Paranormal Author Hildie McQueen Discusses Her Biracial Heritage and the Impact on her Debut Novel Desperate Betrayal

October 10, 2011

I’m so excited to share my interview with Hildie McQueen. She’s one of my writer buds from Georgia Romance Writers. Hildie’s book, Desperate Betrayal, was recently released by Crescent Moon Press.

Hildie, thanks so much for agreeing to interview with me.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your writing?

I live in Augusta, Georgia, with my knight in shining armor, Kurt, who is the most supportive husband ever. He cooks while I spend most of my evenings at the dining room table writing with a glass of wine. I’ve been seriously writing for about four years. After my daughters moved out, I had more time on my hands so I decided to write romance. I love the idea of creating original stories and getting to know the marvelous imaginary people in them.

Can you share with us about your biracial heritage?

My heritage is quite a mixture. When I check the ‘other’ box under ethnicity, I am not kidding! LOL. My mother was Mexican, a mixture of Native Mexican and Spanish and my father was black, with a very definite Anglo-Saxon nose and greenish eyes, so he was probably multiracial, but he never bothered figure it out. My maiden name is McTere, which is a hard name to find anywhere, believe me I’ve looked. The closest I could find was Scottish. I was born in Mexico and raised in a Hispanic barrio in South California. I got to know the most about my African American heritage after joining the army.

I noticed that Emma, your heroine, is half demon and half human, is this one way that your biracial or multiracial heritage shows on the page? Can you explain more how being biracial or multiracial impacts your writing?

Maybe, I like to make my heroines different, I want them to stand out in their own way. That’s funny now that you mention it, the heroine in the sequel is also ‘not quite human’. I believe that multi-ethnicity helps one see things differently because we're not stuck with just one group. More than anything, I have the experience of the point of view of someone that is different.

Do you have any characters of color or other multicultural themes in your work? If not, how else do these elements play a role in your stories?

Yes, one of the Protectors, Rowe is a Moor, he hasn’t spoken to me yet. Rowe is a silent mysterious type, so I’m going to have to drag him screaming and kicking into my ‘interview room’. I picture him as a mixture of Morris Chestnut and Shemar Moore (ooh yum!) There is also an Italian (Roman), who is their leader Julian D'Arco. I’m not sure who my muse is for Julian, since he’s supposed to be the ultimate in male beauty. I love mixing up not only ethnic backgrounds, but totally different nationalities, it makes for fun dialog and interchanges.

I’m excited about your “Protectors Series”, Can you tell us about the world you’ve created and the power structure or dynamics between the immortal demon slayers and the demons?

The Protectors, who are immortal and from different backgrounds, from a Gladiato to a Viking and even a 1800s cowboy, seem to be fighting a losing battle against demons who are ever increasing in numbers. The heroines come in and add the complication of attraction, sexual tension and love to the mix.

The series is set in current day Atlanta and surrounding areas, where demons are one of several species that hide and intermingle with humans. Protectors fight against blood addicted beings that hunt humans in the streets and alleyways of Atlanta. The world of the Protectors is one of battle and darkness, so I use some sense of humor in their dialog and scenes to lighten it up. Demons for the most part steer clear of a Protector, but those lost to blood lust are hunted and destroyed.

How can readers purchase your newly published book and what’s on your publishing horizon?

Desperate Betrayal is available on Amazon in both Print and e-format now. The sequel Desperate Surrender, is currently with my Editor. I hope it will be out in the spring. I’m about to begin the edits on the third in the series, Desperate Possession. I am also writing a historical, it’s a Western! Totally different genre, which is both scary and exciting. And have the rough draft to a trilogy about knights that are trapped in an enchantment after pissing off a wizard. That one is good!

If you’d like to know more about Hildie McQueen you can visit her blog at www.hildiemcqueen.com. She’s also having a launch party for her new book. If you’d like to attend visit: http://www.hildiemcqueen.com/?page_id=896

Feel free to leave any comments for Hildie.