Please welcome my guest author for this week, Michelle Rowen! The first book in her new paranormal romance series Living in Eden titled The Demon in Me just hit the shelves on May 4th.
It’s a departure from the Michelle Rowen that we are used to in a sense that it is way darker then her Immortality Bites Series but still has the humor and romance that we have come to love in her books. I was blown away and thrilled by The Demon in Me and just had to have her come by to talk about this new series! Please welcome Michelle Rowen!!
1. Please tell us about The Demon In Me and how you came up with the idea for this new series?
The Demon in Me is about a psychic who’s possessed by a demon who claims to be “nice.” She’s not so sure he’s telling the truth, of course. Because of her psychic energy he can take form during the day although he’s bond to her side and must possess her body at night while they search for the means to break his 300 year old curse so he can regain his corporeal form full-time. It’s fun, romantic, scary, sexy, and yes...a little bit darker than my vampire stuff (although I’d argue that was trending darker near the end as well). I came up with the idea when I was watching horror movies, finding a strange parallel to paranormal romance in them if the character motivations were tweaked a little bit. I wanted to play with the idea that demons were automatically assumed to be evil (just as I played with the conceptions of vampires in my Immortality Bites series by making them the good guys and the hunters the bad guys).
2. Do you know how many books you will write in the Living in Eden Series?
As many as I’m given the chance to write. This depends entirely on how well the books sell, of course, and the decision to have a longer series is pretty much out of an author’s hands. I’m really hoping it does well since I have a lot of ideas for Eden and Darrak’s adventures together!
3. Who would you have play Eden and Darrak in a movie?
I had a very set idea of who would be perfect as Sarah and Thierry in my Immortality Bites books (Sandra Bullock and Hugh Jackman), but this one is a bit trickier. Ryan Reynolds has the humor and body for Darrak, but he doesn’t look like him. The model on the cover comes pretty close to what I had in mind, actually. For Eden... a Cameron Diaz type might fit the bill. Someone who can do both humor and drama.
4. What are your writing habits? Do you need music playing while you write or do you like complete silence? Do you plot everything out or do you just write and see where it takes you?
I need complete silence and I’m a plotter, aka: a control freak. I’m a little more flexible on the plots lately, but I find that the more time I spend in the brainstorming and pre-plotting stage, the easier the writing goes because I know my characters’ GMC (goal, motivation and conflict) going into each scene. However, if I’m writing and things veer off into a new and interesting direction I will follow it. That’s usually where the “magic” happens. :)
5. I saw some similarities between The Immortality Bites Series and the Living in Eden Series. Even though both series are completely different, in both you have a main character who is trying to adjust to her new life and situation. This seems to be a prominent theme in a lot of books. What do you think the appeal is to readers that we keep gravitating towards this same theme?
Yes, I’m noticing similar themes in my books as well. I write heroine-centric books, so it’s really all about the heroine’s journey for me. Usually she’s plunged into a world she never knew existed and does her best to find her way out of it, but along the way she realizes that this new path might not be so bad after all. I describe it as Alice in Wonderland if Alice decided to stay in Wonderland. Ditto Dorothy and Oz (they’re kind of the same story when you think about it). The appeal to readers, I figure, is that we all face change in life and sometimes it’s a bit of a rough transition. It’s comforting to see a character who is facing change that’s much, much worse than a lot of what we have to go through -- and that everything usually turns out okay. Well, eventually. ;)
6. I loved how you blended humor with the darker themes in The Demon in Me. Can you tell us why you always put humor in your stories? Is it to lighten the moment or because you always like to laugh yourself when you read?
I put humor in my books because it naturally comes out of my writing voice. I’ve tried to write much darker. In fact, my forthcoming Nightshade duology is super dark (I think!) but everyone who has read it says it retains my humorous edge. Basically, my writing is funny without any effort on my part. However, if I try to force the “jokes,” they don’t come. I think it might be because my characters have a wry outlook on life, therefore their observations of the world around them tend to be funny. The humor works best when it’s organic to the character rather than coming from an outside (slapstick humor) source.
7. Who are some of your favorite authors and books?
I’m reading a ton of YA right now, so some of my favorites are Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series, and I readily admit that I am a Twihard. I love all things Twilight.
8. If you could write one book in any genre about anything in the world and a publisher would take it no questions asked, what kind of book would you write?
That’s a difficult question since I get A LOT of ideas, so limiting myself to just one is pretty much impossible. I have a proposal for a space romp about the clone of a female assassin, a futuristic vampire, and a talking tattoo that I’d love to write. It’s way too campy and unmarketable right now, but a hell of a lot of fun. So probably that one.
9. What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a novella that takes place in my darker, urban fantasy Nightshade “world” that comes between the two releases next year in an anthology featuring Lora Leigh. It’s about a woman who’s injected with a secret formula that turns her blood both irresistible and deadly to vampires, making her the perfect weapon to kill a vampire king. The first book is out February 2011 and the anthology is scheduled for April 2011.
10. Out of all the series books you have written, do you have a favorite book? If so which one and why that book?
My favorite will always be my first born, Bitten & Smitten. It was the book I wrote when I realized that to be a writer you need to love what you’re writing. I had a lot of fun with that book and it opened a lot of doors for me.
11. If you were deserted on a desert island and could take only one character with you from your own books, who would it be and why that character?
I think I’d have to say Darrak from The Demon in Me because he’s hot, funny, and has special supernatural skills that might come in handy for survival and general entertainment. :)
12. Do you have anything else you’d like to share with readers?
Just that I thank them so much for the support they’ve given me and my books over the last few years and that I really hope they enjoy the new world I’ve developed in The Demon in Me!
Contest Rules:
Michelle is giving away one copy of The Demon In Me to a lucky reader. This contest is open WORLDWIDE so everyone is elgible to enter. It will run until 7:00 pm EST on May 25th. Please post a comment for Michelle to be entered. Also provide your email address so I don't have to hunt you down for your prize if you win. Thanks!
