A Wizard's Choice
by Maya
Tyler
GENRE: Paranormal
Romance
BLURB:
Wizard apprentice
Kurtis Warde doesn’t want to become a full-fledged wizard, but he feels
obligated to his grandfather who raised him. Making The Choice, whether or not
to become a wizard and join The Circle, doesn’t feel like a choice at all.
Leaving The Circle would give Kurtis the freedom to follow his own dreams, and
to pursue vampiress, Dee, who has always intrigued him. He knows there’s more
to Dee than the icy being she portrays, but will she give him a chance to know
the real her?
There is unrest in
the magical world. Fairies, a magical being thought to be long extinct, still
exist. And the long-time feud between wizards and fairies threatens everyone
Kurtis cares about, including his life coach, Alina, who has quickly become a
close friend. And perhaps more. He discovers his connection to the ancient
beings The Annunaki, the ancestors of wizards and fairies, may be key to the
future. The more he uncovers, the more questions he has.
Will Kurtis choose to
follow his heart or risk sacrificing his own happiness for peace in the magical
world?
Excerpt:
“Waldor.” Emotion—relief and
love—flooded Kurtis’ voice. He released the breath he’d unconsciously held,
scanning Waldor for obvious injury.
“I’m in one piece, Kurtis.” Waldor
pushed past him to unlock the cottage. “You can quit being a fusspot.”
Kurtis chuckled at Waldor’s mock
irritation, unfazed by his grandfather’s gruff ways. They didn’t need to
exchange words to know how relieved they both were for the other’s safety.
Waldor filled the kettle and, a
moment later, the sound of a cheery whistle blasted from the small kitchen.
Kurtis joined Waldor at the table. They sat in silence, wrapping their large
hands around mugs of steaming tea.
“The kind of potent brew you need
after a night like this to settle your thoughts.”
Kurtis grunted in response.
“What’s on your mind, my boy?”
What do I tell Waldor? Conflicted
thoughts swirled around in his brain. Am I really that transparent?
Waldor smiled as if he knew all
Kurtis’ secrets. “I know you. I raised you from a little baby.”
“I know.” He scowled, guilt gnawing
at the lining in his stomach. How can I tell him? How can I break his heart?
Like my father.
Waldor took his time to sip his tea
as if waiting for Kurtis to open up.
Will I ever have the courage to
leave? He cast a mournful eye around the small cottage, the only home he’d ever
known. “Where is my father? Do you know?”
Waldor recoiled, looking like he’d
been punched in the gut. “I don’t know.”
What do you know? What are you
keeping from me? Kurtis paused before asking his next question, torn between his
aversion to causing Waldor pain and desire for finding answers. “Do you
know…Who is my mother?”
Something akin to fear, shame
perhaps, lurked in Waldor’s eyes. He focused his intense gaze on Kurtis. “Yes.”
Interview with Maya Tyler
As a
writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
I would pick a turtle. Recently, I’ve seen
the wisdom in “slow and steady wins the race.” In slowing things down, I’ve
been able to accomplish more.
How
many hours a day do you put into your writing?
I aim to spend at least an hour a day on
writing / writing activities, which include blogging, website updates, book
review requests, and promotion submissions. However, if time and ability permit,
I extend that time.
Do
you read your book reviews? If yes, do they affect what you write in the
future?
Yes, I read my book reviews. I appreciate
the time and effort it requires to write a review. A positive review makes me
feel ecstatic, and I don’t take negative reviews personally. I approach (even
negative) reviews very objectively. What did the reader like or dislike? If
they didn’t like it, did their reaction have to do with my work or missed
expectations? What can I do to improve my work?
Do
you leave hidden messages in your books that only a few people will find?
My subconscious leaves hidden messages for
me to find. In reading my work, I often learn things about myself. People who
know me well may guess what inspired certain sections of my books…but I don’t
insert any Easter eggs. At least, not intentionally.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in A Wizard’s Choice?
My protagonist is Kurtis Warde.
He’s a wizard apprentice, but he doesn’t want to become a full-fledged wizard.
He was abandoned by his parents as a baby and raised by his grandfather Waldor.
Kurtis’ love interest is a vampire named Dresandra, the maker of his friend.
Their interactions are rocky and passionate, but he’s not really sure how seriously
she feels about him.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have
planned for the future?
I envision more books in The
Magicals Series. As well, this summer, I’m participating in a writing contest
for the app Chapters: Interactive Stories with my book Duet at Midnight.
Do you allow yourself a certain number of hours to write or do you
write as long as the words come?
I dedicate about an hour a day to
writing / writing activities, but, if the writing is good, I’ll write as long
as I can.
Do you have a certain number of words or pages you write per day?
I don’t plan to write a target word
or page count, unless it’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Sometimes,
my goal is to finish a section or a chapter, but mostly I just write until the
tank runs low.
What inspires you to write?
I’m in love with the written word.
I want to write the stories I want to read. I want my readers to have emotional
reactions to my work. I want to tell stories. I’m inspired to write everyday about
things I observe in the world around me and events that happen directly to me.
I use writing as a way to process and communicate my feelings. My inspiration
comes from an internal desire to create and express myself.
Would you rather
Read fiction or
non-fiction?
Fiction, especially romance.
Read series or
stand-alone?
A series, if I find a good one, because it helps line up my
next few reads.
Read Science fiction
or horror?
Neither, but if I had to pick? Science fiction.
Read Stephen King or Dean
Koontz?
Stephen King, for a number of reasons. I’m not familiar with
Dean Koontz’s work. Even though I haven’t read any of Stephen King’s books, I
have watched a couple of screen adaptations, and I am a great admirer of his thoughts
on writing.
Read the book or
watch the movie?
Read the book…unless I really want to watch the movie, then
I watch the movie first. The book, nine times out of ten, will be better than
the screen adaptation. Watching the movie first manages my expectations.
Read an ebook or
paperback?
Ebook, for the convenience. I love that I can carry dozens
of books with me on my phone. Especially once airlines started weighing
luggage…
Be trapped alone for
one month in a library with no computer or a room with a computer and Wi-Fi
only?
Which option has food? As long as I didn’t starve to death,
I’d be fine with either option. If I was in a library for a month with no
computer, I would read a lot of books. If I only had a computer and Wi-Fi, I
could get a solid amount of writing completed in a month.
Do a cross-country
book store tour or blog tour online?
I’m shy so the thought of a cross-country book store tour is
slightly terrifying. Plus, I’d really miss my kids. I’ve gone the online blog
tour route before, and it’s a pretty impressive process. The Internet
definitely extends your reach, and it’s an efficient (and fun) way to promote a
new book.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
About
Maya
Maya
Tyler is a multi-published author of paranormal romance novels and blogger at
Maya’s Musings (https://mayatylerauthor.blogspot.com/). An avid reader, Maya
writes the books she loves to read—romances! She still believes that “True
Love's Kiss” is the most powerful thing in the world. Her paranormal romances
come with complex plot twists and happily-ever-afters.
When
she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, listening to music (alternative rock,
especially from the 1990s), practicing yoga, and watching movies and TV.
Contact
Maya
loves to hear from fellow authors and readers! Please connect with her through
social media (see links below) or the contact form
(http://www.mayatylerauthor.com/contact-maya.html) on her website.
Buy
Links:
A
Vampire’s Tale
Amazon ~ Smashwords ~ Apple
~ Kobo ~ Barnes
& Noble
A
Wizard’s Choice
Giveaway:
$25 Amazon/BN GC
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.
17 comments:
Thanks for the wonderful interview!
Thanks for sharing your book and I enjoyed getting to hear about it.
Great excerpt & interview!
I liked the excerpt, thank you.
James, thanks for your comment.
I’m glad you enjoyed the excerpt and interview, Victoria.
Rita, I’m glad you liked the excerpt.
Are any of the characters in your book based on real people?
Great question, Bernie. I don’t base my characters on real people...on purpose, but I find I interject subconsciously from my real life. For instance, Kurtis’ anger came from my personal experiences.
What was one of your favorite scenes to write for this book?
Thanks for sharing the great excerpt!
Thanks for your question, Kim. I enjoyed writing a lot of the scenes. The one where Kurtis finds the secret library comes to mind as well as the epic fairy fight.
I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt, pippirose.
Did you have a say in what your book cover would look like?
Are any of the characters based off of or inspired by people you know?
Thanks for your question about my book cover, Kim. I had a lot of input into the book cover design. When I signed the book contract, I initially provided a detailed sheet about my characters, book setting, and things I wanted or did not want. Later, my publisher and the designer let me participate during the process. I picked out my favorite poses and approved the clothing.
I don't base my characters on real people, Kim. But... I find I subconsciously interject parts of myself and my experiences into every story I write. In this particular book, I found a lot of myself in my main character, Kurtis. It's enlightening.
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