Interview with Michele Bardsley

Welcome everyone today we have Michele Bardsley chatting with us.  On behalf of  Coffee Time Romance we want to extend a warm Welcome.   I would like to thank Michele Bardsley for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for Coffee Time Romance to talk about her latest release, Cupid, Inc. and a little about the author herself.

I love mythology, Greek, Celtic, and Egyptian in particular. I really liked the idea of putting ancient gods and goddesses into a modern-day situation… and what better way than to put Psyche, Eros, and Aphrodite in Las Vegas, Nevada–running a sex-fantasy service.

Was there a favorite part, or character in this story for you? I must confess, I thought Aphrodite stole a bit of the limelight from everyone.

I really liked writing Aphrodite. She’s not all that thrilled to have Eros and Psyche encroaching on her territory, but she eventually comes around to the concept of Cupid, Inc.

I enjoyed writing all the novellas. I suppose one of my favorite characters was Kevan Rune because he’s a composite of one of my favorite actors, Keanu Reeves. That story is my valentine to him. 🙂

How and where do you find inspiration for plots and characters like those in Cupid, Inc.?

This is the kind of question that’s difficult for me to answer. Sometimes the process of coming up with an idea is very clear, but most of the time, it’s just a mish-mash. I had already written “The Accountant and The Virgin.” For the other three novellas, I just kept pitching ideas to my editor. I tried to focus on certain kind of fantasies women harbor … date with a movie star, joining the mile-high club, being James Bond’s girl. Then it was just a matter of figuring out what kind of people would enjoy these fantasies.

A lot of the women in your stories come across as strong willed and sassy, heavier on the sassy. Is this perhaps a reflection of the author?

LOL. Well, I can be stubborn, which might be another word for strong-willed. I don’t consider myself sassy, but I can be a smart-ass. I try to write women that are likeable, a little mouthy, and someone a reader might like as friend.

Is there a genre you haven’t tackled yet you would like to delve into?

I want to write a mystery novel and a horror novel. Writing scary stuff is kinda liberating. I started writing a horror erotica series for Changeling Press called DIARY OF A DEMON HUNTER. It’s a lot of fun!

What is the least favorite part of the writing process for you?

Getting the story onto the page the first time. I don’t do detailed plotlines so the first draft is usually the story revealing itself to me. I’m also getting to know the characters, what they want, what they need. I enjoy rewriting. 🙂

Do you ever suffer from writers block? If so, what’s your cure?

I have too many deadlines and too many stories to write to get writer’s block. I believe in refilling the creative well. So I read books, go to movies, and hang out with my family. Writing is my living, so I write. It doesn’t matter if I’m not in the mood or if the muse isn’t speaking to me. Granted there are days when it feels as if the words are being pulled out one-by-one like loose teeth, and other days when the flow is there and the words pour out.

How do you balance motherhood with your writing career?

I don’t feel like I balance anything. I do what needs to be done. Kids are first, then writing, then everything else. I’m not particularly organized and I don’t use charts to plan my day or week or month. I decide what needs to be accomplished for this one day and do those things. Sometimes, I’m really good at sticking to a list of priorities. Other days, it’s all chaos.

If you never wrote another word, what would you choose for your occupation?

There is no other occupation for me. Writing is my job, my fun … it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.  I’ve had numerous jobs over the years, from fast food cashier to acquisitions editor for a Las Vegas publisher. I want to work with words — writing or editing them. I won’t give it up. 🙂

Describe a typical day of writing for you?

There is no such thing as a typical day for me. I’ve been asked this question before and I try to answer it like the professional author I’m supposed to be, but truthfully, I don’t do anything in order or within a specific time. My driving force is the deadline. What’s due? That story gets worked on until it’s done and turned in. I have a lots of obligations, to my family, to my editing clients, to my publishers… I have to look at who needs what and when, then I get it done. Usually. 🙂

Can you give us a sneak peek of any upcoming releases?

I have several stories and novellas coming out this year from Changeling Press, Loose Id, and Ellora’s Cave. My next Signet Eclipse book is called I’M THE VAMPIRE, THAT’S WHY and it’s due in bookstores in September 2006. It’s the first novel in my Broken Heart series. Here’s the back cover blurb:

Broken Heart is the city with the highest rate of divorce and unmarried mothers in
Oklahoma. And I’ve been a member of that club, ever since my husband dumped me
for his twenty-something secretary and then had the gall to die in a car accident.

Now I’m not just a single mother trying to make ends meet in this crazy world … I’m
also a vampire. One minute, I was taking out the garbage, and the next, I awoke
sucking on the thigh of super-hot vampire Patrick O’Halloran, who’d generously
offered his femoral artery to save me.

Although I wouldn’t mind finding myself attached to Patrick’s juicy thigh again, I
learned that once a vampire does the dirty deed, it hitches her to the object of her
affection for at least one hundred years. I just don’t know if I’m ready for a
commitment where “’til death do us part” doesn’t apply. Ever.

But my sex life (or lack thereof) is the least of my problems. Some hairy beast is
running amok in town, feasting on all the single parents. Though my stretch marks
have disappeared and my vision has improved, I can’t rest until the thing that killed
me is caught. My kids’ future is at stake …figuratively and literally.

One thing is for sure. I’m in charge of my own destiny now. Troublemakers and
vampire hunters beware, because there’s a new vampire mom on the block…

Where can readers go to find out more about your books and how can they contact you?

Please visit my website or email me

Thank you Michele for joining us here at Coffee Time Romance and chatting with us today. Much success to you in the future!  Coffee Time Romance wants to thank Ms. Bardsley for stopping by and chatting with us today.   

Charissa
Interviewer