Michelle took time out of her busy schedule to chat with me and I truly hope you find her and her books as fun and exciting as I do!
Violet: What
is your inspiration? What helps you get through writer's block?
Michelle: I
find inspiration all around me. In the
news, in people, in things I hear people say.
Writer’s block for me is like a cold.
I know it’s coming, but I just keep going hoping that it won’t
materialize. When it does, I just have
to think my way around it. I cannot
flick between the beginning, middle and the end and go back to a sticking point
later on. I have to think my way through
the block.
Violet: Do
you listen to music when you write? Have a completely silent space?
Michelle: I
love music, but I cannot listen to it whilst writing. It’s too much of a distraction. I’ll end up singing along and tapping out the
beat, and before you know I’ll be out of my chair on the hunt for something to
eat or making a cup of tea. Music free
makes me concentrate.
Violet: Who
inspires you? What authors do you look up to? Why?
Michelle: I
have a soft spot for Margaret Atwood, because she was one of the first writers
who I studied at school. The Handmaid’s
Tale was the first book I read that I didn’t want to end. But, it’s unfair to single her out because
there are a lot of authors I respect, some famous, some indie. Plus the list is in a constant state of
flux. There are only a few who have got
tenure. Stephen King is one of them.
Violet: When
did you first start writing? What genre do you prefer?
Michelle: I usually read horror and Thriller, with a
bit of literary fiction thrown in. I
write in the thriller genre, but my writing has been described as quite
descriptive, and I’m not sure this always has a place in this genre. People seem to be offended by description sometimes,
and just want the plot to rock on through to the chase at the end, but that’s
not me I am afraid.
Violet: If
you had to choose another genre to write, what would it be? Why?
Michelle: I’d
love to write a really wonderful love story, and a really good scare-your-socks-off horror. Not the same book, of course.
Violet: What
is your favourite book (or who is your favourite author) and why?
Michelle: Right
now, I just finished Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. I loved it.
I am planning to read Louis De Bernieres other books because I enjoyed
it so much. I can’t bring myself to read
another fictional novel just yet, so I am reading a biography.
Violet: Do
you have another job and if so what is it?
Michelle: I
used to work full time in the NHS as a scientist in cardiology. I still work as a scientist part time and
write for the other half.
Violet: Tell
about your first book and how long it took you to write the first draft?
Michelle: My
first book was The Loss of Deference. It
took about 18 months to 2 years for the first draft to be completed. It took another four years of editing and
reworking before I felt that it was good enough to be published.
Violet: List
all of your titles with a one sentence synopsis of each.
Michelle:
The Loss of
Deference - In a post-recession society, Will’s wife Molly becomes embroiled in
a secret government conspiracy that could cost her life and the only hope of
survival is Dan, her husband’s best friend, but he is also keeping too many
secrets to be relied upon.
Escaping
Life - After the devastating death of Elizabeth’s mother and sister, she leaves
the city to escape her life, but her past creeps back up on her and it seems
that perhaps her sister never really died at all.
Untitled
future release - Ben Stone will change the world with his new scientific
discovery, yet the very next day he realises that somebody has taken his life
and identity away from him, and he has to fight not only for himself, but his
wife and son who have also disappeared.
Violet: Who
is your favourite character? Why?
Michelle: I really love my latest character, Ben
Stone. He is a scientist, good looking, and really quite the genius. However he
is just a regular guy that gets thrown into a crazy situation and has to learn
a lot, and fast. He finds both physical and emotional strength that he never
knew he had. I really like him. Plus in my mind he looks a lot like Bradley
Cooper, and that can't be a bad thing.
Violet: Who
is your least favourite character? Why?
Michelle: Probably
one the character from Escaping Life, but I cannot tell you why because it will
be a total spoiler!
Violet: Which
character was most difficult to write?
Michelle: The
most difficult character was Jack Fraser from Escaping Life. He is a detective who has a lot of emotional
issues due to the loss of his wife and son.
I found him hard to create, but more from the point of view of him being
a detective. I have no experience of
this, and so was cautious to make it sound realistic and convincing.
Violet: What
scenes are most difficult to write?
Michelle: In
my real life I am not prudish, but I struggle to write in sex scenes, and
usually do it in quite an abstract way.
I think I’ll make it sound like a cheesy script and that it will sound
funny rather than what was intended.
Violet: Do
you see yourself in any of your characters?
Michelle: I
think there is a little bit of me in all of them. Be it an emotion, a mannerism, or the way
they speak. I think it’s natural.
Violet: Indie
pub or trad pub?
Michelle: I
am an indie published girl.
Violet: What
is your favourite scene? Why?
Michelle: I
love the end of Escaping Life. It has
had a lot of good feedback and people have really enjoyed it. I like it because it is fast paced and I
think the way I wrote it makes it very visually believable
Violet: Give
a one sentence summary.
Michelle: I’ll
give the ending away!!! I can’t!!! But without details, it is a culmination of
the whole story in one very tense and dangerous moment. It could go either way, and in my mind did,
several times before finally the scene made the page.
Violet: If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Michelle: It would be my brother, just to remind him
that we all loved him.
Violet: If you could take the place of one of your
characters, which one would you choose and why?
Michelle: Ben Stone.
I never understood genetics even at the end of my degree and I’m sure it
hindered
my overall mark.
Violet: If you could vacation anywhere in the world,
where would you go and what would you do?
Michelle: I want to go on safari, or to
Madagascar. Africa intrigues me.
Violet: What is your favourite TV show/movie from your
childhood? What is it now?
Michelle: There is absolutely no competition. The Goonies.
Who didn’t want to be in that gang?
Now, it would be hard to pick a movie as a favourite as I watch so many,
but for a guaranteed laugh, Dumb and Dumber, for a good cry, Deep Impact, to be
scared senseless, The Shining, and for a bit of action, any of the Bourne
series. But if you put me in front of
the TV with a movie on I’ll watch anything.
I am a movie addict.
Find Michelle:
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