Monday 23 December 2013

PROMOTION & INTERVIEW - BOOKS BY MICHELLE BELLON

ISBN: 978-1480224810
ASIN: B009ZJ7M12
Publisher: John Lynch Publishing
Pages: 300
Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
Trying to escape a horrific past, Shyla has immersed herself in life as a tough, sassy cop in the bustle of LA. When the case of a lifetime takes her back to her hometown of Redding, she is thrown into a world of organised crime, deceit, and bitter reminders of her childhood.

As Shyla’s path crosses that of Brennan, an unwitting and troubled sidekick to the ringleader she’s intent on taking down, she is forced to re-evaluate everything she believes about herself, her job, and what she knows about right and wrong.

Can she face the demons of her upbringing and learn to trust again? Her life will depend on it.



ISBN: 978-1908824059
ASIN: B00817ORMQ
Publisher: Fingerpress
Pages: 266
Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
Young Adult novel begins in a 90s Trailer Park, and hits hard. In a decade when image matters, when the so-called Generation X is swelling with 'future perfect' hopes and pride, 16-year-old Roshell McRady dances her way through High School, never quite admitting that she's ashamed of her trailer park family home. Meanwhile she listens to Madonna while conjuring creative Top Ramen recipes to feed her younger cousins; she empties enough hairspray until her bangs are feathered and vertical like a lethal weapon; and she agonises over how to convince Gabriel Harrison, the new Mystery Guy in town, to invite her to the prom - a night which threatens to turn into a disaster. But then life takes a dramatic turn for Roshell, and her life changes forever. A love story emerges from the anguish of Roshell's life, and when she leaves school and finds work at a casino, things don't get any less complicated for her - until one night a powerful dream marks out the exact path that she must take. Embracing You, Embracing Me has young adult humour and nineties-style cultural aspirations, but surprises with some hard-hitting moments that give the book a keen edge.


ISBN: 978-1937004224
ASIN: B004UHMPA2
Publisher: Old Line Publishing
Pages: 226
Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
Ten years have passed since that hot July night, when Seth McCullough walked away from Krista Chancellor, his high school sweetheart; determined to keep his dark, tumultuous past from tainting her beautiful light. He thought he had buried his demons forever when he cut ties and joined the military, but when he begins to suffer debilitating headaches, displacement of time, and horrifying nightmares, he starts to fear for his sanity. Desperate for relief and seeking solace, he takes off for Mexico only to awake one morning confused, bloody, and linked to multiple high profile murders. Suspicion grows as he realizes he is submerged in an agenda too terrifying to comprehend. Determined to find answers, Seth reaches out to the only person he has ever trusted, his old flame Krista, and together they find His Salvation.


ISBN: 978-1937004439
ASIN: B005CPHY84
Publisher: Old Line Publishing
Pages: 252
Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
No one knows the heart and mind of soldier. Every day they must face scenarios and life choices that most of us will never even imagine. When Rory Nichols joins the Army, this hard lesson hits hard and fast. After 911, he is deployed to Iraq. He and his wife, Emily, face sacrifice and strife which they fear their young marriage may not survive. Pushed to his limits, Rory begins to ask questions. Then one day, he receives a fateful phone call relaying the most wicked of betrayals. He rushes home to face an enemy he had not predicted. In this penultimate moment he will right a wrong and stand for what he believes in at all costs; making a statement to his country, to his family, and to all victims of this seething crime.It is a story of life, love, and rising above the acts of war and abuse.


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What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
Hi! I’m Michelle Bellon and I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and four beautiful children.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I’ve always imagined what it would be like to do something as fantastic as writing a book. Until just a few years ago, I had believed that was a task too monumental to try but as stories and characters haunted me I decided to give up doubting and began to do the hard work of actually achieving that goal. I’m so glad that I did because it opened up a whole new creative side of myself that I absolutely can’t live without now.

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
The second writer’s conference I attended I was fortunate enough to participate in a multi-author book signing. While I talked with customers and signed books I looked up and saw so many other writers there, including big names like Debbie Macomber and Robert Dugoni and realized at that moment, that I was truly a “writer”.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
My degree is in nursing but I’m not doing that currently. Over the past few years I’ve been home with my youngest and even home schooled another so my full time job is raising my four very busy children. In my spare time I try to squeeze in writing.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Rogue Alliance is CSI meets True Blood!

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
This book was published with a small digital press out of Ireland- John Lynch Digital Publishing House.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
It typically takes me three to four months to write a book but I have to admit its taking me a bit longer to write the one I’m currently working on, which is the second book to Rogue Alliance. I’ve never done a series before and I fear that the pressure is getting to me. J  I don’t want to let my readers down.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I tend to be a rule breaker when it comes to sticking with the same genre. That’s what is so great about the ever-changing industry. I think it allows for writers to exercise a bit more creativity. My next few books are women’s fiction, romance suspense, and literary fiction.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
I wrote Rogue Alliance after I day dreamed an entire scene. It was intense and revealed to me the two main characters. Everything about them came alive in that brief glimpse; their love, their past, their flaws and fears. An entire book was born of that one scene. It was very cool.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
I love Shyla from Rogue Alliance because she is rough around the edges and such a bad ass but underneath all that is a very damaged, wonderful person. That’s what makes her real.
My very favorite character is Reed from Jaded. He is simply scrumptious. But that book has not come out yet so you’ll just have to wait! J

If you had to choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? and why?
Actually, Roshell, from my YA, Embracing You, Embracing Me, is loosely based on me and some of my own life experiences. I hear it’s a tear jerker though so watch out.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Of course. You can learn a lot from reading reviews, the good and the bad.

What was the toughest/best review you have ever had?
The toughest review I’ve had was from someone who didn’t like romance suspense and proceeded to talk about how unbelievable the characters and plot line were. He obviously wasn’t familiar with the genre and what readers of that genre tend to enjoy. However, some of his comments, in regard to my actual writing style, were quite helpful so I went back and made some edits and re-released it. I think that work is better because of it.
The best reviews I’ve had are the ones where readers tell me how powerful the story was and how it helped them get through something they were struggling with that was similar. I even had one reader tell me that after they read Rogue Alliance they decided to help teenage girls because of how Carmen touched them. I’ve also had many veterans reach out to me to thank me for bringing attention to PTSD with The Complexity of a Soldier. 

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
Absolutely not! I’ve seen a few authors do this and it just looks so unprofessional. If you can’t take the good with the bad and respect the reader’s opinion no matter what, then you have no business in this industry. It’s poor form.

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
Naming a book is so difficult for me if it doesn’t come right from the beginning. I try not to stress about it and usually the title will just kind of come to me one day. That did not occur with Rogue Alliance. I could not settle on a name for that book to save my ever loving life.  Thankfully, my publisher brainstormed with me and helped out.
As for the covers, I have a say and get to throw out ideas, but fortunately the publishers have cover designers so that it looks very professional.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
More often than not, the title comes first. I love it when that happens. It really gives me a foundation to start from.

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
Most definitely! Every single one of my books have underlying messages and morals woven within the plot. That’s really what drives my passion to write. It’s my way of fighting for a cause or sharing the other side to a complex issue. You see that a lot in my first book, His Salvation and in The Complexity of a Soldier.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer?
I have a rule that if I read the book I won’t watch the movie and vice versa. It’s so rare when I break that rule and usually if I do, I’m disappointed. The worst example was The Time Traveler’s Wife. I loved that book, in fact, it’s on of my favorites but they absolutely destroyed the story in the movie.

Do you think children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing?
Actually, I think they discourage the love for reading from the very beginning. They start testing children on how many words per minute they can read in kindergarten and instill a dislike and even stress into what should be enjoyable. There is something fundamentally wrong with this aggressive approach at such a young age. I can’t tell you how many times I see kids go into school excited to read and by first grade they loathe it. That’s not right.

Is there anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it be?
As I get better at the craft of writing I always look back at how I could have done something better. I think I would edit and rewrite pretty much every book that I’ve published but that would make me crazy and I wouldn’t be able to focus on newer work.

Where can readers follow you?

Your Website ?

Your Facebook Page?

Your Goodreads Author Page?

Your Twitter Details?

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