I was lucky to get an interview with Melissa McShane, the author of Burning Bright, and one of this year’s #SPFBO8 semifinalists.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I live in Utah, but I’m about to move to India with my husband for his work. We’ll be staying there for a couple of years, and I’m looking forward to the adventure.

What was the first thought that popped into your mind when you found out you had made it to the semifinals?
Surprise. I didn’t expect to make it that far!

Why did you decide to take part in the SPFBO?
It was on a whim. I saw that a Twitter friend had entered, and they posted the link to the entry form, so I thought, why not?

Why should we buy your SPFBO8 book?
Burning Bright is the first book in the series The Extraordinaries, which is about people with superpowers fighting the Napoleonic Wars. The main character, Elinor, discovers she has the power to manipulate fire, and instead of submitting to an arranged marriage, she joins the British Navy, where she travels to the Caribbean to fight pirates.

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I started writing seriously about nine years ago, when I had an idea for a story about a priestess of the god of Death. I wrote the book not expecting it to go anywhere, because I’d tried and failed at writing for a few years before that. But it was fun! And then I thought I’d see if I could do it again…and again…and now I’ve published 45 books and see no reason to stop.

Why did you choose to write fantasy? And why pick this particular fantasy subgenre?
I write fantasy because it’s what I love as a reader, but historical fantasy happened as sort of a dare—I wrote Burning Bright to see if I could make it work.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
Terry Pratchett. He combines comedy with deep moral insight, and while I’m not a comic writer, I’d love to write books that have so much impact on their readers.

What new projects are you working on?
I have two current series I’m writing. One is a sequel to my most popular series, a contemporary fantasy about a woman who is an oracle and the challenges she faces as the world comes under siege by alien forces. The other is about a paladin whose beliefs are turned upside down when she encounters a werewolf who isn’t evil, counter to everything she’s been taught. It’s an episodic series in which she and her werewolf partner solve mysteries on behalf of her Goddess.

Best of luck with all your books and your adventure in India (the Taj Mahal truly is beautiful, so if you haven’t been that’s a must.) Thank you for doing the interview, Melissa!