On the 2nd Day of Blogmas We Have Michele Hauf

On the 2nd Day of Blogmas we have Michele Hauf *clap, clap, clap* YAY !!! I’m so glad you could join us today Michele. This really is a great Interview, and we all thank you for taking the time to share with us !!!


JJBC~Do you read any reviews on your books?
MH~Yes. No. Yes. I’m trying to stop. But the good ones do make you feel good, and the bad ones, well... Yes. No. :-)

JJBC~Do you read your own books after they make it to final print?
MH~Sometimes. I write what I love to read, so my fav reads are always books I’ve written. I’ve actually been eager to dig out my old Bombshells and reread those. It’s been a while, and I loved the heroines in those books.

JJBC~What do you like to Read? Your Favorite Genre?
MH~Paranormal and historical romance, with some urban fantasy tossed in. And Young Adult. And a lot of non-fiction set during the time periods I like to write in.

JJBC~Do you have a favorite book /series?
MH~I’m loving Kresley Cole’s Immortals series! Is this about my stuff? If so, I am in love with the book I’m working on right now, but it doesn’t have a title. ;-)

JJBC~ How did you get into writing?
MH~Wanted to see if I could write down one of the stories I frequently kept in my brain. Always telling myself long, elaborate stories/daydreams.

JJBC~Did you always want to be a writer?
MH~Nope, though I’ve always like the idea of telling a story, even if it was only to myself.

JJBC~How old were you when you began to write?
MH~It was right after my son was born, and I needed to fill the time while on maternity leave.

JJBC~Is writing your full time job?
MH~Yes, I’m very fortunate.

JJBC~What’s a typical writing day for you like?
MH~It varies, but I get up, do the blog crawl and answer emails, then write until around noon. Lunch, then write a bit. Always meet Dr. Oz at 2:00. He talks while I walk on the glider (gotta get my exercise in!), then back to a bit more writing.

JJBC~Do you set a daily writing goal?
MH~Nope. Goals can be dangerous. I know how I work, and some days I put out a tremendous amount of words, other days, not so much. It all works out one way or another.

JJBC~When and where do you like to write?
MH~Mornings are best. Fresh mind, fresh ideas. Though morning doesn’t start until 9:00 am, right? Always seated before my desk, though I’ve been thinking about getting a laptop and trying that. I wonder if I’d be too distracted sitting somewhere away from my desk that I’d never get a thing done?

JJBC~Are there any processes you use when writing? Do you keep journals, sticky notes, chicken scratch on the back of receipts?
MH~I do keep notes. Actually after my first draft, I outline each chapter to come up with a sort of map of what I have. Then, I always have notes I’ve scribbled while driving. The best ideas come to me while driving!

JJBC~Do you prefer to write on a computer, typewriter, or paper and pen?
MH~Computer. I can’t read my own writing. I caution myself every time I do written edits on the page to write neatly. It never works. There are many edits I just give up trying to figure out because my chicken scratches make no sense whatsoever.

JJBC~What is the hardest / easiest part of writing for you?
MH~The hardest part is trying to stay fresh and not repeating myself from story to story. The easiest is the excitement for new characters and story ideas that translates to the page.

JJBC~What’s the best thing about being an author?
MH~Besides working in pajamas, I get a small thrill out of seeing my book in a Target store. :-)

JJBC~How long did you write before you became a published author?
MH~I sent my first book off to Zebra. It sold six months later. (But that doesn’t mean I haven’t received many rejections since then.)

JJBC~Who’s your favorite hero/heroine?
MH~I love Blu and Creed from the upcoming HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND. She’s a sassy werewolf princess with a penchant for multi-colored wigs and saying exactly what she thinks. He’s an arrogant, ancient vampire lord who can resist the werewolf’s charms. Those two, I love ‘em!

JJBC~What are you reading at the moment?
MH~Charlotte Featherstone’s ADDICTED, which is AWESOME. And I’m reading PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE, which is all about Paris in 18th century.

JJBC~Is there a questions you have always wanted to be asked in an interview? If so how would you answer it?
MH~Who’s your favorite villain? The castrato from MY LADY MADNESS, who had a psychic connection to the heroine (they were twins) and tried to kill her throughout the story.

JJBC~Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
MH~Just write. Every day. Write. Then, write some more.

HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND      

JJBC~Can you tell you tell us a little bit about Her Vampire Husband?
MH~HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND is actually the third book in the Wicked Games series, but it is very much a stand-alone book. I wanted to try the ‘arranged marriage’ plot and what better conflict than to pair natural enemies such as a vampire and a werewolf? And the hero is about 900 years older than the heroine, so the generation gap is huge. I had great fun with this book, and I think it shows in the relationship between the hero and heroine. The story takes place as the werewolf and vampire nations attempt to stop the warring between them, and hope that by orchestrating a marriage between the two that will show them all that they can learn to love and respect one another. Of course, both sides have ulterior motives. ;-)





JJBC~How did you come up with the idea for this series? From a dream, from watching tv, while reading another book?
MH~Like I said, I wanted to try the arranged marriage plot, and once I knew who the hero and heroine were, the story sort of told itself. The book also features cameo appearances from characters in previous books, such as: Ivan and Dez Drake (The Devil To Pay), Nikolaus and Ravin Drake (Kiss Me Deadly), Severo (Moon Kissed), and of course Himself.

JJBC~Did you have to do any type of research before writing this book?
MH~I always include research in my books, though my vampire world is pretty well established by now, so I don’t have to add much to that. The hero is a vampire who possesses witch magic, so I had to expand on that. And then the most research was in wolf packs and incorporating that into the werewolf lifestyle.

JJBC~Who’s your favorite character and why?
MH~The heroine, Blu Masterson, is fun, funky, sassy, and I’d love to go out and party with her sometime. She’s very confident, and that small part of her that is frightened she hides well (and under bright colored wigs). She isn’t afraid to stand before a vampire and give him what for, and neither is she afraid to eat Count Chocula cereal in front of her vampire hubby. ;-)

JJBC~Are any of your characters based on people in your life?
MH~Nope.

JJBC~Did the overall book turn out like your original idea of the story?
MH~Yep.

JJBC~Can you tell us a little bit about when and where the story takes place?
MH~Takes place right now in Minneapolis. Actually, that’s not quite right. The timeline of the Wicked Games series takes place 25 years from the end of His Forgotten Forever. In The Devil To Pay I moved it all up 25 years because the hero is the son of a couple from Kiss Me Deadly. (Is that confusing enough for you?) So it’s in the future, but I didn’t want them to be futuristic, or to have readers wondering what technology should be used, so I write it in the now, but it’s...not. (Again. Confusing. But that’s how it works.)

JJBC~Do you have any idea how many book are going to be in this series?
MH~HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND is the last in the Wicked Games series. But readers should know that all my paranormal series take place in the same ‘world’. So the series may feature different creatures like vamps and witches, weres and vamps, even angels and demons, but it’s all happening in the same world.

JJBC~Doy uo have anything new in the works you wouls like to share with your fans today?
MH~My next series for Nocturne is OF ANGELS AND DEMONS. The first book, ANGEL SLAYER will be out June 2010.

Here’s a list of Michele’s 2010 releases, if any are curious:
April – Her Vampire Husband, HQN
“The Vampire’s Tango”, Nocturne Bites
May – Rogue Angel: The Bone Conjurer (Alex Archer pseudonym)
June – Angel Slayer, Nocturne
“Halo Hunter”, Nocturne Bites
December - “untitled Xmas story”, Nocturne Bites

My Bonus Question:

JJBC~If you could be trapped in any series/book which would it be and why?
MH~I have to go back to my historicals and pick the Saint-Sylvestre series, which was TAME ME NOT, BETRAY ME NOT, and ENCHANT ME NOT. Set in 17th century Paris, it would be the perfect time and place for me to be trapped. And not a vamp or werewolf in sight, so all I’d have to fear is lack of toilet paper! ;-)


Thank you so much Michele for sharing with us today !!!

You can also Find Michele at :

MicheleHauf.com
Twitter
Facebook
VampChix Blog
Vampire Vixens

***Hold up , don’t leave !!! Michele is stopping by through out the day to answer questions any of you lovely fans has , and she has a also offered signed copys of " Midnight Cravings, and Moon Kissed " for me to give away to one lucky reader !!!
So go ahead ask away!! The contest Ends Dec. 23 with a vlog drawing on Dec 25th

Giveaway Rules:
1~ Answer 1 of  the questons:
Whats your Fav Michele Hauf Book? (not required to have read to enter)
Who's your Favorite Villan?
2~Follow JoJosBookCorner Blog
3~Follow Michele on Twitter
4~Follow JoJosBookCorner on Twitter



***Please don't forget to comeback for all the interviews for the extra giveaways, and please leave in your comments what country you are from for extras too !!!