Michelle McGriff - Queen of Urban Thrillers

Shelia Goss: Thus far, I've read all of your books. You come up with unique storylines. How long does it take you to write a novel?
Michelle McGriff: It take me about 36 hours in my mind and about 4 months to draft hard copy and that's about 40-60,000 words. Edits and all the rest can take up to 6 months but that's common.

SG: Your characters are unforgettable. Are they based on people that you know?
MM: Not directly. I think they are mostly based on people I've met, such as, in passing, or people I've observed such as in the mall or on a bus. I like to ask myself What If....what is that person is a spy, a criminal, a psycho...what will they do when they leave this mall, get off this bus, etc...

SG: Did you always plan to write professionally?
MM: No, I've always written since being a teen, however, I thought I would have been a movie director. That was what I always wanted to be. I used to always want to yell out "CUT" especially when my real life got full of drama. HA! I used to want to be a professional entertainer (singer) like my father but decided against it after some health issues took my voice. Plus, I get stage freight.

SG: 2007 is a busy year for you. Please tell us about your 2007 releases.
MM: First off there is Colored Summer, the story written in first person. It was a challenge as I normally write in omi-first. June, is another anthology with Dr. Maxine Thompson (No Pockets in a Shroud) and bestselling author Denise Campbell (Mankiller). My story in that set is DETOURED. July will bring another THRILLER, Deadly Tease...that story will take my readers to a side of Michelle McGriff they have never seen before (wink). And then a new book under a pen name that I'm going to try on the public before attempting to cross fully into that genre. I'll leave that secret there for a minute... secret.

SG: What's one of your favorite pastimes, when you're not writing?
MM: Dancing and virtual speed dating haha. Seriously, I enjoy listening to music and watching movies.

To learn more about Michelle McGriff, visit her website.

Interview by Shelia M Goss, an entertainment writer and author of My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, Violets are true and Paige's Web. For more information, visit www.sheliagoss.com.