I’m very happy to have my friend and fellow author Mickey Flagg visiting with me today! I’ve known Mickey for quite some time since we were both writing vampire romance. I still have to start FIGHT FOR LOVE, the last book in THE CALLING IS REBORN series (and am not sure when that will be) but Mickey is still going strong with her fabulous vampire romances. So please welcome Mickey!
Happy Tuesday Takeover, everyone! I’m Mickey Flagg and I’m thrilled to be here today with Caridad. I write Paranormal Romance with lots of suspense thrown in. I add in a little bit of light horror in a scene or two, but my stories always have a happily ever after because that’s what I like to read. I’m proud to be published with The Wild Rose Press and self-published as well.
My paranormal series has three novels thus far. The fourth, Night of the Crescent Moon, takes place sixteen years after the third one. It will be available on October 2, 2024, the perfect release date: my son’s birthday! Many years ago, knowing how much I enjoy the paranormal genre, my son urged me to write about vampires. I had thought I’d have a teensy-tiny short story about two pages long. I never dreamed I would write an entire series based on the idea of redeeming a vampire. Both he and my daughter have been the inspiration for some of my characters (not the vampires ????).
I’ve worn many hats through the years: musician, actor, mother, teacher, school administrator. Those experiences become unique components in writing, with many disguised in my novels about unique vampires, witches, mystical warriors, and different realms.
I have one specific writing spot that is like my kitchen to cook up my novels. Outside a huge back window, I see natural beauty. It focuses me. There are four cardinals (two couples) that visit every day along with a red-bellied woodpecker, many mourning doves, and other little birds. There are bucks and deer with their young, a very old groundhog and baby bunnies, not to mention far too many chipmunks. The wildlife is scrutinized by my rescued Maine Coon. The man-cat weighs in at 24 pounds. He is full of affection and loves to greet company. I swear he wags his tail, not flicks it.
I tell you about where I write because it’s part of my recipe for writing. I rarely cook these days, so my recipe is existential for writers of paranormal fantasy. Like creating a special dish, you start with imagination. World building is next. It’s the most intriguing, especially within any paranormal trope. The next ingredients are creating mood, atmosphere, and setting. Then, I add characters and relationships to drive the drama within the storyline. In my recipe, the world’s elements and rules must remain consistent—or maybe not? All authors put their own secret ingredient into a writing recipe, so I’ll say that’s up to the individual to choose or even bend their own rules once in a while.
After all, no two pots of pasta sauce tastes exactly the same, right? Like a good cook, you might add a little bit more of this or that. In paranormal writing, whether it’s folklore, legend, heavenly entities, symbolism or science, the choice is yours. In my recipe, there is always a thin line between good and evil. In my paranormal fiction, romance and suspense are folded in for flavor.
Do you have a recipe for writing? Please leave a comment and share. I may have left out an ingredient or two!
Thank you for having me, Caridad. Many blessings!
