Books are MJ’s favorite form of magic, as a reader and an author. She writes paranormal women’s fiction, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and YA post-apocalyptic fantasy, creating characters she’d like to meet in real life, and worlds where there’s no such thing as too much coffee.
MJ’s short story, “Flight of the Falcon,” is included in the upcoming FF & P fantasy anthology, Secrets We Keep, releasing on October 22, 2024.
Summarize your story in 75 words or less.
Modern spell-tech and ancient magic intersect in this romance-driven heist at a hot air balloon festival. Rain is a mage in hiding, her only companion a raven familiar obsessed with the Wizard of Oz. Avery, an illusionist mage and master thief, has a bounty on his head. Can they overcome the pain of their shared past, find their way to love again, and save a city from demonic possession?
What’s a favorite part of your story?
Any time Horace is talking, I’m smiling. I love his obsession with the Wizard of Oz.
What/who was the inspiration for your story?
The heist series Leverage is one of my favorites to rewatch, especially because of the relationship dynamics. Sophie and Nate make me want to hug the heck out of them and give them a spa weekend. Parker and Alec Hardison are my favorite couple to root for. Plus, they wield tech like magic. I had the thought, “what if there really was magic?” and it ended up as a second chance romance with tech wizards, ancient amulets, demonic possession and a heist.
Name three of your favorite sci-fi or fantasy authors.
Anne McCaffrey, Lois McMaster Bujold, Jack McDevitt. (Wow, it’s tough narrowing to three!)
If you could meet anyone, imaginary or real, in sci-fi or fantasy, who would it be and why?
The characters of Penric and Desdemona in Lois McMaster Bujold’s series of the same name. Teenage Penric was accidentally possessed by an ancient demon, Desdemona, with knowledge and perspective accumulated from multiple past possessions. I’d love to have a conversation (or several) about their experiences.
You’re stranded on a desert island, and you can only have one book. Which book do you bring with you and why?
It probably would have been smart to pack, How to survive on a desert island: Operation Robinson! by Denis Tribaudeau, illustrated by Karine Maincent. But instead, I packed my tattered, yellowed copy of Anne McCaffrey’s 1967 classic, “Restoree.” It’s a variation on a stranger in a strange land. Two traumatized people help each other escape their prison, uncover a massive plot, overcome social prejudices, defeat horrific aliens, and find love. I’ve read it a dozen times since finding it in 1990, and I can spot its influence in my own preference for themes of empowerment and acceptance.
Tell us about your latest release(s) and what’s coming next for you.
“Flight of the Falcon” is my latest release. I’ve published three other short stories in anthologies. In the short “Hell Hath No Fury,” a ghostbuster may have met his match in a glamorous trophy wife. And in “4,287 Promises,” a demigod promises the world to a young woman at a Montana hot spring if she’ll teach him the local customs. In 2025, I’m publishing a paranormal women’s fiction series about a woman hired to be the liaison between humans and a Fae settlement.
How can readers find you online?
I’m not active on social media. Sorry!
Do you write fantasy, sci-fi, or paranormal romances? Join FF & P! FF& P is a special interest chapter of the RWA for authors and professionals who write in these genres. New member dues are $20 and renewals are $15 per year. Perspective members must be in good standing and an active member with national RWA. Visit FF & P for more information.