Guest Blogger: Michelle Nicole Martin

Please join me in welcoming children’s author Michelle Nicole Martin as the special guest blogger here today at Thoughts in Progress.

Michelle’s latest release is PRINCESS AND MISSY’S MAGICAL ADVENTURE. She joins us today to talk about her writing.

Hello Mason Canyon! Thank you for interviewing me on your blog. I appreciate the exposure. I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Mason: Thanks for being here Michelle. What inspired you to write this book?

Michelle: I had a poodle that inspired me. She had such character. I went into my bath room and saw butterflies that were on a plaque that a friend game me. It was if a light bulb came into my head. PRINCESS AND MISSY’S MAGICAL ADVENTURE was written differently in the beginning, but after repeadly rewriting, I realized my book was ready to be published. My mentor Don, Grandmother Imogene, and children’s author Louise Munroy Foley edited and corrected my work. All three of them helped me immensely with this project.

Mason: Do you have a writing schedule?

Michelle: I usually write the most at night time. I have been working a lot in the afternoon lately so that I can relax at night. When I go on trips, creative thoughts enter my mind. I write a lot when I am out of town. When I come home, I edit the work in my office space in my home.

Mason: What type of research did you do for the book?

Michelle: I went to bookstores to see what books were similar to my book. I read many children’s books. I realized PRINCESS AND MISSY‘S MAGICAL ADVENTURES is most similar to the Magic Tree House series. I also needed to do research on the places in my book. At the last chapter, is a game that has the child decide whether the place is real or fantasy? On the real places, there is a description and a little information. On the fantasy places, I put how I thought of it.

Mason: What was the best/worst thing about writing?

Michelle: For me, the initial ideas about a new project always excite me. It is like opening a big present that I didn’t know I was going to receive. I think the worst thing about writing is that I need to rewrite, rewrite, rewrite and then have a professional edit it. Guess what happens after that. Yeah, more rewriting. 
 
Mason: Did you encounter 'writer's block?' If so, how did you overcome it?

Michelle: I do get writers block. I take many different road trips that unblock my mind. I love going to the ocean and relax while starring at the waves or playing in the water. I have visited friends in and out of California. I have traveled to Japan, Mexico, and Niagara. I get inspired when I am outside or somewhere new.

Mason: What message would you like readers to take away from your book?

Michelle: Never give up hope! No matter how hard things may seem, life can always get better!

Mason: What can readers expect next from you?

Michelle: PRINCESS AND MISSY’S MAGICAL ADVENTURES does not seem to be selling that well. If this changes, I will self publish the second series. If not, I will try to get one of my picture book manuscripts published by a traditional publisher.

Michelle, thanks so much for guest blogging here today. PRINCESS AND MISSY’S MAGICAL ADVENTURES is a cute book for youngsters and beautifully illustrated. Wishing you much success with it.

Now a little bit about Michelle. She grew up in California. She started writing poetry when she was thirteen years old, and began writing children’s stories at the age of thirty-one. Michelle and Richa Kinra (the book’s illustrator) collaborated to bring Princess’ story to life with a perfect combination of story and images that will delight readers of all ages.

To learn more about Michelle and to see what she and Princess are up to, visit her at michelle-n-princess.blogspot.com

Here’s a delightful book trailer to tell you more about PRINCESS AND MISSY’S MAGICAL ADVENTURES. Enjoy.