Mel Todd - Urban Fantasy With a Twist

Currently residing in Georgia with three cats - who tolerate her - she writes her own version of Urban Science Fiction. If you're looking for science, aliens, invasions, explosions, and maybe a touch of magic in some series, you've found the right author. She fully admits to being weird, after all she writes about aliens and knows how to milk goats. If you want to talk books, she'll talk all day long, but admits she hasn't had time to watch much TV in the last three years, the price of a writing addiction. As our Author of the Day, Mel Todd tells us all about her book, My Luck.

Please give us a short introduction to what My Luck is about.

My Luck is in a world where magic exists and is very controlled. Mages get the best education and are subject to the strictest laws. Cori is a young woman who knows she isn't a mage, just has lots of bad luck. All she wants is a life where she is wanted, too bad it isn't that easy.

What inspired you to write this story? Was there anything in particular that made you want to tackle this?

I've always loved the idea of having a person who firmly believes she isn't special, just deals with the weirdness in her life, and keeps going.

Tell us more about Cori. What makes her so special?

Cori is someone that doesn't give up and sees everyone as a person who is worthy of being treated as a person. That attitude has surprised people over and over.

Why do others call her Cori Catastrophe?

Things always go wonky around her. And if you are too close you get caught in the crossfire. You find out later in the series that she was recasting a bad luck spell on her over and over again.

Why did you title this book "My Luck"?

The series is all about Cori and her life. This is the beginning and it is all about how her life goes crazy.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I'm an excellent smoker (ie smoked meat) and I love a good drink.

What did you have the most fun with when writing this story?

Honestly trying to think of the most improbable but possible events to have happen. It's rather fun.

This is book 1 of the Twisted Luck series. Can it be read as a standalone? How do the other books in the series tie in with this one?

Book 1 could, but it leaves you with a lot of questions. The series follows Cori as she ages and is definitely a full story in and of itself.

Readers say the book was an emotional rollercoaster ride, gut-wrenching at times. Was this intentional?

Of course. Life is traumatic. This is a slice of life book. We all have good and bad things that happen. Sometimes we handle them well, sometimes we don't.

Do your characters sometimes take off on their own tangent, refusing to do what you had planned for them?

All day every day. My characters have personalities and often won't make the choices I thought were needed to continue the plot. That is what makes it fun.

Does the book/series have a hidden message? What do you hope readers will take away from this?

Hidden message? No or at least not intentionally. This is a found family story and the characters are of different ethnicities, sexual preferences, life preferences. Maybe if there is a message it is just "don't be a dick."

You use a unique system for magic in your stories - tell us more about this.

Oh my magic rants. Sigh. Even trying to put boundaries on magic it is slippery. I'm not sure I can even address this without writing a book. Corner me at a con sometime and I'll rant for you.

The book has a lot of twists and turns. Did you plan it all out before you started writing, or did some of it just "happen" along the way?

Always happens. I try to plot and then it goes down the rabbit hole. For me writing is a journey where I am constantly checking the map to see how far off the path I got and what I can do to try to get back on.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

Interesting? Meh. I write. I try to work in 20 minute sprints and that gets me about a thousand words. My goal is 4k a day, usually I at least get 2k. I need to focus more. I can write and walk at the same time and I try to do that so I can get some exercise. Otherwise, no?

What are you working on right now?

Book 7 of this series just came out and I'm writing book 8 which will be the last one. Then I have a nonfiction book I'm working on, an epic fantasy, and then more stories in the universe Twisted Luck is set in the Ternion Universe.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I'm on most social medial platforms as @badashbooks and my websites are www.badashpublishing.com and www.meltodd.com