Misa Buckley writes SF and paranormal romance. She is a Winner of the SFR Galaxy Award for her novel TIN CAT. She is published through Decadent Publishing and Champagne Books, as well as self-publishing. She is also the author of  BAYNE, STAR ATTRACTION, and IRONHAVEN.

RK: What do you think accounts for the appeal of the romance genre? Why do you choose to explore the subgenre of paranormal and SF romance?
MISA: I think romance appeals because everyone wants a happy ending, no matter how cynical they are. Sci fi and paranormal are weird. So they fit me perfectly. 😀

RK: What do you think are the vital elements in creating a strong protagonist?
MISA: Strength comes from being aware of weaknesses, but not letting them get in the way. Perfect doesn’t make for a strong character, just a boring one.

RK: How do you keep your creative process fresh? Do you have a special place to write or a routine?
MISA: Variety is the spice of life – that’s why I have Earth-set sci fi and space operas alongside paranormal stories. I write during the day, when the kids are at school and college. Just sat on the sofa with my laptop on my knee.

RK: Tell us about the road to TIN CAT’s publication. Where did the idea start? How was the writing and drafting process? The publication process?
MISA: TIN CAT started watching Stargate SG-1… The words came pretty easy, but writing a disabled character meant doing a lot of research into the type of injury Amber suffered. It was very important to me that I represented her correctly, without making her disability an issue or kink. Once it was written, I submitted it to my editor at Champagne and got an acceptance fairly quickly.

RK: What do you want readers to take away from your work?
MISA: A sense of fun and a warm fuzzy feeling.

RK: Tell us a bit more about your upcoming projects.
MISA: I’ve an on-going project with Champagne called Amazing Grace, which is a near-future sci fi about ordinary people turned into superheroes by a malevolent corporation. One episode is already released (GRACE UNDER FIRE) with the second current in production. I’ve also gotten an invitation to submit a proposal to another publisher, though that project is going to be a while in development.

RK: Choose five songs for the soundtrack to the movie about your life.
MISA: Country Feedback by R.E.M.; Miami by Counting Crows; Radioactive by Imagine Dragons; With Or Without You by U2; White Flag by Dido.

RK: You get to decorate your own room on a space station. What do you have in it?
MISA: Bialar Crais’ bed (seen in Farscape’s Green Eyed Monster), a TARDIS jewellery box, a Stargate replica mirror and a box of purple gloves in case of Artifacts.

Misa can be found on Twitter (@MisaBuckley) or at her website (www.misabuckley.com) or Facebook.