Michele Bardsley is with us this month to talk abut her current release, I’m a Vampire, That’s Why and 

her previous Berkley release, Cupid, Inc. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today!

Congratulations on the release of I’m a Vampire, That’s Why this month. What was your favorite part 

of writing this book?

Thanks so much, Kelley! I enjoyed writing all of it. In fact, I wrote too much and ended up cutting out nearly 60 

pages. LOL.

How much research had to go into the development of your vampire world presented in the book?

I don’t know. When I got to a part where I needed Gaelic words or information, I’d go off to Google and spend

a couple hours researching. I like to write that way. It’s really hard for me to leave something undone or unwritten

with the idea of coming back later. 

I loved Jessica. She’s so smart and sassy, with a wicked sense of humor, dedicated to her children 

above all else, in addition to being the soul mate of an ancient vampire. How much of Michele can 

be found in Jessica’s personality?

Er … quite a lot, I’m afraid. I hate to cop to having such a potty mouth, but I do. I try to curb it, but I’m not always 

successful. I’m also a smart ass and rather impatient. Don’t drive with me. <g> 

I loved the premise you had for the vampire society and I loved the idea of having wehr-vamp Lor be 

the key to everything. Where did you get the idea for this part of the story?

I don’t know. Maybe I should start writing down how things occur to me. So I came up with wehr 

(some convoluted way … oy!) and then I realized that “were” means “man.” I didn’t want to call my guys “weres” 

because it was the equivalent of saying “hey, there goes that man.” LOL. I settled on lycanthrope 

(because that means a man who turns into a wolf). I remember going to see Underworld 2 and thinking, 

“Oh man, I don’t want to use lycan now.” Er … what were we talking about? Oh. The hybrid thing. Well, that’s 

sorta an Underworld thing, too, but my twist is that hybridization doesn’t work. I’ll explain more in the sequel. :-) 

You have written for several publishers, Penguin Putnam and Changeling Press, just to name a couple. 

What’s it like having to deal with multiple sets of requirements and publisher timelines? Is it hard to 

keep them all straight?

Well, it’s not hard to keep ’em straight, but I don’t always have the time to write everything I want to write. I’ve 

had to cull back on some commitments and do some time management. I’m not particularly organized or good 

at routines or managing time. Life is messy. That’s my motto.

How do you balance family time versus writing time and still get everything done? Do you have a set 

schedule you follow or is it more free flowing based on what’s going on that day?

I never get everything done. I wish I could say that I have lists and routines and maps and schedules, but I don’t. 

It’s not for lack of trying … I’ve had day planners and attempted to keep routines. Well-meaning friends have tried 

to show me how manage myself and my time better. It just doesn’t stick. I think as long as I get done what I need 

to get done, it’s all good. I’m all for seeing how the day unfolds. There are some days that no matter how you plan 

it, stuff goes wrong or you end up doing something totally not expected. I’d rather be open to potential of chaos and 

new experiences than holding onto a to-do list and getting freaking out because I can’t check off anything. Go with 

the flow, baby. 

Your anthology Cupid, Inc, was a new idea for bringing Psyche and Eros and company into the 

modern world. What made you decide to use the concept of a dating service to showcase the book?

I wrote The Accountant and the Virgin as a Quick Silver for Liquid Silver Books. Then my agent shopped around 

the idea and NAL liked it enough to buy the concept. It was Kara Cesare’s, my NAL editor, idea to connect the 

novellas with scenes from the Cupid, Inc. offices. And Liquid Silver was great about allowing T

he Accountant and the Virgin to be part of CUPID, INC. 

My favorite story in the anthology would have to be the final one, The Spy Who Rubbed Me. If you

 had to pick a specific story in the collection that sticks out for you, which would it be?

The Stars in Her Eyes because that was my Valentine to Keanu Reeves. I adore him. So, I wrote the movie star 

fantasy with him in mind. Yummy!

As a writer of erotica, it’s expected that the quotient of love scenes in your stories would be higher 

and hotter than traditional romance. Is it difficult to keep the spice level high in your works? How hard 

is it to sit down and write the scenes?

I’ve been writing erotic romance more than any other genre so it’s more difficult to tone down scenes 

(at least to the level that I used to write for my sweeter romances) than it is to keep the spice level high. Well … I 

don’t do a lot of BDSM or kink or fetish … so I guess the reader’s idea of “spice” is what counts. What I write might 

be hot to some and tame to others. But it’s fun to write. :-)

How long have you been writing?  You’ve written in various subgenres of erotica and romance. 

Do you have a particular one you enjoy writing the most?

I know every writer says this, but I’ve been writing ever since I could remember. I start putting down poems and 

short stories when I was twelve and I’ve never stopped. I sold my first novel in 1998, which was called 

DADDY IN TRAINING, and is still available from Hard Shell Word Factory. 

If I had to name what I thought your trademark was based on I’m the Vampire That’s Why 

and Cupid, Inc, I’d probably say your sense of humor and highly sensual storylines. What would you 

say is your trademark?

I’d go with sense of humor, definitely. I love romantic comedy and I love making people laugh. I’d also like to 

think of myself as writing “mommy humor.” Kids tend to appear in my fiction (not so much the erotica <g>) 

because they make great comedy foibles.

Do you usually outline your stories before you write them, or do you "go with the flow"?

I outline stories and write synopsises because I have to, but I rarely use them to write. Generally, I just write 

the story then I rewrite it a few times and then it’s done. I don’t usually do a formal plot, which isn’t an efficient 

way to write but it works for me.

Most authors are also avid readers.  Is this the case with you?  If so, who are some of your favorites?

Have any influenced your writing?

Heck, yeah. Nora Roberts, Joey Hill, Nancy Atherton, Jeff Strand, Evangeline Anderson, Kim Harrison, 

Charlaine Harris, and MaryJanice Davidson. Those are just a few. I love to read all genres. I particularly enjoy 

paranormal fiction. I think good writers read a lot. The reason I write is that I love words and I love to see how 

other writers put their words together, how they create their stories. Learn from the masters. :-)

Have you ever suffered from "writer’s block"?  If so, what did you do to get out if it?

I haven’t suffered from writer’s block. If I get stuck, then I figure I either need to take a break or I’m writing in 

the wrong direction. I usually have several projects going on at once and I’ll switch to another story until I can 

get my mind wrapped around the one giving me problems. Usually I’ll figure out what to do next. Otherwise, I’ll 

just write on through, even it’s crap, because as the Goddess Nora says, “You can fix a bad page but you can’t 

fix a blank one.”

What books can we expect in the near future from you? Can you give us any teasers about 

pending projects?

DON’T TALK BACK TO YOUR VAMPIRE comes out in July 2007. It’s the story of Eva LeRoy and Lorcan O’Halloran. 

As for a third in the series … it’s not sold yet though I hope to write several more stories about the vampire moms 

of Broken Heart, Oklahoma. I’m also penning another erotica for NAL. It’s untitled, but it’s about a series of 

themed “islands of pleasure” where adults can go have all kinds of fun.  

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Keep writing. Never give up. Write for the joy of it first and getting paid for it second. 

Thanks Michele for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with me today!

With this wonderful interview Kelley has ended her association with Love Romances & More.  We would like to express our appreciation for everything she has done for both the readers and all of the staff here at LR&M in her years as both a reviewer, interviewer and past owner of this site.  Good luck in all of your future endeavors!