Get Lost in a Story welcomes writer
Maggie Toussaint to our blog!
Let's get to know Maggie a little more: Southern
author and Low Country native Maggie Toussaint is published in mystery and
romantic suspense, with six titles in each genre. She also writes science
fiction under the pen name Rigel Carson, and her first book, G-1, has just released. Dime If I Know, a Cleopatra Jones
mystery, won the Silver Falchion Award for Best Mystery, while her romances
claimed top honors in the National Readers’ Choice Award and the EPIC eBook
Award.
It’s
2065 and Earth is beset by locusts, plagues, and earthquakes. Tensions escalate
as food and water shortages destabilize governments. A secret society poised
for world domination hunts for the keystone, an object of great power. The
Chameleons have already murdered in their quest to acquire the keystone, and
now they believe brilliant and reclusive scientist Zeke Landry has it.
Zeke’s
Institute bosses want answers ASAP on the water crisis, so they supply Zeke
with a souped-up robot named Forman. Zeke knows water can’t disappear, but the
data suggest that improbability. When Zeke’s uncle drops off the grid, Zeke and
Forman suspend the water analyses to find the missing man. A routing snafu sends
Zeke’s travel pod into the clutches of his enemies.
If
Zeke doesn’t rise to the challenge and assume his late father’s mantle as
Guardian, chaos will reign. The clock is ticking, for Zeke and the world...
Read an excerpt from G - 1 here: EXCERPT
Find G - 1 at: AMAZON
Vicki is scrubbing palms in anticipation of the Q&A:
Vicki: I’m a huge
handbag girl. What is your favorite accessory?
Maggie: I have
a thing for handbags and shoes, but my favorite accessory is a scarf. I just
don’t feel dressed without one. I hope people see someone with a scarf and
think, oh, is that Maggie? I’m a sucker for bright colors and a variety of
fabrics. You would be surprised at how much room scarves can take up in a
closet!
Vicki: I love scarves too, but probably don't have as many as you!
Vicki: How often do you get lost in a story?
Maggie: I get lost in every story I read, that’s the cost
of doing business. If I’m not getting lost in it, I don’t finish the book. I
love being an armchair traveler and seeing the world through someone else’s
eyes. It’s safe and entertaining, and generally a heck of a lot cheaper than
travel.
Vicki: What’s your favorite fairy tale?
Maggie: I really enjoyed The Three Little Pigs because I
liked to read aloud the part of the Big Bad Wolf: “I’ll HUFF and PUFF and
BLOWWWWWWW your house down.”
Vicki: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
Vicki: I have three large Snoopy prints. I love Snoopy!
Vicki: What’s something you’d like to tell your
fans?
Maggie: My venture into science fiction is merely the same
style of writing as is in my mysteries and romantic suspense novels. The
biggest difference is that the timeline occurs 50 years from now. We keep
hearing today about global warming and drought and who’s in charge of the
world, among other issues. I don’t consider myself political or a-political,
but I wanted to solve the current day mysteries of our weather and authority.
To do that, I set my eco-mystery in the future where I would have a little more
influence over the course of events. You won’t find heavy duty explanations and
weird sounding words in my science fiction, and there are a few laughs embedded
in the story for good measure.
Vicki: What’s the first thing you do when you
finish writing a book?
Maggie: I wander around my house in a stupor. There’s the
rush of euphoria that the first draft is done, but I know my books are far from
finished at that point. A lot more elbow grease is needed. But THE END means
coming up for air, noticing that the housework has been waiting for my
attention and that the laundry is seriously reproducing. Once I treat myself to
something special (a walk, a boat ride, lunch out on the town), then I read a
few books because even though my characters are fresh in my mind, I want to
divorce them for a short while. But not for long! Within a few days, I’m back
at the task of polishing and looking forward to the joy of submitting to my
editor.
Vicki: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you
would love to pass on or did pass on to your children? Maggie: My mom really emphasized reading when I was a
child. Maybe it was a good way to keep me occupied. I would plug into a book
and literally not move until the story was finished. (Gosh, I still do that!)
Anyway, I developed a strong love of books, and as I stated earlier, I loved
reading fairy tales aloud. When my kids came along, we piled up in bed and read
books every night just before bedtime. I let the kids pick out their favorites,
and it became such a treasured part of our lives. I’m happy to report that all
of my grandkids have a library of books at their fingertips and they enjoy the
adventures found in the pages. I’d love to take credit for that, but truthfully,
I passed on my mom’s love of reading to my kids, and they are sharing with
their kids. Reading is important for so many reasons, not the least of which is
allowing yourself to dream and imagine.
Contact Maggie/Rigel at: email for maggie and email for rigel
Find Maggie/Rigel at: Maggie's website
and Rigel's website
Facebook Maggie Twitter and Rigel twitter Goodreads Pinterest
Reader group Mudpies and Magnolias Blog GLIAS interview 03 15 12
Reader group Mudpies and Magnolias Blog GLIAS interview 03 15 12
UP NEXT: My next book,
Bubba Done It, Book 2 in my Dreamwalker Mystery series, will release in ebook
on May 20 and in hardcover on June 10
PREVIOUS RELEASES: Got covers of
your previous releases you’d like to promote? Don’t forget to send the jpeg if
available.
WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS or do
you have a promotion you'd like us to link to?
Maggie: I would love to give away three copies of G-1 to commenters.
It’s available in Kindle format only at this time. Please leave your email in the comments to be eligible for the drawing.
IF MAILING: I’d like to specify US only for the e-book.
GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS? Do you fall in love with a book because of the story or the
characters?