Success will come in the parameters
wherein it is measured. I am not so concerned with worldly achievements as I am
with bettering the world I live in. We must always give back. ~ Eliott McKay
Success will come in the parameters
wherein it is measured. I am not so concerned with worldly achievements as I am
with bettering the world I live in. We must always give back. ~ Eliott McKay
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Hello Everyone,
Welcome back to my Keeping Your Dreams
Alive series. I'm honored to introduce you to the wonderful author of paranormal
romance, Midnight Engagement, Eliott
McKay. Eliott is one of my fellow authors from Crimson Romance.
Eliott released her debut novel
in January 2013. This is what one reviewer had to say about Midnight Engagement .
Reading this book was like reading a poet who stepped out of her
comfort zone and then wowed her audience with a fabulous novel. McKay's
descriptive style and eloquent wording captured me right from the beginning.
I can second that reviewer’s
opinion of Eliott’s voice. She is a true storyteller and a joy to read. Eliott,
I’m so thrilled to have this chance to get to know you better. Thank you for being
here today and sharing your dream with us. Would you please tell us a little
about yourself?
Eliott…
I’m a small-town girl turned migrant
wanderer. I think some long-dormant gypsy blood must have surfaced in my veins.
Even my parents are afflicted. Every so often, they completely uproot
themselves with little or no warning, and head off to their next big adventure.
People of all ages
have forgotten how to dream. What inspired you to dream?
Dreaming is such a
natural thing it’s hard to conceive of a people who have forgotten how to do
it. It’s more probable that people know how to dream but have forgotten how to do… or more likely, never learned.
My dreams are
inspired by an early knowledge of my life’s purpose, which is to spread joy. As
a child, I was of naturally happy constitution and I feel that re-emerging in
me as I set that purpose into motion —hence my personal mantra: “Spreading Joy,
Writing Books." My blog, Eliott’s
Life Adventures is a chronicle of my joy-spreading debacles. People who
enjoy these stories will also enjoy my books.
We all place
obstacles in our paths that bring our dreams to a dead stop. I call these dream
killers. What was your dream killer and how did you overcome it?
In my experience,
fear is the ultimate dream killer, but you learn to experience the fear and
then get up and do it anyway, as Susan Jeffers writes. It takes courage and
mastery, but gets easier with practice. My personal dream killers are usually
related to my level of confidence, which is directly proportionate with my
level of preparation. For me, it’s all about the doing.
How do you keep the
dream alive under extreme adversity – external or internal?
The fires of
adversity are stranger to no one. How we react is the defining characteristic
of our moral rectitude. On my desk is the saying:
“I couldn’t wait for
success so I went ahead without it.” ~ Jonathan Winters.
It’s perseverance
that sees us through. So many people give up right before the miracle occurs.
When all seems lost, my solution is to go on an adventure, the simple ones I
write about in my blog. I try to do good for someone else. It fills the well,
puts a stopper on my selfish thoughts, helps me appreciate the beauty in
others, and restores a balanced perspective. I have always been blessed with an
ability to perceive the good in others and I find joy in helping them discover
a glimpse of their own greatness.
How did realizing
your dream change you?
I get the same
satisfaction from accomplishing small goals as I do great ones. It makes me
feel free and sends a marvelous vibe out into the universe, which I like to
think blesses everyone. Success will come in the parameters wherein it is
measured. I am not so concerned with worldly achievements as I am with
bettering the world I live in. We must always give back.
What's next? What
new dream would you like to reach for?
I’m just hoping to
make someone smile today… that, and “a nice
MLT - mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean…”
Ha… couldn’t resist!
No, seriously, I
have another book that I’m preparing to pitch. I have a good feeling about it.
It’s the best work I’ve done yet, which will hopefully always be the case. This
one is special to me because it turned out to be the therapeutic cure to my own
broken heart. I think it could help a lot of people. I do hope.
I would like to
offer an enormous round of thanks to the lovely, talented Nancy Weeks for
having me on her blog today, and for being the kind of person who is concerned
with the low morale of today’s dreamers. Perhaps a few dreams will pluck up due
to her special efforts. I know mine have!
Blurb from Midnight Engagement:
Some people inherit family businesses, while others get
hand-me-downs. Michaela got an atrocious pair of spectacles that hide her true
identity — the one she doesn't know about! Michaela is part vampire and unaware
of it until she is abducted to a banished city by a werewolf who secretly loves
her.
Sensuality level: Your
ten-year-old could read it :)
Excerpt for Midnight Engagement:
A sly alarm snaked up Michaela’s
spine. Her body reacted to Conrad’s presence from across the room. She needed
to be careful. Tentatively, she crept over to the side of the bed and knelt
down, unsure of herself. It seemed best to test the boundaries. In a bold, yet
timid move, she reached out a shaky hand, little at a time, and moved it slowly
toward Conrad’s chest. The boundary lit up with a tangible buzz upon immediate
impact.
Her hand, at first shocked by
the current, adjusted to the tremors emanating from his person. Conrad’s eyes
opened, dark pools of liquid topaz in the soft amber light. His head turned
toward her with a painful twinge, which she felt. It reverberated through her
along with his unspoken words: Where have you been? His voice was clear and
true, as if he had spoken aloud, and Michaela somehow communicated back all the
things she so desperately needed to say, how she never meant to hurt him.
“Shhh… ” he said in her mind.
She felt him hope she would stay.
The non-empty space between them
was filled with the hum of life. There was no privacy here, nor shame, only the
living vibration of their combined beings, all-encompassing, nothing hiding.
Michaela moved a hand along their barrier, pressing gently, and discovered that
she could feel the contours of his body.
“Hold my hand,” came the soft
command.
Michaela obeyed. Her fingers
traced down the contours of Conrad’s good arm, the movement spit a trail of
fizz like a welders fuse. Eyes closed, her fingers spread along his hand and
twined with his. Though they were not actually touching, she felt his grip
tighten and his chest wince as he did so. A bright flash released a bluish tint
that circulated between them causing a joyous burst to rupture in Michaela’s
chest, a feeling in which they both reveled. The very marrow of their souls
mingled. It was hard to discern whose thoughts and feelings were whose, but
there was an unmistakable yearning for each other.
If you want to learn more about Eliott McKay, you can find her here:
Midnight Engagement is available at these sites
Amazon | B&N |iTunes |Crimson Romance ebooks
Comments:
Eliott and
I would love to hear from you. To
leave a comment, click on the tiny word, comment, at the end of the post. Sorry it’s so
hard to see.
