"The Descendant" by S.J. McMillan

Title: The Descendant (City of the Gods)
Author: S.J. McMillan
Publisher: Ruby Lioness Press

Synopsis:

700 A.D. Teotihuacan, Mexico – The High Priest believed himself to be as powerful as the Gods and set a plague on the city as a demonstration of his power. The Gods took pity on the few remaining survivors and granted each immortality and an extraordinary ability. Three of these survivors were given a mission of great importance: train the lone human descendant of their civilization to stop the evil priest from damning the rest of humanity.

2012 A.D. San Diego, California – The time has come to make Katalina Deckard aware of her destiny. Her life has been a constant struggle since the loss of her parents when she was young, but has it prepared her to save the world? Can her friends, who have survived so long ,convince her she has what it takes to accept the mantle of Redeemer?

Buy Links

Ruby Lioness Press / Amazon / OmniLit / Smashwords

What would you consider a perfect day for you as an author?

A perfect day for me would be when the muse is going strong, my motivation is sky high, and there’s nothing that’s going to stop me from writing for as long as I possibly can. Add some non-fattening chocolate and a Mike’s Hard Lemonade Black Cherry flavored and I would be in heaven.

What sort of research (if any) did you do for this novel?

The book is based on an ancient civilization from the city of Teotihuacan in Mexico. I stumbled upon the city while doing some research for the book. I gobbled up all the information I could via internet and books. I stopped short of actually traveling to Mexico to see it for myself (which would be awesome to do one day and has been added to my bucket list of things to do before I die). The history on the city is limited which also gives it some mystery.

Is there any character in particular that you enjoyed writing about the most?

The villain is always fun to write because I can let my imagination run wild and given in to any dark thoughts my mind happens to be harboring. Another character I enjoyed writing was one of the best friends of the main character. She was just a fun loving, free character. She made smile and sometimes giggle at her antics.

Were any of your characters or events from the book based on real life people or experiences you have had?

The main character and her friends each have an exaggerated quality of my personality in them. Katalina is the part of me that just wants to live, love, and laugh. Sabine is the part of me that is more straightforward and serious. Vivian is the bubbly, happy go lucky part of my personality. That’s it as far as basing characters after a real person. And if I’ve ever had an experience like any that my characters go through, I don’t remember. Damn those Men in Black and their little flashy things.

Are there any other projects you are currently working on that you would like to tell us about?

Right now I’m working on the second book of the City of the Gods trilogy. I’m hoping to have it finished by the end of June and submitted to the publisher by mid-July. It takes off close to when the first book ended. It also centers more on another character. The reader also gets to delve a bit deeper into the pasts of some of the characters.

Did any of your characters give you a difficult time while writing this book?

Not really. I had it pretty well outlined how I wanted the story to go. That doesn’t mean there weren’t scenes I had to severely edits or take out all together because a character was going off on their own little tangent. If this were a movie, there would be all sorts of juicy scenes left on the editing floor that didn’t make the cut.

Cappuccino or coffee?

How about orange juice or green tea? I never did develop a taste for coffee or cappuccino.

What do you do in your down time?

I’m a mom and a wife. My down time is spent with my family or doing things for my family. I read when I get a chance, watch TV, exercise, play little games on the computer, and those sorts of things. I’m kind of a home body, so nothing extraordinary.

I am an author signed on with Ruby Lioness Press. I am beyond excited that my urban fantasy novel, City of the Gods: The Descendant, has finally found a home.

I play many roles in life, as we all do. I am a wife to a supportive husband, a mother to three young rascals, and an administrative assistant during the week just to name a few. Now I will finally get to add published author to my list.

I started writing poetry in high school. I enjoy poetry and still write a poem whenever inspiration hits me. I love to read, especially paranormal romances and urban fantasies. The love of reading spawned the urge to try writing a novel of my own.

One of my favorite parts of writing a book is creating the characters. I immerse myself into their lives. I laugh when they laugh and cry when they cry. I cheer them on in their triumphs and encourage them in their struggles.

I have also come to enjoy writing fight scenes. Don’t laugh, but my husband (the wonderful man that he is) will act them out with me so I know exactly how I need to show it to the audience. Call us crazy if you want but it is really fun to act out a scene using a broom handle as a spear and a foam baseball bat as an axe.

I hope you enjoy City of the Gods: The Descendant. I am working on the follow up book now. I love to hear from other authors and readers. You can find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/McMillanSJ, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/McMillanSJ, or check out my awesome new website at www.mcmillansj.com.

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