I have a very talented lady here today to tell us all about her new psychological thriller, Breathe In. Her name is Michelle King. Enjoy the interview but first, let's find out more about Michelle and her hot new book...
Michelle King lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband Chayne and her children. She loves coffee, Superman, rollercoasters, and has an addiction to chapstick.
She works in healthcare management and in her spare time writes novels. As a multi-genre author, she has written in the categories of romance suspense, young adult, women’s fiction, and literary fiction. She has won four literary awards.
She is the author of the thriller, Breathe In.
Visit her website at https://www.authormichelleking.com/ or connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.
Breathe in. Breathe out. This mantra gets Tessa Benson through the day. The man she loves walks all over her, and she just wants to get by without her heart shattering to pieces. If she could find her voice, she’d scream. Everything changes in one night, when she’s snatched from the streets and tied to a bed, a camera set up to capture her dying moment. And the person who paid to watch her die…is still out there somewhere. Tessa prowls dark neighborhoods in a quest for justice, but she doesn’t find the killer. Not until they strike again…in the place Tessa is least expecting, and where it hurts most.
“Dark. Disturbing. Absolutely out of character for Michelle Bellon (compared to her other books). You absolutely feel for Tessa. Your heart & soul breaks with her. You will get angry & you will cry with her. Simply amazing.” – Amazon Reader
“This story is a very, very dark thriller. It has some things in it that might upset some people. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Tessa is trying to just get through each day with the man she loves. He is not a nice man. He walks all over her, belittles her, he is a scum bag! Then she gets kidnapped one night and tied to a bed. There is a camera on her to show someone or some people just how she is going to die! Can she get away? Who would do such a thing? You will need to read the book to find the answers.” – Amazon Reader
Book Information
Release Date: November 15, 2019
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1640347953; 272 pages; $13.99; Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3grB5TS
As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books. Can you tell us how you got the idea to write your book?
Well, I love to create characters who are flawed and struggling with something dark or complex in their lives. I had the general idea for the plot for a few years, but it wasn’t until I was going through my own difficult time in life that I finally sat down and started writing it. I knew it would be good for me to have an outlet for what I was going through, and Tessa was the perfect character for that. I wanted to take a woman who saw herself as weak and test her to the point that she would find out what she was really made of. As I began to write, the plot changed and evolved quite a bit from what I had originally intended but I’m happy with the way it turned out.
Can you tell us a little about the main
characters of your book?
Tessa is a pushover. She takes a lot of crap from everyone and knows it. She feels desperate and lonely but doesn’t know how to stand up for herself. That all changes as she is pushed to her limits. I love to hear how readers are responding to Tessa’s evolution throughout the story as she becomes a total badass.
Can you give us an excerpt?
Before consciousness fully embraces me, I’m already remembering the evening’s events. A nightmare that is not really a nightmare at all. My eyelids feel heavy, reluctant to open as white, hot pain shoots through my head. My throat hurts. I’m lying uncomfortably on my right side, my head tipped awkwardly without a pillow under me. A kink in my neck spasms, starting behind my right ear, traveling to my shoulder. Both shoulders burn from the strain of the position I’m in, my wrists bound firmly behind my back. Lower lip trembles. I don’t want to open my eyes. Please, God, just let it all be a bad dream. A nightmare. The smell of stale urine combines with something cooking, assaulting my nostrils. Bacon? Seems an odd scent, given my scenario. My stomach roils from the rich aroma. Food is the last thing I can think of. I still feel queasy and weak. More from the blow to my head than the alcohol. Slowly, slowly, blink, blink. My eyes are gritty and dry. The room I’m in comes into focus, then blurs, then focuses again. The door straight ahead is worn wood. It’s closed. The walls are wood also, adding a rustic feel to the place…like an old, abandoned cabin. Though I cannot see the rest of it, I sense it’s compact size pressing in on me. The smell of urine wafts up from the twin-sized bed I’m lying on. Without sheets, I can see it’s one of those old striped mattresses. It sinks deeply in the middle. I arch my head back to take in the rest of my surroundings and my neck instantly spasms again. The room is empty. Like, really empty. Stark. Nothing but the bed I’m on and me. I’m alone. This gives me a brief moment of comfort. Think. I need to think. I’m in the second location. This is bad. Really fucking bad. I remember watching an Oprah episode where they gave tips on how to survive a kidnapping. The number one tip was to never let your kidnapper take you to “the second location.” You’re too vulnerable there. That’s where they will likely kill you. My heart skips and gallops faster. Breathe in. Breathe out. Calm down. I’m not going to die. Not today.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what
would that be?
To write as if no one will ever read your work. When I first started writing, I constantly filtered my work because I kept imagining my mother-in-law reading and judging it. Once I finally let that go my writing became more authentic and raw.
What would you say is one of your interesting writing
quirks?
I guess I talk to myself a lot while I write and as I get excited about certain scenes. LOL
Do you hear from your readers? What do they say?
I do! They have a lot of good feedback and usually demand more books. They definitely want a sequel to Breathe In.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
Oh, I have had lots of criticism and that’s a good thing. I don’t see criticism as negative. I listen to that feedback and take it seriously because often it’s got some truth to it. I use it to improve my writing.
What has been your best accomplishment?
I’ve won four literary awards. This book made finalist for thrillers in the Book Excellence Awards.
Do you Google yourself?
Not usually.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have a non-fiction piece that I started a while back. Not sure if I’ll get back to it. Unfortunately, I’m not writing much these days because my career is so busy now. My day job is working in healthcare as a director.
Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to
your readers?
Study the craft so you are always striving to be better.
Understand the industry.
Never. Give. Up.
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