Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work.
Today: I have been a mental health professional for 25+ years. I have lived all over the country and am lucky enough to have landed in and near San Francisco, California, the absolute best place in the world to live! I consider myself a hedonist and believe in living every day as if it were my last. I hold no grudges and every person I love knows that I love them. I am fueled by travel and learning about new cultures, having new adventures, and seeing the world. Like Nathan in our Darklight series, I believe wholeheartedly that it’s the journey and not the destination that matters most. And writing – it’s like breathing for me, an outlet and coping skill to retreat to fantasy. Thank you to everyone who has taken the journey with us.
Thanks so much, Sean, for joining me!
J. Scott Coatsworth: When did you know you wanted to write, and when did you discover that you were good at it?
Sean Ian O’Meidhir: I knew I wanted to write in middle school. I was making up stories and putting pen to paper, living in my own little world as an escape. But I was terrible at it … when did I discover I was “good” – that’s still up in the air. 🙂 My da said “a writer writes,” and constantly encouraged me, so I guess this was destiny.
JSC: What was your first published work? Tell me a little about it.
SIO: The first book published was Escape from the Crossing Nüwa series. This book is actually the telling of a background of one of my characters (from a role-playing game I played 20 years ago). The only male weresnake in the world as the breed is all female – and his struggles. It’s a simple rescue trope but it came together beautifully. I’m actually very proud of that series!
JSC: Do you use a pseudonym? If so, why? If not, why not?
SIO: Yes – Sean Ian O’Meidhir is mine and Connal Braginsky is my coauthor’s. We both chose names that honor our family – O’Meidhir is Gaelic, and immigrants changed it to Meyers when they came through Elis Island because Meyers is easier to pronounce. Braginsky is in Connal’s heritage as well. We choose pseudonyms because we both have very active lives. Mine is being a mental health professional, and I would never want the treatment that I do to be interfered with by my passions. Connal uses one to honor his husband and their privacy.
JSC: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
SIO: I read every one of them. For the bad ones, I actually am so grateful that they have felt so strongly by something that we created. It tells me that we did something great! To not only affect someone to have them “hate” something we created, but also to move forward and write a review! That takes so much energy – and I am honored to have that passion directed our way. Good ones make me smile and know we’re on the right track.
JSC: How did you choose the topic for this book?
SIO: The development of this Darklight series was really a labor of love for Connal and me. We had been working on a different series called The Tale of Two Elves (release date TBD), when we decided to create a new series based on a contemporary format. As we both write by the seat of our pants, we decided on basic layout for the world, for each character on our own, and then came together with a very basic plot which just unfolded. And has kept on unfolding through this third installment
JSC: What secondary character(s) would you like to explore more? Tell me about them.
SIO: There are so many – but the top two are Syn and Kat. Syn is going to have her own series someday. As will Kat from Darklight Book 2 – Rescue, and the Crossing Nüwa series. In fact, Kat has a WIP already.
Syn is MC Cameron’s adopted sister and childhood best friend. She’s a computer hacker and someone who just kicks so much ass. She is a good compliment to Cameron as she is able to help him regroup, and does so without judgment. But she also has an interesting makeup which hasn’t been explored in the books yet.
Kat is a 200+ year old blood mage and was the spiritual leader of her people in Africa many years ago. She has lived on every continent, had several children and watched their lineages grow, and respects all cultures. Kat has the wisdom and patience that the other characters in various books have needed, but also a tremendous sense of humor. She is probably the most free of all the characters in any of the books and a joy to write. Kat is filled with unconditional love, but also fierce in a battle. Her WIP may include another cameo character, Sefu… 🙂
JSC: Are you happy with where your writer left you at the end? (don’t give us any spoilers).
SIO:
Cameron – In THIS book? Hell no! I just want to get back to San Francisco. All this running around is killing me.
Nathan – It’s a journey and I enjoy seeing where the ride takes us. Besides, we got to visit Sanctuary! That was inspiring. And learning about SpArk is a never ending process.
August – Hello? This is all new to me. I must admit, I am at peace. Sean and Connal have helped me. I was stuck for so long and now I’m free. I don’t mind helping the boys – all of them – out. Thank you for asking.
JSC: What are some day jobs that you have held? If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.
SIO: My main day job has been being in the mental health field for the last 30 years – and it has impacted my writing to the nth degree. I absolutely love delving into the minds of characters and also to illustrate what real diagnoses might look like or how they manifest.
JSC: What’s your favorite line from any movie?
SIO: Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great…
JSC: What are you working on now, and what’s coming out next? Tell us about it!
SIO: Darklight book 4. Hoping to wrap up the series with this one – answer all those left over questions, and leave enough room for spin off series! It’s slow going right now due to other-life time constraints. So – if any fans are reading this and want to throw some specific things that need to be covered, drop me a line please! 🙂
And now for Sean’s latest book: Entwined:
After learning his mother is alive, Cameron, a telepath, travels across the country to find her, accompanied by Nathen, his neurodiverse vampire lover, and Syn, his best friend and sister of the heart. Once there, they find she is involved in a much larger war of her own and has been trying to keep him out of harm’s way for years.
In their quest to help her, they make enemies, of course, but they also find several new allies. And when they are swept up in fae politics and looming war, the result is an entire paradigm shift that will have far-reaching effects on all their lives forever.
You can enjoy each series on its own, but they do overlap. So the order of suggested reading to follow the world timeline is:
Crossing Nüwa series:
- Escape
- Trials
- Voice
Darklight series:
- Awakening
- Rescue
Crossing Nüwa:
- Transform
Darklight series:
- Entwined
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Excerpt
Cameron snatched the file, thumbing through it quickly with Syn having scooted her chair over to look at them as well. There was no denying the photos were of Maria Molina, Cameron’s mother, each of them time stamped for the month prior. Cameron struggled with his emotions, his mind spinning with desperation, disbelief, fear, and sheer agony as he fought to hold back tears.
Syn pointed out: “These are security photos.”
“Indeed,” HR responded simply.
Nathen stood and took hold of his chair with the intention of dragging it around the table to Cameron when HR put a steadying hand on Nathen’s arm. He stood and offered his chair to Nathen with a subtle gesture, stepping aside to give him access by changing chairs with him.
Cameron reveled in the silent emotions of love and support he was blanketed in from Nathen, and he numbly slid the file to him.
Syn demanded, “So, tell us about these photos. Where are they? How did you get hold of them?”
HR nodded assent. “We started investigating Mr. Molina once we learned our asset had interest in him. That uncovered more unanswered questions than we were comfortable with. This has nothing to do with your skill, Ms. Rodriguez. You covered your tracks quite well. So well, in fact, let’s just say only extraordinary skills could have found any information at all. And, indeed, we did. There is much more to be learned. However, I am only willing to divulge said information, including the answer to your first question regarding location, upon agreement to join us.”
Rage seethed in Cameron, though he sat quietly.
Through the link Cameron had open, Nathen mentally imparted, “Are you okay? Did you want to leave and talk outside? I’m sorry for getting you into this.”
Shaking his head at Nathen’s suggestion, “We can talk with each other right here, and he can’t hear us. As far as I know.” He glanced at Syn.
“Let me get this straight.” Syn sat back, her shoulders squared and fire burning in her eyes. “You’re saying Cameron’s mother is alive. That she is living, and from what it seems, quite comfortably with a few other women, and you’re not willing to give us any more information unless Cameron sells his soul to you?”
HR’s features were serene. “That is a bit dramatic, Ms. Rodriguez. What I am offering is a job as Junior Director of Threat Management for our San Francisco location. The position would be a two-year contract with an option to extend. It comes with a handsome salary three times what you are making at the nonprofit clinic, benefits, resources, and the information you seek. You have a very unique set of skills, sir, that can help us in many ways.”
“I do not agree with your ways,” Cameron growled, clutching Nathen’s hand tightly and protectively. “You abduct unsuspecting people, kill them, making them into vampires, all without their consent, and then murder them when they don’t get with your program. And that’s only the surface of what we know you do.”
HR was silent for a moment and then nodded. “It appears you know quite a bit about the organization, then. Perhaps you can help us change some of those policies.”
Surprise disrupted Cameron’s thoughts of his mother momentarily. “What?”
“Well, I can see the logic of your argument, Mr. Molina. If you came on as Junior Director, you would have the opportunity to potentially write policy. Threat Management is a broad department. It would make sense we could eliminate threats before they started by choosing the right individuals for the positions. And with your skills at mental manipulation, should we offer a position that is refused, you could remove the offer from the individual’s memory. It would save us time in employee selection as well as elimination, if we chose the correct persons from the beginning.”
Cameron reeled with the implications of what the man was talking about. Many lives would be saved if he agreed. He shot a glance toward Syn and Nathen. “You aren’t actually considering this?” Syn stared in disbelief at Cameron.