Interview & Contest with New Erotic Paranormal Thriller Romance Author a.c. Mason

Nights of Passion is so thrilled to have brand new Romance Author a.c. Mason here with us.  Mason is a fascinating person.  Please, tell our viewers about yourself.

Wow. Thanks, Sue for the compliment. I’m happy to be here and thankful for the chance to speak to the Nights of Passion readers.

I was born on a stormy December afternoon 12:05 fashionably late for lunch, which should have been the first hint that trouble would follow. It was downhill from there. I’d tell you my life story but it would be a three volume epic. I’ll give you the paranormal book blurb version.

Born from wind and ice with a soul forged in the fire of storytelling, which cast spells on those near. She captured the unsuspecting. To those who came from far and wide she told tales from her lands past.  Haunted by visions of faraway places, adventures, and love she picked up her quill and weaved a web of words.

I have an odd sense of humor about myself and don’t take myself too seriously.

I studied web development. I’m nerdy but I haven’t been granted geek status. A story for some other time, I’m touchy about it. 

I was a historical interpreter for the periods of 1744 at the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortified town in North America and middle class life in 1890s English Canada. Once I became mixed up in saving the natural and cultural heritage of Canada, it’s been super hero by day and mad writer by night even since.

What inspired you to become a writer?

Oh, no. Here is where the secrets come out of the walk-in closet. It was an accident or maybe fate. I’ll let you be the judge.

I’m a storyteller by birth. At least I think I am. I loved gathering people around and telling these complex tales forming in my mind. Yeah! I was a ham, the only kid for many years in a sea of adults. The thing was the stories got me in trouble. Like the zombie story, I told at camp that had them calling my parents. You see, I love American films mostly for things I couldn’t get in French ones: vampires, Sci-fi, werewolves, zombies and so-on. I found a lot of the subtext didn’t come through in translation versions. In many ways, I wanted to marry the French raw introspectiveness highly character driven with the awesome Hollywood, thrillers, horror, sci-fi, cyber punk and fantasy. Yes, all this at the age of nine.

I had another incident in high school with a semi erotic short that got me detention after class. Back to how I became a writer. Family, friends, and strangers loved my sagas and they’d want me to recount them to other people but by then I’d forget crucial parts. I started writing comic strips to keep the facts straight. Now remember I’m ten-ish at this point. What did she just say? Yeah. I said comics. I’m French and I grew up with comic books. I’d make a little sketch, write some of the plot points, and voila. Not exactly, because I wouldn’t recall important things about the characters so then I started writing blurbs about them. You can see where I’m going with this.

At some point before I was thirteen I saw a biography of  Mary Shelley, you might have heard of how she wrote this novel called Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, which she finished at the age of 19. Discovering Mrs. Shelley was a life changing moment. Yes. I was still weird but I wasn’t alone in this. I went around telling people “I could totally write that” and everyone looked at me somewhat funny. Don’t forget I’m maybe twelve. Thanks to Mrs. Shelley, I wanted to finish my first full length novel by the age of 18.  Umm, but you’re first language is French, Mason and you want to write fiction English? Don’t get me wrong, I could write English. I’d learn as teen but not fiction, nor novels. I had a lot of good luck with that. And good thing too!

Who are your favorite writers and books?

Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale
Les Aventures de Tintin – Comic books
Asterix and Obelix – Comic books
Anne Rice – Memnoch the Devil and The Witching Hour
Christine Feehan – Dark Prince

Tell us all about your book that has just come out. 

The short novel is called Aequitas I Betrayal. It’s the first book in the Aequitas trilogy and I hope readers will have as much fun perusing the pages as I did writing the story.

The Aequitas, part angel and demon, have kept the balance between the forces of good and evil—until now.

When Etienne Grant is kidnapped and transformed into an Aequitas, marriage to Auria is the only thing that will save his soul.

Auria is a beautiful but efficient Aequitas, a General who wants nothing to do with love. A former lover has plans to prevent any hope of happiness with her new husband, and after murdering his own best friend and forcing Auria to join his rebellion, the balance between good and evil spirals out of control.

Can Etienne’s tenderness melt Auria’s cold heart and heal the pain of their secret pasts? Their very survival depends on it.

Content Warning: This book contains graphic sex, mild bondage, sensual touching f/f and biblical references.

Here is a taste:

“I will not give her up to you, human.” Thick fluid clouded Deimos’s eyes. The creature to his left placed its huge hand over his mouth.

“You let yourself come too close, because of your obsession with Auria. I will do my best to save you, but if I cannot, you will be destroyed.” Gabriel lowered his head.

Deimos struggled to free himself from the creatures, but the demonic beings took hold of his arms and carried him off, still thrashing his limbs. Deimos’s eyes were saturated with pain, his hands moved in her direction. Tears formed as they dragged him away. Not once did she turn to watch him being hauled off. She didn’t protest. Why?

Better she not be attached to another man when she’d soon be his wife. Now he worried she dealt with her emotions by burying them. What would happen if he dug in, pulling out all those deeply entrenched emotions? Maybe he could he melt the ice queen and unleash eruptions of passion. He could only hope.

Gabriel floated to her. He paused, looking at her, then brushed his fingers gently over her head. Auria lifted her gaze to his.

“This should not have happened, General.” Gabriel spoke with what sounded like regret. “Will you obey and take Etienne?”

She stared intently into Gabriel’s eyes and lowered her head.

Which scene was the most fun to write?

I hate to be one of those authors who can’t pick but each scene was fun for different reasons. I think people will know why when they read the book.

Many of our viewers are interested in writing.  Do you have any advice/tips on writing you can share?

Be a student of the craft. I mean read books on writing. I checked out everything I could find at the local library and bought a bunch more.

Join a writers group(s). I learned a lot from author writers and critiquing their work.  

Many authors have workshop on their websites do them. I’ve done many of them.

Know your genre(s) and the business of being a writer.

The most important thing is don’t get discouraged by criticism. Evaluate what the person has said. Ask your self is the comment true and be prepared to learn and do better. Then apply the new knowledge.

Mason is giving away a copy of her new book in e-book form.  To be eligible to win, be sure and comment at the end of the interview. Be sure to comment before 11 pm on June 16th.  Mason will draw a name from those entered and notify the winner.  The winner’s name will also be posted on Nights of Passion.

Thank you, Mason.  It’s been wonderful having you here. 

Thank you, Sue.

For our viewers, who would like to know more about a.c. Mason, please, visit her website at   http://acmason.com/
Aequitas I Betrayal is published by Lyrical Press and becomes available on June 15, 2009   http://lyricalpress.com/
Where to buy the book? http://www.onceuponabookstore.com/

Susan’s Recommendation:  I 110% recommend this book.  I keep a box of special books under my bed.  The following books are in it:  The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tiger’s Fang by Paul Twitchell, The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands,  Fire in His Eyes by Stella and Audra Price, and Sweeter than Wine by Bianca D’Arc.  Now Aequitas I Betrayal by a.c. Mason will be there too.