Eek! I still can’t believe this is the final book in the saga! Much more to come in the Hemlock Mpreg Universe, but the main series is complete! Pre-order it today and be the first to read it on September 12th!
I’ve talked to friends, family, and readers who are all looking for a way to fill in time they’re spending at home. Of course, reading is our number one go-to, but everyone could use a bit of spice in their life.
So without any further ado… Let’s get onto it. readathons first. Of course, I’m biased and my favorite readathon is
It’s fun and a two parter with the first happening in April. Yep, I’m a big HP nerd (Proud Slytherin for life!!) and though the readathon doesn’t have to include the HP books it is based on the exams given at Hogwarts. I participated and passed my O.W.L.’s last April. My N.E.W.T.s in August were interrupted by some crap. So, I didn’t finish the challenge. This year, I’m trying again. Except I’m not going for writing. I’m going for healer. I might blog my readathon experience, but I’m not 100% positive I will.
Book Roast from Youtube (the host and creator of the readathon) can explain it much better than me. I’ll link her video below. FAQs, Career paths, and prompts can all be found in the description below her video on Youtube. The first part of this readathon runs the length of April.
This happens on April 25th this year according to the director’s Twitter. I participated in this one once or twice last year. It was great fun. Basically, you read as much as you can in 24 Hours. If my writing schedule allows it I will be doing this one this year. You can find more information here.
This is a year long challenge and you’re not behind if you didn’t already start. You can check out the prompts here.
This readathon encourages readers to put down their phones and read. This readathon encourages you to take as much time as you can away from all the daily distractions and really focus on reading. You can find more information here.
This readathon’s title explains it all. It’s all about LGBTQ+ reading and books. Hope my schedule let’s me participate in this one before O.W.L.’s start.
There are many many more readathons and reading groups spread across the internet. One I’m personally active is r/52Book over on Reddit. It’s a subreddit for those trying to read 52 books in a year, but anyone with a yearly reading goal (bigger or smaller) is welcome over there. It’s a friendly place to chat with other bookworms and to get reading recommendations.
It’s that time again! I love getting questions and comments from readers. Interacting with all of you really makes my day. Writing is by nature a solo profession. You have to sit at the keyboard and ‘see’ and then translate what you ‘see’ into words and sentences that make sense to other people. It’s not always easy. Some days getting words on the page is like getting blood from a turnip. Other days it’s like I get to play with my imaginary friends all day and they’re nice to me. At the end of the day , though, it’s about the stories I tell and how they can touch my readers. Without you guys, I’d be a kook with a wild imagination. Okay, maybe that’s exactly what I am, but you guys help me make a living from it. lol
I have three questions I’m going to answer today,. They’re simple questions, but the answers may be long and winding. I’ve touched on some of these in other Q&As, but I think I can expand those answers and really give you guys a look into how I started writing my Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga.
This one depends on which family/pack/flight you’re talking about.
Hemlock Academy came to me before the pack did. It started in a dream I had, but was nothing like you’ve read in the books. In the original dream it was an all girls boarding school where I taught that had been invaded by zombies. I’m a huge Walking Dead Fan and my dreams often get zombies if I watch the show too much. The school in the dream was not Hemlock Academy. It has a name that sounds sort of close, but I’m not disclosing here. I always knew I was going to turn that dream into a book. I still might. Not in Mpreg, because I don’t think babies and zombies mix. Maybe I’m wrong. Let me know in the comments if you think Mpreg and the zombie takeover go hand-in-hand and would make for a good read. The pack ended up named after the school once I got to know Darian in Omega Studies.
I’m not saying what the school was called in the dream, because who knows. If I ever switch genres in the future I still might write the book in the original way I saw it.
The West Appalachian Wolf Pack were just named after the area they come from. I was born in West Virginia and just sorta tacked on West because of that. I love the nature and mountains of the region. Yes, Monta’s pack in part is based on some people I knew growing up. No one was killed from their crimes against their families. So, it’s really loosely based, but it’s there.
The Moonscales are the tricky ones. The name just came to me while I was writing a standalone which is yet to be released or finished. I’m hoping to finish it one day, but it won’t be until after the Hemlock vs. Raven Hallow War. It’s given us the characters of Clarence and Medwin and all of the Moonscales, though. They first showed up in that book that’s half finished. One of the MCs of that standalone novel is still a hatchling at the moment. So, for the sake of the timeline I won’t be worrying about that book just yet.
The Raven Hallow Wolf Pack is a bit more complicated. I could say it just came to me, because a lot of them do and it did. It came from their lore of being connected to ravens and crows. Though, they have heavy elven influence too despite it not being represented in the name.
I think I’ve covered all the main ones I’ve actually introduced this far. There are others on the map, because I needed to mark them because I knew they were there. If I’ve left anyone out drop me a message on FaceBook and I’ll include it in the next Q&A.
Do you want the short answer or the long one?
The short answer: Harry Potter.
That doesn’t make sense unless you were part of the 2000s HP fanfiction communities. The first story I ever wrote to completion on a computer was when I was 14 and it was a Draco/Harry slash fanfic. Yep. The real reason I turned into a writer was because my young teenage self thought Harry and Draco should get together. I guess I liked tension even back then before I could explain it.
It probably has something to do with my gender identity too, but I’ll touch on that in the next question.
This one’s complicated too. I’ve touched on a lot of these things in my previous Q&A, but I’ll expand here since the question is what made me decide to write MPREG. I’m nervous about this one, because though a lot of my friends know and are super supportive I’ve never really talked about it in a professional setting. This is very personal to me and it’s taken me a long time to be comfortable talking about any of it in a public forum.
Since I was little gender has confused the hell out of me. Not just gender stereotypes, but gender itself. It’s like umm…. so there are two boxes and I have to stand inside of one? It’s not that I don’t like the boxes. It’s that neither box is for me. I identify as gender non-binary despite being born AFAB (assigned female at birth.)
What I love about Mpreg is being able to explore different ideas about gender roles and gender expression. Being able to not have to write inside those boxes. Yes, some of my omegas are what my dad and uncles would call ‘pretty boys’ (Hence, why the Appalachian Wolf Pack got it’s name and attitude.) but I’ve always admired men who are softer and gentler and love things that aren’t inside that box we’ve labeled “Masculinity.” And of course, vice versa. One of my favorite characters from the series is one who has only been mentioned. I hope to get her on screen soon.
I’ve been accused of having inadequate female representation in my books. I don’t think that’s quite true. Sure, male characters out number female characters, but I write gay romance. I need a pool of side characters to pull from and play matchmaker with.
I’m also very aware of how strong women can be perceived. I didn’t have my first female Alpha on screen until The Sleeping Omega Prince. Mostly, because I wanted to avoid the question of ‘How do female Alphas get their mates pregnant?” Many people have given their thoughts on this and if you don’t understand it, want to know, and are old enough to read my books – send me a message. I’ll tell you in the cleanest way possible. lol I write sex scenes, but I’m not that comfortable discussing anatomy publicly.
What actually lead to me writing Mpreg was a number of things. First, as I mentioned in my previous Q&A my early roleplay years had a lot of mpreg in them. Then mpreg fanfiction. I never knew it was a thing until two things happened very close together. A good friend introduced me to the genre on Amazon. Then an old ghostwriting client (yep that’s what I did before I went indie) e-mailed me and asked if I’d be interested in ghostwriting some Mpreg for her. I don’t do ghost work anymore and didn’t at the time. But I was mind blown that this was a thing in actual books now.
So, my little fanfiction heart had some original characters of its own to share with the world and on December 9th, 2017 I penned the first few chapters of what would become Omega Studies.
Thank you so much for submitting your questions. If you have more feel free to send them my way on Facebook to be included in the next Reader Q&A blog.
I absolutely should be writing on Chapter 13 of Omega Rebellion right now. Everyone keeps asking what comes after Claiming the Shaman and I do plan to tell you all – eventually.
Omega Rebellion uncovers the secrets of both main characters: The playboy drummer from the boy band Grim Howlers and Cody, an omega who’s constantly found himself in tight spots.
To be honest, before writing this book I knew next to nothing about these guys. Yes, really. Only I didn’t know it until I started writing. That’s how it usually goes with me and characters.
I knew from the moment Lee Knight walked onto the page he belonged with Bane Hemlock. I just didn’t know how the hell to bring them together. Then I did. Some readers loved it others not so much. Eh… That’s the way of life and I’m okay with that. I’m happy with how Healer’s Oath turned out.
Micah Gilmore and Cody Denton are my distraction and my obsession right now. I’m in love with both of them for different reasons that reads will discover soon. With war looming on the horizon for our beloved Hemlock Wolf Pack they’re going to need all their skills and the aces they’ve hidden up their sleeves.
But what are they distracting me from?
Nothing important. Maybe I shouldn’t call it distracting me as much as I should call it healing me. A lot of you know I unexpected moved across the country at the end of August. Some days I’m still sad about that. I miss my pup more than anything or anyone. Without him I feel like part of me is missing and I don’t know that the feeling will ever go away.
I miss the members of my extended family sometimes, but I’m completely off from them by choice. It was a tough call to make, but it had to be done. In August, a family member who struggled with addiction for years violently attacked me. I’m okay now – physically. Mentally it’s just more baggage to lug around. You know how that goes. I cut ties with the family who continued to support him knowing he has no intentions of getting clean and staying sober. I won’t get into the debate of addiction choice vs. disease, because at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. When someone is a danger to themselves and others, to your personal safety, you have to cut ties. Just because they’ve strapped a ticking time bomb to their chest doesn’t mean you have to die trying to disarm it while they’re batting your hands away from the control panel.
If you or someone you know need help with domestic violence please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233
Writing Saving Cinder was really hard for me. I knew the moment I chose Seth as the next main character (or he stepped forward for the job I should say) it would be difficult and that was before the night everything exploded. I almost scrapped the book after what happened but I decided I needed to tell the story more than ever. I’m not the only one affected by an addiction of those they love. Not everyone gets a happy ending, but I felt I owed Rhett that ending with his brother. It wasn’t Rhett’s story to tell, but he was part of it. Seth’s story affected his in ways that changed him forever. Saving Cinder is the ending I wanted in my life and writing it for my characters helped me more than I could ever say.
Yeah, some days I’m still sad, but I’m moving forward a bit more everyday.
If you see me posting silliness on Facebook when I should be writing or writing without posting just know I’m healing and finding a way forward.
Now that’s off my chest for a bit it’s time to write. Thank you all for you support and love of my book characters. It means more than I can ever say.
P.S. I haven’t forgotten that I still owe you guys a readers Q&A post. It’ll likely be out closer to Halloween.
Over the past few weeks some of my friends, followers, and readers have accused me of playingCarmen Sandiego as the title character. I understand why some of you were worried. I’m usually a planner with a pretty predictable schedule. I post on Facebook a lot and am always working on one book or another. Life just got in the way. Things got exciting in all the wrong ways and then in the correct ways. Either way on August 29th I posted this gem to Facebook.
Yep. I moved 726 miles without telling everyone ahead of time. Sure, I made a quick post in my FaceBook group for readers and told a few close friends, but I didn’t stop to blog or think of my brand when I did it.
Since the tail end of December 2017 when I started Omega Studies I’ve thought of little outside of my books and my author platform. I love what I do and story telling runs in my veins. I’m notoriously bad for not taking time off unless a medical condition knocks me on my ass. So what the heck happened?
Those who follow the blog and all of my social media accounts know I’ve dealt with a toxic family member for sometime now. I’ve even posted about it here on the blog and made posts about not enabling toxic family members. Well, push came to shove and my give a damn broke. Yep, I quoted a country song. #Noregrets I still adore that Jodee Messina song. He’s my brother and not my ex, but it’s busted so bad not even Gypsy from Gilmore Girls could revive it. I’ve just finished rewatching the series for I don’t know what time, but “GET A NEW CAR!” I stuck in my head now. Thanks a lot, Gypsy!
I know the exact date my give a damn expired and the warranty ran out: August 21st. Then in 8 days I rehomed my furbaby, shipped what I needed, and a hopped a Grey Hound bus half way across the country. Some days it still feels like I’m not far enough away. I miss my baby like crazy, but we’re both better off away from the toxic donkey.
This means I didn’t finish my N.E.W.T.s Magical Readathon. That’s okay. There’s always next year.
So, what everyone is probabaly wondering is what does this mean for the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga and the Hemlock Fairy Tales Series.
Not much really. I’m in a new apartment. I’m still me. Writing and stories still flood my brain. What it does affect is my timeline for publishing this fall. I hoped to publish book 6 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga on September 6th. It’s now September 11th and the book still isn’t live. I’ve lost 3 weeks of writing time and now my editor and I have been working around the clock since Monday afternoon when my internet was officially turned on at the new apartment to finish the edits. We’re almost there and the book should be live soon. 
Once edits are finished I’ll resume working on the second book in the Hemlock Fairy Tales and then onto a Holiday novella to ensure it can come out the day after Thanksgiving. (That’s when it’s appropriate to start celebrating the winter holiday. 😛 )
I’m behind where I wanted to be, but I enjoy playing catch up. I hope to publish every book listed here by the end of the year. My editor is going to hate me or love me, depending on how you look at it.
I’m on track for my Good Reads reading challenge, but I don’t want to fall behind while I’m busy writing book 5 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga. So, when a friend asked if I was participating in Bout of Books I knew I was even when I said I wasn’t sure I’d have time. Like everyone, some days I get so busy I forget why I started writing. I started writing and continue to do so, because of my love of stories.
For those of you unfamiliar with Bout of Books you can check out the full information here.
Bout of Books is a readathon to encourage readers to read more than they normally would through the week of 5/13/19 to 5/19/19.
![The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye by [Kirkman, Robert]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/617cdx%2BsFOL.jpg)
I never quite stick to my TBR for readathons. I’ll likely read the combined volumes of the Walking Dead Comics during the readathon. I’m on the second volume and really enjoying finding out where my favorite television show came from. They’re really different, but I’m loving them! If I haven’t devoured them by the time Bout of Books roll around I’ll likely spend the week finishing them up. There are 33 volumes. I’ll likely still be working my way through them.
I’ve also picked up a few novels in case I want to change things up during Bout of Books.
Rainbow Islands by Devin Harnois. I’ve wanted to read this alternate world LGBT book for a while.
![Rainbow Islands by [Harnois, Devin]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51eakInMv2L.jpg)
The Devil Between Us by S.C. Wilson
![The Devil Between Us by [Wilson, S.C.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51vKCCP7teL.jpg)
Let me know in the comments if you’re participating in the Bout of Books Readathon this year!
Just when the Hemlocks thought Jeb was through causing trouble, they discover their work isn’t over yet.
When omega Lee Knight wakes up in a strange bed he doesn’t remember crawling into, his life takes a turn for the bizarre. It’s not only the strange house and faces he doesn’t recall. It’s everything he experienced before waking up. His whole life is gone. Unsure of even his own name he must trust the man who calls to his soul to guide him through the perils of his past to reclaim his memories and the lost part of his soul.
Alpha Bane Hemlock is best known for his medical practice and loyalty to his pack, but when new information and old memories test the bounds of kinship, he’ll have to decide what’s most important to him. Hours after meeting his true-mate he’s faced with the most challenging medical dilemma of his career. The true-mate he spent centuries waiting for doesn’t recall their first meeting. Their connection is undeniable, but Lee’s amnesia leaves Bane knowing more about his mate’s troubles than even Lee does.
When medicine and science fail to provide answers from Lee’s strange amnesia, he and Bane must journey to the Other World to discover a remedy. When the past and present collide, what does the future hold for these true-mates?
Catch up on the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga with Healer’s Oath!
Maggie Hemlock Books 