Author Interview with Michele Zurlo
How long have you been an author?
Michele: I started writing seven years ago when my student won a contest and I got a laptop as a prize. My first novel was published about 5.5 years ago.
Have there been any surprises along the way?
Michele: I’m surprised by everything. The fact that people pay for stories that come out of my head is a humbling experience. I’m also surprised whenever I get an email from a reader. Those are always special, and I’ve saved them all.
Why this story? What was your inspiration to write it?
Michele: I am the type of person that people don’t immediately like, or the kind that people like for a little while until they realize I’m abnormal. My significant other is convinced I have Asperger’s Syndrome. The WebMD description does fit me pretty well, especially the social awkwardness, klutziness, high intelligence in certain areas, OCD, ADD, etc... I’ve struggled my whole life with trying to fit in and figure out how to relate to people—and how to change my innate behavior to match social situations even when the behavior makes little sense to me. I
have a few close friends, and I treasure those who take the time to understand that I’m not being rude—It doesn’t occur to me to respond in the manner you’re expecting. Because of that, I wanted to make a character you had to get to know in order to really like and understand her. Lacey was borne of my frustration at trying to function in a world that doesn’t get me. While she doesn’t have Asperger’s, she does have OCD, and she does things to drive people
away.
Of course, once I had the character, I had to develop a plot and a backstory. Kiss Me Goodnight grew from there.
What was your favorite part of the book to write?
Michele: I like the intensely emotional scenes the best. One of my favorites is when Dylan takes her to a park at night, and they sort of turn a corner in their relationship.
Is there a message you want your readers to take away from this book?
Michele: I would like readers to learn to take a deeper look at people, especially if they seem awkward or off-putting at first.
Do you have any other upcoming releases or projects you would like to talk about?
Michele: Kiss Me by Moonlight, the second book in the Kiss Me series, is the conclusion of Lacey and Dylan’s story. Though each book stands alone, readers will be wondering what happened after the end of Kiss Me Goodnight (if my beta readers were any indication.) It’s due out in June.
Fun Questions:
Who is on your "to be read" shelf? Jim Butcher—I plan to get to the next book in the Dresden Files this summer.
What are you reading now? The Shriver Report
If you could only pick one book from your childhood to preserve for others to read, what
would it be? I can’t remember reading anything but junk in my childhood, but I like the Skippyjohn Jones books. They are hilarious, and I’ve learned so much Spanish from reading them.
How do you find your muse? My mind never turns off. I have learned to write down the ideas that just won’t go away, and then when I sit down to write, I have a ton of ideas from which to choose.
Where is your favorite spot to write? I like to sit on the sofa and put my feet up.
What book do you think should be made into a movie? Kiss Me Goodnight ; )
How long have you been an author?
Michele: I started writing seven years ago when my student won a contest and I got a laptop as a prize. My first novel was published about 5.5 years ago.
Have there been any surprises along the way?
Michele: I’m surprised by everything. The fact that people pay for stories that come out of my head is a humbling experience. I’m also surprised whenever I get an email from a reader. Those are always special, and I’ve saved them all.
Why this story? What was your inspiration to write it?
Michele: I am the type of person that people don’t immediately like, or the kind that people like for a little while until they realize I’m abnormal. My significant other is convinced I have Asperger’s Syndrome. The WebMD description does fit me pretty well, especially the social awkwardness, klutziness, high intelligence in certain areas, OCD, ADD, etc... I’ve struggled my whole life with trying to fit in and figure out how to relate to people—and how to change my innate behavior to match social situations even when the behavior makes little sense to me. I
have a few close friends, and I treasure those who take the time to understand that I’m not being rude—It doesn’t occur to me to respond in the manner you’re expecting. Because of that, I wanted to make a character you had to get to know in order to really like and understand her. Lacey was borne of my frustration at trying to function in a world that doesn’t get me. While she doesn’t have Asperger’s, she does have OCD, and she does things to drive people
away.
Of course, once I had the character, I had to develop a plot and a backstory. Kiss Me Goodnight grew from there.
What was your favorite part of the book to write?
Michele: I like the intensely emotional scenes the best. One of my favorites is when Dylan takes her to a park at night, and they sort of turn a corner in their relationship.
Is there a message you want your readers to take away from this book?
Michele: I would like readers to learn to take a deeper look at people, especially if they seem awkward or off-putting at first.
Do you have any other upcoming releases or projects you would like to talk about?
Michele: Kiss Me by Moonlight, the second book in the Kiss Me series, is the conclusion of Lacey and Dylan’s story. Though each book stands alone, readers will be wondering what happened after the end of Kiss Me Goodnight (if my beta readers were any indication.) It’s due out in June.
Fun Questions:
Who is on your "to be read" shelf? Jim Butcher—I plan to get to the next book in the Dresden Files this summer.
What are you reading now? The Shriver Report
If you could only pick one book from your childhood to preserve for others to read, what
would it be? I can’t remember reading anything but junk in my childhood, but I like the Skippyjohn Jones books. They are hilarious, and I’ve learned so much Spanish from reading them.
How do you find your muse? My mind never turns off. I have learned to write down the ideas that just won’t go away, and then when I sit down to write, I have a ton of ideas from which to choose.
Where is your favorite spot to write? I like to sit on the sofa and put my feet up.
What book do you think should be made into a movie? Kiss Me Goodnight ; )
BLURB:
I’m Lacey Hallem, and I have a few secrets. These aren’t them: I wash my hands a lot and lie when I’m stressed. Also, I have horrible taste in men. That’s how I knew Dylan was trouble the first time I saw him…
Life can be challenging for Lacey, especially when things don’t come in
sets of six, but she’s smart and funny and able to keep her demons at bay—most of the time. She might have sensed trouble when she set eyes on Dylan, a delectable musician in a vintage T-shirt, but that doesn’t stop her from thinking about him, or spending more and more time in his
company.
Enter Thomas. Wealthy, handsome, and completely adoring of Lacey (flaws and all), he’s everything a man should be. So why can’t she convince her heart to fall in love?
Excerpt (Lacey meets Dylan for the first time)
Within minutes, Mr. Hotness appeared on the other side of my table, blocking my view of the road. I was struck by his teal eyes. I hadn’t expected them. The color seemed too bold to be true on the surface, but when I looked more closely, I saw flecks of blue and green. His midnight hair, longish, falling over his forehead and curling at the ends, made their color stand out even more.
He smiled—a friendly one, not a wanna-fuck one. “Are these seats taken?”
I wouldn’t have minded seeing the wanna-fuck one, though he was clearly with his son, and blatant flirting, even if he was divorced, would be crass. I didn’t see a Mrs. Hotness or a ring anywhere, but men this yummy didn’t stay single for long. And again, the fact that I found him
attractive spoke volumes. I might be seeing his face tonight in place of Davey’s. Sorry, Davey. Oh—maybe Mr. Hotness and Davey together, both of them focused completely on me. That fantasy bore further exploration.
I shook my head. The thought of those lips wrapped around pink parts of me banged around in there, but eventually clattered away. I did not give him an inviting smile, though I was tempted. He oozed sexy badness, and whoever says they don’t have a weakness for that has a serious case of the pants-on-fire syndrome.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I’m Michele Zurlo, author of over 20 romance novels. During the day, I teach English, and in the evenings, romantic tales flow from my fingertips.
I’m not half as interesting as my characters. My childhood dreams tended to stretch no further than the next book in my to-be-read pile, and I aspired to be a librarian so I could read all day. I’m pretty impulsive when it comes to big decisions, especially when it’s something I’ve never done before. Writing is just one in a long line of impulsive decisions that turned out to
showcase my great instincts. Find out more at www.michelezurloauthor.com or
@MZurloAuthor.
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Zurlo/e/B003EG3IOC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1393005919&sr=8-1
BN Author Page: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/michele-zurlo
Michele will be awarding an autographed paperback of Kiss Me Goodnight and $20 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn Rafflecopter winner (US only).
I’m Lacey Hallem, and I have a few secrets. These aren’t them: I wash my hands a lot and lie when I’m stressed. Also, I have horrible taste in men. That’s how I knew Dylan was trouble the first time I saw him…
Life can be challenging for Lacey, especially when things don’t come in
sets of six, but she’s smart and funny and able to keep her demons at bay—most of the time. She might have sensed trouble when she set eyes on Dylan, a delectable musician in a vintage T-shirt, but that doesn’t stop her from thinking about him, or spending more and more time in his
company.
Enter Thomas. Wealthy, handsome, and completely adoring of Lacey (flaws and all), he’s everything a man should be. So why can’t she convince her heart to fall in love?
Excerpt (Lacey meets Dylan for the first time)
Within minutes, Mr. Hotness appeared on the other side of my table, blocking my view of the road. I was struck by his teal eyes. I hadn’t expected them. The color seemed too bold to be true on the surface, but when I looked more closely, I saw flecks of blue and green. His midnight hair, longish, falling over his forehead and curling at the ends, made their color stand out even more.
He smiled—a friendly one, not a wanna-fuck one. “Are these seats taken?”
I wouldn’t have minded seeing the wanna-fuck one, though he was clearly with his son, and blatant flirting, even if he was divorced, would be crass. I didn’t see a Mrs. Hotness or a ring anywhere, but men this yummy didn’t stay single for long. And again, the fact that I found him
attractive spoke volumes. I might be seeing his face tonight in place of Davey’s. Sorry, Davey. Oh—maybe Mr. Hotness and Davey together, both of them focused completely on me. That fantasy bore further exploration.
I shook my head. The thought of those lips wrapped around pink parts of me banged around in there, but eventually clattered away. I did not give him an inviting smile, though I was tempted. He oozed sexy badness, and whoever says they don’t have a weakness for that has a serious case of the pants-on-fire syndrome.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I’m Michele Zurlo, author of over 20 romance novels. During the day, I teach English, and in the evenings, romantic tales flow from my fingertips.
I’m not half as interesting as my characters. My childhood dreams tended to stretch no further than the next book in my to-be-read pile, and I aspired to be a librarian so I could read all day. I’m pretty impulsive when it comes to big decisions, especially when it’s something I’ve never done before. Writing is just one in a long line of impulsive decisions that turned out to
showcase my great instincts. Find out more at www.michelezurloauthor.com or
@MZurloAuthor.
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Zurlo/e/B003EG3IOC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1393005919&sr=8-1
BN Author Page: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/michele-zurlo
Michele will be awarding an autographed paperback of Kiss Me Goodnight and $20 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn Rafflecopter winner (US only).
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