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Michelle Stopped by for a long chat!!!
T: Good Evening Michelle thanks for joining me this evening. I hope the coffee is strong enough?
M: I’m not a morning person. At all. I’m a total night owl and love coffee any time of day.
T: I promise for this set of questions I’m going to keep things fun and light (well light for me) so let’s get started.
T: How often do you write?
M: I try to write every day. I feel good when I do.
T: When do you write?
M: Late afternoons through the middle of the night. Whenever I can.
T: How do you juggle, writing, family and work?
M: Not easily lol. I have two kids. One is still too small for school. I always put my family first. I make sure they are taken care of, that my work is done, and then I can write. Only when everything else is taken care of.
T: Do you listen to Maroon 5 while writing? Is there a specific song that helps the writing process that you play on repeat?
M: I listen to different music depending on the genre I’m writing. With My Salvation, which is contemporary romance, it was Maroon 5. With Floating, it was Taylor Swift. I listened to The Weeknd while writing The Azure Kingdom. And a lot of the time, I put on Spotify and listen to just about anything.
T: In Floating what made you give Lucy such an extreme anxiety?
M: Lucy’s anxiety is based off my own, but our triggers are very different. Her emotions are mine. The book came to me when I was having a particularly bad panic attack. I wanted to put a spotlight on something that isn’t talked about often, yet many suffer with. And I wanted her struggle to be realistic. I wanted to show her struggle in detail.
T: While Floating has a romance subplot the main tug of war is Lucy overcoming her fear and anxiety. What made you go in this direction compared to your other stories?
M: I wanted to show growth and strength in a character who didn’t feel it. I wanted to show how she could overcome her fears even if it was a slow process and it felt like she would never get there. Also, I wanted to show that while not everyone understands it, they can still be supportive like Ellis was. It’s a horrible thing to deal with, but it helps to have a strong support system. Floating was the easiest book I’ve written yet, however, it was the scariest to publish. I put so much of myself into it and didn’t know how it would be received.
T: How do your characters speak to you?
M: They fight. A lot. And usually when I’m trying to sleep. It’s always when my mind is quiet and then, bam! They start going on and on. I write the strongest voice usually.
T: What was it like transitioning from blogger to published author?
M: I think it helped me understand the book community more. I knew of blog tours, etc. already since I’d hosted them in the past. What was new to me was writing and it scared me and excited me at the same time. I’m still a blogger and love it. It’s a lot to balance in addition to my family, but it’s worth it.
T: Paranormal is your favorite genre yet none of your stories (that are out) have paranormal aspects. What made you step out of the “what you know” idea of writing?
M: Until I started writing, I read a lot of paranormal romance. I did read quite a bit of contemporary, too. Contemporary romance was the first genre I wrote. It came easy to me. Cali and Owen were the first characters to speak to me. Paranormal and fantasy are more difficult to write, but a lot more fun. I have my first fantasy romance coming out in June. I’d love to tackle YA. It’s currently what I read most.
T: Will there be any paranormal stories in the future?
M: I have two series that I’m co-writing with a friend. One is a shifter romance and one is a vampire romance. The hope is to get book one in each series out this year.
T: Speaking of write what you know do you add any of your life events in your stories?
M: Yes, I try to put a little of myself in each of my books. In my Heiress series, Kasi is full of sass and curses like a trucker. That’s very like me. I also have her living in Pennsylvania, which is where I live. In Floating, Lucy was given my anxiety. Even if it’s a tiny bit, each book has a piece of me in it.
T: What inspires you? What gives you inspiration?
M: So many things. It can be as simple as a conversation with someone or it can come from a dream. I draw inspiration from wherever I can. I have more story ideas than I have time to write.
T: What do you do for relaxation?
M: Read. Every night once my kids and husband are asleep, I read. I love it.
T: What comes next?
M: I’m hoping to get book three in my Heiress series out next. The Azure Kingdom, fantasy romance, comes out on June 15th.
T: Well Michelle that’s all I have for you today? Until next time thanks again for joining me, now get back to work and write your next book.
M: Thank you so much for having me!
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