What can you tell us about your new release, Hurt?
HURT is the debut novel in The Hurt Series, and my first venture into the world of Dark Romantic Thrillers. It’s unlike any of my thirty-five priorly published novels, which stretch across the spectrum of contemporary romance. While HURT is a dark psychological thriller written for mature audiences, it is also an incredible love story readers will hold onto long after the last page. The best romance novels are the haunting ones, and HURT is guaranteed to sink its claws into your soul and stick with you—as true love should.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
When I began my writing journey twelve years ago, I was inspired by Bella Andre’s tenacity as a fresh, female entrepreneur, Lori Foster’s personable social presence on the scene, and Lisa Kleypas’s mastery of prose. I studied and admired all three, and moved on to think of them as colleagues in this eclectic community of book lovers.
What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?
This is never an easy question to answer and I always feel like I’m leaving a thousand wonderful titles out, but I’ll give it a try. 1.) Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas, 2.)Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas, 3.) Dark Notes by Pam Godwin, 4.) Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan, 5.) Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas
Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
My first guest would be J.R. Ward, because she’s rumored to be one of the nicest women in the book industry and I’m fascinated by her work. I’d ask her how she gets away with breaking the “rules” of traditional romance in so many novels, and how she overcame her greatest challenges as an author. She’s what I consider a Queen of Romance, and I think there’s a lot to learn from any woman who can wear class and write love and violence so well.
What’s your favorite thing about writing?
The writing! My job is a cycle of falling in love over and over again. There’s no better feeling than that!
What is a typical day like for you?
I’m usually at my desk before dawn. Then it’s a few hours of emails and marketing. Once the house is empty and quiet, I’m writing. If I’m in the middle of a novel, I can sometimes stay in my office for sixteen hours a day trying to finish. The hours are brutal, but the result is a well-crafted plot, rich in prose with flesh and blood characters. If I’m not writing, I’m usually out of my office by five and changing into my wife/mom cape. Then I pass out watching The Office or Friends around nine and it starts all over again the next day.
What scene in Hurt was your favorite to write?
HURT has so many dark scenes that pushed my personal hard limits, reading it is like jumping from a cold pool into a boiling hot-tub. The impact of the switch from brutal to intimate is made that much more intense by the contrast. So I would have to say the love scenes are my favorite, because they’re beyond tender and from the point of view of a character who survived hell and more, but still retained a delicate thread of his innocence. I find the romantic scenes in HURT incomparable to anything else I’ve read or written.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
If you want it, never stop going after it. Never stop believing your dreams are possible. If you believe in only one thing, believe in yourself. In time, it won’t be a dream anymore. “A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.” JAMES N. WATKINS
Lydia Michaels is the author of the new book Hurt.
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