When you began writing Nefarious, was it a goal that it become a series? Tell us about your series.

The Nefarious series was inspired by Dracula, steampunk, and German Expressionism, like Nosferatu and Faust. I noticed a lot of discontent in the paranormal romance market a few years ago. People wanted their vampires bloodthirsty again, so I set out to write a series that would meet that demand, and give a new spin on things.

I first started writing it about four years ago. Originally, it started out as a flash fiction piece, but I really enjoyed writing from the perspective of a villain (who thinks he’s a put-upon hero), and decided to map it out to six books.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what were your aspirations?

No. I initially went to school for law, but dropped out and got started in the healthcare field. I stayed there for ten years before becoming a freelance writer and then publishing fiction.

When I was in high school though, I wrote my first ever short story, printed it, and sold it to friends and family.

I have a theory that we all know what we are good at and like doing at a young age, but few of our elders tap into that or encourage us. It’s not that people told me I couldn’t be a writer, it’s that no one knew how to help me get started. There are no writers in my family or immediate social circle—not then and not now. I really regret not venturing out on my own with publishing when I graduated, because Kindle had just come on the market then.

What author would you say has had the biggest impact on your writing goals?

This is going to come down to a four-way tie.

First, I’d have to say Nick Stephenson and Derek Murphy. Nick Stephenson, through his course, Your First 10K Readers, showed me how to really set up the scaffolding to get started on self-publishing. Without this, I might have given up before I really got started just out of sheer frustration and tech overload.

Derek Murphy has some amazing content on his site and over on Youtube on the business side of writing. While writing is a form of art, it isn’t just an art form. You have to write stories that people will enjoy and not just be a pointy head who debates the merits of the Oxford comma.

Marissa Scott, an erotica indie author, gave me some great advice on how to publish on a schedule and how to create and effectively use box sets.

And finally, my co-writer, D. Fischer. Without her, the Prurient’s Bluff series would have never happened, and I’d probably have given up writing and gone back to my old job. Thanks for being such an awesome business partner!

Tell us about your latest, Nefarious Four. Do you have anything you are working on that we can look forward to?

Nefarious Four is launching in KU on Valentine’s Day. It’s the fourth book in my steampunk vampires series. I introduce a lot of new characters in the book, including a witch coven. The book has more dark fantasy elements to it than the previous three books in the series, and it’s more fast-paced and less focused on romance like Nefarious Three, although romance still plays a strong part in the narrative.

The Blurb:

Described as “captivating,” and “hauntingly beautiful,” the Nefarious series is a sophisticated, enthralling, and well-written tale of intrigue and devious desires. Set in a lurid, southern gothic world, follow the undead Talcott Henderson as he engages in a battle of wits with his intended, Elyse Delafayette.

But wait, what’s this? Half-ling dhamphyrs armed with hawthorn stakes, an energy-witch coven torn apart by infighting, and a corpse-like, ancient vampire king with an agenda of his own?

Enhanced with custom illustrations, this fast-paced steampunk series will leave you on the edge of your seat and hungry for more. If you are sick and tired of wimpy vampires and the flood of terrible books on the romance market, grab your copy today of the Nefarious series and relearn what a true escape into fiction is all about.

I have a goal to launch Nefarious Five in mid-April, and it will cover the back story of one of my main characters, and a large chunk of the book will be dedicated to a time during the French Revolution. So severed heads, severed heads everywhere!

If you’re interested in following the series, you can sign up to my mailing list by downloading my free steampunk short story, Hannibal Steele and the Bone Elixir.

Who would you want to collaborate with past or present?

I have an idea for a novella that I’d like to publish this summer in between the end of the Nefarious series and my next series on steampunk pirates. The novella would be an m/m shifter romance that would take place during the American Civil War, and I’d love to work with the talented author Jex Lane on it.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Get started now. Waiting won’t do you any favors. Publishing is a long game and the more books you put out the more successful you will be, but the caveat for that is make sure you’re writing books people actually want to read. What I mean is story and structure should be the priority before writing ‘craft.’ Don’t worry so much about being the ‘perfect’ writer, just write a good story that will hold someone’s attention.

Thank you so much for the interview!

You can join my Facebook group, Moncrief’s Minions, where we post funny memes and talk about books.

If you want to sample my work, download my free steampunk short story, Hannibal Steele and the Bone Elixir. All those who download are automatically signed on to my email list for future updates on my books.

Head on over to my blog, moncriefs.net, for Steampunk Vampire interviews, helpful articles for aspiring authors, and free and discounted book fairs!

Thanks again, and happy reading

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