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How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
After getting some very positive reviews, it confirmed that I had written something that people liked, so of course, it encouraged me to write more. It gave me a tremendous amount of confidence to continue and I knew I had what it took to be a writer. Not too long after my second book was published and revived even better reviews, I went full-time and have never looked back. I’m now working on #12.
What are the most important magazines for writers to subscribe to?
I know a writer who’s written a couple of books and always is giving advice on writing, quoting various articles they’ve read and so on, ad nauseam. And frequently the advice is conflicting. There are some good books out there that touch on points of grammar but generally magazines for writers are about as useful as workshops that purport to teach you “secrets” that will make you rich. My advice is to read books and see how they are put together. If you think something is bad, try to figure out why and how you’d make it better. If you can learn to recognize bad writing and why it’s bad, you’re on your way to all the writing education you’ll ever need.
What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. It is a brilliant piece of writing with superb character development. Dreiser based it on the murder of a young pregnant woman by her lover but it goes far beyond that simple theme. He began writing the book in 1920, stopped for a while, but finally finished it in 1925. It should be required reading for every would-be and practicing writer. Fortunately, it is now in the public domain and easily (and inexpensively available on Kindle. It might be the best thirty cents (really, only $.30!) that you’ll ever spend and probably some of the best writing education you can get.
How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?
I think a better question to ask would be “How do I balance my reader’s demands for my next book, with my personal life. 😉 I believe in keeping close contact with my readers and love them dearly, but no sooner do I release a new title than I’m bombarded with “When is the next one coming out.” At first, I felt a lot of pressure but soon realized that books, like babies, need a certain gestation period so now I just smile and say: “Soon.”
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I live in the present and know that having a bunch of unfinished work around only leads to frustration. I write for a living and can’t afford to have bits and pieces of half-done novels cluttering up my mind. I do one book at a time…from start to finish. They are long (because my readers like them that way) and take a while to write and then probably another 10-20 days of editing and proofreading before they’re ready to be published.
What does literary success look like to you?
To me, literary success is a double-edged sword. First, I must be happy with what I’ve written and know that I have given everything I’ve got to make the story interesting, the characters real, and so on. But , on the other hand, I also measure my literary success by the fact that readers will pay to read what I’ve written and continue to buy my books.
Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
Sometimes I feel that way when a chapter is flowing, almost by itself, and I am suddenly transformed into a fascinated reader rather than a writer. There’s something definitely spiritual about the euphoria that creates.
What are you working on next?
Two books – Book 12 of the Blackwood Pack and the next audio book – Mystic Guardian. The audio files are currently in editing so hopefully it won’t be too long before it’s available on Audible.
The Blackwood Pack saga continues…
This is part of an on-going series by Amazon International Bestselling Author, Mary Rundle – catching up on previous titles is advised. Readers of the past books will enjoy meeting old friends once more as the pack does what it does best ̶ caring for one another and helping shifters everywhere.
Hunter always expected to be the next Alpha of the Rolling Hills Pack until he had to walk away, leaving behind his dream, forced to build a new life for himself and his brothers. Arriving with them to visit his cousins at the Blackwood Pack, he never expects to find his mate there, but when he catches his scent, it’s impossible for him to concentrate on anything else, including a secret he has that will change his cousins’ lives.
From the moment Hunter meets Jackson, tempers flare between the two Alphas as their anger builds about secrets both are keeping. Their distrust of each other grows yet they must struggle to find common ground due to their mutual responsibilities toward Hunter’s mate.
Fionn, a rare white dragon, has fought hard for his independence, believing it will protect him from relatives who want to seize his hoard. As a recent member of the Blackwood Pack, he looks forward to sharing the future with his new family. That is, until he realizes he has a mate. Needing time to sort out his feelings, he flees to his hoard, hiding from Hunter who impatiently waits for him.
Together, Fionn and Hunter must put aside past hurts and disappointments as they try to forge a new world for themselves while facing a dangerous threat to Fionn…and to the rest of the Blackwood Pack.
Long-kept secrets, a treacherous attack, an action-packed rescue, and many unexpected twists and turns make this passionate love story by Mary Rundle impossible to put down once you’ve read the first page.
Amazon (eBook, paperback, audio)
Mary is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card with this tour. Enter to win:
Holy Fuck! How did Jackie do that? Forced to look at his cousin, Hunter found himself unable to move. “Yes, it has,” he replied. “I understand congratulations are in order.”
“Congratulations? What for?” asked Jackson.
“Becoming Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, of course,” Hunter answered.
Wondering how much his cousin knew, Jackson decided to ignore it. Instead, he asked, “Are you going to introduce your brothers to me?”
“Sure,” Hunter replied, but anxious to know the name of his mate, he continued, “but that’s quite a welcoming group you have for us, considering you didn’t know we were arriving today. Do you mind introducing them to me first?”
Standing next to Logan on the porch, Kieran watched the two posturing Alphas with amusement. Suddenly, his spirit spoke to him. Breaking away from his mate, he bolted down the steps.
“Babe! Wait! What are you doing?” called Logan, torn between following his mate and obeying Jackson’s orders to remain where he was. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“Macushla, I’m needed! Don’t worry!” Kieran yelled, sprinting towards the motorhome.
Asking their spirit what his mate was doing, Logan gasped, his jaw dropping. Not believing what he heard, he leapt off the porch, shouting, “Wait babe, wait! Jackson, stop Kieran!”
Breaking eye contact with Hunter, Jackson looked over his cousin’s shoulder, catching sight of Kieran opening the motorhome door. “Kieran, stop!” he commanded, upping his Alpha power to force his brother’s mate to obey.
Hunter, following his cousin’s gaze, saw a slender figure about to climb up the steps leading to the inside. What the fuck is going on here? Not knowing who it was, he threw out his Alpha power and ordered, “Stop now!”
Frozen in his tracks as the power from both Alphas temporarily stunned him, Kieran’s spirit took over, breaking him free of their hold, allowing him to scramble up the steps. Once inside, he came face to face with three pairs of eyes staring at him in astonishment. “Hi cousins, nice to meet you but if you don’t mind, can we talk later because I’m needed.” Hurrying to the first door he found, Kieran popped it open. “Hi there, don’t you look fabulous! I love your dress, but can we talk later? Thanks.” Closing the door, he hurried to the next one. Placing his hand on it, he knew this was where he was supposed to be. Quietly slipping inside, he said, “Hi, don’t worry, I’m here to help.”
“Who the fuck was that?” asked Sawyer.
“How did he know?” Robin asked.
“Oh, shit,” Mason said, looking at the big shifter who’d just joined Jackson and Hunter. “This doesn’t look good.”
Stopping next to Jackson, Logan asked, “Why didn’t you stop Kieran?”
“Who’s Kieran?” asked Hunter, “And why did he break into my motorhome?”
“Fuck you, asshole!” Logan snarled.
“Logan, stop,” Jackson ordered.
“Logan?” Hunter asked, astounded at how big his cousin’s twin was. The last time he’d seen Logan, he was a skinny, short kid.
“Logan, meet Hunter, our cousin,” Jackson said.
Giving his cousin an angry glance, Logan turned back to his brother. “Bro, I need to speak to you…alone!”
At a loss for what was going on, Hunter decided to retreat. “I understand. I’ll just be in there, finding out about who decided to invite himself into my motorhome… without permission, I might add.”
“You touch my mate and it’ll be the last thing you ever do,” snarled Logan.
“Your mate? That twink is your mate?” asked Hunter, incredulously.
Seeing red at the implied insult, Logan began to shift, having had enough of his cousin’s attitude towards Kieran.
Glancing at the motorhome, Jackson saw fear and anger in the faces staring back at him. Instantly aware of what would happen if he didn’t put a stop to the brewing conflict, he sent out his Alpha power a bit stronger, waiting until his brother and cousin tilted their heads in submission. “Hunter, stay where you are while I speak to my brother alone. Understand?”
“Yes, Alpha,” Hunter said. Feeling Jackson’s control, he stood still, watching his cousins walk away from him, smirking at their attempt to keep him from listening with his wolf hearing. Shifting his gaze, Hunter sought out the man on the porch who was now tied to him by the Fates, wondering how his cousin would react when he took his mate back east.
Once Jackson felt he and Logan were far enough away from Hunter, he stopped and said, “Okay, what’s Kieran up to now?”
Glancing over his brother’s shoulder to make sure Hunter wasn’t heading for the motorhome, Logan leaned in and whispered into his brother’s ear.
Jerking back, Jackson stared at Logan. “That’s fucking impossible!”
Shaking his head, Logan leaned in again and repeated himself.
The color drained from Jackson’s face as the implications of Logan’s news sank in. Looking toward the porch and zeroing in on his brothers, he thought about how this news would hit them. Then, turning back to Logan, Jackson murmured, “Are you absolutely positive?”
“Yes.”
“Is Kieran okay?”
Logan asked their spirit before answering, “Yes, he’s doing what he can.”
“Get Ian and Colton here but don’t let them know why.”
“Will do, but please protect my mate,” Logan said, before heading for the porch.
Nodding, Jackson strode over to Hunter, blocking his view of the porch and snarled, “What the fuck are you trying to pull? Why didn’t you tell me about this in the first email you sent?”
Waves of powerful anger emanated from Jackson, nearly pushing Hunter to his knees. Forcing himself to stand his ground, he answered, “I did what my mother wanted.”
Now, eleven books later, Blood Prophecy, has just been published. 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 story ideas come to me as if they were being 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 reluctant to let it all out when it comes to revealing steamy details. My writing style is free-wheeling and uninhibited and my readers tell me they love it that way; that it makes them feel like they’re right in on the action and a member of the Blackwood Pack.
I 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 read a lot (good for the mind) and love gardening (good for the soul). And I’m always happy to hear from my readers and can be reached through Facebook, my private Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, or my website.
Author Website: https://www.maryrundle.com
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