Michelle Betham on Steamy Novels!

With all the turkey eaten and the chocolates gone, not to mention all the wine drank, what better way to chill than round my pool. Today, Michelle Betham, author of three novels, is sipping champagne, soaking up the sun and chatting to me! Come on Michelle tell me all about those steamy novels of yours.....

When Pauline asked me if I would join her round by her pool for a little chat, I didn’t hesitate to say yes! Talking books, poolside, clinking glasses of bubbly with a fellow author? Who would turn that down?

So, I’m here to talk a little bit about me and my books - where do I start? Well, how about with, why did I want to become a writer? And there’s an easy answer to that one - because I’m a dreamer. I’m also slightly obsessed by the world of celebrity, for my sins - the world of movies and music, Hollywood and rock stars. I think, deep down inside, I’ve always really wanted to be an actress, up there on the big screen, surrounded by gorgeous leading men, (Bradley Cooper, preferably!) but the more rational side of me knew that was never going to happen. So I wrote about it instead, in my first book, No Matter What – the story of an ordinary girl from the North East of England who finds herself catapulted into an extraordinary life in Hollywood. Would that whole situation have been a dream of mine? Oh God, yes! That's what made it so easy to write!

And then there’s my fascination with rock music and rock stars. You see, it’s not just the clean cut, handsome Hollywood types that I find attractive. No, I love a man with tattoos! Think Dave Grohl from The Foo Fighters and you’ve just about got my perfect rock star! And it's my love of all things rock (I’ve even got my own tattoo!) that led me to write See You At The Show – a rock’n’roll love story about a beautiful, wild female rock-band roadie, a drop-dead gorgeous rock star, and a handsome politician! Sound like a slightly unlikely premise? You’d have to read the book to find out how that all comes together. But it does!

So, that’s how two of my books came about, but what about the more light-hearted romance, Too Much Trouble in Paradise Well, that book came about by mixing another two loves of mine – the beautiful island of Tenerife, and my love of darts! I used to live in Tenerife, and I still miss the place terribly so I knew I had to set a book there, to give me a chance to re-visit the island and remember why I love it so much. The darts connection? The lead male character is a professional darts player, that’s all. The book is in no way about darts – it’s a funny, romantic love story, set on a beautiful island in the sun!

And, thanks to Pauline's fabulous Famous Five Plus site, I have been given great support and exposure for, not only my books, but also myself as an author, and I just didn’t have that before. Writing can sometimes be a lonely business, but since joining FFP I’ve felt as though I’m now part of a community, and that’s why I joined the group - to be part of a fantastic support network. I truly am grateful for everything FFP and Pauline has done for me so far, and I look forward to being a part of FFP for a long time to come!

So, that’s me – a movie mad music fan who loves a game of darts, a glass of bubbly, and some gorgeous men to write about, which is exactly what I’m doing right now as I write my latest book, the follow up to No Matter What. I’m back surrounded by the palm-tree-lined streets of L.A. and the lights of Las Vegas, and I love it!

Thanks for having me round by your pool, Pauline! It really was great to talk to you!

To read sample chapters from my books and links to buy, visit me at:
http://michellebethamwriter.blogspot.com/
http://michellebethamindieauthor.blogspot.com/