Interview with Mary Auclair, author of Caress of Fire

What can you tell us about your new release, Caress of Fire?

Caress of Fire is set in a post-apocalyptic world where Earth is under the rule of Draekons Lords and their dragons. It is a dark and gritty story, full of betrayal, violence, and intrigue. Danger lurks behind every corner and humans are at the mercy of the Draekon’s power play. This book takes place a year after the events in Touch of Ice (Dawn of Dragons, book 1) and the turmoil continues with a new set of characters.

Fedryc Haal, the hero, is a man with a lot to lose. He has been summoned to Earth by his estranged father to help rule his kingdom, only to arrive and find him murdered by the human woman who was supposed to become his mate. Things take an unexpected turn when Fedryc finds Marielle innocent of his father’s murder and decides to take her for himself.

Each novel of this series can stand alone, but Caress of Fire is book 2 in the Dawn of Dragon series. It also contains adult scenes and violence, so readers who dislike this content should abstain.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

Like so many authors, I have always been an avid reader, but it is really my grandmother who forged my passion for writing. She was an exceptionally intelligent woman and a great lover of literature. Through her, I read all the classics, some great poetry and was constantly encouraged in my own endeavor.

Off course, I wonder what she would have though if she knew I became a writer of steamy romance!

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

My favorite book of all time is Camille, from Alexandre Dumas, which off course I read in French, La Dame aux Camelias, as I grew up in French Canada and French is my first language.

Then, in no particular order and of mixed genres:

The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling

It, by Stephen King

The Sookie Stackhouse novels, by Charlaine Harris

The Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

The author that fascinates me the most is Stephen King. I would absolutely love to ask him how he is able to see both the best and the very worse in his characters, which often become the monsters in his stories.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

What I love about writing is that it allows me to spend my time endlessly putting down into words the worlds that populate my dreams. I know it sounds cliché, but there is not a single moment that different stories don’t push themselves into my brain, screaming at me until I put them down on paper (or on the screen!). I also love that in writing, I get to express things I normally couldn’t. In real life, I’m shy and introverted, but in my novels, I can be anything I want. This is a freedom I could never let go of.

What is a typical day like for you?

I have two young children (2 and 10), so my mornings are hectic at best. I also live with two large dogs and an African Grey parrot. I can usually start working around 9h30 am, when the babysitter has arrived to take care of my youngest. I then look at my emails and do various tasks until 10am, then write straight until 12h30, when I need to be a mom again. I then put my toddler down for a nap and work until 3pm, then I’m a mom until both of them are in bed, around 8h30pm. I then work until 11h30 max, since I have to do it all over again the next day!

I also work only one novel at a time. My brain doesn’t seem to function any other way.

What scene inCaress of Fire was your favorite to write?

The meeting scene between the two main characters is always my favorite and at the same time the most difficult. In Caress of Fire, as both Fedryc and Marielle’s situation are dire for different reasons, I wanted to make them clash and stick together at the same time. They needed to match wit and have a strong attraction, but also were fundamentally enemies in the beginning, as Marielle was accused of murdering Fedryc’s father. It was quite fun to draw the image of Fedryc as the all-powerful Draekon Lord and of Marielle as the human woman who stands up to him.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Yes, I do! One day at a time. It’s the only way to get through it!

Mary Auclair is the author of the new book Caress of Fire

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