by Michelle Lauren

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Hope you all had a great week-end. We are in the second and last week of voting for the first line in the American Title V, so please if you haven’t voted yet, take a minute, play editor for a day and cast your vote at:

http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php

We have a winner from last week… Fedora. Congratulations!!!!!!

Note from Sylvia: If you’ve been named a winner, you need to contact either Marie-Claude or me with your mailing address. I can’t send out your prize, if I don’t know where to send it.
Hugs, Sylvia

And now, please welcome Michelle Lauren who finaled with her urban fantasy, HOW TO TAME A HARPY.

MC: Michelle, how did you feelwhen you found out that you were an American Title V finalists?

Michelle: I was so grateful. The opportunity to participate in this contest filled me with excitement - and terror. The prospect of putting my manuscript up for public critique à la American Idol. It felt surreal because I’ve voted for members of my writing groups in this contest but I never imagined I would be in this position. It’s been a great experience so far.

MC: You are so right, it is so great to have the chance to participate in such a great experience. Has the final changed things for you in your writing life?

Michelle: My schedule has gotten a lot more hectic. I’m still involved in a regular, 9 to 5 job, along with working part-time as a freelance writer, so I’ve gotten very good a balancing the schedules. The final is very big for me because, not only has it introduced me to new friends in the other AT V finalists, but it’s helped me connect with readers and fellow writers. So this is an all-around win/win situation for me.

MC: You are certainly turning all this into a positive thing for all. Can you tell us what your story is about?

Michelle: Here is the blurb from my site:
Welcome to Poseidon, Virginia. A place where the things that go bump in the night come to play and where passion and danger go hand in hand.

Tall, dark and lethal, genetically-enhanced human Daniel Smith lives in the shadows. Nicknamed “gargoyle” for his ability to shift into stone form in direct sunlight, he is considered an outsider even among other creatures of the night. Jaded by past betrayals, Daniel swore off love. But when fate—and a series of murders—tosses Siren Jones (a street smart harpy with a temper that has a mind of its own) into his lap, he finds both his heart and his life in danger.

Passion and danger collide as Daniel struggles to protect Siren from a killer determined to destroy them both. As time runs out, his only hope lies in learning How to Tame a Harpy.

MC: What a enticing premise, it gives me goose bumps, wow. Where did you get the ideas for this story?

Michelle: I’ve always been a fan of fairy tales and comics. I enjoy blending traditional themes of soul mates and love conquering all with more fantastical elements such as super powers and paranormal creatures. For How to Tame a Harpy, I modeled the heroine after the X-Men character Storm, a woman whose emotions were connected to her powers. When she lost control, bad things happened.

My character Siren is a harpy, so I made her “trigger” emotion anger. When she loses control of her temper, the emotion manifests physically in kinetic force.

MC: I’m a big fan of X-Men myself and aside from Wolverine, Storm is also my favorite. How would you best describe your writing style or tone?

Michelle: Darkly funny, sensual and fast-paced.

MC: Darkly funny, now this is new to me. How does this translate in HOW TO TAME A HARPY?

Michelle: HOW TO TAME A HARPY has a lot of dark humor and sensuality. Both Daniel and Siren are somewhat jaded, use humor to deflect attention from their emotional vulnerabilities. Another “dark” element comes in connection with the murder mystery woven through the plot.

MC: Dark elements and a mystery, how interesting. Doyou have any idea why you write dark?

Michelle: I enjoy reading stories with a lot of action and some darker elements. I’m a root for the underdog kind of girl, so the characters that affect me most are flawed but redeemable.

MC: Is this story more character-driven or plot-driven or both? How so?

Michelle: Both. Although the race to catch a killer and clear Siren’s name is paramount to the story, it doesn’t overshadow the developing relationship between Siren and Daniel. Their interactions deepen as the plot unfolds.

MC: How does the AT finalist theme of “Love Conquers” relate to your story?

Michelle: This really is a story about love conquering all in every aspect. Siren and Daniel are from different cultural, economic and social backgrounds, yet they forge a strong emotional bond despite those differences. They enjoy a committed, passionate relationship in spite of the outside forces contriving to separate them.

MC: It is really nice how you put all these very important elements together. I look forward to read this story.Can you describe the pace of HOW TO TAME A HARPY? It seems like a fast/edge-of-your-seat kind of story

Michelle: HOW TO TAME A HARPY is fast-paced, with several twists, mysteries and enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat. I think readers will enjoy Siren and Daniel’s unique approach to crime solving.

MC: Now I am very curious. What kind of heroine do you have, and how does she relate to the hero?

Michelle: Siren is street smart with a trigger happy temper that has a mind of its own. But her tough girl attitude conceals a vulnerable heart. Burned by love in the past, she isn’t sure she can trust her heart with Daniel, a man as handsome as he is lethal, but he offers her everything she secretly craves: protection, acceptance and a passionate love he will do anything to protect.

MC: What kind of hero is Daniel?

Michelle: Daniel is a gamma hero: dangerous, a bit jaded and a lot sexy, not to mention extremely loyal. He never backs down from challenges. Plus, he’s gorgeous! Betrayed and rejected by past lovers, he swore off relationships until meeting Siren. She challenges his mind, heals his heart and offers him the kind of future of his dreams.

MC: Gamma heroes, my favorite!!! Now tell us a bit about the world building of your story, it must be important in an Urban Fantasy. How did you create this world?

Michelle: I envisioned Poseidon, Virginia as Sin City with less gore and set in the South. Dark imagery juxtaposed against the beauty of lush Virginia landscapes. This is a world where creatures that go bump in the night roam free, maintaining a fragile peace with the city’s human inhabitants.

MC: Fascinating. What do you think readers will get out of your story?

Michelle: This story delivers on all counts: it has humor, action, political intrigue, jealous exes, passionate romps, and true love conquering all.

MC: Definitely a winner there!!! Do you have any more projects in the works beside your American Title entry?

Michelle: My article “Six Things American Title Taught Me About Promotion” will appear in the Passionate Ink Winter newsletter. My column “Agent Spotlight” will also be in upcoming issues of Romance Writers Report, featuring literary agents Ethan Ellenberg and Jennifer Jackson. Also, I have several urban fantasy novellas out now with publishers.

MC: Wow, you are very busy. Ifreaders want to know more about you and your writing, where on the web can they find you?

Michelle:
http://www.michellelaurenbooks.com:
My main website. I host giveaways, post book reviews and author interviews (Some of my past interviews include bestselling authors Sunny and Lynn Kurland).
http://www.myspace.com/michellelaurenbooks:
Find me on Myspace.
http://thenaughtygirlsnextdoor.blogspot.com:
The Naughty Girls Next Door Blog, where I blog with authors Minx Malone, Emma Petersen, Savannah Chase, Eden Rivers, Linda Wisdom, Meagan Hatfield and Kyann Waters.

MC: What is the character you chose to interview and why?

Michelle: I chose to interview the heroine, Siren Jones, from HOW TO TAME A HARPY because she’s a spitfire. She is beautiful and dangerous yet has an aching vulnerability that I love. I want readers to get inside her head and love her like I do.

M-C: I am certainly looking forward to this interview on Thursday and read a little of your dark humor.

Thank you so much for telling us a little about your book and your writing. Good luck with all your projects, I’ll be looking forward to my next copy of RWR!!

Please everyone, join us on Thursday for Michelle’s interview with Siren Jones. Thank you Sylvia for letting us take over your blog today!

And don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win!!!

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Tags: american title, contest, dorchester, romantic times

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