Please help me welcome Madhuri Blaylockto the blog. Madhuri is the author of the Sanctum Trilogy.
1.Madhuri, What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working on the finale of The Sanctum Trilogy, Book
III: The Prophecy. It’s coming along really well but I’m getting a bit
concerned about the possible length of it when all is said and done.
Can you make a trilogy four books?!
2.What’s the hardest part of writing for you? The easiest?
The hardest part of writing, in the sense of being an Indie
author, for me is marketing myself. It’s draining, takes a lot of time and
sometimes it all feels so futile. But I’m getting better at it, some aspects of
it I have even grown to love, like working on my blog, but overall, it’s tough.
A total grind on your soul.
The easiest is writing dialogue. It really seems to flow quite
naturally for me and I love doing it. Sex scenes are a lot of fun, too.
3.Would you dare to tell us five things that no one would know
about you?
I love Allen Iverson, like love. My husband just told a bunch of
our friends a story of how, for one Valentine’s Day, when the 76ers were in
town to play the Knicks, he bought me tickets that were $300 each just so I
could see my boy, Allen. (My husband kind of rocks)
I taught my brother how to walk. He was born bow-legged and back
then they would break a kid’s legs and then re-set them, first in casts and
then in a special brace. Or maybe vice-versa. Anyway, I taught him to walk on
those casts. I also taught him how to ride a bike.
As a kid I had a rabbit named Kukumundo, who grew so big and was
so freaking coo-coo that he chewed his way out of his wire cage and escaped.
One morning I came down to feed him, only to find the wire busted and my rabbit
long gone. I felt bad but also kind of relieved. He had gotten so huge and out
of control, it was kind of nice to be rid of his insanity. A few days later,
some of the kids from the block behind us came running over to say a dog had
gotten hit by a car and let’s go check it out (I know, I know, kids do gross
things. Get over it. It happens.). So we all ran over to the accident site and
lo and behold, that was no dog lying on that pavement. It was Kukumundo! My
dog-sized rabbit. (And don’t worry, I gathered him up off that pavement and
gave him a proper burial, joining my many other gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs
and rabbits.)
That album Kenny Rogers did with Dolly Parton brings the joy. I
love it.
I worked on the Mumia Abu-Jamal case for two years, assisting
his lead defense counsel, Leonard Weinstein. It was some of the most fulfilling
work I’ve done as an attorney.
4.
What's your favorite book
in your genre?
Besides mine, easily Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone
trilogy. Her writing moves me, her characters and worlds are so well-developed,
and each book in the trilogy is excellent.
The Boy (The Sanctum Trilogy, #2)
by Madhuri
Blaylock
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
“Every
now and again an excellent novel will come forth dealing with fantasy and magic
that will just grab and hold my attention from beginning to end. That is
exactly what THE GIRL did.” -- OOSA Online Book Club
In
THE GIRL, Madhuri Blaylock introduced readers to the world of The Sanctum, one
corrupted by greed and savagery and hellbent on achieving a single goal:
destroying the prophesied hybrid. When one of its most celebrated warriors
questioned his allegiances, age-old secrets were unveiled and violence erupted.
The journey becomes more perilous and intense as the trilogy surges forward
with
THE
BOY
Can
you cross the plains of death, collect every piece of your soul and make it
back to the land of the living?
And
if you complete the journey, will your loved ones welcome your return?
The
Ramyan have been answering such questions since the creation of The Sanctum. A
mysterious sect of Magicals, haunting the blank spaces of time and memory, they
serve no one but themselves and their higher purpose. They exist on a plane
removed from earthly matters, shifting easily between the living and the dead,
moving in time to the beat of their own drummer.
At
least they did. Dev and Wyatt change all of that when the prophesied hybrid
lands on the steps of Rinshun Palace, seeking help for the wounded Class A
Warrior. That decision alters lives and sets old agendas back on course. But at
what cost to Dev and Wyatt? And does that really even matter?
“The
characters in Madhuri Blaylock's novel...are well written and unique, and the
story is just fantastic...I just loved every page of the story!” - Readers'
Favorite
EXCERPT:
“We’re Sanctum, Ryker,” Dot replied as she began a sun
salutation, “we do not become emotionally tied. To anything or anyone.”
Ryker remained silent.
Moving into a warrior pose, Dot continued.
“But I suppose you and Wyatt did not get that memo.”
Rather than engage Dot in conversation, Ryker joined her in
a warrior II pose.
“Sam and Josiah should have never allowed you boys to become
so dependent upon one another. Very few Sanctum have been so intertwined and
when they have, the results have been disastrous. Now that he’s gone, you’re
incapable of functioning and fulfilling your duties as a warrior.”
“He’s not gone,” Ryker insisted.
Dot heard the pain in her son’s voice and relented a bit.
“I don’t mean it like that, Ryker. I know you know Wyatt is
still alive. What troubles me is how you’re handling his absence.”
Ryker broke his pose and sat on the floor, watching his mom
go through her routine. He knew Dot was tough, but sometimes that toughness
came across as plain, cold-heartedness. She didn’t mean it that way; she loved
him and was just worried, Ryker simply wished her mode of conveying that
concern was a bit warmer. He couldn’t remember the last time she hugged him,
touched him affectionately.
“I’m handling his absence by helping Jools stave off a
Sanctum-wide revolution, ma,” Ryker explained quietly, “I’m investigating
violations of The Book of Peace by the Breslins, looking into Ava’s murder of
Jasper and Kalinda Edwards at the last meeting of The Circle of Ten and
speaking to other Founding Family members. So I think I am handling Wyatt’s
temporary absence just fine.”
Dot looked down on her elder son and softened, despite the
voice inside her head telling her to beware. That was The Sanctum speaking to
her, always reaching out and cutting off the ties to her children. First taking
them at such a young age and now, telling her to shut them out. But she had
always been stronger than The Sanctum, and today was no different.
She reached down and caressed Ryker’s face, a gesture she
couldn’t remember indulging in since he was small. He closed his eyes and bowed
his head, as if ashamed by his need for her affection. Dot’s heart broke as she
watched him, wondering over the years how many times he had craved her touch,
needed her arms around him. He was a grown man now but Ryker would always be
her baby, so she bent down and did what she hadn’t done in almost a decade: pulled
her son into her arms and held him as he cried.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Madhuri is a
Jersey City Heights girl via Snellville, Georgia, who writes paranormal fiction
and is slightly infatuated with tattoos, four-inch heels, ice cream, Matt
Damon, scotch, Doc Martens, Laini Taylor, photo booths and dancing like a fool.
She's
currently working on The Sanctum trilogy and hopes one day soon, everyone is
walking around with copies of The Girl and The Boy in their pocket or on their
Kindle.
She wants to
get a goat and a burro, but since she lives in the city, will settle for some
chickens.
To learn more
about her, you can follow her blog at madhuriblaylock.wordpress.com, follow her
on Twitter at @madhuriblaylock or like her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thesanctumtr...
She's totally
chatty so drop her a line any time.
Madhuri is giving away a $25 gift certificate so use the following link to enter.
An interesting blurb.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou are such a good big sister to help your little brother! My big brother didn't teach me to ride a bike...he would probably push me off! That said, when I was ready to take driver's training, he took me out on our back roads to teach me to drive a stick shift...since I would be driving a stick shift in driver's ed! He did have his moments. LOL
ReplyDeleteInteresting facts
ReplyDeleteKaren, my brother thinks I'm a little bossy (which I am) but for the most part, I think he kind of likes me. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by to say hi.
Cheers!
Great interview! Allen Iverson is hot, I've always had a crush on him...
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the author's interview. It's not to get a background on the author of the book.
ReplyDelete