Interview with Milena McKay

Milena McKay joins me to talk about The Headmistress, A Whisper of Solace, Willoughby, her sweet girl, Jameson and much more!

If you enjoy this you, check out my Patreon page for hilarious game of Would You Rather with Milena, KJ and Rachel Lacey and more to come for only $10 a month!
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Milena's author page on Amazon has all of her books :
Amazon.com: Milena McKay: books, biography, latest update
and you can follow her on Twitter @McKayUndercover 

Transcript

Laura: 0:13

My guest today took the lesfic world by storm last year with the release of the delicate things we make the novella, the perfect match, and my favorite book of 2021. The headmistress. She was also the first author I asked late last year to do an interview for my new blog. And I was pleasantly surprised when she said yes. And she happens to be one of the nicest people in our community. Welcome Milena McKay. And thanks for joining me thank you.

Milena: 0:35

And thank you for the kindest words

Laura: 0:37

and getting your name right.

Milena: 0:39

Seriously this issue has become so controversial. I would have never thought but it's been quite funny and quite sweet.

Laura: 0:49

The audio book for The Headmistress is perfection. And I can't wait for the audio version of The Delicate Things We Make. Tell me your reaction when you first heard the audiobook and the brilliant Abby Craden reading your words?

Unknown: 1:01

Well, I knew it would be amazing. Abby is the sweetest, professional, nicest person. I mean, she reached out she asked me certain things, how to pronounce certain things, how I saw, how I heard certain characters speak and so I knew it would be amazing. But when I finally heard it, I was completely blown away. You know how when you begin something that you have these dreams and they're sort of impossible aspirations. Like, when I grew up, I'm going to be an astronaut. Shout out to Rachel Lacey and her detonation girl dreams. But you know, like, I want to be an astronaut when I grew up. So when I started writing sapphic fiction, I just had sort of this dream that Abby Craden would one day read my words and it's happened.

Laura: 1:49

yeah, I love Magdelene Nox of course, but Sam's fierce loyalty and strength is the catalyst for so much in The Headmistress. Tell me what you love about Sam?

Milena: 1:58

Well, Sam is the glue that holds everything together. Sam is not just the point of view character. She's not just the eyes that we see The Headmistress universe through. But if you say that Madelene is change, and that Lily is hope, Sam is the courage, Sam is the courage to hope and to make that change. So that's how I would characterize Sam.

Laura: 2:27

And anybody who can melt the ice queen, that has to be your special person when you can do that. With the release of the headmistress, the wedding, we now know what's going on in Willoughby's head. I knew it would be full of snark yet also full of love for his human. How much do you love Willoughby? Willoughby be has my whole heart. I did an interview some time ago, and they asked me who was my absolute favorite character from all the books that I've written? And I without a doubt, it's Willoughby. I love him. I adore him. He's the snarkiest, fluffiest cat that I know. He might be like the all star of the book. I mean, yes, Sam and, and Magdalene are awesome. But Willoughby.

Milena: 3:13

I mean, he he even says it at one point in his in his short story. He says it that yeah, Sam was, you know, she may be saved the day, but he's a true hero of the book.

Laura: 3:27

He laid the clues out. And they took a while to find them. Bless his heart. Your next book, we will be out on April 12. Tell me about Whisper of Solace.

Milena: 3:36

A Whisper of Solace is it's a very deeply personal book. And I actually don't say it about all my books, but Delicate Things was a personal book. And so is Solace. It's a journey of one woman through life and through love. She's an ice queen. And since the book is written, from her point of view, we sort of see a really raw, really real and at times very ugly, messy and heartbreaking person underneath this ice queen persona. So to me this book is a little bit of the unraveling of an ice queen, of answering the question of what makes an ice queen. So we get to lift that veil a little bit and see underneath and we get to see who she is and what she's gone through and what she's going through and what she will go through.

Laura: 4:30

And usually they are point of view of the ice queen. So that's interesting, too.

Milena: 4:33

That was a challenge. And at times I feel like I probably bit more than I could chew. But there just an irresistible pull to do it to, to show to see the world through those eyes, but also to show the world a little bit of what's underneath the veil. And it's also set in Hollywood. So there is that at times alluring, but at times very cynical, ugly backdrop of Tinseltown. So I hope the readers like it.

Unknown: 5:03

I'm sure we will. It's only been a year since the release of The Delicate Things We Make. How insane has your year been? And what do you think Jamie and Vivian would think about the book based on their story?

Milena: 5:13

Has it been a year, it feels like ten. 2021 has been long and action packed and I kind of feel we're due a year where nothing happens. At least a month when nothing happens, when there's no news, and we just get to get bored.

Laura: 5:39

And we could be happy. That'd be weird.

Milena: 5:42

That would indeed be very weird. Jamie and Vivian are are the characters that stayed with me and not just because they were my debut book, and but also because they're so personal. But also because next month we get to hear them in Abby's narration. The Delicate Things We Make is coming out on audio mid March. So I'm very much looking forward to that.

Laura: 6:11

Oh I love Vivian. So sexy. Okay, sorry. Sorry, I needed a minute there. The covers for The Headmistress and The Delicate Things We Make are absolutely gorgeous and fit the books perfectly. How much direction did you give to Em?

Milena: 6:29

Hmm, I want to say none. But then Em will totally say"What" The thing is, this is a very collaborative process for the both of us and the cover very much inspired the story and vice versa. For example, the cover of the Delicate Things changed the ending of the book. When we got to the point of that this is going to be the cover, I felt absolutely compelled to introduce that imagery into the book. And same as with the cover of Solac. Every single thing, every single little detail that exists on the cover of Solace from the color of the eyes, to the rain on the window, every single thing is reflected in the story. So it is an amazingly collaborative process of how we work together to make sure that the cover reflects the story but also that the story reflects the cover. So I am exceedingly lucky. I am profoundly profoundly lucky to have found and have struck this partnership with her. Just she's she's amazing working with her. It's just a complete pleasure. All mine. I'm sure she'll say, I don't know if she'll say that. Because I can be exceedingly. Let's let's pick a nice word here. choosy,

Laura: 8:03

Meticulous.

Milena: 8:04

Ok let's go with that one. Yours is better. It sounds better than anal retentive. Yes. But seriously, she puts up with so much for me, In terms of can you move this this word a millimeter higher or an inch to something she just puts puts up with so much. Can you make this darker? No lighter? No Oh, it darker was better. But she's amazing. The talent, the vision, how nice she is, how just supportive and there. And I'm profoundly, profoundly lucky to have found Em.

Laura: 8:46

your 20 questions with other authors has revealed your bizarre obsession with garden gnomes. When did this proclivity for garden gnomes begin? And have you sought therapy for it?

Milena: 8:55

Well, let tell you the garden gnomes is a state secret. And unless I do 20 questions myself, one day, maybe ever never. It will remain a state secret.

Laura: 9:11

You should do your own 20 questions with yourself?

Milena: 9:14

I don't think that would be fair, because I would pick my own questions.

Laura: 9:18

I know that's the point though is you answer your questions you give it to everyone else. Yeah. Well could take over like I could be your proxy question asker. question asker. That's a good term. Sounds like something Rachel Lacey would come up with. All right, we'll talk about that. We'll get together on it. You can only choose one character of yours to go on a road trip with you. Which one do you choose? And why?

Milena: 9:40

Without a doubt? Without a doubt it would be our Arabella Archibald Avante. The Delicate Things We Make, without a doubt. I'll tell you why. Not only will I be driving in like the most decadent car possible. We'll be staying at the absolute best hotels imaginable in the cities that we'll be stopping. And on top of everything, she'd have a story about absolutely every single place and it would be so outrageous. Because you know what? She's been there. She's done. Oh, yeah, she's been arrested there. Like you know that Arabella just absolutely has a story in the past about absolutely every single place. I'd love to do a car trip road trip with with Arabella.

Laura: 10:35

That's true. Yeah, she would be a lot of fun. I wouldn't mind doing well with Lily. Really do. Because you we'd just laugh the whole time and play like silly music. Milena, which of your characters is the most like you?

Milena: 10:51

None actually. I'm yet to put myself as such on a page. They all have something from me, like from nerd like love of Janeway that Sam does to the bookishness of Jamie. So they all have parts, but I am yet to say that, you know, this is the one that is really like me.

Laura: 11:18

Excellent. Tell me about Jameson. Your gorgeous puppy.

Milena: 11:22

Well, Jameson has other than totally stealing my heart. Jameson has a really sad sort of beginnings. She spent the first eight to 10 We don't know for sure how many months she spent on the street and she has been very badly abused. Her trauma is quite extensive. We're working through it with a lot of love, a lot of patience, a lot of treats a lot of pets a lot of scratches. And it's just heartbreaking. You can tell it's showing her much in her behavior, but at the same time she's the absolute sweetest, kindest, most loving dog and you when you look back and you think she's been through so much and yet look at her being so just absolutely generous with her love. Dogs are just just the best, you know.

Laura: 12:18

We have a rescue. His name's Sam and he he was ran over and shot and he is like every time like he hears a backfire or even if the fireplace crackles he like jumps. But he has the sweetest, kindest disposition like his little sister is a shitzu who's just loud and annoying. And he I know a few times he's thought I would like to chew her head off but he doesn't he just puts his arm on her and just pats her and he's just so sweet. Dogs are amazing.

Milena: 12:47

Dogs. Dogs are just absolutely amazing. She's been through so much. And she is so scared of humans in general. But then suddenly she's just, you know, the most amazing Cuttlebug and sweet and kind and I I'm very lucky to have rescued her. I'm very lucky to the you know, maybe on some level she chose me too. I answered an ad answered an ad that said we rescued this dog and she's been through a lot if you don't mind a puppy who has been severely traumatized. Would you take her? i The moment I saw her I said yes. And it was a choice between naming her Jamison and Sam. So either Jamie or Sam for either of my characters from The Delicate Things or The Headmistress, but in the first couple of days I didn't know which one it's going to be. And at the end of the day, just she's just so utterly kind, like just sweet and gentle and tender. And Sam has a temper.

Laura: 14:02

Sam can get feisty.

Milena: 14:04

Yeah, Jamie The pub is one with a temper. She's just one with a lot of love. So Jameson the name won over plus she's she's this you know, kind of amber dog and in a certain light maybe somehow, you know whiskey. So Jamison won the day.

Laura: 14:26

You've just started buying lesfic paperbacks which ones have you gotten so far?

Milena: 14:31

All right. I haven't gotten very far. But right now, I have let's see. The latest one was Lucy Bexley No Strings. Before that. There was Monica McCallan's Back in Your Arms. . Before that there was Lee Winters Breaking Character. And before that, it was Claire Ashton's, Jessica Lambert, and I have two more paperbacks on the way. One of them is my absolute favorite E.J. Noyes book, Gold. it was, the Winter Olympics and as I watched I thought I have to have it. E.J. Noyes, in general is one of the most talented, most amazing writers out there. And she has a plethora of amazing books. Alone, so original, quite a unique concept. Ask Tell, the quadrilogy I guess it's going to be with the release in in May, which I absolutely cannot wait for. Reaping the Benefits, another one .These books are talked about a lot. These books have a lot of fans, these books are very popular. And I want to tell absolutely everybody that they need to pick up Gold because it's amazing. And it deserves to have just as much love as all of E.J.'s other titles. I never miss a release purse, every single one of them is pre ordered and gets on my Kindle right away.

Laura: 16:07

Yep, has to. I have Fake It by Lily Seabrooke on the way pretty excited about having that one.

Milena: 16:13

Can I just say that Lily Seabrooke is one of the most amazing authors and amazing people out there. And I am very privileged to know her and I'm very privileged to be part of the apology that's coming out this May that she's spearheading, so I'm enormously lucky to know her. She's awesome and amazing and all the good things.

Laura: 16:40

She is. She's one of the best people out there. Milena, it has been wonderful talking to you today. You've always showed me kindness and encouragement from our first interaction, and I wish you only the best. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me.

Milena: 16:53

Thank you so much for having me. Thank you, and good luck in your other podcasting adventures.

Laura: 16:59

Thank you. The audio book of the headmistress is available now and next month be on the lookout for the audiobook of The Delicate Things We Make. Be sure to check out Milena's Amazon page where you can purchase ebooks or paperbacks of Milena's work. And don't forget A Whisper Of Solace will be released on April 12. Thanks again to Milena McKay for joining me and thanks to you for listening. Be sure to subscribe. And if you want to laugh out loud at your favorite authors playing Would You Rather go to my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/sapphicbookreviewpod. Until next time, happy reading