Good Morning, Booklovers!
Michelle Drier, an author of both mysteries and paranormals, is this week's guest. And we're being treated to a cover reveal for her next paranormal novel!
What may I get you to drink, Michele?
MICHELE: French roast coffee, served black. I splurge occasionally with a vanilla latte, but nothing gives me that needed caffeine like strong, black coffee.
Ally: Already made! While I pour, please show readers your bio.
Bio:
Michele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home. During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series. In addition to the San Jose Mercury-News, in the Valley she was the City Editor of the Lodi New-Sentinel, the Executive Editor of the Manteca Bulletin and Assistant Metro Editor for the Modesto Bee.
Michele is president of the Capitol Crimes chapter of Sisters in Crime and the co-chair for Bouchercon 2020 held in Sacramento in October of 2020. Bouchercon is the world’s oldest and largest convention for mystery readers and authors.
Hmmmm, something unusual about me? Besides I’ve been married (and divorced) three times, LOL? When I was a child, I wanted to be a ballerina. Despite being short and less-than-skinny, my mother enrolled me in lessons taught by a former dancer with one of the Russian companies. How she arrived in California and set up a studio to teach eager girls, I don’t remember, but she did teach me one lesson that I’ve kept with me—there’s no such thing as “can’t”.
Contact the Author:
Website: www.Micheledrier.com
Email: mjdrier@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMicheleDrier
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Drier/e/B005D2YC8G/
Michele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home. During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series. In addition to the San Jose Mercury-News, in the Valley she was the City Editor of the Lodi New-Sentinel, the Executive Editor of the Manteca Bulletin and Assistant Metro Editor for the Modesto Bee.
Michele is president of the Capitol Crimes chapter of Sisters in Crime and the co-chair for Bouchercon 2020 held in Sacramento in October of 2020. Bouchercon is the world’s oldest and largest convention for mystery readers and authors.
Hmmmm, something unusual about me? Besides I’ve been married (and divorced) three times, LOL? When I was a child, I wanted to be a ballerina. Despite being short and less-than-skinny, my mother enrolled me in lessons taught by a former dancer with one of the Russian companies. How she arrived in California and set up a studio to teach eager girls, I don’t remember, but she did teach me one lesson that I’ve kept with me—there’s no such thing as “can’t”.
Contact the Author:
Website: www.Micheledrier.com
Email: mjdrier@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMicheleDrier
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Drier/e/B005D2YC8G/
Ally: Let's start with an overall picture of your writing. Genres, romance levels.
MICHELE: I write in two genres—traditional mysteries and paranormal romance. I have three mysteries in the Amy Hobbes Newspaper Mysteries series published, and I’m finishing the ninth in the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, SNAP: I, Vampire. My books are in the medium heat range, sex on the page, but no graphic descriptions. I also have a sci-fi I’m chipping away at, a time travel romance and a three-book cozy series in the wings.
Ally: When did you first know you wanted to be a professional writer? What inspired you?
MICHELE: I always read and, during college, worked part-time at a local newspaper, kind of a glorified copy-boy. I loved the adrenaline of news and a few years later landed a job as a staff writer with the San Jose Mercury-News. I was hooked (and I remain close friends with a woman I met my first day on the job, more than forty years ago). Like almost all reporters, I kept a file in a desk drawer of notes, sketches, characters, unripe plots, for that day when I’d write The Great American Novel. I’m still waiting!
Ally: Where do you find your plots?
MICHELE: I’ve always wondered “What if” and that’s usually what gets me started. For the scifi I’ve started, I told my daughter one day that I wished people could buy more memory, just like you do for your computer. Well, in the world of my imagining, you can…but with unusual consequences.
The time travel romance came from a poster I bought at the cathedral of Ulm several years ago.
The endings are always clear at the beginning, though some of the newer ones may not be all that happy. There are a lot of detours and blue highways along the way. William Least Heat-Moon wrote a wonderful non-fiction book called “Blue Highways” about driving across the country taking only the small roads (in blue on the map) and the experiences of discovery. One little wrinkle is that I don’t always know who the murderer (or the bad guys) are.
Ally: What is your current work in progress?
MICHELE: I’m currently wrapping up the ninth in The Kandesky Chronicles, SNAP: I, Vampire. I know where the plot’s headed and the denouement, now all I need is to get my butt in the chair and write. (See plot summary below with cover reveal)
Ally: If you could visit anywhere—real of fictional—where would it be?
MICHELE: France is always my first choice, although I’d love to spend some time along the Adriatic Coast—Slovenia down through Split and Dubrovnik. I love medieval history and architecture. The explosion of creativity that started around 1100 and continued through the Renaissance is fascinating.
Ally: Let's try a few quick answer questions:
MICHELE: I write in two genres—traditional mysteries and paranormal romance. I have three mysteries in the Amy Hobbes Newspaper Mysteries series published, and I’m finishing the ninth in the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, SNAP: I, Vampire. My books are in the medium heat range, sex on the page, but no graphic descriptions. I also have a sci-fi I’m chipping away at, a time travel romance and a three-book cozy series in the wings.
Ally: When did you first know you wanted to be a professional writer? What inspired you?
MICHELE: I always read and, during college, worked part-time at a local newspaper, kind of a glorified copy-boy. I loved the adrenaline of news and a few years later landed a job as a staff writer with the San Jose Mercury-News. I was hooked (and I remain close friends with a woman I met my first day on the job, more than forty years ago). Like almost all reporters, I kept a file in a desk drawer of notes, sketches, characters, unripe plots, for that day when I’d write The Great American Novel. I’m still waiting!
Ally: Where do you find your plots?
MICHELE: I’ve always wondered “What if” and that’s usually what gets me started. For the scifi I’ve started, I told my daughter one day that I wished people could buy more memory, just like you do for your computer. Well, in the world of my imagining, you can…but with unusual consequences.
The time travel romance came from a poster I bought at the cathedral of Ulm several years ago.
The endings are always clear at the beginning, though some of the newer ones may not be all that happy. There are a lot of detours and blue highways along the way. William Least Heat-Moon wrote a wonderful non-fiction book called “Blue Highways” about driving across the country taking only the small roads (in blue on the map) and the experiences of discovery. One little wrinkle is that I don’t always know who the murderer (or the bad guys) are.
Ally: What is your current work in progress?
MICHELE: I’m currently wrapping up the ninth in The Kandesky Chronicles, SNAP: I, Vampire. I know where the plot’s headed and the denouement, now all I need is to get my butt in the chair and write. (See plot summary below with cover reveal)
Ally: If you could visit anywhere—real of fictional—where would it be?
MICHELE: France is always my first choice, although I’d love to spend some time along the Adriatic Coast—Slovenia down through Split and Dubrovnik. I love medieval history and architecture. The explosion of creativity that started around 1100 and continued through the Renaissance is fascinating.
Ally: Let's try a few quick answer questions:
- Favorite holiday drink: Eggnog—laced with alcohol is good, too!
- Shop Black Friday/Cyber Monday: No. If I do any shopping during the season, it’s small, locally-owned places. Hate the hype.
- A favorite movie: Spotlight, the story of the Boston Globe’s investigation into the sex scandals in the Boston Archdiocese
- Something unique on or near your computer: Tons of sticky notes with passwords, reading lists, phone numbers. I’m lousy at organizing and filing!
- Typical writing attire: Oh, do you really want to know? Flannel jammies bottoms and a tee-shirt…right now, though a sweatshirt and socks!
Snap: I, Vampire (Book 9, Kandesky Chronicles)
Story summary:
After a few years of telling Jean-Louis that she won’t marry him, Maxie finally agrees. Her love for him is so overpowering that she’ll give up sunshine, food and other normal stuff and gain eternal life…as a vampire. Jean-Louis is a 500-year-old Hungarian vampire; Maxie is a twenty-first century SoCal professional woman, used to being in charge. I, Vampire explores her first months as a vampire…the good, the bad and the ugly. There’s a shadowy terrorist group tracking their movements, hoping to get free weapons from one of the Kandesky companies, the Czech munitions factory. A kidnapping in Paris, a chase across the French countryside, acting as bait to trap the terrorist leader are all in a day’s work for this newest member of the Kandesky vampire family. Plus the attraction of vampire nights with Jean-Louis, her new and forever husband.
Buy Link for the rest of the series: Amazon
Other Books:
Her paranormal romance series, SNAP: The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, has received “must read” reviews from the Paranormal Romance Guild and was the best paranormal vampire series of 2014. The series is SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, Plague: A Love Story, Danube: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, SNAP: Happily Ever After?, SNAP: White Nights, SNAP: All That Jazz, and Book Nine, SNAP: I, Vampire coming soon.
Her Amy Hobbes Newspaper Mysteries are Edited for Death, (called “Riveting and much recommended” by the Midwest Book Review), Labeled for Death and Delta for Death.
Her paranormal romance series, SNAP: The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, has received “must read” reviews from the Paranormal Romance Guild and was the best paranormal vampire series of 2014. The series is SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, Plague: A Love Story, Danube: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, SNAP: Happily Ever After?, SNAP: White Nights, SNAP: All That Jazz, and Book Nine, SNAP: I, Vampire coming soon.
Her Amy Hobbes Newspaper Mysteries are Edited for Death, (called “Riveting and much recommended” by the Midwest Book Review), Labeled for Death and Delta for Death.
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