I am thrilled to have interviewed author Michelle M. Pillow, who shared with us details of her writing life, her book ‘Merely Mortal‘, which was released on 25th June 2024, and answered a few fun questions. This post contains affiliate links.

Michelle M. Pillow is a celebrated NY Times & USA TODAY bestselling author with over a million books sold. Renowned for her captivating romance and supernatural novels, she excels in creating immersive worlds that ignite the imagination.

A recipient of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Michelle’s beloved works include the multi-series Qurilixen World and the enchanting Warlocks MacGregor series. Her newest first-person, urban fantasy series, Merely Mortal, just released. She loves to interact with readers.

The inspiration for Merely Mortal came from a combination of my fascination with the supernatural and a deep-seated desire to explore what it means to be human. It’s an idea I’ve been toying with and thinking about for years. I often find inspiration in the world around me. For this book, it was a mix of personal experiences and my love for creating intricate, magical worlds that grounded the story in relatable human emotions. Through Tamara, we can explore what it means to belong and to try to find your place in the world. I think a lot of people can identify with that feeling.

I start by carrying the plots in my head, constantly refining and evolving them as the story progresses. It’s how I get to know the world and the characters. Planning Merely Mortal was an intricate process. I use a combination of tools – I wrote a loose outline to learn where the story might go, notebooks for jotting down ideas and character arcs, and a lot of Post-it notes for those spontaneous bursts of inspiration. There were a lot of plotting sessions with my husband as well. It helps to have someone to verbalize the story with.

I wanted something that denoted “only” or “just” as a comparison of her mortality and humanity to the powerful supernatural immortal family she’d been born into because she’s just a human. People in her family’s world underestimate and dismiss her because of it. I want readers to see they don’t have to be whatever anyone else says they should to be special. The title is a perfect fit as the story, encapsulating Tamara’s struggle as a mortal in a supernatural world. It felt right and resonated deeply with the themes of the book.

Naming characters is one of the more stressful parts of the writing process for me. I often choose names with significant meanings or historical connections reflecting the character’s personality or journey—or their parents’ personalities. For Merely Mortal, I spent time researching names and sometimes just went with a name that felt right for the character.

Research is crucial for authenticity, even in fantasy world-building. For Merely Mortal, I delved into folklore, mythology, and historical texts to build a believable magical world. I also drew from psychological studies to develop realistic emotional responses and relationships between characters.

I’ve always been drawn to the blend of romance, fantasy, and supernatural elements. The Urban Fantasy genre allows for endless creativity and the ability to explore profound human emotions and experiences through a fantastical lens. It’s the perfect playground for my imagination.

If you count from the time I had the initial idea to the final publication, Merely Mortal took years to complete, but I had a lot of other projects going on during that time. When I finally sat down to focus solely on this book, the actual hands-on-keyboard writing process took about 6 months because I was not only planning book one, but a series.

Magic. Danger. Romance.

The hardest part is balancing the creative process with the business side of writing and trying to maintain a personal life. It can be challenging to switch from the imaginative, free-flowing mindset required for writing to the structured, strategic approach needed for marketing and publishing. Deadlines wait for no one. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always respect deadlines. All that said, I love my career. I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do.

Merely Mortal offers a unique blend of magic, danger, and romance that will captivate readers from the first page. It’s a journey of self-discovery, filled with relatable characters, intricate world-building, and emotional depth. If you love being transported to new worlds and experiencing the thrill of supernatural adventure, this book is for you.

Yes, I do! I have a wonderful hot mess of a manager named Bunny who monitors me in secret while I write. She figures someone needs to keep an eye on me as I can’t be trusted to do it myself. During breaks (that she determines) she loves to curl up next to me and purr, providing a comforting presence during long writing sessions.

I definitely have a few! I often write late at night when the world is quiet, and my imagination can run wild—though really I write all day long, it’s a full-full time job. I also have special ceramic mugs that I love to use for coffee, which were made by someone very special.

I write anywhere and everywhere except my actual office, where I should be. I’ve written in waiting rooms while waiting for appointments, driving cross-country in a car (someone else was driving), hotel rooms, airplanes, and coffee shops. This job is full-on all the time. Normally, though, I write at my kitchen table or sitting up in bed with the TV as background noise.

Michelle Not Writing in her Office

What a fun question! For years, I said I wanted to be a zombie extra in a movie. Not sure how we’d fit that into this book. Maybe at her birthday party LOL? I’d love to be a quirky waitress as Tamara is on the run, or a mysterious vampire or irate fairy in the magical world of Merely Mortal. It would be fun to interact with the characters I’ve created in a small but memorable way.

“Well, that was a hoot! Tell me, will there be more magical adventures for Tamara?”

Why yes, little owl. I’m working on book two, Mostly Shattered, right now. It will be released in October.

A big thank you to Michelle M. Pillow for sharing her writing life with us and for a wonderful interview.