To Lissa Michaels, writing was one of those dreams meant for 'other' people, one she never thought would come true, until the birth of her second child and her husband's odd schedule necessitated that she stay at home with the children. Never one to let time to go waste, Lissa was suddenly faced with the question of 'What to do?' Why not write? Seeing her dream realized is something she thanks god for every day. Lissa has many likes and hobbies, but her passion is romances with a liberal dose of 'something different.' That passion let to avid reading of Futuristic and Fantasy romances, and then writing them. It seems only natural that CAPTIVE HEARTS has been published in a futuristic way--electronically. She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her police officer husband, two beautiful daughters, a Pekinese, a cat, and an assortment of tropical fish. Questions and Answers What are you currently working on? I have two proposals I'm working on right now, one another sfr for Hard Shell Word Factory--another Sullust Federation book, and I'm working on a fantasy proposal for NovelBooks, Inc (who are publishing my contemporary romance this summer.) It's supposed to be a straight fantasy (sword & sorcery type stuff) but my critique partner is scheming to get a romance in there somewhere. :) It's starting to resemble a "Tiger & Del" book. :) Who (Fact or Fiction) would you most like to meet, and what would you ask hem? I would love to meet Peter David's Mackenzie Calhoon, from Star Trek New Frontier. He's one very cool, very complex character. Peter David's the best. What would I ask Mackenzie? Hmm...How are you able to stay looking so calm and cool when inside you're just a hair from ripping someone's head off? I'd really love to learn that skill! :) Is there a book or story you wish you had written? I have a notebook full of ideas that I'll never write because someone else already did... Two people already wrote books about an undercover cop working in a strip joint. And, remember that move The Wedding Planner? That's been in my notebook for years! If you get a great idea, don't jot it down and forget about it. Do something with it or someone will beat you to it. Those ideas are floating around in the ether--if you don't grab it, someone else will. :) Is writing your full time occupation, if not what is? I do so many things ... thank God I don't have a full-time job. I wouldn't get anything done! My 3 1/2 hour job during the school year takes so much as it is. You wouldn't think so, but with that, schauffering kids, karate lessons...I have to juggle my left over time between web design and updates for clients, reviews for Scribes World, volunteer work I do inside and outside the home, and, of course writing. What was your first professional sale? How did it feel when you received the acceptance? Back in '96, when I sold CAPTIVE HEARTS to Dreams Unlimited. It was so cool. It was the first "email" submission for me. I queried Bonny, the editor. Twenty minutes later she asked for a partial and synopsis. A day later, she asked for the complete manuscript. A month later, I received an offer...and it was only the second place I'd sent it to. Very cool. Gotta love the internet, huh? Who is your favourite author? There are so many! Peter David, Robin Hobb, Patricia White, Charlotte Boyette-Compo, Christeen Feehan, Jennifer Roberson, Kate Elliot. If you could give one piece of advice to a would-be author, what would it be? If this is what you really want to do, don't give up. Just keep at it. When did you first decide that you wanted to be an author? In high school. A three page story assignment turned into twelve. My teacher raved about it so much I ended up in honors English the next semester. I never lost that ""this is so cool" feeling, even though I didn't think seriously about writing until about 10 years later. When did you first feel that you were an author? When I received my first royalty check. :) Are you for or against e-books? Definitely for. All my books come out in electronic first, paperback second. It kills me to throw a book away, or even to toss ARCs authors send me because of the cost involved. I'm actually looking forward to when books are all electronic. Tree killing is so bad for the environment. SF, Skiffy or Sci-Fi? What is the correct shortening of Science Fiction and does it matter? Personally, I don't think it matters and it makes me laugh when I see people get on their high horse about it. "You're not a SF writer--if you were, you'd never write Sci-Fi... that's like nails on a chalkboard to a REAL SF author!" Gimme a break. Do you have a favourite place to write? The itty bitty 3rd bedroom in my house is my office...for the time being. If my daughter can find a decent place to put all my stuff (you wouldn't believe how much I have crammed in this little room), I'll lose it to her. She hates sharing with her older sister---the slob. :) I'd kill for one more room in this house! Do you enjoy book signings/conventions? Actually, no. I'm so shy/nervous at these things that I'd like to crawl right under the table. They make me so uncomfortable that I don't promote even a quarter of what most other authors do. Why do you like SF/F? I like that it's so 'out there'. I like the thought of other possibilities, other beings, wild creations--things we don't see every day. When I take a break from reality, I wan't it to be a major leap away from the norm, so that's what I read--and write. What book are you reading at the moment? Right now--a Devonie Lace mystery by Gina Crese, before that it was The Dragon's Horn, by Glynnis Kincaid--very interesting concept: dragon's that can shape-shift into mortal form so they can mate with their human counterparts. Is there anything else that can be done with Alien Invasion, Time Travel or Robots? Probably. :) Yes we've seen it in every way, shape and form, but someone's sure to come up with something new and different--for instance, I just read David Weber's The Excaliber Alternative. Talk about different! There's a trade federation that has a mandate that they can't use their modern weaponry and technology when dealing with lesser species, so this group of aliens takes an armada of ships from Earth--English Bowmen, calvery, etc.--and makes them fight their battles for them. Very interesting concept--I've never seen "snatched by aliens" done that way. Do you prefer writing about the near future or the far distant future? The farthest from the norm, the better. Call me clichéed, but I love all those trekkie inventions. Since they seem to be being implemented one at a time as our time goes on--does your palm pilot resemble one of their data pads just a little bit?--I see every one of them being completely plausable. Scientists might not be able to make it work now, but that doesn't mean they won't. As a reader do you prefer Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror? It depends. Hard science goes right over my head. If it isn't too technical, I love it...which is why I don't get into too great of detail in my own books. I figure I'm not alone in the world. :) Fantasy is about equal for me, so long as the language isn't too tangled. So many people love Tolkien. I can't read him. Drives me nuts. (I don't read Shakespeare either). Don't confuse me. :) Horror--that I read very little of. I don't watch slasher films, and definitely don't read the equivalent. Anita Blake books, okay, some vamp stuff, some werewolf stuff, but nothing too gory. Short Story, Single Novel or Novel Series - which do you think is the best medium for Science Fiction? Novel Series...when you take months developing a universe and it's inhabitants, you definitely need more room to tell all about them. One book isn't enough. Short story? My hat's off to everyone who can do it. I need more room! Do you have a scientific background? <Laugh>--I got married right out of high school...no college, so definitely no scientific background. I read--a lot. :) Do You Always know a Story's Ending When You Begin Writing? No way. :) Most of the time, I'm lucky if I know a few scenes ahead. The fantasy I'm writing, I do know how that ends--getting there will be the tough part. :) Why do you think SF gets a bad press? It gets better press than romance, which sells twice as much if not more. :) Who knows? Really, literary fiction is the only thing that gets decent press--and I don't know anyone who actually reads it. Go figure! What's the most memorable thing said in a review of your work? That movie people should sit up and take notice--that Captive Hearts would be perfect for the big screen. Wouldn't that be something?! Have you won any awards for your writing? Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence, Sapphire Award Finalist, Reader's Choice Award, and a few others. :) It's very nice seeing that others, besides family and friends, like your work. :) Plug away - what do you have coming out? A contemporary romance from NovelBooks, Inc. called Marni's Most Wanted. It was my first attempt at writing contemporary fiction. Usually, I'm on another world somewhere, not on our own. Of course, I had to do something different--how about a hero profiled on America's Most Wanted for rape and murder? Many Thanks, Lissa! Relevant Links Lissa Michaels Main Bibliography Lissa Michaels's Website Hard Shell Word Factory NovelBooks, Inc