LPR: Girl of My Dreams is the kind of story that actually causes a woman to dream of what might have been if she had been in a beauty contest. A delightful read that shows great talent in making descriptions of the interactions between characters sound so normal and real.
MM: Thanks so much, Lucille. I'm glad you enjoyed Girl of My Dreams.
LPR: Please tell us what kind of writing you like most to do and how you got your start as a writer.
MM: Romances and mysteries are equal favorites of mine. I have the same tastes in reading as when I'm going to a movie or watching a DVD at home. I started seriously writing fiction after attending a program by Chicago-North Romance Writers of America at the local library. That's when I discovered authors were real people and maybe if I worked hard enough I could be one of them. I joined the chapter and have never regretted it. Getting the support and feedback from my chapter friends is what made the difference in my getting published.
LPR: What other books or stories have you written and where might the reader find these?
MM: My debut novel, Two Wrongs, a mystery set in Chicago, combining elements of a John Grisham-like courtroom scene, a Danielle Steel-like second-chance-at-love and an old Charles Bronson movie-like revenge plot, was published in 2006 and is still available at www.hardshell.com, in print and ebook, also at www.amazon.com, www.fictionwise.com,
http://mobipocket.com and by order at bookstores. My current romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams is available through the same venues.
LPR: When I first began to read Girl of My Dreams, I thought, Oh sure, another romance of course. But I found your story set apart from the usual tale in that every incident, every event, seemed so real. I wondered if you had any personal experience as a contestant in a beauty contest. If not, have you worked on the sidelines to help put on a contest?
MM: I've never been in a beauty contest, I'm over twice as old as my character, but I can dream, can't I? That's what fiction is all about, becoming someone else for a short time.
LPR: Another thing that set the story apart is that of having a rich young man make the choices instead of a panel of three or more people. What gave you this idea? In my opinion it proved very good for me.
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Very good interview. I love to read about other authors.
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