M. E. Franco lives in
California with her husband and children. She works as a Behavior Analyst
Consultant during the day and writes in her fantasy world at night. Besides
writing, she enjoys reading, playing outside, music, and chocolate
Can
you share a little of your current work with us?
Hannah
took a deep breath and wished she had waited in the store. The heat was already
making her uncomfortable after only a few minutes in the sun.
"Well,
well, aren't you a pretty thing?" slurred a voice.
The
smell of whiskey and sweat was overpowering, and Hannah wrinkled her nose
before turning to see who was talking. She hoped the words were not meant for
her. No such luck.
The
man on her left was dirty and smelled as if he lived in a saloon. He hadn't
shaved in days or changed his clothes by the looks of them. He leered at Hannah
looking her up and down, making her stomach turn. She hoped Mr. Carter would
show up soon.
"Whassa
matter girlie? Cat got yer tongue?" He reached out to grab Hannah, but she
easily dodged him.
She
looked over her shoulder nervously, expecting Mr. Carter to show up any second,
but he wasn't there. Hannah decided it would be best if she ran back into the
store for her own safety.
Before
she could make her move, the man suddenly disappeared from her view and was
flying backwards. He landed on his back in the street with a loud thump. His
face was replaced by a handsome young man who was smiling broadly.
"Hi!"
he said excitedly, tipping his hat. "I'm Lucas Scott. We haven't formally
met yet."
Hannah
returned his smile with a beauty of her own. She was both relieved and amused
by his obvious appreciation of her. He was every bit as handsome as his
brothers, but he still had some growing to do.
"Why
Mr. Scott, I do believe your timing is impeccable." She giggled nervously,
still shaken by the drunken man's advances.
"Hey!"
The man yelled from his position in the street.
Lucas
turned around. "Sorry Travis. Didn't see you there."
Before
the man could respond, Matthew Scott came around her wagon and stepped right in
the middle of the man's chest before feigning surprise.
"Travis?
What are you doing in the street? I didn't even see you." Matthew winked
at Hannah and smiled. "Miss Hannah."
He
tipped his hat. She covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Both brothers
ignored Travis and started to load Hannah's supplies into her wagon.
Travis
got up and fixed his angry gaze on Hannah. "You think that's funny?"
he hissed, causing Lucas and Matthew to move in his direction.
"Enough."
That one word sent chills down her spine. Even filled with anger, Jackson's
voice made her heart race. He was standing right behind her, so close she could
feel the heat from his body over the warmth of the sun.
***
"I
believe you owe the lady an apology, Travis." Jackson was trying hard to
keep his anger contained. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to tear Travis
apart with his bare hands.
Seeing
Travis leering and grabbing at Hannah had him seeing red. He was almost glad
his brothers had reached the man first. Almost.
Travis
looked at the Scott brothers with disgust. Even in his inebriated state, he
knew he was outnumbered.
"Fine.
I'm sorry," he spat out, bowing awkwardly in Hannah's direction before
stumbling off down the street.
Hannah
nodded gratefully to Matthew and Lucas who both smiled at her before loading
the rest of her supplies.
She
turned around to face Jackson. He fought the urge to touch her.
"Thank
you. It seems I owe you and your brothers yet again." Jackson noticed the
color heating her cheeks. They were standing closer than was proper, but
neither made a move to back up.
"Are
you okay?" Jackson asked, concern filling his eyes.
Hannah
tried to focus. "Yes. I'm okay," she said softly. "I'm glad you
showed up when you did though."
"One
of us should go with you when you come to town next time." He said it in a
way that didn't invite opposition.
"Are
you offering to come yourself?" Hannah wasn't used to being so bold, but
with Mr. Harding's proposal fresh in her mind, she wanted to know where Jackson
stood.
Jackson
looked at his brothers who seemed to be just as interested in his answer as
Hannah was.
"I'm
sure we'll be able to work something out." Jackson dodged the direct
question. He knew he had hurt her, but better he let her down now than break
her heart later.
Who designs your
covers?
I recently signed up with Booktrope to
re-release my self published books. One of the stipulations was that I had to
change my covers. That made me nervous because I loved the covers I had. After
some research and recommendations, I found Scott Deyett in the Booktrope
family, and he did an amazing job. I am so happy with the new cover, and I
can't wait to see what he comes up with for the other books
Do you have any
advice for other writers?
Write,
write, write, and write. When I started self publishing in 2011, I didn't know
enough to know what I didn't know, if that makes sense. I have learned so much
since then. Basically, do your homework and view publishing your books as a
business. Set time aside for marketing and writing. Get a professional editor
and cover artist. Build a social media platform and support group. Write like a
freak.
Do you have any
writing rituals or certain things you do to aid your writing process?
Listening
to music helps me focus, especially when I want to set a certain mood when I'm
writing a particular scene. I walk around my court listening to music and
working out the details of a chapter before going back inside to write. Oddly
enough, I like complete silence when I write, so I don't get distracted.
Favorite snack and
thing to drink while you write?
Coffee
and chocolate (or Diet Dr. Pepper and chocolate)
Ebook or
Print? Both!
Junk Food
or Sweets? I'm a finely tuned sugar
machine
Dogs or Cats? Dogs
Tea or Coffee?
YES!
Dark
Colors or Light Colors? Depends on my
mood
Angels
or Demons? Angels
Paranormal
Romance or Historical Romance? That's a tough one. Have to go with paranormal.
Boxers
or Briefs? Boxer briefs
Control
Freak or Careless Jerk? Somewhere in between ;-)
Must
read books
I tend to like books in a series,
so these are some of my faves in no particular order:
The Night Huntress Novels by
Jeaniene
The Black Dagger Brotherhood
series by J. R. Ward
The Mary O'Reilly Paranormal
Mystery series by Terri Reid
Hot Damned Series by Robyn
Peterman
I like Kylie Scott's Stage Dive
novels, but I really like her zombie series, Flesh and Skin
Stalk M.E.!
