Q+A with Melanie Karsak

Please welcome today's guest author, Melanie Karsak!  Melanie is the author of the new paranormal romance novel Lady Macbeth Daughter of Ravens.

Q+A with Melanie Karsak

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Melanie:  I’ve always written. When I was a kid, I used to write newspapers for fun. I remember writing a play when I was in 5th grade. It was about a mafia lounge singer named Emerald Skye. Apparently, I’ve always been a bit eccentric. I started my first novel when I was 13. I finished my “real” first novel when I was 18. It was a hot mess high fantasy, full of clichés, but our first anything is never any good. When I was in college I finished writing my first serious novel, which is under revision and slated for 2016 publication, and I’ve been writing ever since.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Melanie:  Someone recently asked me why I write across so many genres (zombie, steampunk, historical). I found the question a little puzzling. No matter what genre I’m working in, I am always writing fantasy. I see myself as a fantasy author. All of my stories, no matter the genre, have a paranormal element. Readers are sometimes surprised to find vampires and shape shifters (minor spoiler there) in my “zombie” series, The Harvesting. My new novel, Lady Macbeth: Daughter of Ravens, looks like a historical but only if you count fae people, alternative dimensions, and living and breathing Goddesses as historical! I can’t stay away from the paranormal element. Right now, I’m writing a novella, Ink, which is a dark fantasy romance about a mermaid.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Melanie:  I would definitely want the ability to bend time. I would love to be able to move around, see the past, visit the future, talk to my 16 year old self about a lot of things that aren’t important. How awesome would it be to see places long gone, historical people, or have a glimpse of the future? I need your time turner, Hermione!

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Melanie:  I released 4 works in 2014, one in each of my series.

The Airship Racing Chronicles, my steampunk romantic adventure series, is great for a reader who loves an Indiana Jones style treasure hunt, a romantic theme, and might like a steampunk environment. I released the second book in this series, Chasing the Green Fairy, last year. This series is set in an alternative 1823 and features Lily Stargazer, my hot mess pro airship racer.

The Harvesting Series, my dark fantasy/zombie mashup, is a great series for people who like a lot of action. It features a zombie apocalypse event but then Layla, my butt-kicking main character, soon begins to realize there were more creatures in our world than we ever realized. Our death has a significant impact on them.
I also offer a novella, Midway, in this series. It features Cricket, my carnie girl, who plays an important role in the series. You can read Midway before or after The Harvesting.
The next novel in this series, The Shadow Aspect, will be released this summer!

My third series is my most recent and a labor of love. Lady MacBeth: Daughter of Ravens is the first book in a 3-part saga that tells the story of Lady Macbeth, as featured in Shakespeare’s play, from the perspective of Lady Macbeth. We meet her when she is very young. She is initiated into a coven of the ancient Goddess, finds herself as an initiate of the Wyrd Sisters, and meets her soulmate, Banquo. My other two series are very action-oriented. This series is more of a slow burn working its way toward an inferno. It’s a great book for a reader who likes a slower, richer reading experience.

The Falling in Deep Collection: Tales of Mermaid Romance.  I am working with 14 other authors on a unique collection. This summer, 15 award-winning and best-selling authors are presenting a collection of mermaid novellas, one released each week. We’d love for you to keep in touch with us on that project.  See our lovely covers and join our newsletter here.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Melanie:  Oh, fun! For Layla, I would totally cast Olivia Wilde. She looks like Layla in my head. For Lily, I would probably cast Evangeline Lily (from Lost). Lily needs to be someone rugged and lovely in a unique way. Evie would be great. For Lady Macbeth, I would cast Scarlett Johansson with black hair. Lady M. needs to be someone with striking beauty. Scarlett would be perfect!

Thank you Melanie for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Melanie Karsak and her books, please visit her website.  Additional information about her new release, Lady Macbeth Daughter of Ravens below.

Isn't that cover gorgeous?

Lady Macbeth Daughter of Ravens (The Saga of Lady Macbeth #1) by Melanie Karsak

Something wicked this way comes . . .

Gruoch is born to rule, but long before she becomes Macbeth’s queen, ancient forces claim her soul.

Marked from birth by the old gods, Gruoch is initiated into the ancient religion of her ancestors and begins learning the mysteries of the Goddess Cerridwen. But not everything is as it seems. Soon the Battle Goddess Morrigu imposes her will, and Gruoch finds herself at the mercy of the Wyrd Sisters.

With King Malcolm plotting, the Wyrd Sisters schooling her in arcane craft, and haunted by dreams of a raven-haired man she’s never met, Gruoch feels her fate is not her own. That is, until she meets a druid named Banquo. Gruoch’s heart is swept away when Banquo awakens something in her more powerful than duty, magic, or destiny: love.

This retelling of Shakespeare’s classic work leads readers through an unforgettable saga of one woman struggling to escape her fate without blood on her hands.

Release Date: December 3, 2014
Genre: Paranormal Romance
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