No Remorse by MaryLynn Bast Review, Interview, & Giveaway

Title : No Remorse
Author: MaryLynn Bast
Series: Heart Of The Wolf (#1)
Release Date: March 17th 2012
Edition: E~ARC
Source: In return for honest review and blog tour.
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Werewolves, Vampires, Witches
Rating:



Goodreads Synopsis
Due to her unusual birth, Amber has abilities no other werewolf has ever possessed. On the run since childhood, the lone wolf avoids contact with other werewolves at all cost, continually moving, constantly looking over her shoulder and always alone.
Everything changes when Amber saves a werewolf from the mere brink of death, Blake, the only werewolf to ever protect her. Love blossoms, but not without tribulations when Amber realizes she must help her new pack rescue a member who is being held hostage by a rival pack.
Warring with emotions of going from lone wolf to the pack leader’s mate, Amber must decide if she is willing to risk Blake’s life to know true family and friendship despite the fact that the Council is hell bent on locating her and will stop at nothing until she is found. Will Amber’s special abilities be enough to keep everyone safe?
 

My Thoughts

This story was a fresh and unique story involving werewolves and I loved it. MaryLynn created amazing characters. She created an awesome world where you can just jump right into.
Our journey is with Amber a werewolf with unique abilities that werewolves do not normally have. She spends her life on the run something that she was taught and told that she would always have to do. That is until Blake a sexy Alpha Male comes back into her life. With Blake as her mate they can accomplish anything. Adjusting to pack life is difficult for Amber at first, but with Blake by her side things get better with time.
Marylynn has created a fun full of adventure story with some very steamy sex scenes that will leave you all hot and bothered. With well description throughout this whole story you will believe you are living in it.
Marylynn did a knock out job with this debut novel and I an eagerly waiting for book 2 in this series.
 
Okay everyone I had the privilege of interviewing this amazing new author, and MaryLynn is the sweetest. So onto the interview.

Interview Time

MaryLynn Bast – No Remorse

I would like to thank you for allowing me to be a part of your blog tour.
Anna, thank you for taking the time to participate in the blog tour and helping to promote my first novel No Remorse.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a Texas native, but currently living in Las Vegas. I am married to a wonderful man who supports my writing and have three wonderful children. Writing has always been a part of my life, but I never seriously tried to get anything published until I started working on No Remorse and realized I had a real story to tell.

1. How was No Remorse born so to speak?

A friend of mine knew that I dabbled in writing for fun and suggested I enter a writing contest about werewolves. I have always written short romance stories and I thought what a great challenge. All werewolf stories I had ever read always featured a male character. I wanted to put a twist on it and came up with Amber as my main character. The story begins like this:
“The wind howled as she ran through the heavily wooded forest. Or was the howling the beast that haunted her? Amber knew she should keep running, but stopped in her tracks. She was tired of always running from the darkness that followed her everywhere. She gave in to the hot searing pain, falling to the ground, quickly shedding the clothes that bound her to the human world. Throwing her head back, screaming when her flesh crawled and her bones began the painful cracking and popping. Rain poured through the trees while Amber clawed at the wet soggy ground, her head feeling like it would explode. The flashes of lightening, followed by the loud rolling thunder, swallowed her howls of pain. On all fours, Amber panted, the transformation was complete. She was alone in her own world of nightmares.”
Of course I never submitted the story to the contest, but the beginning passage kept calling to me, so I had to finish Amber’s tale.

2. Is there anything in your book based on real life or is all of it purely imagination? 


No Remorse is based on imagination, but life experiences also tend to color the story just a bit. Amber is pulled from her mother as a teenager. I lost my mother when I was 19, so there is a bit of a connection between Amber and myself and how she struggles through life trying to make it on her own without the loving support of a mother.

3. Do you have any rituals or writing quirks?

I do have a few writing quirks. I hear from some authors that they have to have total silence to be able to write and not be distracted. I guess I’m strange, I have a tendency to open the window blinds to let in the desert sunlight, open up my yahoo messenger and chat while I am writing. I am a big time multi-tasker and need to have several things going at once to keep me sane. The TV or radio is usually playing softly in the background just for noise.


4. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you'd love to work with?


Nearly all the characters in No Remorse will be revisited at one time or another. The theme for the stories is shape-shifter werewolves. I will be venturing into other animals such as the panther and possibly other types of cats.
Adam and Serianna will have their own stories as the Heart of a Wolf Series progresses. I have 5 novels planned for this series. Depending on how big of an audience and the demand, I may continue the series.
Marcello will possibly be getting his own line of stories. I have several of his already written, going through the re-read/re-write process to get them where I want them to be. Marcello is a Special Forces Agent and at this time his tales are not romance based, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be before I am finished.
I was getting questions on what happened with Amber’s first kill in No Remorse. I only touch on what happened during her first shift. So, I wrote “A Justified Kill” which will be out mid-summer in anthology. This will give Ambers fans a detailed look into what happened during the attack and why Amber’s wolf chose this person as her first victim.
Book Two – Softest Touch will feature new characters Marcus and Candice with Darius tagging along. The cast from No Remorse will show up to help out. Softest Touch is anticipated to be released early 2013. Check out www.heartofawolf.com for details on the Series and upcoming books.

5. What do you think the pros and cons of traditional publishing to self-publishing?


I went the self-publishing route because I have more control over my book and what is happening with it and when. Most of all control over the cost and the cover design was a big thing for me. The cons are that I had to learn everything there is to know about getting the book ready for publishing and the cost to do this was a bit more than I had anticipated. I did start out with a publisher. They did the cover at no cost to me. However, they had control over the cover with no input from me. They set the book at such a high price that absolutely nobody would have purchased the book other than family just to show support. During this process I did learn that with the traditional publisher, the author still has to do their own advertising, get their own publicity lined up and do all the leg work. The pros of working with the publisher are that they already have their website established and a following. When they advertise on their website, they could reach more people a whole lot faster.
That being said, learning the process as an indie publisher, networking is the key to building a fan base and just getting your name out there. Each person you come in contact with may have something you can learn from and you may be able to help them out as well.

6. Is there a certain time or place you find writing easier?

The time when I write the most seems to be in the evenings, late into the morning hours. I find that I get so involved in writing that I forget the time. There have been times I will be writing and look up to realize that it is 4am. I can write just about anywhere as long as I am comfortable and have easy access to my computer.

7. Do you write with an outline or just write?


I tend to write the basic ideas of the story, flesh out the characters, then go back and add to the story as I go. I do not do an “outline” per say. Tried that once and I sat and stared at the computer screen with complete writers block. The outline process was trashed for me. So I guess you can say I just write.

8. Did you have a playlist while writing No Remorse as many authors do?


No, I do not have a playlist, whatever is on the radio or TV is playing softly in the background. However, I do take notice when Pink or Lady Gaga is playing. I love Pink! Lady Gaga’s song “Born This Way” reminds me of Amber’s character.


9. Can you give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting with when you wake up until you lie down again?


I work full time with a contractor on military bases, so I typically travel for 3 months at a time. Recently was in Japan, S. Korea and then the not quite so exotic Georgia. My day begins with grabbing a cup of coffee as I head out the door on the way to work. Get my team situated and on their way to hunt down inventory parts, get my work done, and then delve into my writing whenever possible, with lots of interruptions. 10 hours later I go back to my hotel room, grab some dinner and eat while I continue with my writing.
Now that my company is in between contracts. As I wait to go to my next destination, I tend to get up when I wake up and start my day networking, sending emails, blogging and setting up my webpage in preparation for the blog tour and promoting No Remorse and my other works. There have been many times that I haven’t gone to bed until 10 am the following morning, sleep a couple hours, get up and start it all over again. I am going to have to go back to work so I can get some rest.

10. Have you ever written a character who resembles your personality or the personality of someone close to you?


Actually, yes I have. I am currently working on a story that an ebook publisher has asked me to write for his new upcoming series. The main character is loosely based on my experience in Japan, but a big twist on the erotica and of course, the paranormal part of the story.

JUST FOR FUN 

PC or MAC? 

PC I have a desktop on one desk with my laptop open right next to me on the other. Never worked with MAC.

Night Owl or Early Bird? 

Without a doubt, Night Owl.

Beach or Mountains?

Mountains…dream is to have a cabin in the woods, close enough to the lake so I can walk out and watch the sunrise before I go to bed.

Give or Receive?

Love to give, but hey, receiving is fun too.

Favorite Beverage?

At this time Coffee, keeps me going.

Favorite Snack?

Popcorn from the theater is best, but since I don’t go to the movies often, microwave popcorn works too.

Pet Peeves? 

Cabinet and closet doors open, even if it’s just a crack.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Places to find MaryLynn
Heart Of A Wolf
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Places to find No Remorse
Goodreads
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Print