Author Spotlight: Mandy Lou Dowson
I just met M.L. Dowson not long ago. I want to thank her for joining my 12 Day's of Christmas!! She is such a sweetheart! I cannot wait to read her books.
Let us start with some fun facts about M.L Dowson.
I'm returning your questionnaire to you, along with the promo packs for all of my books, so you can choose which info to use. I'm also going to include one teaser for each book, so you can use them with the spotlight posts if you like. If you need anything else, please let me know! Here are my fun facts...
1. I left school when I was 15. I rebelled quite vigorously in my teens and I didn't go back to school until I was 19. I regret that now, of course, but I'm glad I went back and managed to finish my education. I'm living my dream, something that wouldn't be possible without proper education.
2. I'm terrified of water. Honestly. At nineteen years of age, and eight months pregnant, I stood knee-high in the sea and cried like a baby when someone splashed me in the face. I even wash my hair with my back to the shower spray.
3. I'm a desperate hoarder. I replaced my kitchen units a few years ago and rather than throw the old ones away, I stored them in my attic. Hey! You never know!
4. Though all my books are set in the US, I'm actually Irish, and have lived in the same small Irish town my entire life.
5. I'm an ink and metal junkie. I have thirteen tattoos and nine piercings. I plan more *evil laugh*
Now for the fun and nosy stuff!!
1)
Can your fans find you at an
upcoming event? If so please provide the details of the event or events.
I'm always doing take overs at parties and will
have two of my own release parties in January.
Please drop by my author page to find out where to stalk, oops, I mean
find me!
2)
Do you listen to music while
you write? If so, is it different with each book or series?
I listen to mood music, rather than genre
music. For instance, if I'm writing a
bit of an action-packed scene, I might listen to some rock, and if I'm writing
some sexy-times, I might listen to something along the lines of Madonna's
Erotica ;)
3)
What is your favorite book
right now?
There are so many! Too many to choose from. In contemporary romance, I'm really crushing
on M. Mabie's Bait, and in horror, I really enjoyed Eden Elsworth's Frippe
House. In fantasy, I still enjoy all the
usual suspects – GRRM, Brent Weeks, Peter V Brett, etc.
4)
What book influenced you the
most growing up?
A little book for tweens named Under The Hawthorn
Tree. It follows a set of siblings as
they try to make their way on foot to their aunts' bakery in Dublin City during
the worst of the Great Famine.
5)
Name someone other than a
family who has been a huge supporter during your writing career.
Other authors and bloggers. I'm lucky in that I've managed to build a
little nest right in the middle of some of the most supportive authors and
bloggers that I've ever met. My street
team also supports me immensely! I heart
my girls!
6) How did you become interested
in writing this genre?
I'm a big softie really. No, really.
(ignores pointed looks from all and sundry)
7)
What is your writing style? Do
you outline or just write it as it comes to you and let the story unfold as you
write?
I start off with a vague idea of where I want the
story to end up, but how I get there is trial and error, most of the time. I write sometimes for hours without knowing
what I'm writing at all, and when I look back on it, I either love it, or
delete it. Inspired writing, I think
describes my style. When the muse is
ready to rock, I roll over and let them ride rough-shod over me, haha.
8)
Is it hard for you to decide
what the titles of your books will be?
Nope. With
the Moon Bound series, all my titles reference the series name. So, I have Bound by Fate, Bound by Revenge,
Bound by Magic (and several other titles in the works), and with the Taboo
series, it's all about the premise of the book.
So Stepbrother, Mine is about...you guessed it, step siblings in
love! And then I will be doing one named
Strip, Tease Me, but I'll let you draw your own conclusions on that Taboo
installment, haha.
9)
Did the idea behind this book
hit you in the middle of the night or while driving your car?
Actually, I started writing Bound by Fate a few
years ago and then lost interest in it.
This year I picked it back up and finished it, polished it, published
it. I'm so glad I found it languishing
in the vaults!
10) How
much research did the book take?
Since my paranormal series is fantastical to
begin with – not much! But the Taboo
series does require quite in depth research.
I don't want to write caricatures of characters; I want them to be real
and easy to relate to. I don't really
like stereotypes and so I want to write the type of characters that you think
you know, and remind you that everybody's unique.
11)Is there a
message you hope your reader grasps?
Love is never easy. If it were, it wouldn't be worth it!
12)What is your
next writing adventure?
I will continue on with both series, but you
never know; I have been toying with the idea of dabbling in horror or perhaps a
motorcycle club book. I know I have a
rock-star series planned, and as always, I am toiling away with my epic
fantasy. I'm a dirty little
genre-hopper, me.
13)When can I start
stalking you for details on your next book release?
Right now!
I always keep my fans in the loop with the latest updates on my Facebook
author page. And I'm always happy to
chat to followers on Twitter or Goodreads.
14)Who designed
your cover?
Linda Boulanger from Tell Tale
Covers does all my covers, apart from my novella which I done myself to keep
costs down.
15)Is it hard for
you to decide on the cover?
Extremely.
The things you imagine will look fab together, sometimes don't, and I'm
just so very glad that Linda puts up with me, haha.
16)Can you give me
a little something from your next writing project to tease your fans with?
Yes, for sure!
Here's a little snippet from Stepbrother, Mine.
She felt him standing behind her, close enough that
his breath tickled the back of her neck.
Her stomach in knots she stood unmoving, not knowing what to say. He reached around her and she started. Taking the coffee pot and thermos from her
clenched fingers to place them on the counter, he ran his hand back up her
arm. She shivered, still unwilling to
speak.
“We need to talk,” he whispered close to her ear.
“Look, Logan,” she began, deciding the best way to
deal with this was to meet it head on and brazen it out. “I was pretty drunk last night. Totally trashed, actually. I don’t know what I was thinking…I…” His hand on her shoulder, fingers lightly
stroking the base of her neck made her suck in a breath.
“Look at me,” he demanded, still stroking her sensitive
skin.
“No.” He was
doing funny things to her insides. She
could already feel herself growing wet again.
Her breath was coming in shallow gasps and her knees were starting to
buckle. No one had ever had this affect
on her but him. Certainly not Taylor,
who she’d been living with for the past three years.
Logan gripped her shoulder and turned her around. She kept her eyes lowered, staring at the
deep black of his shirt. “Look at me,
Soph.”
“No,” she repeated.
“What are you scared of?” This time both his hands steadied themselves
on her shoulders and his thumbs began to rub in slow circles, caressing her
skin. He’d never laid his hands on her
like this. He’d never touched her like
anything other than a brother. Except
for that one time... Then again, she’d
never brought herself to orgasm in front of him before.
“I’m not scared.”
It was a lie, and they both knew it.
“Yes, you are.”
His thumbs slowed, and he angled her head upwards. “Look at me, Sophie.”
She’d barely
made eye contact with him when a strangled groan erupted from her mouth. His thumbs stilled, and she swayed toward
him, grabbing his shirt for balance.
“Logan…” She had no idea what she
was about to say, and wouldn’t have had a chance to say it anyway, before his
mouth came down hard on hers.
Find Mandy Lou here - www.mandyloudowson.weebly.com or www.facebook.com/MLDowson
Mandy
Lou Dowson was born and raised in a small town in Ireland, in 1983.
Family is a huge deal to Mandy. She has three wonderful children, and
two dogs - a Siberian Husky who only does what she's told if there's
something in it for her, and a little white Pomeranian who loves nothing
better than to roll in mud, or worse.
In her spare time, she likes
to relax with a few glasses of wine and some karaoke. She has a keen
interest in special effects make-up and is part of a dramatical society
which puts on one show and one concert each year.
Mandy started
reading at quite a young age and her appetite for the written word has
only increased with time. It would not be at all surprising to find her
reading anything and everything from shampoo bottles to Edgar Allan Poe.
Bound by Fate
Blurb -- Giving her
Guardian the slip has never been a problem for Beth. Even for a wolf, she is
wicked fast and almost impossible to track. Then she meets Gareth, her new
Guardian. Gareth is ruggedly handsome, unfailingly stubborn, and seems
determined to sniff Beth out, no matter where she runs.
After a disastrous night
of passion with Gareth, Beth has no choice but to put herself forward for
mating. Although, it's not just Gareth that has his eye on this female.
Donovan, a wolf from a neighboring pack , has his own reasons for wanting this
she-wolf, and when Beth makes the wrong choice, she finds out exactly what
happens when you're "thrown to the wolves".
Secrets are revealed and
choices are made. Will love conquer all, or destroy everything Beth has ever
known?
Buy Links --
Thirty five 5* reviews!
Pack & Parcel
Blurb -- Part of the
Amazon Best Selling series, Moon Bound.
**This book is not
suitable for anyone under the age of 18. It contains adult situations and
scenes of erotica and mild horror.
Leesh is a female on the
run. She's taken all she can take from her abusive mate, and so, gathering up
her five year old little boy, Jase, she flees her territory, her pack and her
family, but with danger lurking around every corner, and old injuries leaving
her vulnerable to attack from any and every quarter, she must rely on the
Master of the Hunt, from the Tall Grass pack to keep her safe.
Wallace is ruggedly
handsome despite his many scars, but Leesh pushes him away even as she wishes
she could let him hold her close.
Is she too far gone in
fear and self-hatred to return his blossoming feelings?
With an angry mate on
her tail, Wallace must do all he can to save the woman he's fallen in love
with, and protect the son he wishes to call his own.
But Christmas is a time
for miracles, right?
Buy Links --
Bound by Revenge
Blurb -- Part of the
Amazon Best Selling series, Moon Bound
Revenge is a dish best
served cold. And Donovan has a huge serving of it for one female in particular.
He intends to find her and make her pay. But will he find her before the deadly
poison in his blood gets him? Running on empty, his body no longer obeying his
commands, he must rely on others to keep him alive just long enough to see his
plan come to fruition.
There is one she-wolf
who will be his touchstone. Together, they are stronger. Together, they might
just survive. As the darkness swallows him whole, she will be his saviour.
There's only one problem -- he's not interested in being saved.
A choice lies before him
-- revenge or love -- but with his heart closed to emotion, his choice may
already be made. Hatred is what drives him. But will his vengeance keep him
warm at night?
Buy Links
Unreleased. To be released early 2015.
Stepbrother, Mine
Blurb -- **This book is
a stand alone. It is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18, due to
explicit scenes, language and situations.
They were always taught
that family was about more than blood, but when step-siblings Sophie Ellis and
Logan Castle meet for the first time, their attraction is instantaneous.
Forever trying to keep each other at arm's length, they discover that sometimes
the best laid plans fall apart, when lovers fall together.
He's everything she's
ever fantasized about, and everything she can never have.
She's all he's ever
wanted, but never hoped to have.
Trying so hard to be his
stepsister, she can't shake the attraction she feels.
He decides it's best to
leave, but when circumstances see them reunite, and he discovers their initial
attraction is still there after all the intervening years, he can't help
himself. He has to have her.
Running scared, she cuts
all ties.
Left behind, his
bitterness grows.
When again circumstances
force her back into his arms, her past comes back to haunt her.
He's determined to make
her pay for leaving him.
Desires are forbidden.
Loyalties are tested. Hearts are broken. And in the end, is love strong enough
to conquer all?
Buy Links
Unreleased. To be released early 2015.
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