Enter to win a $10 GC or a book: The Descendant by Melissa Riddell

 

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Melissa Riddell will giveaway to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter a $10 Amazon/BN GC, a signed copy of The Descendant (book 1), or an ARC of the second book in the series. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Where do you get your ideas?

People ask me this all the time, and most of my ideas come from out of the blue, or are inspired by music or videogames.

What is the first book that made you cry?

Hmm, I think it was probably Old Yeller. Man, I remember reading it when I was either in fourth or fifth grade, and bawling my eyes out but trying not to look like I was crying. I think that teacher was a sadist.

Do you find it easier to write character and dialogue for the opposite sex because you are the opposite sex? (A woman writing a man’s part and dialogue for example).

I don’t usually think about the gender when I’m writing dialogue. I base it on the character’s inner trials and don’t feel gender plays a big role in how someone feels. Emotions are emotions, regardless.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Facebook! I can waste a good hour browsing the news feed, checking groups, or just goofing off in general.

Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

Yes, well, more precisely, reader’s hangover, where I’m still living in a character’s world or so scarred by a traumatic death I can’t possibly pick up a new book for a few days. Yeah, Veronica Roth, I’m looking at you…

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing, if at all?

Being picked up by DLG Publishing Partners was the best thing to ever happen to my writing. Their Senior Editor, Michelle, took me under her wing and taught me so much knowledge. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without her help. She’s also a top-notch writer, so she wears many hats and knows how hard the writing world can be.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Research does not consume my writing. I ensure I get details correct, or that I don’t blunder with past events, but I try to avoid too much research. That’s why I don’t touch historical romance. Now, with sci-fi romance, I try to keep the sci-fi soft, but I still double-check my knowledge of astronomy, biology, and advances in genetics and such. If I’m going to reference real-world concepts or things, I have to be prepared to back it up.

She wants her world back; he wants her heart.

Tilly Morgan and her four-legged companion, Kodiak, are just trying to survive the alien arrival. Two years ago, the visitors unleashed devastation—a world-wide EMP followed by a deadly virus that wiped out more than half of humanity.

Traversing the lonely landscape, she runs into an alien on patrol with one order: eradicate all human life. A mysterious, dark-haired stranger named Jareth comes to her aid, and she reluctantly allows him to join her quest to find her sister. He even persuades her to let the damaged alien tag along against her better judgment.

As her group travels the desolate world and inches closer to her goal, she’s forced to examine her unwanted feelings for Jareth and come to terms with her heart, even if the truth threatens to destroy her and everything she’s come to believe.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Jareth clears his throat. “I know it’s not much, but I like the way it feels—the earthy smell, the chalky texture. Plus, it gets cooler back in the tunnels, which makes for great food storage.” His voice bounces from the walls, projecting the sound all around me.

Shadows cast by the edge of the distant firelight flicker across his face, revealing the hollow of a small dimple in his cheek. It’s a face that’s near perfection. Too bad he had to open his mouth and ruin it.v “Like what you see, Red?”

Oh, my God. I’m going to kill this man. Blood rushes to my face, but I’m not sure if it’s from embarrassment or anger.

Pressing my lips together, I try to focus on anything that’s not him. The earthen smell he mentioned isn’t unpleasant. It reminds me of mom’s garden; digging our hands into the dark, moist soil to plant seedlings for the summer season. It’s a satisfying, honest scent.

But I’m not about to let him know that. “Kind of smells like bat crap in here.”

Hazarding a glance at his face, he nods his head, the small smile still playing about his lips. “Oh, that’s what the smell is? I thought it was body odor and dog fur.”

I will kill the jerk in his sleep tonight.

Pivoting on the balls of my feet, I stalk back to Kodiak.

Dreadful. Hateful. Spiteful man. “I hope a stalactite falls on your head.”

About the Author:

Melissa Riddell is from a small, West Texas town in which she still lives with her husband. Her writing career started as a hobby when she was a teenager, writing poems and short stories. Eventually, she branched out and began constructing novels. When not contemplating new story ideas, she can be found traipsing around Texas State Parks, herding her cats, or reading a book.


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