I met Melanie online when I joined Falling in Deep. I’ve had the opportunity to read some of her previous work, and I really enjoy her character, Lily. In preparation for Melanie’s new novella, Ink, I was able to catch her mid-run and ask a few questions.
Tell us about you. What are some of your previously published projects?
I have three series. The Harvesting Series is my dark fantasy/horror series. It is a zombie/fantasy mashup. It’s a fun series and takes the genre in a different direction. My other series is The Airship Racing Chronicles. This is my steampunk romantic adventure series. I totally adore the characters in this series. Lily, my airship pilot, is a hot mess. An opium addict, Lord Byron’s lover, and an airship racer, she’d a great character to write. I also have my Scottish series on Lady Macbeth, retelling the classic Macbeth tale from the perspective of Lady M.
When did you start writing? When did you start publishing? What is the hardest thing about writing?
I’ve written since I as a kid. Like many other authors, I’ve been to the rodeo with literary agents, had near-misses with publishing contracts, etc. In the end, I opened my own publishing imprint and got serious about my works. I invested in me. The hardest thing about writing for me is simply having time. With two small children and a full-time job, finding time to write is tough.
What has been your favorite character that you’ve written so far?
I mentioned Lily previously, and she really is my favorite character, but I also loved writing her lover George Gordon, Lord Byron. He was interesting to write because 1) he was a real person 2) I had to fictionalize this real person and 3) he is a he. I generally don’t write men very well, but there was something about Byron that was special…maybe because Byron is special. I also enjoyed writing Grandma Petrovich from The Harvesting Series. It was fun to write the bossy grandma type. Ink, my new character, was fun to write because I’ve just never even thought about the perspective of a mermaid before. It was fun to get inside her head.
Where does your inspiration come from? What do you do to break through a block?
I can barely contain all the ideas floating around in my head. It’s maddening at times. They come from anywhere and everywhere. Much of my steampunk is inspired by steampunk visual arts. My mermaid was inspired by my environment. I moved to the coast of Florida 5 years ago and the landscape just sucked me in.
Has there been a progression through genres with your writing, or do you mostly stick with one genre?
Well, I really see myself as a fantasy writer. I just write in different subgenres of fantasy. I think readers see my line tend more dark fantasy/steampunk as I go forward.
Part Two of my Interview with Melanie Karsak will post on June 2, 2015!
A bit about Ink:
A mermaid princess destined to wed a handsome king…
It sounds like a fairy tale, but the reality is far murkier.
Ink, Princess of the Florida Atlantic mers, is slated to wed the ancient enemy of her tribe, the King of the Gulfs. After years of war that led to countless mer deaths, as well as the genocide of aquatic shapeshifters and the freshwater mers of Florida, Ink’s marriage will bring lasting peace.
Or so it seems.
Mere hours before she’s supposed to leave the ocean for her customary year as a drywalker, Ink meets Hal, an alligator shifter who warns her that a storm is brewing. There is malicious intent behind Ink’s marriage—and worse, meeting Hal has also caused a storm to rage in Ink’s heart. Nevertheless, loyal to her tribe, Ink will put aside her feelings and journey to Miami to marry the decadent King Manx.
Ink soon learns that her only hope of surviving the crashing force swelling around her is to tap into a power deep inside—a forbidden power that might destroy them all.
About the author: Melanie Karsak is the author of the Amazon best-selling The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, and The Saga of Lady Macbeth. She grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master’s degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.
Keep up with Melanie: Blog Twitter Facebook Pinterest Email
Pre-order Ink here
Love mermaids? Looking for a great beach read? The Falling in Deep Collection, a collection of 15 unique tales of creatures of the deep, is rolling out the first novella in their collection at the end of May.
From mermaids to sirens, Miami to Athens, dark paranormal romance to contemporary stories with steam, the fifteen award-winning and best-selling authors of the Falling in Deep Collection are bringing you mermaid tales like you’ve never seen before.
Every week beginning May 26th, 2015, we’ll be releasing one unique, never-before-published novella! Each novella will feature our favorite creature of the deep: mermaids.
The Falling in Deep Collection (May – September Releases)
Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak
Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger
Deep Breath by J. M. Miller
At the Heart of the Deep by Carrie Wells
The Mermaid’s Den by Ella Malone
The Water is Sweeter by Eli constant
The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless
An Officer & a Mermaid by Blaire Edens
How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes
Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley
A Beyond the Sea Prequel by Emily Goodwin
Immersed by Katie Hayoz
Siren’s Kiss by Margo Bond Collins
To Each His Own by Anna Albergucci
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