Today, I welcome Madison Michael to Five on Friday. She has a special offer, so check it out, and be sure to follow her on social media!
Madison Michael, a native Chicagoan with a background in IT, is the author of two other “Beguiling Bachelor” novels. “Bedazzled” is set among the art fairs that flavor Chicago summers, and “Beholden” spans the glamour of lakefront houses and the glitter of downtown. After living in New England, the southeast, and California, Maddy loves paying homage to her Midwest roots.
Madison, a member of Romance Writers of America, lives in Evanston IL with two feline editorial assistants and a great view of the Chicago skyline. When she is not writing, she binge-watches TV, binge reads novels and binges on Chicago’s famous cuisine.
Available for a limited time in the Sultry Nights Collection – 22 steamy stories for under a dollar www.romancecollections.com/sultry-nights
Charlotte Roche is escaping a menacing threat in Boston when she moves to Chicago for a new job and a new man. Alex is smart, sexy and quickly getting under Charlotte’s skin. A shared love of running gives the sassy beauty an excuse to be near her heart’s desire, but can Charlotte run Alex from the track to the bedroom without divulging her past and risking everything?
Alex Gaines, wealthy banker and philanthropist, has held women at arm’s length all his life to protect long-held secrets of his own. Now he is torn between loving the alluring Charlotte and protecting his dual lives. Can Alex trust Charlotte with the truth or is risking his fortune and family to pursue her? Can the two fall in love when they are bedeviled by lies and half-truths?
When danger follows Charlotte to Chicago threatening her safety and their futures, Charlotte and Alex are forced to make a hard decision – choose the secrets of their past or a future together.
Bedeviled is the third novel in the Beguiling Bachelor series, a trio of steamy contemporary romances set amidst the luxury of Chicago’s elite society. You might also enjoy the first two books in the series, Bedazzled and Beholden.
Five questions Maddy chose to answer.
Who would play the two lead roles in your book if it were made into a movie?
When I am writing a novel or developing a character for a novel, I always clip photos to help me visualize my leads. If I can, I get several different poses and expressions. I want to know them as flesh and blood people, not just words on a page. Initially, I just chose random pictures from magazines – models – but I quickly gravitated to actors. For Bedeviled, I visualized a young Kristin Scott Thomas as Charlotte and Michael Fassbender as Alex. They are both too old for the characters now though. I would have a tough time choosing their replacements. Perhaps Sam Heughan from Outlander and Anna Kendrick from Pitch Perfect. Hmmm, that might work well.
Ann: I basically do the same thing! I make a vision board with characters, locations, pets, etc.!!
What genre is your favorite to read?
I love to read historical fiction, including historical romance. I love learning about other times and places through fiction. It has always worked better for me than any history class. One of my favorite authors for detailed research and great storytelling is Rosalind Laker. Check out her novel To Dance with Kings. You’ll be a fan.
Ann: I was a terrible history student, so therefore I never developed an interest. However, I could sit and listen to my daddy talk about the “good old days” for hours!
What is one of your favorite quotes?
“Swift and resolute action leads to success; self-doubt is a prelude to disaster” or as I prefer to say he who hesitates is lost”. The proverb is by English essayist and poet Joseph Addison and fits me to a ‘T’ and I believe in jumping in with both feet, looking before you leap and all the other clichés associated with acting before thinking. I think it’s better to live this way, but maybe I am simply justifying my own impetuous behavior.
Ann: I’m a planner, a list maker, an over-thinker. I rarely jump before looking…for days!
What is your favorite thing to do during your spare time…besides writing?
I love eating everything from the finest gourmet dining to Chicago’s best cuisines – hot dogs and pizza. I love exploring the city for a day trip too, maybe an art festival or a street fair, maybe antiquing in a small town or just wandering. I carry a notebook and most of these places eventually end up in a novel. And I love binge watching all the TV I miss when I am immersed in writing a book. Currently, I am halfway through all 50 episodes of Orphan Black.
Ann: Once I started thinking of writing as a business, spare time causes me great guilt!! I always feel like I should be writing. It’s a terrible habit I’m trying to break.
What’s next for you? Any upcoming releases we should be looking out for?
I still have one final book in the Beguiling Bachelor Series, but it will not come out until Spring, 2018. Right now I am working on a novella. It is a time-travel romance I have wanted to write for a very long time about a couple that meets and falls in love although he is living in 2017 and she is living in 1950. I expect to write about 8 installments or chapters and offer it serially on my blog this winter. My beta readers hate the idea of waiting between installments, but I think that will be part of the fun.
Ann: It sounds as if you have plenty of projects. I never have enough time to do everything on my list. However, the list just keeps growing!! Good luck with all of yours. Thanks so much for sharing your work with my readers.
Ann, thanks so much for having me as your guest today. I had fun with my ‘five’. Good luck with your list. So much to do, so little time.
Thanks for taking part, Maddy. I loved learning about your work and life! ~Ann