Gothic Bite Magazine always welcomes amazing authors on their website! This week, we have the pleasure to interview, M.J. Vieira

Who is M.J. Vieira?

I always feel funny talking about myself; I never want to come off as arrogant. So, if this introduction is awkward, I apologize.

I was born and raised in rural Maine. My parents are avid readers, and I picked the habit up at a young age. I spent most of my childhood either at the barn riding horses, snowmobiling, listening to music or reading.

I loved Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, and Stephen King and found any chance I could to read as much as I could. My grandmother pushed me to write, to express myself.

I found it an invaluable outlet while in high school; not only was it a hard time in any kid’s life but I was attending a formally all boys school. My freshman year was the first time the school accepted girls. While there, my mother received a diagnosis for breast cancer.

My junior year, I began homeschooling so I could tour with my horse for a national title which I won in 2005. I then went to college at the University of Findlay where I majored in Western Equestrian Sciences with a minor in Telecommunications.

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All the while, I read every book I could. My English professor, Ronald Tulley, pushed me to elevate my writing. I wrote papers, short stories but didn’t begin writing my first book until a few years later.

My first book, Lux, opened a new door for me and despite working forty hours a week, raising my son and dealing with autoimmune issues, I keep pushing because it’s a passion I can’t allow to die.

Other weird tidbits about me: I love dragons, one of my nicknames is Dragon; I also see myself as a squirrel. I’m a huge music fan; I have attended many concerts and am continually looking for new metal and rock groups to add to my playlists.

I write with music playing and have playlists for each of my characters. I am the mother of one amazing son. My favorite movies are the Lost Boys, Twister, Dracula 2000 and Happy Gilmore.

INTERVIEW!

ALEXA WAYNE (A.W.): When did you find out you would want to write novels?

M.J. VIEIRA: I stumbled onto it, to be honest. I was listening to the song Monster, by Skillet and a scene came into my mind.

I sat down and wrote it out. The scene sat there for three years before a friend encouraged me to keep going with it. That became the opening scene for Lux, my first novel.

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A.W.: You mentioned me your work, all set in paranormal or Gothic settings, would you let our readers know why you are more attracted to that genre?

M.J. VIEIRA: I have always had an attraction to the supernatural world. Vampires were my drug of choice. I am obsessed with matters of faith, religion and the darker forces that pull at humanity’s soul.

My writing is very dark, and the majority of it centers around the struggle between good and evil which I explain with my paranormal characters.

A.W.: When writing about paranormal, do you do research and if so, how far do you go with your research?

M.J. VIEIRA: I do. Sometimes I feel my research takes longer than writing the actual book. I love local lore, so I read it as much as I can. I like to draw on mythology but put my twist on it.

A.W.: What is most important to you when writing your novels?

M.J. VIEIRA: My character development. I want them to be relatable, for the reader to feel they’re as real as they seem to me.

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A.W.: Which authors influenced your writing?

M.J. VIEIRA: J.R.R. Tolkien, Laurell K Hamilton, Karin Slaughter, and many indie authors.

A.W.: Which of your novels is your favorite and why is it your favorite?

M.J. VIEIRA: Oh man, that’s like asking which kid’s your favorite. I love Lux because it was my first; it’s also how I worked through a very dark time in my life.

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A.W.: Do you believe in the paranormal, by that I mean in hauntings, that there are creatures out in the wild we still don’t know the existence of?

M.J. VIEIRA: I do. I cannot watch Paranormal Activity or things with ghosts as I feel they are real and it freaks me out too much. I think there are too many stories across the globe for there not to be some validity to them.

A.W.: What made you decide to be self-published?

M.J. VIEIRA: Well, I haven’t found a publisher that wants me…yet. I decided to self-publish because I wanted to get my work out there before I chickened out. So, I just did it, haha.

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A.W.: What sets you apart from other paranormal and Gothic authors?

M.J. VIEIRA: My characters. They’re amazing.

A.W.: What can readers look forward to from MJ Vieira in 2019?

M.J. VIEIRA: So many projects! I have my werewolf series, the Beskyett series; my novella, Firebird, the follow up to Fireweed, is coming out
in April.

A new series, the final chapter of the Veritas series, Aequitas; Runes, featuring cover model, Jay Leverton; multiple anthology pieces; and Greek mythology inspired novel called Hunter.

VISIT M.J. VIEIRA’S WEBSITE!