Fellow Wild Rose Press author and fellow Canadian Madelon Smid is my guest today. Madelon sat down for an interview to tell us about FATAL FLIGHT and her Sisters in Peril Series, and her life as a writer on the Canadian prairies. Please welcome Madelon Smid!
Fatal Flight
Sisters in Peril Series Book 1
By Madelon Smid
Madelon will be giving away 1 ebook copy of Fatal Flight, 1 ebook copy of Climbing High, and 1 ebook copy of High Seas. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.
About Fatal Flight:
About Fatal Flight:
When he finds Sky Stravinski, Adam Hamilton becomes enmeshed in a world of danger. Did he bring it with him, earning an enemy as chief engineer and test pilot, or find it along with her? Fulfilling his commitment means persuading Sky to meet the grandmother she never knew she had. Recovering from an airplane crash, torn between opposing forces, and caught up in the attacks on Sky, Adam fights for the fascinating pilot, determined to keep her safe, and win her love.
Everything Sky owns comes under attack, from her airplanes to her airfield and her life. Combatting a hidden enemy and Adam Hamilton’s intrusion, Sky feels trapped by circumstances outside her control. As her sponsor, he earns her trust. But Adam wants things Sky won’t give. Meeting her grandmother and developing a relationship with Adam will pull her back into their world of wealth and entitlement. Sky won’t become a rich man’s plaything again. Will the threats that bring them together convince Sky Adam deserves a place in her life?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Excerpt:
“You consider going to Max behind my back being upfront?”
“Max came to me. I was interested and after crunching the numbers, researching your top notch standing on the circuit and talking with my father, thought this was a great PR opportunity for our corporation. I didn’t know you were against the idea. My experience is that as soon as someone knows what I’m worth, they want something from me.”
“And you assumed I was sticking my hand in the pot.” She stopped at the entrance to the big tent, where oceans of food were served all day. “Okay, I see where you were coming from. Pax.” She offered her hand.
She took quiet satisfaction in the fact he looked like she’d turned him on his head. Good, keep him off balance, and he couldn’t do the same to her. He took her hand, his long fingers warm and dry, just the lightest of squeezes. He’d never used his size and strength to intimidate, she realized. He was a true alpha male, for only the strongest, fastest and smartest protected the vulnerable. A weaker male, took advantage of them.
Interview with Madelon Smid:
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write the story in my head over a few weeks of telling it to myself before I go to sleep. Then I write the 72,000 word book in two weeks, at a rate of 5,000 to 10,000 words a day.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read your book Fatal Flight?
My readers always learn something. In Fatal Flight they learn about aerobatic competition flying and a lot about the Tahoe area.
Do you work on more than one book at a time?
Yes, I wrote and published a nonfiction book, Chronic Challege, Living well with Chronic Disease, at the same time as I wrote Sky High, edited the galleys for High Risk, and edited an anthology for our writing group.
Do you have any words of advice to beginning writers?
If you want to be a writer, don’t think about writing, talk about writing, or take a dozen writing courses—just write.
What comes first for you – plot or character? And why?
I make up the bare bones of my protagonists then develop the plot. I like lots of action.
What do you hope readers gain from your stories?
I hope my protagonists are great role models for the readers. They are independent, strong, courageous, caring and loving, with a set of high values.
What book for you has been the easiest to write? The most fun?
Fatal Flight was easy because my husband is a pilot and we flew our own planes for many years. I love the beauty and risk of flying and wanted to show that to my readers.
Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?
I live by the South Saskatchewan River, surrounded by ancient hills and always with the Land of the living skies around me. I’ve been writing for over forty years.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
Being in nature, kayaking, skiing, hiking, camping—being one with the land.
How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing?
My parents enabled my drive and creativity, a lengthy illness taught me resilience and endurance, my outdoor adventures force me to find courage, strength and willingness to cope with the unknown. All these things are necessary to write a book, and to write the characters you want to center your stories around.
What genre is your favorite to read?
Nonfiction accounts of man against nature e.g. kayaking to the arctic, rowing to Iceland, circumnavigating the globe in a sailboat, climbing a mountain.
What did you want to be (occupation-wise) when you were a child?
I trained to be an Interior Designer to express my creativity, but found I preferred to use words.
What do you like best about your hero in Fatal Flight?
Adam is an alpha male who uses his strength to protect the weak, not for power. He’s passionate, intelligent and performs at a high capacity in anything he takes on.
What do you like best about your heroine in Fatal Flight?
Sky is a skilled pilot, confident and courageous, but wounded from a past experience with love. She’s strong, yet vulnerable.
How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?
Sometimes I’ve used characteristics from people I love to flesh out a character. Most often I make them up completely.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
Madelon Smid on Facebook, Twitter, www.madelonasmid.com
Tell us a little about your current work in progress.
I have just submitted, Sinister Skies, book 3 in my Sisters in peril series. Halley is a helicopter pilot.
If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
Start with Climbing High, book 1 in my Daring Heights series. There are 6 books in all, and the characters from earlier books are part of the later books, so you get to see their love and lives develop.
Tell us about your next release.
Lethal Landing will launch worldwide on June 11/18. It is book 2 in my Sisters in Peril series, and focuses on a female hot air balloonist.
Interview with Madelon Smid:
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write the story in my head over a few weeks of telling it to myself before I go to sleep. Then I write the 72,000 word book in two weeks, at a rate of 5,000 to 10,000 words a day.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read your book Fatal Flight?
My readers always learn something. In Fatal Flight they learn about aerobatic competition flying and a lot about the Tahoe area.
Do you work on more than one book at a time?
Yes, I wrote and published a nonfiction book, Chronic Challege, Living well with Chronic Disease, at the same time as I wrote Sky High, edited the galleys for High Risk, and edited an anthology for our writing group.
Do you have any words of advice to beginning writers?
If you want to be a writer, don’t think about writing, talk about writing, or take a dozen writing courses—just write.
What comes first for you – plot or character? And why?
I make up the bare bones of my protagonists then develop the plot. I like lots of action.
What do you hope readers gain from your stories?
I hope my protagonists are great role models for the readers. They are independent, strong, courageous, caring and loving, with a set of high values.
What book for you has been the easiest to write? The most fun?
Fatal Flight was easy because my husband is a pilot and we flew our own planes for many years. I love the beauty and risk of flying and wanted to show that to my readers.
Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?
I live by the South Saskatchewan River, surrounded by ancient hills and always with the Land of the living skies around me. I’ve been writing for over forty years.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
Being in nature, kayaking, skiing, hiking, camping—being one with the land.
How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing?
My parents enabled my drive and creativity, a lengthy illness taught me resilience and endurance, my outdoor adventures force me to find courage, strength and willingness to cope with the unknown. All these things are necessary to write a book, and to write the characters you want to center your stories around.
What genre is your favorite to read?
Nonfiction accounts of man against nature e.g. kayaking to the arctic, rowing to Iceland, circumnavigating the globe in a sailboat, climbing a mountain.
What did you want to be (occupation-wise) when you were a child?
I trained to be an Interior Designer to express my creativity, but found I preferred to use words.
What do you like best about your hero in Fatal Flight?
Adam is an alpha male who uses his strength to protect the weak, not for power. He’s passionate, intelligent and performs at a high capacity in anything he takes on.
What do you like best about your heroine in Fatal Flight?
Sky is a skilled pilot, confident and courageous, but wounded from a past experience with love. She’s strong, yet vulnerable.
How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?
Sometimes I’ve used characteristics from people I love to flesh out a character. Most often I make them up completely.
How can readers reach you or find you online?
Madelon Smid on Facebook, Twitter, www.madelonasmid.com
Tell us a little about your current work in progress.
I have just submitted, Sinister Skies, book 3 in my Sisters in peril series. Halley is a helicopter pilot.
If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
Start with Climbing High, book 1 in my Daring Heights series. There are 6 books in all, and the characters from earlier books are part of the later books, so you get to see their love and lives develop.
Tell us about your next release.
Lethal Landing will launch worldwide on June 11/18. It is book 2 in my Sisters in Peril series, and focuses on a female hot air balloonist.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
About Madelon Smid:
Madelon Smid has the pioneer spirit of a true prairie woman. She seeks inspiration from the rolling hills and river coulees that surround her home; creating characters as intriguing and beautiful as the ever changing skies.
As a successful non-fiction writer, she co-authored a best seller, Smart Women, published Chronic Challenge: Living Well with Chronic Disease, and many articles in national and regional magazines.
She taught writing classes for adults at her local college, ran a successful online writing course, and edited five anthologies for the Prairie Quills Writers’ Group, before returning to her true love – fiction. The six romantic suspense stories in her Daring Heights series have received glowing reviews.
While she continues searching out the best in nature, exploring new stretches of water in her kayak, and seeking new mountains to ski, she sees every adventure as fresh material for the next story she will create in her home by the river.
Madelon's Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.madelonasmid.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madelonsmid Twitter: https://twitter.com/madelonsmid
Website: http://www.madelonasmid.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madelonsmid Twitter: https://twitter.com/madelonsmid
Glad to have you visit, Madelon. Godd luck with your new series.
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