Interview with Michelle Brooks

Bone Dressing

By: Michelle Brooks

Time is running out… the dark that’s been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her…

Michelle, the author of Bone Dressing is a wonderful person to speak with. She is witty and has an extraordinary history of her own. Her book is now available in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and The Independent Author Network. Please pick up your copy today. Now let's go into our interview.

Question:

Tell us the amazing story of your birth, the different names you were given at birth.

Answer:

I was born in the pre-dawn hours of a crisp February morning in 1966 in a little one-bedroom apartment behind the Alabama Theater in Montrose in the heart of Houston. I first saw the world as Brian Westworth Brooks until my grandmother informed my mother that the number of protruding body parts had been drastically miscalculated, that her grandchild was a she, not a he. As it turned out, my mother had been much too busy counting fingers and toes to bother with other jiggly bits. So Brian Westworth became Wendy Lynn, another fine name which served me well for all of two days. Upon signing the birth certificate my father surreptitiously changed my name one last time, ultimately introducing the world to Michelle Irene Brooks, one little girl big enough to have already lived the lives of three. While being totally Texan and living in or near Montrose the majority of my life, I have traveled the world and lived a life rich with love, laughter, heartache and adventure. I came into the world seeing it through different eyes and carry with me to this day a rich, unique perspective of the life breathing all around me and within me.

Question:

You've traveled the world. Please tell a little about that.

Answer:

Well, I was, as I said in the previous question, born and raised in Montrose, where you pretty much need a passport to get in and out of … at least when I was a kid. My summers were spent visiting family in West Texas and my favorite Granddaddy down in Fal (Falfurrias), fifty miles north of the border. I can remember driving down to Reynosa in his great big Cadillac with the windows rolled down. We’d be going at 110 miles per hour and I’d be handing out warm glazed donuts to my aunt and uncle from a box of Shipley’s sitting in my lap. There was a bar he loved there (Fal was dry) – one time Frank Beard, the lead from ZZ Top, was there with his girlfriend. Well, my aunt was seventeen, on her period and a huge fan. Needless to say, she had a complete meltdown in the girl’s bathroom and we came back to find my granddaddy and Frank sitting together drinking Hurricanes. It was a great way to spend the afternoon, I still have a silver ring with a rose on a vine that Granddaddy got for me at the local market.

Funny how things turn out, when I was seventeen, my mom moved in with my stepdad and I was delegated to the garage apartment. Guess who lived right around the corner - none other than one Mr. Beard, who would pass by for walks with his black leather biker jacket on and his fluffy white Bichon Frise puppy in his arms.

Also spent a lot of time in Louisiana, loved Bourbon Street, and Colorado, loved the snow. But, when I was twelve, I got my first taste of what, for me, was other world-ness. I went to France for six weeks on my own to visit my best friend, Juliette. After I got over being homesick, it was absolutely amazing.

Since then I’ve traveled through much of the U.S. – have to say I adore New Orleans and San Francisco. But, in 2004 my children and I had to make a huge decision … whether or not to stay here and throw my three years of research down the tubes, or follow my professor abroad and finish my PhD there. We decided on the latter, and boy, what a time to move to Belgium of all places! The U.S. had just declared war on Iraq with President Bush, a Texan no less, at the helm, and of any country in Europe, Belgium had absolutely no qualms about expressing their displeasure with that decision. We had the most amazing time though, Belgium is a beautiful country with a rich history and we made friends I hope will last a lifetime. It was amazing being able to visit different countries within 30 minutes to an hour and we took full advantage of that. France and Ireland would have to be among our favorites, but too many stories, too many breath-takingly exquisite, heart-stoppingly beautiful moments, to tell here. We finally made our way back home (yearly visits not withstanding) in 2007 on the QE2. We drove to Southampton via the ferry, sailed to New York, then took our time driving back down to Houston. It was perfect.

Question:

Did you use any of the experiences in your life and travels as a catalyst for your book?

Answer:

Of course I did. How could I not? My experiences color my view of the world, and my view of the world then colors my experiences. It all feeds together, and hopefully I make good choices on my visionary diet.

Question:

Where did you gather inspiration for your characters, their personalities, and the intriguing scenes in your book?

Answer:

Oh my. The characters, good and bad, and the scenes, come primarily from my own feelings, thoughts and desires, events that transpired, and others I’m really terribly glad didn’t. Then, of course, I throw in tidbits here and there from friends and family that moved me one way or another …

Question:

What was the writing process like?

Answer:

Wonderful … can’t get enough of it really. Just started a full-time job and it’s only just hitting me now how wonderful it was being able to write whenever and wherever the mood struck … provided the kids were all fed, bathed, dressed and happy!

Question:

How did the decision to become a writer formulate in your mind?

Answer:

I’d honestly have to say it didn’t. I just write. I love it, and hopefully what I write will mean something to someone else.

Question:

Do you find that there is a world of difference between writing and marketing your book?

Answer:

God, yes. Good thing is though, that I love to write and my husband loves to market. So, together we’ve married the two and that makes us both happy.

Question:

Tell us about the cover and trailers. What was that experience like?

Answer:

Positively amazing. Emlyn, at Novel Publicity, who I’m now fully convinced is a certified mind reader, handled the book cover. We spoke over the phone several times, then she turned it over to Lee, her graphics person, who designed the cover ... on vacation, no less. They are wonderful. The cover is exactly what I’d also seen in my dream. Couldn’t be more perfect if they spent another ten years on it.

As for the trailer, that was me. I felt what I wanted in it … what it needed to be. Then I figured out how to do that, how to give my feeling meat and bones. It took about three weeks, but I did have to learn absolutely everything to do it, Photoshop, picture websites, Windows Live Movie Maker, how to edit and add in music, and finally how to create a YouTube version of the trailer and post it on my blog. Thank God, William, my husband, was there to help and hug and push and laugh, at all the right times … just don’t tell him, or I’m afraid the pushing may ramp up a bit!

Question:

For our readers, please explain what Bone Dressing is.

Answer:

If I did that, I’d have to kill you. Just keep reading and figure it out for yourself. Welcome to the world of Bone Dressing ...

Question:

Bone Dressing is the first in a series of seven books. When you first had the idea of this book, as a writer, how did you know it would come to seven books?

Answer:

I saw the entire series in my head before I put a single word on paper. That’s how. Before it had breath, it had seven lives. And now, I’d better get back to writing the second one …

Bone Dressing. Please make sure you go out and buy her book today.

And remember... Always stay in your write mind.