Hello and welcome
to Wednesday Spotlight! In keeping with the spirit of ghosts and goblins and the full moon, the Halloween party sizzles all month long. Today’s featured guest is Mickey Flagg. Mickey is here to chat with us about her Halloween-inspired bookRETRIBUTION! THE CHAMPION CHRONICLES BOOK 1
Here’s a blurb and excerpt. But first, a little about Mickey.
Mickey Flagg brings the joy of music to hundreds of students every week. Named a Distinguished Music Educator at the 2009 Yale Music Symposium, she also writes paranormal romance. Retribution! her debut novel, was released in March 2009, and Book 2, Consequences, has also been contracted with The Wild Rose Press. Living in northern NJ, her quiet home sits on the edge of a forest.
Retribution! Short blurb:Dreams often reflect deepest desires…even if they’re nightmares. While cruelly captured, a vampire creates a languid fantasy with the help of a powerful soul. Eternal devotion to two important people forces this creature to see himself with honest eyes. Imagination runs wild, yet Michael Malone still desires death. Why should he survive? Two very good reasons… One is revenge. The other is love.
Excerpt:
The habit was hundreds of years old… An absentminded glance in an empty mirror as the vampire ran firm bristles back and forth over even, white teeth. But this time, he stared in disbelief. A cloudy image peered back—one that hadn’t been seen in centuries. High cheekbones, straight nose, square chin and strong brow were unmistakably his. Leaning into the mirror, Michael couldn’t see his eyes clearly, but it was his reflection, something lost the night he’d been turned. The one thing that sets me apart from humanity, he thought, one thing that should be lost forever. The image fascinated, but also frightened. One more secret I must keep from Alana—for now.
~ Retribution! The Champion Chronicles: Book One
Sharon: Let’s have a warm welcome for Mickey Flagg. Mickey, welcome to the Haunted Mansion!
From the thicket of the deep dark woods, Mickey soars out on her witch’s broom. The bell in the bell tower gongs out the witching hour. The haunted mansion, with spiked fencing around the courtyard, forbodes an eerie presence. Bats screech as they flap their wings in flight. Using the lion faced door knocker, Mickey announces her arrival.
The door creaks open on rusty hinges. Oliver, costumed in his vampire outfit, smiles a wolfish grin. Good evening, Ms. Flagg. Welcome to Retribution. Do come in.
Oliver extends his hairy arm and escorts Mickey down the long dark corridor to the parlor. Spider webs drape the walls like veils of thick Spanish moss. Background music plays in honor of our special guest:
Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor
Sharon, dressed in flowing black dress and hat, is busy stirring a steamy concoction. It billows upward. Standing candelabras shed dim light on the raven clock, organ and cracked walls. Sharon smiles. Welcome to Retribution, Mickey. Come have a seat and Oliver will bring us some refreshments.
Mickey: (slithers over with a sassy sway, totally at home in the atmosphere of the dark mansion) Oooh, Sharon, so pleased to meet you. (Eyes glued to Oliver) What a lovely home, so full of ‘spirit’. (She grins) And a woman after my own heart – uh, I’m referring to your excellent taste in décor, of corpse – oh, silly me, of course!
Oliver appears, carting a carafe of bold coffee and chocolate dragons and vampires. With a sweeping bow, he presents them, displaying his razor-sharp fangs. After pouring a cup and handing it to Mickey, he asks, Might I have your autograph, Ms. Flagg? In blood, if you please.
Just then the raven clock screeches and the organ begins to grind out the funeral dirge. Manic laughter rattles the walls.
Sharon: Oh, don’t be afraid, Mickey. It’s just the ghosts of Halloweens past. Now let’s begin our interview, shall we? Tell us about Retribution, the setting, the characters and what made you write this book.
Mickey: (staring deeply into gorgeous eyes of the bare-chested butler, finds it a bit hard to think) Yes, Retribution… (Clears throat with a sigh) This is a paranormal romance that takes place in a vampire’s mind. He takes on unimaginable evil and almost triumphs. Michael Malone is his name – a mystically enhanced vampire who has become a lethal weapon against evil in this world. (Mesmerized by Oliver, she continues) In a poisoned state, Michael will dream about being in Alana’s arms. She is the mortal whom he loves, a Guardian of Souls with her own mystical mission. Also of concern to the lusty vamp is his human son. That’s a long story, Sharon. But there is a reason Lukas exists – just can’t give away the why. (Mickey fans her face, and as Oliver steps back, she continues) What made me write this novel? (She asks herself, slowly meeting Sharon’s eyes and snapping out of her swoon) Well, Sharon, I had just completed a rigorous second masters in Educational Leadership in two years – while teaching full time – while going through a divorce – while helping my children get on their feet. Sounds a bit overwhelming, right? My loving son told me to write. I decided to redeem a demon. I think it saved my sanity.
Sharon: And this is Book 1 of the Champion Chronicles. Congratulations. Tell us when we might expect the next in the series and a bit about it.
Mickey: Consequences follows Michael’s journey. He will find salvation in Alana’s arms, but not as he dreamed. The cast of characters are mostly the same, but their relationships to him and his mortal son take on a deeper meaning. Michael will have to do some serious soul searching before he can truly love Alana as he should. Consequences should be released by The Wild Rose Press sometime in 2010. (Sips her coffee and wishes Oliver would return)
Sharon: Now lets’ talk about Halloween. Is there a particular holiday that stands out to you as being monumental? And if so, why and how did it inspire you to write paranormals?
Mickey: (places her cup on the table and smiles at Sharon) I just blogged about this – how interesting that you should ask! (Narrows her eyes, tilts her head as if Sharon is psychic??)
I find Halloween to be a holiday that celebrates the imagination. Of course, I have a very active one! (Slight smirk) There are times in our lives when fantasy helps us face reality. At the time I wrote Retribution, I needed to escape just a wee bit. I’ve always been intrigued by vampires – in a good sense of the word, so I thought I’d try my hand at authoring my own version of happily ever after with a couple of paranormal twists and hurdles.
Sharon: I generally associate Halloween with superstitions. Just then, Sharon’s black cat leaps in front of Oliver just as he glides out with dessert. Fred cat hisses and snarls and leaps on top of the organ.
Hysterical laughter explodes from inside the walls. A woman screams, her wails echoing through the mansion.
Sharon: The spirits are restless tonight. Thank you, Oliver. And doesn’t that chocolate forest cake in the shape of a hearse look decadent. Oliver cuts a huge slice for Mickey and feeds her the first bite.
Mickey: (her eyes close, savoring the delicious confection as well as the nearness of this gorgeous hunk of a man) Kudos to the baker, Sharon. How very rich! (Mickey takes the fork from Oliver, holding his hand a few seconds too long before focusing on Sharon again. There is a very wide grin on Mickey’s face.)
Sharon: Now as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted. I adore superstitions. How about you, Mickey. Do share one or two with us pertaining to Halloween.
Mickey: Rudely interrupted? Nonsense! (Oliver pulls up a chair beside Mickey, who looks about to faint! She, however, snaps out of it to put her teacher hat on) I’ve read that Halloween was brought to America’s shores by Irish immigrants after the great potato famine of 1846. It is both a pagan feast and the eve of All Saints Day. Various cultures have similar superstitions about the dead walking the earth the night before All Saints Day. In some cultures, people dress as demons to ward off the souls, allowing them to once again, rest in peace. Today, it’s mainly about tricks or treats for the kiddies. I mean, ghosts, goblins, vampires… not reality (a loud screech makes Mickey jump. It takes a minute for her to regain composure – of course, Oliver helps her)
Sharon: And what’s next for Mickey Flagg. Are you hard at work on your next paranormal or black rose?
Mickey: Doing my best to put the finishing touches on Inheritance, Book 3 in The Champion Chronicles, Sharon. It will take Michael, Alana, and Lukas on a new paranormal adventure.
Sharon: And what might the wee trick or treaters expect at the Flagg house?
Mickey: Why gobs of chocolate goodies, scary music – the classical kind, and house decorations that have been the same since my children were babies. I’m big on tradition. (Winks at Oliver)
Sharon: You’re a music teacher. That must be so rewarding. Tell us about these lessons.
Mickey: I teach in an urban setting, roughly 650 children a week. My career has gone beyond rewarding. It’s my pleasure to teach a child about music from Kindergarten through Grade 8. I get to watch them grow over nine years. It’s a special relationship, Sharon. Many come back to visit, and I have the additional pleasure of teaching their children. I have a select chorus of 100 students who are the pride of the school. What gives me the greatest thrill is that through music, my children have higher self-esteem, better test scores, and more sensitivity to the diversity around us. It’s an awesome experience! I’m truly blessed to teach what I so deeply love.
Sharon: And sadly, that brings us to the end of our interview. Mickey, it’s been a pleasure. I wish you much success with Retribution. Can you tell readers where they can buy this book and get in touch with you?
Mickey: Retribution! can be purchased at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ or www. amazon.com as well as various other sites. You can get in touch with me through http://www.mflagg-author.com/ or email at michele.flagg@yahoo.com
Oliver grabs Mickey and twirls her around while singing his favorite song, “I was working in the lab late one night. When my eyes beheld an eerie sight…they did the mash…the monster mash…” – the musician in Mickey takes over, and she sings along.
