Q&A with M.A.George
1. What are you
listening to right now? Do you listen to music while you write?
I’m physically incapable of
writing without tunes…I have a wee
bit of an addiction to music. I’m
currently listening to the Great Gatsby soundtrack. Holy cow, Florence Welch is phenomenal (as
always)!
2. Would you mind
explaining a little about your writing process? (Things you need or like to
have with you. Any fun rituals?)
I occasionally jot story ideas in
a spiral notebook; but the vast majority of the time, I’m sitting in my cushy
chair in the living room with my netbook perched on my lap. Must
have the ear buds in (see aforementioned music addiction). I write chronologically; so if I have ideas
that aren’t going to fit into the current chapter, I put them in a random
mishmash in a separate document. Then I
pull them back into the story when the right moment comes along. I usually obsessively reread each chapter at
least nine or ten times before I move on to the next. Who are you calling neurotic?…
3. Was there a
specific event or anything that inspired you to write Proximity?
The idea for Proximity
literally popped into my head one morning.
It started as a vague idea…A woman living on Earth—trying to blend in
like any other average person—only with one distinct hurdle: She isn’t human. From there, Palta’s story took off.
4. Did your
characters ever take control of the story and surprise you?
Frequently! While I usually have a
fairly good idea where I’m headed with the story, I do like to keep my mind
open to random “suggestions” from my characters. They may take me on a detour that I never
expected. I actually love it when they
do that…It’s almost like I’m the original reader of their story, watching it
unfold for the first time.
5. What book are
you reading right now?
I’m all over the place with my reading (as in, I often wind up reading
three or four things at once…Yes, it’s an illness). I had taken a break from The Sunne in Splendour (by Sharon Kay Penman) and I’m getting back
to it now. It’s beautifully written, just
a little intense…so I have to read it in segments to catch my breath.
. Can you tell me
your top three favorite couples from the books you've read? Maybe a little
about why?
I can’t help but go to the classics for these…not because I don’t love plenty
of the “current” couples out there, but because I have an unnatural addiction to
the classics. (Bear with me, it can’t be
helped.) My first choice would be Jane
Austen’s Frederick Wentworth and Anne Elliot (Persuasion). I love that
they get a second chance at true love after all the years apart. My second pick is Jane Eyre and Edward
Rochester. I know it’s a little creepy
that his wife has been locked in the attic and whatnot, but I give him props
for providing housing and one-on-one care for a woman he was deceived into
marrying. And I love that he and Jane
love each other for the person within, not the outward appearance. Finally, I’ll go with John Harmon and Bella
Wilfer (from Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual
Friend). It’s all around just a
fantastic story, and I love that John and Bella rise above being thrown
together for monetary gain and choose instead to find real love, even if it
means poverty.
7. If you had to write it all over again, would
you change anything?
I’d probably be changing little things every day! I’m just that way. I know the romance between Eric and Palta
develops quickly—and I’ve contemplated whether it should have taken more time
for them to fall for one another—but I don’t think I would actually change it
if I had the chance. There’s a sense of
urgency throughout much of the story; and I think slowing it down might have
killed that.
8. What was the
hardest thing about writing Proximity?
Stopping to eat, sleep, do pretty much anything other than continually
type! Proximity came out in a flood of ideas that wouldn’t turn off.
Thankfully, the flood slowed down a little bit for the rest of the series…not
to say I lost my enthusiasm, just the frenzy of ideas got a little better-controlled.
9. Would you mind
sharing about whatever you’re working on right now?
I’m currently in the midst of the third book in the Proximity series. It picks
up shortly after Relativity’s
conclusion, and I’m sincerely hoping readers will enjoy the continuation of
Palta’s story!
1. Can we expect
any new series from you in the future?
I have my next story brewing in
the back of my mind, and I’m very excited to get started with it. Since I can’t seem to focus on more than one
project at a time, I will be finishing my current WIP before I move on to this
new idea. I haven’t decided yet if it
will be a stand-alone or a series. We’ll
see!
11. Have you
considered writing a novella about Sabela and Dominick?
It hadn’t occurred to me, but I’m loving that idea! Thanks for the food for thought!
12. Who was your
favorite character from Proximity and Relativity and why?
Palta is a favorite. Even though she’s not “me” (i.e., she’s an
entire person in her own right), I identify with her very much. And she often has the guts to say the things
I’d only be thinking in the back of my mind.
That being said, I have so many favorite characters from this
story. And Eric (a.k.a. Aeron) is my
dreamboat. Love him.
13. How about your
least favorite? What makes them less appealing to you?
I think Bito Obo would have to be my obvious least favorite. The guy’s just a scumbag. Imagine the nerve, tormenting my favorite
characters like that. To make it that
much worse, he presents himself as squeaky clean. It’s infuriating.
44. What’s your
favorite thing to do when you’re not writing?
My kids are my life, so hands down
that would be spending time with them. Specifically,
we’ve taken up camping lately (trailer camping, that is), and it has been a
complete blast. Making amazing memories
with my favorite little guys.
15. Reese Cups or
Reese Pieces?
Cups! No contest.
I’m not that drawn in by a candy shell; but give me melty chocolate and
peanut butter, and I’m done for.
16. And now, before
you go back to the writing cave, how about a snippet from your book that is
meant to intrigue and tantalize us? Or even a deleted scene?
How about an excerpt from Chapter
8? Palta stumbles upon an unexpected
scene, and shortly thereafter finds herself passing out next to her secret
crush *Gasp*…
I
regained consciousness with my face still resting against his chest, rejoicing
at its steady rise and fall. His heart
thumped powerfully in my ear, and I paused there to listen to the most
wonderful sound imaginable. I would have
been content to daydream there for hours, but I snapped back into reality as a
low groan resonated in Eric’s chest. I
quickly pushed myself up and scooted back to sit a few feet away from him,
suddenly uncomfortable with physical contact.
Eric reached his hand up to rub the
side of his head as he slowly propped himself up with the opposite elbow. His eyes passed over the contents of the
cramped shed, coming to rest on my face.
“Palta?” he asked, the confusion
plainly visible on his face.
I hesitated momentarily, preoccupied
with the fact that he knew my name.
“Yes?” I finally managed to
speak.
Regaining his polished composure, he
lowered his hand and pushed up to a seated position. With a polite tone, he said, “Forgive me,
Palta—but I seem to be having difficulty recalling how we got here…”
“How’s your head?” I asked, as he
reached up again to massage the side of his scalp. “You took quite a blow.”
He lowered his eyes, tilting his
head to the side and creasing his forehead for a moment as he considered the
idea. Eventually he collected himself
again as he looked back up toward the door.
We both realized simultaneously that the light through the tiny window
was beginning to fade to night.
Eric began to shift his weight to
stand, but faltered as he stumbled backward into the cabinet behind him.
“Sit back down,” I urged him. “You’re still weak…You lost a lot of blood.”
Suddenly he froze, his eyes now wide
with alarm as he focused on my left shoulder.
I looked down to see the conspicuous patch of orange beginning to dry on
my sleeve.
I looked back up at his face, still
frozen with shock, with an anxious tension in my eyes. I waited for a moment, then sighed aloud with
the thought of what I was about to do.
Tentatively, I raised my hand and touched my fingertips to my right
temple. Diverting my eyes away from his,
I slowly swept my bangs up and back, carefully tucking the strands behind my
ear. After a long pause, I shifted my
eyes back to meet his gaze.
Eyes still wide, he swallowed hard
as he took in the sight of me. Then,
with a startling jolt, he turned and darted toward the door. I sat motionless as the sound of his footsteps
pounding on the pavement rapidly receded into the distance.
I stayed there for several minutes,
utterly spent, mulling over the images in my mind. I was used to the unusual—but this evening
had gone well beyond unusual. My mind
settled on two concerning realities:
Firstly, the sight of my ears could
definitely clear a room.
Secondly—and much more
disturbingly—Eric Moran was deathly afraid of me.
**Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Thank
you so much for having me over for an interview! It’s been a joy! And thanks for reading… :))
Barnes&Noble Proximity Link
Amazon Link Proximity (The Proximity Series)
Thank you again for taking time and doing the interview. I truly enjoyed reading your book and chatting with you. Hope Palta told you about the interview she just did for me! *smirking*
About M.A. George
M. A. George is part happily married mother of two adorable children, part super top secret agent...Oops, probably just lost that job.
Writing is what keeps her up into the wee hours of the night. Fortunately, she has a lot of energy (Read: caffeine is her friend). She has a bit of an obsession with music (It does a fantastic job of tuning out rambunctious children while she attempts to focus).
She sincerely hopes people out there enjoy reading her work as much as she enjoys writing it. And if anyone hears of work for a super top secret agent, she's now available (Discretion guaranteed...).
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