ECHO: What attracts you to the romance genre, particularly SF/futuristic romance?

MICHELLE: Love and romance are a big part of being human, and a significant driver in many of the decisions we make, so it makes sense that it would be an important element of fiction. And love, and the dance to get into a relationship, is fun, and especially in action-intensive stories like I love writing, romance is the soft note, the fun element. The thrill of first attraction, the warm tug of falling in love, are good feelings to feel, and I enjoy weaving those good feelings through my story.

ECHO: Are you more plot driven or character driven?

MICHELLE: I tend to have big plots, but the characters always come first for me, they are my starting point, so I’d have to say both, equally.

ECHO: What is your ideal writing environment?

MICHELLE: Peace, quiet, and a good cup of coffee in easy reach 🙂

ECHO: What other hobbies or outside interests keep you inspired as a writer?

MICHELLE: I love baking, and when I hit a problem in my story, I often bake as I think about how to solve it. I love walking and yoga, too, and will often think about my work, especially when I’m walking. I’m usually just trying to keep up with the instructor at yoga 🙂

ECHO: Please tell us a bit about your most recent project.

MICHELLE: I’m in the final stretch of a sequel to DARK HORSE, which I’m really excited about. It’s a continuation of the story arc I started in DARK HORSE, and although Rose, Sazo and Dav, the main characters from DARK HORSE, do get a mention, DARK DEEDS has a different heroine, hero and Class 5 ship.

ECHO: Do you have a guilty pleasure terrible movie you like to watch?

MICHELLE: My husband and I joke about a movie which I haven’t watched for years, and don’t know if I could even ever find again, that my housemate and I used to love to watch at university. It’s a kung fu movie called PAY OR DIE, and it is hilariously bad. The same Ford Cortina is blown up or involved in a spectacular car chase about five or six times in the movie. It’s one of those movies where the script is so bad, it’s good, and my housemate and I used to use lines from the movie all the time. Good times 🙂

ECHO: What mythical creature would you like as a pet?

MICHELLE: I would love a brownie. I know dragons or phoenixes and so on are sexier, but firstly, space, and secondly, brownies do the housework. There is just no other mythical creature that can top that.

Thanks so much for having me!

Links:

Website: http://www.michellediener.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Michelle-Diener-196593580366013/

Twitter: @michellediener