| Author Kasey Michaels writes a
little bit of everything, actually make that A LOT of
everything. From historicals to series to non-fiction, Ms.
Michaels has excelled at most genres. With more than 5 million
copies of her books in print, Ms. Michaels is known worldwide.
I am thrilled to have interviewed Ms. Michaels for her January
Warner release, THEN COMES MARRIAGE.
Thanks to Kasey for her time! I know how hard it was
for her to squeeze in the answers between chapters. For a
complete list of her books, visit her website http://www.kaseymichaels.com.
I would list them here, but I have a feeling we would run out
of room! <g>
Tracy
Tracy- First off, you have a string of
successful books under a few different names. Can you tell the
readers a bit about yourself? As you have written historicals,
non-fiction and contemporaries, which did you find the most
challenging to write?
Kasey- ALL books are challenging to write,
when you're writing them. That's half the fun! My very first
book was a Regency, back when the only Regencies were
"sweet," never sexy. A friend and fellow writer,
Joan Hohl, suggested a few years later that I try my hand with
Silhouette, and I ended up writing for their Romance line--the
"sweet" line. From there, I went on to Regency
historical single title books for Pocket and then Warner, and
now single title contemporaries for Zebra, although I still
write for Silhouette and Harlequin and enjoy it very much.
And, as I keep getting all these new ideas, even after 75 or
so books, I've just completed the first of my new mystery
series for Kensington Books, MAGGIE NEEDS AN ALIBI, which will
be out in hardback next July. In this new series, I've
actually found a way to have my contemporary heroine and her
Regency hero which, to me, is the best of both worlds.
As for writing under more than one name, I
did write seven Regencies for NAL/Signet a century ago, under
the name Michelle Kasey--I just 'flipped' my name around for
those. Silhouette has agreed to publish four of my original
Avon Regencies in March of next year, and will follow with
four of my NAL/Signet's later in the year. That's exciting, as
these books have been out of print for a long time.
Personally, I'm married, going on 39 years
now, have four children, the youngest getting married next
June, and one grandson, with another grandson due in April. We
have a busy life.
Tracy- One book that intrigues me must also
have been hard for you to put into words, written under the
name Kathryn Seidick, OR YOU CAN LET HIM GO details the
account of your son's kidney transplant. Did you find a sense
of closure as you were able to share your thoughts and
feelings of that time in your life? I also found one of your
articles at Warner to be incredibly touching, and I was so
happy to read about the happily ever after... Romantic
Summer Weddings (click to read)
Kasey- I wrote that book after our son
Michael's first transplant, at age nine. Five years later, one
month before the book came out, his transplant failed, which
we always knew could happen, but which hit us all very hard.
At fourteen he had his second transplant, and he's 32 now,
married, and (knock wood--we always knock wood) doing very
well. Yes, it was difficult writing that book, but yes, it
also helped me put a lot of the horror behind me. Strangely,
it also helped us deal better with the second round of
dialysis and all the emergencies because writing about what
happened had taught us some of the pitfalls to avoid, and once
that book may have saved Michael's life. It seems that his
dialysis nurse had read the book, and when Michael started
showing signs of disinterest in something he was usually very
interested in--his fluid intake--she remembered a crisis I'd
talked about in the book and acted immediately. Turns out
Michael was 'bleeding out' through his dialysis tubing,
because his blood volume had gone low due to undetected
internal bleeding. He was whisked to the hospital and given a
transfusion that saved him. So...maybe everything happens for
a reason. That nurse certainly thought so, and so did we.
Oh, since we're on the subject? Please,
please, if anyone out there hasn't signed their donor card,
think about doing it now. Two very wonderful people gave my
son his life back at age 9, at age 14, and the world is a
better place for having him in it. Thanks.
Tracy- You have had an impressive career
with more than 40 books to date, how do you keep the ideas
rolling? Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Kasey- Actually, it's more than 75. I've
lost count, to tell you the truth. My advice to aspiring
writers is simple. Don't talk, write. Don't wish, do. Don't be
scared--because if I can do it, you can do it. I did it while
pregnant with my fourth child and performing at-home dialysis
six hours a day, three days a week, on an eight year old who
had emergency after emergency, some of them keeping us locked
up together in a hospital for weeks at a time. I wrote a book
(THE TENACIOUS MISS TAMERLANE), my second, in those long nine
months, working at night when the family slept, writing in
longhand, then staggering through the next day, with no sleep.
No excuse you can offer of "I'm just too busy" is
going to beat that one--so get it in gear and write that book!
Tracy- THEN COMES MARRIAGE is the spin-off
of SOMEONE TO LOVE. You are currently working on another
spin-off, this time from your book ESCAPADE. I believe the
release date is scheduled for September. What kind of
predicament can readers expect Armand to be in?
Kasey- Ah, poor Armand. He's come to London,
hiding his past, to discover his "real" past. What
he finds is a woman with a spirit to match his...and very few
inhibitions. She wants adventure, and is convinced Armand can
give it to her. Of course, along the way, Armand has to deal
with our heroine's "pranking" father, who plays
practical jokes on everyone, and gets everyone into trouble
when he "pranks" the wrong people. It was a lot of
fun thinking up the pranks, writing the love story, and I
think readers will enjoy it. I guess the publication date is
September--you probably know more about that than I do. But
September sounds good. I imagine it will have another
"cartoon" cover, as do SOMEONE TO LOVE and THEN
COMES MARRIAGE. I like both covers, but will admit that the
one for THEN COMES MARRIAGE is my favorite.
Tracy- In 2001, four new books, one novella,
and three reprints were released. That is a lot of work!!! How
do you manage your time, as well as maintaining time for
yourself?
Kasey- Actually, it was five new books, one
novella, and three reprints. SOMEONE TO LOVE, for Warner. A
Harlequin American, launch of the Sheikh's of Texas series,
HIS INNOCENT TEMPTRESS. The Silhouette launch for The Coltons,
BELOVED WOLF. Zebra's LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY. And a Silhouette
Romance, BACHELOR ON THE PROWL. The novella was for the Colton
series, THE SAPPHIRE BRIDES, and the three reprints were
POPCORN AND KISSES in a threesome with Linda Howard and
Elizabeth Lowell, called Finding Home; TIMELY MATRIMONY, in
with a book by Gayle Wilson, with the overall title of
Timeless Love, and a twosome with Heather Graham, which
reprised LION ON THE PROWL (BACHELOR ON THE PROWL is the
spinoff of that book). E-gads! I was busy, wasn't I?
In 2002, I have THEN COMES MARRIAGE, a
Regency historical, BE MY BABY TONIGHT, for Zebra, the mystery
series, MAGGIE NEEDS AN ALIBI, the twelfth (wrapup) book of
The Coltons, THE HOPECHEST BRIDE, for Silhouette, Armand's
story for Warner (as yet untitled), and possibly another Zebra
(if the river don't rise and swallow me up...). Plus at least
four Regency reprints, possibly eight, and I believe another
Colton book, for the Silhouette Romance line, is also
scheduled for 2002. Hmmm...and possibly a
"half-book" I'm writing for Silhouette will also be
out.
I think I need a nap!
Seriously, how do I do it? I don't know.
Seriously. I can have weeks where I can write every day, then
other weeks when the world creeps in, demands my presence, and
I can't get near the computer. I do know that the more I
write, the more I feel I can write. Does that sound as dumb
reading it as it did to me, writing it? Truthfully, I'm very
pleased to be asked to write so many books. According to my
family, if I'm not upstairs writing, I'm downstairs, wishing I
was upstairs, writing. I'm told I'm a much happier person--and
easier to live with--when I'm working. And it's the best
excuse for not doing housework that I can think of!
Tracy- When you have a spare moment, who are
some of your favorite authors? What were some of the best
books you read in 2001, other than your own releases of
course!. <g>
Kasey- Oh, I read constantly! Jonathan
Kellerman, Terry Pratchett, John Sanford, Stephen White, Kathy
Reich, Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, Richard North
Patterson, Nelson deMille, Lisa Scottoline, Tess Gerritsen,
Janet Evanovich, to name a few. This past year I read all of
Sue Grafton's--from A all the way through O, because once I
start an author I like, I just can't stop; it's like eating
popcorn. Nora Roberts, of course. Kay Hooper, Jasmine
Cresswell, Maggie Osborne, Jill Gregory, Leslie LaFoy, Mary
McBride, Joan Hohl, Marcia Evanick, Gail Link. Ruth Langan,
Marianne Willman. Jill Churchill's mysteries. I could go on
and on. All the romance novels and thrillers and mysteries I
can get my hands on. Right now I'm reading a Meryl Sawyer
downstairs, and rereading a Terry Pratchett upstairs. I just
love to read. |
