Q&A and Giveaway: To Touch the Sky by M.A. Church

The Novel Approach welcomes author M.A. Church today on the To Touch the Sky blog tour. Enjoy our little question and answer session, and then be sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for the chance to win an e-copy of both books in the series.

Good luck!

Q: M.A., what is it you find most romantic about the idea of “fated mates”?

MA: I love the idea that somewhere out there is the perfect person. *Shrug* But my pairings don’t get off the hook just because they’re fated. If anything, mine tend to *not* fall all over themselves for their mate, lol.

Q: When writing To Touch the Sky, what types of new twists did you want to breathe into your shifter world? And did you find you also followed some tried and true genre archetypes? What do you love most about your shifters?

MA: In this, my shifters are American Indian. The Great Spirit, called Wha-tay, created Mother Earth, an untouched land filled with beauty and life. Then her children, The People, were allowed to inhabit the land. The People settled at The Tree of Life—the soul of Mother Earth. The People believed the universe was bound together by the spirits within all natural life—from plants, animals, humans, water, and even the earth itself. When a child was born to The People, that child was joined with a spirit, a totem, which could be a land spirit, a water spirit, a plant spirit, or an animal spirit. And once bound, that person had the ability to use the gifts the spirit had.

I did follow the fated mate concept. And the human mated also can shift after the mating. One of the reasons I like this world is because my shifters share their body with the totem. So you have two totally different personalities in one body, lol. It makes for some interesting conversations between the shifter and the totem.

Q: As an author and a reader, what’s your idea of a great leading man? Do you have a “type” you find super sexy, and if so, what makes him get your motor running?

MA: I’d say someone not perfect is my ideal leading man, and boy, mine tend to be flawed, lol. They screw up, don’t always listen, and can be hardheaded. Perfecting is a concept I don’t follow with my men. Not long ago one of my betas, Jody, pointed out I have a lot of characters with long hair. I never noticed until he said something, lol! And while I am attracted to long hair on a man, I find bald men sexy too.

Q: There’s a showbiz adage that theorizes it’s easier to make people cry than laugh. A.) do you think that’s true, and B.) how would you describe your sense of humor? What makes you laugh?

MA: Hmm, I’d have to say I don’t agree. For me, it’s easier to make folks laugh. My stories often have humor in them, and yeah, my characters are pretty good with the one-liners. *snickers* But then, that’s part of my personality too. My humor ends up more on the dry side.

I’m not really one to try for tearjerkers. Some writers really excel at that, but I’m not one of them, lol.

Blurb: He can run, but he can’t hide…

Centuries ago, Hawk made a terrible mistake which has haunted him since. Fear of responsibility and feelings of unworthiness leads him to denying the mate Wha-tay showed him in a vision. So now Hawk runs his bar, has casual sex, and never, ever dates men with blond hair and brown eyes. But then Simon walks into his bar, and the future he’s feared is about to end up in a brawl if Hawk doesn’t do something—fast.

Simon Carter has a smart mouth and a bulldog temperament. So when Hawk runs, Simon pursues the sexy man, only to be rejected. Just as Simon decides to give up, someone—or something—visits him to change his mind… and scares him to death. Now Simon is backpedaling, and Hawk is in pursuit.

Desperate to reassure Simon, and keep him safe, Hawk is forced to reveal his secrets before he’s ready. Can Simon learn to accept things aren’t always as they seem? Is the connection between them strong enough to help Hawk overcome centuries of pain? The only way the two men will move beyond Hawk’s past is for both of them to take a leap of faith.

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press | All Romance eBooks

Author Bio: M.A. Church is a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!

When not writing, she’s exploring the latest M/M novel to hit the market, watching her beloved Steelers, or sitting glued to HGTV. That’s if she’s not on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two children.
She was a finalist in the Rainbow awards for 2013.

THE GIVEAWAY: An e-copy of Shadows in the Night and To Touch the Sky