Hi Montana, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background? I am an Aussie from a relatively small town in country New South Wales and my debut novel released late in 2015. Now here I am in April with another book hitting the shelves! I write paranormal and fantasy romance and I am a book junkie of almost every possible genre out there! I’ve met my first Aussie!
Discuss your newest book. Paladin is book two in the Elemental Paladins series and follows directly from the conclusion of book one – Warden. Paladin sees a shift in the leading romantic couple with Diana and Darius having their time to shine. But don’t worry, I promise there is plenty of Max and the rest of the gang too!
Honour. Duty. Loyalty. Control. These are the principles Darius lives by – almost to the point of obsession. They had forged him into a noble knight but had also cost him the woman of his dreams and wrought a non-relenting hatred for his personal nemeses; the chades.
When a tiny, redheaded, whirlwind of trouble descends upon him and his fellow knights in a flurry of questions and impossibilities, Darius finds himself struggling to reconcile his past values with his future desires.
For Diana, the arrival of Max brings with it a portent; revolution. As a paladin of death, acceptance is at her core. So embracing the sarcastic powerhouse as her sworn liege is easy. But embracing a certain air paladin who is a pathological rule-follower? Well, that isn’t so easy, despite the attraction they have shared for centuries.
With Darius confronted by his demons and a bitter Warden bent on exacting revenge, will the two knights ever reach their happily ever after? Sounds great!
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? High school English! I was lucky enough to have a couple of wonderful English teachers who were supportive and critical at the same time – just what a budding writer needs 🙂 #TeachersWriteOn!
What are your current projects? I am currently working on book three in the Elemental Paladins series – Chade. I also have a couple of other series that I have fleshed out and also a stand-alone that I would love to finish off. But all in good time … I would love to get book one in my Reluctant Royals series out next! It’s all about demons and angels … and a tough female assassin called Saber!
What books have most influenced your life most? There are so many and all for different reasons. I remember the first science fiction books I read that sparked my love for that genre; the Tripods Trilogy by John Christopher. The very first romance books that lit my internal fires for a happily ever after; Across The Barricades by Joan Lingard. And of course Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin – a strong woman writing about strong women!
What inspired you to write your first book? I have a very active imagination and so many voices bumping around inside my head. Essentially, they finally wanted out and publishing my very own book has always been on my bucket list.
Give us an insight into your main character. What does she do that is so special? Max is the main character in Warden, book one of the Elemental Paladins series. She is also the heart of the entire series. I think she is the perfect balance of all of us out there and a wonderful contradiction; she is strong yet vulnerable, funny yet serious, friendly yet lonely, fiery yet solemn. She is a strong, independent, feisty heroine who is loyal and gives affection freely to her chosen few. She can also beat the crap out people twice her size and delivers one-liners with her sharp tongue like a queen.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Balance and acceptance. Life is all about balance; good times follow the bad, if you take; you must give back. With all the marvelous diversity in the world, acceptance of all of our little eccentricities is so important.
Which actor would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book? I would love to see a buzz-cut Hugh Jackman playing Darius! YUM!
Do you write full-time or part-time? Part time, unfortunately. I have a full time day job and write in my spare time.
What is the hardest thing about writing? Letting it go once it is finished. Being able to stop re-reading it and searching for tiny issues, and just trusting that somewhere, someone is going to enjoy it.
What book are you reading now? Take You Apart by T.J. Spade. It is a crime thriller with a side of romance. I am loving it!
What is one random thing about you? I have three tattoos; a wolf, a gothic rose with sharp thorns and also a squiggle on my big toe that I decided was a brilliant idea at 2am in Turkey! LOL
What does your writing process look like? Chaos! Absolute chaos! (lol) I write scene by scene so I end up with patches of a storyline. I then stitch them all together into some semblance of an actual book, just like a patchwork quilt. I never write chapter one first. In fact, I have always written the end scene of each book first.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Killing characters off! I hate it and I don’t have any clue how I could sleep at night if I ever offed one of my main characters!
What do you like to do when you’re not writing? I am an embryologist and genetic counsellor by day. I mix babies up and put them back every day 🙂 I like to read – naturally – and play with my fur-kids … Montana and Ashby. WOW
What advice would you give to aspiring writers? Just write! If you write it, they will come …
How can readers discover more about you and you work? I have a website, Facebook page, Twitter account, Goodreads page … and all the usual places to stalk an author 🙂 Please chack out the links below. Stalk nicely!
Website
Facebook author page-
https://www.facebook.com/montana.ash.author/
Amazon Author Page
http://www.amazon.com/author/montanaash
Twitter-
@ReadMontanaAsh
Goodreads page –
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661560.Montana_Ash
Books and More 