Interview with Author Mysti Parker

Today I have Author Mysti Parker stopping on her

tour for A Ranger's Tale.

1. Who is Mysti Parker?

First of all, thank you so much for inviting me to be here today!

My author bio says: Mysti Parker is a full-time wife, mom of three, and a writer. Born and raised in Kentucky, writing has always been her first love. After many years of pursuing other things, she began her writing career in earnest in 2009.

That’s me in a nutshell. I’m also a decent cook, I hate shopping and people who don’t put their shopping carts back in the corrals. And I’m a big goofball.

2. Where did you get your inspiration from for A Ranger’s Tale?

I’m a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings, computer games, and any tales featuring Tolkien-ish fantasy. I also love romance.  I wondered what it would be like to create a world where the characters face realistic challenges alongside the fantastical ones, all the while searching for true love. Hence, the characters in A Ranger’s Tale were born. I think we can all relate to Caliphany’s impulsiveness and Galadin’s guilt. Of course, they must overcome these personal struggles while battle fire-wielding wizards, goblins, and a troll or two.

3. I understand this is your debut novel, how are you feeling about that now that it’s been released?

Like most authors, I’m uber excited, but I alternate from that blissful state to a state of nervousness. When you publish something, it’s like putting a little piece of yourself out there for everyone to see.  I’m excited to share the fruits of my imagination, though, and I hope people will enjoy reading A Ranger’s Tale as much as I enjoyed writing it.

4. Do you ever have problems with writers block?  If so how do you get through it?

What writer doesn’t? At times when I stall, I’ll just tackle one of the 5 million chores I have lying around. Better yet, I’ll crank out a short story and stretch my writing muscles. If I clear my mind for just a while doing something else, very often I’ll get that “aha” moment and know how to continue with the plot.

5. While working on a story, do you directly onto the computer or are there notebooks and plot ideas jotted down in various places?

When an idea hits, I write it down wherever I am. In a notebook, on a church bulletin, a napkin, the back of an envelope—the sooner I get it down, the more likely I’ll remember. One thing I do with a current manuscript is type out snippets of dialogue or ideas for subsequent scenes right on the manuscript itself, below the scene I’ve been working on. This is especially helpful if the idea is for the very next chapter or scene, and I can easily look back to see if the new idea fits and what needs to be tweaked.

6.  Do you have any future releases we should watch for?

A Ranger’s Tale is the first in a series of stand-alone novels set in the fantasy world of Tallenmere. Here’s a little insider information: Chapter Four makes brief mention of several characters who will be appearing in subsequent books in the series.

Right now, I’m working on Serenya’s Song, the second book in the series. It stars one of the prominent male characters of A Ranger’s Tale. Look for it in October, 2011. The third book in the series is Hearts in Exile, a tale of lost love…and dragons! It will be available in September 2012.

7.  What do you do when you’re not writing/editing or thinking about writing/editing?

I’m a full-time mom of three. If I’m not writing/editing or thinking about the process, then I’m taking care of kid-related things. Every other day, it’s food, food, food…that was a joke. Being a mom is a 24-hour, 7-day a week job. It’s the best and hardest job I’ve ever had.

Sometimes, the kids do sleep, so the husband and I indulge in our favourite TV shows: House, American Idol, and True Blood (if the new season will ever start). We just moved this past November, so we’re also going about the business of straightening the place up when we get a chance. I also go to church, exercise, and read a good book when I can sit down long enough.

8.  If you had one piece of advice for all those writers sitting out there procrastinating about making that first submission what would it be?

Go for it! Get that first draft finished, first of all. Don’t let it sit there nagging at you. Finish it, even if it’s crummy. Then, find yourself a group (online or in person) of other writers with whom you can share critiques. It’s a tremendous advantage to both receive and give critiques of others’ work. You’ll learn what to do and what not to do, and you’ll grow by leaps and bounds. Don’t depend on family and friends for their opinion. They usually won’t want to hurt your feelings.

Also, learn to self-edit. Read it out loud to catch things your eye misses. When you’ve got that polished-up manuscript, learn how to write a good blurb, query letter, and synopsis, then seek out the appropriate place to publish. The internet is your friend. Be persistent, and don’t give up.

Thanks for being here today, Mysti.

Here's more about A Ranger's Tale and where you can find Mysti

In the fantasy world of Tallenmere, the high elf, Caliphany Aranea, nearly a century old, has never been allowed to travel farther than a few miles out of the capital city of Leogard. Her father, Sirius, leads the Mage Academy, and after losing his only son, he expects Caliphany to take his place one day. The trouble is, she doesn't want to study magic and doubts she'll ever be as good a wizard as her father. She dreams of leaving Leogard to explore the world and strike out on her own--lofty goals for Sirius' daughter, who also happens to be King Leopold's niece.

When two brutes at Leogard Harbor attempt to kidnap her while she dreams of faraway lands, half-elf ship captain and ranger, Galadin Trudeaux, comes to her rescue. From their first chance encounter, to the finale, where Caliphany must decide where her heart truly lies, she and Galadin will face more adventure, more love, more heartache, than they ever thought possible. Through it all, they discover the power of forgiveness and of a love that stands the test of time.

EXCERPT:

Galadin

Cali stood and flung her bow over her shoulder.

I waved my hands at her. “Cali, I think you should stay here in the camp.”

“I will do no such thing.”

“The goblins aren’t to be taken lightly. They can swarm on you in an instant.”

“Which is all the more reason I should go along to help.”

There was no arguing with her, not with that stubborn set of her chin and those flashing blue eyes. Damn, she was beautiful when she set her mind to do something.

“All right, then, let’s go, but we have to be careful.”

We climbed the narrow path up the cliff side to the ancient temple. Bastivar was a crumbling, pillared fortress carved into the mountainside in honor of the goddess Innessa. Worshippers had long since vanished, and as long as anyone could remember, the only current inhabitants were goblins.

“Hidari mi compli,” we chanted, and sneaked inside. Our eyes adjusted to the dim light in the entryway.

“I’ll draw some of them out,” I whispered. “Stay concealed, and when you see one coming, shoot it.”

Down one corridor, a group of three goblins came toward me. I aimed and shot one, then ran back when the other two charged. Cali’s first arrow barely missed my head, but she got one. I shot the last one as she readied another arrow.

“Nicely done,” I whispered. “Now, we—”

“Achoo!” Cali couldn’t stop her sneeze in time. She whispered, “I’m sorry.”

A great snarling ensued from within the main corridor. A horde of beady, yellow eyes came toward us.

       “Cali, run!”

She fled, and we ran down the cliff side as fast as we could without falling off. We reached the forest floor, and I looked back. Goblins streamed out of the ruins, so many that some fell off the cliff. There had never been this many before. It must have been a long while since anyone had cleared them out. We sped through the underbrush. Thorns scratched our skin and snagged our leathers, but they were gaining on us.

We reached the main path, and I grabbed Cali. “Give me my father’s sword.”

She unsheathed it and handed it to me. “Galadin, there’s too many. We’ll never fight them off.”

“Conceal yourself and run. Now!”

She clutched my sleeve. “I won’t leave you here!”

For the brief moment while the goblins closed in, I met her panic-stricken eyes. I’d never met a woman I would die for, until then. “Go!”

I pushed her on, and she turned to run. Goblins burst through the bush, and I readied my sword. Right and left, I swung, impaling and kicking them off the blade, chopping off spindly gray limbs, a head when I could aim just right. Piles of jerking bodies began to pile at my feet. The onslaught lessened, but before I could catch my breath, another wave of them burst forth.

One of them latched onto my arm, its jagged teeth sinking in through the leather. I cried out. Then, an arrow sank into its ugly body. Cali had come back, her next arrow nocked and ready. I shook the goblin off my arm. Still, they came, yet another wave.

She threw down her bow and ran to my side. “Galadin, get back!”

“What? No, I told you to run!”

“No time.”

She pulled me back, stepped in front of me, and held out her hands. Blue fire burst from her palms, like flaming blasts of lightning, but continuous, and dreadfully hot. I had to back away from the intensity of the heat. The inferno charred the goblins, turning them from gray, to black, to piles of ashes before my eyes. The fire consumed every bush and weed, everything in its path, until the goblins in the rear decided they were outmatched. Shrieking, they turned and hightailed it back up the cliff and into Bastivar.

Cali stared at her smoking hands. I ran to her, relieved to see that she wasn’t burned. But, she was weakened. I embraced her, letting her catch her breath, her head on my shoulder. I ran my fingers along her braid.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” I said.

She raised her head and peered into my eyes. “I didn’t either.”

Then, our lips met, and nothing else mattered.

Buy link for A Ranger’s Tale at Melange Books: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/mystiparker/parkerarangerstale.html

Buy link for A Ranger’s Tale at All Romance eBooks:  http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-aranger039stale-511665-143.html

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