Michelle McLean’s The Marquess Married a Murderess releases later this week, and she was kind enough to answer some questions for us.
You can get your copy of this thrilling historical romance HERE!
Did you always know you wanted to be an author? What is the first story you remember writing? How did you get from there to where you are today?
I did…but it was one of those jobs that sounded like an unrealistic dream. Like being a movie star or rock star. But I always wrote stories. My mom saved little stories I wrote from kindergarten on up. I wrote my first “book” in 5th grade – it won first place in the Young Author’s Book Fair 😊 When my son was a baby, I finally decided to write a full novel. I wrote during his nap times, then took a 2 year break when I had my daughter. Then decided to finish it while I was working on my Master’s degree LOL I did actually sell that book (To Trust a Thief), but it took four years 😊 A few years down the road, I added contemporary romances under Kira Archer. I’m up to 30 novels now…and two movies 😀 (Truly, Madly, Sweetly with Hallmark in 2018, and 69 Million Things I Hate About You in development with Amazon MGM). 
How much research do you do into the time period and places you write about?
A LOT. Especially with the Regency era. I don’t think people realize just how much we research. I have researched everything from clothing styles to what kind of teacup someone would use when in mourning. Truly, every tiny detail is researched. I’ve definitely gotten things wrong because there is a lot of conflicting information out there. And one thing I didn’t realize when I really began delving into this period is how much of the information out there is based on Austen…and how much of a difference there is between country gentry living and the higher echelons in London. Also, how much people tend to confuse the Regency period with the Georgian/Victorian. The Regency wasn’t quite as uptight as most believe. Many of the stricter etiquette rules came a bit later. And now you’ve got me talking shop and I could ramble for days LOL Long story short (I know, way too late!) I do a lot of research LOL
What are your favorite kind of characters to write? Do you have a specific trope that you’re drawn too?
I really love enemies to lovers and grumpy/sunshine. I really love some good snarky banter, and those tropes give me so much to work with. I’m very non-confrontational in real life, and I’m one of those people who can never think of the right thing to say in the moment and then 2 hours later will think of the perfect comeback. So I really love writing characters who are both more outgoing than I am, and who can fire off the perfect response no matter the occasion. I also really love finding ways to take two people who you would never think would end up together, and find a way to give them a happily ever after.
Which comes first for you: the plot or the characters?
It depends on the story. Lately, plot seems to come first. But I also have really vivid dreams and a massively overactive imagination. So sometimes I’ll either dream something up or something will spark an idea for a scene, and I’ll build a story around that.
Do you know where the story is going before you begin, or does it come to you as you write? Do scenes come to you fully formed or are you as surprised as the reader?
Again, it depends on the story. It is crazy to me how different each one is, from conception to writing to finishing. Some stories—actually most of my stories, now that I think of it—I start with a scene that was sparked by something.
For instance, my first book, To Trust a Thief, began with a scene that occurs in the last few chapters where my heroine witnesses what she believes is the hero’s death.
Another book (that’s not out yet) was sparked by a funny story about vultures I saw on TikTok.
How to Lose a Highlander is a Taming of the Shrew/How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days mashup where they are BOTH shrews trying to get rid of the other one.
69 Million Things I Hate About You was sparked by a convo with my husband about what we’d do if we won the lotto. He said quit his job because it was driving him nuts how some people got away with anything without getting fired. I said, yeah but it might be fun (if money wasn’t an issue) to stick around and see how much crazy stuff you could get away with before they actually fired you.
Sometimes if I need to come up with a new idea, I try and think of crazy mashups or two totally unrelated things that I can combine to make a fun idea. My newest release, The Marquess Married a Murderess, was inspired by my love of 90s romcoms. I wanted to write another Regency and had just watched one of my faves, So I Married an Axe Murderer, and thought hmmm it would be fun to do something like that, but set in the Regency 😊
As for how my scenes turn out, I’m a weird mix of plotter and pantser. I so start out with a synopsis which I turn into a basic outline. The first 10 chapters are usually pretty mapped out. As are the last 5-10 chapters. Those middle 10-15 chapters are pretty vague LOL About 10 – 20k words in, I stop and outline the remaining chapters. About 40k words in, I stop and re-outline. By this point, I usually know what I’m missing from that middle chunk and can fill in some blanks. Once I’m finished, I read through everything and fill in whatever holes are left 😊
From all your books, who is your favorite hero and why?
Ohhhh that’s too hard to pick LOL Okay, here’s my top 5 LOL
Bryant from To Trust a Thief – he’s the “bad guy” with the heart of gold. And he was my first hero so….he’ll always be special 😀
Malcolm from How to Lose a Highlander – my ultimate hottie highlander. Intelligent, can go from the ballroom to the battlefield without batting an eye, can be petty but has a great sense of humor about it, and loves more fiercely than anyone.
Brooks from my Winning the Billionaire series (as Kira Archer). He was the side character in the first book, so I had to give him his own. He is a Ryan Reynolds type who always has a joke ready, loves a good time, and avoided responsibility like the plague until he dove in head first like the golden retriever he really is
Gray from Hitched to the Gunslinger – omg this guy. Based on Harrison Ford. He is cranky, over everything, out of effs to give, and just wants a nap. I LOVE him.
And my current favorite is Edward from The Marquess Married a Murderess because 1, I just wrote him
so he’s kind of on my mind lol and 2, you just gotta love a guy who falls so hard he doesn’t even care if his woman turns out to be a serial husband killer. He’s willing to take the chance if it means being with her. You really can’t beat that 😊
What do you like to read when you’re not reading in your genre? Did you have a favorite book or series when you were growing up?
I read a lot of paranormal and fantasy. Probably because my faves growing up were fairy tales. I cut my teeth on Snow White and Beauty and the Beast….which is probably where the whole fantasy and paranormal love came from. I imprinted on the stuff before I even knew how to read 😊
