Interview with author Michelle Pennington

1 – Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I’ve wanted to be an author since I was twelve years old. I loved reading so much and the idea of getting to write stories for a living seemed like the coolest career in the world. It seemed so far out of reach, but I wanted to achieve that dream so bad. I’m so happy that I did!

2 – When you start a series of books – do you know in advance who the couples who will appear in the following books will be? Do you know what the plot will be?

I’m terrible at planning out a single book, so I’m even worse at planning a series. For example, with my Romcom series, I really liked a secondary character I wrote in the first book, so I made her the heroine of the second. Sometimes I’m organized though. With my Summer of First Kisses series, I planned out all five couples before I ever wrote a word.  

3 – Did you write a book and decide not to publish it?

No, I’m published every book I’ve ever written. That doesn’t mean all of them are good though!

4 – Is there a topic you will never write about? If so, what is it?

I don’t like to write dark themes in general, such as abuse, bullying, or suicide. I want my books to be a mostly safe, happy place. But conflict and difficult backstories are necessary to make stories interesting, so when those things happen, I try to handle them delicately and respectfully.

5 – By what do you choose a cover for a book?

I’m very involved in the cover design of my books. I usually try to figure out what will make a cover both stand out to potential readers and be similar to what they already like. It’ a hard balance to find.

6 – Where did you get the inspiration for the stories?

I get inspiration everywhere. From dreams, things people say, real-life stories, and especially from Korean and Chinese dramas, which I love to watch.

7 – Who is your favorite couple you wrote about?

That’s so hard since I’ve written almost forty of them. If I had to pick, it would be Damien and Krista from Oh, Keep Your Shirt on.

8 – How long does it take you to write one book?

If I’m not procrastinating or busy with other things in life, it take me about 4-6 weeks to write a book. But lately, life has been hard with the pandemic and other challenges, so I’m writing slower these days.

9 – What is your favorite genre to read?

My favorite genre to read is fantasy. Since I write mostly contemporary romance, I read in another genre because I need to take a break from it. In the future, though, I’ll be writing more fantasy myself.

10 – Who are your favorite writers?

My favorite authors are Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, Lindsay Buroker, Brandon Sanderson, and Robert Jordan.

11- If you could turn one of your books into a movie – which book would you choose?

My book “Sawdust and Mistletoe” because I love romantic movies and I’ve always thought it would make a perfect one.