Author Q&A with Brandy Cagle

Author Q&A with Brandy Cagle

1. What is your favorite genre to read?

My favorite genre to read is paranormal romance, but I also read others, such as Fantasy, Thrillers, YA and NA, along with some Suspense novels and Horror. I absolutely love the Paranormal and Supernatural with Vampires, Witches, Warlocks, Werewolves, all of it. 

I am a huge fan of the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning and the Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sara J Maas. Of course, these are big time Authors. And we can’t forget the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.

Since becoming a new Author myself and connecting with so many others, I have come to enjoy some wonderful self- published Authors, such as Eva Alton and her book, Stray Witch. I loved this book and fell in love with Clarence right away. Of course, it could be because he is a Vampire, but it wasn’t. The way she wrote his character, I could picture him in my mind and feel what he was feeling. Everything that Alba went through with her marriage and children is so relatable. I was squealing like a teen girl when they finally kissed. I am currently reading Wendy Bayne’s book, Untitled: Crimes Against the Crown. I have never read historical fiction, nor did I think I would ever want to, but Wendy’s book has drawn me in and made me feel like I was part of that time. When I’m reading it, I find myself even speaking like they would have back in that time. Weird, I know, but true. Next on my list is the fun romance, Love on the Rocks by Elsie McArthur. 

I was lucky enough to be picked up by FyreSyde Publishing during the last #PitDark submissions on Twitter. I have now connected with some of my fellow Authors, Rachel Hailey, Claire Carter, Diana Miller, Jayme Phelps, and Brittany Weirsrock. I have Rachel Hailey’s; Sleeping with Shadows and Diana Miller’s; The Descent that are also on my TBR list. 

I have also been asked if I only plan to write romance and about the paranormal and the answer is no. 

I have already begun a story for my 16-year old daughter in the YA genre: Untamed.

I have so many ideas in my head. I wish I could put them all out as fast as they go through my mind, but, let’s save them for later…….. 

I want to write in all aspects of life. I want to write in many different genres. The key here, is that I want to write. 

2. Have you always wanted to write?

I wrote a short story when I was in the 4^th grade for 4-H Club. It was offered to the entire school for all 4^th and 5^th grades. I wrote about the story of The Light of Chapel Hill. This is a small town about 15 minutes from my hometown in Tennessee. There are train tracks that run through there. The legend of the mysterious light that floats around is supposedly the head of a man that was flagging down a train. He slipped and fell on the tracks, to then be beheaded by the train’s rail wheels. On certain nights, people have reported seeing what appears to be an apparition (the body of a man) with no head and he’s searching for his head, which is the small ball of light that also has been seen. I never expected to win first prize. I always got A’s on essays in high school that we had to write. This was something my Granny also did. She wrote songs and poems and I began writing with her. It was something she and I shared together, and I cherished every moment. It was then that I fell in love with writing. I also wrote poems about some friends that had passed away, and for my family members.

My middle sister, Sammie Jo is a professional wedding photographer, but also has a love of books and writing. She shared with me that she had started writing a book about the Fae. I was amazed at how she had everything outlined in detail. Even though she only had one chapter done, it was intriguing. I then shared with her how I had been writing down some crazy and bizarre dreams I was having, and that was when she told me I should finally write that book I always wanted to. She was the same one that got me to go back to school and become a Medical Assistant. I did and graduated at the top of my class with honors. So, I started writing, never thinking I would be able to come up with enough material for one book, let alone three. Yes, the one turned into three. I am proud to say that I have written a trilogy and working on a fourth book for my daughter.

3. What do you do when you have writer’s block?

What do I do? I have to say that this is fairly easy for me. I have a rather impressive play list of music that I listen to that gives me inspiration. Just listening to the lyrics can give me thoughts and ideas. What’s even better is that they are so relatable to my story, from the darkest and scary parts to the fun and romantic, to the sad and everything in between. 

I constantly have my story and my characters churning in my thoughts. They have taken up residence there and by some sort of unseen force, I cannot evict them. They are there to stay, so I am always thinking of what happens next, what if this happens, or that happens, what will be the effect? What if I change this up some and add more, or if I take something away, will it leave the reader wanting more? So, I am never ending with ways to come up and make this story better. 

I also have an interesting group of friends that I can bounce ideas off of. My beta readers are also a big help. 

But the one and most important weapon I have and use for this is my sister. Again, she and I get together and bounce ideas off each other and it’s been a match made in Heaven. She has been there to help me so much with all of this. 

4. Do you write under a pen name? 

I’ve not only thought about this issue, but I’ve also been asked this, many times. Will I use my real name or a different one because of some of the love scenes in my novels? Will I be ashamed or worried that it may offend someone or make others question my faith? Will I be shunned by people that I go to church with?

The answer is no. I am using my real name and I am not ashamed and if I offend someone, then they have the problem, not I. A true Christian will not do that. 

I am a Christian and believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. I am not ashamed to say so. I was given a gift to write short stories and poetry, that I shared with my Granny. I have written poetry for years but only shared them with family and friends. The gift of an imagination to then put it down for others to read all comes from God above. To write about Good Vs Evil is another Book in itself. It’s called The Holy Bible. My characters may engage in an X-rated love scene, but they are in love. They are expressing their love and that is what people in love do, so why should it be a ‘sin’ to read a story about two people in love? If there were no real – life love scenes, there would be no one to read love scenes. 

Hello? Where do babies come from? Yes, it is called, sex, so grow up and act a little mature.

I have to commend one of my favorite Authors, Teresa Medeiros, (After Midnight and The Vampire Who Loved Me) She too had those same questions, stating that it is never a sin for an artist to try to depict life accurately as possible, and that includes the sexual aspects of life. She also stated: If I’m going to make my readers part of my characters’ lives, then I don’t feel comfortable showing them all other aspects of that life, then slamming the bedroom door in their faces. I agree completely with what she says; that romances are actually incredibly moral books. Every plot may not lend itself to marrying off the hero and heroine before they do the deed, but you’ll usually find that while they’re still basking in the afterglow, my heroes are already thinking, “Hey, I need to marry that woman!” 

I applaud Teresa as an author and a Christian and that her church and the congregation support her. That is what a true Christian does. She believes that God gave her, her talent and wants her to use it for good, just as I do with my own.

5. How do you choose your book titles?

This is an excellent question. I think I spent countless months of thinking up titles. I wanted something that represented the book, but then realized I had not only one book to contend with, but now three. I bounced ideas off of my editor and came up with names: Dream Evil, Haunted Dreams, What Lies Beyond Dreams, and so on. But Dream Evil had been at the forefront for quite a while. Of course, I saved these titles for other possible books in the future. 

It all came down to my wanting the titles to coincide and flow. I wanted them to represent what the book was about, what it entailed. Then I threw a monkey wrench in my own plan. I wanted them to contain the same letters and be in alphabetical order. I guess that could be the OCD coming out. 

After months and months of tossing ideas around, I finally (all on my own) came up with my titles:

Book 1: Dreams of Darkness and Desire

Book 2: Dreams of Shadows and Seduction

Book 3: Dreams of Terror and Temptation

There you have it… my Dreams Trilogy.

6. Would you want to make your book into a film?

Oh wow! Another excellent question, and the answer is YES X INFINITY!! I am over the moon with the comments I have gotten back from my beta readers, but to hear a few of them telling me they can already see it as a movie or even a series, sent me sky- rocketing to the stars. And to now hear feedback from those that have just read the first ten chapters saying this too, well, it’s every writer’s dream. Well, it is for me, anyway. 

After writing the first few chapters, I could picture it all in my head. I could see the characters. I then went to Pinterest and found my book characters and from then on, as I wrote, these people became real and the story played in my mind exactly like a movie. And that movie doesn’t stop. When I go to bed, the big screen is still in motion and the actors are still playing their parts. 

What makes this story different from others (at least in my mind) is that it did just that. It came from my mind, my dreams to be exact. The first book of the trilogy is a Contemporary Fictional Dark Paranormal Romance intertwined with many different elements that builds as you read on, with Romantic Suspense and Tension, with some added Darkness and Mystery. You will also get a bit of Horror with a taste of Seduction. There are many questions throughout, some get answered (with tiny clues) while others will take you to that cliffhanger, leaving you wanting to find out what happens in the next book, only to be led into more suspense and stumble upon more questions to be answered in book three. Who or what is the Shadow Man? What does he want and why? Where did he come from? Then of course the love story, will it continue? Will someone endure heartbreak? Will there be another romance beginning to kindle? Will someone die? 

What is unique about this novel is that it falls into many different genres and categories, making it open to different readers. 

To see this trilogy come to life, whether it be on the big screen or TV, would be my dream come true. 

You can find Brandy on Twitter.