Blog Archives
The Most Powerful Parts of Herself
EverGreen follows a high school girl that meets and falls in love with a faerie and explores the world of the fae with her new friends. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I didn’t have one specific thing that inspired me. Lily and Rowan came to mind, and the rest of the plot followed. I used inspiration from my own life, and tied in issues I care about. Parts of my own life play into my books. I use them to help make the characters seem more alive.
Lilly starts off as the quiet bookworm that’s new to the school and grows into a strong and determined character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Lily has always been strong and determined. When she was younger, she was too shy to show it. Being with Rowan made her acknowledge her inner strength. Her relationship with him brings out the most powerful parts of herself. Shy, nerdy girls can see themselves in Lily. Lily’s strength isn’t physical, it’s deeper than that. She is a feminine, beautiful, clumsy, strong woman. I hope that young women can look to her and see that they are strong, too.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I explored lots of themes within EverGreen including young love, friendship, eugenics, and self-discovery. They are all important to the plot of the book. I’m very passionate about the things I write about. I wanted to show what a healthy, teen romantic relationship looks like. Friendship and self-discovery are important parts of all YA novels. Tying eugenics into the book was important to me, too. I wanted to look at it from a fictional perspective so that teens and other young people can see the pain and harm it causes.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Moonlit Skies, my second novel, came out on November 23rd of 2021. Fallen Snow, Scarlet Whispers, and Ruby Tears will be released in 2022. Rosewood Dreams will be released in 2023. I’m currently working on Crimson Vows.
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Lily Rhodes had led a perfectly normal life, up until the day she met Rowan Marx, an alluring, secretive boy who she’d never noticed before. At the end of her senior year, Lily’s world is turned upside down by the sparks of first love, the betrayal of her best friend, and the discovery of secrets buried long ago. Ultimately, Lily will learn a lesson she thought she already understood: never judge a book by its cover. Because if you do, you might just miss the magic hidden within.
The Dynamic Power Of Dialogue
A Deux follows a modern-day Job as he has an open discussion with God about the state of the world and human suffering. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
As you know, this powerful and controversial Biblical story, when God, on Satan’s suggestion, stripped from Job all his possessions and even family to test his faithfulness, keeps producing various treatises with a wide range of interpretations. Some of them are no less controversial than the original one. Take, for instance, Jungian “Answer to Job,” where the famous psychiatrist paints the Creator as a jealous Almighty who suspects that a man possesses something that God does not have – namely, a somewhat keener consciousness based on self-reflection.
The Old Testament’s image of God was rather cruel, or to put it more politically correctly – overdemanding. While it was acceptable for ancient Jews, later generations needed some correction or at least an explanation. So, until human sufferings stop piling up, we will keep turning to Job as our representative in asking why.
As always, there was a personal sentiment, but as soon as you take one step into this inquiry, the broader perspective opens up, and all your life experience gets into working.
With a classic story like Job, your creative retelling makes the story more relatable to modern readers. What was your approach to writing the interactions between characters?
The classic Book of Job is partially a narrative with inserted dialogues. That story has been rendered for the first time and had an epic intention. I counted on readers’ acquaintance with the general plot and had no epic aspirations. So, I thought that the best way was to get straight to the point and pick up specific details along the way if needed.
I treasure immensely an artful, even poetic description of feelings in prose, but their expression in dialogue is somewhat closer to my heart. Maybe a long association with a theatre in my previous incarnation plays its role here, but I believe nothing can beat the dynamic power of dialogue.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One theme is an irreplaceable significance of arts for civilization as a means of general knowledge and personal development. Another is a surprising aloofness of many modern spiritual teachings instructing people to abstain from immediate activity. While all of us need to remain one on one with ourselves from time to time, to screen off the external noise and plunge into deep thoughts, it could not be the way of life as they suggest. To my mind, that would be desertion, a rejection of the principles of the Creation. I suspect that many of these gurus might have experienced significant losses and found a way to protect themselves from future suffering. But while it justifies their personal choice up to a point, it must not be presented as a universal solution.
There are other themes, like benevolent cooperation between the Universe and every person on Earth, or the initial ethical requirement that was the driving force for the whole Creation – the concept that I adopted from great Canadian philosopher John Leslie. But to list them all, I would have to retell the book, and I am afraid I could not do it better than I already did.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
That is a difficult question. And the answer could be even more perilous. Not to jinx myself, I can only say that its tentative title is A Promise, and events occur in the symbolic Orchard that resembles an ordinary small town but is full of surprises.
To give you a taste of it, this is how it begins: “The sun sets. Red gleams light up Rome’s houses, and you are reading a promise in them. Shadows from the silent hills of Corinth cover the Earth, and you hear the same call. It cannot be forgotten, and anticipation floods your life. Waiting for what Rome’s sunsets and quiet Corinthian hills promise is tantalizingly beautiful – this is a continuous augury of perfection….”
As to when it will complete itself – I do not yet know. Hopefully, in a few months.
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It has been quite awhile since Biblical Job exercised such a nerve and demanded such an accounting… but they were strong-willed men, those mythical patriarchs. Now we have become so civilized that we do not dare to challenge the Creator. However our muteness, it seems, is even less acceptable to Him than open rebellion. And so He takes it upon Himself to drag out of us our grievances… and then demolish them. Here, in А́ Deux, you may witness one such recent encounter.
Thus, God’s answer to Job’s old inquiry is “never,” because of His endless love and highest expectations that the Creator is still waiting for us to fulfill.
Challenges That They Must Face
Spark follows a group of young adults that must make a journey inland in order to survive amidst an apocalyptic world that throws obstacles at each turn. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I was reading several books in a series and thought I could try to write a series as well. However, it soon became apparent that just writing one book is tough (laugh!). I decided to write my book as a standalone at that point. There are things that I care about, such as global warming and mental health, and I wanted to incorporate these things into the book. As Spark is my first novel, I want to make it straight forward for me to write, so I decided that my characters shall go from point A to point B with challenges that they must face along the way.
With so much drama and disasters striking the characters, how did you balance the action scenes with the story elements and still keep a fast pace in the story?
There were as many external obstacles and misfortunes as internal struggles that the main character, Becky experienced. Simply put, as the characters need to go from point A to point B as soon as possible, the story is always moving along. I tried to have characters that are relatable to keep the story grounded. Becky, the mean character, is by no means perfect. Some of her decisions are even questionable, but I think readers can understand her. Tommy, her brother, is a drug addict. He uses sarcasm to cope with his depression and pain. The siblings don’t get along but they are close and care about each other. Their friend, Connor, who tags along with the siblings, is levelheaded and rational. He provides stability amid all the crises.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Some of the themes that are important for me to explore in this book include effects of climate change, survival after disasters, personal growth, dysfunctional families, self-harm, and drug addiction.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Although I mentioned Spark is a standalone book, there is potential for a sequel (laugh!). It’s not the book I’m currently working on though. I’m currently working on another young adult / new adult book that involves the main character being convinced she’s haunted by a ghost. It will explore the themes of science vs. superstition, expectations from others vs. self-fulfillment, and the courage of letting go so change can happen.
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A massive earthquake ignites widespread panic, and people start to run in fear of a tsunami. Becky and Connor are separated from Meghan and Robert. Forced to leave the area, Becky and Connor find her brother, Tommy, and they make their way back to the siblings’ home in hopes that Meghan and Robert are going there too. But as they wait for their friends, Langley goes up in flames and the trio must flee by car.
With nowhere else to go, they decide to head to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where Becky’s parents are staying. En route, they learn that a deadly new virus, with horrific symptoms, is tearing through British Columbia. They will have to make it to Manitoba before the borders close. Meanwhile, Tommy suffers severe drug withdrawal and shares a devastating confession with Becky. Tension rises as fear grips the country and more disasters impede their way. How will they possibly survive?
Changing The Rules Partway Through
Bellocaro follows a teen girl that is trapped on a magical island where she becomes the target for an evil vampire. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Like many writers, I’m also an avid reader. I liked the idea of creating a new magical world where Skye’s story begins. From an imagination standpoint, there’s something freeing about a fictional world where I’m in charge of the landscape and can alter it ‘at will.’ The island of Sceadu is like a mysterious character in the story. I knew that I wanted Skye to be a fish out of water; a human girl trapped on an island full of supernatural beings, but I muted their powers so that she could feel safe – at least in the beginning. I wanted her to deal with her frustration of being trapped, while still possessing the knowledge that even the supernatural kids were struggling with similar challenges. I knew that by changing the rules partway through the novel it would keep readers guessing, and hopefully rooting for Skye.
Skye’s personality comes out as her relationship with Thatcher grows. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Skye’s character is actually a combination of several people I know, people with strong beliefs, some who have been hurt by other people in their lives. Young people who live through that kind of trauma develop a kind of emotional armor. That armor can keep them shielded so they don’t get hurt again, and allows them to develop a no-nonsense attitude. Since they’ve often encountered difficulties or things that didn’t live up to their expectations they can be quite cheeky and wonderfully direct. I didn’t want Skye to be fragile. She’s been a caregiver at a young age, and lived with real uncertainties, she’s got backbone and a dry wit that makes me laugh. It usually takes three passes to write for Skye. One to sketch out the action or dialogue or inner monologue, then a second to give the dialogue or inner monologue some attitude, and the third pass is where I find ways to allow her sense of humor to shine through.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted the reader to get involved in the mystery and wonder about why Skye is on the island? Will she get home to her mother? The book answers those questions. And I wanted Skye to have a slow-burn romance. Too many novels are filled with ‘insta-love.’ Two strangers meet on page 3 and they’re madly in love by page 6. Bellocaro is not like that. If it was, the book wouldn’t be so long! There’s a mystery, there’s action, and there is a nice romance. One of the things I love hearing from readers is, “Holy cow! I didn’t see that coming.” Or, “Wow, I thought it was going in a different direction and I was so wrong, but I’m glad.” A reader gets bored if they can easily guess what’s coming. I like to set events up like they’re going to go a certain way, to carry the reader along, lull them into thinking they know what’s coming and then completely surprise them.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Dugo, book 2 in the Bellocaro series, is now available on Amazon. I’m currently working on book 3, which will take readers back to Sceadu for more adventure. But it’s still a ways from completion. I tend to be very descriptive about the action in my novels, which is why they’re long. But I do it because I think anyone who selects one of my books to read deserves to be entertained, and I do my best to give them a good story.
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“TWILIGHT” meets “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE”
Bellocaro will transport anyone who loves a gripping romance to a new world.
Trapped on a mysterious island and fleeing the school jock who thinks she should be his, Skye Moon encounters a strange boy in the woods. After meeting the captivating Thatcher Blue, she is dragged into a nightmare. Skye is targeted by a vampire who wants to kill her just for being near the alluring Thatcher.
With a target on her back, she doesn’t know if she’ll survive. Skye has known fear before, helping her mother battle a life-threatening illness but never has she had to deal with a vampire stalker.
Skye hopes that the dark-eyed boy from her premonitions will keep her safe, if he ever reveals himself.
She is astonished when Thatcher and his family come to the private academy on the mysterious island run by an equally enigmatic headmistress. Thatcher has managed to keep the secrets of his monster family hidden for more than a century, but not from Skye. She rightly suspects the new kids are something other than ‘kids.’
Complicating matters is the way Thatcher looks at her, like she means the world to him because he has visions too. The pair find themselves caught between danger and longing.
Will Thatcher save her?
Or like his visions have predicted －kill her?
Profoundly thrilling, Bellocaro captures the life and death struggle for these teenagers on an island that isn’t as dormant as it appears. Award-winning, best-selling author P.S. Meraux brings humor and heat to this novel that will drive fans of vampire love stories wild with enthusiasm.
Five Stars for Bellocaro from Readers’ Favorite. Bellocaro is the winner of the Literary Titan Book Award, is a Semi-finalist in the 10th Annual Kindle Book Awards, and received honorable mention in the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.
Light Will Always Shine Through
Black, White, and Gray All Over: A Black Man’s Odyssey in Life and Law Enforcement follows your career in law enforcement giving readers the good and bad of it all. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book was important because of the turmoil and racial strife our country is experiencing right now, primarily as a result of law enforcement interactions. I felt that it was important to talk about these issues from both sides by someone who was an expert in each issue. It was also important for me to leave a legacy for my children and their children. I know nothing about my great grandparents and little about my grandparents. Now, at least my descendants will be able to walk in my shoes, so to speak.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
When I starting writing it, I thought the hardest part was going to be the part where my colleagues were murdered. But as I got deeper into the story, I realized that I had a lot of unresolved childhood issues. Writing about that, although traumatic, was as therapeutic as if I had seen a professional therapist.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
Never quit. No matter how many times you fall down, get up at least one more time.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Unity. We are all the same, no matter what race, color, gender, or sexual preference. Love is the single most important thing we as humans have. Wherever there is darkness, light will always shine through. If you’re unsure which way to go, stay in the gray until the light finds you.
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How Dreams Powerfully Shape Our Life
Crazy Love follows two lovers that want a better life away from crime, when their past catches up to them, can their romance survive? What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Crazy Love is a sort of a sequel, as its two lead characters, Danny Fenton and Dawn Robinson, appeared prominently (though not as the main protagonists) in my debut novel about the Fenton family, Mr. Wonderful (2018). They were the misfit dreamers, prone to trouble, offspring of that novel’s focus, Brian and Corinne Fenton. Many readers told me how much they enjoyed Danny and Dawn in that first novel and wondered what might happen to them in the future? I shared that interest. So, I began writing a novel about the troubled but charismatic nature of their relationship and put them on the run trying to reinvent themselves in the big city of St. Louis. It became Crazy Love.
What was your inspiration for the character’s interactions and backstories?
Like a lot of writers, my inspiration is a combination of real, observed people and pure fiction. My son, truth be told, served as a bit of inspiration for Danny—he’s always been a ‘shoot from the hip’, spontaneous, ‘figure it out on the road’ kind of guy and his taste in girlfriends includes equally brash and brassy women like Dawn. And I thought that taking their very different occupational dream worlds—Danny as a newly-minted private investigator and Dawn as a first-time restaurant owner—and putting them into unexpected, even dangerous, conflict would make for a strong, intriguing crime story as well as an engaging love adventure.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I’m a big dreamer myself—as I think a lot of people are—so I wanted to explore not only how dreams powerfully shape our life decisions but also how they can get us into trouble. Hence the book’s tagline: ‘What happens when your biggest dreams become your biggest problems?’ I also think the idea of reinventing ourselves is a quintessential American trait (perhaps even universal one) and that readers could really resonate with that sort of theme.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m not currently working on a book, but I AM working on an important next life for Crazy Love: I’m finishing up some rewrites on the dramatic film adaptation of the book—I work as a writer/producer in the film business as well as a book author. And I’m happy to say, we’re looking to go into production on Crazy Love, the film, by late fall of this year!
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But they soon find that it’s not so easy to outrun their past as dangerous and depressing connections catch up with them. Dawn finds herself unwittingly entangled in an illegal scheme that Danny accidentally exposes in an off-the-books investigative effort. With criminal activity that Danny can’t ignore, Dawn finds her dream threatened by the very person she loves the most.
How they find their way through this tragicomic clash of their desperate but endearing ambitions reveals the magic of their crazy love.
Do Not Open Until 23
Ash and Gold follows a woman whose normal life is shattered when she’s consumed by nightmares and a dark underworld of cults is revealed. Where did the idea for the story come from and how did it change as you wrote?
The idea for the novel initially came from a time capsule. When I was around 13 years old, I made a time capsule for myself ten years in the future. I filled a box with random things that I found important at the time, including songs, stories, journal entries, photos of my family and friends, and most importantly, a cassette tape with recorded messages from younger me to future me. I wrapped the little box up with duct tape. Wrote “Do Not Open Until 23” on the box in big block letters and tucked it away in a corner of my closet.
Ten years later I pulled out the little box and checked the contents. I was surprised to find that I had forgotten nearly everything I had put in there, including what I had said on the cassette tape. I spent a fun evening listening to ten years ago me giving current me advice on life (in a way only a thirteen-year-old could) and that sparked the idea: what if there was a girl who was listening to a past version of herself, one she didn’t remember, but one that gave advice. What if that past version was older, not younger? How could that occur? Why would it occur? What secrets could such a little cassette tape hold?
From there the story kind of snowballed into Ash and Gold as it is now.
I enjoyed the overall eerie feeling embedded in the story. What were some challenges you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
Well, I wrote a good portion of this novel during quarantine, and I challenged myself to set out the entire morning, every day, to simply sit down (drink lots of coffee) and write. Challenge completed, I guess?
I am also so glad you enjoyed the eerie feeling! I did my best to keep a creepy under tone without overdoing it or having it come across as goofy. It is difficult to tell, since I can’t step out of myself to read what I have written. I know the vibe I’m try for, but it’s sometimes hard to tell if I am successful. So, thank you!
What scene in the story did you have the most fun writing?
That is honestly a hard question—I had a great deal of fun writing this book overall. But the first scene that comes to mind is the scene when Buggy meets Theo for the first time at the cabin. The dialogue between Theo and Buggy were always some of my favorite parts to write, and that scene in particular carried a lot of confused “worlds colliding” elements that I had so much fun bringing into existence.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently switching back and forth between two books at the moment. One is the sequel to my first novel The Strangest Woman, and the other takes place in the same universe as Ash and Gold (closely related—although not exactly a direct sequel).
I’m not sure when either will be available. I suppose it depends how much time I have to write and if I can force myself to hunker down and just work on one book at a time—which I find surprisingly difficult at times. Some days one story nudges me a little more than the other and I find myself jumping back and forth quite often. Despite that, I am making decent progress on both—so hopefully one (or the other) will be available soon.
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Ripped from her normal life in sleepy Marshall County, California, Buggy fights for control over her mind as a darkness awakens within her heart and splinters her reality. Nightmares fill her dreams with fear and pain. Dreams of evil deaths. Drowning in darkness. Burning alive. But those are the least of her terrors.
An intense power is building inside Buggy, a power she does not understand or know how to control. Just when things cannot get any worse, two mysterious strangers bulldoze into her life, scattering her already weak hold on everything she believes to be true. They show her a world full of psychic cults and dark promises.
They say they want to help her, but can she trust them? And even if they can help her, is there enough time?
Or is it already too late?
Waiting For Someone To Be Utterly Outraged!
Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation follows three women that are all just trying to make a life for themselves in the Regency Era, some doing whatever it takes to advance in the ranks of society. What was the idea, or spark, that first set off the need to write Harriet?
I have long had Austen’s EMMA memorised. I can’t remember when it first occurred to me to wonder, “What if the pretty-but-dim Harriet was just pretending to be stupid, in order to better flatter Emma?” However, once I’d thought about it I couldn’t get the idea out of my head! So I dared to take sweet-but-slow Harriet and turn her into a very different kind of character… So far, people seem to like it, but I’m still waiting for someone to be utterly outraged!
There were many great scenes in this novel. What was your favorite scene in this story?
I like the plot twist with Mr Knightley, which was of course NOT in Austen’s masterpiece.
With the novel focusing on Harriet, Emma, and Jane how did you decide on the title of this novel?
Actually, Emma – ironically enough – is very downplayed here. But everyone wants to know why it’s not called JANE AND HARRIET… And, believe me, I thought about it. Two narrators. Two stories. BUT:
- I couldn’t find a portrait of the two that worked for the cover!
- My trademark is originality. I am NOT one of the Jane Austenesque writers writing PRIDE AND PREJUDICE over and over! My first book in the genre was an imaginative construction of what Austen’s LADY SUSAN (aged 35) might have been like, at just sixteen. NO one had ever thought to do that before – or to alter Harriet’s character, either. On the other hand, Jane Fairfax has been written about VERY often – even 100 years ago, writers were scribbling books about Jane Fairfax!!!… So, to be different, I chose HARRIET.
- The title would have been too long. HARRIET: A JANE AUSTEN VARIATION is long enough, without Jane!
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Having cheerfully observed that I’m NOT into churning out seven P&P variations a month, I must admit that the next one really is based on Darcy! It should be published in November.
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Meanwhile, the brilliant, penniless Jane Fairfax consents to a clandestine engagement with Frank Churchill – though not daring to confess, even to him, that she is being relentlessly pursued by her best friend’s husband.
Harriet sidelines Emma herself in favour of the ingenious Harriet and the fascinating Jane Fairfax. It is Emma – but an Emma with a surprisingly believable twist in its tail.
LITERARY TITAN 