MM MARCH MADNESS!!
March 15
Twinsie Talk is proud to present the 3rd Annual MM March Madness – a month to focus on the M/M, F/F, M/M/F, M/F/M authors. We love these books and want to share it with the rest of the world. Each day we will post an interview. We will also include any reviews that we have done on these books as well as links to the books.
Our hope is that you will love this genre as much as we do! <3
Today is devoted to CM Michaels
C.M Michaels grew up in a small town in northern Michigan as the youngest child of a close-knit family of seven. He met his wife, Teresa, while attending Saginaw Valley State University. Together they’ve provided a loving home for several four-legged “kids”, including Sophie, their eternally young at heart, hopelessly spoiled Spaniel. He has always enjoyed writing, and still has fond memories of reading his first book, a children’s novella, to local grade schools when he was 14. C.M. is currently working on the third book in the Sisters in Blood series along with a Fantasy romance called Kerrigan’s Race. An avid reader since discovering Jim Kjelgaard novels in early childhood, his favorite authors include Kelley Armstrong, Peter V. Brett, Richelle Mead, Rachel Caine and Laini Taylor. When he’s not writing, C.M. can be found curled up with a good book, watching movies or hitting the hiking trails with his wife. C.M. currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky.
Tell us about something about you (not included in your normal author bio) that maybe not everyone knows about you.
I am an avid outdoors-man and an ammeter wildlife photographer. My wife and I have visited Yellowstone National Park three times. During our visits we have been fortunate enough to capture great shots of wolves on the hunt, grizzly bears wrestling each other, black bears, coyotes, moose, elk, buffalo, eagles and many other wonderful creatures.
There’s been a trend in writing a series. How do you feel about series? Do you write them? Do you think they are easier or harder?
I am currently working on an Urban Fantasy and a Fantasy series. I really enjoy reading and writing series as it gives the author a chance to develop characters beyond what is possible in a stand-alone book and to have a broader plot-arc which readers can enjoy over a span of time. The characters from some of my favorites series have become so familiar that it feels like I am catching up with family when the next installment comes out. Hearing readers passionately speak about how strongly they identify with my characters has been one of the most rewarding aspects of becoming a writer.
Where do you do most of your writing?
I have a home office with an old-school PC. It provides me with a relatively quiet space so I can focus while still being close enough to the family room to not feel totally isolated from my wife. Someday I may break down and get a laptop. Imagining myself kicking back in the lush valleys of Yellowstone, watching buffalo lazily graze the day away while I work on my next creation is certainly a dream of mine 🙂
What are you currently reading? Any suggestions for your favorite books (beside your own, of course)?
I am currently reading the Weather Warden series by Rachel Caine. She is most known for her Morganville Vampire series which I really enjoyed. Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines and Vampire Academy series are two of my all-time favorites. Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series is wonderful, too. For Dystopian , I highly recommend Peter V. Brett’s Warded Man series and Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series.
Do you feel that this genre is growing? And what do you contribute to that growth or decline?
The Urban Fantasy genre is certainly growing. In spite of me consuming books at a frenzied pace, filling most of our basement, I am never at a shortage for new series to read. I think the reason the genre has so much appeal is that it is still set in the real world, making it easier for readers to imagine themselves as the main characters. At the same time, by introducing magic and the supernatural, the story-line isn’t as bound by the restrictions of ordinary life. More spectacular things can happen. There can be much larger surprises. If you enjoy a good romance sub-plot, rather than being limited to a wrong-side-of-the-tracks scenario, where characters overcome tired social biases to find true love, the hurdles can be much more daunting. Like having to change species, for example. The reader gets to imagine being accepted into a pack of werewolves or joining a vampire coven. The more fantastical world the reader gets to immerse themselves in the more fully they can escape the daily grind.
What is the most surprising thing you have learned about writing?
How much time is spent in the editing process. Between my own proofreads, making changes from Beta reader feedback, doing my full second draft review prior to submitting to my publisher, then the three rounds of edits with the assigned editor, over nine months is spent editing, versus about six months writing the first draft.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on finishing the first book in my Fantasy series called Kerrigan’s race, along with the third book in my Urban Fantasy, Sisters in Blood series.
What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?
Even after twenty years of marriage, Saturday night is date night with my wife. We are avid movie goers, and manage to catch most films on the big screen with a nice dinner at one of our favorite spots beforehand. It’s our chance each week to spend quality time together.
Tell us about your highest high and your lowest low in your career so far. How has it changed you?
My highest high would be the day that I signed my first contract and became a published author. While there are certainly multiple avenues to get your work out there these days, for me, being traditionally published was my first huge goal in my writing career. My lowest low would be receiving the countless rejection letters, 145 in all, before landing the deal for my first book. In the end, the third request for a full manuscript landed me the deal. Even though I knew to expect them, reading through the pile of form rejection letters each day can still be disheartening after a while.
Prepare for a little bit of everything. Dangerous Waters was good but Omnipotent blood really outdoes itself. What happens in a world where you are the monster? You are the hunter, predator, monster…vampire. Just when you think things can’t get any worse you find out there are other monsters that are worse than you. Brooke and her family are on the move after the chaos that ensued at the mall. When trying to keep her family safe and trying to figure out her new powers she is abducted by a demon who wants to use her body and powers to overthrow the angels and the earthen realm. From here there is a one hell of a rollercoater ride. Brooke experiences abuse (sexual, mental, and physical) while her body is being overtaken by a demon. She somehow is able to hold on to a thread of her humanity that allows her to overcome the possession. She then has to face some very hard, heart wrenching decisions in order to help the angels fight the war against the demons. The story goes to many dark places while at the same time is witty and is filled with love. This is a beautifully chaotic story that will hold you in it’s clutches.
“Great. My girlfriend is a witch. Can’t wait until we have our first fight. You’ll probably turn me into a toad.”
“Lately, being around me was like doing research on the world’s deadliest neurotoxins while blindfolded and trapped inside an unstable nuclear reactor. I was a one-girl plague.”
“Horrific squeals and shrieks from the beasts doused in her napalm echoed off the rock walls even as others cried out, creating a macabre cacophony of death that sounded like something the devil himself would conduct.”
The one spoiler I will give is there is a happily ever after. Not quite what you expect but sooooo worth the read!
Enter the giveaway!! You could win a Kindle from the Twinsies or one of the great prizes donated by our featured authors during the MM March Madness Celebration!!
CM has kindly donated a signed paperback copy of Dangerous Waters along with pens and bookmarks from Dangerous Waters and Omnipotent Blood (US only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
A big THANK YOU to all of the authors participating in our month long celebration!! We appreciate all that you do!!! MUAH!!
Much Love from the Twinsies!!! Angie, Brenda, Deb, Kelly, Kristi, Jen, Jo, and Melinda!!!
Look, but don’t touch…she might as well wear a neon sign that says it. It just makes me want her more.
Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.
