Mia Ashlinn
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19 Ratings Avg - 4.4
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Author's Bio
Mia Ashlinn lives in East Tennessee in a charming house by a creek, only miles from the Smoky Mountain National Park. When not writing, Mia splits her time between reading and culinary pursuits.
Prolific from a young age, Mia has read an exorbitant number of books. Mia’s reading interests cover a wide range, from romance to mystery and once, even to a phone book, though she found it a little wordy for her tastes.
Mia fantasized about writing when she read her first romance novel at age ten. Unfortunately, life continually got in the way. Her daughter’s entry into school presented the perfect opportunity to follow her dreams. With the support of her husband, Mia began the adventure of writing which culminated in the acceptance of her first manuscript with Siren Publishing.
Mia believes that grownups deserve their own fairy tale romances with the happily ever after of their dreams. Her recipe for a fairy tale includes handsome heroes willing to share the heart of a captivating heroine, all set in an unorthodox Kansas town. Mia sprinkles in a smidgeon of humor, a dash of romance, and a whole mess of naughtiness. What she serves up is a decadent treat she hopes readers will devour.
Mia Ashlinn is happily married to a wonderful, loving man who has inspired her in more ways than he could ever know. He has given her the world in one very sassy drama queen who is the light of her life.
Author's Profile
Q: Okay, let’s start with some fun questions. If you could be a tree, what kind would you be?
A: Oh, the irony. When I was a little girl, I had quite the imagination. Okay, I admit it. I dreamed big. One particular fantasy was that all things were living beings with thoughts and feelings, including trees. So, I was often found sitting by various trees, chattering away. In my defense, I didn’t want them to be lonely! Many kids have imaginary friends, I had tree friends. Anyway, someone asked me this exact question back then. My answer was, and still is, a weeping willow. They were everything that I wanted to be when I grew up—larger than life, beautiful, strong, soothing, graceful, majestic, and dramatic. As an adult, I no longer talk to them, but they have a special place in my heart.
Q: If you could be a superhero, what would you want your super powers to be?
A: My dirty mind is screaming, “X-Ray vision,” so I think that I will go with that one.
Q: If you knew that you were going to be stranded on a desert island, what items would youbring along with you? This does not include necessities such as water, clothing, or food.
A: My e-reader (a girl has got to be able to read), laptop (a writer must have something to keep her sanity with), my Sweet Serenity notebooks, solar chargers (wouldn’t want the electronic gadgets to go dead), and a satellite phone (to call for help).
Q: Let’s get personal. What is the first thing that pops in your mind when asked these questions:Favorite color? Favorite food? Favorite place? Favorite song? Favorite movie?
A: Favorite Color: Red. Favorite Food: Hello? I’m a woman. Chocolate, chocolate, and oh, yeah, chocolate. Favorite Place: Cade’s Cove. Favorite Song: “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” by Taylor Swift. (This really is the first thing that popped into my mind! I don’t know if I agree or not.) Favorite Movie: A Walk to Remember.
Q: You are a big fan of quotes. Are there any that you would like to share with the readers?
A: That’s easy. I have two favorite quotes—one for the hopeless romantic residing in my soul and one for the naughty chick dirty dancing in my mind. “I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.” — Elizabeth Barrett Browning and “Play with each other. Play with yourselves. Just don’t play with the squirrels, they bite.” — Author Unknown.
Q: If someone snooped through your personal library, what would they find?
A: All sorts of books by a variety of authors. Truthfully, I will read just about anything. If someone placed a book in front of me, I guarantee that I will crack it open and start reading. I never discriminate; however, my personal favorites are always ménages. If someone went through my collections, they would find that the majority are ménages of some sort—MMF, MFM, and MFMM are the most prevalent. If they wanted to go one step further, they would discover that I have a soft spot for contemporary, cowboy, and paranormal stories.
Q: What books and authors have influenced your writing?
A: Three books stand out in my mind. “Double Standards” by Judith McNaught was one of my first romance reads. I was fairly young at the time, but I remember thinking, “I want to love, and be loved, like that.” After that, I read every romance novel I could get my hands on. “Divine Grace” by Heather Rainier captivated me with its theme: “Seize The Day!” I could not put this novel down. When I finished in the wee hours of the morning, I turned off my e-reader and said, “If Grace can seize the day, then I can, too.” It took some time to get it through my thick skull, but I did. Last, but certainly not least, “Small Town Siren” by Sophie Oak. This novel was my first glimpse into the world of MMF ménages. Yes, I am perfectly aware that this was a MFM, but the emotional connection between the two heroes had me salivating for “Siren In the City,” which was a MMF. The beauty of the two men’s relationship took my breath away and thrust me into a new world that would forever change my writing.
Q: Name five writers you would most like to meet and why?
A: Holy guacamole! Just five? Okay, I can do this. They would be (in no particular order): Sophie Oak because she is a total rock star, Heather Rainier because I want to thank her in person for being such a good friend, Corinne Davies because she is one of the most amazing people I have ever talked to, Edith DuBois because she has a wicked sense of humor, and Stacey Espino because she inspires me. Since my daughter’s favorite number is six, I am going to throw in one for good measure—Lora Leigh because, well, she is Lora Leigh!
Q: Now, we are heading into the juicy part – writing. Obviously, you love to write. Why is that?
A: Why do I eat? Or drink? Or breathe? I have to for my own survival – and everyone else’s around me.
Q: Do you fly by the seat of your pants or do you plot your course beforehand?
A: I start out with a plan, but I go where the wind takes me. Before I begin, I outline the entire story from beginning to end. As I write, I give myself over to the moment. The characters take me where they want to go, and I scramble around to alter the outline to fit the new twist or turn. By the end of the story, the outline is probably seventy to eighty percent different than the initial one. I don’t complain, though. The system works best for all parties.
Q: Do you have an interesting writing quirk—like writing upside down, typing with your toes, orhopping on one foot while talking into a tape recorder? Or, do you have a lucky charm like a b.o.b on your desk?
A: My writing quirk involves my car. When I plot, I drive. When I’m blocked, I drive. When I’m stressed out or tired, I drive. For the story I’m working on now, I drove around three different counties for four hours. I cannot even remember how many times I pulled over – on the side of the road or in every kind of parking lot known to man. If anyone lives in East Tennessee and spots a Subaru sedan driving aimlessly in circles, pulling over at random places, it’s me!
Q: This is a very common question, but inquiring minds want to know. What inspires you?
A: If someone can figure out the answer to this question, please let me know. I’m just kidding. Sort of. I don’t exactly know where the inspiration comes from. Often, it comes to me like a bolt of lightning. I have tons of “Eureka!” moments. The closest answer I can give is the characters are my inspiration. They appear in my mind and tell me their story. I jot it down and run like the wind.
Q: Speaking of inspiration, what inspired you to write your first book?
A: When I decided to follow my dreams, I had a “Crap! What am I going to write?” moment. A few days passed before the answer fell into my lap. While surfing the Internet, I found a short story writing contest that I thought was the perfect opportunity for me. I grabbed my laptop and just started writing. And writing. The further I got into the story, the more my heart became attached and the more the outline grew. A week went by, and I grew closer to the dreaded word count maximum. My heart was breaking and my characters were furious. Let me just say, this was not a good combination. I was on a one way trip to insanity. When I realized that I couldn’t take anymore, I consulted a couple of wonderful people who gave me the best advice - Follow your heart. If it said to keep going, then keep going. Thankfully, I did.
Q: Give a morsel of what is to come…
A: A lot of trips to Kansas.
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