Interview with Mina Khan

Welcome to JBR.  Today we have Mina Khan with us.         

We are having a giveaway going on for March. What item are you giving away? (Anyone can win the item by going to the rafflecopter on the right hand side of the pg.)

An ebook and $5 gift card

First why don't you tell us a little about yourself?

MINA: I’m a Texas-based writer of sexy paranormal romance, fantasy and adventure.  I’m also a food enthusiast and write a weekly food column for my local newspaper. Originally from Bangladesh, I’m now a proud West Texan.

My first published work, The Djinn's Dilemma, won the novella category of the 2012 Romance Through The Ages (published) contest. A Tale of Two Djinns won the 2013 Readers’ Crown for best paranormal romance.

Newest release?

MINA: My most recent release is Wildfire: A Paranormal Mystery with Cowboys & Dragons.

What can we expect from your stories, action, drama, romance, sex, blood and guts?

MINA: I write about djinns (genies), dragons, hunks and whatever else sparks my fancy. As such, you’ll find magic, mayhem and mischief…and, yes, romance in my stories. I have a lot of fun writing them.

Do you have a favorite character in your stories? Who? and Why?

MINA: My favorite character in every story is my heroine because they do and say things I wish I could, lol. Sarah Jasmine White, the heroine from my first published work “The Djinn’s Dilemma” will always be a favorite because she was the first. Also because she’s pretty cool. A reporter in Texas, she’s reasonable and logical, ethical, and a strong person. Plus, she makes a super sexy djinn assassin fall in love with her. As you can tell, she’s got a lot going for her. J

How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

MINA: The villain…because my villains always have a part to them that has me hoping they’ll turn out to be good. So they end up disappointing me in every story.

Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

MINA: All my stories have an Asian twist. My genie romances are based on djinn mythology I grew up with in Bangladesh. My dragon heroine in Wildfire is Japanese American and I had fun working with Japanese myths.

Has there been any other authors who have inspired your work or helped you out with your stories?

MINA: Yes! I started writing because I fell in love with stories as a reader. There are many authors I’m grateful for, but to keep it short: Marjorie M. Liu, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Sharon Shinn.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

MINA: Please review and tell your family and friends about my stories.

Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

MINA: Never give up. Never surrender your dream.

Do you have a favorite author? If yes, what draws you to that person’s work?

MINA: Marjorie M. Liu. Her stories and characters have a lot of depth and complexity. And she explores the idea of shapeshifters, magic and powers in very interesting ways.

Can you remember one of the first things you wrote? What makes it memorable?

MINA: Lol, yes. It was a very philosophical poem about a gong that rang in the middle of the night. It was also my first published work (I was in the third grade and it was chosen for my school yearbook), so definitely memorable. J

Where do you gather most of the inspiration for your work?

MINA: The universe, the world, my dreams.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies, pets or stories you would like to share?

MINA: I have three dogs (all from the shelter) and three cats (all found) and I can’t say enough good things about rescue pets. Love ‘em! Also, I dress up in period costume and renaissance dance for fun.

Favorite places to travel or visit?

MINA: I’m a global nomad and love traveling…so, anywhere and everywhere.

And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:( Include links to where we can find your work):

WILDFIRE Blurb: Lynn Hana Alexander is a 25-year-old Japanese American shape-shifter haunted by guilt. She’s been questioning herself and her dragon abilities ever since she failed to save her grandmother.

When her best friend is threatened by mysterious fires burning up acres of West Texas, Lynn rushes to the rescue determined not to fail again. However, with a tempting firefighter, a flirty city developer and dragon pheromones distracting her, how is she going to find the arsonist?

And worse: is her primary suspect a malicious rogue dragon or the love of her life?

An Excerpt from my new release, Wildfire: A Paranormal Mystery with Cowboys & Dragons —

Fear incinerated sleep, left her mouth tasting of ash.

Lynn Alexander’s parched throat ached. Her mind plucked at reason. She’d been dreaming of fire again. Wild, angry flames. Billowing smoke. A faint voice pleading for help. Through it all, someone –something– watched her. Waited.

“Come here.” Another voice, dark and intimate, had commanded from the depths of the fire. “Come here, little girl.”

Then a man’s face emerged from the smoke and flames. Strong and grim with rugged angles, sensuous lips and intense green eyes that glittered with blistering heat.

Panic pressed on her windpipe. Lynn wrenched her head sideways, blinked back tears and stared at the pebbled texture of the wall next to her bed.  Ragged breath caught in her lungs and she focused on the present to escape the grasping remnants of the dream. She tuned in to the soft swish of the fan, the quiet roar of the air conditioner, the wild thrashing of her heart.

A nightmare. The same damn nightmare she’d been having all week. An insidious whisper echoed in her head: Not a dream. A vision.

Like before, like when her grandmother died.

Dread rolled through her, cold and certain.

Who was the mysterious man? The person in trouble or the murderer she hunted? A prickly knowing grew inside her, jamming at the base of her throat. The tightness turned needle sharp, and then popped. A single thought formed: Save Jen.

Tangled in bed sheets, she twisted around to snatch her cell from the nightstand. The clock blinked three a.m. in poison green numerals. Jen would be mega-pissed if the phone woke her at this ungodly hour in the middle of the work week for no reason. Worry itched between Lynn’s shoulder blades. But what if this was a true warning? She’d rather risk her best friend’s wrath than her life.

Clutching the phone, she speed dialed Jen. No answer. Pick up the phone. Pick up the damn phone.

After six rings, she snapped the phone shut and threw off the covers. Lynn leapt out of bed, and stripped out of her sweaty clothes. She grabbed the backpack she always kept ready by her bedside, shoved the phone into a front pocket, and slipped her arms into the extra-long straps. She knew she shouldn’t risk exposure, but she had to get to Jen. Protect her from whatever danger threatened.

Naked, she rushed to the French doors and threw them open. The cool October breeze embraced her and dried the sweat clinging to her skin. She stared into the night, glad of the darkness. Being one of the rare shape-shifters in the family garnered her a room with rooftop access. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the dank smell of the bayou and summoned the change.

Heat crackled across her skin, filled her mind, as blue-green scales rippled over her body giving her tan a bronze sheen. Lynn’s core dissolved to molten lava, reformed and hardened. Muscles stretched and grew stronger, bones pushed and molded flesh. Nubs emerged from her back, elongated and flared into wings. A deep burn spread from her gut, igniting cell after cell, until she shook like a live wire juiced on raw power.

Her leathery wings flailed behind her as she stumbled around a bit before settling into the new weight. One would think a five foot one and half-inch Asian American woman would transform into a delicate, miniature-poodle type of dragon. Not so. In dragon form, Lynn was seven feet of sharp scales, sinuous muscle and steely strength.

BUY LINKS:

Smashwords: http://goo.gl/aCYdEZ

Amazon: http://goo.gl/mcToh1

B&N: http://goo.gl/XaMBfm

I love hearing from readers and you can find me at:

Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/author/minakhan

Blog: Stories by Mina Khan http://www.minakhanbooks.com/

Facebook Author Page www.facebook.com/Mina.Khan.Author/

Goodreads Author Page  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5234352.Mina_Khan

Twitter: @SpiceBites

Thank you for stopping by.  We wish you continued success.

Julie Ramsey
ADM, JBR