We chat with debut author Brian Feehan, son of legendary #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan, about Harmony of Fire, the riveting first novel in a brand-new paranormal romance series!
Hi, Brian! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
First, allow me to say thank you to The Nerd Daily for this opportunity.
Hello, my name is Brian Feehan and I live in a small coastal town in Northern California. I love the city, but my heart has always been in small towns. It’s easier to say hello, give a wave and lend a helping a hand. I like the gossip, that’s right I said it! I like running into people you know when you are at the grocery store, or grabbing a pizza.
I’m a dad to an amazing four-year-old boy, who wakes me every morning at 6:30 am with a very loud voice saying “Dad, Dad! Are you awake? What are we going to do today?” I love it, Michelle and I don’t even use an alarm clock anymore!
Because we are about to talk books, I should probably mention I’m the son of Christine Feehan, a New York Times Bestselling Author for over twenty years. She also writes Paranormal Romance, and she is very, very good. I can’t recommend her enough. Go Moms!
How has the first half of 2022 been for you?
It’s been moving! I’m not going to lie, it went by very fast, too fast. Right now, it feels like the world is spinning and we all need to run just to stay in place. That said, we have been lucky and blessed with our health and family. It’s also been an exciting year with both the launch of FeehanandCo.com (a small online store my mother and I opened) and the release of my first novel, Harmony of Fire.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I came to the party late, and I believe doing so has shaped my writing. Let me start at the beginning. Around the age of twenty I started reading like crazy. I read everything, particularly romance, fantasy and sci-fi. I couldn’t get enough. I stacked books in piles on the floor because the bookshelves were overflowing. Two years later, I was on a romance reader cruise helping my mother. I was at dinner when the host came over and asked if I was going to be a writer like my mom. It’s rare for me to be shy, but in that small little moment I found I was struggling to answer. Suddenly, my girlfriend at the time leaned over and said “No, he’s not a writer.” Hearing those words out loud felt wrong. In that moment, I knew in my heart the statement was false. I was a writer; I just didn’t know how to write.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
The one I can’t stop thinking about is J.D. Robb’s Naked in Death. Norah Roberts (who also writes under J.D. Robb) is a master storyteller, not to mention an icon in the romance writing industry. She deserves to have a statue in her honor for all the glass ceilings she has personally shattered.
Your debut novel, Harmony of Fire, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Five words? You do know I prefer 400 pages?
Fire, family, music, rhythm, and passion.
What can readers expect?
Harmony of Fire starts out with a slow beat that builds and builds and you move deeper into the story. My hope is that you go on a rock and roll, survive, or die ride. A ride where you can clearly understand who Alice and Owen are and what they represent. But what you can expect? With the risk of overstepping, you can expect an original story that is intriguing, relatable, and is also a lot of fun.
Where did the inspiration for Harmony of Fire come from?
Owen is a musician with the magic of creation living inside. There is magic in music. A song can bond to you, pull you into a space and speak to you. I wanted to write about that magic.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
The first challenge is always going deep enough inside your characters, so they are not just mannequins telling you what you want to hear. It’s like going underwater, swimming as hard as you can until you’re deep enough into the characters that you know how they feel, how they think and who they are. I say it’s like swimming because my own reality is always pulling at me, forcing me back up to the surface.
How I overcame this? Pure stubborn determination and a real desire to hear them. Also knowing it’s the best way to have lifelike charters. Anything less isn’t worthy of the reader’s time.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
All my characters surprise me, and it’s been a joy to write them. Even during the emotional times. One scene I loved writing was when Owen returns home for the first time in years. He has so many contradicting emotions. He knew he was risking death, but felt he had no other choice in keeping his people alive. What happened next shocked me.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
There has been so much great advice, but the best was to add as many hooks as possible into every page to give the reader motivation to dive deeper into the story.
The worst advice, Men can’t write romance. It was terrible advice because it ignores the clear fact that men can, and have, written romance for years and years. It speaks to the stereotype that the romance gene is only for women. I personally believe all men would greatly benefit from and truly enjoy reading romance. Romance novels are about connection and communication, friendship, love and how to help each other during difficult times. These concepts resonate with both men and women.
What’s next for you?
I just finished Harmony of Lies (book two in the Alice and Owen series), that comes out in February of 2023. So, now I am on to book number three in the Alice and Owen series, and then I am hoping to write the first novel in a new series about modern warriors that keep us safe from the darkest of nights.
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
I just read Lori Foster’s The Honeymoon Cottage, and it was fantastic! It reminded me to slow down, even with all the hectic things going on in our lives and to take time to connect with others. I needed that. I am still working off my stack from last year but let me just say if you haven’t read This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, you’re missing out. Of course, I also recommend my mom’s (Christine Feehan) Red on the River.
Thank you again, this has been a lot of fun!
https://brianfeehanauthor.com/
Facebook: @brianfeehanauthor
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I am struggling to read Harmony of Fire. Sadly must say not a wise buy for an old/senior Feehan fan. Page 117 and pushing myself again to keep going. BRIAN IS TALENTED but this is like a game maze keeps going but way to slow. My son says it’s probably a guy’s book. I wish I could get a refund. This is not a public statement just hoping to build a fire under this author. I keep rembering that he helped his mother and I have enjoyed those books.