There’s a quote I once read that said, roughly, “Authors are the only people who constantly have private moments in public settings.” It’s true. Once an idea strikes, it can completely invade your thoughts making you momentarily forget where you are. I suppose it’s how we see the world. In an author’s mind, everyday things become extraordinary. And sometimes we get locked in that creative mindset.
It is a trait that can be hard to turn off. Like once, and a friend of the family event, when asked how I came up with ideas, I answered, “The voices give them to me.” Unfortunately, the person who asked wasn’t of a creative persuasion and she practically spit her meatball at me as she tried to get away from the crazy author lady. To this day I have never had the chance to explain I was joking, and it was merely a way of saying the characters are alive and talking in my head—which, reading that back to myself out loud, probably wouldn’t help defend my sanity.
Being an author is a full time career, so even when I’m not “working”, I’m working. Anything can be inspiration for a new book: From watching a trail of ants cross a sidewalk in the front yard to seeking out adventure like researching Mayan temples by going to Belize. I’ve been known to email myself strange messages from my cell phone for later.
Dancing to your own rhythm is not necessarily a bad thing and I wouldn’t trade my crazy ways. Plotting magical pranks to petrify everyone in the room is a lot better than simply standing in a post office line. In my new book, Love Potions (Warlocks MacGregor), I had the pleasure of daydreaming up all kinds of magical prank for the story. Aside from being sexy Scottish warlocks who are practically immortal, they’re also a close knit family who have been pranking each other for centuries. You can imagine what happens when one of them falls in love and the others are there just waiting to “help”…and to maybe get a little payback.
Thank you, Writerspace, for having me. Thank you, readers, for playing along!
So, tell me, readers, what magical pranks do you wish you could pull?
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Love Potions (Warlocks MacGregor)
by Michelle M. Pillow
Contemporary Scottish Magickal Romance
Erik MacGregor, from a clan of ancient Scottish warlocks, isn’t looking for love. After centuries, it’s not even a consideration…until he moves in next door to Lydia Barratt. It’s clear that the shy beauty wants nothing to do with him, but he’s drawn to her nonetheless and determined to win her over.
Lydia Barratt just wants to be left alone to grow flowers and make lotions in her old Victorian home. The last thing she needs is a demanding Scottish man meddling in her private life. Just because he’s gorgeous and totally rocks a kilt doesn’t mean she’s going to fall for his seductive manner.
But Erik won’t give up and just as Lydia let’s her guard down, his sister decides to get involved. Her little love potion prank goes terribly wrong, making Lydia the target of his sudden embarrassingly obsessive behavior. They’ll have to find a way to pull Erik out of the spell fast when it becomes clear that Lydia has more than a lovesick warlock to worry about. Evil lurks within the shadows and it plans to use Lydia, alive or dead, to take out Erik and his clan for good.