Thursday, June 6, 2013

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Author, Missy Michaels



Missy Michaels brings us her novel TO THE SWIFT, which she considers “a suspense novel with a few hot scenes” that was "definitely" written to entertain her readers.  Reviewers concur: “The suspense in this book is amazing and it has many surprises.” They also appreciate her characters, particularly the main character Monica. 

Missy is a well-traveled writer who loves road trips and has a resistance to flying. She collects Hot Wheels and enjoys jazz bands. TO THE SWIFT is her first novel.

Q: What inspired you to write TO THE SWIFT? Where did you get the idea?

Missy Michaels: I have enjoyed writing since elementary school when I started writing plays in my free time. I knew that I would write a novel one day. The idea for TO THE SWIFT came from family stories my grandmother told, my own experiences and from having a great imagination.

Q: Did you include any real experiences in your plot? Did your upbringing influence your story?

Missy Michaels: I did include a few real experiences and the majority of the children’s dialogue included in the book are actual quotes from my own children when they were small and cracking me up. My upbringing definitely influenced my story. The characters Jack and Adrienne are modeled after a real married couple in my family.

Q: How did you come up with the title TO THE SWIFT?

Missy Michaels: Ecclesiastes Chapter 9 in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Q: How do you help readers care about your lead characters Monica and Daniel? 

Missy Michaels: By inviting them into their kitchen, their bedroom, their daily lives and into their conversations and interactions with their children and each other.

Q: How important are setting and backstory to your novel?

Missy Michaels: I wanted a very realistic setting that readers could envision and relate to. I wanted to provide just enough backstory to make their actions make sense to the reader.

Q: Do you consider TO THE SWIFT primarily a romance or a suspense novel?

Missy Michaels: I consider it more of a suspense novel with a few hot scenes.

Q: Did you write TO THE SWIFT primarily to entertain? Educate? Influence? Deliver a message?

Missy Michaels: I definitely wrote it to entertain the reader.

Q: Are heroes and villains part of  TO THE SWIFT? What are characteristics of a memorable hero and villain?  

Missy Michaels: I think Felix is a villain who is not completely bad but reacting to his circumstances in an unusual way. I think memorable heroes and villains have strong personalities or interesting or unusual quirks that make them stand out.

Q: In your opinion, what are the most important elements of a compelling story?

Missy Michaels: Believability and a character to care about, wonder about or be intrigued about.

Q: Tell us something about yourself. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do you have any special hobbies? What are some of your favorites—author, book, movie?

Missy Michaels: I really enjoy eating out and going out to listen to live music and I’ve always enjoyed taking road trips. One of my hobbies is collecting Hot Wheels. I read so many different authors that it’s hard to pick just one. One of my favorite books is Outtakes from a Marriage by Ann Leary. That is a very enjoyable book. Ann Leary is very funny.

About Missy Michaels

Missy Michaels was born in Fort Hood, TX and raised in Springfield, MO. She has also lived in Indianapolis, IN; Breaux Bridge, LA and Memphis, TN and she currently resides in Dallas, TX. Missy loves road trips, emphasis on road, as she has a lifelong fear of flying. She is in the process of planning her very first plane trip but the details are very intricate so it could take a while.  She also loves eating out, jazz bands, and collecting Hot Wheels. Her favorite movie is Lion King.

TO THE SWIFT is her first novel so at this moment it is her absolute favorite novel ever. Her love affair with words started at the age of five. She was inspired by a 4 year old neighbor who already knew how to read and she didn't know yet. She learned how to read and started reading everything in sight. Books, cereal box panels while she ate breakfast, the ingredients list on lotion bottles and everywhere else she saw words. She's observant and has a wonderful imagination and is starting work on her second novel!




Monica Jerome grew up wealthy, pampered and carefree in Lafayette, Louisiana. Daniel LeBlanc grew up poor in the nearby town of Breaux Bridge. Daniel meets, pursues and marries Monica after only a four month romance. After nearly ten years of marriage and the birth of their daughter and two sons they decide to leave the bayou country of Louisiana to move to Memphis, TN.

After settling into a front office position with a luxury hotel in her new city Monica finds herself being preyed upon by an obsessive stalker. Unbeknownst to her, it is someone she trusts and considers not only her co-worker but a new friend. A spur of the moment decision to save a marriage has totally unexpected repercussions. What happens when a friend quietly and persistently unleashes his own agenda to make devastating changes to the outcome the couple desperately seeks?

Links

Purchase links

Author Links

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much for the interview! I definitely enjoyed it. I invite anyone who enjoys a good book that keeps you entertained and intrigued to check out To the Swift. I certainly hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed getting to know Daniel, Monica, Felix, Blake and the other characters as the story unfolded!

    ReplyDelete