Make a Pit Stop for Love

  Today, I’m thrilled to be interviewing Michelle Monkou, Emma-nominated author and a former President of Romance Writers of America and Washington Romance Writers. In addition to writing her steamy novels, Michelle also writes the Happily Ever After column for USA Today, where she discusses her recommended romance reads. Whew! Talk about a busy woman. I had the pleasure of reading Michelle’s recently-released romance, RACING HEARTS, about a daredevil race car driver named Marc Newton and his no-nonsense, sexy doctor, Erin Wilson. As a lover of sports and romance, this story was right up my alley. I loved the chemistry between Marc and Erin. After watching the biography of Wendell Scott (the first African American to obtain a NASCAR racing license), I’ve developed quite an interest in the sport of racing. RACING HEARTS fueled my appetite, making me want to learn even more about racing and the author behind this hot romance. Lucky for me, Michelle was gracious enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few of my questions. Check it out.   I am lovin’ me some Marc Newton.  He’s my ideal Alpha male–cocky and devastatingly handsome. Tell our readers about the romance between Marc and Erin. What made you decide to write a story about the exciting world of racing? Marc was a fun hero. For the car racing world, I wanted a hero who not only looked the part, but embodied the elements of racing—risk taking, focused, goal-oriented. He was truly an alpha male, for better or worse. Erin was the opposite. As a doctor, she was in the business of healing and managing her patient’s health. Risk taking certainly wasn’t on her list. While Marc was in control on the track, Erin was in control off the track.  Writing about various success levels of businessmen is the norm. So I chose a profession that wasn’t overdone, at least in African American romances. The research was interesting and making my fictional race car federation was fun. Readers had questions about a few secondary characters. You never know, a character might get a short digital story.   You are a former President of RWA as well as president of your local chapter, WRWDC. What was that like, and what was the most valuable lesson you learned from holding these positions? Obviously I have a problem saying no. LOL. Both organizations mean a lot to me, partly because I learned the business and craft of writing under the RWA umbrella.  But I’ve also enjoyed wonderful friendships that have spanned almost twenty years.  Serving in the leadership positions was interesting, challenging, and rewarding. The necessary skillset is unique. As a chapter president, there is more focus on the community of writers. As the RWA president of a 10,000 membership, there was more focus on the business and outreach to industry professionals, along with overseeing the professional staff.   Over the years, there have been many transformations in the publishing industry, including changes in genre, reader demographics, and the rise of self-publishing.  What do you foresee as the biggest trend in publishing within the next two to three years? Technology is always the deal breaker or deal maker in history. What I do know is that the landscape is shifting, even as we struggle to nail down the future. I do believe that self-publishing will continue to be a significant contribution to the industry because there are no barriers to entry. Readers will develop their own ways to weed out the unprofessional work. This translates to marketing challenges for a writer with no fan base. But writers are getting creative, so I suspect some will overcome this. Now, while novel-length stories will still be a mainstay, I think there will be an increase of the novella-length. For traditional publishers, it’s a great way for an author to build an audience. For already published authors, it’s a great filler between their longer works.   I often say, “If I knew twenty years ago what I know now, I’da been dangerous!”  What do know today that you wish you would have known when you started your writing career? Not go to so many workshops and fill up on rules—instead of writing. Not go to so many conferences without having specific goals—instead of writing. Stop listening to others, as if they had the answers to the Holy Grail—instead of writing. Not following my gut because someone tried it and it didn’t work or it didn’t fit the “normal” path—instead of writing.   I noticed many of your books have a certain look and feel that denotes they are Michelle Monkou novels (especially your Kimani romances imprint). How important do you think branding is for an author, and what do you think are some of the benefits of having an author brand? Author brand is important, but should be subtle. The reader will naturally pick up on the branding. You don’t need overkill. At the end of the day, the book sells the author, not all the promotional gimmicks.   Talk to us about Stella Maris Digital Publishing. Stella Maris Digital Publishing is my company’s trade name for my indie books. I took the name of my elementary school in Guyana that was instrumental in shaping me as an avid reader and a writer. Those nuns and teachers were fantastic in my childhood development.   Michelle Monkou is a multi-published author with over 16 novels under her belt. In addition to RACING HEARTS, look for her newly released romance, CARNIVAL TEMPTRESS available now, and in June, PASSIONATE GAME will be available. For more information about Michelle, visit her website at http://michellemonkou.blogspot.com/ or contact her at michellemonkou@comcast.net .