Welcome author Silver Milan to PNR&More! Read on below for our interview and more about Dragon’s First Rule! Also, don't miss the giveaway at the end! :)
Hi! Would you tell us a
little bit about yourself?
Silver Milan: Hello, and thanks for having me! I’ve been publishing
under different pen names starting in early 2013 (really early, as in January
1!) and I’ve sold over 300,000 books since then. I gave up my day job in 2012
and never looked back.
The first two and a half years were crazy lean
financially, and I learned how to live on very little money. My thriftiness
shows through in a lot of my characters. They’ll save coupons, they’ll eat
Kraft Mac and Cheese, they’ll rent out their homes and live in the basements…
It’s only in the past two years that I’ve started
breaking out, and here I go deciding to start a new pen name again. I guess I
want to prove to myself that I can do it again. Sort of like what Steven King
did back in the 80s when he started his Richard Bachman pen name.
I wonder if anyone will write in after reading books
by Silver Milan and tell me
they’ve figured out who I am from my voice ;)
What do you do when you are
not writing?
Silver Milan: Lots of things. I’m a big fitness fan, so I’ll head
to the gym, or jog or bike if the weather is good. Or I’ll pick up a good
romance if it’s a rainy day. I’m also a bit of a foodie, and since I never was
that great of a cook (unless you count Mac n’ Cheese, which I can make really
well!!!), I like to support local mom and pop restaurants. Especially on the
Italian side. Mmmm, pasta.
Do you write an outline
before starting a book or just write?
Silver Milan: It depends on the book. Sometimes I’ll write a couple
of paragraphs as an outline, sometimes nothing, and other times I’ll write a
few pages worth. Though I’ve noticed in the past year my outlining has dropped
to the couple paragraphs to none at all level. I guess that’s a sign I’m
learning my craft?
I know authors get asked
this a lot but do you have any advice that you would give to aspiring writers?
Silver Milan: #1. Learn to write fast.
#2. Spend less time rewriting.
When I was first starting out, back in the early
2000s, I’d write a book, then spend years and years rewriting it. After five
years and twelve drafts later, I’d end up with something that was overedited
and just not publishable.
When I first started publishing in 2013, I got down to
8 drafts written over four months.
These days I usually write two drafts, written over
three weeks, for a 70,000 word novel. Though Dragon’s First Rule took a bit
longer I admit, because I decided to go through it and add what I felt was a
necessary subplot, so it clocked in at four drafts.
Can you tell us, in your own
words not the book description, a little about your book?
Silver Milan: So Dragon’s First Rule is about a woman named Ariel
who was bitten by a lion shifter and is now a shifter herself. She’s still
traumatized by the incident, and when she meets Jett, dragon shifter and king
of North America, she’s a
bit broken.
Jett takes her in because, well, he’s a good guy.
Sure he thinks she’s sexy as hell, but he also feels responsible because she
was bitten in territory he owns. So he swears to her that he’s going to hunt
down the man who did this to her, and roast him alive with his fiery breath.
He decides to go looking for this rogue without any
of his men, because, well, he’s a dragon and he’s not afraid of anyone. He
wants Ariel to tag along so that she can ID him. Sparks ensue ;)
Which came first for you,
the characters or the plot?
Silver Milan: The characters definitely. Once I had them in mind, I
had an idea where I wanted them to go, and I took them there.
What was the inspiration for
this novel?
Silver Milan: I read a lot of paranormal romance and urban fantasy,
and I love the genre. I asked myself, what can I write about that will stand
out from all the other paranormal romance books out there? And I came up with
the idea for a dragon king falling for a lion shifter who was also secretly a
witch. Basically I wanted a woman who could hold her own against a king, so she
couldn’t be a weak character, not in abilities, nor (most importantly) personality.
Where can we purchase this
book?
Silver Milan: Amazon
Can we expect more novels
from you in 2017?
Silver Milan: Yes of course! I already have the sequel to Dragon’s First
Rule available on Amazon, and book 3 will be out in a couple of more weeks.
Are you working on anything
at the moment?
Silver Milan: Book 3 in Dragons of Midnight :)
Are you reading anything
interesting at the moment? If so, what is it?
Silver Milan: The latest Guild Hunter from Nalini Singh, as it
happens.
Do you think you may ever go
into another genre?
Silver Milan: I’ve already dabbled in mysteries and thrillers, and
science fiction. My heart is in romance, though, and even when I switch genres,
there’s always a huge romance element. The big difference is that I tone down
the sex outside of the romance genre. For non-romance, I’ll still have short
sex scenes, but there’s less about how the characters are feeling before and
after.
If you could live in the
world you have created, would you? If no, why not?
Silver Milan: Most definitely. I’d want to be a dragon witch,
advisor to a dragon shifter den in Italy. Probably
the Lazio region, since I’ve always been in love with Rome. I’d
secretly roam the skies at night, hidden from view from the humans with my
magic, and in the day I’d lounge at the beach in Ostia. Ah, it
would be heaven!
What are some of the pro’s
and con’s of self-publishing verses being published by a publisher in your
opinion?
Silver Milan: The control aspect, of course. No one meddles in my
covers, story, etc. But there’s also the financial aspect. Too many romance
publishers really take advantage of naïve authors, locking them into some
fairly brutal publishing agreements, with really low royalties. A lot of the
times agents are to blame. They’ll tell you stuff like: “You really have to
accept this deal! You’ll never make as much money on your own!”
Editors at the big five don’t get a free pass either.
Sometimes they’ll tell you things like: “If you accept this deal, the parent
company will buy movie rights and your book will be fast-tracked for
production!” And so you’ll sign because it’s always been your dream to see your
book become a movie, but then six months down the road the movie option rights expire
and no movie is made.
What is your favorite part
of writing?
Silver Milan: The freedom to be whoever I want. In all my books,
I’m the heroine, living the life of my dreams. I’m in complete control of my
destiny, able to do things, see things I could never do in real life. So I
guess, setting my imagination free, that’s my favorite part of writing.
Can you tell us about your
main character?
Silver Milan: The main character is a woman named Ariel
who was bitten by a lion shifter and is now a shifter herself. She’s still
traumatized by the incident, and when the story begins, she’s a bit broken,
wandering the woods and randomly transforming into her lioness while running
from the pride that did this to her.
Back when she had a life, she was a tile setter,
lining the floors and walls of bathrooms with tiles to give homeowners
gorgeous, magazine-quality bathrooms. On weekends she taught martial arts.
Gracie Ju Jitsu to be exact. She’s a tough, self-reliant woman, used to being
in charge, which is why the out-of-control lioness inside of her is so
disturbing to her.
Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?
Silver Milan: Readers, I love you. Without you I would be nothing. Your Amazon reviews and messages of support have helped more than you know. Thank you for taking a chance on me in a time when no one else would, and I hope to keep you entertained for many years to come.
Random Quickies!
Pepsi or coke?
Silver Milan: Coke
Favorite kind of chocolate?
Silver Milan: White
Cats or dogs?
Silver Milan: Cats
Do you read more than you
write?
Silver Milan: Write more
Hardback/Paperback or eReader?
Silver Milan: eReader
Why do you like eReaders
more?
Silver Milan: No one can see the sexy covers
when I’m reading on the bus ;)
Favorite color?
Silver Milan: Red
How many paperback/hardcover
books do you own?
Silver Milan: 100s
Right now in your line of site,
how many books can you see?
Silver Milan: ~45
Do you own a laptop or
desktop computer?
Silver Milan: both
If a laptop, what kind do
you own and would you recommend it to other authors?
Silver Milan: Mac Book Pro
Have you ever been out of
the state where you live?
Silver Milan: Yes
Dragon’s First RuleDragons of MidnightBook OneSilver Milan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Silver Milan
Date of Publication: October 1, 2017
ASIN: B0743F9XYV
Number of pages: 200
Word Count: 55,000
Cover Artist: Melody Simmons
When newly turned lion shifter Ariel stumbles into the realm of the dragon shifters, she catches the eye of the dangerously attractive dragon king, Jett, and the pair is swept up in a maelstrom of magic and forbidden passion.
Book Description:
Ariel, a newly turned lion shifter, stumbles into the subterranean city of Midnight, home of the dragon shifters. Alone and vulnerable, she catches the eye of the dangerously attractive dragon king. Jett. He charms her and promises help, but can she trust him? After all, he is the King of the Dragons. Why would such a powerful man come to the aid of a common girl?
When Jett realizes Ariel has no one, he vows to protect her, as the girl has been turned against her will in dragon territory. He plans not only to shield her, but to hunt down the very outlaw who hurt her.
But Jett soon finds himself growing attached to his quirky yet beautiful lion shifter. He begins a dangerous game with her, skirting the razor's edge of passion. He must take care because if he surrenders to his desire, he will forfeit not only his throne, but perhaps both of their lives.
Note: This book contains explicit love scenes and is intended for mature readers who like their paranormal romance on the steamier side. Inside you'll find sexy dragons, strong women, and kick-ass magic.
Excerpt:
Ariel stared
into the darkness. She could see a surprisingly good distance inside, thanks to
her enhanced vision. Nothing stood out to her, and the terminus of the passage
was lost to the murk. The darkness seemed welcoming, somehow.
It seemed safe
to turn her back on the cave, and she did so, gazing out from the precipice to
survey the valley in front of her. Ordinarily, she would have thought the wide,
tree-filled expanse so beautiful. She loved nature and hiking. It was one of
the reasons she had come out here in the first place.
But she felt
nothing now, only emptiness. She wondered if she would ever be able to
appreciate such beauty again, given what she had become.
She glanced at
the cave once more. Again, she felt drawn to it, but she shook her head.
Not going
inside.
Though she was
incredibly upset, she didn't have a death wish. There might be a bear or
something sleeping inside. Or maybe a dragon, like that stupid sign had said.
Wouldn't surprise her anymore, not in the least: she was being hunted by lions
who could become humans, after all. And she was one of those lions.
For now, all she
wanted was to get away from those hunters. She would stay here for a few hours,
long enough to be sure the animals had gone away. And then she would climb back
down and get the hell out of here.
And what then?
Well, she figured she would have to live out the rest of her days in the woods.
It would be a solitary life, away from the technology that drove modern
society. She would have to give up all her friends and family.
Maybe she could
get a sat-phone or something, so she could still talk to her family
occasionally. But she couldn't return, at least not until she could get the
beast inside of her under control. That was something she doubted would ever be
possible. Then again, moments ago she had exerted her will on the lioness and
prevented her from ripping out of her skin. That was something, at least. A
reason to hope.
She sat down on
the precipice and settled in for a long wait. She decided she would stay here
until nightfall. That would be the best time to retreat, since her beast
operated best in the dark.
But so do the
other lions, she reminded herself.
Maybe that
wasn't such a good idea. Well, she'd sit here for a while, and make up her mind
on what she wanted to do.
Maybe a minute
passed before she heard a voice behind her. "Well hello."
Ariel spun in
fright; when she saw the man standing at the cave mouth, she momentarily forgot
all fear, forgot where she was and how she got there, and instead simply
stared, spellbound.
Standing in
front of the cave entrance towered the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He
had to be at least six and a half feet tall. He was too gorgeous to be a model.
Too breathtaking to be a movie star. She got butterflies in her stomach just
looking at him. Where to begin? His hair… oh yes, his hair. It was as if
someone had taken several bars of gold and melted them down to form the bouncy
curls that fell around that spectacular face. His eyes were a fiery gold like
his hair, almost unnaturally so. They were almond-shaped and beguiling, shining
with intelligence.
His broad, bold
nose jutted aristocratically from his face, perfect in every way. The plump
lips of his chiseled, sensuous mouth had such gorgeous curves—if any lips were
created for kissing, it was those. He had a strong, aristocratic jaw that
matched his nose, and blemish-free, smooth bronze skin.
His thickly
corded neck disappeared into the collar of a black and gold dress shirt, whose
sleeves were rolled back to the elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. Black
and gold tribal dragons were tattooed from wrists to elbows on each arm. The
shirt did little to conceal the outline of his wide, powerful shoulders, and
the hard muscles of his pecs that pressed out from beneath the fabric. She
could make out the lines of a six-pack.
A designer belt
cinched his lean waist, and below that he wore dark-washed, fitted jeans. Her
eyes lingered on his groin, where—
Ariel blinked as
she realized the brazenness of what she was doing, and the spell broke. She
quickly lifted her eyes back to his face.
The beautiful
man's lips were upturned in amusement.
She realized she
was stark naked and quickly covered her breasts with one arm, twisting her
torso away and covering her bum with her other hand. She kept her gaze on him,
staring at him over one shoulder.
"What are
you looking at?" she said.
"I'm
looking at you," he replied defiantly. She hadn't noticed it when he spoke
before, but even his voice was sexy as hell.
As she gazed at
his haughty expression, the fear returned. Not of him, but for him.
"Are you
one of them?" she said.
"One of
who?" the man said, still smiling.
"You're
obviously not a backpacker or camper," Ariel said. "You don't find
many people who dress like European fashionistas in the wilderness of the
Midwest."
"No, you
don't," the man said hypnotically.
Then again, if
he was one of the lion-men who pursued her, he would have been butt-naked, like
her.
"Look, it's
been a rough few days," she said. "I'm not in the mood for
games."
"You seem
in surprisingly good spirits to me," the man said.
She smiled
fleetingly. "Call it a defense mechanism. Listen, if you're not one of
them, then you're putting yourself at risk. I'm not someone you want to know. I
have to get myself as far away from civilization as I can. Those lions did…
something… to me. I could change at a moment's notice. You could die."
"Change?"
he said.
She heard the
distant roar of a lion echo from the valley below.
That triggered
the beast, and the lioness in her clawed to get out. Clawed clawed clawed.
"I—"
she said. But the words came out a growl. "Run," she managed to
finish.
About the Author:
Silver Milan is a USA TODAY BESTSELLING author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. Publishing under different pen names since 2013, Silver has sold more than 300,000 books.
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