Missy Michaels
brings us her novel TO THE SWIFT, which she considers “a suspense novel with a
few hot scenes” that was "definitely" written to entertain her readers. Reviewers concur:
“The suspense in this book is amazing and it has many surprises.” They
also appreciate her characters, particularly the main character
Monica.
Missy is a well-traveled writer who loves road
trips and has a resistance to flying. She collects Hot Wheels and enjoys jazz bands. TO THE SWIFT is her first novel.
Q: What
inspired you to write TO THE SWIFT? Where did you get the idea?
Missy Michaels: I have enjoyed
writing since elementary school when I started writing plays in my free time. I
knew that I would write a novel one day. The idea for TO THE SWIFT came from
family stories my grandmother told, my own experiences and from having a great
imagination.
Q: Did you
include any real experiences in your plot? Did your upbringing influence your
story?
Missy Michaels: I did include
a few real experiences and the majority of the children’s dialogue included in
the book are actual quotes from my own children when they were small and
cracking me up. My upbringing definitely influenced my story. The characters
Jack and Adrienne are modeled after a real married couple in my family.
Q: How did you
come up with the title TO THE SWIFT?
Missy Michaels: Ecclesiastes
Chapter 9 in the Old Testament of the Bible.
Q: How do you
help readers care about your lead characters Monica and Daniel?
Missy Michaels: By inviting
them into their kitchen, their bedroom, their daily lives and into their
conversations and interactions with their children and each other.
Q: How
important are setting and backstory to your novel?
Missy Michaels: I wanted a
very realistic setting that readers could envision and relate to. I wanted to
provide just enough backstory to make their actions make sense to the reader.
Q: Do you
consider TO THE SWIFT primarily a romance or a suspense novel?
Missy Michaels: I consider it
more of a suspense novel with a few hot scenes.
Q: Did you
write TO THE SWIFT primarily to entertain? Educate? Influence? Deliver a
message?
Missy Michaels: I definitely
wrote it to entertain the reader.
Q: Are heroes
and villains part of TO THE SWIFT?
What are characteristics of a memorable hero and villain?
Missy Michaels: I think Felix
is a villain who is not completely bad but reacting to his circumstances in an
unusual way. I think memorable heroes and villains have strong personalities or
interesting or unusual quirks that make them stand out.
Q: In your
opinion, what are the most important elements of a compelling story?
Missy Michaels: Believability
and a character to care about, wonder about or be intrigued about.
Q: Tell us
something about yourself. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do
you have any special hobbies? What are some of your favorites—author, book,
movie?
Missy Michaels: I really enjoy
eating out and going out to listen to live music and I’ve always enjoyed taking
road trips. One of my hobbies is collecting Hot Wheels. I read so many
different authors that it’s hard to pick just one. One of my favorite books is Outtakes from a Marriage by Ann Leary.
That is a very enjoyable book. Ann Leary is very funny.
About
Missy Michaels
Missy Michaels was born in Fort
Hood, TX and raised in Springfield, MO. She has also lived in Indianapolis, IN;
Breaux Bridge, LA and Memphis, TN and she currently resides in Dallas, TX.
Missy loves road trips, emphasis on road, as she has a lifelong fear of flying.
She is in the process of planning her very first plane trip but the details are
very intricate so it could take a while. She also loves eating out, jazz bands, and collecting Hot
Wheels. Her favorite movie is Lion King.
TO THE SWIFT is her first novel so
at this moment it is her absolute favorite novel ever. Her love affair with
words started at the age of five. She was inspired by a 4 year old neighbor who
already knew how to read and she didn't know yet. She learned how to read and
started reading everything in sight. Books, cereal box panels while she ate
breakfast, the ingredients list on lotion bottles and everywhere else she saw
words. She's observant and has a wonderful imagination and is starting work on
her second novel!
About TO THESWIFT
Monica Jerome grew
up wealthy, pampered and carefree in Lafayette, Louisiana. Daniel LeBlanc grew
up poor in the nearby town of Breaux Bridge. Daniel meets, pursues and marries
Monica after only a four month romance. After nearly ten years of marriage and
the birth of their daughter and two sons they decide to leave the bayou country
of Louisiana to move to Memphis, TN.
After settling
into a front office position with a luxury hotel in her new city Monica finds
herself being preyed upon by an obsessive stalker. Unbeknownst to her, it is
someone she trusts and considers not only her co-worker but a new friend. A
spur of the moment decision to save a marriage has totally unexpected
repercussions. What happens when a friend quietly and persistently unleashes
his own agenda to make devastating changes to the outcome the couple
desperately seeks?
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Thank you so much for the interview! I definitely enjoyed it. I invite anyone who enjoys a good book that keeps you entertained and intrigued to check out To the Swift. I certainly hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed getting to know Daniel, Monica, Felix, Blake and the other characters as the story unfolded!
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