Interview Courtney E. Michel

by

Jeannine Van Eperen

1) Courtney, I love your title Idle Tuesday. How did you happen to pick it?

The title Idle Tuesday just sort of popped into my head. I suppose because my grandma used to have an old saying about your life changing on just any idle Tuesday. I felt like that was right for Rae Ann. Her life changes in an instant. And now the theme “the days of the week” have carried over into my other books!

2) Is Idle Tuesday your first book? What prompted you to write it?

This is my first full-length book. I used to write short stories as a kid, which I didn’t think were worth anything because they were “short.” Now I am thinking about revisiting those old haunts!

I started writing Idle Tuesday in college almost ten years ago. I have always been an avid reader and decided just to give writing a go.

3) Do you always write romance? Or have you written in any other genre?

No, I am not romance exclusive. In fact, I never intended to write romance. But sometimes romance just writes itself! I love a good mystery and I just finished one of those. And another one of the books I’m working on now is just an interaction between sisters.

4) Since this interview is being conducted before I have read your book, could you tell me a bit about it?

Idle Tuesday is about self-determination and what happens when you allow yourself to actually let go. My heroine, Rae Ann, is a stubborn, independent, self-involved television reporter. She is at a point in her life when she thinks that maybe it is time to let some of her walls down. But she is devastated when her whirlwind marriage doesn’t work out and she loses the only thing she has ever been emotionally attached to… her job. The only thing Rae Ann knows how to do is to start over. Completely wipe the slate clean. Fortunately, she stumbles into a small southern Illinois town where she finds an unlikely man that gives her exactly what she didn’t know she was missing.

5) Is your heroine anything like you?

I think I am definitely determined like Rae Ann but I have always had a solid emotional support system. I was lucky to find my great love early on in life. It is the combination of the two that allow me to write within the entire emotional spectrum.

6) Did you have to do any research for Idle Tuesday or is the background something with which you are completely familiar?

I was completely unfamiliar with practically everything in Idle Tuesday. (lol) A lot of the book is centered on skiing in the Wisconsin Dells. I have never skied and I have never been to the Dells!! I was also in the dark about Rae Ann’s profession as a television reporter. Thankfully the new settings turned out to be a great learning experience and a local television station generously gave me a behind-the-scenes tour.

7) Do you have any hobbies and sports that you incorporate into your plot(s)?

I used to love to crochet and I do love to cook. But these days extra time for hobbies is in short supply! Besides, I love to write about new things that I have never had the time to experience. It is my escape from reality. But maybe someday I will write a book about a mad, crocheting mother of two that can whip up a mean meatloaf!

8) Are you working on any other books at present?

I have six other books that I am working on currently! I just can’t stop. Everyday provides a new supply of material. All it takes is an eccentric comment from the bored sandwich maker where I order lunch and bam a new book is in the works!

9) Do you have another job and need to fit writing into your schedule? If so, when do you write?

I have many other jobs! I am a farmer’s wife and the mother of two young sons that are three and one year old. That alone makes me very busy. On top of that I work full-time for the state of Illinois. I fit writing in on my lunch hour and after the kids go to bed. Saturdays are dedicated to the new book review website I just started and Sundays are for playing with my children.

10) If you could be any character from any book ever written, who would you be and why? Be sure to tell me the book and author.

This is a tough one. Strangely I am not a huge fan of classic literature. It is way too hard to identify with. I guess I have always wanted to be Nancy Drew. She had such a fiery spirit and seemed to be ahead of her time. The original series written by Mildred Wirt-Benson gave girls the impression that they could do anything a man could do. I was in love with Nancy’s adventures growing up. Every time my family went on vacation I always wanted to solve a mystery just like Nancy did!

11) If you’ve had other books published, what are they? Are they the same genre as Idle Tuesday?

Idle Tuesday is the first and hopefully not the last thing I will publish. This first time is extremely exciting. I have really enjoyed the entire process and look forward to going through it again and again and again!!

Thanks, Courtney, for taking the time to answer my questions.