Feature Friday with Author Michelle Hughes.

Feature Friday with Author of Tears of Crimson Vampire Series.

Michelle Hughes

Give us a little bit about you and how you started writing Vampire Erotica?

All of my vampire books are based off of dreams I've had.  I'm not sure I ever intended to write erotica it just happened that those dreams were the ones that fueled my imagination.  Rafe (one of the characters in my book) has been with me in dreams from my early teenage years and he's pretty persistent about having his stories told.  In these dreams he would take me to other worlds and we would explore many things together, passion being one of them.

You also have Erotic Novella and a BDSM book, so how do you choose which genre you will write your next book in?

I would have to say that the book chooses me.  I know this sounds strange but my dreams have always prompted me to write.  If I dream about a certain situation I have to write about it.  Most of them I would never tell the people I'm closest to about. I don't know how this works for other authors, but my muse will continue filling my head with dreams until I write them down.

Does the story come first or the character?

Always the character for me.  Being introduced to someone new in my dreamland is always a shock and I vividly feel those emotions of first meeting in those dreams.  Depending on the temperament of the character, I can go through a whole gamut of fear, desire, or pleasure.  With the story it's like being led through a moving picture and experiencing each situation.  Thankfully I haven't had nightmares in years, which is why I don't write horror.

Do you find yourself fighting with what would you do if you were the character or do you more find yourself if you were someone else what would you want to do?

I don't know if it's fortunate or not, but since I live out my stories in dreams first I write exactly what I see happening in them.  In essence, I become the character until the book is finished no matter what age they are.  I never fight against myself internally about what my characters do, it's hard to fight with yourself.

With all that you are involved in what is your writing routine like and how often do you write?

With the latest book 10 Nights, it was absolute insanity.  84,000 words in 14 days and I paid a price for that one.  As many people know I'm a mom of five so any writing that I do has to be done after my crew here has gone to bed.  For me that means no sleep if I get hit by the muse which was continuous for two weeks on this project. I managed 3 hours a day and ended up at the doc with a nice little fever and cold.   I don't have a schedule, when I'm inspired I write.

As you know, Hotlit Books’ goal is to help authors, so what advice do you offer?

I like to tell my writing friends that I have no idea what works to push a book, so I try everything.  It's insanity some days, but I will try and push out blog posts for the five blogs I maintain, talk to friends and fans on twitter and facebook, answer the emails, post on Triberr, update my feed140 tweets, stop in at goodreads, and make sure I share all posts with stumbled upon and pinterest.  I also try and share my friends work on facebook and twitter daily. 

What past or present author would you like to collaborate on a book and why?

Charlaine Harris is still my favorite author and I would love to collaborate with her.  As another Southern writer I think we have many of the same little quirks in our writing and while Charlaine keeps her work pg -13 (shocking if you've watched True Blood) I would love to add a little more steaminess into her scenes.  She write in a way that always keeps me entertained and I just think it would be fun to see how a book would turn out if we collaborated.  Of course, I would be just as happy to take over writing the True Blood scripts. 

When you write does it have to be quiet, or do you have music playing, TV on etc…?

It depends on the mood I'm in.  There are nights when a little music will help get my creative juices flowing and others when it just annoys and distracts me.  The television on would drive me crazy and I'd probably be ready to throw it through a window if I had to write with it on.  There are enough people talking in my head when I write, I really don't need anything else going on around me.

Okay I am going to ask a few hard ones now.  So if you had to choose one of your books as your best one, which would it be and why?

After all the edits and rewrites, I would have to say my first Tears of Crimson Book.  I'm not so sure it's better than the rest, but there is more of me invested if that makes sense?  My soul went into that book and it took me two years to complete it.  That book lifted me out of a great depression and changed my outlook on life, so it will always be my favorite.

In your opinion, do you think that vampires written today are any different than ones written in the days of Bram Stoker?

I think today's vampires are substantially different, and I see no problem with that.  I loved Dracula, still do, he was such an influence on my writing.  I love all vampires, and will read or watch anything with that theme.  I have no idea what it is that draws me to this beautiful creature but I do know that it pulls me in and makes me wish that they were real.

Today we cannot seem to get away from someone having a criticism. How do you handle criticism for your work?

My first bad review nearly broke me.  When you spend two years writing out a story that engulfs your entire life and have someone stomp on it, it's heartbreaking.  I cried for hours and then I put on my big girl panties and lifted my chin.  There are going to be people who hate what you do, there is no way around it.  I remember going through my favorite authors and reading every bad review they had and that was what saved my sanity.  In my opinion, if all those wonderful authors I love to read had such terrible reviews, then I had to look at it from the standpoint that maybe I didn't suck as bad as the reviewer said.  As my granny use to say, there's an arse for every seat, so I look at it this way, there are readers for every book.

Do you prefer Twilight, Vampire Diaries or True Blood style of Vampire?

I prefer them all.  My favorite from all those shows is Eric.  He is the yummiest thing since sliced bread and while I will watch or read anything vampire related, he is my heartthrob. From the Twilight series, I was actually a Jacob fan. 

If given the choice would you let a vamp turn you?

I would say you're a little late buddy, and yes.  Without any second doubts at all, if vampires were real I would definitely be standing in line to be turned.  Eternal life, are you kidding me?  Of course it would be nice to go back about twenty years first.  If you run across any sexy vampires, please send them my way!

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Interviewed by: Xavier Zyta