About Michelle Weidenbenner:
AWARD-WINNING and AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR.
GOLD Medal WINNER in the 2014 READERS’ FAVORITE International Awards.
Bronze Medal Winner in Dan Poytner’s Global eBook Awards.
Winner of the Kindle Book Promotion Awards
Michelle is a fulltime employee of God’s kingdom, writing and encouraging writers every day. She’s often a sucker for emotional stories, her sensitive side fueling the passion for her character’s plights, often giving her the ability to show readers the “other” side of the story.
She grew up in the burbs of Detroit with five brothers. No sisters. Each time her mom brought the boy bundle home from the hospital Michelle cried, certain her mom liked boys better than girls. But when her brothers pitched in with the cooking, cleaning, and babysitting–without drama, Michelle discovered having brothers wasn’t so bad. They even taught her how to take direct criticism without flinching, which might come in handy with book reviews.
Michelle is living her dream–writing every day and thanking God for the stories He puts in her path. When Michelle isn’t writing she’s winning ugly on the tennis court. She’s known as “Queen of the Rim Shots.” No joke. It’s ugly.
CACHE a PREDATOR is currently hidden in geocaching sites throughout the US. If you’d like to see where there might be a novel hidden in your area, please log in to geocaching.com and search for trackables at IN SCRIBE–that’s Michelle.
What inspires you to write?
Every day battles and stories of ordinary people who persevere, who sacrifice and love despite adversity.
Tell us about your writing process.
I outline but keep it loose enough so I don’t smash my creativity. Every hero needs a goal and a reason to want to reach that goal. Obstacles get in the way of that goal and cause conflict. Sometimes other people get in the way. Sometimes it’s internal. Most of the time there’s an internal and external battle within the character. I love it when my hero learns something along the way too. I like to know what my character’s fears and dreams are before I start. I know their backstory, but I don’t always write it down. My friend, Janelle, taught me how to find pictures of my characters so I can remember what they look like. Lol. That’s what Pinterest boards are good for.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Not as much as I’d like to. I’m hoping that that improves a little. I can be shy.
What advice would you give other writers?
Butt. In. Chair. Give yourself permission to write garbage, but don’t ever publish your first draft. Be willing to split yourself open to criticism. If we quit learning… we’re done.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I waited a long time to find an agent. I found one. Then I had to wait to find a publisher. I got tired of waiting because I have so many stories to tell, so in July, 2013 I published my first book. I’ve published two since then and will publish the fourth next month. I love having control over when I publish my books. I’m a huge entrepreneur so the business aspect of marketing my books hasn’t felt daunting. It’s been a lot of creative fun. I only wish there was two or three of me. (My husband does too. Ha!)
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The paradigm is shifting so quickly. I think we’ll see more product-planting in self-published books. But eventually I think we’ll see more interactive books. Even for adults–with pictures of our characters and the settings in the stories.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: I’m a RANDOM GIRL who writes in random genres.
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Link To Michelle Weidenbenner Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
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