Michelle Scott **Author Interview & International Giveaway**

Michelle Scott is the self-published author of books such as Straight to Hell, Blood Sisters, and Uncommon Magic. Her traditionally published books include The Dragons of Hazlett and An Anthem for Battle Lands.

Yesterday, I reviewed Straight to Hell on Pen to Paper, and needless to say, it was an immensely gripping read. Today however, we are lucky enough to have Michelle visit us at Pen to Paper, and tell us a little bit about herself.

First of all I'd like to welcome you Michelle to Pen to Paper - it's an honor to have you!

Thanks! It’s great to be here.

To start us off, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I grew up in the suburbs of a mid-sized city in Michigan (that’s the state that’s shaped like a mitten). If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Stepford Wives”, then you’ll get an idea of what it was like growing up. On the one hand, it was quite pleasant (in a generic kind of way), but on the other hand, it was extremely important to fit in and be like everyone else.

What were your favourite book(s) as a child?

I loved scary books the best, and I think my favorite book was a collection of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. It was an old book that had belonged to my mother when she was a child. The illustrations were wonderfully creepy, and the stories were not sanitized like they are today. In fact, most of those stories were quite bloody.

If you had to pick the top three authors that most inspire you, who would they be?

This is hard since I love so many writers, but I guess I’d go with Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, and Neil Gaiman.

If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only take one book with you, which book would you choose and why?

Can I cheat and take my Kindle? Lol. Okay, I honestly think that if I really was alone on an island, I’d opt to take a Bible. It’s a complex book full of wonderful stories and poetry, but it also has given me a lot of comfort throughout my life.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? And what made you decide to finally put Pen to Paper?

Yes, I’ve been telling stories since I was a kid. I finally decided to write for real right after I got married. I’d moved with my husband to Detroit, and we didn’t know a soul! There’s something about living in a city of a million people that can make you feel very lonely. Since I didn’t have a job and there was no FaceBook let alone Internet back then, I was bored out of my mind, so I started to write.

I have recently reviewed your book Straight to Hell on Pen to Paper. What was it that inspired you to write the book? Where did the idea come from?

I loved Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, and after reading them, I wanted to try writing a paranormal series of my own. But there are so many books out there about vampires and weres, I decided to try a different type of supernatural being, namely, a succubus. I also wanted to write about a character who does some terrible things, but remains sympathetic to the audience.

Can we expect to see more from Lilith Straight?

Definitely! I’m planning the release of the sequel, Straight Shot, sometime in the spring of 2012. This time, Lilith will be competing against her incubus counterpart, William Darcy, to capture the soul of a man who proves very hard to tempt.

When you're writing a book, do you have a specific place where you find it most comfortable to write?

I have an attic office above my garage that is very quiet. In fact, I call it my own ‘fortress of solitude’. Plus, there’s a couch up there so when I need to take a nap, I can.

If you could teleport yourself anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

When I was writing ‘Straight Shot’, I researched a place called the Ajanta Caves in India. After reading about this amazing place, I’m dying to visit there. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I may get there someday.

What are you most excited for in 2012?

2012 will be a busy year for me, family-wise. My son, my oldest child, is graduating from high school, my parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, my niece is getting married, and I’m celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary. I think that I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time with the people who mean the most to me.

What other hobbies do you like to spend your spare time doing?

I love to knit and crochet. I’m especially fond of making socks, and I can never go into a yarn store without buying a skein of sock yarn. I also like to garden in the summer. Also, I’m hooked on my favorite TV shows like “Bedlam”, “American Horror Story”, and “The Walking Dead”.

If you could meet one fictional character from any book, who would it be and why?

I’d love to meet Molly Weasley since she’s my role model. I love that woman! I think we’d have a lot to talk about since we are both mothers, and we both like to knit.

If you were given $1 million, what would you do with it?

Travel. I’ve always wanted to take my children to Europe or Alaska (and now, the Ajanta Caves as well), and I’m pretty sure that a million would be enough to cover the costs! But selfishness aside, I’ve always admired people like Stephen King who give so much back to their community. There are many needs in my neighborhood that I’d love to address, and a million dollars could do a lot of good here.

And finally, what are the simple things in life that make you happy?

My family for sure! But also my dog, Bandit – who sits by my feet nearly every day as I write – and my cat, Yoshi. I swear Yoshi is a magic cat. No matter what kind of day I’m having, all I have to do is pet him and I feel better. Beyond that, there’s something about the smell and taste of fresh basil that lightens my mood, too. Probably because, to me, basil is a summertime smell.

Thank you again, Michelle, for visiting Pen to Paper - We've really enjoyed having you!
And I’ve enjoyed being a guest. Have a great day!

________♥________

Now for another treat! Not only was Michelle kind enough to give us a fantastic interview, but she was also kind enough to agree to a giveaway!
Courtesy of Michelle, two lucky international followers will win an eBook copy of Straight to Hell, which I reviewed yesterday
(click here to view my review).
The winners will be given a download coupon code for the Smashwords website, so it doesn't matter what kind of eReader you own - you can download any format to suit you!

So what else do I need to know about this giveaway, I hear you ask?

• You must be a follower of Pen to Paper. Please read the instructions on the first entry section in the rafflecopter below.
• This is open internationally, so anyone can enter. Please note that the email addresses of the two winners will be forwarded onto Michelle only, so she can email them the coupon codes for their free download of the book.
• The giveaway will end on December 2nd 2011. This is the first time I am using Rafflecopter for a giveaway, so instead of ending at 23:59 GMT, this giveaway will be ending at 00:01 EST on December 2nd.
• You may tweet for an extra entry once a day through the rafflecopter form.