Interview with author Sarah Mäkelä

“Techno Crazed” by Sarah Mäkelä

I hope ya’ll will help me welcome author Sarah Mäkelä  whose

book, Techno Crazed, will be released June 17th.  Hint: that’s a mere two days away!

 

I’m totally loving this cover…. can we say H-O-T?

Without any further lead up – let’s talk to Sarah.

Who are some writers that have inspired you as a writer and/or a reader?

SM: The authors that have inspired me to write and delve into my chosen genres are Laurell K. Hamilton and Christine Feehan.

 What do you like to read outside your genre?

 SM: Holly Lisle says, “If you wrote the book you want to read, you should enjoy reading the book you wrote.” So, I guess it’s no surprise that I mostly read within my genre. When I do step outside of the genres, I read all kinds of things. A lot of writers resources, some non-fiction books on topics I enjoy, and the other genres of romance, fantasy, etc.

 What’s your writing process? Pantser/Plotter/somewhere in between?

 SM: I’m definitely somewhere in between. Kind of. Certain projects swing certain ways. Some manuscripts are flat-out pantsed, and some I have an outline for. Techno Crazed had a general outline that I used as a road map to make my way to The End, but I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen all throughout the book. What affects my process, and how do I decide which book to do which way? It comes down to how much time I decide to allot for planning before jumping in to write.

 What was the genesis for this book?

 SM: I’d seen articles and other things mentioning cyberpunk before, but I thought it was a little out of my league. But then, there was an anthology call for submissions asking for cyberpunk novellas. I figured, “What the heck. It’s only novella-length.” So I brainstormed a story, wrote it out, and later found a home at Changeling Press.

 What’s one thing fans might be surprised to learn about you?

 SM: Fans? I have those? *grins* Just kidding. I’m not sure if this is surprising, but I love cold weather and snow. Winter is my favorite season.

 I really like snow and winter too 🙂

Now for some quickies:

Favorite book? Wow, I’ll have to go with favorite series instead. Ilona Andrew’s Kate Daniels series, Karen Chance’s Cassie Palmer series, Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series, and Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson series.

Favorite author? I love all of the ones listed above, but if I had to go with one, it’d be Ilona Andrews.

Favorite food? I really like Mexican and Italian food. A good steak rocks too.

Favorite TV show? My favorite TV shows are Supernatural, Damages, Tudors, Criminal Minds, and Ghost Adventures.

Favorite movie? I can’t think of any favorite movies. I’ve seen a ton of them. I’d say ones that are at the top of the list are The Hangover, Taken, the Transporter movies, and From Paris with Love.

Favorite writing activity? If I’m on a roll, I love writing. I also enjoy brainstorming and figuring out my next story.

Favorite non-writing activity? I love traveling, video games and computer games, and playing with my kitties.

Anything else you want to share?

 SM: Thank you for the great interview!

 If you’re interested in a chance to win a copy of Techno Crazed, make sure to sign up for my newsletter. I’ll announce the winner in it on 6/24.

Find me online at:

Website: www.sarahmakela.com

Blog: http://blog.sarahmakela.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sarahmakela

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsarahmakela

 Also, here’s an excerpt from Techno Crazed, which will be available on June 17th. Enjoy!

 Excerpt:

 A loud, metallic click sounded from the other side of the room. Then footsteps raced around the couch. 

“Hannah? Are you okay?” Ian’s voice drew her gaze to his concerned face. 

“What did you do? What are you?” She gulped, unsure if she wanted an answer to that.

He frowned, and a muscle clenched in his jaw. “I’m a technomage. I use and simulate magic through technology.”

“What?” She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. Pain formed at her temples. “Whoa. How long have you… ?”

“Since puberty. My mother was also a technomage.” He shrugged a shoulder. “It’s always been part of who I am. I’m just pretty good at hiding it.”

She blinked. Wow, his mother had seemed so normal when she’d met his parents. Had she really known him? He seemed like a stranger. No, she wouldn’t throw away their memories together because he’d hidden part of himself. She wouldn’t do that to him. Or she’d try not to, at least. “Were you ever going to tell me? Like if things had progressed between us?” 

He helped her up and grabbed the blanket, keeping her covered. “I would have, eventually. Wouldn’t be nice of me to do otherwise, you know?”

She nodded and stared into his brown eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

He released a breath and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ve missed you too. God, I really screwed things up, didn’t I?” 

Placing her hand against his chest, she angled her face to brush her lips against his. “We both did.”

Ian ran his hand through her hair, cupping the back of her head before deepening the kiss. His mouth possessed hers like a thirsty man at a well. He always kissed hard and desperately, and she loved it.

Ian scooped her into his arms, making her feel desirable. He carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door shut. Crossing the room, he set her down and ran his hands over her neck, shoulders, and down to her hips.

“You’re so beautiful, Hannah. I missed out on a lot when –”

“Hush. Don’t think about that. We’re together now.” She drew his face down to hers, kissing him.

He held himself over her, obviously being careful of her wounded state. She appreciated that, but part of her didn’t care about the injury, she just needed him.

He stiffened and glanced over his shoulder, looking at the door. She followed his gaze to see the gnome peeking inside.

“Sorry to disturb the party. As much as I’d like to listen to you two HAVE SEX, there’s stuff to be done!” Bernard looked as happy as ever, and she so wanted to wipe that cheerfulness off his face.

Yet he was right. Damn it. She still needed to check out the donut shop. There was a possibility they might find evidence of a struggle that they could bring to the police. But hadn’t she heard a couple weeks back about someone spreading rumors of police involvement with MAX Home Security? Ian rolled next to her and placed his hands over his face. He let out a ragged sigh. “Fine. We’ll be out in a moment.”

“No more SEX!” The gnome slammed the door behind him.

“Why do you put up with him?” she asked.

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Thank you, Sarah, for visiting my blog.  I wish you luck on your release.