In the Spotlight with Bayou Book Junkie ~ Author Mia Kerick (Giveaway)

In the Spotlight with Bayou Book Junkie ~ Author Mia Kerick

Hi Mia Kerick and welcome to Bayou Book Junkie. Mia has been published since 2012, and has 20 novels to date. I recently discovered her lovely but dark take on a fairy tale, In A Gilded Cage, which was good enough to set me nosing about her (yes, I do a lot of nosing, but that’s how BBJ gets to bring you this kind of good stuff!) and tracking down more of her books.

Mia is married to a guy who some may call Job, and is mum to 4 children of the two-legged variety, and to 4 of the four-legged variety. And now, without further ado, here’s Mia herself to tell us about everything else I failed to come up with.

BBJ: Mia, please tell us all about yourself and the herd you’re wrangling in between the writing. 

Mia: Hi BBJ!! Thrilled to be here today!! Before I was a mom, I was a middle school teacher. It got me ready for the tough job ahead of parenting. I have four kids—and I’m so proud of all of them. My oldest, Ali, is at Harvard Law School. She is so smart—Mr. Mia and I have no idea where she gets the brilliance from but we are happy to take some credit! My second, Demi, is a dancer. She is at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance where she is studying modern dance and ballet. Before that, she lived in NYC and attended online high school so she could study ballet and modern, and she is also an amazing tap dancer. Check her out on Youtube Demi Remick. Girl #3 is Sisi, at Boston College, my Alma Mater, trying to figure out what she wants to major in. She is especially interested in Special Olympics leadership. We’ll see. Number four is my only boy, a junior in high school. He just was accepted into National Honor Society and is an athlete and a scholar, and a very good, funny kid. My hands have been full as their at-home mother, but there is much more time for me to write as each year passes. Which is happy and sad.

BBJ: So, you’ve confessed to having a thing for 80s guys with big hair (though admittedly, perhaps not in quite those words, LOL!) – would you also confess to owning novels with that 80s cover model, Fabio? You know, Mia, he of the flowing blond locks, blousy shirts, oiled abs and chiselled jaw? 😉
Mia: Haha! Before I started reading LGBTQ romance and YA fiction, I read my share of books with Fabio-inspired covers. I really loved historical romance, and Fabio made the perfect cover model.


BBJ: Could you tell us what made you start writing, and in particular, why MM?
Mia: There are two reasons I started to write. One, I was a CONSTANT reader and I was running out of tortured heroes to read about. So I decided to create my own. Plus, my older sister wrote a book, and she has always been my inspiration. In other words, since we were kids, I drove her crazy copying everything she did! Why change as an adult?

BBJ: How much input do you have with your publishers about the guys chosen to embody your leads on the cover? Is it a battle? Did I mention I can be bribed/bought/convinced to ready to offer cheerleading services…in exchange for some Cheetos/Tootsies/Hershey Almond Kisses/other American goodies to be decided upon at a later time (and did we exchange addresses already?) 😉
Mia: You are a riot! I get a lot of say in terms of my cover models. Never a battle, even with In A Gilded Cage’s original cover, which was just men’s chests (I’m a face/eyes kind of girl), and I rejected it. They were open to my ideas. I already have a cover model picked out for my next release with CoolDudes Publishing, an adult book, with TWO tortured heroes!! 

BBJ: Name your 5 fave things about the Boston Red Sox.
Mia: Hmmm…. Well, our family room was inspired by them- we have a mural of Fenway Park on the wall and collectible bats and signed shirts. You name it. David Ortiz- he is the awesome-est and I hope he runs for office. I loved Tito as GM, but I also think John Farrell is a class act. I like they way they groom pitchers and bring them up from AAA, and I’ve had an on-going obsession with Clay Buccholtz’hair. So glad he stopped greasing it.

BBJ: What’s your idea of a perfect day, Mia? What and who does it involve, and why?
Mia: My perfect day would include time with my kids- maybe shopping with the girls and just sitting on the couch (in the Red Sox Room-LOL) talking about basketball with my son. I like to watch action movies with Mr. Mia and a bottle of champagne… and honestly, I LOVE TO BE ALONE. I like to think and to write.

And Donald Trump wouldn’t be president-elect. Is it OK to say that?

BBJ: If you had the chance to make one of your books into a film, which would you choose and why, and who would you cast as your leads? And, could I be a fly on the wall, pretty, pretty please?

Mia: I would definitely make The Red Sheet into a movie. In fact, it made it to the semifinals of a script search contest called Book Pipeline. Hmmm… main characters. How about the two guys from The Hunger Games? Josh Hutcherson (Peeta) for Scott and Liam Hemsworth (Gale) for Bryan. (Josh would need to dye his hair blond.)

BBJ: What’s your secret super power (well, not so secret once you answer this)? And what’s your Kryptonite?
Mia: I am too empathetic. I know how people feel, especially when they are crushed. It makes it difficult to watch a baseball game because I worry so much about the emotional state of the losing pitcher. I cry during The Voice when someone gets sent home, even if they should.

BBJ: Which would trust more when considering buying a book, Mia – a 5* review that’s quite bland/inoffensive/generic-ish or overly effusive or a 3* review that’s more detailed and critically constructive?

Mia: I think I go by numbers of reviews more than specific reviews. I look to see if most of the readers react positively to a book.

BBJ: What are the top five places you would most like to visit? Take us on your ultimate dream vacation! 

Mia: Disney (I’m a big kid at heart)
Grand Canyon (love to hike)
Any Caribbean resort (major sun worshiper and I like frozen drinks)
I love Paris- street side cafes and culture call me!
Anywhere I can go with my entire family- I don’t care where!

BBJ: Mia, you write both adult MM and NA/YA MM – which do you enjoy most and how difficult is it to swap between the two? 

Mia: I think my calling is to write YA because I remember what it was like to be a teen and look for a book that interested me and end up reading yet another Jackie Collins book (her books were good, but not about someone like me). I want kids to be able to find a book that speaks to them!
But writing adult can be freeing because the characters can be as dark and as sexual as I want.

BBJ: Do you buy a book because of the author/hype/cover/blurb/reviews/because the author’s a friend or because of something else entirely? Please rank in order of importance.

Mia: Most of the books I’ve read lately are written by authors who are friends, but a book with lots of high ratings draws my interest. And yes, I have been known to succumb to the beauty of a cover, as well. It’s not a crime.

BBJ: What’s up next from you, Mia, and when can we get our grubby little mitts on it expect it? 

Mia: March 1st I have a book coming out with CoolDudes Publishing- adult MM contemporary romance about a gay character who expresses his gender with great femininity—quite often and publicly—and a very broken man who is just starting to recognize his sexuality.
I have two contracts for YA fiction with Harmony Ink Press, one is co-written with Raine O’Tierney. Called Sound of Silence. They will both release in 2018.
And I have another YA contract with a publisher yet to be named…. Very excited about this!

BBJ: And now, the quick-fire round: 

Jon Bon Jovi or Joey Tempest (in their 80s heyday, of course)? Bon Jovi 

What’s your Star sign? Virgo 

Bubble bath or glass of wine to relax? Bubbly Wine (Champagne) 

The best bit of fan mail you’ve had is..? Any letter from a kid about a YA book means a lot because I made a difference. 

Finally, Mia, what can your brood be bribed with, and how often do you resort to bribing? Ali- help with Harvard Law School tuition, Demi- dance summer intensives, Sisi- gift card from Urban Outfitters, Chris – fancy expensive sneakers for basketball.

Thanks for popping in, Mia. We hope you had fun! 😁

Mia: Thank you for having me! VERY FUN QUESTIONS!!

Where to find Mia Kerick:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick 
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Mia-KerickAuthor-231404220346244/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiaKerick 
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/bCLWfT 
Website: www.miakerick.com 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6474518.Mia_Kerick

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Mia-Kerick/e/B009KSTG9E/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1410298098&sr=8-2

Giveaway! 

Mia Kerick has very graciously offered a $10 Amazon GC to one lucky commenter on this Spotlight! So don't miss out! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway