Author Spotlight: Michelle Devon

Please tell us about yourself and your writing.

I’m an author by night, editor by day, and if you ask what I do for a living, I’ll tell you I’m a professional dreamer.

I write fiction—love novellas—short stories, novellas, novels, anything fiction. I tend to write in the psychological thriller genre, because I like to consider the strange and wonderful possibilities of the human mind. There is nothing more fantastical, horrific, thrilling, etc., than the things we can conjure in our thoughts. I like to dive into the deep end of the human psyche, swim around until I see what surfaces, and then write about it.

Oh, and I write erotica, because... well, because, Who doesn’t like sex? And, well, it sells. Really. If you do it right, people read it.

What does your writing space look like?

I sit in my recliner, with my turbo-charged laptop on a rolling laptop tray, smack in the middle of the living room chaos. I love it. Most of the time, my dog is at my feet and my bird is beside me. When things get chaotic, I have my headphones on to tune the rest of the world out. When I’m sick, I roll the laptop into the bedroom. I’ve become quite good at typo-ing sideways.

How long have you been writing?

All my life. When I was three years old, my parents owned fast-food restaurants, and I would take their order pads and draw stories on them, then staple them together to make books—self-publishing before it was popular! I was first published in junior high school in Stone Soup, then in the school newspaper—an article about bubble gum under students’ desks, a pandemic! I was first professionally published in 2006, and I haven’t looked back since.

How do you come up with your book titles?

A lot of the time, I don’t. Once in a while, I’ll have a fantastic title, but absolutely no plot for it. I’ll keep it in my head for days, weeks, months, years—then finally, one day, it’ll come to me. Yes! Most of the time, though, I do struggle with titles. Not my strong point at all.

How do you name your characters?

Yeah—unless a main character jumps up and just tells me their name, I let my family pick character names.

Do you write with music going in the background? What are some of your favorite types/bands?

Usually, no. When I’m really in the flow, I’m oblivious to anything and anyone around me. Music distracts me, because I love music almost as much as writing, so I tend to want to sing along, watch the video of it, listen to the melody. To me, listening to music isn’t a passive activity at all. Plus, I have a tendency to type the lyrics intermixed in my writing when I have songs playing. As for type of music or bands, it’s a pretty eclectic sampling for me. I love folk music, James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkle, Jim Croce; I like classic rock and ‘80s music. Bon Jovi is one I’ve enjoyed a lot over the years and have gotten to see in concert recently—great show! Skid Row, Barry Manillow, Green Day, and of course, Eagles—I love Eagles—they are, like, the Best. Band. EVER.

Name one person, living or dead, you'd most like to meet.

God, if he exists.

What is your favorite book genre? Who are your favorite authors?

Psychological suspense without horror. I can’t do horror. I’ve enjoyed King and Koontz, absolutely love Crichton, Cody McFadyen. I enjoy Robert Fulghum when I want some nonfiction; he has a way of telling a story that just works for me.

Tell us something strange or interesting about yourself.

I have almost died three times, as in, by all statistics, I should have been dead-and yet, here I am. Even though I’m currently diagnosed with a terminal illness, I find myself almost believing that I’m invincible. I have beaten every one of the odds out there for me statistically, so my doctors are quite unsure of what to do with me, since no one like me really exists. When I said I wanted to be published in books, I didn’t mean as an oddity in a medical journal!

Quick quiz:

Favorite food? Chips & salsa

Favorite color? Deep, dark purple or black

Favorite animal? Dogs. No, birds. No, dogs. No, wait…

Biggest pet peeve? Bad grammar and bad tone.

Dream car: 1958 Corvette Stingray, hard-top convertible, powder blue and white. Oh, yes.

Oh, yes

Blurb:

When Brad has to go away for business, he asks Paul--the man he trusts most in the world, his best friend--to keep his wife, Jolie, busy, and to look after her while he's gone. But when Brad's job puts him on the road more than he is home, Paul and Jolie's easy camaraderie becomes tinged with desire and lust, at least on Paul's part.

Paul confesses his feelings for Jolie, fully expecting Brad's wrath, and he isn't disappointed when Brad doesn't take the hastily-share revelation well.  Brad, however, once the shock wears off, has other ideas for Paul and Jolie, assuming the two people he loves most in the world agree.

If he applies a little lustful logic, will Brad's idea save their marriage? Will it save Paul and Jolie's friendship? Will these feelings between them all rip this once peaceful and loving family apart? Does Jolie even feel the same?

So many questions and  potential pitfalls that put more than a decade of friendship, a year of marriage and a family relationship all on the line. The answers can all be found in THREE: A Family Affair.

THREE: A Family Affair is free on Amazon.

Author Bio:

Michelle Devon has been writing most of her life. Before she started writing full-time, she has worked as a contract negotiator for a major international corporation, as a criminal justice victim advocate, and in non-profit executive management. She never quite could figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up, until she started writing for a living. Now, she lives to write.

Where can we find you on the web? 

Website/blog: http://michelleldevon.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/michydevon

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/343184.Michelle_Devon

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Devon/e/B001JS8Y78

Check back later today for my review of Three: A Family Affair.