Five Questions For... Michelle Bolanger

4/2/2018

In this new feature, we ask indie writers five very important questions about themselves and their work! Five Questions For... will appear on this blog every other Monday - be sure to sign up for the newsletter and never miss a great new author!

Author Michelle Bolanger

1. Welcome to Wanderings! Tell us all about yourself!
I guess it's no surprise I love to read. I have been known to go through periods of time when I read four or five books a week. In addition to my book addiction, I am also a coffee snob. My husband and I travel frequently and one of our favorite things to do is visit local coffee roasters in the cities we travel through. A lot of our travel lately has been in an attempt to visit all the NHL hockey arenas. As of 2018 we have been to almost half of them. I also sing each week with our home church, Living Water Dayton, located in Kettering, OH. I've recently begun leading the worship experiences from time to time, and I facilitate our women's group meetings once a month.

2. I know when I write a book, I always have a particular person in mind as an audience. Who do you write for?
Because I write in several genres (Urban Fantasy Romance and Contemporary Christian) that can be a tricky question to answer. The short answer is that I write for those who need to know there is always hope, but that isn’t really an easily defined audience. My Urban Fantasy series is for readers who are looking for a clean, New Adult, Fantasy Romance that features genuinely good guys. There are some overly ‘warm’ moments and chemistry between the characters that I think satisfy those who are looking for a little more heat in their stories as well. My Challenged Faith Novels are mostly written to the modern church. These are stories about
real people who are facing situations that force them to decide what they are going to believe about God and His Church. The first in the ‘series,’ is Saving Detroit. It is about a 20-something young man who is kidnapped, sold into sex trafficking, and rescued. It is an emotional journey of healing and forgiveness. The next book in the series is about a married gay couple who find themselves welcomed into a church, the third is about a woman who chooses to have an abortion.
These are topics that are easier to deal with by holding a sign or making a social media post, but I know we as Christ Followers can do better. It is my hope that these stories will at least make people think a little differently about the topic, and perhaps see them from a point of view they have never considered.

3. What is your latest book about?
My latest release is the third book in my Cotiere Chronicles series. "The Light"; tells the story of the "bad guy"; from book one. He became a bit of a prodigal and his journey is one of redemption and realizing that who you were is not who you have to continue to be.
He is also a single dad who has to fight for custody of his son. I knew from the beginning Stewart's stay was going to be a difficult one, and that he was going to be a single dad. He’s truly a good guy who got caught up in something he didn’t know how to deal with, and made some dumb choices.
He’s not a tough, alpha, over controlling kind of lead. Most guys aren’t, and I wanted to write about a man who is just trying to do the best he can for his son, and the woman he…well, the woman he’s meant to be with. Love might not be so easy for them. At least, not yet.

4. Who are my favorite authors, and why?
I have three authors I would call favorites. The first is Cassandra Clare. I am in awe of the way she is able to build relationships between her characters. Her Infernal Devices Series has one of the strongest friendships I have ever read in a book series. (Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs have my bookish heart FOREVER.)
Next is an author I recently fell in love with, Sarah J Maas. The world building in her books is what drew me in. The way she created a world that is both familiar and yet so different from reality is amazing. She’s also incredible at foreshadowing her twisty plot lines. Just when you think you know where the story is going, she blindsides you!
The third is an Indie author I admire and aspire to be like. Quinn Loftis is the author who truly inspired me to take the leap and publish my first book. What impressed me most about her is the way her writing has improved from the first book to her current writing. That journey of always improving and not being afraid to put your story out there inspires me constantly.

5. Now the most important question of all: Kirk or Picard?
Absolutely Picard, mostly because I am not a fan of Shatner, though if I had to choose a Captain to serve, it would be Captain Janeway of Voyager. She loves coffee and books!