New Release by Staci Troilo — Tortured Soul

Staci, thanks for stopping by.  I am so excited that you have released your final book in the Medici Protectorate Series.  I can’t wait to see how it ends.  I pre-ordered my copy and have started reading it.

Hi, Michele. Thanks for having me here today.

I’m excited to share your final book in the series.  I know I couldn’t wait to see how the series ended, and I have several friends that are waiting as well.  But I also have some questions for you regarding the series and one of a personal nature.

I know that the finale of any series can be difficult.
What will you miss most about the Norato family and Brothers of the Protectorate?

This series began when I thought about my grandfather’s heritage. His father was the illegitimate son of nobility. Hours (days? weeks?) of brainstorming later, and the Medici Protectorate was born. The hardest part of ending this series is ending my connection with my grandfather (who I miss every single day). I know working in this world didn’t really bring me closer to him, but it felt like it somehow, which makes the ending harder for me.

It doesn’t hurt that I’ve got a spinoff series (the Nightforce Security series under the pen name Keira Beck) where the Brothers often pop up.

Which sister do you think you identify most with?

That’s hard, since I put different aspects of myself in each of them. For example, all four of them chose career paths that interest me. Toni complains about exercising as much as I do. I feel the same sense of responsibility that Franki does. Jo hates invasion of privacy as much as me, maybe more. Maybe I’ll choose Donni because she loves to cook and bake. Really, it’s hard to choose.

Will the sisters and the brotherhood be making any appearances in any of your upcoming novels?

Like I mentioned above, I have a spinoff series called the Nightforce Security series. It features Danny Caruso, a secondary character in the Medici Protectorate series. Every now and then, the Brothers make a cameo. Even the sisters have. Book one, Hideaway by Keira Beck, is already released, and book two, Gamble, will be out soon. Three is already done, four is halfway finished, and five through eight are outlined. So we haven’t seen the last of the Medici gang.

What sort of research did you do to write this book series?

I did extensive research on alchemy, mythical properties/powers of stones and colors, the Medici family, and the Renaissance. Most of my research revolved around things in the distant past, but the series is actually set in the present. I also poured over maps of Italy and descriptions of certain cities/regions. Too bad I couldn’t go there in person and see the sights first-hand!

What was the most difficult part about writing this book and this series?

I think the hardest part was the learning curve. While Bleeding Heart wasn’t the first book I had published, it was the first I’d written. There was a lot I didn’t know then. When I reread the books in order, I can see my craft improving. Book four, Tortured Soul, is my strongest work. My editor actually said it was the cleanest manuscript he’d ever worked on. He also said the ending had him misty-eyed. I take his comments as a sign that I have learned a lot and am releasing a really good book.

What’s the worst job you had before becoming a full-time writer?

My worst jobs were my part-time jobs while I was in college. Tedious, but necessary. (At one—a hostess at Bob Evans—I only lasted six days before quitting. Those horror stories are for another time, though.)

After I graduated, I was a full-time writer, although it was corporate work instead of creative. Then I became a freelance writer, a college professor, and an editor. Each of these had specific challenges, but none of them made me hate the jobs.

Blurb:

Protection is safety. Until it stifles.

After months of clandestine battles, the Brothers of the Medici Protectorate finally know who is responsible for the assassination attempts on the Notaro family, the secret descendants of the Medici line. And they’ve never faced such a formidable foe.

Roberto Cozza–Coz–faces this new reality with surprising pragmatism. His powers may make the difference in winning their covert war–if only he can master them in time. It would just be so much easier if he could get his emotions under control, but neither his Brothers nor their charges are making things easy on him.

Toni Notaro appreciates the security provided by the Brothers, but she knows she has her own role to play–and it terrifies her. She is the missing link in Coz mastering his emerging abilities, yet she struggles to bridge the gap between what he needs and what she can offer.

As the Brotherhood hurtles inexorably toward the climactic final showdown, Coz and Toni must find the strength within themselves and each other to master the secrets of his powers, or risk death and defeat for all they hold dear.

Bio and Links:

Staci Troilo writes because she has hundreds of stories in her head. She publishes because people told her she should share them. She’s a multi-genre author whose love for writing is only surpassed by her love for family and friends, and that relationship-centric focus is featured in her work.

Web | Blog | Tortured Soul Info | Medici Protectorate Info | Amazon Page | BookBub | Goodreads | Twitter | Other Social Media Links