K.S. Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.
M.D. Hiya! My name is Megan Duncan. I am a lifetime writer, first time published author. I love all things paranormal, sci-fi and fantasy.
K.S. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
M.D. I do actually. I write best when I am not writing at a desk. I prefer to write with my laptop either on the couch or on my bed with my bedroom window open, so I can look outside. Funny thing is, I have a room all to myself for my writing but I rarely use it. A cherry slurpee always seems to do the trick as well, now if I can just buy my own slurpee machine I would be all set.
K.S. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
M.D. Well, if you want to get technical, I knew I wanted to be a writer in the third grade. We had to write a story and make our own little books out of construction paper. I wrote a silly little story based on a dream I had. The teacher gave me an “A” and from that moment on I was in love with writing.
K.S. What genre do you write?
M.D. I write Young Adult fiction, mostly paranormal romance and fantasy.
K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?
M.D. My favorite author is a tie between two actually. Anne McCaffrey and Terry Goodkind. They are both phenomenal authors who write stories about fantastical worlds. I started reading Anne McCaffrey’s novels at a young age and they made me fall in love with reading and love writing all the more.
K.S. What does your family think of your writing?
M.D. My family is super supportive. Without them I probably wouldn’t have had the courage or confidence to continue writing, especially my husband. He wouldn’t let me give up no matter what.
K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book/s?
M.D. What most certainly surprised me is something I have discovered most recently. Until about four months ago I have been writing privately, out of fear from past traditional publishing rejections and scams. I was shocked and excited to find an online community of other independent authors who have welcomed me with open arms and have been more than willing to share their seemingly endless supply of knowledge. I am eternally appreciative for all the lessons they have taught me and all the encouragement they have expressed.
K.S. What inspires you?
M.D. I think what inspires me most is quite a small thing. Just knowing that I have written something that someone enjoyed, even if it is one person, brings me so much joy. I read my first review just yesterday from a reader who wasn’t a friend or family member and they enjoyed my book. That made me so incredibly happy and proud that I jumped into writing more of my second novel after having hit a block that lasted a few days.
K.S. Can you tell us a little about any of your novels?
M.D. Don’t ask me why, because I haven’t quite figured it out yet but I love apocalyptic books and movies. I saw that most popular books in that genre right now involve zombies, but I wanted to try and put a different twist on it by creating a demon apocalypse in my book Released.
Here is the synopsis:
After a demon apocalypse kills their parents and everyone they know, 17-year old Abby Phillips, her brother, Carter, and friend, Max flee their home to travel through what has become the wastelands of America. When radio transmissions of a resistance offering shelter and safety cease, Abby is tempted to give up. Struggling to overcome life-threatening obstacles in their dangerous journey, Abby and her companions quickly discover there are much worse things lurking in the dark then they could have ever imagined.
K.S. Where can we buy your novel?
M.D. You can get a copy of my YA Paranormal Romance “Released” at Amazon, available as eBook or Paperback (which will be available in about 1 week) as well as at Barnes & Noble and Amazon UK in eBook format. You can also read my book if you don’t have an eReading device by simply downloading Kindle for PC for free on Amazon.
K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
M.D. I sure do.
My blog is: http://meganduncan.blogspot.com/
My facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Megan-Duncan-YA-Author/125102110892511
K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?
M.D. I think the best advice I can give is to never give up. If writing is your dream and passion don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. My motto is: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts"