Hi everyone, I’m Mary Rundle and thanks for hosting me today for my blog tour of Audio version of Ice Soul, Book 4 of the Blackwood Pack saga, narrated by Nick J. Russo. It’s Q & A time! Please enjoy!
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What is the first book that made you cry?
“Gone With The Wind” by Margaret Mitchell. It is an epic, historical novel that shows love, grit and determination It has the basic elements that every good book should have: Characters who overcome great odds to achieve a worthwhile end.
Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
- It’s like everything else. Does a big ego help or hinder a politician, a CEO, a rock star, and so on? In some cases it helps, in others it’s a negative. If you have real talent I don’t think it matters. The nice thing about writing is that you don’t come into too much personal contact with people, so an obnoxious ego can’t do too much damage.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
- When I read work that’s poorly written, badly edited, and not proofread. Or that has a plot that’s totally off the wall and not believable. Or bad character development. Or is just plain boring. And there are a lot of those around. However, even they have some value because you can learn from them. Someone once said “you can’t become a good writer unless you can recognize bad writing.” And I’ll add, and why it’s bad.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
- I try to do both. Readers want books that are exciting to read and original. I write books that I would want to read, myself. When I write certain passages that evoke strong emotional feelings, I know I’m on the right track if I cry or laugh as I write. Books written to a formula I usually find lacking in excitement.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
- When I began to write, I had to evaluate what would sell the best, and I came to the conclusion that a series would be what I’d shoot for. On the creative side it gives you a lot more leeway to develop characters, weave them in an out of various adventures, and develop new ones as required. And, for me, that has worked out well.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
- Begin to write sooner. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that there are so many books being written. With self-publishing you have access to millions of readers and some of them will want to read your books.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
- I bought myself an expensive office chair. It’s like spending money on a good mattress because you spend a third of your life in bed. Well, I spend another third sitting in front of a computer so I bought the best chair I could find.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
- I spend time researching places in which my characters live and travel and sometimes a lot of time on getting just the right names for them.
What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?
- Obviously, outright pirating…illegal theft of a book. This costs authors lots of money. But then there are also unscrupulous publishers who cheat authors or just stiff them. That’s why the best way to retain control of your work is to self-publish. The royalties are considerably higher, too.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
- When it’s going well, I’m on a high and can write for hours on end. But there are occasional times when I have to think about where the story is going next. That results in some sleepless nights.
What were your favorite childhood books?
- The Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries. I loved that they were a series and would keep on going with new stories and adventures while my favorite characters would be continued. Come to think of it, that’s what I’m doing with the Blackwood pack series and so it seems they may have inspired me to write my own series.
What are you working on next?
Two books – first, Brady’s story. I’m hoping to release Book 11 of the Blackwood Pack series in July depending on whether Brady’s mate behaves himself. Also, the next audio book – Shadow Voice. Nick has finished his narration so hopefully it will be released by Audible soon.
The Blackwood Pack saga continues…
This is part of a continuing series by Amazon International Bestselling Author, Mary Rundle – reading the previous titles is advised. Readers will enjoy catching up with members of the Blackwood Pack and reading about what is happening to them as the pack does what it does best ̶ caring for one another and helping shifters everywhere.
Kieran was sold into slavery where he was forced to care for other prisoners held by a shifter trafficking ring. But that changed when a Blackwood brother freed him and the others. Now for the first time in his life, the world beckons and he can plan his future. That is, until he discovers why the Fates brought him to the Blackwood Pack.
Logan, one of the brothers, has become a virtual recluse, spending hours at his design table, unable to shake the horrible memories of his family’s massacre and an unhappy childhood under the fist of his father, a dictatorial and abusive Alpha.
When Kieran appears, Logan is smitten with this pink-loving twink who tries to use his sassy and irrepressible wit to win his heart. After Logan claims Kieran, he finds keeping him is not easy. When both realize Logan can’t give himself completely to his Fated Mate, Kieran takes off but tells no one where.
A frantic search, rejection, dark secrets revealed, ghosts exorcised- these are just some of the obstacles Kieran and Logan must overcome as they embark on a mission of discovery that will make their love for each other stronger. Only then, will these two unique wolves fulfill their destinies decreed by the Fates and gods and prove worthy of the powerful gifts bestowed on them.
Audible US | Amazon| Audible UK | Audible France | Audible Germany | iBooks | QueeRomance Ink | Goodreads
Mary has a giveaway via Rafflecopter with this tour:
He felt reborn and reenergized, ready to finish all the work waiting for his design genius—to give his nephew and niece a nursery worthy of the journey they’d made, and another for a prince—or princess—as the case might be. He wanted to look at the ancient artifacts Ian received when he mated with Colton because an idea was forming in his head about using them.
Then, there was the design that was driving him nuts—Cody’s home for gay boys. No matter what changes he made, it just wasn’t right, but he was determined to make it perfect. When Cody and Dylon approached him initially with their idea, he was so fucking proud of his brother, and touched that they wanted him to do the design. As he drew up the first set of plans, he cried all through it, thinking about the boys who would be living there after being rejected by their parents.
That’s why it had to be right—it had to feel like a home—a home filled with love, so the boys’ souls could recover from the worst thing that could ever happen to a child—feeling unwanted by parents they trusted. But every time he tried to draw a home he ended up with a dormitory—hardly helpful in erasing bad memories. Logan was determined to get it right and after a great night’s sleep, he felt he would have the ‘ah ha’ moment today, signaling the breakthrough he needed to do justice to Cody’s dream.
After those major jobs, he still had to redesign Dakota’s kitchen, the great room, Cody and Dylon’s suite and Colton and Ian’s suite. Thinking back to the days after the massacre, Logan was sure he would never have another design job again while they hid from their uncle and his attempts to kill him and his brothers. His twin knew how upset Logan was when he was forced to give up his schooling. He’d been only a year away from an Interior Design degree, but that dream was tossed to the winds when they were forced into hiding.
Chuckling to himself, he remembered how upset he’d been about Jackson finding his Fated Mate. So afraid Jackson would leave him, as had happened for a summer when they were young. Logan had mixed feelings about Steel for a while, but in the end, his brother was happier than he had ever seen him, and Logan ended up with a nephew and more design jobs than he could ever have believed possible.
The ringing of his cell phone interrupted his thoughts and after fishing it from his pocket and looking to see who was calling him this early, Logan answered. “Hello bro, how’s Daniel?”
“Good morning to you, too. Daniel’s doing fine which you would know if you came down from your design tower.”
Logan grinned. “Design tower? Really?”
“What do you call it?”
“Uhmm…my design studio?”
“Well, I guess that’ll work. Listen, the reason I’m calling is to let you know I’ll be calling a pack meeting after breakfast today and I want you there.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Josiah filed a complaint against us claiming we killed our parents and everyone else in the…”
Logan sat up. “That fucking asshole. Of course, I’ll be there.”
“Good, because I’m worried about how Zane will react, and I need him…well, his computer skills…to find the proof we were in Las Vegas at the time.”
“Got it. Do you want to meet first?”
“Good idea. After breakfast but before the meeting. Are you gonna come down or eat in your room?”
“I’ll be down. Tell Dakota. I’ll see you soon, I need to take a shower.” Logan quickly ended the call and rose, intent on getting into the shower quickly. Remembering Dakota’s instructions, he opened some windows to air out the place. Checking his cock and wolf, Logan was glad to find both were behaving themselves this morning. Even the thought of seeing Kieran had no effect on them which was most strange. Could I have been sick? The more Logan thought about it the surer he was. Certainly, if Kieran had been his Fated Mate, his symptoms would not disappear overnight…Oh my gods, unless he died! Frozen in place, he considered the possibility but rejected it after seeing his wolf calmly grooming himself. Logan shook his head at the ridiculous thought. No, he isn’t my mate and I must talk to Ian to make sure I don’t have a relapse.
Jumping into the hot steaming water, he let it course over his body, enjoying the feeling of it. Grabbing some shower gel, Logan lathered his body before rinsing off days of sweat and grime. Turning the water off and grabbing a heated towel, he dried himself quickly as he thought about what to wear for Kieran…ugh, not for Kieran…what to wear, period. He had to stop thinking of Kieran this way because if Cody ever found out, there would be hell to pay.
Without thinking, he grabbed his skinny jeans that showed off his package nicely and a skin-tight t-shirt in a deep, dusty rose color. Finger-combing his hair, Logan checked himself in the mirror and liked what he saw. The shirt color emphasized his eyes and his rosy lips. Picking up his phone and slipping it into a pocket, Logan grinned. He was finally going to see Kieran again. Slipping out of his room, Logan never realized his thoughts were all about the pink-loving twink.
As my books began to be translated into other languages, I also became an Amazon International Best-Selling author and then achieved the honor of becoming an Amazon All Star due to their popularity. My tenth book, Darkness Master has just been published and audible versions of the entire series are in progress.
I love the M/M paranormal genre because it gives my imagination a lot of territory in which to roam. My mind can really run wild and come up with some amazing stuff when it doesn’t have to stay inside the box.
My readers tell me they feel like they’re members of the pack as the stories unfold…as if they’re right there in the middle of the action. Others tell me it’s like watching a fast-paced movie. My writing style pulls no punches…readers love it and are always clamoring for the next book.
Stories come to me as if channeled by my characters, all of whom I love (except for a few villains). They are eager to recount their lives, loves and adventures and are not inhibited when it comes to revealing steamy, sexy details.
I currently live in the Northeast and love the beautiful change of seasons, my husband, and our quirky calico cat, though not necessarily in that order. I’m always happy to hear from my readers and can be reached through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email, or my website.
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