Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews Michelle! On behalf of all of us here, I extend our heartfelt thanks in taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions and giving us all the chance to get to know you better.

What inspired you to begin writing one day?

A creative writing teacher in high school. It was the first time someone told me to put words together to make a story and when I did, she was great at making me feel wonderful. She had a wall in the classroom where she would hang the best story, poem, or assignment, and almost everything I wrote went on the wall. What an ego boost that was! She told me once I would make a great journalist, however so many people told me that was a hard dream to realize and it didn’t pay the bills. So I went to work in the corporate world instead, although I have written stories, poems and journals for years, most of them ended up in the junk drawer.

How long did it take to get your first book published?

Maybe it was luck; however, it didn’t take very long at all. I started by looking for an agent, which was pretty much a waste of time, since they want to represent published authors. Liquid Silver Books was the first publisher I approached with the book and as they say the rest is history.

Can you tell us about your debut release, Club Belle Tori?

Lots of people think it’s funny; however the idea for this book really did come from a dream. I had this recurring dream about the club and Victoria; however the man in the shadows was as much a mystery to me as it was the woman in my dreams. I always woke up wondering “who is he?” I actually wrote the book with Victoria and Pierre first, leaving the Jason character out of it to begin with. Then one day I sat down and started writing about all the men in my life I’ve loved, including boyfriends from school. Jason is who ended up coming to life in the book.

How did you feel the day you found out Club Belle Tori was to be published?

Let me get out the thesaurus and see how many ways to say thrilled! I think I read the notice from Liquid Silver three or four times before I realized it wasn’t fake. I hadn’t told anyone I’d submitted the book and here I had a contract offer. My thirteen year old son was the first to know. He walked in from a friend’s house and I was dancing around the room. He gave me that oh great my mom’s gone insane look, and then asked what I was so excited about. Well after I told him he was dancing too, oh and calculating how many books needed to sell before I could afford to get him the car of his dreams….boys!!!

How did you feel the day it was released?

I think nervous is the best word to describe that day. All the doubts hit at that moment and while it was exciting, it was also a little overwhelming.

What is a day like in your life? Do you have a strict writing schedule?

My day begins early. After a cup of coffee and conversation with my husband, I usually sign onto the internet around 6 am. Check emails, lists, take care of anything really important, and of course send one liners to fellow Liquid Silver authors Dee S. Knight and Dakota Cassidy. With a six month old granddaughter, two businesses, and a thirteen year old son, a strict writing schedule is not possible at the moment. I spend a lot of time in the car and have a tape recorder with me, so I record my books (thoughts actually) then when it’s quiet in the late afternoon I write.

What do you find the hardest thing about writing? The easiest?

POV’s (point of view) is the hardest for me. Partly because I had not a single clue what a POV was until it was explained to me, after I wrote CBT. I still struggle. Well not really struggle, basically I am more aware of when I’ve made the mistake so it makes it harder to ignore. The easiest part of writing is that it comes without a lot of thought. Once I sit down with a story, I can pretty much get the basics in place quickly. It’s the fine tuning that takes time.

Do you write any other stories besides erotic fiction?

I have written a lot that doesn’t fall into the erotic category; however other then poetry, erotic fiction is what I enjoy most.

Why do you think erotic fiction is so popular right now?

Oh I think it’s always been popular, just not as out in the open as it is today. I believe women in general are demanding more sexual freedom.

Where do you hope to see your career at within the next 5 years?

I really hadn’t given much thought to this. My plan is to continue writing, having my books published and enjoyed by the readers. My son still has high school to get through, so any career plans have to include time for his sports activities.

What do you love most about writing?

The freedom to be me, to let my mind and fingers go. I find when I’m writing it just comes to me. I don’t have to struggle with it. Most everything else I do takes some effort. My husband owns a construction company and I do bookkeeping for a few small businesses in the area. That type of work takes more effort, writing does not.

What do you do when you are not writing?

Well, in addition to working as a bookkeeper, I spend a lot of time in the car taking my son to and from school and sports activities. He is also involved in boy scouts and is an aspiring author himself. I try to give him whatever time he needs, because it goes so fast.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

Tom Clancy and Dean Koontz are two of my favourite. I hate to admit it, but I’m terrible at remembering names. I lose the “who sings this song” contest all the time because I can sing every word, but couldn’t tell you who sang it if my life depended on it. I’m the same way with authors. I read just about anything I can get my hands on.

What advice would you give aspiring authors with their writing and on how to get their works published?

My best advice - don’t let anyone tell you it’s not worth doing; it doesn’t pay enough, or anything else negative. If you enjoy writing, even if it never gets published, then you should write. As for getting published, do your research. There are a lot of publishers out there, so make sure you submit your work to one who best suits the type of writing you do. Once they review your submission, listen to them and don’t get disappointed if you miss on the first go round.

What do you have coming up for release? Can you give us brief tidbits about any upcoming tales and their release dates?

Right now my main focus is on the Club Belle Tori trilogy. I am also working on an anthology, however details of that are still under wraps at the moment. As for release dates…sometime soon. I know that drives the reader’s nuts; however it’s impossible to give anything specific because of the unknown in the process.

Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Yes, I’d like to say thank you, my wonderful husband, children, family, and friends who supported me in this effort. I’d also like to thank all the people I’ve met since I first submitted to Liquid Silver Books. And last, but never least, thanks to Dakota Cassidy and Dee S. Knight for taking the new kid under their wings and making me a part of the LSB family.

Thank you again Michelle. We wish you luck with all your endeavours.


Interviewed by: Tracey