The Road to Hell series welcomes author Mia Michele

Please welcome Author Mia Michele onto the Road to Hell. Mia Michele is the author of Amnesty of the Heart. Other books written by Mia Michele are Martial Hearts, which will be released later in 2013 by Noble Romance..

Now, it’s time to create a little hell and get to the good stuff by revealing all of Mia Michele’s wicked secrets while on the Road to Hell. LOL  Yeah, you wish! ;-D 

Grab your favorite drink, sink your teeth into something decadent, sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know Mia Michele…

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GRACEN:  Tell me three things about yourself that we cannot find on the internet or in your bio?

MIA: I’m a runner and I have wicked feet- they are rough!  But I love to run, so that’s the price I pay.  I fell in love with my husband at first sight; I was 17 and he was 19.  It was on a college visit and we had only a few hours together.  We were married a short time later and just celebrated 15 years.  I work with bereaved parents on a regular basis as a mentor and educator.  After having four miscarriage and losing my three oldest children to prematurity, I felt called to do more and, when I’m not writing, being a homemaker and caring for my three living children, I devote time to raising awareness and helping other parents.

GRACEN: What hobbies and interests do you participate in when you’re not writing?

MIA: I love to cook; I write music and play the piano; and, of course, I run.  I stick mostly to 5Ks, but I’ve done a half marathon and marathon, as well as a triathlon, and I cant wait to do another marathon and tri.

GRACEN: Do you have any writing quirks or certain things you MUST have or do before beginning the writing process?

MIA: The characters all come to life in my head first, so before I write anything, I have pretty drawn out conversations in my mind with them.  Sometimes it’s (future) scenes in the book, sometimes it’s just trying to get to know who they are.  Then, I usually brainstorm over drinks with my best friend and we storyboard some of the major points of the story.  Finally, I can sit down and put it on paper.

GRACEN: If you were plotting to take over the world, how would you do it?

MIA:  I’d find my own James Bond and we’d figure it out… After doing what Bond does best first, of course! J

GRACEN: If you could make one statement that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

MIA: I’d quote Gandhi: Be the change you wish to see in the world.

GRACEN:  What genre do you write and why that genre?

MIA: Mia Michele is  pen name and, under that, I write romance.  Amnesty of the Heart is a “sweet” romance, while Martial Hearts delves into a D/S relationship.  Bring Me To Life, which I’m currently editing prior to submission is a paranormal romance.  But, prior to that, I’ve written nonfiction under my actual name.  I still do, from time to time.

GRACEN: For those who are not yet familiar with Mia Michele, can you please give us some details about the book and/or series?

MIA: Amnesty of the Heart introduces us to Annie, a reporter for Amnesty International.  After covering the war and getting herself nearly killed, she is given a mandated holiday on a Greek island, where she meets Talos, a good-guy-turned-womanizer.  They both set out for just a fling but end up getting more than they bargained for in the other.  Circumstances, however, dictate that the relationship may not last.  Will they find happiness together? You’ll have to read it and find out!

GRACEN:  Do you have any new stories in the works and can you tell us a bit about it/them?

MIA: I’m currently finishing up Bring Me To Life, a story about a Passamaquoddy witch and a French vampire.  In BMTL, both main characters have a curse that they wish to dispel and decide to work with each other to see if they can be brought to life by the other.  I’m also working on a new piece, Heavy Metal Hearts, which is the love story of a rock star and a metallurgist, and it takes place in my hometown of Nashville.  At this stage, it’s just a storyboard and sample chapters, but I’m working on it!  And, of course, there is Martial Hearts, due to be out later this year, which covers to Dominant/submissive relationship of a wealthy entrepreneur and a yoga & martial arts instructor with a lot of pain in her past. 

GRACEN: If you could describe your writing with one word or brief phrase, what would it be? Please delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they’ve finished reading your story.

MIA: I think I’m fairly traditional, with a hint of dark magic thrown in for spice!

GRACEN: What, in your opinion, makes your story unique and what makes it stand out from other stories in your genre? Think of this as a pitch to convince readers to pick up your books.

MIA: So far, each of my romance novels have been a bit different.  For Amnesty of the Heart, I think the appeal is the softness of the romance.  It’s a sweetheart romance; there’s a love story, sex is related to with flowery language versus eroticism, and cursing is minimal.  The male lead is the archtypical wealthy alphamale with chauvinistic tendencies and a dark secret who needs redemption and the female lead is a force to be reckoned with who has a soft spot for heartbreakers.  In many ways, this is a back-to-basics romance novel that traverses several countries and works within several mainstream romance themes.  I think the relationship between Annie and Talos, and the struggles they have, is something that will appeal to readers. They will be able to see themselves as Annie, and they will want to redeem Talos from his fall from grace.

GRACEN: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

MIA:  Apply to a university to work on another degree!  I was so fascinated by the university I researched for Bring Me To Life that I actually applied to the school to continue my education!  I was a librarian before leaving to raise my family, so who knows what the world will look like once my children (twin preschoolers and a newborn) are older, should I re-enter the outside-of-the-home workforce.

GRACEN: Of all your books, which character did you have the most fun creating and why?

MIA:  I really enjoyed writing Athan and Brigid, from Bring Me To Life.  My husband actually came up with some of the background of their curses, and I wrote out the initial short story in a week.  They have grown since then, but this, by far, was one of  most enjoyable projects I’ve worked on.

GRACEN: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?

MIA:  Just one… Damon, from Martial Hearts, I think.  His character is one that really embodies a true Dominant, and I think he’d be a good guy to know in real life.  If I could pick 2, Athan would be the second (from Bring Me To Life).  He’s over 600 years old, so I bet he’d have some great stories to tell!

GRACEN: Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

MIA:  Bellanca from Amnesty of the Heart.  She’s a cold hearted bitch who, sadly, was crafted in some ways on a woman I know.  Knowing that version is more than enough in this lifetime!

GRACEN:  If you were interviewing yourself, what is the one question you would ask yourself and please give us the answer to that question?

MIA: What’s harder to write- fiction or nonfiction? Having written both, I think fiction is considerably harder.  With nonfiction, you do have to adhere to a set topic and word count (which can be difficult) but, for the most part, you are researching facts and putting that into readable information.  With fiction, you are crafting people and stories that need to make sense and that will bring readers in.  I think it’s way more difficult to be a successful fiction writer!

GRACEN:  Thanks so much for joining us, Mia Michele!  It’s been a treat getting to know you better! 

Website: www.miamichele.com

Buy Link: www.amazon.com, search “Mia Michele”

BLURB:

Would you risk your mended heart on someone incapable of loving you in return?  Annie O’Shay, an Irish-tempered field journalist who’s been hurt before, decides to give Talos Sophacletes, a Greek shipping company CEO and male chauvinistic womanizer, a rare glimpse into her scarred heart when the two find themselves entangled on his private Greek island.  Behind his rough exterior, Talos hides a deep secret that has left him a changed man; he has no desire to find love, but he can’t deny that there is something about Annie that won’t allow him to just sample her goodness and leave her behind.

EXCERPT:

(from chapter one)

A soft breeze lifted the sheer curtains to the bed. The sun was sinking closer to the horizon, a fire against the sky. Annie woke with a stretch and made her way to the balcony. The fresh air and the constant breeze left her feeling relaxed, and she decided to take in more of the Aegean that surrounded the island. Leaving her shoes behind, she slowly walked down the cool stone steps and through the garden path to the beach. In only a few minutes, she was out of sight from the house and at what felt like the edge of the world. She put her feet in the rolling waves, and the water was warm. Taking a look around, she saw no one and quickly slipped out of her silk dress, throwing it and her underwear away from the waves.

The water was heaven. Clear and smooth as satin, it wrapped each crevice of her milky white body and played with her red mane. She floated in the waves and swam away from the shore only to have the current bring her back to the beach. She was a child again; she had no cares and no worries. No ex-fiancé who haunted her dreams. No assassin to stalk her like an animal. She was alone and unafraid.

"Aphrodite, ise omorphi."

Annie stood up, the water covering her nudity, her toes buried in the sand. Looking around, she saw no one.

"Who's there?"

In response, the wind whistled through the trees.

"Ah, it can't be Aphrodite, not if she's American," the voice taunted. "Besides . . . Aphrodite must look more Greek. Probably bigger breasts as well."

She scanned the beach, and her eyes rested on a patch of disturbed sand. Her clothes were gone.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath.

"Look, whoever you are, this isn't funny. I'd hate to call the police and have you arrested as a peeping Tom and a thief."

"Arrested? No, I don't think so." He followed his words with a deep laugh. "Perhaps it's Eve, although I don't believe she was a red-headed American, either."

He walked out from behind a tree, like a dark warrior hidden from his enemies. He was well over six-feet tall, and his body was firm. The olive slacks he wore hugged thick, muscular legs, and his button-down shirt, with its open collar, revealed a mass of dark, curly chest hair. His eyes were black, and they danced at her obvious discomfort.

"So, which is it?" he asked, stepping closer. "Aphrodite or Eve?"

"Can I help you with something?" Annie swallowed hard.

Who are you and what do you want? You obviously didn't stumble here by accident.

"You help me?"

The man chuckled, and she noticed her dress in his hand.

"You're trespassing." His eyes flashed mischievously. "And I don't take kindly to trespassers on my land. Even naked ones."

My land. Surely this thirty-something man isn't Apostalos Sophacletes. Annie squinted in the sun. Was she missing something?

As he turned to walk away, slinging her dress carelessly over his shoulder, panic set in. She couldn't stay in the water, nor could she walk back to the house naked and risk anyone seeing her.

"Wait!" she called out, taking a step forward but keeping her body beneath the water. Her trembling voice betrayed her anxiety, and she struggled to find her words.

"Apostalos, please. I'm Aine O'Shay. Your best friend, my Uncle Padrig, sent me here. I'm your guest."

The man stopped and turned, a smirk on his face.

"I've been mistaken for a lot of things, Miss O'Shay, but my sixty-year-old father isn't usually on the list."

He took a few steps toward the water and watched as Annie took a step back.

"I'm sure we can work out some arrangement during your stay . . . to mitigate your trespassing, of course."

Fire scorched Annie's cheeks, and anger welled up in her throat.

Of all the nerve.

Irish temper flaring, she marched out of the sea and stood toe to toe with the man, who was several inches taller than she. With a swift movement, she slapped his cheek and grabbed her dress, before running toward the garden. Unsure whether she was being followed and no longer caring if she was seen, she darted up the stairs to her room and closed the balcony door, leaning her wet body against the curtained glass. Her adrenaline gone, she lowered her head and tossed the spent dress on a chair in the corner.

Annie buried herself under the shower head and let the hot water run in beads across her toned body. The scent of the herbal shampoo lifted her spirits, and she generously used the matching soap on her weary body. After a few moments in bliss and having completely forgotten her encounter with AposTalos' son, she left the bathroom wrapped in a luxurious cotton towel and prepared to massage lotion into her parched skin. Coming into the bedroom, she froze.

"I don't believe anyone—especially a woman—has ever slapped me and lived to tell about it." He looked more amused than angry as he walked forward and fingered a wet curl.

"Then don't make me do it again," she whispered.