Mya
O’Malley - Bio
Mya
O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where
she currently lives with her husband, daughter and three
step-daughters. The family also consists of two boxers; Destiny and
Dolce and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate
degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and
literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys
making a difference in the lives of her students.
Mya
currently has two new releases: At First
Sight, a contemporary romance about dating in
the modern world, published by Astraea Press, and Where
There is Love, a contemporary romance in
which a woman struggles with past obstacles, ultimately faced with
whether or not she will open her heart to love. Where
There is Love is published with Solstice
Publishing. Mya is excited to say that Astraea Press will be
releasing her contemporary holiday paranormal romance titled If
You Believe on November 25, 2014. Due to be
released late January is The Calm After the
Storm, published by TouchPoint Press. This
novel is a contemporary romance taking place in the setting of
Hurricane Sandy. The story revolves around the idea of a utility
worker from Georgia falling in love with a woman in New York. Mya’s
passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since
she was a child. Mya spends her free time reading just about
anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and
loves to create stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to
travel; she has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Costa
Rica. Mya is currently working on her sixth novel.
Mya
O’Malley – Double Decker Books Interview
I
have many ambitions for my career as a writer. I wish to promote the
books that I already have published so that I can share my stories
with others. The use of social media has been tremendously helpful to
me, now I would like to expand my reach to my local area as well. I
would be thrilled to participate in book signings, visit with local
libraries and other venues. I would also like to continue to write
more books because I have so many ideas that I want to see come to
life in print. I have learned a lot during the writing and
publication process already, but I feel that there’s so much more
information out there to gain. One of my goals is to connect with
more authors and collaborate on many aspects of writing. I think it
would be great to attend more author events and conferences to mingle
with fellow authors.
Which
writers inspire you?
The
list could go on and on. There are truly so many talented authors
that have inspired me to write my own stories. Nicholas Sparks is
right up there, he writes touching love stories that have great plots
that stay with you long after you have finished reading his books. I
guess you could say I have eclectic tastes in books, many years ago I
was a huge Dean Koontz fan, I also enjoy reading James Patterson,
Jodi Picoult and Lisa Jackson. In a way, all of these authors have
inspired me.
If
you could say give advice to one of your characters who would it be
and what would you tell them?
It
would have to be Mia in Where
There is Love.
Without giving away too much of the plot, I would advise her to give
herself a break and look at all she has accomplished. Mia is a
strong, beautiful character that struggles with her past. I would
tell her that she can do anything she puts her mind to and that she
deserves happiness.
What
was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
My latest book is a young adult fantasy story about a young teen who feels that the grass is always greener everywhere else. I had so much fun writing this story as it was my first real young adult novel, my other novels fall into the genre of contemporary romance. The hardest thing was to think about my main character’s age and try to convey the thoughts of a young teen throughout the text. Also, the story’s setting focuses on an underwater village filled with mermaids. It was challenging to place my characters in the ocean and portray the actions of these characters from this setting. My antagonist in this book was complicated, however, she was also a lot of fun to create. Overall, withstanding some challenges, I had a great time creating this story. I think it’s important for authors to challenge themselves, that’s how we grow as writers
Tell
us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.
Oh, I love my covers! I’m so excited to display my covers while marketing and showing others my books. My cover for At First Sight is perfect for this story. The cover is fun and flirty, it portrays my characters perfectly. My main character, Annie, reluctantly tries online dating after her divorce while holding out for the idea of love at first sight. The cover has a computer mouse in the center of the beautiful cover. My publisher, Astraea Press, provided the cover for this book and the designer, Cora Graphics, was wonderful to work with. They asked for descriptions of the characters and setting, the theme of the book and feedback from me. I loved that cover immediately.
The
cover for Where
There is Love, published
by Solstice Publishing, is another perfect fit for my book. I
selected Classy Designs to create the depiction of my main character,
Mia, and the setting of my story. I communicated my thoughts for the
cover with Classy Designs and I was excited to see the final cover
meet my needs. Classy designs was flexible and easy to work with. I
think it’s so important to have a cover design that catches the
reader’s eye, I’m pleased to have covers that I’m so proud to
speak about.
My latest book is a young adult fantasy story about a young teen who feels that the grass is always greener everywhere else. I had so much fun writing this story as it was my first real young adult novel, my other novels fall into the genre of contemporary romance. The hardest thing was to think about my main character’s age and try to convey the thoughts of a young teen throughout the text. Also, the story’s setting focuses on an underwater village filled with mermaids. It was challenging to place my characters in the ocean and portray the actions of these characters from this setting. My antagonist in this book was complicated, however, she was also a lot of fun to create. Overall, withstanding some challenges, I had a great time creating this story. I think it’s important for authors to challenge themselves, that’s how we grow as writers
Oh, I love my covers! I’m so excited to display my covers while marketing and showing others my books. My cover for At First Sight is perfect for this story. The cover is fun and flirty, it portrays my characters perfectly. My main character, Annie, reluctantly tries online dating after her divorce while holding out for the idea of love at first sight. The cover has a computer mouse in the center of the beautiful cover. My publisher, Astraea Press, provided the cover for this book and the designer, Cora Graphics, was wonderful to work with. They asked for descriptions of the characters and setting, the theme of the book and feedback from me. I loved that cover immediately.
At First Sight Blurb
Modern love can be a
headache. Just ask Annie Morgan, who, recently divorced, finds
herself in the middle of the proverbial online dating jungle. Making
a deal with her best friend, Annie agrees to go out on exactly five
online dates out of seventy-six potential suitors.
Shane Nicholls was
jaded, he had his heart broken and never got over the hurt. Now,
convinced that all women are trouble, he avoids drama at any cost.
Funny thing is, drama seems to find Shane around every corner.
Can Annie, a
romantic at heart, find love online or will she find love at first
sight the old-fashioned way, by awkward, chance meetings with Shane
Nicholls? Through a number of obstacles and heartache, Annie and
Shane find that love at first sight really does exist if you truly
believe.
At First Sight Excerpt
Johnny’s
was packed. Standing on line to place her order, Annie took in her
surroundings. Just as the owner, Johnny, was coming over to take her
order, something caught Annie’s eye. The guy near the window, he
seemed familiar somehow. Where had she seen him before? He was eating
dinner with a pretty brunette. He lifted his head to look at Annie as
their eyes locked. On no! It was the guy from the mall, the one she
bumped into. She quickly spun around, knocking right into the
waitress who was carrying a tray of soft drinks.
Soda
soaked her shirt and dripped onto the floor. The waitress was clearly
annoyed and appeared like she would have loved to tell Annie off.
Instead she rolled her eyes and ran to get a towel. If Annie thought
she was embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to how she felt
now. Every eye in the place was on her, including the guy from the
mall. Helpless to do anything else, she grabbed some napkins and bent
down to sop up some of the mess.
“It
seems you have a knack for causing a scene everywhere you go.” It
was his
voice.
The voice that filled her head with inappropriate thoughts, with
longing. What was she thinking? Did she dare look up? His gaze was a
magnet, forcing her to meet his eyes.
His
eyes were a warmer brown than she had remembered, drawing her in.
“I...uh...”
“I’m
joking. Here, let me help you with that.” He grabbed the napkins
from her hand. The heat between them jolted her back. She moved
quickly, surprised he could evoke such a reaction from her. Nobody
had ever made her feel so exposed before. What was going on here?
Annie felt foolish.
“I’m
Shane. Shane Nicholls.” He extended his hand to her. They must have
appeared to be quite the sight, bending over to clean up the mess
while shaking hands.
“Annie.”
Annie remembered her new rules of safety in the dating world. One of
them was she would not reveal her last name or any other personal
information until she was sure the guy wasn’t a stalker or
anything.
“Annie.
It suits you, I like it.” Annie had almost forgot about the woman
waiting for Shane at the table near the window. She glanced over and
took in a tight-lipped woman. It hit Annie that this woman was not
the same stunning woman from the mall. Hmm, she had met his type
before. This guy had “player” written all over him. She quickly
brushed herself off and excused herself.
“Hey,
Annie. Wait.” He reached for her hand. Annie forgot all about
placing her order and made a beeline for the door. She didn’t look
back. Well, Annie figured, it looked like it would be Chinese food
tonight.
Where There Is Love Blurb
Mia
Dennsi is a beautiful young woman who has experienced a challenging
childhood. As an out of work teacher, Mia accepts a position for
home-schooling a troubled, misunderstood teenager. Mia makes it a
priority to help Cassidy overcome her challenges and reach for her
dreams. In the process, Mia experiences healing of her own; she is
faced with issues she must now come to terms with.
Mia
finds a rare friendship in Jamie, her caring and attractive neighbor.
The relationship starts off as friendship, but will Mia let this
healthy friendship bloom into something more or is she destined to a
repeat the vicious cycle of making the same mistakes over and over
again?
Through
the various twists and turns of Mia’s love life, she is forced to
make a decision that will affect her entire future. The reader cannot
help but root for this character to succumb to true love and
happiness.
Where There Is Love Excerpt
I
would have done anything for that girl. Anything. I have dreamed of
Mia, I have waited for Mia. I have loved Mia.
I
can’t trust Mia.
I
can’t get my hopes up again, only to be crushed by her. I couldn’t
stand it.
She
doesn’t allow herself to be happy. What has happened in her life to
cause her to reject the people who love her, who care for her?
I
remember the first time I ever laid eyes one her. The way she bumped
into me, how embarrassed she was. I swear to this day that she is the
most beautiful creature I’ve laid eyes on. Her slim build, dark
hair and striking eyes. And that smile, that smile still warms my
heart.
I
went to see my grandma in Maine for the weekend once I realized that
I was falling in love with Mia. My grandmother and I have always been
close. She has been there for me through thick and thin ever since I
was a child. I grew even closer to her as I was growing up, finding
my way in life. For some reason, I always found it easiest to share
my feelings with Grandma, the two of us like kindred spirits.
My
feelings for Mia scared the life out of me. I told my grandmother
that I didn’t want to risk getting hurt again and that Mia seemed
so unsure of herself. She offered me a piece of advice that I will
hold true to my heart forever: She placed her hand over my heart and
said, “Go where there is love, surround yourself with love.” So I
did, I went to Mia and tried to tell her how I felt, only to be
brushed off with news of Josh coming back into the picture.
I’m
happy with Danielle, she’s smart and she’s beautiful. Yeah, I’m
going to give this a chance, I would be a fool not to.
But...I
think...she’s not Mia.
My heart can’t take Mia.
She
has the power to hurt me, and I can’t survive
that
again.
Mia Dennsi Character Interview - Where There Is Love
I see that you’re a special education
teacher. How did you
first decide to pursue that career?
A:
Mia: I guess you could say that I grew up
with a lot of alone time. As an only child whose father left when I
was small and being raised by a mom who was wrapped up in her career
as a fashion designer, I vowed that I would help others who may be
faced with challenging situations. My best friend, Sarah, has a
brother named Billy who has learning disabilities. I have a special
place in my heart for Billy and love spending time with him and
Sarah. Some of my best memories include the times I spent with them.
I have always wanted to make a difference in the lives of others and
now I have that chance.
Why did you decide to home-school a high school student? Do you
prefer this type of position as opposed to having your own class?
A:
Mia: It’s funny, I’ve always thought that
I would teach younger students, elementary school age. However, it
seemed that there were always budget cuts and my positions prior to
this involved maternity leave positions in which the teacher always
returned. It’s discouraging that jobs are so hard to come by in
today’s economy. The last few years, I supported myself by subbing
and waitressing at a restaurant in town. Just as I was losing hope, I
received a call asking if I wanted to home-school a high school
senior. Imagine that! I never thought that I would work with
teenagers, and as a matter of fact, I thought about declining the
interview right there on the phone. Something inside of me told me
that I had nothing to lose, so I decided to show up for the
interview.
Why was the student being home-schooled? Why couldn’t she finish her senior year at the high school?
A:
Mia: Well, that’s a very good question and
that’s exactly what I wanted to know. The question was met with an
abrupt, vague answer. I was told that the young teen was troubled and
that she couldn’t get along with other students at he school. Of
course, I delved deeper and eventually discovered that this girl was
being bullied and that nobody believed her side of the story.
Cassidy’s self- esteem was crushed and I promised myself that I
would help this girl believe in herself. I wanted to look deeper into
the bullying situation and try to help Cassidy cope with her
feelings.
It sounds like you have a very rewarding career.
Can we talk about your personal life? Is there
a boyfriend in the picture?
A:
Mia: I haven’t had much luck in the romance
department. Past boyfriends haven’t always been the best choices
for me. I suppose you could say that right now I’m kind of torn
between a guy that I had a huge crush on and a neighbor whom I’ve
become close friends with. I’ve never been friends with a guy like
my neighbor before, Jamie is everything that a woman could ask for.
\Q:
But?
A:
Mia: It’s complicated, let’s leave it at
that for now. The thing is, I don’t want to lose Jamie as a friend.
Q:
It seems that you have a lot to think about. The choice seems clear
to me, what’s the issue?
A:
Mia: Like I said, it’s complicated, but I
can’t imagine my life without Jamie.
I see. Let’s move on. I’m curious to see if you helped Cassidy.
If there’s one thing that you have learned in life that you could
advise someone who is going through a rough time, what would it be?
A:
Mia: I don’t think that I’m an expert on
giving advice, but I can tell you this, be kind to yourself, believe
in yourself and hold true to your dreams. I have a lot to learn
myself, but I feel that I’m getting there, if you don’t believe
in yourself, nobody else is going to. Hold your head high and keep
your focus, that’s what I would say, don’t let anybody crush your
dreams.
*email-
www.myaobooks@gmail.com
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