Welcome to M.H. Woodscourt, a fantasy author with two published works under her belt and a third out soon! It was hard work grabbing Melissa from the world she lives in! But I managed to pin this author down and we had a great chat! Read on to find out more! Hello Melissa! Let's begin with telling me a little about yourself. I live in the great state of Idaho, USA! Despite apparent misconceptions, it’s not a big potato field people come to harvest and then leave. Outside my living-room window, I can see a beautiful view of mountains capped with snow most of the year. Living in the countryside, away from the conveniences of city-living, suits my writing soul perfectly. Thank you, now we're all jealous of your view, What have you published so far? Book 1 of Paradise: A Liar in Paradise Book 2 of Paradise: Key of Paradise (coming Summer 2020) October Cove: an Urban Fantasy novella What got you into writing? My blood! I’m related to a lot of writers clear back to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Emily Dickinson. Stories have always been with me. Around 10 years old, I took up my pen and started giving those stories a voice. Impressive. What’s the main thing you love and hate about writing? I love my characters most. Even as they sometimes stubbornly refuse the path I pave for them, I adore my characters like they’re my children. What I hate is not having the time to write even more than I do. I’m afraid I’ll never live long enough to jot down each story idea I get. Who is the worst villain you’ve ever written, and why? ‘Worst’ is a relative term, I think. I love diving into different villain types to try each out, and they’re all despicable, yet often likeable somehow. My least sympathetic villain is definitely Haeon from my Paradise series. He’s just a jerk, and he’s really petty. I think I may know a real-life Haeon! What is next on your list to write/publish? I’m finishing up final edits of my Wintervale series, a Sword and Sorcery YA duology I hope to release between this year and next. Fun fact! It’s inspired in part by the life of George Washington. Well, that sounds like it will be interesting. Who is your favourite author, and why? That’s a toss-up between Lloyd Alexander and Lorna Freeman! Both are brilliant writers with beautiful, fantastical worlds which I adore. Plus, their characters are so loveable. It’s all about characters for me! Who encouraged you the most to write? My parents, my older sister Heidi, and my Great-Grandmother Dorothy. While Dorothy has now passed away, I still feel like she’s rooting for me from beyond the grave. I am sure she is, she must have been very proud of you. Are you as avid a reader as a writer? Nearly. I believe reading makes a writer better, so I always make time for a wonderful book – but it must take a backseat to writing, too. But I do love reading! What’s your favourite genre? Fantasy! Especially Sword and Sorcery. Both YA and Adult categories are enjoyable for me. Do you listen to music when you write? I love listening to movie soundtracks, or YouTube composers like Peter Gundry. Sometimes I listen to birdsong and running water sounds set to rolling forest or mountainscapes on YouTube Channels as well. Epic instrumental is a special favourite. If I put on classical or opera my boys run for the hills, they know mum is writing! If you could interview any famous author who would it be and why? Brandon Sanderson would be an insightful author to speak with! He’s offered a lot by way of writing advice, but I feel a one-on-one interview would stoke me up to write even more. Tell me a secret that none of your fans know! I love, love, love oatmeal raisin cookies. Everyone tells me they’re gross, but that just means more for me, right? Yup, you can have my share too! Tell me what your main character would say about you! Which one? Haha! Okay, we’ll go with Key from my Paradise series. He’d call me a jerk. The things I put that guy through, oh man. I suspect he considers me a sort of cruel goddess overseeing his suffering with frequent sadistic urges. I admit, I do torment him a fair measure, yet he’s grown so much through it! I’m really a proud mama. Hahaha! Finally, any words of advice? If anyone reading this wants to know how to tackle their first novel, I have two pieces of advice. 1. Stop thinking about it and starting writing! 2. Use NaNoWriMo. Google that, if it’s unfamiliar. I’ve used it for 12 years now and it’s helped me so much to practice, stretch, and grow. Thanks Melissa, for talking with me today, it was fun to chat at last! I'm looking forward to reading to Geroge Washington based book! To keep up to date with M.H. Woodscourt please follow her on the following links Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/M.-Woodscourt Author Website: http://mhwoodscourt.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/woodscourtbooks Instagram: http://instagram.com/woodscourtbooks Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/woodscourt Facebook: http://facebook.com/mhwoodscourt
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