This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michel will be awarding a butterfly gift basket to one randomly drawn commenter and a butterfly necklace to a second randomly drawn commenter. Click on the banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Help me welcome Michel Prince who is here as part of her virtual book tour. Join us as she answers a few questions:
What environment do you like to write in? Do you use a pen and paper, laptop? Quiet room, music or what? Dog at your feet? Cat on the desk? Must have snack?
Writing can happen anywhere with me which is why I usually have my laptop along. It was a big thing when it came to my son’s games, but when inspiration hits I need to get it out. I have learned to type on my phone so I don’t have to always have my computer with. Obviously if my muse is with me there can be a game going on, with a crowd cheering and I won’t even hear it…now editing’s another story. Initially I need music going and to be sitting at my table…dog probably ends up at my feet, the cat likes to sit on my shoulders. There will always and I mean always be Dr. Pepper.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Wow, what didn’t I want to be? An astronaut, teacher, lawyer, astrophysicist, violin player, actress…yeah…hmm…I love writing if for no other reason than I can be everything and nothing all at the same time.
Do you ever write under a pseudonym?
Yes, I do have a pseudonym that I write erotica under. If I write more toward middle grade, which I have another work in progress pending that would more than likely also be published under a pseudo.
What books have you published so far?
So far I’ve had two books in the Chrysalis Series published with a third under contract, as well as an adult paranormal romance called The Frozen which is the first in another series, and finally a contemporary romance called The Guardian’s Heart. Around Valentine’s Day I’m part of an anthology called Love on the Lakes where I have a short story called "Her Stranger".
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Tenses….writing and talking are two vastly different realms. I’ve always been good at storytelling, but writing is more than just talking to a friend to tell a tale. I’ve started to delve into third person and that makes it easier to work with grammar I’ve found.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Sherrilyn Kenyon with her tons of books with deep worlds crossing between series is amazing. I liked reading her books in general, but then when I read her story about how she became published and all she’s accomplished I really respected her as a writer.
If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
Professional psych patient that way I could keep talking to my characters.
Where did you come up with the idea to write your book?
Have you ever wondered if there was a demon screwing things up? You think everything is going good and bam out of nowhere what you thought was a good idea turns your life down another track. Then how would you get revenge and would you be strong enough to fight back?
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
In this book yes there are some real life exaggerations. The racial slurs have all been slung at me. The Southern phrases also seem to come at me from every direction at home. In the second book of the series, I think there are more issues that I’ve dealt with personally than in the first book. It is nice that Ellie can respond in ways I couldn’t.
What was your favorite chapter to write and why?
Chapter…I don’t know, but Ellie and Oscar’s first kiss I spent forever on trying to get it right. I love that scene. In the second book The Beam the chapter set in calculus was also a favorite of mine.
Did you have any say in the title / cover of your book?
Yes, I did. My publisher let me go through some stock photos and choose a few different designs then our cover artist goes from there. The title I picked-- the only thing was I had to make sure there weren’t any other books with that name published in the last 2 years. Ironically once I started to market my book for the prelaunch about 6 books came out with the same title. Very weird, but at that point I couldn’t change and I think mine stands out from the rest especially with my cover. My publisher and I went back and forth and she determined it would be better to keep the name Chrysalis.
Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
In the final book of the series there’s a character called Cassie that I’ve been toying with a spin off or the demon that’s going after Ellie is an interesting character and it might be fun to write from his perspective.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
The biggest complaint I get is that the paranormal aspect comes too late in the book. I thought I had left subtle hints, but I was obviously too subtle so I would do a prolog with the demons or angels talking or some other paranormal events. I had tried to put some elements early on and they always seemed forced.
When you started your book, did you plan on writing it as a series, or did it just grow into one?
It grew. Much like it was going to be an adult book with a little flashback to high school when Oscar and Ellie met. I have a prolog originally written for the beginning of Chrysalis that shows up in the third book because my flashback lasted too long. This is why my book is a cross-over series that follows Oscar and Ellie into adulthood; it was never meant to be a YA series, but the aspect of how they came together is so much fun and important to the series.
Do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
Yes and yes. I might not be writing everyday, but I will be editing or rewriting everyday which is my way to still feel productive when I have writer’s block. Luckily for me I have about 20 stories in some stage of being written so there is always research etc that needs to be done.
What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
I write in paranormal and contemporary romance for both young adults and adults. I do have some other books started in a few other genres, but even in mysteries, thrillers, middle grade etc there’s always romance so I’m glad I have that as my background.
Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Rejections are a natural process of writing. I think if a writer hasn’t been rejected they are being set up for a fall. There hasn’t been a successful writer that hasn’t had many rejections and that’s how I keep myself motivated. Stephen King didn’t get published for over twenty years. Sherrilyn Kenyon was rejected from a creative writing program because they only “took people with talent.” Jack London had over four hundred rejections from publishers.
It’s painful, but a necessary process. People compare writing a book to giving birth and even with the strongest drugs there’s going to be pain, but in the end it’s worth it because rejections lead to rewrites which catches errors and enhances your story.
About the Author:
With characters yelling "It's my turn damn it!!!" She tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.
When Michel can suppress the voices in her head she can be found at a scouting event or cheering for her son in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.
Michel is a member of RWA Pro and Midwest Fiction Writers. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, cat and new puppy.
Find Michel online at
www.michelprincebooks.com
http://www.facebook.com/MichelPrinceBooks?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/MichelPrince1
http://www.youtube.com/user/Michelprincebooks?feature=guide
In the annals of dysfunctional families, the Chisholm’s are working their way to the top. Drug abuse, an unwed mother with multiple fathers, and the questionable cash flow for the 'pretty one'. All this from a seemingly normal, two parent middle class family. But were the choices truly made of their free will?
Bad choices are a Chisholm family trait, one that confounds the youngest child, Ellie, who's trying to separate herself by making smart decisions. And falling for Oscar Jeffreys, the hottest guy at school, would be number one on the list of Chisholm family disasters. Yet the crazy part is it’s not a one sided attraction. Somehow Ellie has caught Oscar Jeffreys’ eye. Sure she could see the barriers between them. Race, age, popularity. They were at opposite ends of the spectrum. But a demon set to destroy her family? She can't see that.
Oscar provides security and acceptance Ellie never imagined she deserved. As the passion of first love grows, Ellie honestly believes she has a chance to beat the odds and live a happy, normal life. Then her world collapses around her. With the help of a guardian angel, Ellie learns of a world that has unknowingly surrounded her for years. And she'll have to find strength buried deep inside to save not only her future, but flush out and stop the demon in her midst.
And Ellie will have to learn that sometimes the hardest lesson about growing up is accepting that you're worth more.
Thank you for commenting today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me
ReplyDeleteNice interview. That's a great reason to write.
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