Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself and which Twinsie do you know.
“Hiya! I’m Michelle Geel, a mom of 2 kiddos & 4 dogs, and I live in a coastal city in South Africa. I’m kooky and weird, and sarcastic in the best way possible (there’s a good way?). The off-the-cuff sh*t I often spout tends to be highly entertaining to those around me and in my book, keeping my loved ones laughing is always a bonus. I’ve just signed up to the TwinsieTalk newsletter, so am looking forward to getting to know everyone on the team. I write contemporary steamy romance, and am still learning to live with my NSFW brain (I still have a daytime job). Although my first two books are trad published by DDP (Deep Desires Press), I am now flying solo as an indie-author and have released my first self-published novella, Playing Offense, just last week! (Playing Offense is part of the Girl Power Romance anthology – where women have been placed in positions which are generally filled by men.)”
When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?
I have not written a series yet, but I’d suppose the follow-ups would be. Especially if each book covers a different couple & there’s interaction between the couples from each book (e.g. brothers). Timelines are tricky to keep straight and readers are not fools – they pick up on every-freaking-thing!
What comes first? The plot or characters?
Ooh, toughie. It would depend what triggers the idea. If I see an extraordinarily handsome man, I’d build the story around him. If it’s the plot, the characters will soon emerge.
What author would you love to meet (Who is your unicorn author)?
Ooh, you guys don’t make this easy. I’d have to say TL Swan, simply because I’ve known her longer and have interacted with her on a few occasions, but we’ve never actually ‘met’.
If you could ask that author three questions about their writing, writing process, or books, what would they be?
“Tee often speaks of how she rewrites entire books. I’d love to know whether it’s a complete rewrite, or whether she keeps the scenes she really likes (which may limit her). She has a beautiful style of writing. It pulls you right in and makes you feel as though you’re actually watching a movie. I’d love to know what (if anything) she attributes this skill to. When she jots down her plot – does she strictly stick to it, or does she go where her characters take her?”
What is harder? The blurb writing, naming the book, or naming the series?
B.L.U.R.B.!!! (maybe like multiplied by a few million, just to cover all the bases)
What is your favorite memory so far as an author?
“C’mon, these are like final-stage questions at Who wants to be a millionaire! (and I have no lifelines left) Gosh, it’s pre-published author stage, but I guess the night I received the email from the publisher, offering to sign me & publish my first book. (I wasn’t sure that my writing was good enough to even self-publish, so their offer was a huge feather in my cap.)”
What is your definition of success?
As an author, it would be the ability to write a story so well that it completely captivates the reader, swoops them along the bumpy rollercoaster ride, and spits them out – satisfied – on the other side. #goalachieved
What are your social links?
“https://www.facebook.com/MichelleGeelAuthor/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/276850519695721/ https://www.instagram.com/mich3geel/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17773786 http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07B7DR4J1”
What are your buy links?
“Playing Offense: http://amzn.com/B08LZJWH83 Crimson Tide: http://amzn.com/1090763255 Finding a keeper: http://a.co/3PFJSt1”