We welcome Michelle Marquis to Coffee Time Romance. Thank you, Michelle, for taking time to speak with us. Why don’t you start by telling us about yourself.
I grew up in Los Angeles to a family that read all the time. My father always had a book in his hand. I read a lot too as I grew up, mostly sci fi, horror and romance. Romances were sure different back then!
I didn’t really start writing until about three years ago. I started out by writing short stories for the internet and found that I loved it. Not long after I joined the Winter Park Writers Group and started working on my craft.
Your book, The Hungry Planet, has received rave reviews. Why don’t you tell us about it. Where you came up with the idea, the characters, etc.
The Hungry Planet is a hard mix of romance and science fiction. To tell you the truth, I took a huge chance writing it. As you know, there are a lot of elements in it that might turn off some readers.
But I felt it was an honest book, the hero is fundamentally a good man so I made sure to open his emotions up to the reader. I guess it paid off. No one was more surprised than me when it became a Recommended Read for both Fallen Angels and Two Lips. I guess people are looking for something other than your standard vampire and werewolf stuff. I love those heros too, but its hard to come up with a story that hasn’t been done.
The ideas came from all kinds of books and movies over the years. Books-Zelazny’s Damnation Alley, Movies-The Road Warrior and Pitch Black, and add in a few old Twilight Zone episodes especially The Lonely where Jack Warden plays a prisoner on a desert planet.
You wrote this story under a pen name. What made you decide to do this, and is it your only pen name? If not, what other names do you write under?
I write all my romance and erotica under the pen name Michelle Marquis. The science fiction and horror stuff I write under Michelle O’Neill. I just decided it was easier that way. Those two names are the only ones I write under.
What is it you love about writing ebooks? Are there things you wish were different, and if so, what?
One of the main reasons I like writing ebooks is that you’re truely free. I don’t think the Hungry Planet would ever have been looked at by a print publisher. But with ebooks you have a lot of freedom to try different things. Readers have such a great selection of stuff, I can’t understand why they don’t get bored with print books. Print is just STARTING to get into romantic erotica and most of the stuff on the shelves is contemporary. I don’t think I’d change a thing.
If you had a chance to go into space tomorrow, would you do it? And would it be for pleasure, or a chance to plot out your next book? Or, perhaps it would be a bit of both!
Hmmm…that’s a tough one. I probably would go into space especially now they’ve found a planet they think might contain life…woohooo! I think I’d go for both pleasure and research! Hopefully the men and aliens I’ve written about will be there. If they are, don’t expect me to come back *wink*
You have a short story entitled “The Claiming of Bethany”. Tell us a little bit about this story.
This piece is a Silk’s Vault story. It’s a romantic tale about a woman who thinks she has her life all planned out and discovers everything isn’t as she thought. The lead is Northe, a son of my bad-boy alien general Gavin Theron. He’s a hunky boy himself and very romantic. This story is doing rather well, its currently #8 seller at Silk’s.
If you had to speak to young children about writing and life as an author – what advice would you give them?
LOL Don’t give up your day job! No really, I’d tell them..read, read, read…all kinds of stuff. Write all the time too. That’s how you get fresh ideas.
What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Play with my niece, read, write, stuff myself with popcorn, watch cheesy horror moves like SAW.
If you could create the perfect world, how would you do it? Could you see yourself living there, or do you prefer a flawed society?
Even though I wish the world could be perfect, I think I like it flawed. I think its good for society to always strive to overcome hatred and injustice.
What are you working on now? Give us a teaser!
I just completed a fantasy story with a HOT Asian hero. It’s called Ava’s Obsession and it taps into all those feelings of wild lust everybody experiences for someone at sometime. Its like a high school crush on steroids.
Feel free to share an excerpt on your present books, and include reviews as well.
Here’s the blurb for The Hungry Planet:
Nurse Beth Shaw is having a very bad day. Not only has she been sentenced to the horrible prison planet of Ackron-Nine for the death of her son, she’s also had the bad luck to crash land on it. As she tries to help the other passengers and get her bearings, she’s rescued by a deadly and unlikely hero. Lucky for Beth, her life is about to be changed forever, and her heart will never be the same.
Magnus Stone is a prisoner turned marshal whose time on Ackron-Nine has stripped him of every human emotion. That was until he met the beautiful and kindly Beth Shaw. Now she has him hot and bothered all the time. Magnus thinks it might be time to rebuild his life with this new and fascinating woman. If only he can keep her alive long enough to do it.
“New to the sci-fi world of Michelle Marquis, I wasn’t sure what her upcoming release The Hungry Planet would offer. My heart is still palpitating over what turned out to be an extremely fascinating story that I could easily see becoming a hit on the Sci-Fi channel.” -Rachelle, Fallen Angels Review
“Hungry Planet is not a book full of rainbows and unicorns where the hero is an infallible man above reproach. Instead, the characters must deal with cannibalism and murder and a hero who is more dangerous a man than you can possibly imagine. And yet, Hungry Planet is also a beautiful love story where Magnus will willingly risk his life to protect Beth and to do what needs to be done for her piece of mind.
This is not a book for everyone. There is violence and death at nearly every turn of the page. But, for those willing read with an open mind, Hungry Planet will be a book that moves the heart and stirs the soul.” -Tara Renee, Two Lips Reviews
Is there anything you’d like to add? Perhaps a special event coming up in the future, such as a chat and/or booksigning?
Just a big thank you to you, Lori and Coffee Time for the interview and a HUGE thank you to the readers! I love you guys. I’ll be stopping to chat all over over the place in June to promote the Hungry Planet. Stop by my myspace page and be my friend LOL.
Thanks again everyone, and please stop by Whiskey Creek Torrid on June 1st and check out The Hungry Planet. Hugs to all..Michelle Marquis
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