Pillow
Talk with Michelle M Pillow
Today we welcome author Michelle Houston to the fun! Reading her interview
made me want to watch "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" all over
again.
Now, on to the fun:
Marianne Arkins: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Michelle H.: I guess a better question is what didn't I want to be when I grew
up. I wanted to be a doctor, a police officer, a firefighter, an astronaut, a
lawyer, an artist, an architect, a landscape designer, a scientist; the list
goes on and on. I finally decided on teacher around the fourth grade, and I
have been working towards that ever since.
Now I am a non-traditional college student, and I am working my rear off to
earn my degree in Biology education, with certification to also teacher Earth
Science, Physics and Chemistry. A glutten for punishment, I know.
Oddly enough, growing up, the idea of being a writer never really crossed my
mind. I always read books, and thought of the authors like some people see
rock stars and actors. The authors had just short of demi-deity status to me.
Sure, I scribbled in notebooks, like a lot of youngsters. I wrote poetry,
essays and short stories. I ever had a few earn awards in school - but I never
planned on publishing. That just kind of happened.
Where would you find a purple people eater?
I'm not sure where its lair is, but if you could find out when and where the
Loch Ness monster hosts its monthly poker party, I am sure the Purple People
Eater would be there. My guess, he'll be sitting between the Green Giant and
the Easter Bunny. He'll probably be hitting on the Tooth Fairy while knocking
back a grape soda too.
When is the best time to read one of your books?
Late at night, when the kids are all in bed, and you can snuggle up with a
lover. Just make sure you have lots of whipped cream (or whatever strikes you
fancy) and a pair of handcuffs handy.
Why do you love Monty Python (because you must, yes)?
Well, I haven't seen many of their works, but I have seen Monty Python and
the Holy Grail.
Scenes like this one just made the movie:
“King Arthur: I am your king.
Woman: Well I didn't vote for you.
King Arthur: You don't vote for kings.
Woman: Well how'd you become king then?
[Angelic music plays... ]
King Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering
samite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine
providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king.
Dennis: [interrupting] Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin'
swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives
from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.”
Quote from the Internet Movie Database. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/quotes)
This is another good one, from the same webpage.
“Bridgekeeper: Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me
these questions three, ere the other side he see.
Sir Lancelot: Ask me the questions, bridgekeeper. I am not afraid.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your name?
Sir Lancelot: My name is Sir Lancelot of Camelot.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
Sir Lancelot: To seek the Holy Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your favourite colour?
Sir Lancelot: Blue.
Bridgekeeper: Go on. Off you go.
Sir Lancelot: Oh, thank you. Thank you very much.
Sir Robin: That's easy.
Bridgekeeper: Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these
questions three, ere the other side he see.
Sir Robin: Ask me the questions, bridgekeeper. I'm not afraid.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your name?
Sir Robin: Sir Robin of Camelot.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
Sir Robin: To seek the Holy Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is the capital of Assyria?
[pause]
Sir Robin: I don't know that.
[he is thrown over the edge into the volcano]
Sir Robin: Auuuuuuuugh.
Bridgekeeper: Stop. What... is your name?
Galahad: Sir Galahad of Camelot.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
Galahad: I seek the Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your favourite colour?
Galahad: Blue. No, yel...
[he is also thrown over the edge]
Galahad: auuuuuuuugh.
Bridgekeeper: Hee hee heh. Stop. What... is your name?
King Arthur: It is 'Arthur', King of the Britons.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
King Arthur: To seek the Holy Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
King Arthur: What do you mean? An African or European swallow?
Bridgekeeper: Huh? I... I don't know that.
[he is thrown over]
Bridgekeeper: Auuuuuuuugh.
Sir Bedevere: How do know so much about swallows?
King Arthur: Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you
know.”
How do you win at solitaire?
Win? You're supposed to actually win that game?
Wow … news to me.
Seriously though, I win more often when I play on the computer. Something
about playing by turning all the cards by hand jinxes me. I have about a 20%
win rate on the computer though. Not the best in the world, but I don't play
that often. Generally just on road trips when it gets too dark to read a book.
Freecell is a better game for me.
Thanks for the questions. : ) It's always fun to do a silly interview.
And here's one more line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
“Narrator: A year passed: winter changed into spring, spring changed into
summer, summer changed back into winter, and winter gave spring and summer a
miss and went straight on into autumn... until one day...”
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Interviews and Themed Blog Posts
Upcoming Blog Posts and Interview: none at this time
Themed Blog Posts: Why I love paranormal romances When
Characters Take Over Animal
Attraction (what Spring means to me) Evolution
of a Cover - Fangs and Fur Escape With
Me My
Bucket List
Interviews: I decided to leave all of the interviews up, simply because it's kind of interesting to see how some of my opinions on things have changed in the last five years, and how many of them have stayed the same. Love Romances and More - September 2009 Marianne Arkins - February 2009 Victoria Blisse - February 2009 Michelle M Pillows - December 2008 Dark Angel Reviews - October '08 Reading Is So Much Fun - September '08 Fallen Angel Reviews - April '07 SASSY Newsletter - February '07 Sizzling Romance - September '04 Just Erotic Romance Reviews - July '04 Fallen Angel Reviews - June '04
Interview with Kathi of June 2004 * NOTE: The anthology "Ride 'em Cowboy" referred to in this interview fell through. The story Cowboy's Dungeon was published fall 2006 in Slave To Love.* Michelle Houston is
the author of BEDTIME TALES, NAUGHTY WHISPERS: MORE BEDTIME TALES,
and BI SEXUAL: TALES FROM THE WILD SIDE, she has received great reviews
on her very erotic collections. She has also written stories for several other
multi-author anthologies. The latest one is RIDE 'EM COWBOY, a print
anthology now available for pre-order. It is a collection of short erotic
stories with one thing in common, very sexy cowboys! Hi Michelle,
thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today. You have two stories in the book, COWBOY'S DUNGEON,
and THE SYMPHONY OF SPRING. Can you tell us a little about them?
The Symphony of Spring was actually written as a gift for a friend of mine. She has a thing for cowboys, and when we were talking about my writings, she mentioned her "fantasy" which I tried to put to paper. She was VERY happy with the result, and I can't wait to hold the anthology in my hands, autograph it and give her a copy. Although, since The Symphony of Spring is very tame compared to Cowboy's Dungeon, I will have to issue her a warning. Cowboy's
Dungeon actually came about as a result of the Ride 'em Cowboy anthology.
When I read the Calls For Submissions on the ERWA website (www.erotica-readers.com),
Natalie started talking to me, about all the naughty things her and Andrew did
out in his dungeon. With the help
of a wonderful friend (and editor) Natalie tale of D/s pony play came to be. How
long have you been writing? Um,
I wrote my first 'poem' in the third grade.
<smiles> But I really
started to seriously pen my thoughts when I started high school.
Wrote my freshmen and sophomore years, generally the typical teenage
angst ridden poems that most teenagers seem to gravitate towards. But
I started writing erotica in 1998. Did you know
right away that erotica would be a huge part of your writing, or did it just
progress into this particular genre? About
age 16, I was hooked on romance novels (still am) and I had a boyfriend who
encouraged me to try my hand at writing, so I started writing my "fantasies", putting to paper the things I had read about that I wanted to
try with him. Luckily, it never
progressed beyond putting it to paper. After
breaking up with him, I pretty much stopped writing, until I moved in with my
husband. (we lived together before
marrying). Thanks to him, we got
the Internet, and I started trying to find other bisexuals to talk to, and wound
up meeting several erotica authors, who encouraged me to try my hand again at
writing. And
it just fit. I enjoy writing short
stories, and I love writing erotica. How much time
are you able to devote to writing each day? It fluctuates. Sometimes I write for four hours a day six days a week, for months, and other times I go a month or more without writing anything. Can you
describe to us a typical day in your life? I
get up to either my daughter asking for cereal or the pesky alarm going off.
I get my daughter feed (and either off to school or settled for a day at
home), check my email and get ready for work.
After the standard day job is done, I come home, cook dinner, check my
email again and then I open word. While
hubby has the TV going, and is working, and my daughter is doing one of a dozen
different things, I write. If I
have a story to tell that is. If
not, then I surf some, read a lot, spend time with my husband and daughter and
generally veg. Any plans to
write a full-length novel in the future? I've thought about it, and even have some ideas, but it's a whole different ball game than what I am used to. I have the utmost respect for novel writers - I can't get past the second chapter. There is SO MUCH more fleshing out required of a novel than a short story. The whole back-story, evolving plot, and depth to the characters. Right
now, I still have so much to learn, but here's hoping - one day. Who is the
one person that has supported you the most in your career? Without a doubt, my husband. He convinced me to submit to calls for submissions, he consoled me when I received rejection letters and cheered for me when I received acceptances. What is the
best advice you have ever gotten, and did you take it? Best advice? Ouch. Um, one of the writers at ERWA said something to the effect of "Write a little each day. Even if it sucks, just get something down. Cause when it comes down to it, it's a whole lot easier to edit a crappy story than a blank document." Do you have a
favorite author right now? Yep, lots of favorite authors. <smiles> Suspense, murder mystery type novels I love Kay Hooper. I am biting my nails wailing on her next book. As for romance, I love the futuristic authors - Susan Grant, Angela Knight, Catherine Spangler, Linnea Sinclair, and C. J. Barry. Erotica/Erotic Romance would have to be MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight and Alison Tyler. Had you ever
had any doubts that you would become a successful writer? If so, how did you
battle them? To be honest, I still don't see myself as "successful." I know that some editors and readers enjoy my writings, and I have some stories that I am very proud of. But successful? Not just yet. But I am getting there. I love the
quotes on your website, especially Ernest Hemingway's. Do you have a favorite
quote that stays with you? "It was a long time before I was able to say to myself: I am *not* going to be ashamed of my sexual thoughts and desires, they are me myself, they are a part of my life. I am going to accept myself sexually as I accept myself mentally and spiritually, and know that I am one time one thing, one time another, but I am always myself. My sex is me as my mind is me, and nobody will make me feel shame about it." ~ D. H. Lawrence ~ Being
bisexual has been hard at times, and this statement just sort of leapt out at me
the first time I came across it online. What is the
one item in you life that you couldn't live without? Besides family members? LOL My BOOKS! I remember once, my grades slipped in school and my dad grounded me from my books. Took them all away, boxed up and locked up, until my grades improved. Let me tell you, I started doing my homework as soon as I got home. Nine weeks later, my books were given back. If you could
travel to anyplace in the world, where would you go and why? Egypt. While I have always wanted to visit other countries like England and Scotland, if I had to choose just one - Egypt, without a doubt. While each country has it's attractions and wonders, there's just something about the idea of standing at the base of the sphinx, of looking up at the pyramids that intrigues me. What stories
are you currently working on? I have about a dozen short stories I have been pecking away on the last few months. My words in progress folder sometimes gets as full as two or three dozen, or every so often I get it whittled down to a few stories, before I start on new ones. Is there
anything you would like to add before we go? Just that it's been great filling out this interview, a first for me. And if anyone has any questions, my email is always open. Michelle,
thank you once again for taking the talk to us at Fallen Angel Reviews. I wish
you the best with all your future projects. Michelle has a great website with lots of short stories, excerpts and more. Check out Renaissance Books to buy her collection of steamy bedtime stories!
Interview
with Michelle of July 2004 A
Tale of Two Michelle's Musings of a
JERR Coordinator:
It really can be a variety of different things. A
picture, an offhand comment, tossing around 'what if'' ideas with friends.
Anything and everything can become a story. But when I really am stuck, I open
up my pictures file and skim through the hundreds of naughty pics I have saved,
and if that doesn't work, I start in on hubby's collection.
Interview with Sizzling Romances September 2004 MICHELLE HOUSTON
I've been writing erotica since 1995 and have been a presence online in the erotic community since 1998, including being a member of the Erotica Readers and Writers Association since early 2002. I live in the eastern US with my husband and daughter.
Welcome to Sizzling Romances. Thank you for taking the time to answer
our questions. Could you please tell us about your latest release. And I am so THRILLED that two of my ebook anthologies have been combined into a trade paperback omnibus edition, called BEDTIME TALES & NAUGHTY WHISPERS which is available through Wildside Press. SR: How did the idea for this anthology come about? SR: What did you enjoy writing about the stories and why? SR: Tell us about any upcoming releases. SR: What do you want readers to come away with after reading one of
your books? SR: What are you working on now? SR: Please tell us who your publishers are. The print omnibus BEDTIME TALES & NAUGHTY WHISPERS is available from Wildside Press, who Renaissance E Books partnered with for the trade paperback versions. I have also had short stories published in several different print anthologies. 'Pandora' in Erotic Fantasy edited by Justus Roux; 'Exposed' in Naughty Stories From A To Z edited by Alison Tyler (Pretty Things Press) 'Nice Kitty Kat' & 'Window of Opportunity' in Down & Dirty 2 edited by Alison Tyler (Pretty Things Press) And coming soon: 'Cowboy's Dungeon' & 'The Symphony of
Spring' edited by Valerie Crystal (Aphrodite Press)
* Note: This project fell through. SR: Would you like to donate a prize? If so, please list it below. MH: I'd be willing to donate a copy of BEDTIME TALES, BI SEXUAL, NAUGHTY WHISPERS or SAPPHIC VISIONS in pdf, rtf, or html format to up to 3 winners. Thanks for interviewing me. SR: For entering Michelle's contest, just drop Robin a line at robint04@comcast.net, and put "Michelle Houston Contest" in the subject line. Three winners will be chosen, and those names will be forwarded to Michelle Houston.
December 2004 Michelle Houston is the best selling author of the Bedtime Tales and is back with another anthology called Celestial Bodies, a wonderful paranormal erotic anthology filled with vampires, gods and aliens among others. Thank you Ms. Houston for answering our questions today. Let's start off by asking a little more about you. What do you do when you are not writing? Any hobbies you like to do? When I'm not writing, I'm generally either working, going to school, spending time with my family, watching some TV, or reading. My husband jokes that whereas I'm a golf widow, he's a romance novel widower. For fun I work on web pages, cross-stitch and do other crafts, and read A LOT. What does your family think of your erotic anthologies? How supportive have they been with your choice of career? My husband knows and has been very supportive. He's the one who pushed me to do something with my writings instead of just shuffling them away into a folder. Thanks to him I submitted stories to various calls for submissions, which have resulted in my having stories in almost a dozen multi-author anthologies, as well as having five ebooks out that are all my own short stories. The rest of my family however, doesn't know. And at this time, I have no plans to tell them. It's not that I am ashamed, just that there are enough issues right now between my folks and myself that I don't want to add anything into the mix. How long have you been writing? What made you decide to go into erotica? I've been writing since the third grade. But I really started to put pen to paper frequently in high school. Thanks to my sister's old PC junior, I was able to type my ideas out instead of having to writing them by hand. Made changing things a whole lot easier. As for erotica, it just fits. I tried writing poetry, your typical teenage angst ridden stuff, and moved on to short stories, which I sucked at. With the influence of romance novels, which I started reading at about 14 or so, I moved on to putting my teenage hormonal fantasies to words, generally for my boyfriend at the time. I eventually grew out of that stage, but when my husband and I hooked up, and we moved in together and got the Internet, I found a whole world before me that I had never really explored. Everywhere I looked there were bisexual people, like me, seeking their own path. Many explored through erotic prose, which led me to the Erotica Readers and Writers Association. From there, I started trying to write erotic short stories, with some help from Internet friends along the way, and the rest as they say, is history. What inspires your writing? Does the same thing inspire all your stories? I'm an equal opportunity inspired writer. A song lyric, a line from a movie, something a friend says offhanded, something I have been curious about trying. It all can, and generally does, lead to stories. Celestial Bodies is a great anthology filled with many paranormal elements. What made you decide on this type of writing for this particular book over your other books themes? I've compiled my straight (heterosexual) stories into two anthologies so far. I've also done a lesbian themed anthology. I've explored the facets of bisexuality in its own anthology. I
love reading paranormal stories, and I had collected a fair number of paranormal
stories that I had written and I just wanted to do an all-paranormal anthology.
For the sake of my readers, I kept them to heterosexual stories only,
although when I have enough lesbian themes stories, I may do an all-lesbian
paranormal anthology. What influenced you to get published? How long did it take for someone to take a chance with your first book? My husband nagging influenced me. <smiles> Seriously though, he encouraged me the whole way. In the end, it came down to either trying to get my stories published (and possibly failing) or cut back on my writing time. So I took a chance, and I have found that getting even a short story accepted into an anthology generates such an emotional charge, it more than makes up for the rejections received in between. For me, I got lucky. Renaissance E Books accepted Bedtime Tales within 3 months of submission. It was published not too long after. Each of my ebooks after that has been accepted within a month. Now with short stories that I have submitted to multi-author anthologies, it took about five rejections before I had one accepted, and I still generally receive five rejections per acceptance.. Often a writer's first book is the toughest to write. Was this true with you and if so, what helped you get through it? If it wasn't what was the toughest one to write? I never really had a problem with the book itself, given that it's an anthology. Some of the individual stories however gave me more fits than others. For example, Going Down took almost a month before I was happy with it, whereas On The Prowl practically wrote itself. Do you usually outline your stories before you write them or do you "go with the flow."? I go with the flow. Some stories are easier to write than others, and if I were to attempt a longer piece such as a novelette or novel, I would definitely outline. But with my short stories, I just sit down and start writing. In Celestial Bodies, you give many different paranormal themes, from Gods and Goddess to vampires and shape shifters. Why the many different aspects of paranormal and what made you decide to choose just these aspects of it? I can't pick which one is my favorite. I love reading them all, and I enjoy writing them all, so I simply compiled them into an anthology. I didn't want an all vampire anthology, or an all shape shifter or so on. I wanted a wide spectrum, to match my personal tastes in the paranormal. Most authors are avid readers. Is this true with you? If so, who are some of your favorite authors? Have any influenced your writing? Definitely, it's more of an addiction than a hobby anymore. <smiles> Suspense, murder mystery type novels I love Kay Hooper. I am biting my nails wailing on her next book. As for romance, I love the futuristic authors – Susan Grant, Angela Knight, Catherine Spangler, Linnea Sinclair, and C. J. Barry. Erotica/Erotic Romance would have to be MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight and Alison Tyler. Vampires are really big on TV and Movies. Has anything influenced you from a movie or TV? The vampire movies out haven't really influenced me, although I have enjoyed watching some of them. But lines out of movies have given me ideas. Have you ever suffered from Writers block? If so, what did you do to get out of it? All the time! And I just wait it out most times. I try and write, and keep trying, until it works itself out. Generally it happens when I have other things I need to be doing, or if I have simply written a lot in the last few days, or I am burned out on everything and need to just veg for a while. Generally it's a subconscious thing saying, wait a minute, get to doing other stuff, I need a break. Bedtime
Tales is a great anthology for anyone's erotic collection.
Have you ever wanted to do a full-length book on one story from there or
from Celestial Bodies? Not
so much from the stories in any of my anthologies, but yes, there is one story
that I have written that I would love to lengthen.
I have even written some of an outline, but my villain hasn't yet shown
himself to me for me to put anything much to paper.
I have the vaguest of first chapter and that's about it. Did you ever expect your books to become so popular? Why do you think they are in such a demand? LOL. I don't know so much that they are in demand or that they are popular, but I do well with them. It always surprises me when someone emails me and says that they enjoyed my story in such and such antho, or that they have one of my ebooks and loved it. I love getting email like that. Congratulations on Celestial Bodies. Are you working on anything right now and can you give us a teaser of what it is? Right now I am wrapping up my second bisexual anthology. After that, I have plans for another Bedtime Tales anthology and maybe another lesbian one. Between working on them, I am going to keep submitting to various calls for submissions and keep my fingers crossed. Any advice to aspiring authors? I would like to state that I write short stories, just in case I haven't been clear on that. Novels are a whole different ball game. I have no clue personally, although I do know of a lot of different novel writers who have gotten pubbed with their first book, and others who after ten years are still trying. It depends on the book you have written (theme and such), the market at the time, and which publisher you have submitted to. My best advice is look around first. Check out in-depth what each publisher is looking for, maybe evening buying a few of their books. Make sure it would fit their ideal before submitting to them. For short story writers, you have two options. Compile an antho of just your writing, find a publisher that accept anthologies, and submit to them. Renaissance E Books (www.renebooks.com) is the one that I am with, and they publish a good deal of single author anthologies, as well as novels. The other option is submit stories on a story-by-story basis. Find calls for submissions, The Erotica Readers and Writings Association (www.erotica-readers.com) being a good starting point for romantica and erotica authors. Find a calls for submission that interests you, write a story and submit it. Again, it might be worth it to purchase a book or two that the editor you are submitting to has compiled, since many have their own style that they are looking for. The most important thing with both types of writings is patience. It may take a while before you hear back, and even then, it may not be an acceptance. But keep trying, have faith in yourself, and most of all, keep writing. Even if it's just for your own enjoyment - which is how I started out. Thank you, Ms. Houston for taking the time to answer our questions. Have anything to add? Just that it's been fun. Celestial Bodies came out in October 2004 and it is a mixture of paranormal coupling, decadent escapades and futuristic possibilities that may happen. A delightful ride through the many facets of erotica and the paranormal.
April 2005 Meet Michelle Houston Novelspot had the opportunity to catch up with the steamy, yet down to earth, Michelle Houston for a candid interview. We walked away feeling more connected to the frank author who entertained and enlightened us with her thoughts and insights. NovelSpot: For someone who has never read a story you have written, what could best describe your genre and style? Michelle Houston: Um, erotica, smut, light porn. I've heard my anthologies called all three. Personally, I feel that I write erotica: Light on the plot, and heavy on the emotional and physical aspects. I try to keep each story short enough that it doesn't drag, yet long enough so that the reader feels content when it ends. NS: Describe for us your most recent title? MH: Bi & Sensual. It's an anthology of straight, lesbian, gay and threesome erotica stories. Some are kinky, others soft and sweet, just a general mix of possibilities. NS: What sets this work apart from other works in the same genre? MH: My kick-ass covers! (laughs) Seriously though, I don't try to stand out from the other writers in my genre, because frankly, I admire the hell out of many of them. I simply try to write an entertaining, arousing story. If I bring something to the table that no one else has thought of yet, great! But if not, so long as I entertained my reader, as long as did that, then I have achieved my own goal. NS: Please tell us about a favorite piece that you have written, maybe one that took all of your blood as you wrote it or maybe one that literally wrote itself, or maybe a work that just touched your heart a little more than the others? MH:
Pick just one? Ack! Exposed is the one that comes to mind the
strongest. It was originally written for a "Call for
Submissions" sent out by a wonderful writer and editor, Alison Tyler.
She was looking for tales of flesh on flesh, sweaty, hot, sensual sex. And
the idea of a threesome on the dance floor simply fit the bill in my mind. NS: As a writer, there are things that indulge your senses. Could you describe the things that milk your creative flow? MH: Enigma. Love their music. Reading other erotica, romantica and romance stories. Talking over ideas with my friends in a chat program while staring at a blank screen seems to work really well too. (smiling) NS: So in your writing process from beginning of story to end, do you incorporate techniques that heighten your creativity? For example, maybe you seek out those things that you just described heighten your creative process? MH: I've always just sat down and started writing, when the mood took me. I rarely try to bring about the mood, unless I simply need to express myself. NS: What is your favorite quote and who said it? MH: "It was a long time before I was able to say to myself: I am *not* going to be ashamed of my sexual thoughts and desires, they are me myself, they are a part of my life. I am going to accept myself sexually as I accept myself mentally and spiritually, and know that I am one time one thing, one time another, but I am always myself. My sex is me as my mind is me, and nobody will make me feel shame about it." ~ D. H. Lawrence NS: Why that one? MH:
I'm bisexual. For a LONG time I tried to deny it, to ignore it, and a felt
shame about it. Finally, I accepted it, and I have been happier for it. NS: Thank you for sharing that. Are you at work on any new projects and would you share? MH: I've got several stories in my "Works in Progress" folder. I am trying to finish up several for my third Bedtime Tales anthology. But my main focus for now is my schoolwork. I graduated several years ago from high school, and just last fall started college; I have made that and my family my primary focus. So I write in what spare time I have left. I am hoping after this semester, when I'm no longer having to write so many English class papers that I will be more inclined to write. You go girl! Be sure to send us an announcement for your graduation, and by all means, don't stop writing! Novelspot would like to thank Ms. Houston for her time and energy.
Interview
with Jolie du Pre of June 2006 Michelle Houston has been an erotica writer since 1995. Her stories (straight, lesbian and bisexual erotica) appear on the Internet at Sensual Venus and other webzines, in multiple anthologies including Bosslady, and she has nine e-books with Renaissance E Books including the recently released Erotic Moments. Michelle is the webmistress for her website The Erotic Pen. Jolie
du Pre for GLBT Promo:
Michelle, you've been writing erotica for
eleven years and you've really made your mark. You're prolific, and
you have become one of the most popular erotica writers of today. What
brought you to the world of erotica?
I've tried my hands at many genres, but erotica just fits. Besides, I
get to write about sex, do research about sex, and sometimes when I'm
lucky get paid for the stories I create. What better hobby is there?
Besides being a sex toy reviewer that is.
Now for those who write as a hobby, like I do, don't even try juggling
it all. Something important will probably get missed. Instead, focus on
family and work your writings in around it. You have to be willing to be
fluid about it all.
I've been lucky. My husband supports my writings, and within reason,
he works with me to take care of our daughter so that I can write when
the mood takes me. It's hard, because my desk is in the middle of the "family area" of our house – just off of the living room
-- but
headphones and loud music help some. GP:
Let's talk about your work. You're published in a number
of print anthologies, including Heat
Wave, Down
& Dirty Volume 2, Slave
to Love, Bosslady, the upcoming Sex and Candy and more. What do you
enjoy most about writing short stories and how exciting is it to see
your stories in print?
With the long wait, from the time a story is submitted to hearing back
with an acceptance, to it finally coming out in print (completely nail
biting the whole time) to finally have a copy in my hands is beyond
words. I know, it's ironic given that I am a writer, but when it truly
hits that another story of mine is out there for the world to see is
utterly indescribable. I am nervous, and excited, and completely
petrified while at the same time so very proud. It's like watching
your child take its first step, or hearing "mama" for the first
time. I want to take it all back, and make them pull my story from the
book, while at the same time I want to scream to the world to buy the
book. The mixture of emotions is dizzying and exhilarating.
Here's a brief snippet to show you what I mean.
Julian hadn't been so uncaring. In the car and back at his apartment,
they had fought over the way she flaunted their liaisons, instead of
trying to be discreet. The goal, in his eyes, was to carefully tempt
fate, but to always do their best not to get caught. Sabrina's opinion
differed. She was out to have fun and enjoy the rush of playing in
public. She loved to masturbate while being watched; it didn't matter
if it was by a lover, or in front of a window with the possibility of a
complete stranger watching. She wanted to walk the fine line between
exhibitionism and indecent exposure.
Here's a tease.
GP:
You've also published many ebook anthologies including Bedtime
Tales, Sapphic
Visions, Erotic
Moments. What do you like about ebooks?
What I like the most however, isn't the part e-books play in
determining the big boys of prints next step, but rather the freedom the
authors are given. With many e-book companies authors are encouraged to
try new things, instead of going by a set formula. They are allowed
different sexualities and scenarios than traditional print lines allow
for. The authors write what they want, how they want. Very rarely do the
editors request whole novel/story rewrites to fit a "proven
pattern." I like that. MH: I've thought about it, but plotting has NEVER been a
strength of mine. I still have yet to learn how to really develop a
good, strong plot to the degree a novel would require. One of my
e-books, Maidens & Myths, is the closest I have come, with all of
the stories flowing from each other, revolving around a secondary
character.
GP:
Sapphic Visions is very much like its heterosexual counter
part, Bedtime Tales. It's simply a collection of my lesbian tales,
from vanilla to kinky and all the shades in between. There is no real
rhyme of rhythm to them, other than they are all erotic.
MH:
T E Burden, my cover artist, is the one who did the image I
use on my website. It was originally supposed to be the image used for
erotic moments, but the woman's breasts were a bit too blatant for
some of the places that carried Renaissance E Books' titles, so the
publisher asked that I cover them. So with a great put-upon sigh, T E
Burden did so, grumbling though the whole process.
MH:
I do have a Yahoo group. It's at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/michellehouston.
I also run a newsletter off of my website, but it is temporarily
unavailable at this time.
Don't stick to just what you've tried, write what makes you curious
(those tend to be the best stories I've written because of the
complete curiosity and interest that come through to the reader) but
make sure to do your research.
Above all DON'T GIVE UP! If you decide that publication is something
you want, keep writing and submitting. If you get rejected, make note of
any offered suggestions or reasons why, then try again. Not all stories
will find a home. The trick is to find which story fits which publisher.
The best way to do this is to do research. Read some of what a
publishing house/editor (depending on if you are writing novels or short
stories) has put out. And that's the best advice I can give. If it helps, then I am truly glad. If it doesn't, then read what someone else has said on the topic and find what feels right to YOU.
Interview with Jamie of Sexy Authors With Attitude for the SASSY newsletter February 2007 Spotlight
Author Interview: Each
month one of the Sexy Authors has interviewed our Spotlight Author of the Month.
This month Jamie Hill interviews Sexy Author Michelle Houston. MH:
Alisa, from Diggin Up Bones, would have to be my favorite.
She has to work through something that completely devastates the victim.
In the end, she doesn't let what was taken from her destroy her--she
fights back, and reclaims her sensuality. Then
there is the sequel to my story in the Masquerade volume 2 anthology that I have
been working on. Nike made an appearance in Worshipped and wants now to
explain that she is NOT an air-head, but was playing a part for Alicia. Oh
... and she wants her own story too. Infernal Goddesses. Spotlight
Author Excerpt: Diggin'
Up Bones Warning
- VERY explicit Copyright
Michelle Houston, all rights reserved Long-legged,
his strides had eaten up the earth as he moved with purpose, mingling with the
crew, often gesturing with his hands to make his point.
Whenever someone got too close to the house, he has directed them
somewhere else, trying to keep everyone together and as quiet as possible.
She had to give him credit for that.
He knew she needed quiet time to write.
He'd always understood about her writing time and about so many other
things, especially her virginity and her fears about losing it.
He had been so patient, waiting for the right time.
But it had never arrived for them.
Interview
with Rose of March
2007 Interview with Michelle Houston: Hi Michelle. Thank you for doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* We are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so lets get started... - Please tell us about your latest book. Coming up next is a short story
called Nice Kitty Kat in the Erotic Tales 2 anthology and will be coming out
from Erotic Tales Publications.. - What can we expect from you in the future? In the next few months, I have about a dozen stories coming out in print anthologies, in e-book anthologies, or in solo e-books. A full list can be found on my website, at www.eroticpen.net The next ones in line are: - How do we find out about you and your books? My website! Most definitely, without a doubt, check out my website. I try and update frequently, mostly because I like playing around with webpages, but also because I am an avid reader and I like it when authors update their websites. Bugs me when I visit sites to see "coming soon ______ book in _____ month" and the book has been out a month or more. So definitely check out my website, I keep it updated with all the latest information. The url is www.eroticpen.net - How may readers contact you? I can be reached at theeroticpen@yahoo.com I also have a snail mail address available on my website, in case anyone prefers writing letters to emails. - When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms? I can't remember the first time I started
thinking about writing. It has always been a part of my life. I do remember a
poem in the third grade that I was SO proud of. - What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions? My husband is very supportive of me. There
have been some nights, I will be laying in bed KNOWING I need to get to sleep,
because of the next days tasks (work, college, and so on), and my brain just
won't quite wandering. He will tell me simply "go write". Sometimes I do,
other times I ride it out until I can sleep. But that simple acceptance of it,
the way he will leave the house for a while so I can have some quiet time, and
dozens of other little things he does keeps me writing. - What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries? I wish I knew how. - Where do your ideas come from? I like to call myself an equal opportunity idea moocher. Anything and everything has sparked ideas. I'm not a people watcher, but sometimes I will catch a movement out of the corner of my eye, I will happen to see a glance between two people, or I will hear a comment and I will just feel this 'ah-ha' moment. - What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write? Having gotten my start in erotica and then
moved to erotic romance, I find them actually the easiest parts to write. It's
the character interaction outside of the bedroom, hallway, kitchen, living room,
backyard etc that is the hardest for me to write. - What kind of research do you do? Well last week there was the swingers'
party, the month before we visited an S&M club … LOL - What does your husband think of your writing? My husband has a great sense of humor about it
all. We even joked about getting T-shirts made up that say "Buy my wife's
books – I want to be a kept man" after I mentioned another author's hubby
thinking the same way. - Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book? I have so many favorite authors, it's like I
working on beginning a small library. - Who are some of your other favorite authors to read? Some of my auto buy authors, in no particular order, include: Angela Knight, MaryJanice Davidson (Betsy the Vamp Queen and related stories), Kay Hooper (the Bishop series), Linnea Sinclair, Catherine Spangler, Michele Bardsley (a newcomer with a lot of potential), Rebecca York, Katie MacAlister (the dragons and the vamps), C J Barry, Suzanne Brockmann (the Troubleshooter series), Christine Feehan (Dark, Game, and the witch sisters series), Tess Gerritson, Susan Grant, Patti O'Shea, Robin D Owens (the Heart series), Joanne Rock, Lynsay Sands (Argeneau vampires), and Nalini Singh (another hot newcomer). - Are you a member of any author groups - RWA, critique groups, etc.? I'm a member of ERWA – the Erotica Readers and Writers Association. Without a doubt, if one is considering writing erotica, they need to check out ERWA. The staff is incredible and hardworking, and does it completely out of love of the genre. - What do you think of critique groups in general? In general, I believe in them and support
them. If a writer can find a group they mesh well with, whose dynamics fit their
personality, it works wonders. - Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully, I will be out of college. As a
non-traditional student, it has been touch to go back to school after almost a
decade out of the swing of things, but also exhilarating. I am learning new
things, pushing myself mentally, and working towards a degree that I have always
wanted. - Are you in control of your characters or do they control you? It kind of depends. Some character let me have my way, with only minor fits, and others are demanding from word one and I can't do anything except let them have their way. - Have you experienced writer's block---> If so, how did you work through it? I have definitely been blocked while writing. Sometimes it's simply a matter of not being able to switch from my 'academic' mind set to my 'creative' mind set, and I have to wait it out until things ease up at school and I can get back into the swing of writing. Other times, life just demands more than is possible to give, and writing has to take a back seat. - What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer? Knowing, thanks to the lovely royalties
statements, that people are willing to give their hard-earned money to read the
world I have crafted, to loose themselves in the tale that I slaved to write. - Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers? Write because you love it, not to be
published. Submit your writings because you want to share them, not to become
rich. Don't let it become a job, having to meet deadlines and getting stressed
over it. Do it for the love of writing, and let things fall as they may. Thank you very much for taking the time with us and answering our questions. I really appreciate this interruption to your busy schedule. Good Luck, and we will be looking forward to the next delightful creation from your talented imagination! Yours in good reading,
Interview with Tammy of April 2007
Interview
with Kim for July 2007 Hi
Michelle and Welcome!
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to interview you
for Romance Junkies. First,
can you let us know what projects you are currently working on? The answer to that changes from day to day. I keep a Works In Progress folder, and pull a file out of it depending on what I am in the mood to write. I really try to be flexible with it, and not force one story to finish itself before I start another, especially since I do still write short stories for Calls For Submissions from time to time, and some of the deadlines are tight. At this moment, I am working on two sequels for works coming out soon, a werewolf BDSM piece, a duet of dragon stories, and a half dozen short erotica pieces. When did you first realize that you wanted to become a writer? What did you want to be as a child? I wrote long before I ever gave serious thought to being a writer. A long time avid reader, I always looked at my hobby and thought that I would never be as good as those I loved to read. I remember starting to really write stories and such about the 3rd grade. I didn’t get serious with it however until my senior year of high school, when I entered a poetry competition. Even then though, I always held back. The late 90’s was about when I started to seriously consider myself good enough to get published. Risking rejection was hard – but worth it. As a child, I always had notebook and pen in hand, when I wasn’t reading, but never thought about being a writer. I was going to be a biologist or a teacher, or for one brief year I wanted nothing more than to be a lawyer. While law school is out for me, I am combining both childhood dreams into one – I plan to be a biology teacher. Has your environment/upbringing colored your writing at all? Have you ever written about life’s experiences? Um, this is kind of touchy for me. I’m bisexual – and I grew up being told it was hormones and I would grow out of it. I always knew I was loved, but never felt understood. During my teenage years, I relied heavily on my hobby of writing to get through the day. So in that regard, yes it has. I fall back on it as my savings grace when I am frustrated with life in general. Angst filled poetry still occasionally pours forth. Without a doubt though it is the last twelve years that has influenced me most, ever since my husband came in to my life. He helped me to see past what I was always told, and to find myself. From there, my creativity burst forth. Coming out in September from Phaze is a book that I have struggled, cried, smiled, and wanted to yank out my hair while writing. While it isn’t ‘fact’ it is based on something I went through, and over a dozen years later am still working my way past. It’s called DIGGIN’ UP BONES. It’s the only work of mine that is really even close to based in reality. Have you ever experienced writer’s block? What do you do to relieve it? Most definitely I have, especially since I started college. It has lasted only a matter of days in some cases, but I have also been blocked for months at times. It just depends. Switching mental gears from ‘academic writing’ to ‘creative writing’ is sometimes just not possible. I will want to write, need to even, and just not be able to get out the ideas. It frustrates me to no end if I let it. The only solution I have come across so far is to not let it get to me. Sometimes life just happens; my writings have to take a backseat to other things, when life is demanding more than I can give at the moment, and I have to accept and deal with it. I wait it out, and inevitably I wind up writing something just for me to start with. Something I plan never to share with anyone else. From there, I can start to slide back into the swing of things and put my story ideas to paper. How long does it take you to write a book? Do you write one book at a time or do you have a few going at once? Since I don’t write novels, but rather short stories and recently novellas, I have multiple stories going at once and am comfortable with that. Knowing many writers, I have to say writing a novel is hard enough; trying to juggle two at once must be killer, so I applaud those that can do it. With short stories however, there is less to have to keep track of, and allows more room to explore other ideas. I have had up to a dozen stories going at once. In fact, when I am writing, I will frequently have two windows open at once, and when I hit a pausing point in one story, I will pull up the other one and write on it for a while. Some stories have taken less than an hour to write, while others (even 3,000 word ones) have taken a year. It just depends on how much I can get down when the initial idea hits me. Do you name your characters first or do they have to have a personality before they are named? How do you choose their names? About half and half. Some characters I know their names before I know anything else about them. My hero in Diggin’ Up Bones was that way. I knew his name and that he was a pain in the ass, according to the heroine, but had no clue anything else about him. Other times I have been hit by a flash of a scene. I knew what the characters were doing, but had to put in one of my filler names while I waited for the personality to develop a bit more for me to find out their name. Some times, I have even finished a story and then had to hit the baby name books/websites looking for a characteristic of the character to find a suitable name. At
what point in your career did you develop your website? Do you find it a
useful tool in promoting your books? I actually had the website long before I started trying to get published. I used to post my short stories on it, for free, way back when I first started writing. I knew I wanted to share them, but never felt that I was good enough to attempt submitting them. Without a doubt, it is useful. Some publishers don’t offer excerpts (especially for anthologies) and let’s face it - reading is an expensive habit. Excerpts let readers know what they are getting before they buy. This is especially critical with ebooks. Readers can’t just pick up the book and thumb through it. Publishing in different media and with different publishers, I know that it’s hard on readers to find a writer’s books without a website. So I deem a website a MUST. That said, a website is only useful if the writer puts time in to it. And I don’t mean working up fancy graphics and all. The most basic website needs to have certain things, and then the lack of flash doesn’t matter. It needs to be UP TO DATE. I can’t stress that enough. As a reader, I hate it when I visit an author’s website and it is more than three months out of date. Some I have visited are a YEAR or more out of date – and worse, the author has had stories published in that year It needs excerpts, especially for ebooks. It needs some way for readers to find out all the books available, where they are available at, and what they are about. I have found my website to be a phenomenal asset, and I work to keep it that way. I update monthly, if not more often. Do you use a pen name? Why or why not? If you do, does the name have a special meaning to you? Yes indeed, I use a pen name. I have a child, and when I started writing erotica I lived in a small rural town in a very closed minded community. I chose it to protect my family. It isn’t special per se, except as a reminder. Where do you get your ideas for your stories? Do you have to do any research for them? What is the most interesting thing you have learned? I consider myself an equal opportunity idea moocher. Life itself gives me ideas. A line from a song or movie … Something someone says to me … What ifs … Watching people … Sitting in class … I really try not to write anything that I have to do a lot of research for, because I am not a color in the lines kind of writer. I take artistic liberty, frequently, and the more lines there are the farther I stray from them as ‘what if’ scenarios catch my attention. Plus I have to study a lot for classes, and writing is my creative outlet. Thanks to college, I have learned a LOT of interesting things, some of which have actually made their way in to stories. Given that I am a biology major though, most of the interesting facts I have retained would probably gross out anyone reading this, so I will keep them to myself. If your life were a movie, what would you call it? What would the theme song be? I used to joke that my life is a soap opera called “As The Stomach Churns.” But that was just a joke, it’s really not that interesting. LOL Off the top of my head though, I would probably call it Unbecoming Behavior. I have never been one to play nice, just because society says I should. I am blunt, and when someone asks my opinion, they had better truly want it. Plus, well, I write erotica. That in itself is considered unbecoming by many. I also make a point to mention in my newsletter when it is National Masturbation Month (it’s May by the way), and I support sex education in schools (some are going to do it anyways, might as well protect them from STD’s and pregnancy). And that’s just the beginning. LOL I once had a professor draw a line on the board. At the left end he put a dot and said “This is when you were born”. About a fifth of the way down it, he put a line. “This is where you are right now.” At the right end, he put another point. “This is where the human body will hold out to under perfect circumstances.” He then circled the area between the line and about a fifth of the way from the right point. “This is where you will die.” Talk about scaring the shit out of those that were actually paying attention to what he was getting at. Life is too short for pussy-footing around. If it doesn’t hurt others, isn’t illegal or immoral, why not? One of the ladies on a mailing list I am on has a tag line for her email about the journey to the grave not being a careful walk, with perfect hair and body, but rather a slide in at the last moment, body worn out, screaming “Whoo what a ride.” I’d rather live my life feeling like the movie of it would be called “Unbecoming Behavior” rather than regret all the lost chances and feel that it should have been called “What Could Have Been.” Alternatively, if they did a movie based on just the last few years, since I started college, it would probably be called “Dazed and wondering what the F*** is going on.” LOL Probably a lot more than you were wanting, but there it is. The theme song would be Genesis “Land of Confusion.” Phil Collins has a voice that sends shivers down my spine, and some of the lyrics to that song just ring true for me. What
kinds of books will we find on your bookshelves? Like my taste in music and movies, my taste in literature is very eclectic. Next to Dante, Poe, and Shakespeare are Angela Knight, Kay Hooper, and Alison Tyler books. I read murder mystery, romance, erotica, sci fi/fantasy fic, psychological thrillers, and pretty much anything except for horror. I have even been known to read my text books, after the class is over and done with. I have kept all my science and literature books. MORE
FUN… Who
was your first celebrity crush? Is he still hot? Oh man. Um, I cringe admitting this, but my first celebrity crush was David Bowie in Labyrinth. I have no clue why, but at end when he was in the white outfit, something about him just caught my attention. Then again, I wasn’t even 10, so don’t hold it again me. As for him still being hot, well, he wasn’t that hot to begin with, in my opinion. LOL Like I said, I wasn’t even ten at the time. What kind of music do you listen to? Do you have a favorite band? I listen to mostly 80’s rock and pop, but am open to a lot of others. Journey, Genesis, Metallica, Mozart, Enigma, Evanescence … they all are on my CD shelf. What
is your favorite time of day? Why? The stretch from about midnight to two am is my favorite time. It’s quiet, everyone is asleep, there are no kids outside screaming, no traffic backups and honking horns, and no loud stereos. Just the insects courting each other. It’s peaceful.
What
is the best/worst part of summer for you? The best part - freedom! Hey, I’m a college student working on an education degree. Summer = freedom. The worse part is the noise (all the kids are out of school), and the switching of mental gears. That and the fact that it has to end, and school once again takes over life. This
has been fun!
Thanks for interviewing me. I’d like to include my URL if I
may. It’s
http://www.eroticpen.net
It’s been our pleasure. Best of luck with your writing!
Romance Junkies Publishing Editor
Interview
with Julie Julie:
How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and
create characters that capture the imagination? Michelle:
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest
memories are of winning awards in school for my essays and poems. In third
grade, we had a unit on poetry, and I still have one of the poems I wrote then.
I started seriously writing about age 18 though. Before that, it was mainly the
typical angst ridden poetry of a hormonal teenager, but around age 18 my fiancé
(we're married now, just passed ten years) encouraged me to start putting ideas
down on paper. He had been writing since his early teens, and knew what it was
to have a story within demanding to be let out. Julie:
What influenced you to get published? How long did it take for your first book
to get published? Michelle:
It was about the time I realized that I was writing all of these stories,
sharing them freely on the internet, spending all of my free time writing with
nothing to show for it. With a young child at home, dreams of going to college,
and not a lot of money it just made sense to see if I was good enough to
actually interest people in buying my work. My
first book was a collection of short erotic stories, and it was accepted and
published within six months of when I submitted it. Julie:
What are the elements of a great romance for you? Michelle:
A strong dynamic between the characters, whatever the sexuality,
whatever the setting. For it to be a romance, there has to be some sizzle
between the characters, but there also has to be more than that. They have to be
somewhat likable to the reader. Julie:
What do you do when characters stop talking to you when writing? Michelle:
Cuss, complain to my husband, and generally get frustrated. Then I set
the story aside and work on something else until the characters are ready for me
to intrude into their lives again. Julie:
How much does reader reaction mean to you as an author? Michelle:
I write because I have to write. It's something inside of me that is part
of who I am. I publish my works because I want the readers to share the world
that comes from the string of words that I put together. I
write first for myself, to get the story put to paper. Then, if it is something
I feel worth sharing, the reaction of readers is everything. I want them to feel
every heartache I did while writing, to laugh, to cry, to rail at the fates
jerking my characters around, to feel satisfied when it all works out in the
end. If it is a story I worked to publish to share with others, I want them to
feel that the hard-earned money they paid for it was well spent. Julie:
What do you hope readers get from your books? Michelle:
Escape. I want them to be able to drown in my story, to let it wrap
around them and take them away, from whatever is troubling them, for just a few
hours. Life is sometimes hard, and we need to drift away at times, to remain
sane. A good book allows us to do that. Julie:
What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants, or
a combination of both? Michelle:
I wing it completely. I have found the hard way if I try and outline too
much, I lose the story. Instead, I have to let myself drift, motivated by a line
from the story, a whisper in my ear, or a scene that springs to mind, and craft
the rest around that. Some of my best stories started as a line of internal
dialog a character was having, without me knowing anything else. Julie:
What do you feel is the most important thing that first-time authors should
know? Michelle:
If a character is whispering in your ear, listen. If a concept comes to
you, and you know you could make something kick-ass of it, go for it. But
understand, writing is only like breathing to some talented few. The rest of us
have to work at it, to slowly get better. The first draft of anything is likely
to be shit. What you make of that first draft will mold you into an author. You
have to be willing to listen to your characters, and to trust yourself, but you
also have to be willing to work hard. Julie:
Any advice for aspiring authors? Michelle:
Write because you love writing, because you can't imagine a world without
you putting your ideas to paper. Share them (ie publish) for whatever reason
there is motivating you—but write because you have to. If you are writing for
the money, consider freelance articles and other non-fiction. Don't let the
pressure of sales corrupt the purity of the connection between you and your
characters. Write simply because it is part of you to do so, and let the rest
happen as it will. Julie:
What's next for you? Michelle:
In the next few months I have four titles coming out. The first is Blood
Slave, a gay vampire duet of erotic stories, set in the near future, in a
world where vampires have been found to exist and have been hunted down and
systematically infected with a virus that causes them to lose their sight. But
they have found a way around it, through the use of blood slaves. It's rather
hardcore BDSM D/s. That's coming in July from Phaze. Then
in August I have another Phaze title called A Change of Pace. It's a very
soft-core second chance erotic romance about a woman who is frustrated with the
emptiness of her life and when a chance meeting with an object of her affection
from the past ends with an invitation to his house for dinner, and whatever may
come, she decides to take a chance and live a little. After
that in September is a collection of four stories involving humans, vampires,
and shifters from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. Fangs and Fur is about four
couples that come together while trying to protect their races from the
experiments of an evil scientist. And
finally in October is another release from Phaze called Playing for Keeps.
This one is my second in a series of modern mythology tales centered around
Greco-Roman deities. Both tales of ménage a trios, one MMF without interaction
between the men, and the other is MFF with interaction between the females. Information
about all of them can be found on my coming soon page of my website www.michellehouston.com
Julie:
What are you working on now? Michelle:
Right now I have about a dozen stories going, ranging from sequels to my
alternate reality story and my modern myths, to another second chance tale, to
some kinky shifters, Julie:
Dealing with writing deadlines can be a challenge. What do you do to cope with
the stress? Michelle:
I have been lucky so far in that I don't deal too much with deadlines.
Occasionally I will see a Calls For Submission that interests me, which will put
me under a deadline if I want to submit something for it, but other than that I
don't have deadlines. My publishers understand that I am a non-traditional
college student with a family, a job, and about a dozen other commitments that
come before my writings. I never know when I will be able to sit down to write,
and when I do, I have yet to master the art of selecting which character I want
to talk to me. I just sit down and write, letting what flows to the page happen.
So when I finish off a story and submit it, that's when the publisher expects
it. I don't submit proposals and half finished works, and I don't have contracts
that call for a book before it is written. Some of my writing buddies can do
that, but I just haven't figured out how yet. Julie:
If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they
start with and why? Michelle:
I'd have to say Diggin' Up Bones, which is available from
Phaze. It's quite simply what I feel is my best work to date. It was the first
story (that was worth anything) to reach the 5K mark, then the first (again
worth anything) to reach 10K+. It's a true love story, and deals with a heart
aching trauma all too many women have faced, and the slow recovery from it.
Alisa is strong and a survivor. Zach is compassionate, sexy, and a real
gentleman. I just love the characters. It's also one of those stories that
started as a line of internal dialog: "Zach Bradford, part time
archeologist, full time pain in the ass."
An Interview With Sheila from WILD ON BOOKS July 2008 SheilaMonique: Welcome to Wild On Books Michelle! Can you tell us a little about your newest release A CHANGE OF PACE? Michelle Houston:
A CHANGE OF PACE is a 6,000 word story about a woman getting a second chance at
a former crush. Although she knew him when they were both in law school,
when Alan pulls her over for speeding, Nicole finds herself intrigued by the
turn of events that led him from law school to being a police officer.
Even more intriguing is his invitation to dinner. It’s a short, hot
erotic romance, which I hope melts the pixels on the computer screen of anyone
reading it. SheilaMonique: Can you tell us how you come up with your ideas for your books? Do you base any of your characters on people you know? Michelle Houston: I actually try very hard not to get too detailed with my characters from people I know. I might start a character based off of a personality quirk, or an offhanded comment someone makes, but the character after that points assumes their own life. As for how the
ideas come to me, sometimes they are like Athena and spring forth fully mature,
just waiting for me to get every detail captured. Other times, they tease
me, giving me a line here, a vague idea there, and make me work for all the
details in between. Each character, each concept, has a presence of its
own, and its own way of coming to life. SheilaMonique: How did you start writing? Michelle Houston: Actually I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have ideas demanding to be put to paper. I started writing erotica/erotic romances though about 1998, when I would find a gem of incredible talent hidden among the sea of, well, not so sparkling works of writing out there. Often times, I would find myself saying “I can do better than that”, or “I can’t believe it ended that way”, or worse, “what was the author thinking … things were going so well and he/she did that to the characters”. I’d get so
frustrated I’d sit down and write my own story. SheilaMonique: What was your very first published book? How did you feel when you received the news that it had been accepted? Michelle Houston: This actually I have to look at in three stages. First I had a short story published in an anthology, then I had my own anthology/collection published, and then there was the publication of my first actual “book”. The first story, EXPOSED, shocked me. I submitted it on basically a lark, knowing there was no way it was good enough. The joke was on me though when I received the acceptance from Alison Tyler. She wanted it for her Naughty Stories From A To Z series, in the third volume. It felt so good, I tried again with another short story, and it was accepted. Then a few more were submitted. After a few more acceptances of short stories, I started looking for a publisher willing to take collections of short erotic works by one author, since I had almost 60,000 words worth by then. I finally found one (Renaissance E Books) and submitted BEDTIME TALES, hoping like crazy that they would like it, especially since they were the only game in town willing to publish erotica collections, at that time. Surprise, they accepted it. I went on to publish a few more short story collections with them, before I found a story that demanded more. That story was DIGGIN’ UP BONES. Alisa and Zach wanted to be more than a part of a collection, they wanted their own novella. The first evolution of their story was just over 5,000 words and was accepted by Venus Press. I moved on with my writings, waiting for the edit, and subsequent publication, and then the bubble burst. Venus Press was closing. I managed to get my rights released quickly and I started looking for a new home for DIGGIN’ UP BONES. In the mean time, I went back and looked at it, expanded it, and moved on with other things. I had other longer works accepted (5-6K), but by that point DIGGIN’ UP BONES was over 12,000 words. Finally I submitted it to Phaze, who I had always viewed as outside of my reach. When it was accepted, I was thrilled and terrified all at once. By the time it was published, it was actually my third work with them, but my first actually “book” length, at least in my eyes.
Michelle Houston:
I enjoy reading – a lot. Mostly romances, but an occasional sci fi,
murder mystery, or futuristic piece. I also cross-stitch, do some light
hiking, and spend time with my family. Oddly enough, I also enjoy most of
my classes, and try to fit one in every semester or two that is just for me, not
something that I have to take for my major. SheilaMonique: What is your normal writing schedule like? Michelle Houston:
There isn’t any pattern to it at all. Basically it’s a come as it may
type thing. I’ve missed tv shows, planned nights out, and such, because
the mood struck me. I’ve also sat and stared at a blank screen during
“planned writing times” when the mood never came to me. My family is
very understanding, and we work around the moods of my muse fairly well. SheilaMonique: Do you do anything to prepare yourself when getting ready to write? Michelle Houston:
Nope. There really is no preparing. Since I don’t have any set
writing patterns, it more like hopping on a roller coaster when inspiration
strikes me, holding on until the urge fades. SheilaMonique: Do you have an idea of what you are going to write or do you just let your muses lead you? Michelle Houston:
Sometimes I will have an idea of what piece I want to work on, and other times I
just start something new just because it came to me. At any one time I
will have about a dozen or more stories, of varying length, that I am working
on. SheilaMonique: Writers block, do you get it and what do you do to rid yourself of it? Michelle Houston: I’ve had it often. In fact I am there right now. Mostly it’s a matter of being so much involved with school work, and my science classes, academic writing, and so forth that my creativity is basically stifled. It takes a while until I can get back into the mood to be creative and let a story flow. The best cure for writer’s block that I have found that works for me is the knowledge of an upcoming exam. When I know I have one the next day, or thereabouts, I suddenly get flooded with the urge to write and more ideas than I can get down. Right when I need to be focusing on studying, but just really don’t want to be. The rest of the
time I just open up a word document, with a story I really wish I could finish,
and let it sit open while I deal with emails, and such. Sometimes I will
see it sitting there, reminding me of its presence, and I will get an idea and
have to put down just a few sentences. Other times, It doesn’t work, and
I end up closing it back out, without having touched it all day. Some days
though, I am lucky enough to just start going on it, and log in a few hundred to
a few thousand words. SheilaMonique: Is there anything in your closet that your fans would be surprised by? Michelle Houston:
Not really. I am a T-shirt collector. Most of my wardrobe for
classes and such is made up of T-shirts I have gotten from zoos, theme parks,
festivals I have visited like the Japan Festival and the Renaissance Festival,
and such. SheilaMonique: Can you tell us about your upcoming projects? Michelle Houston: I can tell you more about my coming releases that stuff I am actually working on, since I never know if any of the current works in progress with ever be completed. Coming out in August is my first M/M stand alone piece. It’s a 13,000 word duet of stories involving futuristic BDSM vampires. It’s a totally hot, kinky short work, which was a lot of fun to write. Then in September is an anthology of four M/F stories, on an intertwining theme of a mad scientist bend on discovering the secret to longevity by experiments on vampires and shifters. Four couples are brought together in an effort to stop him, his research, and the secret of their existence from getting out. I do have a M/M
shifter story that I am hoping to have finished soon, and I just submitted
another second chance story like A CHANGE OF PACE that I am hoping to have good
news on sometime soon. SheilaMonique: When writing do you prefer the sound of silence or do you listen to music? Michelle Houston:
I often listen to music, generally only certain songs for each piece.
Normally, it’s Phil Collins/Genesis, although I have been known to listen to
everything from Enigma, Mozart, and Metallica, to Journey, Nine Inch Nails, and
80’s pop rock. SheilaMonique: Which one of your books is your favorite and why? Michelle Houston: DIGGIN’ UP BONES is by far my favorite. It has the most of myself poured into it. It also has the most character development, the most of a romance, rather than erotic romance, sub plot, and the most sheer strength to it. For the most part I write light hearted erotic/erotic romances. DIGGIN’ UP BONES is a romance, but it also deals with a serious topic.
Michelle Houston:
Nervous. Anxious. Excited. Terrified. Exhilarated.
I never know it readers are going to like it, hate it, or just not care about
it. And reviewers – oh man. They can make or break an author’s
day. SheilaMonique: If you were to recommend a book to someone who has never read your work, which book would it be and why? Michelle Houston: Again, it would have to be DIGGIN’ UP BONES. I think it shows the strength of my writing the best. It also shows that there is more to my writings than just erotica. Don’t get me wrong though, I am proud of my erotica. I love writing it, and have plans to do more like A CHANGE OF PACE. But DIGGIN’ UP
BONES has a special place in my heart that I don’t know if it will ever be
surpassed. SheilaMonique: Can you tell us the story behind KINKY GIRLS DO? Michelle Houston: KINKY GIRLS DO actually started out as one story – Your Attention Please, the first in the collection. I wrote it for a call for submissions that an editor put out. She liked it, but it wasn’t quite what she wanted. Then I tried another story – Chasing Her Dream. She loved it and published it in an anthology. Then another call came in, and I wrote Bound In Love. Because of the subject matter of the back-story, it was rejected, even thought the editor liked it. She just wanted lighter pieces. So I had three stories of a central theme – all of the women like being dominated, in one way of another, by the man in their life. So I put them together into a collection and submitted them to Love Struck Books. The collection, by then titled KINKY GIRLS DO was accepted. But like with Venus Press things happened, and I pulled the collection. This was right around the time DIGGIN’ UP BONES was accepted by Phaze. Knowing I needed to get the collection to a 12K minimum word count, I wrote a fourth story that completed the theme, and subbed the collection. By an odd quirk, even though it was accepted after DIGGIN’ UP BONES, it was published before it due to a slot opening up in the publication schedule, and it being edited and ready to go early. Basically, all four
stories are about woman who are in touch enough with their sexuality that they
love being dominated by their men, and don’t find themselves diminished in any
way by it. In fact, embracing it makes them stronger. SheilaMonique: I see that you write is several different genre’s, do you have a favorite, is one easier than the other? Michelle Houston: I admit M/F is easier to write, if only because he is he, and she is she. With F/F or M/M it becomes harder. Other terms have to be used. Often I make sure my characters have different colored hair, have a height difference, or some other characteristic that sets them apart from each other to use to ID them. My favorite would
be sci fi/paranormal themes through. I enjoy futuristic, alternate
realities, vampires, shifters, and such. SheilaMonique: Is there a genre that you haven’t written in that you would like to try? Michelle Houston:
Not really. I have thought about doing a historical romance, but I just
can’t fudge things as much as I know I would need to do to a medieval
historical, which is the time period I am most interested in. SheilaMonique: What was the one moment in your writing career that was the most exciting? Michelle Houston:
That acceptance of my first short story, EXPOSED. That started the whole
ball rolling, and gave me the confidence and encouragement to keep going even
when I received rejections. I had rejections before that point, and they
always devastated me. After EXPOSED was accepted, I had the fact that
someone thought enough of it to publish it to fall back in. Which boosted
me out of a funk when the next rejection rolled in. And the next.
And so on. Each acceptance helps dull the rejections, even though it
doesn’t completely block it. SheilaMonique: Thank you for taking the time to visit with us Michelle, is there anything you would like to add? Michelle Houston:
Just that I appreciate everyone who took the time to read this interview, and
you Sheila for taking the time to interview me. Please, feel free to email
me, to visit my website at www.michellehouston.com
or my blog at http://eroticpen.blogspot.com
Reading
Is So Much Fun blog Q: Can you tell us more about yourself? A: Hi everyone, my name is Michelle Houston. I’m an erotic romance/erotica author. I’m also a non-traditional college student, a biology major, a future teacher, the president of a student organization, a wife, a mother, and a bisexual woman. I wear many hats, some of which conflict with others, but I do the best that I can with juggling them all. Q: How long have you been writing? A: I’ve been writing off and on for as long as I can remember. I started getting serious about it though in 1998. In 2002 I worked up the nerve to submit my first story to a website for publication. It was accepted – and everything that has happened since that has been a result. I sometimes wonder if this thrill ride would have happened if I had been rejected. Q: Was there any one person or event in your life that inspired you to sit down and write your first book? A: My husband has always encouraged me to listen to the characters in my head and let them lead me in telling their stories. So he would definitely be the strongest motivational element in my life. Q: What are you currently working on? A: Currently I have about a dozen or so works in progress. The ones that I am focusing on are a series of M/M shifter tales. I have submitted the first of the series, and I am eagerly awaiting hearing back from my publisher. Q: Most people only dream of becoming a successful writer. Now that you have accomplished that goal is there anything else you dream of doing? A: I still have another two years until I graduate college. Right now, that is the dream that I am working on. I want to be a high school biology teacher. I haven’t had much of a chance to look beyond that, since it has taken up so much of my time the last few years. Q: Do you listen to music or watch TV when you write or do you need it to be completely quiet? A: I often will listen to music – particularly Genesis/Phil Collins. The man’s voice just puts me in a mood to write sexy characters. Q: Do you outline your stories or do you write as you go? A: I write as I go. I have tried to outline, but anything more than a vague idea of where I want things to go tends to stall me out rather than help to guide me. Q: How does your family feel about having a writer in the family? Do they read your books? A: My husband actually writes. We are in the process now of trying to get his books published. So he supports me in everything, although he does push me to push my own boundaries and step outside my comfort zone to try new things. He has occasionally read and edited a few of my works, but a lot of them are not a genre he really enjoys, so I don’t ask him to read those. Q: What is the most valuable piece of writing advice that you have been given? A: Sit down and write. Worry about the word count, about editing/smoothing it out, about who on Earth would want to read/publish it later. Q: If you could date any male character from any book, who would it be and why? A: I’d have to go with Zach Bradford from DIGGIN’ UP BONES. He’s sexy, sweet, and totally hot. He also has a level of compassion so deep, and is willing to allow himself to feel such an intense love, that still amazes me. Q: What authors do you enjoy reading? A: Nalini Singh, Angela Knight, Kay Hooper, J R Ward, Deanna Lee, Suzanne Brockmann, Patti O’Shea, Susan Grant, Robin D Owens, Catherine Spangler, Eileen Wilks, Rebecca York, Linnea Sinclair, and so many more. Q: If there was a flood in your house and you can save one book what would that book be and why? A: Oh goodness. I haven’t a clue. LOL I have so many favorites that really I couldn’t chose between them. One series would have to be the whole Psy/Changeling series by Nalini Singh. If I could grab them all, I would. Q: Would you like to share your website where readers can visit you? A: Definitely. My personal site is www.michellehouston.com My blog is at http://eroticpen.blogspot.com My newsletter is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/michellehouston I am also a member of the Phoenix Rising Authors – www.isleofphoenix.com Our blog is at http://isleofphoenix.blogspot.com/ And our chat/news group is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Infinite_Possibilities
This month at Dark Angel Reviews, we have Michelle Houston, author of newly released FANGS & FUR, which was released from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. Thank you, Michelle, for taking the time to speak to us. To start off, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your books?
As you said, my name is Michelle Houston. As I say in my bio I often feel like I was born to ride on the back of dragons, to journey among the stars in a ship traveling faster than light, or to dance the night away in the arms of a mysterious vampire. Since none of those things are possible in reality, I write about them. I’m an avid reader, and many have considered me to be a prolific writer. Mainly I stay within the realm of erotic romance, but I have dabbled in a bit more of a mainstream romance genre, as well as the other end of the spectrum with erotica. Like many writers, I am a fairly ordinary person who hears voices. LOL. My characters don’t understand personal boundaries, and talk to me whenever the mood strikes them. 3 am seems to be the best time.
You write erotic fiction and more mainstream romances. Do you have a preference of one over the other?
Both have their pros and cons. I enjoy writing erotic romances better than I do mainstream romances, I think partially because I got my start in erotica. It’s just more what I am geared towards writing.
As an erotic fiction writer, do you find the sex scenes to be easier or harder to write?
Depends on the characters and what they are in to. There have been some scenes, like in BLOOD SLAVE, where I was squirming, wondering what the heck readers were going to think when they read it. That first love scene was a tough one to write. There have also been scenes I have read where I sat back and thought ‘Wow, I wrote that? Cool.’ Not only did the scene just roll right out, but it was worth keeping as is, without doing umpteen revisions to get the logistics worked out.
Do you remember the first romance book you read that started you on your path to becoming a writer?
Yep. It actually wasn’t the first romance I read, but rather the first one I wanted to know more about. Still gets me that I can imagine all I want, but I don’t know what the author was actually thinking went on, the little details of it all. It was rather prosy, and I wanted to know more! So I made up the details myself.
You’re website says you’re back in school full time. How do you juggle going to school full time, having a family and writing?
A lot of times, I don’t think that I manage very well. There’s always something that gets pushed aside. Either I have to weigh a homework assignment against my daughter needing to spend time with me, or I have to ignore a character and a great storyline in favor of studying. Like many writers though, I have to work a standard day job, and to get there, I need to go to college. I am realistic enough to know writing will never pay the bills. If I want to have more of a life, and provide better for my daughter, then college is the way to get to that point. Thus I deal with it the best I can. Same as anyone else I guess.
Outside of your own writing, what genres do you like to read and who are some of your favorite authors?
I love to read paranormal romances, and futuristic romances. I also enjoy a good murder mystery from time to time. Right now my auto-buys are Kay Hooper (Bishop series), Nalini Singh (Psy-Changleing series), Angela Knight (Mageverse series), and Katie MacAlister (Asling/Dragon series). I have numerous other authors I read but those are the must have the day it comes out buys.
In October, you have a book called PLAYING FOR KEEPS coming out. Can you tell us a little about it?
PLAYING
FOR KEEPS is the second in a modern mythology series I am writing called When
Worlds Collide. Basically the
deities of The first book, FATED TO BE, tells the stories of Themis and Apollo. Themis falls for a judge, but has to decide if she is willing to risk revealing who and what she is, given his heart condition and the future she sees for him. Apollo has failed at love several times before, first with Daphne and then her reincarnation, Cassandra. When her soul is released from the underworld a third time, he knows that it’s now or never, it’s his last chance to make her fall in love with him. While PLAYING FOR KEEPS doesn’t have any direct tie-ins, Athena’s job comes about due to events in Themis and Apollo’s stories, which is how she meets the mortal Alicia. Alicia has been burned by men in her past, and it has made her nervous about trying again at love. Lust on the other hand finds her in the forms for the deities Himeros and Pothos. The story is a M/M/F ménage without any actual contact between the guys. The second story in PLAYING FOR KEEPS is Athena and Nike’s story. They have been lovers for centuries, but Athena was never that interested in men. Nike on the other hand is. So Athena arranges for her lover to meet the perfect man, for them both, and let events play out. This story is also a ménage, although it’s a M/F/F threesome, with actual contact between the women.
Any other books that are coming soon we should know about and keep our eyes pealed for? In January I have a
short erotic romance piece coming out with Phaze called HER BEST MAN.
Rick has always
been a part of Katherine's life, including being best man at her wedding to his
friend. When her marriage falls apart, she finds out that her previous
unrequited feelings for Rick aren't so unrequited. Then there are the sequels, both in the When Worlds Collide series and in the What If series of alternate reality romances, which I started with PARALLEL ATTRACTION.
What kind of writer are you? Do you have a set schedule or do you just write when the mood strikes you? Is it chapter by chapter or whatever may be going on in your head at that given time?
I write as the whim takes me. Some months I will write up a storm, and others I am lucky to get anything done. I do have to start at the beginning and work my way though to the end. I can always go back and flesh things in, but I have to get that core story written in order of events. Given that I write short stories though, that actually isn’t as bad as it may seem.
In your opinion, what three things are a must have in any really great hero?
He has to be, well, heroic. It doesn’t have to be in the typical sense of always doing right, he doesn’t always have to act in his partner’s best interest, but he does have to have some motivation and something there pushing him to do the right thing. He has to be sexy. Now I’m not talking perfect body, perfect face. I am talking about something inside of him that just guides him, the way he moves, the way he presents himself. His confidence, his charisma. His knowledge that he is a man, and he knows how to use what he has. He does need to take care of himself, so that he can be heroic, but even if genetics weren’t kind in how he is put together, he can still be sexy! He also has to be intelligent. It’s hard to be heroic without two brain cells to rub together. He doesn’t have to an uber-geek, but he does have to have a brain and the know-how to use it. Again, how can he be heroic if he can’t think things through and find ways out of scenarios?
You’ve found the perfect guy. Now, would you rather be marooned on a deserted island with him, or snowed in at a cabin in the desolate woods?
I’d rather be snowed in. Although an island has more of an ability to move around, there is only so much you can take off if the heat goes too high. Snowed in, you have more options for warmth. Plus, let’s face it, sand isn’t comfortable in and around certain parts of the body. There is also the fact that, at least to me, sand-burn is actually worse than carpet burn. Youch!
Any thoughts or advice you want to share with our readers before you leave us?
Um, buy my books? LOL Seriously though, I know it has been said to death, but it’s true – some dreams are worth realizing. I wasn’t planning on ever following my dream of writing. It just kind of happened, and I’ve always had support in doing it. I guess the advice I would give comes from the experiences of a friend of mine. He wanted to write, but was always discouraged. He finally basically decided everyone who was putting him down for it wasn’t worth that much control over his life, and followed his heart. Now he is a published writer and a lot happier for it. Some times some dreams aren’t easy for others to understand. But if it is something that echoes deep within you, it is worth striving for.
Thank you for your time today, Michelle. You’ve been great!
Thanks for allowing me to join you today. It has been fun. : )
For all of you who haven’t checked out Michelle’s books yet, go to her website -- www.michellehouston.com -- check out what you’ve been missing.
Michelle Houston Born to ride on the back of dragons, to journey among the stars in a ship traveling faster than light, or to dance the night away in the arms of a mysterious vampire, Michelle Houston willingly shares the worlds in her mind in an effort to bring them to life. Writing everything from short and sweet stories, to hot and spicy tales of kink, from contemporary tales of romance to erotic romances featuring Greek Gods, vampires and were-creatures, she has crossed sexualities and has gone wherever her mental muse has guided her. A journey she has never regretted. With stories either out, or coming out soon, from Renaissance E Books, Phaze,
Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, Cleis Press, Alyson Books, and Pretty Things Press,
to name a few, she has many more stories just waiting for their chance to be
told.
Instead of waking up in the hereafter, she finds herself in a parallel reality, that split off sometime during the second world war. In the alternate universe, a third world war decimated their population, and they’re struggling to rebuild. Adjusting to the shift in reality, Anna-Marie also struggles with her growing attraction to Alex Brent, and finds that her life is not done changing. Q: If your muse were to talk behind your back, what secrets would he/she tell?
She’d have to tell everyone I often write in my PJ’s and they aren’t even sexy. While she’s flouncing around in a see-through negligee, flirting with my husband (who of course can’t see her), I’m in a nice comfy outfit. She tried though, bless her heart, to get me to be more daring. But I can’t see sitting in a leather bustier and thigh high stalking and garter belt while writing. But it’s nice to dream about. She’s also be sure to make sure that everyone knows that I am not a morning person, and in fact I get grouchy without my 9 hours of sleep, or if I am woken up too early. I used to answer the phone “if you’re not dying I’m hanging up” but my parents didn’t think it was too funny. LOL I am so not a morning person. Q: If you had to write yourself as a heroine, what kind of heroine would you be? What would you be named?
Q: If you had to write yourself as a villain, what kind of villain would you be? What would you be named?
I would be sultrily dressed, black latex/leather wearing, corset top and thigh high slit skirt, at least within my own domain. As for out in the world as I am trying to enact my dastardly plan I would be the height of comfortable fashion, and turn heads, male and female, wherever I go. : ) I’d also have to have a thing for the hero/heroine. LOL As for a name, I dunno. Something fun, but yet whimsical. Have to think on that some more.
Q: Would you live in a biodome for 5 years? What would your must have accessories be?
We’d have to have lots of books. Lots of them. And a way to get new ones to me – either paper or e-book. I read about 2-5 books a week, and it is an addiction. I’d want my pillows – all five of them that I sleep with at night (which includes a portion of hubby’s) Also have to have a computer just for me to play on. Nothing work related, just play and write. That’s about all I’d need, beyond the normal hygiene and clothing needs. Hubby and my daughter on the other hand – they’d need music files, game boys, computer games, somewhere to golf and their golf stuff, drawing supplies and lots of paper and colored pencils, a computer for each of them, the list goes on … Q: In your next life, if you came back as a critter, what would it be?
I just couldn’t see coming back as something that spends its days hunting, and its nights sleeping, with occasional mating to continue the species. I also wouldn’t want to come back as anything too ugly, I might get killed just because I was ugly. Alternatively, I wouldn’t want to be too pretty, with a nice coat or horns or whatever, then I’d have to worry about being poached for those. So I guess a Dolphin would be good. Might even get to do a show at Sea World.
LOVE SLAVE is todays free read from phaze.com
And here is Michelle to tell us more! Victoria Blisse: Introduce Love Slave to us, please, thank you. Michelle H.: My April release, A Bid For Love, follows a simply belief that I have held on to for a while now – the characters have lives before we see them, and will continue to have lives after our time with them is over. That sparked a whole series of ideas, which I am loosely calling Second Chances. All of the stories involve characters that have already tried once to be together, and something happened. Ryan and Erika had a very passionate relationship, but it ended. In ‘A Bid For Love’, they get their second chance, but for Valentine’s Day I wanted to go back and visit what happened before, to catch a glimpse of what they had. Thus ‘Love Slave’ came about.
I actually prefer yellow and white roses, over pink and red. Although the ones that are light pink with the magenta tips are pretty cool. I’d have to say white is my absolute favorite thought. As for getting any roses, my husband and I decided long ago that he isn’t to buy me any roses. At Valentine’s Day they simply cost too much and don’t last long enough. So we do live plants, if we have to give flowers. Simply little gifts, if anything at all. Nothing extravagant. What is your favourite romantic meal? A nice steak, with varying sides, and candlelight. Maybe soft music. Although, one of the most romantic meals I ever made for my husband was homemade chicken nuggets and fries, over candlelight. We were just starting out, couldn’t afford steak. But I wanted to do a nice, romantic dinner for us. That’s still one of my favorite memories.
Wow. I guess that differs from person to person. Everyone is going to experience it a bit different, from the breathless anticipation when you have to go a few days without being able to talk, to the simple pleasure and warmth of curling up with someone and feeling cherished and safe. I don’t know exactly when I knew I was in love with my husband. Just one day I knew. That insane fluttering of nerves had steadied into a sense of calm when he was around, and I was thinking about my future in terms of what “we” could do, rather than what “I” wanted.
Sneaking a love note into his lunch is more special to me than a diamond necklace. Getting one rose can mean more than a dozen, if he spent the time to get the message that accompanies it just right. Lingerie is great and wonderful … but it’s how you feel wearing it for him that matters more. Does he make you feel sexy? Desired? Loved? So yes, I have enjoyed Valentine’s Day … and still do. But given that I work in retail to help support my family while my husband and I are putting ourselves through college, I tend to get burned out on it before the actual day arrives. Some of the people I see miss the point completely … it isn’t what you buy, it’s what you felt when you bought it, and how your lover feels when receiving it.
What, When, Where, Why, How with Michelle Houston
June 2009 Today, we’re chatting with Michelle Houston. BookWenches reviewed Michelle’s novella Taming the Wolf in April 2009. Thank you for spending a little time with us, Michelle! ******** Thanks
for having me. How long have you been writing professionally? Tell me about the first story you sold…was getting published all you expected it to be? I’ve been writing professionally since about 2003. It’s weird to think that it has only been 6 years. My first published work was a brief flash fiction piece, which I sold to a website called Amoret for a whopping $2.00. Flash fiction, in case you might not know, is a very short work, and this website defined it as a complete story told in 100 words or less. I went on to publish several more flash fiction pieces, several short stories, numerous collections of short stories, and novellas with three different e-publishers, and short stories in numerous print anthologies. Getting published, to me, has always been more about enjoying writing, and then sharing my works and getting a little bit of money in return. The love of writing comes first, not the desire to get paid. I knew going in that unless I became a household name that I wouldn’t be able to quit my day job. That writing would always be a hobby and not a career. So in that regard, yes, being published is what I expected. I knew it would be hard work, and often heartbreaking (especially when reviews come in). And it is. But it’s also a heck of a lot of fun, and I get paid for doing it. So really, I can’t complain too much.
Graphics design allows me another creative outlet. I am a non-traditional college student right now, and I need something to balance that aspect of my life with. Often times, I don’t have time to sit and develop a story and write everything down that needs to be put together at once. But I still need the stress relief. Designing cover art, webpages, and graphics provides that. It also gives me something to do when I am not in the mood to write, or when I need to work through an idea. So it actually meshes well with writing. The only time conflict arises is when I have a deadline for a graphic and I am in the mood to write. I have to balance the two. But then again, I have the same conflict when it is time to study and a story demands to be told. Even before I started designing graphics for others, I did my own website. As my friends can attest, I have had something like a dozen layouts and designs in the last 6 years. So it has always been a part of my creative process. Just now I have broadened my horizon and am not re-designing my website as often; instead I am working up graphics for others. To
be honest, I have no idea. I think examining the process too much removes
some of the creativeness of it all. I write because I must write, because
the ideas won’t leave me alone. I haven’t really examined my stories
beyond them being something worth putting to words, at least in my eyes. What kind of writing schedule do you set for yourself? Are you pretty regimented, or do you just wing it? Oh, I am definitely a wing-it kind of writer. Often for my composition classes, I would write the paper and then create an outline. The only time I forced myself to write up an outline first, I turned it and the teacher made me share it with the rest of the class. It was so detailed that all I needed to do was put the sentences together, create a few bridges, and the paper was done. As for setting time aside to write, that has never worked for me. When an idea strikes, I write. When my inspiration, wherever it comes from, falls silent, I do other things. I admire the authors that can focus their writings, and work a certain amount of time a day, and then set their stories aside until the next day.
I love paranormal stories. As a scientist, I can’t help but reflect that we are learning new things every day. We know that they are bounds in the universe where our science break down. Past the event horizon of a black-hole, our physics equations no longer work. The ocean is still yielding new species. We discovered within them, a whole new way of life, not based on the sun as the core source of energy. So it isn’t any surprise to me that my creativity allows for things beyond normal expectations. With Taming the Wolf, I wanted to create a world were expectations were also blown apart. Their society doesn’t produce homosexuals. But, every so often, a normal human is turned, and if that person was homosexual, then they stayed that way after the turning. The biology of sexuality is something I have always accepted. It isn’t nurture; it simply is as it is. So to create a race where the norm was set on its ear was a lot of fun. I actually re-examine the rarity of gay shifters with Embracing the Leopard, my upcoming June release. It deals with a man who has accepted that he is different, and can’t be what his pack expects him to be. That he must isolate himself, for the good of all. Then he meets another man like him, and everything changes. After that, I have another shifter story coming out in August, Unleashing the Jaguar, which focuses on one of my favorite themes – a second chance. I had a lot of fun playing with that theme within my shifter world, and trapping one of my characters in his animal form, in a zoo. Poor guy, he’s caught between loyalty to his kind and his own need to be free. With this one, I didn’t focus so much on the rarity of gay shifters, but on the rarity of always knowing everything about the person who holds your heart. Sometimes, misunderstandings happen. As for more werewolves, I actually have a different take on the mythos with my Whiskey Creek Press Torrid release, Fangs and Fur. In that world, the blending of shifters has made it possible that multiple animals can be expressed in one family, with some interesting results. Toss in some vampires, both true and turned, and it’s a paranormal good time as they band together to defeat an evil scientist bent on finding the means to immortality, and is willing to use non-humans to achieve his goal.
Actually, the one I have most enjoyed writing isn’t finished yet. I am working on another Animal Attraction story with the heroes being owl shifters. The reason I am enjoying this one so much is that I love owls. They are by far my favorite animals. I think owls are just so neat, and have some interesting features. Of the three that I have written, probably wolves would be my favorite. There is such a dynamic to their behavior. And let’s face it, wolves are beautiful creatures.
I think Diggin’ Up Bones is my most developed and heart wrenching story, and the one that I am the most proud of. Sadly, it is one of my least read works. I guess that’s because while it is sexy, and loving, and lighthearted, it does deal with a troubling subject. Alisa is trying to put her life back together, and needs to come to the realization that she deserves to be loved, after being raped.
Right now I am working on a new breed of shifter/vampire story. I don’t want to give too much away, but it deals with overcoming centuries of conflict, and tons of misconceptions and distrust. Like I said before, I am also working on future Animal Attraction stories. One deals with owls, another with tigers. I have plans for several more beyond that, but I am uncertain just which animals I will be dealing with. I also want to get back to the alternate reality I created with Parallel Attraction, and revisit the Greco-roman deities of my When Worlds Collide series.
Nope, I think that you have it all covered. Thanks for having me. It was a lot of fun. ******** Her stories can
be purchased at the following e-publishers: Most of her works are also available at Fictionwise and at All Romance eBooks
Novel Hearts Michelle Houston writes erotic romances, short stories and novellas. She also writes not-as-steamy romances. Her recent releases include Unleashing the Jaguar, Embracing the Leopard and Taming the Wolf. Her December 2009 release is Caging the Tiger.
I love the titles, particularly because of Michelle’s dedication to supporting and protecting wildlife.
Pictured below is a red-tailed hawk that was too injured to be released back into the wild. It’s now the second resident red-tailed hawk at the Lakeside Nature Center in Kansas City, Missouri, where Michelle volunteers. The photo was taken by Lakeside Nature Center staffer Ken Hightower.
Hi, Michelle. Thank you so much for visiting with us. Could you tell us how you learned about the Lakeside Nature Center?
Actually, I found out about Lakeside from my husband. We have an 11-year-old daughter who loves animals, and we often visit zoos. So when we moved back to the Kansas City, Missour, area, we got a zoo membership and starting spending one Saturday a month there.
During one of our visits, my husband decided we should swing by Lakeside and see how they had changed from what he remembered. They had changed a lot!
We started visiting the nature center every time we visited the zoo. During one of our visits, my husband found out about volunteer work that can be done at the center and he signed up for the training classes. Due to my school load (we’re both non-traditional college students), I wasn’t sure I would be able to commit to the time needed, but he found out that the only commitment is 30 hours a year, and training classes. So I signed up as well.
Our first 30 hours is mentoring time, where we get to pick who we want to work with based on days of the week we are available and what that person specializes in. For me it was a no-brainer. I was going to work with whoever worked with the birds.
Since then, I have helped care for baby squirrels, birds, opossum, rabbits (sadly most of them die due to the shock to their systems), owls, geese, a mallard duck, kestrels, hawks and an eagle.
I love getting to actually hold, interact, feed and care for these animals. What is most rewarding though is when they are able to be released back into the wild. During my most recent volunteer day, after being out of the country for two weeks and dealing with finals the two weeks before that, I found out that the two red-tailed hawks that I had been helping feed had been released. I admit, I was sad, because they were the first animals I really got to deal with. But I was also glad. It meant that the staff had live feed tested them, and deemed them fit to survive in the wild.
Most of what I do is the messy work. But then again, animal rehab is not glamorous. Some of the rehabbers that do home rehab spend all their free time caring for small baby mammals, like rabbits, opossums and squirrels. And here’s a little bit of trivia – most mammal babies need stimulation to urinate. So the volunteers have to take cloths and wipe them over the animals privates, after they feed them, to get them to clear their bladders.
As for what I do, since I try to work with the raptors as much as possible, I spend a lot of time cleaning cages and cutting up mice and rats. I’ve tubed birds, to get food into their stomachs. I’ve force fed an owl, using tweezers and mice chunks. Kind of gross, but necessary work. I also get to help hold the birds down for medical care, since the raptors generally come in with some kind of injury. And occasionally, I am the one who sticks my hands into the cage to grab the birds’ legs and try not to get bit in the process.
All in all, caring for these animals is a lot of hard work, and very messy, but fun and rewarding. I know there are other volunteer opportunities out there, but as a biology major and a general science geek, this one fits me the best.
What’s more, it’s something I can share with my whole family, since my husband volunteers, and our daughter recently joined the junior keeper program. She gets to care for some of the education animals, those that cannot be released back into the wild, but still have a full life helping to educate the public.
You do a lot, Michelle. What motivated you to volunteer with the center?
I started working at Lakeside in January 2009, so it’s only been six months, but in that time I have learned a lot and I hope helped out, both the staff and the animals.
I’ve always loved animals, and I strongly believe that the wild should be allowed to be wild. It drives me nuts that people go out into the woods, catch a critter, and try to make a pet of it. That’s why we have pet stores, and animals that are domestically bred to be pets.
As for motivation, I admit, I do it because I get to work with animals that I would never be able to get close to otherwise. But also because I get to help rehab these animals, getting them back into top form so that they can be released into the wild. I am helping to make sure that these species survive so that my grandchildren can one day enjoy them.
That’s a beautiful motivator. In addition to caring for the animals, what else does the center do?
Lakeside Nature Center focuses on education of the public, conservation of the natural world, and rehabilitation of injured animals.
Their work is so important because they don’t just patch up animals and send them back into the world, although that is a vital aspect, and one that I enjoy taking part in. They are also an education source.
They work hard to educate the public about why wild animals need to be allowed to be wild. They have staff that does classes for the public on a variety of topics. They do programs out in the schools and other avenues, and they always welcome questions.
One of the biggest heartbreaks for all of the volunteers is the baby rabbits. All too often, they are brought in when they shouldn’t have been. Their urine is light colored, meaning mommy rabbit was nearby, but she doesn’t want to impress her scent on her scentless babies. So she doesn’t hover over them. Many of these babies are kidnapped, and the volunteers repeat over and over that if possible, the goal is to leave the wild as it is. Unless they are injured, don’t move the babies.
But all too often, they are moved and brought to the center, and then the volunteers have to try and keep them alive. Wild baby rabbits are timid as anything, and often die of shock while we are trying to care for them. Having a baby rabbit die in your hands is heartbreaking, and makes you question why you are doing this to yourself.
But the volunteers keep going. They keep caring. They keep trying to educate the public, and they keep interjecting energy into education, conservation and rehabilitation.
That is why I think they are worth supporting. They don’t have an easy job. In fact it can be messy and can rip your heart out. But they do it anyways. Not for the glory, but to make a difference.
And we’re grateful to you for your perseverance and dedication. Thank you, Michelle. Are there other nonprofit organizations you support?
Unfortunately, I am only able to handle donating time to Lakeside, although I do send checks annually to Defenders of Wildlife, the National Wildlife Federation, and the World Wildlife Fund.
I have donated stories for two of the Coming Together anthologies. Each anthology benefits a different charity. All of the Coming Together anthologies are erotic in nature, so they aren’t for everyone. The URL for more information about the Coming Together anthologies is www.eroticanthology.com
The anthologies I have personally contributed stories to at: Coming Together: Al Fresco – to benefit Conservation International www.conservation.org
Coming Together: Under Fire – to benefit the victims of the California wildfires
There are also volumes to benefit the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization, Amnesty International, BLISS, AVERT, Autism Speaks and more. There are also plans for future volumes.
You have a huge heart, Michelle. How can readers learn more about the Lakeside Nature Center?
Lakeside’s URL is http://www.lakesidenaturecenter.org
They also have a donations page, if you are interested in helping out, but don’t live in the Kansas City, Missouri area. http://www.lakesidenaturecenter.org/donations.html
And, for the month of August, YOU can make a difference in conservation efforts. Visit http://eroticpen.blogspot.com/2009/07/making-difference.html to find out how.
Thank you. And how can readers get in touch with you?
I have a Web site at www.michellehouston.com. I also have a blog where I post about my writings, my adventures at Lakeside, my zoo visits, and generally anything else I can think of that might possibly interest someone. : ) It’s at http://eroticpen.blogspot.com
Thanks for having me today.
And please everyone remember, if it’s isn’t injured, leave it be. An animal being eaten by another is part of nature. Before you touch a wild animal, call your nearby nature center, your forest department, your state conservation agency, or someone who will be able to help you. And then listen to what they say. Trust them when they say let it be.
Michelle, thank you for everything you do to protect and support our wildlife. In part because of your hard work and dedication, our grandchildren will be able to enjoy them.
Novel Hearts is a forum to raise awareness of the charitable causes some of our favorite authors support. Each month, we’ll chat with one or two authors about the nonprofit organizations they help, either with time, money and/or materials.
If there’s an author you’d like to see featured on the blog, please send me the author’s e-mail address and the name of the nonprofit organization he or she supports. You can reach me at BooksByPatricia@Yahoo.com.
Thank you!
Love
Romances and More Welcome Ms. Michelle Houston
to Love Romances and More, thank you for joining us.
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