‘Conner’, which was my debut novel. It’s not going to be a series, although I may use some of the character in later books, as my worlds tend to overlap. ‘Erin’ is the continuation of the story between Conner and Erin, now that it has been discovered what she is. (I don’t want to spoil it for people who haven’t read Conner yet.) It explains a little more of their world, and goes further into the realm of werewolves. Conner was about Conner himself, and how we discover he-and maybe others-are werewolves. Erin focusses on the war that is brewing between the humans and werewolves. 

GRACEN:  Do you have any new stories in the works and can you tell us a bit about it/them?

Miranda: Lots! I’m now onto my fourth novella in my ‘Bassinville Witches’ series, a series of monthly novellas about a town of Wiccans and some powerful stones that must be collected. There are, of course, evil forces working against them, and the series will have 12 books when I’m finished. My next novel will be ‘Vigilante of Shadows’, a totally new series of books about a dystopian world in which the world has become like ‘1984’ but vampires are now in charge. ‘Vigilante of Shadows’ is the prequel to these events, setting up how it happened, and the main characters that will be the good in this evil new world. I’m currently writing up the next one in the series. I also have lots of short stories coming out at various times throughout the year.

GRACEN: If you could describe your writing with one word or brief phrase, what would it be? Please delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they’ve finished reading your story.

Miranda: I want people reading my books to be ‘lost’. Not in a bad way, but in a ‘I got lost in that book’ kind of way. I hope people read my books and finish it with that feeling that they just came out of a door to another realm.

GRACEN: What, in your opinion, makes your story unique and what makes it stand out from other stories in your genre? Think of this as a pitch to convince readers to pick up your books.

Miranda: Both ‘Conner’ and ‘Erin’ are unique because they were written with ancient myths of werewolves in mind, rather than Hollywood ones, or the kind others have written. Mythology is heavily laced into my books. It’s unique because their story has never been written before. J

GRACEN: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

Miranda: Good question…when I was first writing ‘Conner’, I wasn’t exactly sure what my audience would be. A few quick searches on Google revealed sites of ‘Therians’, people who believe they have an animal’s spirit, although they are human. A few of them believe they can even shift. I don’t personally believe people can shift, although stranger things have happened at sea! I got in contact with a few of these people, seeing that they would be at least one section of my audience, and a few of them were nice enough to tell me a little more about themselves, especially in relation to wolves. I’m still friends with them to this day, and it was interesting to see what beliefs other people have, and how I could use this in my novels.

GRACEN: Of all your books, which character did you have the most fun creating and why?

Miranda: That would definitely have to be Filtiarn. Actors say playing the bag guy is the most fun, and I say writing the bag guy is the most fun. He had so many different facets to himself, and he has ended up dividing opinion-some people hate him, some people love him! I got to really do whatever I wanted with his personality and actions, because it was things you would NEVER do in real life (for very good reasons!) and it was total escapism.

GRACEN: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?

Miranda: I think…it would have to be….just one? *Pouts* Oh, okay….I guess it would be Erin. She was the first character I ever created, and I think she may have a little bit of me in her, but an ‘ubër-everything’ kind of way. I’d love to be able to talk to her, as I wrote her to have an incredibly mind, but she also has all these little pockets of herself hidden away in her mind. She’s an incredibly complex character, and it would be fun trying to work out the parts even I don’t know!

GRACEN: Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

Miranda: Oh, now that’s harder! I don’t think I would want to meet Conner’s mother, who pops up in ‘Erin’ in a lot more detail. I can’t give away too much, but she certainly isn’t someone you want to cross, and I don’t think our meeting would end well!

GRACEN:  If you were interviewing yourself, what is the one question you would ask yourself and please give us the answer to that question?

Miranda: Question; If you were not meant to be a writer, what other job would you do, and why?

Answer; I would be a psychologist! I did my first degree in psychology, so it would be nice to put it to use! I’m fascinated with the human mind, and although I’m going to do my second degree in English Literature soon, Psychology was one I always wanted to do first.

GRACEN:  Thanks so much for joining us, Miranda Stork!  It’s been a treat getting to know you better! 

Thank you for having me here! It’s been fun. J

Website: http://writermirandastork.wordpress.com/

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Miranda-Stork/e/B0082YW92S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1345034231&sr=8-1

Any other links/sites you wish to offer readers so they can find you on the world wide web, such as buy links for other books, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authormirandastork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mirandastork

BLURB: Erin is the werewolf Queen of Athol Castle. She has no memories of the events of a few months ago, where she believed herself to be a psychologist, and met the enigmatic and charming Conner... 

Filtiarn has taken over Conner’s body once more, and is relishing being in control. Cruel and sensual, he decides to work on a plan...to take over humanity. He begins a war...of werewolves against humans. But unknown to him, Conner is fighting against him within his own body, to set things right, and to bring Erin back from her own darkness. He tries to undo a great mistake from long ago, using Erin’s famed sword, Sioctine, as remnants of his own memory come back to him, opening up the present he now lives in. 

At the same time, another enemy is using the situation to their advantage, following the werewolves at every turn, threatening to undo everything that Conner is struggling to obtain... 

But will he be able to bring Erin back from Filtiarn’s grasp, or is it too late? And will he be able to stop the war against the humans progressing? 

And who is threatening to take over not only the humans, but the werewolves as well?

EXCERPT:

Sighing heavily, Erin plonked herself down on the bed she had been laid on just a few hours before, swinging her legs out in front her. Conner smiled, and came to sit next to her, winding his arm across her shoulders.

“What’s wrong?”

Erin leaned into his warm body, closing her eyes for a second, and wrapping her arms around him. “I’m just…tired. It’s a lot to take in, you know? One minute I have this normal life…and then you find out that that was all a lie, and your real life is so incredibly complicated. I just wish I had something to hang on to that wasn’t complicated.”

Putting his hand under her chin, Conner lifted her face to his. “You have me. I’ll always love you, even as Filtiarn, I loved you. That will never be complicated, and that will never change.” Erin’s lips curved into a smile as he gently planted a kiss on them. “Do you remember the first time I gave in to you when you were at Forest Hall? I couldn’t keep up the pretense the whole time; it was killing me seeing you and not being able to touch you.”

Erin blushed, lowering her gaze. “You mean in the shower?”

Conner grinned broadly, making his face look even more sexy. “Yes, in the shower. You smelled so amazing…”

Swallowing, Erin lowered her head, pulling her chin away from his hand, so that he couldn’t see her grinning shyly in return.

Conner looked at her soft hair for a few minutes, teasing himself with the memory of burying his face in that soft, sweet-smelling hair, the touch of her smooth skin next to his, her eyes melting in pleasure…

He gently but firmly lifted her head up again, so that he could see into those stunning blue eyes. Erin was smiling, but a deep rosy blush had covered her cheeks, making her look even more beautiful to Conner. He leant down, pressing his lips against hers. She didn’t resist, and put her hand on his shoulder, to get closer to him. Reading her signals, he placed his other hand behind her head, pulling her deeper into their kiss, threading his fingers through her silky hair. His body began to stir, but he forced himself to be slow and careful, easing her into this. He growled low in his throat, a primal, raw sound, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, licking her lip gently.

The sound made her moan a little, as she let her tongue meet his. The sound made his groin ache, and his breathing began to go faster. His instincts were taking over, telling him to pin her down and rip her clothes off, but he held back, instead gently tracing her collarbone with the pad of his thumb. She shivered a little at the touch, placing her hands on his chest, clawing slightly, as if she too, wanted him stripped off.

Conner pulled his mouth away, gasping slightly. He leaned his head, and began to slowly lay butterfly kisses along her neck, moving his lips along the top of her collarbone, remembering how she had reacted to that in the shower, all that time ago. She cried out, making him instantly go rock hard against her, his hips moving of their own accord, as if he were losing control of them. Erin pushed him off for a moment; making him furrow his brows in disappointment-perhaps he had done too much?

“Erin, I’m sorry, I-“

“What are you sorry for?” When Erin spoke, her voice was husky and soft. She grinned at him, her eyes looking drowsy with lust. Leaning back, she pulled her sweater off, revealing her creamy lace bra. Unhooking it quickly, she pulled that off as well, letting it fall to the floor. She looked back up at Conner. “Is this okay?”

AUTHOR BIO

I was born in Guisborough, North Yorkshire in 1987 and have lived in various places around Britain, including Newcastle and Glasgow.

My writing is inspired by various writers, including the vivid characters of Charles Dickens, the imagination of Stephen King, and the gothic imagery of Anne Rice.

My love of horror began at an early age, when I was only three or four. I could read proficiently at the age of three, and devoured fairy-stories, but I always had a bent towards the darker stories, such as the Brother's Grimm's tales...Red Riding Hood was always a firm favourite, although I always felt sorry for the wolf, despite him having tried to eat everyone!

I also had an incredibly vivid imagination, leading me to believe that the noises that the radiator in my room made, were in fact the noises of monsters hiding behind it. This led to me having terrible nightmares, in which I believed I woke up and would see them sat in my room, doing nothing more extraordinary than playing cards or reading a book.

As I got older, my love of tales about unknown creatures persisted, always wanting to devour tales about ghosts or other beings. Being born in Guisborough was also a coincidence, as it is a town rich in folklore and ghosts in various places, such as the Black Monk of Guisborough Priory...whether or not any of these stories were true, I still don't know, but I love the tingle of imagining whether or not they might be.

As I began school, I began to read more books, and became enraptured with the tales of ancient Greece and Rome, loving the explanations for simple things around us turned into figures and gods. To this day, I still have an avid love of ancient customs, and I have especially fallen in love with Celtic symbolism and myths, winding them into my novels whenever possible.

As I got older, about ten or eleven, I had moved, to a small village, with only about 80 children or so. I quickly became the main story-teller of my friends, my favourite one being a story about a girl who buys a porcelain doll, only to hate it after a few days and lock it away in her family's garage. The doll of course, is haunted, and breaks back into the house, calling, 'I'm coming, I'm coming...!' until she reaches the little girl, who is hiding under her cover, where she whispers, 'I'm here, I'm here...!' The poor mother of course comes into her daughter's room in the morning and finds her daughter dead, with the doll sat on top of her. I have a vague memory of telling a wide-eyed group of peers one morning, and one of them running off crying...I think I got told off for telling stories that were too scary at school.

At the age of seven or so, I was given two books by a relative; one of them was a large collection of Lewis Carroll, and to this day my favourite poem is 'Phantasmorgoria'. The other book was a collection of weird tales, all involving fair maids and witches, devils and wicked spirits in some form or another, a lot of them derived from eastern story-telling, where children and evil witches constantly collide-usually with awful consequences. This persisted with a series of magazines and music called 'The Magical Music Box'.

At this point I began to really get into more horror books, watching all and any horrors on television, even ones that were far too cheesy to watch without laughing. Point Horror stories became a favourite on my shelf as I went into my teens, alongside my classic favourites such as Dorian Grey and Great Expectations (still my favourite book to this day). I got hooked onto Anne Rice novels as well, loving the combination of a typically monstrous creature who had redeeming qualities akin to human ones.

The most terrifying book that ever made an impression on me has to be The Exorcist. The film is nothing compared to the book-I don't believe I slept the night after finishing it, waking up at every noise in my room, imagining it to be a voice or whispered giggle.

Where you can find Miranda:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Amazon

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