ABOUT MADISON

Madison Granger is a free-spirited late bloomer. She stubbornly lives by three beliefs: dreams can come true, never give up, and you’re never too old to try new things. She is living proof of all three adages, vowing she isn't done by a long shot.

Born and raised near New Orleans and even closer to the swamps of south Louisiana, Madison Granger is no stranger to tales of the magical and different.

An avid reader, Madison grew tired of reading about young, flighty girls and began writing her own stories of mature women who aren't so quick to jump before looking first.

Granger's Guide to the Paranormal and Marketing: May Author Spotlight

May 22, 2022 by Ashley Mohler

There are a lot of authors in the self-publishing world, especially in the romance and paranormal genres. Madison Granger is one such author that's made a name for herself in my author tribe and the tribes of others.

Granger is a paranormal romance and urban fantasy author for adults. She lives south of New Orleans, Louisiana, and the city has influenced some of her writings, such as her Amelia series.

"I write paranormal romance and urban fantasy, so far," stated Granger. "I have plans to write a children's book in the near future. I write for adults because at my age it's hard to remember how I thought when I was a teen or a young adult."

Granger told me that she can't recall how long she'd wanted to be an author before becoming one, but that it was a friend of hers that ultimately nudged her into the publishing world.

"I told a friend, who turned out to be a publisher, about a recurring dream," explained Granger. "She told me it sounded more like a story and I should write it down. Every one of my stories comes from dreams. I'll wake up in the wee hours with a name, a scene, something to work with. I have a note app on my phone so I jot it down and the rest is history."

In 2016, Granger published Phoenix Rising, her debut novel and the first installment of her Kindred series. She has participated in anthologies, written standalones, and has crafted series, but her all-time favorite book that she's written is Gambit.

"I put a little of everything into this one [Gambit]," remarked Granger. "In addition to my shifters, there's magic, a whole lot of betrayal, suspense, and mystery. I'm big into fated mates, and this one does not fail. Skylar and Jace have a magnetism that's through the roof and you can't help but love them."

"Skylar Mason, from Gambit, is my favorite character," Granger continued. "She's the strongest female character I've written to date. She doesn't back down from any situation and exemplifies everything I think a woman should strive to be."

I have not read Gambit, but it is on my to-be-read list and currently has a five star rating.

I must say that I'm thoroughly addicted to Granger's Amelia series. I have a few books of Granger's, but the Amelia series caught my attention immediately. It's an urban fantasy about a hospice nurse who finds herself falling for an ancient vampire. My official reviews of both the first and second books in this series are up on Goodreads (Amazon, I'm coming for you. I ain't quitting until you give me back my review privileges).

I gave both The Awakening of Amelia and The Rising of Amelia five star reviews. The Awakening of Amelia took me by surprise. I didn’t read the description of this book before I picked it up. I’d only heard good things about it and thought I’d give it a read. When I say I was blown away, that’s not an understatement.

Amelia is a hospice nurse that gets a job caring for an elderly woman whose family has a secret that they try not to even think about. The woman is known to be a little abrasive but Amelia becomes fast friends with her and listens diligently to her stories of a mysterious man who she'd fallen in love with as a younger woman.

When the man, who the woman's family doesn't believe exists, suddenly appears in Amelia's life, the nurse discovers just why her patient was so entranced by him.

This story took a twist I didn’t see coming and had me feeling like I was Amelia herself. The author has a way with words, which I know is kind of a cliche thing to say, but it’s true. If you don’t pick up this book, you’re missing out. It’s a paranormal romance that focuses on love versus obligation and briefly touches on mental health. There is an assault trigger warning for this story, but it's brief.

The Rising of Amelia is a sequel to The Awakening of Amelia and I preordered it the moment I saw it available. Then Granger was gracious enough to give me a digital advanced reader's copy to read. The Rising of Amelia is the perfect vampire romance for adults. Amelia gets what she wanted when Demetrius agrees to turn her, but being a vampire isn’t all fun and games. In this book, Granger explored vampirism and how both the human and monster sides come into play for those affected.

I don’t know if a third book is being planned, but this one started setting up a vampire hierarchy that I would like to learn more about. I could see this world becoming a massive fandom for vampire fans. Specifically, adults who grew up reading vampire fiction and are looking for something more advanced than young adult literature. Granger does a perfect job keeping the tone of a vampire story and enriching it with adult subjects. I would recommend the Amelia series to all paranormal, preternatural, and supernatural literature lovers.

Speaking of preorders, setting up preorders is one way that self-published authors market their books. By getting preorders and having a bunch of copies of a book delivered to readers the day it releases, authors can increase their rankings on and have their book featured on lists. According to Granger, "Marketing is a necessary evil. I have to do it, but I don't care for it."

I haven't met an author yet who truly and deeply enjoys the marketing side of this business. I believe it's because we're all creators, worrying about the revenue side of things doesn't come naturally to us. We would rather spend our time working on our next book than promoting the ones we've already put out there, but if you don't market you'll end up with a shallow reading pool.

It's because of marketing that authors are introduced to new readers and Granger said, "Meeting readers and other authors have been my favorite part of my author journey, whether it's at signings or online. They've enriched my life."

To all those out there nervous about picking up a pen or trying to navigate the world of book writing, Granger says, " Beginning Writers: Never think you can't, that's fatalistic. Pick up the pen and write something. Write every day, even if it's a couple of sentences. That builds into a habit, setting your foundation. The story will come when it's ready. Authors: I stand strongly on this one...get a good editor. It's crucial to your book. You and your friends may find typos but you'll miss plot holes, storyline gaps, and a million other things that could've made your good story into a great one."

Currently, Granger is working on Zane, book one of her new Bayou Crescent Wolves trilogy. Just by the title, I know I'm going to have to preorder this book as well. Madison Granger is a paranormal writer for us adults that never grew out of our shifter and vampire phases. Give her a chance and she won't disappoint.

Fellow author, Andi Lawrencovna interviewed me, posting it on her website's blog.

Andi Lawrencovna
- Jun 22, 2020

Author Interview: Madison Granger

Today I have the absolute honor of sharing my interview with Madison Granger with you!

My favorite part of being an author is getting me meet other authors who are like minded, creative, full of fascinating stories both imagined and experienced! Getting to share and imagine those stories with other people is a true gift, and I'm so very lucky to have had that opportunity with Madison!

I'm super excited because I get to work with Madison on a new project that will be released in January 2021 called "Sinners & Saints - a Collection of Romantic Interludes" (you can get your copy HERE).

But until that release comes out, I couldn't help but wanting to share a little bit of Madison with you guys beforehand!

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1. Why did you first start writing? What was the inspiration for your first book?

I was encouraged by two FB friends who were new authors themselves. Meeting them at a book convention (ARC NOLA) was the turning point. I went home and started writing.

Phoenix Rising was a story that had been in my head for several years. It was a fantasy I kept going to entertain myself.

2. Did you ever consider traditional/indie publishing? Was there a reason you chose the way you did to go about publishing your works? Do you have any insights for future authors trying to make the same choice?

My first venture was with a hybrid publishing house. I learned a tremendous amount from the publisher including how to format and publish my own works. I taught myself how to make teasers and book trailers. When the publisher cut loose the house authors I stayed with indie publishing because I was basically doing it all by myself anyway.

3. How many books do you have published now?

At the moment I have eight books published.

4. Do you have any books in the works at the moment?

I’m currently working on a story for an upcoming anthology and 3 novels.

5. Any advice you’d offer up-and-comers looking to find their place in the literary world?

Be prepared to give 150%. Do it because you love it, not because you expect to make any money at it. Money is a bonus.

Now that we got THAT out of the way, lol, let's get into a bit more about YOU!

How about "publishing" and actually getting your book out there to start with?

6. What do you see as the differences between self/indie publishing and traditional publishing? The pros/cons of either/or?

Plain and simple, control over your work. Which is why I like indie publishing, I like picking the cover, adding the front and back matter I want, and formatting it the way I want.

7. Did you edit/format your work on your own or did you use an outside source? Any good resources you can pass along to others looking to do the same?

My former publisher taught me to format. Now, I’m glad she did. I like having control of how my book turns out. I was advised in the beginning to hire a good editor. Best advice ever. Self-editing is delusional, in my opinion. You’re never going to find all the mistakes and you’re too biased to see where changes could help.

8. What is your least favorite part of the writing / publishing process?

Formatting is my least favorite part. I can do it and I’m proud of the finished product but it’s not done without sweat, more than a few tears, and an awful lot of cussing.

9. How do you choose your covers? And, follow up, does the cover influence your character, or do you match your covers to the personalities you’ve already written about?

When I get ready to write a story, I go through tons of stock photos of models to find who looks like my main characters. When I find those pictures, I send them to my cover artists with a brief description of the story. Their magic takes over and they send me what they come up. They usually get in the first try, only tweaking until it’s perfect.

10. And though this isn’t actually publishing, it’s still a fun question: How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

Names are very special to me. I will research names for days before I find the right ones for my characters. I have a note app on my phone with a looonnnngggg list of names for future characters.

SO, now I totally have to talk about you and your writing a bit! To really get to know the “you” of Author Madison Granger:

11. Where do your ideas come from?

Dreams. Seriously, I wake up and have the beginnings of a story.

11. Do you hand write or do everything on your computer?

I do everything on my computer. I’ve tried to handwrite, but when I’m in writing mode my brain goes too fast and my hand can’t keep up.

12. I’m wonky when it comes to writing. I don’t pre-plan anything, per se, but I have files on all the stories that I’ve written to keep my series in order and in line, even if I’m the only one who ever sees any of that. Do you do any pre-writing or post planning work for your novels or series?

You should see my binders! Or maybe not. LOL Especially for my series because there are so many people, I have to have character bios, and a HUGE family tree. I keep track of eye color, hair color and their bonding marks and scents. (Read the books, you’ll know what I’m talking about LOL)

13. If you could go back to your first book, would you keep it the way it is, or would you change it?

I actually have changed it, a little. Not the story, but the setting up. When I started writing I was clueless to POV (point of view) and my first book glared with errors. I have since straightened that out and corrected a lot of errors. I’m happier with it now.

14. What do you think is most emblematic of your writing style/novel?

A lot of my characters are older, more mature. I’m not talking about my shapeshifters either, who are hundreds of years old. Torie Masters in Phoenix Rising is a divorced grandmother. I like to say I give a realistic bent to fantasy.

15. If you could pick your favorite scene out of your work, what would it be and why? (If you have an excerpt, please feel free to share also.)

My favorite scene is actually an entire chapter and it’s in my 2nd book, Eternal Embrace. It deals with the attack on a neighboring werewolf camp. The Alpha beaten and left for dead, and his children are killed. Every time I read it, I’m moved to tears. I simply feel it’s one of my best pieces because it strikes such a strong and heartfelt chord.

16. Do you have any good advice for young romance authors trying to find their footing when writing a romance scene? Any good resources that maybe helped you when you started writing?

I actually bought a few of those books to help you write erotica and romance scenes. I got more use out of the book that told me how to write a better fight scene.

Best advice: Make sure the positions are correct and you have the right number of appendages where they’re supposed to be. If you mess that up, someone will call you on it. LOL

Okay, and now, we’ve gotten the “business” portion of the interview done, lol, let’s talk “FUN” stuff…or what I think is fun…lolol.

17. You wake up tomorrow, and your main character has been deleted from your novel! What would your other characters do in response?

In my series, the clan would band together and work through it. Personally, I would be devastated. Quinn McGrath is my true book boyfriend.

18. It’s 1775 and the Revolutionary War in America has just started, and your main character is thrust into the middle of the Battle of Bunker Hill! Would they live/die/flee/fight?

My people fight! They’re all warriors of some kind.

19. If you could step into any one of your novels and spend a “day in the life” of one of your characters, who would it be? If you stepped into a particular scene, would you change it from what you’d written originally, or would you want to live it like your hero/heroine?

Torie Masters and I would totally live her life.

20. If any one of your novels was to become a movie or a TV show and you got the chance to work with the casting director for it, do you know who you would want to play your characters or who your inspiration for those characters were when you were writing your novel?

I’ve yet to find anyone to play my Kindred warriors but Roman Reigns HAS to be Sully from my UF, To Kill A Demon.

And my last question…because, everyone needs to know:

21. Dragons…or wolves? One word answer is not enough! We must know! What is your favorite supernatural creature?

Dragons, and here’s the kicker. I’ve yet to write about them! But I’ve always loved them and have a ton of statuary in my home dedicated to them.

*****

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me, Madison, and thank you, readers, for taking the time to get to know us a little better.

I'm so excited to be sharing an upcoming release with Madison in "SINNERS & SAINTS - a Collection of Romantic Interludes" coming in January 2021 (Preorder your copy HERE).

But until then, because I know you're gonna need more of Madison to keep you going, make sure to check out her latest release: DEUCES WILD - The Kindred Book Five!

https://tinyurl.com/y8s8bohw