AccessRomance interviews author Patrice Michelle.

AR: Hi, Patrice. Thanks for chatting today with Access Romance.

Patrice: Thanks so much for having me. :)

AR: This month sees the release of SCIONS: RESURRECTION. Is this the first book in your Nocturne series? Can you tell our readers about the world the book introduces and the story?

Patrice: SCIONS:RESURRECTION is the first book in my SCIONS trilogy and it's a January '08 release with Silhouette Nocturne. The entire idea behind RESURRECTION came directly from a dream--several scenes in chapter two, to be exact. Once I woke up, I started writing. The dream was just too surreal not to write a story around it. And that's how RESURRECTION was born.

RESURRECTION is about a woman who wrote a fictional novel about vampires, hoping to exorcise her fear of the creatures who had terrorized the human population in the past. After all, everyone knew vampires were extinct.

Only they weren't. Enter the hero, Jachin Black, a vampire who'd been cast out of his Sanguinas clan. Secretly living among the humans, Jachin survived via a dark existence, even as he clung to the prophesy told to him by a dying vampire--of a better way for the Sanguinas vampires to live.

When Ariel used the same prophesy as the basis for her novel, she awakened the sleeping beast, bringing the vampires out of hiding...and after her.

AR: What comes next in your SCIONS universe?

Patrice: Two more books will follow RESURRECTION in the SCIONS world, INSURRECTION and REVELATION. All three books will feature a stand alone romance, but there will be a prophesy that flows through all three stories, where the prophesy will finally resolve in the third book.

AR: This series isn't your first foray into the paranormal. You've also written vampires, werewolves and time-travel for Ellora's Cave. What draws you to writing otherworldly stories?

Patrice: That's true. I have written another vampire series for Ellora's Cave called KENDRIANS as well as a few novellas, featuring werewolves and shapeshifters. I love writing paranormal stories. There are so many "what ifs" to explore in the supernatural realm. My only limits are my own imagination.

AR: Which do you enjoy more: creating the paranormal worlds, or the characters that inhabit them?

Patrice: Creating the paranormal world is ton of fun, but I think what makes it "real" to me (and I hope the readers) is when I give my supernatural characters everyday (normal) issues to deal with on top of the paranormal powers they possess. I find blending aspects from our contemporary world with my characters' paranormal existence both exciting and challenging.

AR: What sort of process do you use in world-building? Do you set out your rules before writing the books, or create them as the stories call for them?

Patrice: I do a bit of both. Some of my world rules are planned. Others evolve as I write the story. I think this stems from the hybrid way I write. I used to be a panster (a write-by-the-seat-of-my-pants) writer, but as my stories grew even more complicated, the plots twisting unexpectedly, then I had to morph into an author who writes a high level outline before I start the story. That way, surprises can still crop up, but I at least know the direction I "intended" to head in, even if I don't always end up going there. :)

AR: You've also written contemporaries for Elloras Cave and Samhain. Are the Samhain books erotic romances?

Patrice: Yes, I've written a contemporary cowboy series for Ellora's Cave called BAD IN BOOTS as well as a couple of contemporary romances for Samhain. My Samhain romances are written with the same sensuality level as my Ellora's Cave and my Silhouette Nocturne stories. :)

AR: Looking at your EC titles, you obviously have a love of cowboys. Do you have a ranching background, or just a love of a man on horseback in tight jeans? ;)

Patrice: I don't have a ranching background, so yes, I guess you could say I have a love of a man on horseback in tight jeans! LOL! Truthfully, though I do love a good cowboy story. There's just something about a cowboy that works for me. With his deeply ingrained values, his unshakable loyalty to family and friends, and the respectful way he treats women, he's like a throwback to the Old West, even if he does live in contemporary times. He's one of my all time favorite type of heroes to write.

AR: Do you see yourself continuing to write in several sub-genres? What's the benefit / drawback to doing so?

Patrice: Absolutely, I hope to continue writing in both sub-genres! I don't see any drawbacks, just benefits. Not only can I please both contemporary and paranormal readers, but writing both types of stories keeps my mind fresh. It's a nice break to go from writing a paranormal to then working on a contemporary and then back again. Each sub-genre has its own challenges. They force me to stay "honest" to the rules of each genre and "focused" on the work once I switch gears.

AR: What's next for Patrice Michelle?

Patrice: I have a couple of projects I'm working on. I hope to be able to share in the near future. :)

Interviews Index > Linnea Sinclair (December 07)