Welcome to Wing Beat!
Today’s Guest is Shirley McCoy ...
author of The Smoke and The Flame.
Shirley, please
introduce yourself and give us a short bio:
I grew up in Baton Rouge, LA and
started writing at an early age. Always talkative, when I was
eleven I began to put my thoughts on paper, writing stories inspired by
some of my favorite writers, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Madeline L'Engle. As I
grew older, I developed a love of romance and in 2009 I decided to try my hand
at writing paranormal romance. The result was The Smoke and the Flame and
its sequel, The Wind and the Fire. The Smoke and the Flame is the first novel I
have ever completed, although I have written several unpublished screenplays.
I graduated from Nicholls State University where I majored in History and minored in English. Since graduating (I don't like to think about how long ago that was) I have worked at some of the best libraries in the Baton Rouge area. I make my home there and enjoy spending time with family members. I also love seeing movies, reading, and going to the park with my niece in my free time.
Currently, I am hard at work on my newest venture, tentatively titled Awake. It is a departure from her first novel, as it is a contemporary romantic suspense.
If you had superhero powers, what would it be, and how would you use it to save souls?
I graduated from Nicholls State University where I majored in History and minored in English. Since graduating (I don't like to think about how long ago that was) I have worked at some of the best libraries in the Baton Rouge area. I make my home there and enjoy spending time with family members. I also love seeing movies, reading, and going to the park with my niece in my free time.
Currently, I am hard at work on my newest venture, tentatively titled Awake. It is a departure from her first novel, as it is a contemporary romantic suspense.
If you had superhero powers, what would it be, and how would you use it to save souls?
I’ve always wanted to have the
power to read minds. Imagine all you could do with a power like that. You could
fight crime because you would be certain of lies and truth when dealing with
criminals or you could be a psychiatrist and be able to truly know, understand
and perhaps help those who need it. You could also truly know those in your
life, which would be a blessing and a curse. Still, it would be one I would
want to have because I believe knowledge is the first step to love.
As a kid, what was
your favorite cartoon or tv show?
As a child I really enjoyed Scooby
Doo and all of the classic Disney princess films like Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty but Cinderella was my favorite.
As an adult, what
is/are your favorite shows?
Where do I begin? I am a total
couch potato and so I have lots of shows I love to watch these days. Just a few
of my favorites are: Doctor Who, The Vampire Diaries, Elementary, Dexter, and
Game of Thrones. In general I enjoy romances, paranormal adventures, period
pieces, police procedurals, medical dramas in that order.
What is your favorite
hobby and why and how often do you indulge?
I love to read, watch television
and go to the movies. I do all three as often as I can. I love the escape
books, movies and TV can provide. I love to immerse myself in another world and
I love connecting with different characters. I also really enjoy analyzing
different characters and the psychology of what they do. When talking about a
series like Dexter, what makes it so fascinating to me is it’s all about this
complex man and why he does what he does. He is a serial killer, yet he is the
hero of the story. He has a code which he rarely deviates from. I find it
exciting to contemplate that we are each the hero of our own story and nothing
is ever all black and white. I think it’s this idea that most informs my
writing and what I feel makes for intriguing characters whether I’m reading,
watching or writing something of my own.
Blurb of your latest
release:
In The Smoke and the Flame, Colleen O’Banyon longs for love and adventure until she encounters Darius McLinnin, one of the fabled race called the Jinn. In each other's arms they find all the passion, all the love their hearts desire. But there is a ring, ancient and powerful, and only it can control the Jinn. As the ruler of the Jinn and their kingdom, Kaf, Darius is sworn to keep his people safe from it. Willing to protect the man she loves and guard his kingdom with her life, Colleen vows to aid him. Alaster, an evil sorcerer, will stop at nothing to make the ring and Kaf his. The battle begins in The Smoke and the Flame.
Short excerpt of your
latest release
As he rode, on the northern border
of a small kingdom called Brenmere one day, a woman’s screams of pain filled
the air. Screams which made his blood run cold and brought back the hellish
night when wife and child passed from his life. Whipping his horse into a
gallop, he headed toward the sound. Not sure what to expect, he found a small
cottage set in a neat little clearing. It was from this structure the terrible
sounds issued so he spurred his mount forward, determined to offer what
assistance he could.
“Hello,” he
called, as he approached and slowed his horse to a brisk trot. “My name is
Darius. Might I be of help?”
For mere a
heartbeat, he thought he was seeing an angel. He had a fleeting impression of
ebony hair set against creamy skin and a slender, yet well endowed figure. She
was petite, several inches below average height, so the top of her head just
reached his shoulder but it was her eyes that captured him, eyes so green they
rivaled the mountains of Kaf and so very full of life. This vision was of an
exasperated angel, his distracted mind belatedly realized, bearing a distinct
air of dishevelment. For several long seconds he could not find his tongue.
This did not turn out to be a problem,
however, since she found hers with little difficulty. “I have no idea who you
are, sir, but birthing is woman’s work. So I’ll thank you for your kind offer
and ask you to be on your wa…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes met his. She
swallowed, the sound audible to her own ears, but did not continue, her voice
gone now too.
Never had
she seen a man so beautiful. He was six feet tall and well muscled, with black
hair that was straight and sleek, blue eyes, her giddy senses informed her.
There was an air of calm, competent assurance, of strength about him mixed with
a kindness too that made her feel if she told him her troubles all would be
well.
Darius cleared
his throat and attempted to speak past the lump lodged there. “I have some
skill at healing and I have attended at many births. Perhaps I might do
something to assist.” While he spoke, the girl not only recovered her wits but
also seemed right on the point of seeing him out. In a most obliging fashion,
the patient chose this precise moment to scream.
“I know I am a stranger but since
your patient appears to be in considerable distress…” He let his own words
trail off so she might make her make her own decision.
She peered
regally at him from her height of all of five feet, two inches, then stated,
“Well, come in then if you think you can be useful.”
She ushered
him into a small but well-kept cottage and closed the door behind him.
Link to your webpage
Link to where book is
for sale
The kindle version can be found at this link below
and the paperback version can be found at this link below.
Thank you for
participating, Shirley, and remember to Enjoy the Journey!
