Michelle, Thank you for taking time out to interview with us at Fallen Angel Reviews.

What are you currently working on?

I seem to have about a billion things going on at once. LOL. Right now I have two books recently released from NCP, THE MISTS OF MIDNIGHT and DRAGON LORDS: THE BARBARIAN PRINCE (book one of a series) I also have 6 more books scheduled to come out this year and more contracts waiting to be signed. I just finished writing the third book in my Tribes of the Vampire series (book one come out in July 2004) and I am beginning a new series that is a spin off of the Dragon Lords Books. It has to do with the Var in the Dragon Lord stories (their rivals who are cat shape shifters). I have a few other series in with NCP that are being considered. I am also part of a writing team with Mandy Roth. We have an ongoing soap opera called Happy Hour with M & M at the Raven, where we interview authors in a soap opera type setting. It's based off our alter-egos and is becoming very popular. Interviews are put out in 'chapters'. It's free to anyone who wants to read them at http://www.ravenhappyhour.com/the_raven.htm .

Who do you consider to be an excellent author and why?

I have always loved reading the classics. I like John Steinbeck. His Travel's with Charley was a great read and very different than his other books. Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, were to other really great ones. I like the struggle and the attention to details in the story, the way he saw things. Jane Austen, Dumas, JF Cooper are some others off the top of my head.

There really are a lot of great writers out there. For the Romance genre, I do like Mandy Roth's books-Daughter of Darkness. Jaycee Clark writes really good suspense and I'm usually not a big suspense fan, but hers were great!

What, to you, makes the best publisher?

One who'll make me money so I can keep doing what I love! LOL

What does your working space look like?

*gulp* Uh, hum. Ok, it's a big mess of well organized piles of things only I know how to find. And I love it that way!!

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Photography, read, vacation with my family. We do a lot of stuff as a family and LOVE to watch movies.

Tell your fans something personal about you. Something they would want to know.

Oh, this is a hard one. I am addicted to wearing pajama pants and my favorite pair has elephants on them.

What is your favorite type of genre to write?

I started doing nothing but straight historical and they've been my long time favorite. However, I've really loved paranormal lately and can't get enough of it. Also, since the Dragon Lords series taken off (my first attempt at futuristic) I'm having fun with that too.

To read?

I really do have a fondness for classics, but my fave would have to be paranormal right now.

Do you owe your success to anyone?

My family. Without them I would be nothing.

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

I've always loved to write and I did daydream about it once and awhile, but I really wanted to be a starving artist photographer who lived in a studio apartment in New York. I 'settled' for an artist husband who can cook and live in a nice home. I think I picked the better choice. LOL

What was the first story you ever wrote and what kind of reviews did you receive?

Ok, this is probably not what you're asking, but the first story I really tried on was in 8th grade. The assignment was to write a so many word story about anything around the Thanksgiving holiday. Most wrote little things about, 'oh no, we burnt the turkey and have to eat at restaurant, but its ok cause we love each other' books. Mine was called Thanksgiving Murders. You can pretty much guess what it was about. Anyway, I worked really hard on it (was going for an Edgar Allen Poe thing). The teacher freaked, the guidance counselor was called, who then called my mom.

Bless my mother, because she refused to send me to counseling for it and told them that her daughter was just more creative than the other kids and they could….well, I won't repeat the rest. I love you mom!! Thanks for that!!

They never gave me the story back, which I would like to actually see today to see if it was badly written or so good it scared them. LOL. That incident did set me back a lot when it came to writing.

As for first 'published' work, that would be THE MISTS OF MIDNIGHT and its gotten mostly 5 star reviews.

Can you please tell us either about the book you are writing now or the last one published?

Tribes of the Vampire: Redeemer of Shadows, Coming July 2004 from NCP

This is the first book in my new Dark Romance series. Each book will focus on individual vampiric tribesmen of the eight different vampire tribes. Not only do vampires have different personalities and characteristics, but also different supernatural traits passed down through their 'bloodline' and evolving within the different tribes--just as humans develop original quarks because of culture and background. Just like mortals, some vampires can be good--though not too good. (They do have the beast inside that needs to be fed.) And some can be very, very naughty. Some of the supporting cast will be continued on in the other books.

Redeemer of Shadows Blurb:

Hathor Vinceti does not feel as if she completely belongs in the world around her, yet she never imagines that more could be waiting for her. She decides to move to London to help Georgia run her seasonal upscale bed-and-breakfast home. But in London Hathor finds more than just an exotic city that captures the mind-she finds a thriving underworld seething with wickedly bored vampires. And what could be worse than immortal beings with nothing to do and forever to do it?

Surviving on blood and living in agony, Lord Servaes the Marquis de Normant has given up on trying to discover a mortal end to his vampire life. He never asked for immortality and he does not understand those who have. He never asked to use his gifts-his accursed blood-to save the mortal who dares too close to danger. Servaes is drawn to the strong willed mortal who would deny him so easily-who by all rights should not be immune to his vampiric powers-and for once he thinks of drinking of something sweeter than the dregs of society.

What is a typical day like for you?

Depends on the day. Usually, wake up, struggle to find coffeepot, drink coffee, struggle to turn on computer, drink more coffee, struggle to answer email, more coffee (lol, seeing a pattern?) After the coffee kicks in, I try to catch up on writing and tattoo shop work (I own one J). Then I try to spend time with daughter or get some writing done before I have to go to tattoo shop to work. At shop, if we're not busy I write. Hopefully, somewhere in there the house gets cleaned. I stay really busy, but I love it.

What is the best advice you can give to new authors?

I don't know that I am a big fountain of advice, but I would have to say, stay true to your writing. Do what's right for you. And when all is said and done, just do it.

Is there anything else you would like to tell your fans?

My books were just picked up by Fictionwise and Dragon Lords: The Barbarian Prince reached number 2 on there Romance Bestseller list after 5 days. That same book has also gotten on the sizzler seller list for NCP May 2004 and is being considered for print for Nov/Dec 2004.

Also readers can join my mailing list by going to my website.

Website: www.michellepillow.com

Email: michelle@michellepillow.com

Interviewed By:
Ruby