Who Is Mistral Dawn?

Mistral Dawn is a thirty-something gal who has lived on both coasts of the US but somehow never in the middle. She currently resides in the Southeast US with her kitty cats (please spay or neuter! :-)) where she works as a hospital drudge and attends graduate school. Taken By The Huntsman is her first effort at writing fiction and if it is well received she has ideas for several more novels and short-stories in this series. Please feel free to visit her on FaceBook or drop her a line at mistralkdawn@gmail.com

Monday, February 2, 2015

Mary Ann Bernal Interviewed By Mistral Dawn










Hi Everyone!

We're here with Mary Ann Bernal today! She's a family oriented, community activist participating in programs supporting the United States military. She's been a guest on The Morning Blend television show hosted by KMTV, the CBS affiliate in Omaha, and she was interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald for her achievements.

All of Mary Ann’s novels and short story collections are dedicated to fallen military heroes who gave their lives defending our freedom. She's a prolific writer who originally hails from New York, and now resides in Omaha.  She has traveled for pleasure and research to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy and Greece.


Me: So Mary Ann, tell us more about yourself and how many books you have written.

Mary Ann:  Being an incurable romantic and Anglophile history buff, my area of interest focuses on ninth century Anglo-Saxon Britain when the formidable Vikings terrorized all of Christendom.  I have written five books in The Briton and the Dane franchise.   The trilogy titles are:  The Briton and the Dane; The Briton and the Dane: Birthright and The Briton and the Dane: Legacy. 

The Briton and the Dane: Concordia is set sixteen years later and is a coming of age story for one of the trilogy characters, Concordia.

The Briton and the Dane: Timeline begins and ends in Twenty-First century England, but the major storyline takes place in Eleventh century Britain.

Both volumes of Scribbler Tales are short story collections of contemporary topics - a variety of genres to entice the modern reader.

Me:  Sounds like you've been really busy! What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?

Mary Ann:  Scribbler Tales Volume Two was recently published.  My love of crime, action and adventure, and political intrigue TV series and films inspired the stories.

Me:  Great! I know a lot of people enjoy those shows, so you should have quite an audience! :-) What are you working on now?

Mary Ann:  Scribbler Tales Volume Three launches January 2015.  Also, audio editions of Scribbler Tales Volume Two and The Briton and the Dane: Birthright are in production and will be available early 2015.

Me: No rest for the weary, huh? ;-)  Are there any authors, or books, who have influenced you?

Mary Ann:  I fell in love with medieval England after reading Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe in my sophomore year of high school, but my interests soon turned towards the Dark Ages when the Vikings harassed the civilized world once Hollywood released such blockbusters as The Vikings, The Longships, and Erik the Viking. Add to the mix Alfred the Great, Prince Valiant, and King Arthur, and an incurable romantic anglophile was born.

Me:  I love Ivanhoe! That and The Count of Monte Cristo were my first classics. :-)  What are you reading now?

Mary Ann:  Frankie: Living a Dream by British Indie Author D.G. Turner.

Me: Go you for supporting those indie authors!!  For those who might consider reading your book, what would you tell them to expect?

Mary Ann:  The Briton and the Dane series is a story of love and betrayal, treachery and intrigue, set in an earlier time.  Even though the politics are of another era, the characters live, breathe and feel every emotion we experience today, the only difference being the drama is not occurring in this time period.

Scribbler Tales are dark stories with twists and turns, and the unexpected. 

Me:  It's funny how the basic human challenges never change, isn't it?  What is your favorite part of being an author?

Mary Ann:  In addition to having my stories read worldwide, I enjoy helping upcoming Indie authors, and mentoring students who are considering writing careers.

Me: Yes, there are a lot of talented indie authors out there, it's great that you enjoy helping them. :-)  Do you have a day job as well?

Mary Ann:  I have recently retired from the conventional work force, which enables me to devote more time to writing and marketing. 

Me: Lucky you! Yes, writing and marketing are time consuming, but both have their rewards. ;-)  What genre do you place your book in?

Mary Ann:  The Briton and the Dane - Historical Fiction / Romance / Action & Adventure

Scribbler Tales - Drama / Short Stories / Mysteries & Thrillers / Suspense

Me:  Cool! Is there anything else you'd like to tell your readers?

Mary Ann:  Never give up on your dream.

Me: So true!!  And so all these fine, lovely folks can find your work, are there any links you'd like me to post?

Purchase Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble


Social Media Links:

http://pinterest.com/maryannbernal/

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for having me, Mistral. Have a great day Mary Ann

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    Replies
    1. You're very welcome, Mary Ann. Thanks! You too. :-)

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