OBS reviewer Heidi is back this week in an all new interview with M.J. Scoot author of The Half-Light City series. Here they chat about the effect left by her first published book, the story and its characters, will there be more books in the series, hobbies, sports and more. Enjoy!
M.J. Scott was born in Australia and currently resides there today. She is an unrepentant bookworm, that has been a fed a varied diet of books according to her Goodreads profile! And I am honored to be able to chat with her today!
Heidi: When was your first book published, and what kind of effect did it have on you?
M.J. Scott: Shadow Kin was my first book and it was amazing to have a dream come true. It took me nearly ten years from the time I first started to get serious about wanting to actually be an author and to finally hold a book with my name on the cover after all that time and all the ups and downs of trying to sell a book was amazing. And made me determined to keep doing it. Other than that, it’s made my life a lot busier as I still have a day job so I have had to get good at juggling two jobs and still trying to have a life!
Heidi: Your world-building in the Half-Light City series is superb, everything was described so well that I truly felt like I was there living it and seeing it right along with the characters. I found the premise of the four races (Humans, Beast Kind, Blood, and Fae) going to war over their treaty being broken to be both interesting and believable (at least in their world). Where did the creative of this series come from? And, if you had to be one of the four races, which would you choose?
M.J. Scott: Probably a human mage. Unless the Beast Kind sort themselves out a bit and become nicer, then that might be fun. As for the setting, well, the first chapter or so of Shadow Kin was written in a rush because I was just falling asleep one night when Lily showed up in my head and said “Revenge is silent”. So I have to get up and work out why it was and who she was and the first chapter almost wrote itself and it had the four races in it. So then I had to sit down and work out how they’d gotten to where they were and what stopped them from trying to wipe each other out from there.
Heidi: Which character in the Half-Light City series do you most relate to and why?
M.J. Scott: I’ve always found Lily very easy to write, she’s quite analytical and I can be that way sometimes. And I like the way she fought back from her past to become someone different to who everyone thought she was when she had the chance. Which is maybe a theme for all of the characters really. I like that about Saskia too, that’s she’s determined to do the thing she loves and is good at even though her family aren’t so sure.
Heidi: The one thing that I loved the most in this series was the powerful and dynamic romances! For instance I just adored Ash in Fire Kin, his charm just bled through the pages. I was scolding Bryony when she was being stubborn about him! But I think she brings a lot to the table as well! Fen and Saskia in Iron Kin was another fun romance that I couldn’t get enough of. Of all the couples, which was your favorite to write (I know like asking you to pick a favorite child!)?
M.J. Scott: I like different things about all of them. I have a very soft spot for Simon and Lily because she was so confused by how he could see the good in her, which was both fun and a challenge to write. And yes, I agree that Ash is hard to resist. Bryony has more willpower than me. And when Fen walked onto the page in Blood Kin and I knew he was going to have to have his own book.
Heidi: After reading Fire Kin, it appears that everything has been tied up in a nice neat bow. The trouble with the races is on the mend, thanks to the new leadership of the Veiled Court and blood locking is on its way to being a thing of the past. So is this the final installment of the series, or will we see some of these amazing characters somewhere down the line?
M.J. Scott: This is the final installment for now but I do have a lot of fun writing this world, so I will never say never. But right now, time for some new adventures.
Heidi: What projects are you working on now, and can you tell us anything about them?
M.J. Scott: Currently I’m working on a project for my alter writing ego, Melanie Scott. A contemporary romance series for St. Martin’s Press. The first book, The Devil in Denim is out in August but I’m writing book three right now. The books are about three guys who buy the worst team in Major League Baseball. Next on the list after I finish that is the first book in my new fantasy series for Roc, which doesn’t have a title yet and I’m still hammering out the details, so can’t say too much about it at this point other than it should be out next year. In between that I’m trying to edit the second book in my Wild Side urban fantasy series which I self publish. It’s called The Dark Side. So that should appear sometime this year.
Heidi: And let’s finish some fun getting to know you questions as well.
What is your favorite color?
M.J. Scott: Blue. Pretty much any shade of blue though I’m extra fond of cobalt and aqua.
Heidi: What is your favorite movie of all time?.
M.J. Scott: That’s a really hard question as I love movies. Hmmm, Dirty Dancing, Star Wars or Field of Dreams. Romance, SFF and baseball.
Heidi: What is your favorite Hobby?
M.J. Scott: I love to knit (and do other yarn/fabric type things) and recently have been doing some watercolour and sketching classes which are also great. And I am always taking photos, not that I know what I’m doing really.
Heidi: What is your favorite sport?
M.J. Scott: If we’re talking watching on TV then either ice skating or gymnastics. But the most fun I’ve ever had watching something live is baseball.
Heidi: Thanks, M.J. for taking the time to talk with us today! I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see what you have in store for me to read next!
M.J. Scott: Thanks for having me! And I’m very happy you liked it as wrapping up a series is nerve wracking!
- For more information about the author and her books visit her at her Official Website here.
