Spotlight: Control (MC Lavocat)

Today I am excited to feature M.C. Lavocat, here to tell us more about her new book, Control!

"Control is a paranormal romance, about three lives that are thrown together in a desperate battle where love and lust are the catalysts that release a blood voodoo curse so dark that it could alter their destiny, as well as time itself. 

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After spending three stale, miserable years in a neuroscience doctoral program, Cecelia Milonas throws caution to the wind and walks out; right into the arms of the man who has had the starring role in her panty-melting fantasies for over three years. 

Andre St. Clair had never shown any romantic interest in Cecelia or anyone else, so she had resigned herself to the role of fangirl and very willing employee, since moving to New Orleans and into the apartment above his restaurant. Cecelia thinks that their relationship is a fantasy come true, but neither are prepared for a desire that burns hot enough to ignite a hatred, long thought dead.

As if one gorgeous man and deathly struggle aren't enough, in walks Lance Bradley, with whom she has some kind of freaky-deaky, psychic-hotline connection that is determined to pull them together no matter who gets torn apart in the process.

So, nothing is easy in The Big Easy, where the past and the present are caught up in a struggle so dangerous and deadly that it's changing destiny, and possibly time itself.

Author's Note: 
Let me say right away, Control is not like other Paranormal Romance novels. You are not going to be given a crash course on New Orleans voodoo while you watch the main characters muddle through magical mishaps, fight deadly enemies with mad jujitsu skills, or fall madly in love because they have great sex. Sorry to disappoint...no, actually I'm not.

Don't get your panties in a twist; I promise there will be magic, voodoo, love, and of course, hot monkey sex. There is always hot monkey sex. However, that isn't why you should read this book. 

This is why: I like to read and write about things that make me laugh, even in serious moments. I love action, interactions, and drama. I like my characters to have character, and I don't want them to be made of words; I want the characters to burst forth in my mind, I want to be a part of the story, and I want to wish it would never end. I want them to struggle internally as well as externally, and dammit, I want a plot to develop to fruition. I want you to have it too..." 

Meet M.C. Lavocat

I have to admit that I hate writing an Author’s Bio more than anything else in the entire world. That may be a little dramatic, but just trust me…I hate them. The fact is; my life on paper tells you next to nothing about who I am or what I might be like in person. So, instead of reading a checklist of my life, only to sit back and think,” I wonder if she’s a bitch…”. I want to you read my bio and then think, “That chick is a little off….”  
Without further ado…here is my bio. With flair! 

I am the 264 year old surrogate mother to a flock of seagulls, an actual flock of birds, not the new wave band from the 80's. I joined a travelling carnival at the age of eleven, successfully disguising my gender, and serving as an apprentice to the strongman. When my pectoral muscles began to develop at a faster rate than my biceps, I ran away to join with a group of nomadic fortune tellers. 

After a few years of living the nomadic lifestyle, I grew tired of the constant travel and decided it was time to move on...which is a bit ironic I suppose. 

At that point, I hacked into the department of student services to enroll myself at the Wharton School of Business. Naturally, I awarded myself a full fellowship as well as a stipend for living expenses. I completed the MBA/JD Program at the top of my class in only one year. 

After graduating, I took the next seven years off to tour the world in a hot air balloon with six baboons and two llamas. As a side note: baboons and llamas do NOT get along. 

I ended my balloon trip in Canada where I was accepted into the Royal Canadian Mountie training program in Saskatchewan. However, I quit the program shortly after beginning because I looked like a complete tool in the uniform. I got my happy ass out of Canada and headed back to the United States.

I moved from state to state, having an exact replica of each tattooed on the bottom of my foot before moving on to the next. Finally, I ended up in the glorious state of Louisiana where I met the man of my dreams and settled down in da bayou to build a nest and raise the best damn flock of seagulls the world would ever know.

Oh, and I wrote a book too.

Now let's find out more about "Control" 

1. What was your inspiration for this book? 

Hmmmm, no matter how I answer this question it is going to sound bratty… oh well, screw it. ;)

I have always been a voracious reader, but I was getting very, VERY bored with the Paranormal genre. Everything was starting to sound the same and I felt like the whole genre needed a kick in the pants. So, with that in mind, I set out to create a new branch on the PNR family tree – and voila, I give you the hottest new genre, Paranormal Romantic Comedy. 

Besides, I’ve always enjoyed being a little, uh…different.  Yes, different, that fits!

2. Would you classify your writing as plot driven or character driven? 

Well, that is an interesting question because I would argue that I am both.  That is one of the reasons that I decided to write a series, rather than an epic novel; I love my characters and I want you to love them too. However, I have to admit that even I would get bored if they never did anything more dramatic than argue and have sex.  Therefore, I created the first book, Control, which is largely character driven; each character has an individual conflict that relates to the overall plot. The plotline weaves through the story very subtly (one might call it sneaky). Then, in the final third of the book, the reader begins to realize there miiiight be something a little more sinister going on.  
In the end, you have a character driven novel, with a subtle but strong plot line that carries on through subsequent novels.  So, just remember, not everything is as it seems…you just need to look a little deeper. 

3. Can you tell us a little about your main character?

I wrote Control in the first-person perspective of two characters: Cecelia Milonas and Lance Bradley.  Although you get both perspectives and they are technically both MCs, Cecelia’s struggle is the primary focus in the book.
Cecelia is not into typical girly things, and tends to dress and wear her hair in ways that exemplify her free-spirited approach to life.  She loves to have fun and is extremely impulsive, often putting fun before everything else. However, she is smart enough to know when to get her work finished, and most of the time, she manages to pull everything together at the last minute.  Cecelia has an interesting worldview that she shares with the readers; the thoughts that distract her are very funny and she often laughs at herself.
Cecelia does not have many girlfriends, having been raised with three older brothers; she does not know how to relate to other girls. She is very intelligent, and although she has no issues with asserting her thoughts/needs to others, she prefers rational discussion and logic to solve problems.  She does not like to play mental games with other people, and if you ask for her honesty, you had better be ready for it!  She is fairly easy-going and gets often gets irritated with people who are overly dramatic (like James, they bring out the best and worst in each other).

4. Which of your supporting characters was the most challenging to write?

I guess the biggest challenge that I had was writing Lance’s character. I wanted to make Lance’s voice just as strong as Cecelia’s and I would get stuck at times because I didn’t want him to think too much like a girl! 
Luckily, I have the perfect outlet for writers block on those occasions…it still makes me laugh thinking about the many times I would call out to my husband with this statement, “Hey, listen to this and tell me what your first thought is.”  Some of his more colorful answers never made it in the book, but I have to admit that Lance Bradley shares a brain with my sweet hubby. 

5. Without giving away too much, tell us a little about the main conflict in this book. 

*She sighs heavily*  
Ugh…I knew it was coming, but I always hate this question. Okay, there are several conflicts in this book: man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. self…remember those from high school, right?  Well, for Cecelia, it is man vs. self; meaning that hers is an internal struggle. For Lance, it is man vs. man; ah yes, the love triangle. Finally, for Andre, it is man vs. nature; he must struggle against outside variables that ultimately affect his relationship with Cecelia.
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking and I can’t blame you. I gave you an overly nerdy answer; I admit it. You just have to trust me on this one. That is the best way for me to explain it without giving away too much…subtlety is an important factor in the climax.

6. Why did you choose this genre? 

I wanted to freshen it up a bit; you know, put my mark on it…without peeing on it. 

7. What do you hope readers take away from this book? 

Another toughie, damn! Ultimately, I want readers to be so enamored with the characters and the story that they are still thinking about it two days later. I want the characters to have meaning and the story to elicit an emotional response…I want laughter, tears, anger, heartache, joy, frustration, and tension. Not in that order of course, and I’ll settle for three or four from that list. I’m not picky.

8. Who are your favorite authors?

Oh Lawd, this could get long…I’ll just list a few. From the PNR/Urban fantasy genres: I looove The Fever Series, by Karen Marie Moning, Illona Andrews, Jim Butcher, and Kim Harrison. There are many others, but I have followed those mentioned above for several years. 
I also love Hermann Hesse (Steppenwolf), Alice Walker (The Color Purple), John Kennedy Toole (A Confederacy of Dunces), William Goldman (The Princess Bride), Jane Austen…anything, L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), J.K. Rowling (Do I really need to clarify?) 

9. Do you have any interesting rituals or habits when you write?

If you call forgetting to eat interesting, then I guess I am a hoot. I like to do my writing on a big red tufted-velvet couch I bought in an estate sale. It was in the front parlor of an elderly couple’s home and never used, it looks like something out of a movie from the 50s and it doesn’t match anything else in my bedroom, but I love it. It is my happy. 

10. Can you tell us about any future projects? 

I am currently working on Power, the second book in the Soul of Voodoo series. It is heavily laden with action, drama and fun; Cecelia, Lance, and Andre learn more about what connects them, and the dangerous voodoo curse that is trying to destroy them. Oh, there is still plenty of hot, monkey sex…never forget the hot monkey sex.

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 The Soul of Voodoo

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Control, (The Soul of Voodoo, Book 1)