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Interview with Kasey Michaels

Q: You have an incredibly touching story to how you began writing. Can you tell us what the main reason was that convinced you to start your stories?

Samantha — feel free to cut and paste from my website on that one:
When our oldest son was eight years old his kidneys failed. I had two other young children at home; I was pregnant. And here I was, on the Critical Care floor of a children’s’ hospital seventy miles from my husband, my other children, surrounded by sick children, injured children, dying children … and sleeping on a cot beside my own very ill son. For weeks on end. For nine long months, until his first transplant (and three weeks after the birth of our daughter), I performed dialysis on our son at home and in the hospital. I rode in too many ambulances, I watched too many children die, I sat, unable to sleep, in the Parents Lounge with other mothers going through their own hells – and I noticed something.
The nurses who lived with all this pain and suffering every working day, all seemed to have romance novels stuck in their pockets as they rode the elevators to the lunch room in the windowless basement. The mothers hid inside the pages of romance novels when they couldn’t sleep, knowing they could be interrupted when the words “Code Blue” blared over the loudspeaker, knowing one of those calls could be for their child. A librarian friend kept me supplied with romance novels – I had a special small suitcase for them and lugged it to the hospital with me along with my pajamas, maternity clothes, and stash of cookies.
We mothers would read, share, trade the books that kept us sane. We all lived in a real world in that hospital, a world too real; we all functioned at the highest level, because there was no choice but to function, to persevere – and we all occasionally escaped that world into the hope and happy endings of romance novels. Those moments of “escape” made it easier, never easy but easier, to deal with the real world.
I’d written my first book, THE BELLIGERENT MISS BOYNTON, just before our son’s kidney failure. It wasn’t a career move, it was just an idea I had and wrote with little thought to a career. I wrote my second book during those long nine months, staying awake all night twice a week, to scribble it in longhand at the dining room table. A Regency romance, a very funny romance, this book became THE TENACIOUS MISS TAMERLANE – and, looking back now, as I write this, I guess the word “tenacious” was, sub-consciously – a pretty good choice.
Years later I was told, by a reviewer, that she called this book her “rainy day” book, because if she felt down, she knew reading this book would make her laugh. I wrote that book for me, and for those nurses, for those mothers trying to make it through just one more night. So that’s how it really began, with that second book, before the first one was sold. It was that second book that told me, yes, you have a chance for a career here. You can do something for yourself that just might make somebody else’s day a little brighter. It sounds hokey, but that’s how it happened…

Q: You write a variety of romances, including contemporary and historical. How do you get the ideas for both genres?
I’m supposing you’d like honesty here, so I’l be honest: I have no idea how I get my ideas. I just seem to think in ‘what if.’ I’ll see something, hear someone say something…and the next thing I know, I’m scribbling on napkins, the backs of envelopes, whatever is handy. There truly are times I’d like to shut it off for a while, this idea factory that seems to have taken up residence in my head. But, mostly, I’m grateful to have it!

Q: Is there any particular book that you have written that you especially loved, either the characters or doing the research for?
That’s rather like asking which of my four children I love most, and of course the answer is that I love them all equally. I am always most involved with the next idea, the next character, but I love them all. All my books, over one hundred now, are all also my children. I’m just glad I don’t have to buy them shoes…
Q: You have received numerous awards for your work. How did it feel winning that very first award?

Thrilling and terrible. Thrilling because, heck, it’s an award, who wouldn’t want it, right? And terrible because I’m very comfortable in front of a computer … not so much in front of a huge banquet room filled with people who expect me to say something brilliant. I think I stumbled through a mumbling ‘thank you,’ and quickly took me and my boneless knees back to my seat. Has either feeling changed? Nope, not at all.
Q: How long does it take you to finish a novel once you’ve gotten an idea for the plot and characters?

In the beginning (back in the Stone Age…), it took me seven to nine months to write a book. Now, thirty years later, a lot of my research has morphed into a “store of knowledge,” so that I am not stopping every five minutes to look up something or search my brain for just the right word. So now it takes me about three months or less (depending on the deadline and whether or not my family greets me with daily emergencies). I’d like to keep a schedule, but that’s impossible, so sometimes I can write 3,000 words a day for a while and actually have a life, and sometimes I end up working twelve hour days for two or three weeks in a row (weekends included), rarely even having time to get out of my pajamas. Staying in your pajamas, by the way, greatly limits pleas to play hooky and go to the mall, to dinner, etc.
Q: How do you enjoy spending your free time?
I don’t understand that expression: free time. You don’t write three to — my record — seven books a year and still have anything even remotely resembling a life. If I’m not at the computer I’m thinking about what I’ll do when I get back to the computer, or another idea comes knocking and I have to pay attention. In fact, when I do declare that this is it, I’m taking two weeks off, within a week my family is none-too-gently urging me back to the computer, as I’m much happier when I’m writing. This may have something to do with my extreme disenchantment with housework, but I haven’t been able to prove it… I do have one vice: I love the penny slot machines, and do try to visit our local casino every few weeks and happily, mindlessly, watch the reels go around and pretty much “zone out” for a few hours, let my mind go blank. These little excursions invariably end with an idea sneaking into the void, either to solve a problem in my current manuscript or to give me an idea for a new book. Really, penny slots should be tax deductible for writers…
Q: Do you have any “guilty pleasures?”

M&Ms, definitely. I could not produce a word without chocolate. I buy them in the giant economy size and keep them in a cookie jar on my desk. I’m so ashamed…
Q: What are some of your favorite books?
It’s easier to list favorite authors, I think. I’m a voracious reader, and once I discover an author I pray he/she has a huge backlist, then devour it. Lee Child, Jonathan Kellerman, Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, Tami Hoag, Carl Hiaason — name a ‘thriller writer,’ and I’m there. Georgette Heyer, definitely. Terry Pratchett is way up there — I read his books over and over and over again, and always discover something I’ve missed, another “level” to his writing. I only read romance when I’m not writing it; otherwise I can’t enjoy it just for the pleasure of reading. There are too many great romance authors out there for me to even begin to list them.
Q: What would be your best advice for aspiring writers?

Read. Then read some more. I wrote my first book after realizing two things. 1, I would get to the bottom of a page of a book I was reading and know what was going to be on the next page, and 2, I would read a book and think, “No, I would have done this…and this…” It’s difficult for a writer to truly get submerged in a book, because we read critically, watching style, how the author handled a plot twist, etc. When I find myself lost in a book, not looking at it clinically but simply drawn in, then I know I’ve found an exceptional writer and I will read the book for pleasure, then read it again to try to figure out why I was able to suspend my disbelief and simply enjoy.

For aspiring romance authors, the natural answer is to join RWA. This is where you will find kindred spirits (who understand things like writing in your pajamas and/or talking to the people who live in your head). My other advice would be to worry less about what you’ll put on your website and how you’ll design your bookmarks and other promo than you do about writing a book a publisher will buy. It’s great to know about the nuts and bolts of the business — but don’t put the cart before the horse; first, learn your craft. I’m also not a huge fan of writing contests, only because many aspiring writers seem to take entering contests to the extreme, get too much feedback, too many varying opinions from contest judges, and suddenly the book is a “book by committee,” no longer your own idea, your own work — and the joy disappears. Don’t write for contests — write for you.
Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel?
I’d be up for going anywhere in the world, were it not for my abject fear of flying… In the past year I’ve been to Colonial Williamsburg and Florida, and I’ll be traveling back to Florida in the fall, for the Novelists, Inc., conference (www.ninc.com). I can’t get out of that because I’m the conference chair — but much as I look forward to the conference, I’m already shaking in my shoes about the flights. I may write about courageous heroines…but I’m a wimp. LOL

Fitness Gadget- The Gruve

As I was reading this month’s issue of Shape magazine, there was a featured gadget that I believe I just must have. It’s called The Gruve, and it is an activity monitor that tracks your daily calorie burn. But it’s so much more than that. When you start your day out, there is a red light on the device and when you hit your calorie burning goal for the day, the light turns green. You can also set it up so that it will remind you to get up and move around if you have been stationary for too long. This is a feature that I really like, as I sit behind a desk all day. I could really take advantage of a beeper telling me to go take a walk around my office. And the best part- you can set up a personal webpage to be synched to your Gruve, and watch your progress daily!
It may seem a little pricey- The Gruve runs about $150, but if you think of all the benefits you will receive plus a webpage, I think it is a pretty good deal. I think this will be my next fitness purchase, and will be sure to tell everyone about it! You can get more information on this device at myhealthyreflections.com.

Mario Lopez to be a Dad!

Mario Lopez is ging to be a father! The Extra host confirmed to People.com that his girlfriend, Courtney Mazza, is expecting this fall. This will be the first child for both. Lopez, 36, and Mazza, 28, met in 2008 when Lopez starred in A Chorus Line on Broadway.

Eric Dane & Rebecca Gayheart Reveal Baby Name

Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart are finally revealing their newborn baby’s name. The proud parents, who welcomed their first daughter last week, named their new bundle Billie Beatrice, People.com has reported.

Beauty Review: Telescopic Explosion Mascara by L’Oreal

I decided it was time for me to try out a new mascara. Even though I am liking my collagen enhanced mascara from L’Oreal, I wanted to try something new, hopefully something better. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it. Instead, I bought the Telescopic Explosion mascara from L’Oreal, hoping that the small wand would help transport my small lashes into long beauties like it promised. It didn’t.

Since the wand is so small, it took twice as long for me to apply the mascara. Then, the mascara was incredibly clumpy, even by the third time I used it. Yes, it does get to all my lashes, even the corner lashes, but it does nothing for length or volume. Instead, I get a clumpy mess of lashes and I was late for work. I would skip this mascara, especially since it has a higher price tag.

John Krasinski to Star in Something Borrowed?

It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but negotiations are in process for John Krasinski to star alongside Ginnifer Goodwin in Emily Giffin’s “Something Borrowed.” Krasinski would play the role of Ethan, Goodwin’s friend and confident, and is also reported to sign a two movie deal, also set to star in the sequel “Something Blue.” What do you think of the choice?

Corey Haim Dead at 38

Actor Corey Haim has been found dead at the age of 38. People.com reports that police believe the death was caused from an accidental overdose. Haim was reportedly found unresponsive at his Southern California apartment, and was pronounced dead at the Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank. It has been reported that his mother was in the home at the time of his death.
Haim has appeared in films such as The Lost Boys, Lucas and License to Drive, and was well known for his friendship with Corey Feldman. The pair starred together in an A&E show titled “The Two Coreys.” Feldman broke off his friendship with Haim because of his continuing use of drugs, saying he didn’t want to speak with him until he became sober.

Interview with Sierra Michaels

Q: What made you want to start writing?
As an undergraduate student at UCLA writing reports and essays was essential. I especially enjoyed and excelled in classes that allowed me to use my creativity when writing. I didn’t have the time until recently to write for myself and this started on a whim in Bimini, Bahamas. My husband would go out fishing and I would read a book on the beach or in our home. One day I picked up my laptop and just started writing and creating characters. As the story developed I dove into the art of writing and concentrated on learning from other writers.
Q: I read that a certain LA subculture gave you the inspiration for your novel, Intimate Encounters. Can you tell us more about that subculture?
A good friend of mine worked in the sensual massage industry and she would tell me funny stories about the business and her clients. I used that premise to create my characters and develop the story along with my own experience as an archaeology student. Intimate Encounters merges the two, creating internal conflict for the main character, Cali.
Q: Are you currently working on a second novel?
Not currently, but I will be this spring and summer. Once I start writing the process happens pretty quickly for me. Sometimes I spend all day writing.
Q: What did you find most difficult about writing?
Editing is my least favorite part of writing. But it’s a necessity.
Q: Why did you move to Los Angeles from Cincinnati? What was the biggest adjustment you had to make?
I wanted to travel and live somewhere warm. My good friend from high school needed a roommate and I longed to get out of the suburbs of Cincinnati and explore the world. It seemed like the perfect opportunity. We lived together in a tiny studio apartment with no kitchen and we shared a bathroom with the entire apartment complex. I hated it, but we were within walking distance to the beach. The biggest adjustment was going from a somewhat small town to such a large and diverse city. It took me awhile to learn the freeway system and neighborhoods of Los Angeles. I once found myself lost in a bad part of East L.A., and that scared me into learning the roads and city layout. After about a year, I loved the city and I made it my home.
Q: You have a Masters degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeology. What made you decide on that major?
The diversity of people in Los Angeles fascinated me and I wanted to learn more. I became very passionate about the study of culture, especially ancient societies. As a young student, I had the opportunity to travel to Egypt and I decided then to pursue my dream of becoming an archaeologist. Once I make a decision I give it 100% and follow through.
Q: What is one personal goal that is at the top of your to-do list?
That’s a hard one. I’ve done so much in my life and I would have said write a book, but now I can take that off my to-do list. I’ve never had a child and I think being a mother would be a wonderful experience. But I haven’t decided on that, yet. It’s such a commitment and I go back and forth with the decision.
Q: How do you enjoy spending any free time?
I have my pilot’s license and a plane, so flying is at the top of my list. It’s such feeling of freedom to fly to the islands or another town with my husband and friends for lunch or an overnight stay. I also like reading, watching movies and getting killer massages.
Q: What would your advice be to aspiring writers?
Write for yourself. It’s a rewarding experience and write because you like it. Always strive to learn more about writing and improving your own skills. Don’t let rejections stop you, instead let that become your inspiration to learn more about the publishing business.
Q: I read that you have had the opportunity to travel pretty extensively. What was the favorite place you visited?
Each place is unique and beautiful in its own right. I would say several places hold a special place in my heart. Recently, I went to South Africa and the beauty of Cape Town was unparalleled along with a safari in the northern part of the country. For me Italy is the most romantic place, and it’s where my husband and I spent our honeymoon. Egypt and Russia for its long rich history. Vietnam, Ireland and Peru all combine natural beauty and history.

Hilary Duff Writing Novels

Hilary Duff is adding author to her growing list of titles. The actress/singer/designer, 22, has signed on to write a series of young adult novels for Simon & Schuster. The first novel, to be titled Elixir, will follow the adventures of a globe-trotting photojournalist named Clea Raymond, and will be released October12th. The newly engaged Duff will also be writing a nonfiction book about children coping with divorce, due out in 2012.