A Mimsical Interview with DONNA MILWARD!

Hello Gentle Readers,

As I'm sure you know, there's a blog tour going on:

I've already let Dan Landis take over for the first book, and now we're back again! But, before we begin, I wanted to get something off my chest. There was a book blast:

And I'd like to point out two things:

1) There's only four authors on this tour, and three of them are in this book blast. That means when The Gray Ghost Inn hits October 15th, it's going to be ALL MIMSEY ALL THE TIME!

I already got my copy!

2) It's the Ladies of Staccato, except it's 'Ladies' using the same kind of quotes I use when I'm 'being nice'. Like when I'm at a book signing and some pretty young thing thinks I'm actually Dan Landis in real life, and asks what I'm doing afterwards. And I tell 'em, I'm off to see my 'fiance'.

That's her shoulder on my left!

And now I'd like to introduce you to a very special lady! There's a song I always think of, when I reflect on all the wonderful people I've 'met' through my online work: There's not a word yet. For old friends who just met. 

 This is what I picture. 

Gentle Readers, please give a warm Mimsey-welcome to DONNA MILWARD! She's got a new book out Aphrodite's War!

This is what I picture.

I decided to interview the one and only DONNA MILWARD: 

Mimsey: Tell us a bit more about yourself?   

DONNA MILWARD!: I’m a wife and cat mommy. I’m a typical Canadian in that I like hockey and beer, but if it’s weird, I’m probably into it. I don’t want to grow up.

M: How did you get into the writing business?  

DM!: I had several false starts. I actually gave up on ever getting published when I shacked up with my troll. I thought I was wasting my time because I wasn’t talented enough, so I concentrated on learning a trade. I didn’t try again until I went to an RWA conference in Washington with a friend who was already published. It inspired me to take another run at it.

M: You’ve tackled Angels and Demons with Thoeba and are now jumping to the God’s themselves with Aphrodite’s War. What draws you to the spiritual side of the tracks? And will Cthulhu be next?  

DM!: I think maybe my spiritual side came from being raised on the ideals of reincarnation and living in a haunted home. I spent many sleepless nights questioning life, death, God and everything that came with it while listening to the ghost pacing the hall. As for Cthulu, wouldn’t that be so cool? Big ole’ Daddy Demon, Father of all Hellspawn.  I can smell my brain trying to find a way to use that.

M: Who would you consider your favorite character?  

DM!: Definitely Strife. She was supposed to have a small role but she exceeded my expectations and tried to take over the novel. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of her.

M: What’s the easiest part of writing? The most difficult?  

DM!: The easiest part is the ending! It’s so satisfying and it always feels so good.  Like crossing the finish line in a marathon on a downhill slope. Coincidentally, the worst part is the editing that follows. Editing never ceases to be an exercise in brutality. It crushes my confidence and makes me feel like a hack. It never seems to end, and no matter how many times I go over my ms I always find something else that needs fixing. I never feel finished. Also requesting a synopsis is a vicious thing to do to a writer.

M: What should the reader know going into Aphrodite’s War?  

DM!: Parts of this book had me walking around with a dirty smirk on my face. I don’t know where my head was at, but there’s a lot of sex and a lot of violence. I think it’s going to be a bestseller!

M: What has been your favorite moment so far as a writer? 

DM!: I don’t think being published hit me until I opened a box and saw MY Thoeba copies with MY name on them. My troll took a picture of me holding one and I ‘m red-eyed with all my makeup cried off but I’m damned happy!

M: As a writer myself, my favorite review ever was “You will love Dan Landis. He's smart, funny, compassionate and has a dash of Indiana Jones in his blood. Even the voice in his head has sass. Abbey has a naive bubble-puppy attitude, but she's no bimbo. She grows on you quickly.” Have you ever had a special moment with a review for one of the books? If so, what was it and why? (FULL DISCLOSURE: DM! wrote that! IT WAS HOW WE MET!)

DM!: Wow, whoever wrote that review has a BRILLIANT way with words! She must have adored  that book.  For myself, I squee everytime I see the words “unique” or “original” used to describe my work. I have a ferocious need to be distinctive in everything I do, especially when it comes to writing. I live in fear of regurgitating someone else’s ideas.

M: When you’re not working, what do you like to do? 

DM!: Besides reading, I love gardening. It’s a therapeutic hobby that pays for itself in produce. And I plan and shop for Christmas all year long. The earliest I’ve purchased a Christmas present is New Year’s Eve of the previous year. It was a Christmas Musicbox House and it was 40% off. My mother loved it.

M: What’s next on your slate?  

DM!: My next novel is about a paranormal investigator and a demon with a soul. There’s also a plot bunny running around in my head that came from a nightmare about demons under my bed.  

 Kind of hoping the plot bunny wears a hat!

LIGHTING ROUND!

Peanut Butter or Nutella    Crunchy peanut butter

Hot Tea or Iced Tea    Earl Grey—Hot.

Frankenstein or Dracula    Dracula! (Bram Stoker)

Wine or Chocolate  Chocolate Wine!

Picard or Kirk    Picard. 

Astronaut or Caveman    Astronaut. The caveman would either crap and run at the sight of an astronaut, or worship it.

Country or Rock ‘n Roll NO COUNTRY!! EVER!! ONLY ROCK AND ROLL!!

Beatles or Rolling Stones    Beatles

Coke or Pepsi     Coke

Zombies: Fast or Slow   Fast. Scarier that way.

Just want to say thank you so much to DONNA MILWARD! for stopping by today! For more info, check out the book here:

Aphrodite’s War by Donna Milward

Book Blurb:
Aphrodite despises Aries and when Zeus proposes a contest, the prize being expulsion of her enemy from Olympus, Aphrodite cannot resist. The catch: should Aries prevail it is Aphrodite who must leave her home. Risks aside, she cannot refuse the possibility of a future without her former lover.

The challenge: two mortals must fall in love. It is simple. However, the players could not be more ill-suited. Poetry, a free spirited artist and Adrian, a defense attorney would not normally choose one another. But when gods interfere anything is possible.

Where can you find the first book? Amazon /  Kobo / B&N

 Goodreads

 

Author Bio: 

Donna Milward lives in Edmonton, Alberta in a tiny house with a huge yard. She’s been writing all her life, but decided to put writing on hold to get ‘a real job’ as a meatcutter and build a future with her beloved troll, Dan and her cats Freya, Sully, and Spartacus Jones.

Twelve years later, an invitation to a Romance Writer’s Conference in Washington D.C. led not only to new friends and new knowledge, but to the inspiration to write again. Thoeba was completed the following year.

Donna likes to mix her fascination with reincarnation and all things paranormal with her love of mythology in her work, and has even written her own myth ‘The Sacred Truth” (on earthtothoeba.blogspot.com) as the lore behind Thoeba and future novels to come.

Donna enjoys fishing, gardening and canning. Despite these hobbies, she much prefers city life.

Author links:

Pub site: http://www.staccatopublishing.com/Staccato_Publishing/Donna_Milward.html
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5065526.Donna_Milward
Website: http://earthtothoeba.blogspot.com/

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Schedule for the entire tour of Staccato Publishing Family Autumn tour:

 Sept.18 'THE REAPER'S' by Jacinta Maree
Please don't feed the Mimsey ~Mimsey-style post

Sept. 19 'THE REAPER'S' by Jacinta Maree
Wine Relaxation and MY Kindle ~Review & Spotlight
Sinful Review ~Review

Sept. 20 'THE REAPER'S' by Jacinta Maree
BookEnd 2 BookEnd ~Review & Guest Post
Oh My Shelves ~Spotlight

Sept. 21 'THE REAPER'S' by Jacinta Maree
World's of Wonderment ~Spotlight & Review

Sept. 22' THE REAPER'S' by Jacinta Maree
Random Musesomy ~Spotlight
Becca Anne's Book Reviews ~Review & Character bio

Sept. 23 'THE REAPER'S' by Jacinta Maree
Our New Generation for Reading ~Spotlight & Review

Sept. 24 'THE REAPER'S' by Jacinta Maree
Tam's Two Cents ~Review & author top 10 scarey movies
E.C. Hibbs ~Spotlight & Review

Sept. 25 'APHRODITE'S WAR' by Donna Milward
Please don't feed the Mimsey~Spotlight & Author interview
Oh My Shelves ~Spotlight

Sept. 26 'APHRODITE'S WAR' by Donna Milward
BookEnd 2 BookEnd ~Review & Playlist
Becca Anne's Book Reviews ~Review & Character bio

Sept. 27 'APHRODITE'S WAR' by Donna Milward
Jacinta Maree ~Spotlight
Wine Relaxation and MY Kindle ~Review & Spotlight

Sept. 28 'APHRODITE'S WAR' by Donna Milward
The O'Raven Chronicles ~Spotlight and excerpt

Sept. 29 'APHRODITE'S WAR' by Donna Milward
Random Musesomy ~Spotlight
Sinful Review ~Review

Sept. 30 'APHRODITE'S WAR' by Donna Milward
Our New Generation for Reading ~Spotlight & Review

Oct. 1 'APHRODITE'S WAR' by Donna Milward
Tam's Two Cents ~Review & Authors top 10 Greek Gods
E.C. Hibbs ~Spotlight & Author Interview

Oct. 2 'AN UNDYING OATH' by HK Savage
Please don't feed the Mimsey~Spotlight & Guest Post

Oct. 3 'AN UNDYING OATH' by HK Savage
BookEnd 2 BookEnd ~Spotlight
Crystal & Sara ~Review & Spotlight

Oct. 4 'AN UNDYING OATH' by HK Savage
Wine Relaxation and MY Kindle ~Review & Spotlight

Oct. 5 'AN UNDYING OATH' by HK Savage
Random Musesomy ~Spotlight

Oct. 6 'AN UNDYING OATH' by HK Savage
Our New Generation for Reading ~Spotlight & Review
Sinful Review ~Review

Oct. 7 'AN UNDYING OATH' by HK Savage
Jacinta Maree ~Spotlight

Oct. 8 'AN UNDYING OATH' by HK Savage
Tam's Two Cents ~Review & Authors top 10
Oh My Shelves ~Spotlight

Oct.9 Pre-release tour 'THE GRAY GHOST INN' by Jay Mims
Wine Relaxation and MY Kindle ~Review & Spotlight

Oct.10 Prerelease tour 'THE GRAY GHOST INN' by Jay Mims
Jacinta Maree ~Spotlight
Becca Anne's Book Reviews ~Review & Character bio

Oct.11 Prerelease tour 'THE GRAY GHOST INN' by Jay Mims
BookEnd 2 BookEnd ~Spotlight & Top 10
Sinful Review ~Review

Oct.12 Prerelease tour 'THE GRAY GHOST INN' by Jay Mims
Random Musesomy ~Spotlight
Oh My Shelves ~Spotlight

Oct.13 Prerelease tour 'THE GRAY GHOST INN' by Jay Mims
Our New Generation for Reading ~Spotlight & Review

Oct.14 Prerelease tour 'THE GRAY GHOST INN' by Jay Mims
Tam's Two Cents ~Review & quirky mimsey post

Oct.15 'THE GRAY GHOST INN' BOOK BLAST RELEASE DAY
Bookend 2 BookEnd
Tam's Two Cents
Jacinta Maree
Please don't feed the Mimsey
The O'Raven Chronicles
Oh My Shelves
Romance Bookworm's Reviews
Random Musesomy
Our New Generation For Reading
Wine Relaxation and MY Kindle
Becca Anne's Book Reviews
Sinful Review