Novelist Gayle Feyrer joins me today to chat about her new historical romance, Marian.
During her virtual book tour, Gayle will be giving away a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
Gayle Feyrer began drawing as soon as she could hold a crayon and writing when she was twelve. She holds a Bachelor’s in Pictorial Arts from UCLA, and MFA from the University of Oregon in Creative Writing. In her varied career, she has been a tie dye artist, go-go dancer, baker, creator of ceramic beasties, illustrator, fiction teacher, and finally, novelist. A Libra with Scorpio Rising, Gayle’s romantic nature takes on a darker edge. She hopes these shadows bring depth to her romances.
Welcome, Gayle. Please tell us about your current release.
If you like your romances dark and defiant, Marian is a book you may love—or hate. It breaks a lot of conventions. Marian is a woman who takes control of her life, her future, her sexuality, in a time when it was almost impossible to do so. She’s a fire and ice character who has to choose between two men. I’ve come to think of Marian as an erotic historical novel, though Robin Hood is mythical, his myth is woven into the ransoming of Richard the Lionheart.
What inspired you to write this book?
I was intrigued with the idea of turning damsel in distress Maid Marian into a kick-ass action heroine.
Excerpt from Marian:
Robin Hood pulled her into his arms, the length of his body hot and hard against her own.
“You recognized me at the fair and chose to do nothing.” His voice was harsh and grating. “You must be feeling the fire fiercely to come search me out.” His mouth closed on hers, brutal and ravenous. The stubble of his beard rasped coarsely against her cheek and chin.
Even though Marian was braced, the voracious onslaught of his mouth, the awareness of his naked skin, were an overwhelming shock, a blaze running wild along her nerves. For an instant every ounce of her will was directed at holding herself tense in his arms, containing the leaping fire in her flesh within the cold, tight-linked armor of her scorn and anger. Fury triumphed and only then did she relax against him, as if melting within the flame he evoked, slowly lifting her arms to encircle his neck, As he pulled her even more tightly into his embrace, she reached within her sleeve to grasp the handle of her hidden knife. In a swift movement she pulled it from its sheath and pressed its edge across the back of his neck, just below the base of his skull.
At the cool, pricking touch of the metal Robin Hood instantly stilled. One false move and he was dead. They stayed poised thus for a moment, locked in their inimical embrace. Then, though he dared not move back a fraction, the pressure of his body against hers ceased and his lips released hers. Tentatively he began to withdraw, and Marian let him, the keen edge of her blade incising a line to mark his retreat.
What exciting project are you working on next?
With Marian and Heart of Deception out, I have two more of my historical romances to edit for republication and design covers for. I’m also working on the third book of my Paris trilogy, written under my nom de plume, Yves Fey. The first two, Floats the Dark Shadow and Bitter Draughts have both won Indie awards. I hope to have A Harmony of Hells out early in 2024, along with my remaining romances, Heart of Night and The Prince of Cups. Plus, I love doing book trailers and poem videos. I did one of the troubadour songs from Marian as a poem video.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think whenever I finish something I think is good, a poem, a short story, a novel, I consider myself a writer. When I’m stuck, I still feel something of a fraud, though I’ve written enough I’m proud of I can get myself out of that dark hole. But I’m slow and almost always struggling to get the words out.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
If my writing is going really well, I can write all day. Mostly I write in the afternoon and at night, because my brain won’t write fiction before then.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I like to do horoscopes for my characters, sometimes accurate to the time, sometimes just descriptive of their personalities.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A ballerina, a trapeze artist, then mostly an actress until I decided writing suited me better.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I love to cast my books, but I haven’t tried out actors for who I’d put in the movie now. Welcoming suggestions.
Links:
My romances | Book trailers | Amazon | Goodreads | My historical mysteries | Facebook | Instagram
Thank you for hosting today and featuring this interesting interview.
Sounds like a great read.
Do you prefer to do your writing early in the day or later?
Hello Tracie,
My best times are late afternoon and night, unless i’m really inspired and then I can write all day.
Good morning (still, here anyway). Thank you for hosting!
I love a good historical romance. This one sounds good.
Looks like a good read.
Who influenced you to be a writer!