Guest Blog – Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth
Jun
20
2008

(I love both these fabulous ladies and admire their skill as authors too! If you haven’t read them, I heartily encourage you to and you can do a search here on my blog to find a few suggestions and reviews of their books)

Writing and Research
By Michelle M. Pillow and Mandy M. Roth

One of the greatest things about being an author (and a reader) is learning about different things. In books we’ve been famous, poor, lady of the manor, a prisoner, a dancer, the daughter of darkness, a bug scientist, a mermaid and shifter, we’ve been evil vampires and a pampered medical mafia princess. Researching novels is half the fun of writing them.

Michelle – In my upcoming release, Recipe for Disaster (Virgin Books, June 10th), the heroine is a very talented chef. Mandy laughs at me because she knows my secretβ€”I can’t cook. At least not to any gourmet standard, though I maintain that microwaving *IS* cooking. I can’t tell you how fun it was to look up recipes and stare longingly at the pictures wondering how I could convince someone to come over and make it for me. Mandy refused. She says it’s because she’s several states away.

I say it’s because she’s a meanie.

Mmm…. Chicken parmesan. Fudge Brownies. No Bake cookies. Wait, what was the question?

Mandy– My newest release, Daughter of Darkness 3: Bella Mia (NCP, June 2008), the heroine finds herself as a guest in the home of a master vampire. Giovanni’s main residence is in Tuscany. It took a good deal of research for me to set part of the story there. Not only did I need to research homes, architecture and weather, I needed to find information specific to exactly where I’d set the house to be. I had Gwen take a small walk that I based off an actual walking tour available to tourists. I also focused a good deal on the plants native to the region. Michelle and I are now plotting a way to fake our deaths and relocate to Tuscany. *blinks innocently* Fine. I’m plotting it. She’s being a good girl.

*Michelle jumps in holding sign* KERRIGAN KERRIGAN KERRIGAN!

Mandy– I can’t take her anywhere. LOL.

I’m a closest geek. I’ll spend more hours basing names, locations of fictional worlds off variation and combinations of actual terms than I would if I just made something up. My first job was at one of the public libraries here and I’ve always respected all that they offer to the community. Prior to acquiring a large mass of my own material, I went there daily. My next stop is the library system online. They offer journal material for free and it’s accurate. After that, it’s author friends, family and so on. Last is internet itself.

Michelle – *whispering* Kerrigan.

– Has a character’s career choice in a novel ever struck a chord? What jobs have you always wanted to have? What jobs could you never do?

Mandy– After many hours watching the TV show Ax Men (yeah, I broke down to watch TV and ended up watching a show about the timber), I want to be a cameraman who follows the guys around. Some of them aren’t bad looking at all. And there really is something about a man with a chainsaw that gives me tingles.

Crap… I don’t think that question was meant for me. LOL I think its one of those discussion prompting ones.

Michelle – *shaking head* Well that’s better than what I thought you were going to say. Last time I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up it involved whipped cream, a jet pack and duct tape.

About the Authors

Michelle M. Pillow and Mandy M. Roth are published romance authors. Michelle’s newest release, Recipe for Disaster, will be on bookshelves June 10th. Mandy’s newest release, Daughter of Darkness 3: Bella Mia, comes out the end of June. Check their websites for more details.

Michelle’s Links
Website, www.michellepillow.com
Blog, www.michellepillow.com/blog

Mandy’s Links
Website, www.mandyroth.com
Blog, www.mandyroth.com/blog

The Raven
Website, www.ravenhappyhour.com
Radio Show, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ravenradio

8 comments to “Guest Blog – Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth”

  1. Mandy M. Roth
    June 20th, 2008 at 6:34 am · Link

    Thanks for having us!

    πŸ˜‰

    Everyone… you know she’s running around locking to doors to keep us from coming back again. πŸ˜†



  2. Lauren
    June 20th, 2008 at 11:29 am · Link

    Oh pshaw, I love you two!



  3. Michelle M Pillow
    June 22nd, 2008 at 6:14 pm · Link

    She says that cause I stole her keys and now she has to let us stay πŸ˜‰ LOL

    Thanks for letting us hang out. πŸ˜€



  4. N.J. Walters
    June 23rd, 2008 at 3:20 am · Link

    LOL I love Mandy and Michelle. Ladies, you’re always such fun!



  5. Nicoel Suzanne
    June 23rd, 2008 at 12:00 pm · Link

    LMAO I loved Ax Men. Hmmm mmm hot young things in tight jeans n chainsaws. My husband got a kick out of me getting into it. Now if we could get those damned survival suits & blasted orange raincoats off the Deadliest Catch crew we would be all set ladies.
    Woot Woot!

    (Kerrigan)



  6. Michelle M Pillow
    June 23rd, 2008 at 6:41 pm · Link

    Nicoel, Your support of Kerrigan warms my heart. Here’s a torch, pitchfork and Mandy’s house is this way. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just start crying until she gives in to shut me up. πŸ˜‰

    We lubs you to NJ!!! (((HUGS)))



  7. Mandy M. Roth
    June 23rd, 2008 at 6:43 pm · Link

    😳 I can’t take Michelle anywhere.

    *stuffs Michelle in trunk*

    It’s okay everyone, I have her. You can come out now.

    Come out, come out wherever you are to meet the young lady who fell from…

    ouch?

    What? I got lost in the moment.

    πŸ˜†



  8. Michelle M Pillow
    June 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 pm · Link

    OK, putting Oz songs in my head is just playing dirty. Oh, it’s on… Bring it.

    Um, *gulp* ok, we’re good. *running away*