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| At Amazon |
I’m interviewing romantic suspense author
Maureen Miller, who has now added a SciFi YA, BEYOND, to her list. She’s an
interesting woman.
Hi, Maureen. Who inspires you and
why?
My inspiration
doesn't necessarily come from a single individual or even a handful. I am
inspired by other authors, by readers, by personal events in life, and by the
news. Inspiration comes in unique packages for everyone. Watching a Praying
Mantis move across a fence post inspires me. There is beauty and grace there,
where others may see a bug. :)
Do you ever have qualms about giving the
bad guys information or ideas? How much technical or tactical information do
you or are you willing to include?
In my most
recent novel, BEYOND, the book takes place mostly in outer space and the entire
world is fictional. My technical information was restricted to the scope of my
imagination. :)
What do you think of people who reveal
confidential information, such as the SEAL who wrote the book about getting Bin
Laden, or Princess Diana’s bodyguard? Right or wrong?
It is not
something I would do, but I can't judge others. I am one of those 'loyal to a
fault' type of people. I'm afraid to share a friend's recipe without getting
written permission first! :)
When and how often do you write?
Not as often as
I would like, but I reckon we all probably say that! I'm an early morning
writer. I can solve world peace between the hours of 6-8am. By 3pm the eyelids
grow heavier.
What inspired you to begin writing?
Long airport
layovers! I used to travel for a living and spent way too much time in
airports. Some people pass the time reading. Some pass it in the airport
bar. Initially, I read. But then I
started wanting control of the paths of characters so I turned to writing. I
used to reduce my Microsoft Word screen to 2x2 inches so that the people
sitting around me couldn't see what I was writing. LOL
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| At Amazon |
I see that Endless Night is set on the Maine
I have family
in Florida so
I'm actually more used to hurricanes. But weather has always fascinated me.
How did you research the Guatemalan
jungle for Jungle of Deceit?
Traditional
internet research, plus I had friends who had traveled there for Habitat For
Humanity. I'll admit, I was not too keen on the snake research. Thank God I was
not crawling around in the jungle looking to dig some up! :)
Do you have a favorite book (of your
own) or character?
I think my
favorite character to date has to be from the new book, BEYOND. His name is JOH. He is a computer and he cracks me up. I
had so much fun with him.
Which comes first, characters or
plot?
Tough question.
More often than not, the plot. For example, JUNGLE
OF DECEIT was born from a simple paragraph I read in the news about a
shipment of Guatemalan artifacts that were unearthed in the cellars of the World Trade
Center
For BEYOND the plot was driven by a
childhood fantasy I had to be whisked away from my backyard into space by
Starbuck from Battlestar Gallactica! :)
Plotter, pantser, or in between?
I used to be a
blatant panster. Now I call myself a skeleton writer. I will write an entire
skeleton of a book, and then go back and fill in the flesh. :)
What’s the perfect atmosphere for
your writing?
Quiet. I like
the stillness of early morning. I can't listen to music as I write or else I'll
stop and sing along. LOL
Describe the sort of people you like
to write about.
In Romantic
Suspense I like my characters to be a little desperate and out of their element
due to whatever situation they have been thrown into. And in the gravest of
moments I like my men to retain a sense of humor to put the heroines at ease.
Titles—hard or easy? Where did you get this
one/most current/favorite?
The titles just
come to me, and they have to come to me early because I need something to name
the file I'm saving! You don't always have control of your titles though. For
example, ENDLESS NIGHT was originally
called VICTORY COVE but the publisher
renamed it. I do like their thought process though, in that it tied in with a
line from the book when Megan says, “That night was endless. It still hasn't
ended.”
Thank you so much for having me here, Ellis!
Where to find Maureen A. Miller
Website - www.maureenamiller.com
BEYOND - www.Beyond-Book.com
MAUREEN'S BIO:
Maureen's
illustrious writing career began in the fourth grade with the blockbuster hit,
Super Watermelon 
