Interview with Just Stay author Michelle Abbott

Interview with Just Stay author Michelle Abbott

Synopsis:

The last place Pia wants to be is on a family vacation in a sleepy Cornish village. She’s anticipating two weeks of mind-numbing boredom. Then she meets Trey, a local boy. He’s absolutely gorgeous. The trouble is — he knows it. He’s arrogant and egotistical, and Pia intends to avoid him at all costs.

But Trey is not the kind of guy who gives up easily. When he sets his sights on Pia, her resistance is futile.

It’s just a holiday romance, some light-hearted fun, right? But one of them is about to discover that still waters do, indeed, run deep. When what lurks beneath the surface finally erupts, the consequences may prove to be catastrophic.

For age 17+ due to sexual content and strong language.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18631212-just-stay?ac=1

Purchase: 

Amazon: Link to buy Just Stay
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-stay-michelle-abbott/1119686559?ean=9781291884340

AUTHOR BIO 

Michelle Abbott lives in the UK and hates describing herself in 3rd person.

She's a self-published author who loves to write new adult romance about heroes who begin as the underdog and are protective of their girl.

She's an avid reader of romance, is addicted to coffee and loves wine and chocolate, so yeah, not the most healthy eating and drinking habits :-) She spends way too much time online when she should be writing. She collects teddy bears and occasionally knits a couple of rows on a sweater she started years ago, which she may eventually finish in time to wear for her funeral :-)

Visit my website: http://www.michelleabbott.com
Visit my blog: http://michelle-abbott.weebly.com/
Find me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MichelleAbbott4
Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MichelleAbbottRomanceAuthor
Find me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/michelleddiane/

Do you write more than one book at a time?

No, I write one book at a time so I don’t get confused. When I write I get into the heads of my characters, they’re with me throughout the day. I wouldn’t be able to focus on them and get to know them if I were also writing about other characters in other books.

Are you a full-time author or you doing some other job?

I’d love to be a full time author, but unless I become a New York Times bestseller it’s unlikely to happen.

Do you prefer pen and paper or Microsoft Word?

I use pen and paper to write notes when ideas come to me. I use Scrivener to write my stories because I can move scenes around and Scrivener makes it easy to create a mobi file to publish to Amazon.

Which one of your books is the best according to you?

My first book will always be my favourite just because it’s the first one I ever wrote.

Do your family members read your books?

My sister beta reads my stories. She’s writing a book herself, so I trust her opinion.

Tell us about your writing journey.

I’ve always loved writing but never considered writing a book until I got myself a kindle. I discovered self-published romances and devoured them. I looked into the self-publishing process and it didn’t seem difficult. Romance was the obvious choice for me and I’ve always had a soft spot for underdog heroes, so most of my ideas were based around that.

Do you reply to your readers? 

Yes, I love to hear from my readers.

Do you have any embarrassing tale to share with us?

I was on vacation in the Netherlands and had gone out to a bar for the evening. I managed to get myself locked in the toilet, no matter how hard I tugged at the bolt, it wouldn’t budge. I had no choice but to bang on the door and hope someone would hear me. I could hear people talking to me, but they were speaking in Dutch and I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Next thing I knew, the toilet door was taken off its hinges and everyone in the bar was standing in the restroom, gawping at me. Very embarrassing.

Have you always had a passion for writing?

Yes always. Back when I was a teenager I loved to write poems and I kept a diary. I won a short story competition organized by my school.

What are your biggest inspirations?

I come up with a basic idea for the characters and plot but once I begin writing, my characters are my biggest inspiration. The scenes play out like a movie in my head and I write down what I see and hear.

Do you have a technique in how you choose characters and/or locational settings?

I choose locations that I have some knowledge of. Just Stay is set in a village that I went to for a vacation.

Do you listen to music while you are creating your masterpieces?

No, I have to work in silence or I get distracted. I listen to music prior to writing a scene and I create playlists for my books.

What do you do to stay motivated and avoid writer’s block?

I don’t get writer’s block. There are days I don’t feel like writing. When that happens I force myself to write a couple of sentences and that’s usually all it takes to get me back into the flow.

How has becoming a published author changed your perspective on life and is it everything you expected it to be?

I didn’t realise it would be so hard to get noticed or that marketing would take up so much of my time. That said, I’ve found I enjoy marketing and that skill can be put to use in other areas of my life.

What are your biggest challenges as an author?

Getting noticed. Once people read my books, the majority like them, the problem is getting readers to discover them in the first place.

What hobbies do you have outside of reading and writing?

I spend hours reading and writing, which doesn’t leave much time for other hobbies. I do enjoy travelling and seeing new places.

Where is the most exciting/memorable place you have been in the world?

There are two, the U.S and Greece. I’ve travelled across a large part of the U.S through Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia and Florida. I love the space, people and the food. I also adored Greece, the little white washed cottages, dining out under the stars and the laid back way of life.