Today I'm interviewing Maureen O. Betita, author of The Kraken's Mirror. It's going to be published soon by Decadent Publishing, and if you don't have an e-reader yet, after reading this description, you'll be rushing out to get one!
Treated by our youth oriented society as invisible and sexless Emily Pawes attends a pirate festival to recapture the make believe magic she knew as a younger woman. She wins an interesting bit of booty at an old woman's bric-a-brac stand. The Kraken's mirror is a magical portal and transports her to a land of Hollywood piratitude, where swashbuckling heroes own iPods. With little choice, she embraces the madness, deciding she’ll play pirate until she figures out how to get home. Or wakes up in a padded cell.
Instead of men in little white coats, she encounters the handsome Captain Alan Silvestri. He is a man haunted by a strange curse. Good luck is his to command, but it comes at the cost of any place to call home or people to call family. Resigned to die shunned by all, forced to sail every three days, he begins to dream of a special woman.
When they meet, sparks fly, passion flares. He needs her to be free, but more than that, he needs her to be whole. They set sail, uncertain of who has control of the wheel, seeking to defeat his curse of good luck and discover all the Kraken’s mirror plans for them.
Donna: Maureen, this is the very first interview I've done on my blog, and I'm thrilled you're taking this chance with your professional reputation!
Funny that I should use the word "chance". . . Maureen is a fellow pirate on the Romance Writer's Revenge blog, and she goes by the name 2nd Chance. She also has her own blog, Believing in Second Chances, that I know you'll want to check out.
Could you tell us about the significance of second chances in your life?
Maureen: Well I came very close to dying in 2007. The electrical system of my heart went haywire and I suffered what is known as Sudden Cardiac Death. I went to sleep and woke up three days later in the hospital. My husband saved my life with CPR and I went on to eventually view this event as my second chance. Chances to actually do the stuff I’d been scared of before. I mean, honestly! I’d almost died! So what if an editor rejected me! HA! HA! HA!
Donna: Very true! It does put things into perspective. Although some people wouldn't realize they'd been given a second chance—I'm glad you're thoroughly enjoying yours!
Maureen is the resident bartender at Romance Writer's Revenge. She's well-known for creating a distinctive alcoholic beverage for visitors. Have you devised anything yet for The Kraken's Mirror? I don't have much of a bar here yet, but if you brought the ingredients with you. . . You did? Brilliant! We can make it together, like on the TV cooking shows!
Maureen: Well, being an honest pirate, I must admit I ‘liberated’ this drink from another writer…he used tequila, but I switched over to rum. Or course. It’s pretty easy. I’m calling it Silvestri’s Bite. Take two parts DeKuypers Apple Pucker to one part silver rum (I used Bacardi), squeeze in some lime, serve over ice. This is pure booze, Donnaroo, so take care!
Donna: *takes a sip of drink* Oh my. This is quite tasty. Not to mention potent. Maybe we should have made a breakfast version instead. At least we don't have to worry about getting scurvy. I can see the significance of the rum, but what about the apple? *takes another sip*
Maureen: You see, my heroine, Emily, wears a special perfume. Be Delicious from DKNY; a wonderful scent based on green apples… Captain Silvestri finds it quite enticing… Here you hold the jug; I like to make it by the jug so it lasts longer… First, the DeKuypers…then the rum… swirl it about…I’d say a whole lime for a jug…add ice. Nice tall glass to serve… (I thought about adding some slime in honor of the Kraken…but it’s smelly stuff! And it’s hard to hold the glass…kept dropping them.)
Donna: Yeah, I'm glad you went with lime instead of slime. *takes a sip to settle the stomach* Okay, where was I? *shuffles through notes* Oh, yes.
A lot of writers were born with a pen in their hand, while others catch the writing fever later on in life. When did you first say to yourself, "I've got to write a book?"
Maureen: I think it was around seventh grade. Oh, when did I actually start writing? Let’s see, how old is one in 7th grade? Fourteen…so…let’s see…add the teen carry the three… Yup, thirty years later I actually began the first book I’d ever complete. I did a lot of on and off stuff those thirty years. Took a lot of classes, wrote a lot of papers, poetry…filled journals…
I do like this drink! *takes sip, crosses eyes* Have another?
Donna: I like it too! *gazes at empty glass* Yes, I do believe I'll have another! One of the most fascinating things about writing is how the story makes itself known to the writer. How did The Kraken's Mirror arrive in your life? A scene? A bit of dialogue? One of the characters?
Maureen: Well, you know how we on the Revenge like to drink and chatter and sort a’ dare each other… I wrote a story for Captain Hellion about how 2nd Chance ventured on a journey to obtain a certificate from the Pirate Lords attesting to Hellion’s right to call herself a pirate…They were holding their yearly meeting at the Holiday Inn in Hoboken, New Jersey. (All the best hotels in Singapore were full.) That set the stage for continuing with the idea of blending modern world with historical pirates and somewhere in that labyrinth brain of mine…I found Emily and plopped her into this new world. And of course, I threw every convention overboard and ran amuck. Great fun!
Donna: So it was a bit of a writing challenge! I like that. Your stories are some of the most inventive, imaginative ones I've ever encountered, with fantastical elements that defy the typical genre classifications. The characters are also quite different, with the hero and heroine in this book being a lot older than most. What inspires your stories?
Maureen: I like to break rules. (Sometimes I sit in Starbucks and just cackle to myself.) Honestly, I think rules are meant to be broken. Which is why my characters are often older than what you see in most romance books. (Why should twenty and thirty somethings have all the fun!?)
Donna: I agree with you about the twenty and thirty somethings. That's when you LEARN to have fun. Now it's time to HAVE that fun! *guzzles the rest of the drink*
Maureen: I also have a background regarding various genres that just chatter at me, “Pick me! Pick me!” I don’t like to say no, they all get tossed into the stew pot. So I mix and blend and dicker around with everything. Nothing is sacred! I take the concept of imagination very seriously. I attend Renaissance Faires, Pirate Festivals, Science Fiction/Fantasy Conventions, Writing Conventions, the Society for Creative Anachronism events, Steampunk Conventions…I do it all!
Donna: Wow. Lots of fun inspirational things! This book sold very recently. I remember your email telling all of us pirates about it, and you said how you couldn't stop smiling. Tell us about that wonderful day. *taps glass with finger* And let's have another round of these.
Maureen: They are quite won…won…wonnerful, aren’t they? Ooops, let me wipe that up… Oh, me call story! Hee, hee. I were sitting in Starbucks. And my cell phone rang. It was my agent, Saritza Hernandez, calling from the east coast. I sorta stared at the phone tilting my head at the ID… “What the…?” Then I answered and well, she told me she had an offer. Decadent Publishing had offered less than a week after she’d sent it to them, but she waited on another query result to talk with me about it. The second had come back with a pass just minutes before. So… Whoop! She sent me the particulars, did her agent thing and voila! I had my first sale!
Donna: *raises glass in celebration* Oops, this is a little wobbly for some reason. Does being on the cusp of publication feel like you thought it would? I know we all imagine how great it will be, but writers also say it has a different set of pressures and expectations. What has it been like for you?
Maureen: Torture. Pure torture. *giggle*
Nah, I’ve been making lists, figuring out what sorta prizes I can offer on blogs, admiring my cover, coordinating my redo of my website, anticipating the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention, where I’ll have my first signings. The hardest thing has been waiting for an editor to be assigned to me so I can dive into revisions. (I’ve heard such scary things about revision. But I heard scary things about most everything… And guess what? I almost died! Nothing scares me! HA!)
Donna: Maureen, your joie de vivre is so contagious! Your agent represents primarily e-rights. How did you two come together?
Maureen: At last year’s Romantic Times convention in Columbus…no, this year's convention…I signed up for a pitch to Lori Perkins of the Lori Perkins Literary Agency and Saritza was with her. (Kudos to Lori for recognizing the inevitability of needing an agent who specializes in e-publishing!) I had a fantastic pitch experience, with both of them. First words Lori said to Saritza? (After eyeing my pirate button.) “We need more pirate stories.” SCORE! I grinned, leaned forward and pitched two stories to them, and The Kraken’s Mirror was the one that stuck. Sari e-mailed me three weeks after I sent the story and within two months, sold it. (She’s reading the other story this last week, while on vacation.) *crosses fingers*
Donna: *tries to cross fingers* Ouch! I think they've quit working for some reason. What's it like working with Saritza?
Maureen: I love her. She’s very meticulous, helped me revise and edit several times before submission. She has a Yahoo Group for her authors and is very good with marketing and writes a blog. Sari is serious about selling her clients and quite willing to see me move into print-first eventually. The Kraken’s Mirror will be in print three months after the e-release, btw, for those without readers.
Donna: I'm glad to hear that, since I don't have an e-reader yet. Can we hear a little bit about what you're working on now? Is it a sequel, or is it something completely separate from The Kraken's Mirror?
Maureen: While waiting for revisions, I’ve started on the story of a secondary couple from the Kraken’s world. It’s the story of Jezebel, the captain from the ship who looked after Emily when she first arrived. Jez has been a real challenge to write. She’s a wounded woman with a past that would curdle milk. She does have a determined lover…but she also has a resolute enemy dodging her from the past. A past that will see elements of steampunk invade the kraken’s world. Such fun! *rubs hands together gleefully*
Donna: It sounds great! I can't wait to see what kind of drink it inspires. *puts hand to forehead* This one definitely has a bite to it. Are you sure you didn't put anything extra in my drink? *lays head on desk*
Maureen: Anythin’ extra! Donnaroo, ya ain’t been keepin’ up on yer drinkin’! It’s a purty green color, ain’t it? Oh, almost fergot… I have some pirate booty fer a commentor… I’ll be puttin’ names in me tricorn and pickin’ a prize… Think I better type the names, I don’ think I could read me writin’ at the moment… They’ll be chocolates included in the prize… So be brave! Comment! Win some swag!
Donna: *lifts head* Oooh, swag! And chocolates! Tell us where else we can find you these days.
Maureen: I love ta chatter and can be found blathering away on the Romance Writers Revenge most days… On my own Chances blog and at Castles & Guns on Tuesdays. I’m on Facebook and my website, www.maureenobetita.com.
Donna: Well, thank you, Maureen, for sharing your special drink with us, and for letting us hear more about you and The Kraken's Mirror. I can't wait to read it! Everybody, remember to leave your comments in the box below for a chance at some pirate treasure from Maureen. I was hoping we could let you sample this delicious drink, but I guess the pitcher didn't hold very much. . .
Hey! I brought another jug! Whenever you're ready! And thanks for the interview, Donna...I'll hang around for days, and days, and days!
Posted by: Maureen | October 25, 2010 at 12:43 AM
Maureen! I was just headed for bed, since it's the wee hours here on the other coast. But maybe a quick little nightcap would be in order. . .
Whew! That stuff stays strong, doesn't it?!
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 12:52 AM
Hey Maureen! :) So glad to read your first drunken pirate interview! But eww, old people sex! ;) heh. Well, not sure I can say that anymore, since I just turned "old". Sigh. Can't wait to see you in April and hug you, high five you, and get your book! WTG!
Posted by: Yo Ho Riley | October 25, 2010 at 09:07 AM
Lovely interview, Maureen! Can't wait to read Kracken's Mirror and see you in April!
Posted by: Kimberly Meyer | October 25, 2010 at 09:23 AM
You guys better ease up or you'll need to join AA. :) Love the interview--and I love Mo's new catch-phrase: "You think you scare me? I almost DIED! Ha, ha, ha!" I'll have to use that somewhere.
Posted by: Hellion | October 25, 2010 at 09:24 AM
Riley and Kimberley, thanks for stopping by! Maureen will be by later since she's on the left coast and is still sleeping. :)
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 09:32 AM
Hellion, yes, you're right -- trying to outdrink a Pirate is not a worthy goal! LOL And Maureen's catch phrase DOES put everything into perspective. :)
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 09:34 AM
You were 14 in 7th grade? Really? LOL!
Great interview you two! That drink sounds pretty darn potent, but it also sounds perfect for a blustery fall day. Of course, we're hitting 80 degrees here today so I don't know where the hell blustery got off to.
Congrats on the sale and the awesome cover! Can't wait to add this to my Reader and to get my hands on Jez's story too.
Posted by: Terri Osburn | October 25, 2010 at 10:56 AM
Terri, I guess we shouldn't be trying to do math while guzzling Maureen's drinks! LOL I never made that connection!
80 degrees? You're just trying to make me jealous. Maybe the painting gods thought you were still painting your new place today -- I remember painting a bedroom in July when it was about a bazillion degrees. Yikes. I need to go rest just THINKING about it!
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 11:22 AM
What a great interview! Congratulations both of you :oD And, BTW, I found myself wanting one of those drinks with my breakfast oatmeal (What? there's fruit in there, right? ;o) Maureen, you're an inspiration to me--without your nagging--oops! meant "encouragement", honest--I would never have gotten my own trilogy begun. Cannot *wait* to see "Kracken's Mirror" in print!!!
Posted by: Patricia Davis | October 25, 2010 at 11:33 AM
Hey I showed up! Where's the party?....and by party I mean alcohol! Looks like you went and drank it all! Well when Captain Silvestri stops by and talks to my Ichabod Crane I'll have to send a message to Maureen to save me a glass!!
Fun interview!
Posted by: Deanna Wadsworth | October 25, 2010 at 11:59 AM
Maureen, This is awesome! I am so excited for you and look forward to Kracken's Mirror. The cover is lovely! Good job! I knew you could do it!
Posted by: Jane L | October 25, 2010 at 12:02 PM
Patricia, you're my kind of gal! Of COURSE the apple liqueur is the perfect accompaniment for oatmeal--actually I'm not a huge fan of oatmeal, so it might make that go down easier!
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 12:23 PM
Deanna, I think Maureen is sleeping it off--er, I mean sleeping in. :) She promises that this is a neverending pitcher, so we'll see how long we can make the drink last. LOL
I can't wait to see Ichabod Crane interview Captain Silvestri--it sounds wicked fun!
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 12:25 PM
I'm up! I'm up! And without a hangover! TADA! It's apples, it's good for you and I'm sticking to that, period!
Thanks, Yo Ho, I told you that someday you'd appreciate old people sex. Here, have a drink, it gets better!
Kim - Time off the tractor to see me! I'm touched! I saw the sweetest looking wind wheel the other day on someone's lawn...all tractorish and thought of you... ;-)
Posted by: Maureen | October 25, 2010 at 01:17 PM
Truth to be told, Hellion... Once you've faced down death the idea of a rejection isnt' so scary. Don't mean it don't hurt, but the fear isn't there so much.
Wonder what pirate AA would be like... Would they call it RR? Arrrr Arrrr. "Me name be Pegleg and I drink too much rum!"
*bottles fly out of the crows to hit the first speaker...
Terri - OK, how old was I in 7th grade? I swear, I don't remember! Started kindergarten when I was almost seven...One year per grade...
I need some paper...
Posted by: Maureen | October 25, 2010 at 01:20 PM
Pat - Dear artist to put all artists to shame, yer gonna get that trilogy written and sold and we're gonna dance the night away!!!
Deanna - I've been telling everyone about the interview...can't wait! I'll bring a jug, just easier to mix by the jug!
Jane - I know you don't drink...but thanks for the flowers. She sent me flowers when I signed...ain't that sweet!
Posted by: Maureen | October 25, 2010 at 01:24 PM
Maureen! I'm glad you're here. I was just going to step out for lunch -- it's not a good idea to have too many jugs of the Silvestri's Bite on an empty stomach. Heck, it should come with a warning: "May knock you on your backside". LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 01:34 PM
All the best drinks do! ;-) Have a good lunch!
Posted by: Maureen | October 25, 2010 at 01:42 PM
You started Kindergarten when you were almost 7? Well, then I guess that might be right. I started Kindergarten at 5 and I thought that was pretty common across the board. And we're both born in December so really it's two different ages per year. :)
Posted by: Terri Osburn | October 25, 2010 at 01:51 PM
The year I began school, I missed the cut off so had to wait another year. So by Dec of kindergarten, I was 7...yup!
Posted by: Maureen | October 25, 2010 at 01:57 PM
Okay, I'm back from lunch. :)
I started kindergarten when I was 4, which seems incredibly young! Just goes to show you how "rules" can be so treacherous -- LOL -- they're never used the same way twice!
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 02:35 PM
Wow, four? See, I had my drivers license half way through my junior year of high school this way... So, at least I got that...
Posted by: Maureen | October 25, 2010 at 02:37 PM
Hi Maureen.
You know that you've made it when invited to give celebrity interviews!
Did the 'near death' experience inspire the idea of a portal to another world?
I do hope you obey Einstein's relativistic laws when whizzing through these portals by the way.
No transporting your molecules faster than light please.
Course, no limits for minds and perception and imagination.
I know that all three are stunning to behold in your case so I have no worries.
Can't wait to read 'Kracken's Mirror'!
Posted by: Quantum | October 25, 2010 at 02:41 PM
Geez! How old were you when you got your license?! If you were 14 in 7th and got your license Jr year, then you would have been 18! I still say you should have been able to start Kindergarten when you were 5 almost 6. LOL! Why would they have made you wait another year?! (And don't ask me why in this entire awesome interview that I'm hung up on this. I've no idea.)
Donna - So the over-achiever stuff started early, huh?
Posted by: Terri Osburn | October 25, 2010 at 02:42 PM
Q - I'll make sure you get a copy ASAP!
I read a fascinating bit about traveling faster than light and how so much of it would be perception and you'd never actually do it... Ah! Nathan Branford did a blog last week...sparked a lot of discussion about the idea of 'arrival' as an author. You ought to look it up, right up your ally!
Posted by: Maureen | October 25, 2010 at 02:45 PM
WEll, the whole learner's permit etc... I had my license at 16...so somewhere I have my numbers wrong.
Big surprise! CA cut off for kindergarten was 6 by November 28 the year I might have been eligable. But I was born Dec 7, so had to wait another year.
Posted by: Maureen | October 25, 2010 at 02:46 PM
Q, I'm so excited -- I think this is the first time you've commented on my blog. :) I'm chuffed, I really am. I'll have to use Maureen as bait more often! LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 02:58 PM
Terri, I didn't think about it, but yeah, maybe that's where the overachiever thing started -- even tho I didn't have a choice about it. LOL
Although I'm definitely a "no achiever" today when it comes to writing. Hey, I'll ask Maureen: what is your daily writing practice? Or is it daily? Give a girl some inspiration. :)
Posted by: Donna Cummings | October 25, 2010 at 03:00 PM
Congrats again on The Kraken's Mirror, Maureen! Great interview.
Posted by: Sarah Mäkelä | October 25, 2010 at 03:09 PM