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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Interview & Giveaway with Michelle Rowen, Author of Demon Princess: Reign Check!

My guest today is paranormal novelist Michelle Rowen. Her Young Adult Demon Princess Series debuted last September, kicking off with the book DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN OR SHINE. The action-packed sequel, DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN CHECK released in May of this year as well. I had the privilege of interviewing Michelle last fall  and am thrilled to have her back again. She has stopped by today to discuss new developments in this exciting series AND brought along a SIGNED COPY of REIGN CHECK for one lucky winner! See details below.


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Michelle Rowen writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, futuristic romantic suspense, and young adult fantasy. She has been on the Waldenbooks/Borders Group romance bestseller list and was the winner of the 2007 Holt Medallion for Best First Book and the 2009 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award for Best Vampire Romance. Her books include the Immortality Bites paranormal romance series, the Demon Princess books for young adults, and in May 2010 she launches a new paranormal series, Living in Eden, with the first book “The Demon in Me,” which is a fun, romantic look at demonic possession. Trust her, it’s totally possible. Michelle lives in Southern Ontario and is the 2010 President of Toronto Romance Writers. She wields her power wisely. Visit Michelle Rowen at her Official Website & Blog


1.    In Demon Princess: Reign or Shine, Nikki Donovan not only discovers she's a Darkling (half human/half-demon), but that she's also a princess set to inherit her father's kingdom.  In the sequel Demon Princess: Reign Check, we find Nikki back in the human world, recovering from the events of the first book and determined to have a normal teenage life.  Everything changes when fairy king Rhys shows up at school with a disturbing prophecy. Can you tell us a little bit more about Reign Check and perhaps share a favorite line, scene or passage from the book?

Yes, just as Nikki is getting used to the fact that she’s half-demon and trying to adjust to that while keeping her life as normal as possible, things begin to spiral out of control. First with Rhys’s “invasion” of her high school (he’s enrolled as an “exchange student” to keep an eye on her) and finding out that the demon council wishes to meet her face to face in the Underworld, she has a lot of problems to deal with.  My favorite scene, though, involves something that is a bit more human. Being at a holiday party and finding you’re standing under the mistletoe with somebody you don’t really want to kiss and who really doesn’t want to kiss you. But...it is mistletoe. And he is kinda cute...

2.    What three words best describe the Demon Princess series?

Fun, exciting, and romantic.

3.    Nikki’s father, the demon king, rules the Shadowlands, a magical barrier between the human world and the darker demon worlds. Can you tell us more about the Shadowlands and what sorts of dangers lurk in and around its borders?

There are five worlds I’ve mentioned as part of the “Nikkiverse” -- the human world, the faery realm, the Shadowlands, the Underworld, and Hell. The Shadowlands shares physical space with the faery realm (and there is a reason for this, just nothing I was able to touch on yet). The human world is on a separate level -- kind of like different floors in an apartment building, ditto the Underworld and Hell, all of which need to use magical gateways to travel from one to the other. The Underworld and Hell, of course, are the demon worlds, the dark worlds, and the Shadowlands acts as a buffer between the dark and light worlds, otherwise there’d be demons roaming about wherever we look. And that wouldn’t be good.

4.    If you had to pick a theme song for Nikki, what would you choose and why?

For some reason, Avril Lavigne has a very solid place on my Nikki-inspired soundtracks. Her song “Keep Holding On” fits quite nicely as a theme song since it’s about strength and believing in yourself, which is exactly what Nikki needs to do as she navigates the new worlds she’s discovering that are very different from her normal life.

5.    What do you love most about the main characters in the Demon Princess series?

I love that Nikki is strong, has a good sense of self and her feet firmly on the ground despite all she’s experiencing, and she has a great sense of humor. I love Michael because he’s all hot and mysterious and super-protective of Nikki. I also love Desmond and Susan (Nikki’s parents) who experienced their own kind of forbidden teenaged romance once upon a time, and it’s obvious to me they’re still very much in love with each other despite not seeing each other for sixteen years.

6.    Besides demons, there are many interesting supernatural creatures popping up in the Demon Princess series, from fairies to dragons to the almost extinct race of "Shadows". Out of all the different types of characters in your book, was there in particular that was the most fun to bring to life and write about?

The creatures that seemed to create themselves since they were never really planned except for a brief mention in book one are the dragon oracles—dragons who can take human form and are the source of prophecies amongst demonkind. Think psychic dragon-shifters. They seriously just appeared and began to morph into something much bigger and more important in the human world. Plus, dragons are just cool.

7.    Should you have the opportunity to continue the Demon Princess series, can you give us any insight into where you envision Nikki's story taking us next? Any thoughts on other characters like Melinda, Rhys, Chris and their roles in future installments?

I would like to explore Melinda’s little “secret” much more and how it will come between her and her best friend, Nikki. I think the love triangle I’ve set up with Michael, Nikki and Rhys is definitely unresolved. And, since I’m a hopeless romantic, I would love to get Nikki’s mom and dad back together and see what happens there. And I have some interesting mythology about Shadows and how they relate to the faeries who share their dimension. They might be more similar creatures than you’d think at first glance. And I also did plan to torture Chris a great deal more. Hopefully someday! ;)

8.    You’ve written numerous paranormal books for adults and have also contributed a number of stories to anthology collections, including Kiss Me Deadly, which recently released this month. As a writer, why do you think the demand for paranormal books centering on creatures like vampires, demons or werewolves continues to increase in mass appeal to readers?

Since I’m also a reader, I can really only answer for myself. I love paranormal and fantasy because I want to believe in magic. In a world where everything seems mundane and dull, depending on the day, I’d love to believe that there could be a vampire or a werewolf waiting around the next corner along with a magical gateway to an exciting adventure. And I’d prefer to believe that vampire or werewolf would protect me from the bad guys on this adventure, rather than being the bad guy himself.

9.    Can you describe to us what a typical writing day is like for you and how you manage to find balance with writing and the demands of everyday life?

Well, it definitely varies from day to day, which is one of the best things about being a writer. One day I might be at the computer writing pages for twelve hours. The next I might not write at all and instead go to see a movie to “refill the well.” Writing is like any other job—there’s a certain amount of work to get done before you can do anything else. I like to do the business side of things in the morning—email, social networking, brainstorming new projects, etc—and in the afternoon and early evening is typically when I’ll write new stuff. Not sure how well I do with the balancing thing, but I’m definitely meeting my deadlines! ;)


10.    What can we look forward to reading from you next? Any upcoming projects or new series in the works?

On October 5th, Something Wicked, the second book in my adult paranormal romance series, Living in Eden, is out. In November my second Harlequin Blaze, Touch and Go, will be released. Next February I’m very excited to have simultaneous releases of a book and a novella in my darker, urban fantasy vampire Nightshade world. Can’t wait!

Books by Michelle Rowen

Fanged and Fabulous Lady and the Vamp

Living in Eden series



Young Adult



Urban Fantasy Romance



Stand-Alone Paranormal Romance


Mammoth Book of Paranormal Research Angel with Attitude

Writing as Michelle Maddox


Countdown Countdown


Miscellaneous


**Giveaway**

ONE SIGNED COPY OF DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN CHECK!
by Michelle Rowen

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Book Description
Enter the world of Nikki Donovan, a demon princess hell-bent on living a normal teenage life!
Nikki Donovan has had a lot to deal with since learning she was half human, half demon. But things take a darker turn when Rhys, a gorgeous — but potentially dangerous — faery king enrolls at her high school to investigate Nikki’s potential for fulfilling an apocalyptic prophesy. Nikki knows she’d never turn violent, and she certainly couldn’t destroy the world…could she?

Of course, all Nikki really wants is to be reunited with Michael, a Shadow creature whose status as her personal servant is further complicated by their undeniable attraction to each other. Even though the rules of the Shadowlands strictly forbid their romance, Nikki is determined not to let Michael go. But when she is summoned to the Underworld to appear before a demon council, it will take all her courage — and perhaps a bit of demon-level strength — to get herself out again.
Click HERE to read an excerpt of DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN CHECK
Read my REVIEW of the book! 


GIVEAWAY GUIDLINES

Open to entrants with a valid U.S. or Canadian mailing address only.
Entries must be received by October 27th 2010 at Midnight Eastern Standard Time.
To enter to win, fill out the form below.

7 comments:

A'lina said...

Hi Michelle! Great interview! I can't wait to read more of your books! Thanks for the great giveaway!

Kelly aka yllektra(I Work For Books) said...

Thanks so much for hosting this interview! :)

I loved Angel with Attitude and Bitten and Smitten!! I still have to read the rest, not for lack of interest, but for lack of time! lol

Wow, The Demon Princess series sounds really exciting and the worlds/setting is so complex!
I will definitely try it! :)

Jenny said...

Really nice interview! I completely agree with her regarding the appeal of the paranormal, it's fun to be immersed in a world where vampires and werewolves exist, even for a little while. It's definitely more fun than tackling the reality of dirty laundry and a pile of dishes waiting to be washed. Looking forward to the new projects in the works!

Tales of Whimsy said...

I don't do demony things therefore this is not an entry BUT I wanted to say: great interview! :)

Unknown said...

Hi!
Thank you for the great interview with Michelle & thanks to Michelle for sharing here. I loved the first book (& so did my teens!). I also really liked how you put her books/covers & info after the interview. Very well done!
All the best,
RKCharron

latishajean said...

Great interview sounds like a great book can't wait to read it! Great giveaway thank you so much!

Wrighty said...

Great interview! I have a few of Michelle's books from two series so far. I love her writing! Thanks so much for the offer!