10 Questions with Lori Michelle
1. Was there an overall theme for the stories you selected for the Bleed anthology?
Yes. Each of the stories had to be allegorical with the monster representing cancer. Some of them slightly deviated from this, like having a loss of being in control, but all the stories still fit the cancer-monster theme.
2. Who is your favorite writer?
In person? Max Booth III. Who I grew up reading, V.C. Andrews. I know, B-rated cult crap, but I loved reading anything she wrote. I am also a huge fan of Sidney Sheldon, Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen, Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, and Christopher Moore.
3. Can you explain the personal nature of what the Bleed anthology meant to you in light of your son’s illness?
I wanted people to understand just how hard it is to deal with cancer. And as a mom of an afflicted child, it makes it harder. You don’t want your child to be sick, and you would do anything you possible could to take that pain away from them. But you can’t, and there is nothing you can do for them except be strong. Too many children have one form of cancer or another. And though the success rate for survival is high, it leaves them with anything but a “normal” life. After fighting the beast for three and a half years, my son suffers from ADHD and developmental issues because of the chemotherapy. The cancer is gone, but it has left a path of destruction. Plus, he will always have to vigilant in watching out for signs of cancer. The chances of him getting another form of cancer later in life are something like two or three times greater than an average human. Yep, cancer sucks for anyone at any age, but for a child, it alters the course of everything.
4. What advice do you have for beginning writers?
Write every day. Write often. Learn from your mistakes. Don’t be afraid to ask. And don’t think you are above the editing sword. None of us are above that!
5. What author were you most excited about to work with in one of your editing projects?
There ended up being a billion authors (ok I am teasing) in Bleed. Joe McKinney is always great to work with, and Bentley Little was very nice and very sarcastic. Tim Waggoner, Benjamin Kane Ethridge, Jason V Brock, James Dorr, Mort Castle, Peter Dudar, Pete Giglio, are all fantastic. Jonathan Maberry was also very supportive of Bleed. I was lucky enough that everyone, and I mean EVERY SINGLE AUTHOR in Bleed was so encouraging and so generous with their time and work. I wish I could name them all, but we would run out of space on your blog!
Since I also run Dark Moon Digest and Dark Eclipse, I am lucky enough to work with great authors every day, both new and seasoned.
6. How do you use social media to promote your projects?
I suck. Ok, I am not horrible, but I do use FaceBook to try and promote. Mostly, I attempt to not shove my books down people’s throats, but I do try to mention them here and there. FB is funny, you have to draw that delicate line between reminding people of your work, and reminding them that you are also human. I think the best thing we can do on social media is make friendships and connections. The promoting will naturally flow from there without being forced. I am still trying to figure out Twitter.
7. What is your favorite short story that you have ever read?
Ever in my whole life, “The Moving Finger,” by the great master, Stephen King. More recently, every time I read Tracie McBride’s story “With Paper Armour and Wooden Sword,” in Bleed, I cry, so there must be something to that too.
8. Which person do you most admire?
I know I should say something like my mother, or father (who I do love and admire dearly), but more often than not lately, I realize we are all a little screwy, and I admire anyone who simply makes it through the day. I tend to admire different things about different people. I admire Max Booth III’s brilliance and creativity, I admire Jessica McHugh’s outgoingness, I admire George Cotronis’s graphic ability, I admire Lindsey Beth Goddard’s tenacity, I admire my daughter’s musical ability and I admire my son’s resilience...everyone has something that is admirable. But we also have to remember to admire ourselves too.
9. What has been your most enjoyable experience as an editor?
When someone I don’t know emails me or finds me on FaceBook, or even at conventions to tell me how much they like Dark Moon Digest and Dark Eclipse. I know then that I actually did something right. Also, giving that newbie author their very first publication credit is a feeling like none other. You know how excited that author is, and you know that YOU made their dream come true.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
Oh goodness, you had to throw fictional in there did ya? Let’s see, Stephen King, V.C. Andrews, Morgana LeFay, George Balanchine, and Jesus. Not for religious reasons, I just would like to meet the man to see how he was. I have this weird feeling that his presence would be calming.
Well dangit, at first I couldn’t think of anyone, but now I want to invite more people. Can we have stuffed jalapenos?
Yes. Each of the stories had to be allegorical with the monster representing cancer. Some of them slightly deviated from this, like having a loss of being in control, but all the stories still fit the cancer-monster theme.
2. Who is your favorite writer?
In person? Max Booth III. Who I grew up reading, V.C. Andrews. I know, B-rated cult crap, but I loved reading anything she wrote. I am also a huge fan of Sidney Sheldon, Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen, Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, and Christopher Moore.
3. Can you explain the personal nature of what the Bleed anthology meant to you in light of your son’s illness?
I wanted people to understand just how hard it is to deal with cancer. And as a mom of an afflicted child, it makes it harder. You don’t want your child to be sick, and you would do anything you possible could to take that pain away from them. But you can’t, and there is nothing you can do for them except be strong. Too many children have one form of cancer or another. And though the success rate for survival is high, it leaves them with anything but a “normal” life. After fighting the beast for three and a half years, my son suffers from ADHD and developmental issues because of the chemotherapy. The cancer is gone, but it has left a path of destruction. Plus, he will always have to vigilant in watching out for signs of cancer. The chances of him getting another form of cancer later in life are something like two or three times greater than an average human. Yep, cancer sucks for anyone at any age, but for a child, it alters the course of everything.
4. What advice do you have for beginning writers?
Write every day. Write often. Learn from your mistakes. Don’t be afraid to ask. And don’t think you are above the editing sword. None of us are above that!
5. What author were you most excited about to work with in one of your editing projects?
There ended up being a billion authors (ok I am teasing) in Bleed. Joe McKinney is always great to work with, and Bentley Little was very nice and very sarcastic. Tim Waggoner, Benjamin Kane Ethridge, Jason V Brock, James Dorr, Mort Castle, Peter Dudar, Pete Giglio, are all fantastic. Jonathan Maberry was also very supportive of Bleed. I was lucky enough that everyone, and I mean EVERY SINGLE AUTHOR in Bleed was so encouraging and so generous with their time and work. I wish I could name them all, but we would run out of space on your blog!
Since I also run Dark Moon Digest and Dark Eclipse, I am lucky enough to work with great authors every day, both new and seasoned.
6. How do you use social media to promote your projects?
I suck. Ok, I am not horrible, but I do use FaceBook to try and promote. Mostly, I attempt to not shove my books down people’s throats, but I do try to mention them here and there. FB is funny, you have to draw that delicate line between reminding people of your work, and reminding them that you are also human. I think the best thing we can do on social media is make friendships and connections. The promoting will naturally flow from there without being forced. I am still trying to figure out Twitter.
7. What is your favorite short story that you have ever read?
Ever in my whole life, “The Moving Finger,” by the great master, Stephen King. More recently, every time I read Tracie McBride’s story “With Paper Armour and Wooden Sword,” in Bleed, I cry, so there must be something to that too.
8. Which person do you most admire?
I know I should say something like my mother, or father (who I do love and admire dearly), but more often than not lately, I realize we are all a little screwy, and I admire anyone who simply makes it through the day. I tend to admire different things about different people. I admire Max Booth III’s brilliance and creativity, I admire Jessica McHugh’s outgoingness, I admire George Cotronis’s graphic ability, I admire Lindsey Beth Goddard’s tenacity, I admire my daughter’s musical ability and I admire my son’s resilience...everyone has something that is admirable. But we also have to remember to admire ourselves too.
9. What has been your most enjoyable experience as an editor?
When someone I don’t know emails me or finds me on FaceBook, or even at conventions to tell me how much they like Dark Moon Digest and Dark Eclipse. I know then that I actually did something right. Also, giving that newbie author their very first publication credit is a feeling like none other. You know how excited that author is, and you know that YOU made their dream come true.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
Oh goodness, you had to throw fictional in there did ya? Let’s see, Stephen King, V.C. Andrews, Morgana LeFay, George Balanchine, and Jesus. Not for religious reasons, I just would like to meet the man to see how he was. I have this weird feeling that his presence would be calming.
Well dangit, at first I couldn’t think of anyone, but now I want to invite more people. Can we have stuffed jalapenos?
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