Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Tuesday Teaser: Michelle Graham - Landing the Big Ones

Hi all,

I'm starting up the New Year's Tuesday Teasers with my lovely fellow Siren author, the talented Michelle Graham. She's patiently sat down for an interview with me, and here is what she has to say:



Please give us a short introduction about yourself
I live in Ontario, Canada with my wonderful husband, and our two children. I have a top secret day job, but at night I write erotic romance!


What genre(s) do you write in and why?
I write erotic ménage romance. Romance is one of my favourite genres to read, so writing it seemed a natural extension. As for the ménage part, I just thought that was hot!


Tell us about your latest release
Landing the Big Ones is being released today! It is the first in a series about the fictional town of Hedon Falls, Ontario. It’s about a single mom whose son has been begging for a pet for a long time. She finally gives in and they start an aquarium, which definitely poses some trouble for them. They’re in luck though, because the owners of the local aquarium store are a set of hunky identical twins who are more than willing to offer personal assistance.

Do you need a special setting to write in or do you have a ceremony to get you in the mood? What does it look like? 
I prefer to write at the computer though I often carry a notebook around so I can write whenever I feel the need (breaks at work, waiting for my kid at the dance studio, etc).


Describe your feelings when you learnt that your first book was accepted for publication
I was so excited!  I could hardly believe it.  I still can hardly believe it!


Has the release of your first book changed anything in your personal life? If so, what?
It’s easier for me to hide out in the computer room and not have everyone bug me because my writing is now more than just a hobby – it’s a hobby that will generate some income. So hubby and the kids don’t kick up as big a stink when Mommy disappears for a while! I wish I could share the news with more people, but unfortunately, by day job would definitely NOT approve of me writing erotic romance, and I most certainly wouldn’t want my family knowing I know about some of these things!


Where do you find inspiration?
Sometimes in the strangest places!  Landing the Big Ones was loosely based around the difficulties we had setting up an aquarium over the summer (unfortunately, our store was not owned by hunky twins). Sometimes the ideas just pop into my head and sometimes I have to really work on an idea to flesh it out.  The second book in the Hedon Falls series is my current WIP and I’m finding myself hitting a bit of a wall. Hopefully that will sort itself out!


Who is your favourite character and why?
Serena from Landing the Big Ones. There’s a lot about her that is like me: the way she reacts in certain situations, the way she parents, and her love of coffee for example! But she’s also a very strong woman. She had to be to raise her son on her own and that’s something I admire.


A favourite line from one of your books
“But as thoughts of the man from the store continued swirling through her head, she knew her vibrator would get a good workout tonight.”

 
Your favourite drink and food when writing
Coffee, coffee, more coffee, and occasionally sugary snacks and sodas.

 
The nosy ones
How much of the real “you” is in your stories?

With Landing the Big Ones, the banter between Serena and her son is very much like my own relationship with my son. I modelled Sam’s personality after my kid.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who was it?
I feel really sad saying this but I totally love Edward Cullen!  In my version of the story though, Bella ends up with Edward and Jacob together!


What’s the silliest error in a book you’ve submitted?
When I first submitted Landing the Big Ones, I had changed the name of the main character for a variety of reasons. But in the synopsis I sent the publisher, I forgot to make the change. I realized the mistake the next day and sent in another email explaining the error but I still felt very stupid about it and figured there was no way I would get it published. So I was thankful to receive the acceptance letter a week later!


Who is your least favourite of the characters you’ve written? Why?
I think Serena’s boss is my least favourite character at the moment. She’s not in the story a whole lot, but when she is, she’s the catalyst behind a chain reaction which nearly destroys Serena’s new relationship with the twins.


The steamiest scene from your books
Well, the first really steamy scene happens when Serena is actually considering the possibility of a ménage. She’s a little confused about the…logistics, of making love with two men at once and decides to do a little research. That leads to a hot solo scene for her, but later, she tells the men about it and offers to demonstrate for them, which leads to a hot scene for the three of them.


Favourite comfort food?
Cheesecake

A person you admire
My sister. I wish I could go into the story a little more, but let’s just say that her first husband was an asshole, and after he left, she had to work her ass off to support herself and her kids. She ended up going back to school to get her degree and recently graduated, with honours, and a brand new job waiting. It took a lot of hard work and determination and I admire her perseverance.


If you could ask any person in the world one question of your choice, who would it be and what would you ask them?
Wow. That’s actually a really tough question. I don’t think I have an answer to that, because there are many people I would love to ask many things.



The fast ones

Favourite colour?  Blue

Favourite pet?  Molly
Dog or cat?  Cat

Coffee or tea?  Coffee, duh!
Quickie or candles?  Candles

Hunky or chunky?  Hunky
Suit & tie or jeans & boots?  Jeans & boots

Walk in the park or chat over cocktails?  Chat with lots of cocktails
 

Book Blurb
(I would have loved to show off Michelle's pretty cover art, but Blogger is having issues and won't let me upload pictures, so please have a look at the book's page at  www.bookstrand.com/landing-the-big-ones. Sorry! ~Sage)

When single mom Serena Keegan finally gives in to her son's pleas for a pet, they decide that fish are the perfect option for their apartment lifestyle. They quickly discover that they have a lot to learn about their aquatic friends. Thankfully, Dalton's Aquariums and More! is there to help. The owners, identical twins Lance and Liam Dalton, both find themselves attracted to her. They are eager to provide her with the assistance she needs, for the pets and for more...personal matters. Serena’s past experience with men has been less than stellar and she worries she and her son will end up hurt. Despite these fears, she finds herself falling for the sexy store owners, whose talents extend well beyond business. But Liam has a past he hasn't told her about and when Serena finds out, it threatens their growing love.



Author bio:
Michelle Graham has dreamed of being a writer since she was very young. Her stories almost always had a happy ending, and once she reached a certain age, they almost always had romance. Michelle loves to recreate that wonderful feeling of falling head over heels in love. The relationships she writes about are definitely not conventional, but the love is always the same.
Michelle has been in love with her wonderful husband for seventeen years, and they have two children, and a variety of animals. She lives in southern Ontario, Canada.


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/michelle.graham.562114

 

Thanks so much for being my guest and answering my nosy questions, Michelle!

Sage
xxx

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