Author Interview with M.L. Ryan

Author Interviews

July 28, 2013

I’m hosting an interview with M.L. Ryan today, the author of a paranormal romance / urban fantasy “Special Offers”. Thanks for answering my questions!

The Interview

1) When did you know you wanted to become an author?

I’ve always made up elaborate stories in my head; as a child I created my own fictional world with its own language that only I understood. And as an Immunologist, I’ve been writing science non-fiction for a long, long time and have many published papers. As you can probably imagine, the dry scientific manuscripts don’t allow the more creative side of me to flourish, so one day about 18 months ago, I decided to try my hand at fiction. In that time, I wrote and published Special Offers and Special Rewards, books 1 and 2 of the Coursodon Dimension Series. I’m currently working on the third book in the series – tentatively titled Special Attraction.

2) Where did you get the inspiration from for Special Offers?

The book is about a woman who is possessed by a supernatural from a parallel dimension who was previously trapped in her Kindle. I came up with the idea when, after purchasing my full-priced Kindle, I realized Amazon was selling less expensive versions that came with “special offers” (ads instead of the pretty drawings). For some reason, my warped brain thought it would be amusing if what made the cheaper Kindles special was that they came with some fiendish spirit. The name “Special Offers” seemed like a no-brainer. Interestingly, a reader emailed me and said they had come across my book when they were looking for deals on Amazon. When they typed in “special offers” in the search bar, my book was the first entry. Given that marketing serendipity, I probably should have named the second book “Enlarge your Penis.”

3) How long did it take you to write Special Offers from start to finish?

It took about seven months of writing in the evenings and on weekends.

4) What is your editing process like?

I’m a little OCD about editing as I go, but I am trying to get out of that habit and just write and worry about making it perfect later. Once I’m finished with a manuscript, I read it over and make changes. Then I give it to my husband, who does a great job of editing content and picking up plot holes. After he is done, I let a professional editor take over. Then I read it over again and tweak it some more.

5) What was the most challenging part about writing Special Offers?

Just finding the time to write. I envy authors that don’t have to have a day job and can write whenever they want.

6) What are your writing goals for 2013?

I want to finish the third book in the Coursodon Dimension series and start on a spin-off book about Sebastian.

7) Are you working on something right now? Can you tell us more about it?

The third book follows Hailey, Alex and Sebastian as they deal with a fiendish plot against Coursodon that could mean the end of the parallel dimension as they now know it.

Special Offers

Title: Special Offers

Author: M.L. Ryan

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance

Meet Hailey – possessed by an otherworldly being who was trapped in her Kindle.

Hailey Parrish was quick-witted, irreverent, and hadn’t had a date in three years. She only wanted an eBook reader because her collection of paperbacks threatened to take over her small living space. Little did she know that the “special offers” that prompted the purchase included much more than a reduced price in exchange for a few ads. The device came pre-loaded with the essence of Sebastian Kess, an erudite womanizer with magical abilities from a parallel dimension. When she inadvertently releases him and he inhabits her body, she finally has a man inside her, just not in the way she imagined. And soon her predicament introduces her to yet another supernatural, the handsome could-be-the-man-of-her-dreams Alex Sunderland. Can Alex and Hailey find a way to return Sebastian to his own body, stay one step ahead of the criminals who want to keep him where he is, and not lose their sense of humor?

Special Offers, the first book of the Coursodon Dimension Series, combines paranormal romance, urban fantasy, a bit of science fiction and a healthy dose of quirky humor.

Author Bio

M.L. Ryan is a professional woman — not that she gave up her amateur status, but rather that she is over-educated with a job in which she spends a lot of time writing dry science non-Fiction. In an effort to strengthen the less logical side of her brain, she decided to write some of the many stories rolling around in her head. She lives in Tucson, AZ with her husband, son, four cats, two dogs and an adopted desert tortoise.

Majanka Verstraete