INTERVIEW WITH M.L. MASTRAN (Bloodlines-Albion Moon Chronicles Book II)

Hello and welcome to June. It will be interesting to see what this month brings as we all face our new world. Lucky for us, we've got an author in the house today. M.L. Mastran is here to answer our three fave questions. Welcome!

SC: Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.

MLM: My main character is Evaline; fearless, beautiful and strong. She represents the resilience to adversity and is willing to protect her family no matter what. She has gone through a few changes since Book one as well.  She is still adjusting to her new life and new family with Mason but those old secrets that found them in book one, are very much still a threat.  She also lets readers see what happened to Mason and his family and the heartbreaking way they came to be, through their memories as that is one of the abilities she now has.  Additionally, she makes a tough decision and has to leave something behind when the family abruptly has to travel afar. This point proves her strength and willingness to protect what she loves.  I think fans of the first book will love this book because of where she goes and how she shows us.  As she takes us on this amazing journey, this book is about confrontation and revelation.  So there are definitely some heart pounding moments as well as a couple soul crushing instants.   

SC: Evaline sounds like quite the woman. Do you believe in the paranormal and if so, do you have an experience you can share?

MLM:  I do believe in the paranormal to a degree.  Do I believe werewolves and vampires exist; perhaps but not the way pop culture or even mythologies describe them.  Vampires for instance, if they actually looked like Brad Pitt or Kate Beckinsale, would we all want to be one 😊 I believe lore has a basis and if vampires did exist, they would in fact be more demonic and closer to Max Shrek in Nosferatu.  Its of course more exhilarating and fun to portray them as beautiful monsters.  The same could be said about Werewolves.  With perhaps a few exceptions in modern depictions, mythology typically portrayed them as cursed and aligned with the beast.  These stories usually had a tragic end.   Those of you who read Book one will agree my story is a bit different than others and really tackles a few of those perceptions.  Do I believe in ghosts-absolutely.  There are just too many little things I have had happen to not believe.

SC:  What titles are you working on now that you can tell us about?

MLM:  I am currently working on two more stories.  The first is of course book three in the Albion Moon Chronicles.  I do not have a title yet but I can say after you read Bloodlines, you can probably guess where book three will go.  The second book I’m working on is a stand alone and is a paranormal romance.  I have a title I’m playing with but I don’t want to reveal it at this time. I can say this, those of you who love the romances with a time element in it, will LOVE it.  It will likely be out later this year before Book three of the chronicles is released. Keep checking my social media for updates.

SC: Thanks for the quick chat. Let's take a look at your latest book now!

Bloodlines
Albion Moon Chronicles
Book Two
M.L.Mastran

Genre: Paranormal Thriller

Date of Publication: March 13, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-0878-5801-2

ISBN: 978-1-0878-6379-5

Number of pages: 200

Word Count: 70, 528

Cover Artist: Michelle Nelson, Graphic & Interactive Design

Tagline:  The Fight was only the beginning, now its war!

Book Description: 

Evaline and Mason expand their family as an old threat hides in the shadows.  As we dive deeper into the backstory of the MaCowans, we see how it’s all connected to Evaline’s story.  

When the old danger finally resurfaces, it forces Evaline and company to new shores.  Armed with a plan, they soon find out it’s not as simple as they thought.  New revelations about family secrets emerge only to send Evaline into a tailspin.  

As they finally confront the danger, the family must contend with the prospect that they may not survive unless an unknown ally steps in.  Meanwhile, just as the old threat is dealt with, a new, more menacing danger sets its sights on Dunsmuir.

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Excerpt:

She got her keys out of her jacket pocket then exited the home onto the porch. Before going down the steps, she stopped. A shiver coursed through her body; the same feeling as when one was being watched. She peered down the street and saw nothing amiss. Same thing for across and the other side.

Her gut swirled, telling her to turn around. The tree across the street looked different, but she couldn’t quite figure out why. Its leaves and branches stirred in an unnatural way, seeming to dance on their own against the breeze.  Every hair on her body stood up at once. The deep silence bothered her—no crickets chirped, nor owls hooted, and there was no sway of the trees or tall grass; the night was calm. She decided to get the book then go inside. After unlocking the car with her key fob, she opened the car door, stretching her arm over and into the back seat.

“Where are you?” she mumbled.

She didn’t see it moving all around, whatever it was. Given the surrounding movement, undoubtedly it wasn’t just one.  The tree trunks seemed to come alive as the tall grass across the street shifted. Silent like shadows, they moved, staying just enough out of sight. Kristy found the book underneath the front seat.

She got out of the car then scanned nearby her. Nothing. Kristy hurriedly closed the car door and turned toward the porch. She peeked over her shoulder. An involuntary gasp escaped her. Shadows darted toward her. She got to the steps and froze. Her eyes widened, and her heart pounded in her chest. The pit of her stomach churned. Not shadows, animals. She could now hear the low growls from the animals around her. But what were they?

She blinked and, just like that, a man stood in front of her. He wasn’t wearing any clothes and had a gleam shimmering in his eyes.

She wanted to scream, but the man caught her attention.

“Uh uh uh,” he said as he put his finger to his lips and then in one breathe, he whispered, “Shhhhhhh.”

His fingernail was long and black with a slight curve at the tip. The man grinned, with glowing eyes and wild should-length hair, but he had a trimmed beard. A voice inside her head was screaming to run as she frantically looked for an escape. Her adrenaline pumped as she saw a chance to get away and tried to take it but before she could do anything, something grabbed her from behind and clenched her tight, it was difficult to breathe. The man neared and stopped, only inches away.

In a harsh, low tone, he said, “If you struggle, it will take less than a second for him to squeeze the life out of you. Don’t.”

About the Author:

Nothing captures the attention of M.L. Mastran more than writing a good story with amazing characters and a history arc that made the history books. This is the Albion Moon Chronicles in every sense.

On the flip side, M.L. can also journey to another world completely and pull the same elements with fantasy and make the reader yearn for more. Her uncanny ability to blend genres makes her unique to the literary world and an absolute reading joy. From the first moment you open the page, curiosity will pull you in and keep you engrossed in the story as you take the voyage with the characters to different places and times; to experience the events as they unfold.

Whether being told from a one character perspective or several points of view, her stories will unfold in your mind like a movie playing in your head. This is what pushes M.L to write her stories. It’s the thrill of the read and the drive to carry readers away that will make this trip to the literary world of imagination all the sweeter.

M. L. was born in Scranton Pennsylvania but was raised in Youngstown, Ohio, which is also where she currently resides with her husband and son.  Since a young age, she has always had a passion for storytelling.  Anything that was of interest to her she could find a story with however, it was her stories of experiences such as walking in an old cemetery, to riding a roller coaster to walking the lonely isles of an old junk yard that seemed the most precious.

M. L. has an undergraduate degree in Communication but also majored in History, which is what her Master’s Degree is in as well.  She also started on her PHD in History.  This love of history is very evident in most of M. L.’s stories. While studying for both degrees, she wrote numerous works for the academic audience.  Many of which were presented and published for both student and professional audiences, but at home she would continue to dabble with her love of fiction.  It was the challenge of creating a new world and characters that would make for some great stories.  In fact, she found out very quickly, strong characters drive the story and make it worth the journey.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mlmastran

Instagram:    https://www.instagram.com/mlmastran/

Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/MLMastran

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