Spotlight On... Michele Hart

Happy Thursday! Please help me in welcoming Michele Hart to 'Off the Keyboard' this morning. Welcome, Michele. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Thank you for the warm welcome, Sarah. I’m thrilled to be here.
I live a very quiet life with family in a sleepy Florida town. It’s ideal for writing, as there is no excitement around but my fantasies. I write from sunrise to past sunset and love it. Couldn’t ask for a better life.

Tell us about Vigilant and where we can find it.

This is the 2nd I-Marshal story. Vigilant is the story of Yadira, a young woman who has lost everything--her home, her freedom, and her beloved protector--on an ugly world filled with crime, desperation, and human trafficking. She’s captured and headed for the black market to be sold as merchandise. The only survivor responsible for the murders of dozens of citizens, she lands in the hands of an Alliance I-Marshal named Weber, who is looking for an illegal teleport. Weber possesses the talent to read auras, and he can tell she’s innocent of the mass murder for which she’s been charged. The Alliance prosecution against her hardly matters when she’ll be put in a cage and sold by the horrible man who owns her to a mysterious stranger who will erase her identity. And Weber discovers a sadistic demon awaiting the moment he can destroy Yadira in the worst possible way. Angel and demons and lasers, oh my!

Where do the mortals fit in the war between the angels and demons? Investigate Vigilant here: http://www.michelehart.com/b27-book.htm

Check out Luminous Nights, the 1st I-Marshal story, here: http://www.michelehart.com/b15-book.htm

Read the First Chapter of Vigilant here:
http://dreneebagbypresentsfirstchapters.blogspot.com/2011/05/vigilant-by-michele-hart.html


Sounds wonderful! What is the most emotional scene you had to write in this piece?

This book is filled with emotional moments. But this one got me. The heroine Yadira receives a letter from someone she loved dearly who had been killed tragically before her. When I wrote it, it was meant to be a contenting thing for her to have this letter, but I realized how very sad it was, and it almost made me tear up. Then my beta reader told me she got teary-eyed, and I thought, Bingo! :-) That’s jackpot for a writer when she can inspire emotion.


Who would you cast to play your hero & heroine in a movie?

Weber must be played by Hugh Jackman. He has the size and he plays the quiet, dangerous protector well.

Yadira should be played by Emilie de Ravin. She played Claire on Lost. She’s perfect for the part. Can you tell I’ve thought of it? Probably every author casts the story in his/her head. It’s part of the fun and great for visualization.





How did you start writing?

It was a who. In the late eighties, I was challenged by a handsome, blue-eyed, punk-rock god named Torch. Don’t tell him I called him that, though. Like all handsome & talented gods, he has a humongous ego. Worthy of it, though. He’s now in Taiwan teaching Chinese children English and inspiring them. They’re lucky. I hear from him often. If he hears I’m calling him a “god”, his head will sink that island. Alpha male. And a very special person, the kind who walks into a room, draws everyone’s attention, and blows their minds in some way. He did it to me for years and changed who I was. I wouldn’t trade Torch for the world. I wish this kind of person on everyone! Torch was the inspiration for Jack, the hero of Luminous Nights, the 1st I-Marshal story.

Torch sounds like quite a guy! Why did you choose your genre?

I love science, gadgets, and weapons. I like rules. So many rules to follow, all the rules of Sci-Fi and all the rules of Romance. It’s fun to craft a story from so many rules. I love the challenge.

How do you approach your writing, are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a solid pantser. I’ve picked up some plotting skills along the way of my career, but I don’t ever want to plot so much that I don’t feel like I’m on the roller coaster ride with the reader. That’s the best part, the roller coaster ride. That’s what I’m reading for.

As a pantser myself, I absolutely agree with you. What’s next for you?

A short vacation, then it’s on to studying for the 4th and last I-Marshal story. The 3rd I-Marshal story, Gangbusters, should show up soon. Look for it.

Where can we find you on the web?

Find me and the I-Marshal stories @ http://www.ILoveShapeShifters.com/ 

Thanks for visiting me me today, Michele.

Thanks for having me, Sarah. Best wishes and happy adventure to your readers.