Author Interview with Katrina Michaels (Giveaway Points Post)

Giveaway ALERT! If you've already entered the contest, a comment on this post (within 5 days of post date) gets you 2 extra entries in our MegaBook Giveaway. If you haven't entered yet, go to the contest post (or click on the contest link on the upper right sidebar) to learn about the giveaway and enter! Good luck!

We were lucky enough to have Midnight Reflections author, Katrina Michaels, agree to answer a few questions. A signed copy of her book is available in the MegaBook Giveaway so make sure you have entered because it end tomorrow!

Hi Katrina, and thanks for joining us! We'd love to know...

What inspired you to write this book?

I've always enjoyed writing from as far back as elementary school and often find myself thinking about strange premises whenever I'm bored. Basically I always wanted to be an author, so I never actually stopped writing, although I only get to do it in my very limited spare time. I wrote a bunch of short stories in high school and college, but I was never really satisfied with them. Midnight Reflections was the first one I finished that I was really proud of. It was also the first one I ever tried to get published.

Where did the premise come from?

Well, I've always been intrigued by supernatural creatures and I love mysteries so it seemed natural to me to put the two ideas together. I'm the person watching murders and thrillers (TV and movies) and actively trying to figure out the killer or the twist before it gets revealed. Even when I was writing in high school, my stories always had a horror or supernatural element to them. Growing up, I was a big fan of The Lost Boys and Fright Night. And in college I always watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Midnight Reflections actually started out more about the main character, Tara, and her problems adjusting to being a vampire. Somehow on the way, it developed into a story about a serial killer. I'm not really sure where that came from. I don't always plan everything out when I write, so sometimes I end up going in a completely different direction than where I started. I do have particular scenes and images that I know have to be in the story, but sometimes I'm not sure how the characters get from scene to scene until I'm actually writing it.

What type of research was involved?

I did look into some basics of the vampire mythology, but only to see how I can reshape it to my own liking. When working with fantasy or supernatural elements, I believe the author is giving free reign to devise their own mythology for the world they are creating. For an example, I read about vampires not casting a reflection and decided to change that to where vampires avoided mirrors because they were created with silver, but they do actually cast reflections. However, what they see in the mirror if often more a manifestation of who the person really is or what they are really feeling, not actually what they look like.

My second book involves a mummy and I did do some research into the mummification process, which is pretty fascinating, yet disturbing.

Is it going to be a series?

Yes. I officially submitted the second book, Dead Awakening, to my publisher today. And I already have ideas for the third and the fourth.


Are there any other supernatural creatures you plan to write about?

Well, the second book deals more with Charlie's werewolf side and as I said, a mummy does pop up. I also have an idea for a series that involves demons but I have started writing it yet. I haven't ruled out any creatures, so they may all show up at some time or another.

Describe your book in 3 words.

Supernatural murder mystery

Who has inspired you as an author?

That's actually a hard question. I've read a lot of authors and the different styles have inspired me to find my own. As I said, I always enjoyed writing, but I think one of the my creative writing teachers in High School really did encourage and inspire me. She's a published author herself and she gave me a lot of advice and encouragement. The best advice was to never stop writing if I love it and I never did.

What was the publishing experience like?

Interesting. I really didn't know what to expect so it's been a learning experience. I like being with a small publisher because it seems more personal. If I have any questions, the publisher is always willing to answer them. Of course, being with a small publisher also means the bulk of the marketing falls to the author. And that has been its own learning experience.

What input did you have on the cover and how was it decided upon?

The artist talked to me for a bit and devised a couple of covers which I got to choose from. I know the style I chose isn't to everyone's taste, but I love seeing Tara's creepy eyes on the cover staring back at the reader. I also love the back cover with the man staring into the mirror a great deal. However, I probably will choose a different style for the next cover.


What's the most interesting comment you've received about your book?

One of my neighbors couldn't finish it because she found it too bloody. I thought that was actually pretty funny. But the best comment had to be from The Vampire Librarian who said Midnight Reflections was one of the most enjoyable reads she had in awhile.

Are any of the characters in your book based on real life people?

Max is also a combination of a couple different people, including myself. I took all their best quirks and threw them together and got Max. There is one particular trait in Max that shows up in the next book that my best friend will recognize as her own. Hopefully she won't be too mad.

What's next for you?

Well, I plan to continue writing and will hopefully get my second book out next year. I do have a different series that I'm also thinking about, but I have plenty in mind for Tara and others to keep me busy.

What else should your readers know about you?

Let's see. Well, something boring is that I'm currently working as an environmental scientist for a consulting company. Something fun is that I own a slightly neurotic horse. Something interesting is that my Hungarian relative are actually from Transylvania and I will be going to Romania and Transylvania this summer and, yes, I will be doing research as I walk through Dracula's castle.

Thanks for the interview!

Many thanks to Katrina and congratulations on publishing the sequel, Dead Awakening. We'll look for it next year! You can check out Katrina's Facebook fan page here .

We're happy to have Midnight Reflections available in the MegaBook Giveaway. Good luck to all who entered the contest. Now up to 27 winners and we just added Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber!