Michelle Griep Interview! And Regency Romance Giveaway!

Please welcome once again a VERY SPECIAL guest today, my good friend and outstanding author, Michelle Griep!! Some of you may remember Michelle because I'm always touting her praises. She's definitely at the top of my list of favorite authors.  As you may have heard, Michelle has a new release out last month! It's a regency/detective/romance/mystery/incredible story that you won't want to miss!! 

Here's what people are saying about it:

Terrific fight scenes and tender reunions round out the galloping plot. The inspirational element is light, potentially enlarging the audience for this historical romance.

(Publishers Weekly 2014-11-10)

I absolutely loved this book! It started out a bit light-hearted and bordering on comical. But the story also had quite a bit of depth to it. There is a strong Christian theme about having faith that God is in control. The characters have a lot to learn in this novel, and it was enjoyable watching them receive their lessons.

(Dana Kamstra Writing About Stories 2015-01-15)

MaryLu Here: Michelle and I met years ago while I was on a book signing tour in Minnesota. She is such a kick: Funny, personable, kind. I stayed in her house and she made me feel so comfortable. Plus she's a great cook!  I asked Michelle a few questions to help you see why I like her so much.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes, except for a short season when I kicked around the idea of becoming an astronaut. Two problems with that, though. First off, I hate science and math, both of which are slightly necessary to succeed in an aerospace career. Secondly, it was a total deal breaker when I found out that astronauts don’t actually wear cool Lt. Uhura uniforms.

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

I’d be running a B&B in England. Near a castle. On a moor. With Mr. Rochester as my neighbor. Wow. Did I mention I’m an out-of-the-closet Charlotte Bronte fan-a-maniac?

Why do you write?

Because being a pirate is frowned upon and I’m pretty sure no one will pay me to eat brownies all day. There’s also the simple matter of quieting the voices in my head by capturing them onto paper so I can have some peace.

What are 3 things about yourself that might surprise your readers?

I can dance a mean polka. I hate fruit. Yes, really. No, I don’t even like strawberries. And I’m a recovering Trekkie. Old school, that is, none of this New Generation nonsense.

What do you struggle with most, as a Christian Fiction writer? How do you overcome it?

One of the biggest traps to snap it’s sharp jaws into a writer’s neck is measuring yourself up against sales numbers. It’s a constant battle to remind myself that my immeasurable worth is found in what Jesus did on the cross, not on having my name in the #1 slot of the New York Times Bestsellers.

 

What type of books do you write?

The kind that keep you awake late into the wee hours, heart pounding, curious to find out what’s going to happen. And long after you’ve read the last page, stories that won’t leave your mind for days. But if you simply mean genre, then historical. My latest release is BRENTWOOD’S WARD. Here’s a blurb:

There’s none better than NICHOLAS BRENTWOOD at catching the felons who ravage London’s streets, and there’s nothing he loves more than seeing justice carried out—but this time he’s met his match. Beautiful and beguiling EMILY PAYNE is more treacherous than a city full of miscreants and thugs, for she’s a thief of the highest order . . . she’s stolen his heart.

Available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other fine booksellers.

Why write this book? What was the inspiration?

What attracted my interest as an author was an old newspaper advertisement put out by Henry Fielding, the founder of the Bow Street Runners. It encouraged the public to send a note to Bow Street as soon as any serious crime occurred so that “a set of brave fellows could immediately be dispatched in pursuit of the villains.” I wondered about those “brave fellows” and what kind of villains they might come up against, and thus was born Nicholas Brentwood.

Parting comments?
Go for the dark chocolate. It’s healthier.

About the Writer

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes—except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager.

She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. An Anglophile at heart, she runs away to England every chance she gets, under the guise of research. Really, though, she’s eating excessive amounts of scones.

Follow her adventures at her blog WRITER OFF THE LEASH or visit michellegriep.com, and don’t forget the usual haunts of Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.

 

See why I love this lady?? Michelle is giving away a copy of her book (paperback US, Ebook anywhere)  So, leave a comment for Michelle and your email address and I will choose a winner next Friday!

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