Sidhe Vicious welcomes Paranormal Romance author Patrice Michelle! We’re looking forward to getting to know you and all about your new novel Scions: Insurrection.

P.M.   Hi Sidhe Vicious! Thanks so much for having me.
 
S.V.  Your paranormal romance novel, Scions: Insurrection was released in May 2008 by Silhouette's NOCTURNE line. Can you tell us about it and a bit about the main characters Kaitlyn and Landon?

P.M.  Landon Rourke is a Lupreda werewolf who lives on the fringes of his Lupreda world. At the same time he keeps one foot in the human world, due to a mistake he has made in the past.  Steadfast in his loyalty to his wolfpack, he’ll do everything in his power to keep his brethren safe. Yet there is one other person who has his dedication--Kaitlyn McKinney.

Kaitlyn McKinney is a human who was recently promoted to Detective.  All her life she had tried to follow in her deceased father’s footsteps, hoping her cop father would be proud of her accomplishments.

When Kaitlyn runs across a strange burned body in a local park, she teams up with the sexy PI Landon Rourke as they try to discover the truth behind the murder.  
 

S.V.  What about vamps, weres, etc. inspired you to write about them?

P.M.  Vampires and werewolves as heroes have always intrigued me. Beyond the fact that their primal and dangerous, unpredictable and uncensored by human’s standards, what I wanted to do with my SCIONS series is explore where vampires and werewolves came from, not just the concept that they already exist.
 
S.V.  Will we be seeing more of Kaitlyn and Landon in the future?

P.M.  Absolutely.  Kaitlyn and Landon play key roles in Caine’s story in the third book Scions:Revelation. You’ll also see Jachin again as well, since the third book ties up the final answers to the prophecy that has been a running subplot through all three of the SCIONS books.

S.V.  How did you get your start in writing? What, if anything, lit the “spark” to get you started and keep you motivated?

P.M.  I’ve always been an avid reader from early elementary school, but it wasn’t until I finished reading a non-fiction book that I closed it with a smile and told my mom, “I want to be the author who puts a smile on the reader’s face.”  To which my mom responded, “Then be an author.”  It only took me growing up and living life a little more (just a couple decades…lol) to finally put pen to paper. *g*
 
S.V.  What was the path to publication on this series like? Highlights? Pitfalls?

P.M.  Getting an agent and selling my SCIONS books was quite the whirlwind—within a few months, but then I had to buckle down and write the books, edit them and get them turned in.  Just to give an idea of time frames. I sold the first Scions books in August 2006 and the first book Scions:Resurrection came out January 2008.  That’s how far in advance publishers buy books. ☺

S.V.  Who or what was your inspiration for the characters of Kaitlyn & Landon, if any?

P.M.  As for inspiration, I love my heroines but I really do focus on my heroes.  So if I had to pick a movie character that makes me think of Landon, I’d say Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine…okay, with light brown hair. ☺  Wolverine was so intense and very dedicated, just like Landon.

S.V.  Did you find it harder or easier to write subsequent novels in this series because of already having created this world?

P.M.  It was easier to write the characters because I’d learned more about them while they played secondary characters in previous books.  It was harder on the world…not so much on the world building itself, but incorporating aspects of the world and grounding the readers on what came “before” in previous books in such a way as to not “info dump” the information and unveiling it in fresh and unique ways. 

S.V.  Do you have any funny writing quirks or habits that you do when you’re in the “zone” writing?

P.M.  I can’t start the book unless I know the “basic storyline” and the hero and heroine’s names. Until I know those things, I won’t start the book.  When I’m ready to write, I must have coffee.  I don’t know why, but when I have my morning coffee, I can really get going on a manuscript.  Mmmmmm, caffeine! ☺

S.V.  Have you ever met a vampire, werewolf, demon, fae?

P.M.  How about I answer this from a “who I’d like to meet” perspective?  Since I’ve written about vampires and weres, I can pretty much imagine them in my mind, so I think I’d like to meet a dangerous and sexy fae. ☺

S.V.   What supernatural power or creature would you most like to have or be?

P.M.  I think I’d like to be able to move things with my mind, not just small objects, but heavy ones.  Of course being able to wiggle my nose and have my house suddenly clean would be awesome, too. ;o)


S.V.  What’s your favorite TV show?

P.M.  I love, love LOVE Supernatural! Not only are the supernatural stories fun/creepy/exciting, but I love watching the brothers’ interactions.

S.V.  How have the books you’ve read influenced the books you write?

P.M. Books I’ve read have influenced my writing in many ways.  They’ve inspired me to dig deeper into my characters’ psyches, to build a world that “feels” so real the reader falls right into it without hesitation, to create the kind of characters that readers think about long after they’ve finished reading the story.

S.V.  What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever gotten inspiration from?

P.M.  Hmmmm, probably a ring that seemed to carry a pleasant perfumed scent no matter how many times I washed my hands.  That was the inspiration for my first Kendrian vampire novel.  A surreal dream inspired the first Scions book, Scions:Resurrection.

S.V.  What do you do when you’re having writer’s block to “shake” it off?

P.M.  I watch movies, read other books, or do something relaxing.  Basically, I get away from the novel and give my mind a break.  That’s usually when I’m able to refocus and get through the block.

S.V.  What can a new reader expect from your book/series?

P.M.  Well, I’d say, expect lots of action and twists and turns as well as characters you can relate to, even if they are paranormal ;o) .  You’ll get to see characters from previous books in later stories so you reconnect with them.  My books tend to fall on the darker side, but there is always humor sprinkled throughout the story to lighten it in places. Above all, with every one of my books, I hope the reader will be entertained and close the book, ready to read the next one!

S.V.  You write about various types of supernatural creatures. Do you do a lot of research or do you prefer to take what you already know and use your imagination for the rest?

P.M.  I do some research, but mostly I prefer to let my imagination run wild. It’s a lot more freeing and fun to explore new worlds and races that way.

S.V.  Do you have any tips for aspiring speculative fiction writers?

P.M.  Read a lot of books in the genre you want to write in, not so much for the storylines themselves (because you’re creating something fresh and new with your own book), but for the pacing and overall “feel” of the world building.  From there, let your imagination go wild and above all…have fun doing it!

S.V.  Is there anything else you’d like to share with us at Raves & Rants and with your readers?  
 
Thank you for having me.  As a follow up to this interview, I just wanted to mention that there are excerpts for each of the books in my SCIONS world on my website at www.patricemichelle.net , and the next book in my Scions world SCIONS:REVELATION will be released in December 2008.

Thank you Patrice! It’s been a pleasure spending some time with you and getting to know about the SCiONS world. We wish you all the best with your SCIONS series!