Author Interview and Giveaway with Denise Main

Welcome everyone. I would like to introduce Denise Main , author of A Cold Day in Hell and Wolf. Soon to be released is Starstone. Denise is here today to answer a few questions and give away two e-book copies of her book, A Cold Day in Hell, an action packed Urban Fantasy. All you have to do to enter the drawing is leave a comment. Winners will be drawn on December 11th and we will forward each winner a copy of A Cold Day in Hell in whatever format you require for your e-readers. Remember to enter a comment to participate and your email address so we may contact you as a winner!

Thank you, Denise, for participating in this interview and giveaway! I'm sure your fans would love to hear more about you!

Denise, tell us your latest news.

I’ve just done a review for Maxwell Cynn’s latest novel – ‘The Collective’. Excellent book, incidentally, and being asked to spend my time reading was rather nice, too. Apart from that – my eldest son moved into a flat with his fiancée and my youngest son is waiting to hear about a job interview. He works for himself and this job will be another step in his career. It’s not easy to write with fingers crossed - for both my boys! The eldest is a personal trainer, the youngest a sculptor – very useful kids…

When and why did you begin writing?

Apart from loosely connected sentences ever since I could join a few phrases together, I guess I’d be about 12 years old – I discovered westerns and they had horses in them! I started riding just before my fifth birthday. So when my English teacher said, ‘Please – no more essays about horses!’ I could legitimately say, ‘But it’s a western.’ It didn’t work very often, though. Then, some time after that I wrote ‘Wolf’, almost got an agent, Darley Anderson who was starting out on his own then, but things were happening with my family and they took precedent. Time passed again and World Castle Publishing burst on to the scene!

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Um…thinking about writing…Okay, I like reading, drawing, painting, daydreaming (which is really just writing, but with the keyboard or pencil. Or a censor.) I do DIY, and I think I like it right - up to the point where something…unfortunate happens.

What inspired you to write your first book?

Er…horses…? Sorry. The first book I wrote, ‘Wolf’, was actually the second one I had published by World Castle Publishing and it was written a long time ago - when my kids were little. Which probably accounts for the swearing and violence! Back then shape-shifters were lumped in with were-wolves and they were all bad guys, I just wanted the under-dog (groan) to be shown as people for once. Really complex and conflicted people, but basically just like us, so it was a voyage of discovery – for all. Oh, and that there is a difference between ‘shifters and weres.

What do you think makes a good story?

Good characters and characterization, believable dialogue, a good plot/storyline and continuity. I’ve just read the latest in a well known fantasy series, and the storyline, while being great, has a few hiccoughs in it – and typos. Which I guess just goes to show, no one’s perfect.

How do you want readers to feel after they read your stories?

I want readers to want more. To keep thinking about what they’ve just read long after they’ve finished it. To consider my characters as ‘real’ and to want to know what happens to them when the book’s ended. And to feel they can talk to me about the story, say what they like, dislike, how it could improve, but as long as it make people think – that’s good.

What is your favorite character out of all the books you have written?

My favorite character is probably Tarik – he’s certainly one of the first people I ‘discovered’ and has hidden depths. He generally prefers males, but since he’s also from an egotistical, hedonistic long-lived race, he can perhaps be tempted! His mentor was a really evil person whom he loves and he’s had to balance that with the rest of what he’s learned. Sometimes he fails, sometimes he doesn’t. Although he’s not in ‘Cold Day in Hell’ much, one aspect of him is in ‘Wolf’. Tonk is also a great little guy, and being an imp, he can get upto all sorts of mischief – it’s his job description!

What influences your creativity of your characters?

Usually what sort of day I’m having! Nevertheless, I think everyone likes creating the ‘bad guys’, they are so much more fun to write.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I have the first novel in ‘The Structure Chronicles’ waiting to be edited (Starstone), and the book which runs concurrently with that almost finished (Morne). I’m working on the sequel to Cold Day in Hell – so, not much going on at all! Most of my books have the same characters in them – so chronologically speaking Cold Day in Hell would be about the fifth. The earlier books deal with the adventures they have when they all first meet and begin to ‘grow-up’ a little. Although they’ve each one been in so much trouble, I wonder how they’re all still alive and kicking.

What are some of the goals and future plans with your writing?

I think I got a little ahead of myself in the previous question! My ultimate goal would be to tell the ‘Structure’ stories. Of the characters and worlds which have grown out of my daydreams and onto paper. You know, censorship has really changed a lot since I first jotted many of those ‘stories’ down…And, of course, I would like to improve my writing! Someone asked me why I hadn’t given myself a rating of 5 stars for a book, I said it was my first book, no matter how many times I re-wrote it, it was never going to be brilliant, so I’ll keep trying!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to answer these questions!

Denise M Main

Thank you, Denise, for the great interview! Remember to leave a comment to enter and be sure to leave your email address so that we may contact you if you’ve won!

Congratulations to livelifelove4ever & Carolron1975! They are our winners!