Hi Readers, and welcome a day late to this week’s Author Chat with Andy, and my guest Meghan Maslow. Meghan pretty much said what I would have, but let me add, she had been my lifeline in this semi-locked down world. We’ve actually had a few socially distanced ‘adult play dates.’ She is one of the first people I can’t wait to see again once it’s safe. I miss our monthly lunches where we can kibitz and talk shop. So, with that, here’s Meghan!

Hi Everyone! Thanks to Andy for inviting me to come hang out with you all! I’m thrilled to be here today. You probably don’t know this, but Andy and I are practically neighbors. We met at a conference in Florida and only after chatting for a bit did we realize that we live just down the road from each other in our home state. How crazy is that? And he’s been stuck with me ever since. In fact, you’ll see his name crop up in the acknowledgements section of my latest publication, because no one had to listen to me piss and moan as much as Andy. Lol. He deserves a medal.

ACwA Guest: Meghan Maslow

• Origin: How did the first story you ever wrote influence your career as an author and how do you feel about that story now?

So, I still have the very first story I ever wrote. It’s called “Smokey” and I wrote it in middle school about a dog. I drew the pictures—I suck at arting, in case anyone wonders—and bound the book myself. Oh, you mean first publishable story? Lol. That’s a whole different question. My first published stories were short mystery stories. They taught me a lot about how to structure a compelling story. Novelists can learn a lot from writing shorts. It’s a skill to distill down the essence of a story into only a few pages, paragraphs, or lines. And to make it satisfying for the reader is even more challenging. I don’t know that I could’ve written the twists and turns that I enjoy adding to my stories without having delved into short stories first. And any time I need to sharpen a skill, I go back to shorts. It clears away all the debris and what you’re left with is the distilled essence.

• Which of your characters is most like you (or someone close to you.)

I don’t write characters with the intent of them being like me. But I suppose different characters represent parts of me. I like snark. A lot of my characters are snarky. Twig has my sense of humor (sorry, but not really sorry). Quinn has the need to do right by the people he cares about. I try to do the same. Nico (Must Love Demons) is just so sweet. I can be sweet. Flame (Must Love Demons) can be biting and grumpy. Um, also me.

• What is your favorite trope and why?

To read? In romance, it’s enemies-to-lovers. I adore that trope if it’s done well. It automatically has conflict built into the story and rachets up the tension between characters. It can also lead to explosively hot sex, which I’m all for.

More generally, everything I write falls into the “misfits who find their fit” trope. Why? Heh. I like misfits. I like characters that aren’t what the rest of society expects. Again, it’s an automatic source of conflict, but it has the additional benefit of providing ways for protagonists to grow and to find those other misfits who become family. It hits me in the feelz.

• How many half-written stories are on your hard-drive and what do you plan to do with them?

A lot. Both short stories and novels. Some I won’t ever do anything with. They were experiments that didn’t work and the amount of rewriting I’d have to do isn’t worth it. I’m better off taking the initial concept and starting over. I have a couple that leave me perplexed, though. They aren’t to my brand. At. All. So, I can’t really see publishing them under my name. But they are strong stories and I like them. I haven’t decided what to do with those yet. When I know, you’ll know.

• What are you working on next?

I’m working on two projects at the moment. I have my first urban fantasy that I hope to have out in April. It’s set in Baltimore and the main character is a raven shifter named Poe Dupin. Any Edgar Allan Poe fans??? It’s a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, though I’m changing up the ending because the king didn’t deserve to get everything he wanted. I’m just going to say it: Rumpelstiltskin got a raw deal. This is a hill I will die on. But seriously, the Rumpelstiltskin character is named Tommy Tittoti and he’s a cute twink demon who helps Poe out of a very difficult situation . . . for a price.

I’m also working on the next Starfig Investigations book. Twig and Quinn have many adventures ahead of them and there are some side characters who will hopefully see their stories told in the not-too-distant future. I’ll just say that in this next installment a certain red fury is accused of some pretty gruesome murders and Twig and Quinn come to his aid. I don’t want to give too much away, but I’m loving this book.

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Meghan Maslow’s Newest Release

My latest book, Must Love Demons, comes out on Thursday of this week (2/18). I’m so happy with how this one turned out. Nico and Flame were fun to get to know and I loved playing in the world I created. That’s my favorite part of writing fantasy romance – I get to create whole worlds and I get to make all the rules.

Pre-Order/Buy Link: https://rebrand.ly/MustLoveDemons-amz

You’d think being magically tethered to the hottest warden in all Verona wouldn’t be a hardship.

You’d be wrong.

Incubus Nico Azertiran has his dream job as a cherub-in-training. It’s the perfect position for a lust demon who’s more interested in happily-ever-afters than one-night stands. Or it would be, if he didn’t keep screwing it up. When a new cherub gadget misfires, Nico is left trussed to Verona’s most eligible warden, the incredibly grumpy, Sir Flame.

Flambeau Illume has a job to do. Someone’s murdering Verona’s rich and famous, and Sir Flame’s hot on the killer’s trail . . . until he has the misfortune to get magically lassoed to the most infuriating incubus he’s ever had the displeasure to meet. Except, maybe Nico isn’t so terribly awful. But how can he solve his case and keep Nico safe at the same time? Especially when the sweet demon seems to have a bullseye on his back.

Together they need to solve the crime, stay alive, and—if their luck changes—maybe even fall in love. Easy, right?

Must Love Demons is part of the Magic Emporium series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains explicit scenes, a lariat of love, a demon tail with a mind of its own, and a guaranteed HEA.

| Pre-Order/Buy Link |

 Also, if you’d like to check out all the amazing authors in the Magic Emporium series, you can find that here: https://rebrand.ly/MEWebS

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Meghan Maslow’s Newsletter

As mentioned, Must Love Demons is part of a multi-author shared element series. The idea for a magic shop that can go to any world but only shows up when someone’s in dire need came from a short story that I had planned to submit to a magic and mystery anthology. The story ended up at 12k and the limit was 8k. I wasn’t willing to gut the story. Now I didn’t know what to do with it. So, I invited other authors to come play with the idea, and wrote my own romance to go with it. Nico is the main character in the short story. I guess you could say it’s a prequel of sorts. I’m giving it away for free in my newsletter, so if you’re interested in the premise and want to know more about Marden’s Magic Emporium, this is the place to find it!

My newsletter sign up: https://rebrand.ly/MM_newsletter

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Giveaway!

I’m offering up an ebook of Must Love Demons to a lucky winner. I’ll draw a random name on Friday at noon. To enter, simply tell me what’s your favorite fantasy/paranormal/magical creature and why you love that one the most.

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About Meghan Maslow

Mischief, Magic, and Murder . . . That’s a Maslow! 

If you’re looking for comedy, fantasy, or dead bodies in your romances (sometimes all three at once!), I’m your gal. I’m also a. . . gasp!. . . extroverted writer. It seems counterintuitive that as someone who is energized by people, I spend most of my time alone. Yet, that’s the case. And I don’t mind.

Mostly.

If I get writer’s block or start to go a little stir crazy, I head out to a coffee shop, a restaurant, a friend’s place–anywhere to fill up my need for human contact. It also helps that I spend a lot of time with the voices in my head. Some of them are really quite opinionated.

I love writing gay romance because I’m a sap for a happy ending, and I believe everyone—regardless of orientation—should be able to find books that have them. And if that romance comes with a dash of mischief, magic, or murder, all the better. 

I believe that life is for living, kindness is contagious, and a good book makes the world a better place. 

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Where to Find Meghan Maslow

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