Fantasy
has always been part of M. K. Theodoratus’ life, starting when she starting
playing with an imaginary friend when she was three. Comics, books, TV, and
movies followed throughout her life. A northern California girl, many of her Andor
alternative-world stories are firmly rooted there. Today, she lives in Northern Colorado with her husband and two
lap-cats, and writes when she’s not wasting time on social media.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
What’s inside the mind of a
paranormal fantasy author?
Weird stuff? All fiction starts
off with the question “what if? But fantasy tends to explore the realm of stuff
that doesn’t exist. Then, you add a dollop of the supernatural, and you travel
through the truly weird.
Does that mean I believe in
demons. I’d ask you first to define what you mean by “demon”.
What is so great about being an
author?
You
get to play “god”…or “goddess”. Hey you get to create a world of your own…where
you call the shots…unless your characters get in the way.
When do you hate it?
When
I have to market. It’s fun to dither at my desk, pretending. But there’s a hard
real world outside my house. The rules are different. You have to perform to
someone else’s standards.
What is a regular writing day
like for you?
I
do my best to ignore social media in the morning and write at least 500 words
when I turn on my computer. But the day before is just as important. I’m
addicted to jotting ideas on sticky notes, so I usually have a bunch of ideas
to incorporate into what I’ve written…or what I might write in the future. If
I’m lucky, I get to play with the news, Twitter, and Facebook before lunch.
How do you handle negative
reviews?
Everyone’s
entitled to their opinion. But criticizing “fantasy” because it isn’t realistic
or complaining because a short story isn’t 200 pages seems a little ridiculous
to me.
How do you handle positive
reviews?
Mostly
I think the writer mentally in my head. If it appears on Amazon and I notice
it, I’ll like it. That includes the three-stars because that means the author
constructed a believable make-believe world.
What is the usual response when
you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?
I
can’t remember the last time I made a new acquaintence. Since I’m a hermit, I
don’t talk to too many people. People who know me know I write or “pretend” to
write. [The thought of doing a book signing sends shivers down my spine.]
What do you do on those days
you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?
I
don’t write on the week-ends unless an idea hits me. Then, I do the sticky-note
bit. On week days, I write, whether I’m productive or not is another story.
Frankly, I spent years writing non-fiction, some of that time for a newspaper.
My
philosophy: “You don’t wait for ‘inspiration’ to be perfect. You just write it
down. You can always go back and revise [which is the hardest part of writing].
Any writing quirks?
Quirky’s
my middle name and my first name and my last name.
What would you do if people
around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?
Who
gives a “*($Y%”?
Some authors seem to have a
love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?
I
would ask them: “Why are you wasting hours of your life writing when you could
do something more productive and/or fun?”
Do you think success as an
author must be linked to money?
No.
Just putting “ the end” on a draft of a story is a great accomplishment. You’ve
got something to sharpen your writing craft skills on.
What has writing taught you?
How
to spell. I’m still the “Queen of Typos”, though.
Leave us with some words of
wisdom.
Relax
and enjoy.
About the Book:
Title:
THERE BE DEMONS
Author: M.K. Theodoratus
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 360
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Paranormal
Author: M.K. Theodoratus
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 360
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Paranormal
BOOK
BLURB:
Heroes come in all shapes.
The war for Andor has lasted a century.
Humans and their allies, the Angeli, fight demons from another plane who need a
warmer planet to hatch and raise their young. Trebridge becomes Ground zero
when Abraxas, a minion of the demon Prince Vetis, opens a secret portal into
the city. The demons’ goal is to build an army to subjugate the city before the
humans realize they are under attack.
Standing in the demons’ way are two
disparate groups: the humans of Andor and their Angeli allies who command
gargoyle warriors.
Leading the four gargoyles guarding Trebridge is Gillen, a proven
war hero who uses magic to fight demons. But Gillen is an outcast, mocked for
his tuft of hair that normal gargoyles lack. It’s up to him to prove once and
for all that he’s worthy of his command, in spite of dissention in his ranks.
When Gillen asks the Angeli Commanders for reinforcements to fight the growing
demon menace in Trebridge, headquarters send four human teens from the
projects.
The leader of the humans is Britt, a
14-year-old half-Hispanic girl who is one of the four magic-possessing Chosen. But Britt was never trained in the art
of magic, and like most girls her age, spends her days preoccupied with school
and romance. Like Gillen, she must rise above her station in life--if she is to
save the ones she loves.
But Gillen and Britt are facing formidable demon foes, Abraxas: a
chicken-headed demon who possesses several humans as part of his plan to build
the demons’ base in Trebridge and power-hungry Prince Vetis who is his
commander. Neither will let the deaths of expendable humans get in their way of
the conquest.
In There Be Demons, author M.K.
Theodoratus spins a brilliant tale of good versus evil. In this thrilling Young
Adult fantasy novel, unlikely heroes rise to challenge a relentless enemy. Join
them as they risk everything to save their city.
