Good morning. It’s Meet and Greet Monday!

With us today is Romance Author, Nikka Michaels.

 Welcome, Nikka!
Thanks for having me! 🙂

Describe a typical day in the life of you and your Muse.
Wake up, drink all the coffee in the known universe, then hop on the inter webs and catch up with the social media stuff, then I brainstorm with my co-writer Eileen Griffin if we’re working on a project together. After that? I write. And work on all the other things like around the house stuff and hang with the family. Then write some more.

Tell us, what’s the first thought that comes to your head when you read the following words…
Romance …isn’t just a guilty pleasure.
Winter …break.
Vacation …staycation.
Thor …me.
The Walking Dead…scare the bejesus out of me.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where do you live, do you have a significant other, any young ones running around?
I’m blessed to live in Portland, Oregon full of quirky people, breweries and lots of good food. I have a family which include a significant other, a couple of minions and a farty dog.

What is your favorite junk food?
Cheeseburger. I haz it.

What do you like to do for fun and relax?
Read. Listen to music. Cook. Eat.

If we were to come over to your house for dinner, what dish would you make us?
Spaghetti and bacon filled meatballs. With extra cheese.

Who do you think is hotter – Liam or Chris Hemsworth?
Liam. Hands down. I’m a sucker for a brunett.

Who is your celebrity crush?
Chef Chuck Hughes. Him speaking French just does all the right things.

What three words would your family use to describe you?
Scatterbrained, Goofy, Funny.

What is the most played song on your iPod/MP3 Player?
Right now? Probably Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. Big Minion loves to sing along.

What song are you most sick of hearing right now?  
Right now? Happy by Pharell. I love the song and him but it’s overplayed right now.

If you had the chance to meet one author – past or present – who would it be? Why?
I’d love to meet my co-writer Eileen Griffin in person one day. We’re besties separated by distance but she always makes me laugh. And she’s an awesome writer. (I’m spoiled since she lets me beta read)

Who/What are you currently reading?
Stay by Riley Hart.

Tell us about your “big break” in the publishing world. Was there any one person believe in your work first (besides yourself of course)? What did you do to celebrate your first contract?
My big break was a novella called Chasing Matt, co-written with Eileen Griffin. It was definitely a learning experience, from writing to revising, to editing to the whole subbing process. The one person who has always believed in me is Eileen. When something I write sucks? She’ll tell me and she pushes me to write better.
My family took me out to celebrate my first contract and I had a big old cheeseburger. 🙂

Writing can be a crazy business. How do you stay positive within the craziness?
Just keep writing, surround yourself with positive people, realize every day you get to do this is a gift, accept criticism, learn from it and always grow.

No matter the story, where do you always draw inspiration from when you begin each story?
Music. I have to have music to write.

What do you find most challenging about writing?
Outlining. I used to be a pantser but it’s too easy for me to get overwhelmed so learning how to do outlines to stay on track has been the most challenging thing about writing.

Nikka’s Note:
Lip Service was fun to write as it’s revisiting Seth and Carson from Room Service. I admire what they have and how they make time for each other even though they’re always busy. It might not be a relationship for everyone but these two make it work and I love writing about nontraditional relationships.

What is Cobblestone Press’ Blue Line?
The Blue short story line is erotica. For us, erotica is about the fulfillment of a sexual fantasy.  These stories are sexy, very graphic, and are by no means a “traditional romance”.

Dr. Seth Campbell and Carson Randall from ROOM SERVICE return in this short erotic sequel. Separated by their jobs on a daily basis, the partners have to make time for each other when they can. They combine their passion for each other in mini interludes to reconnect with each other and rekindle their connection.

When Seth finds Carson waiting for him in the hotel bar, their attraction and awareness smolders to life. When their already limited time together is interrupted by an important phone call, an impatient Seth takes matters into his own hands.

Grab your copy at:
Cobblestone Press

About Nikka:
Nikka Michaels lives in the often rainy Pacific Northwest where she spends her time cooking, laughing and crafting romantic tales to satisfy her craving for HEAs with heat. A voracious reader, novice knitter and music lover she’s been known to multitask without breaking a sweat. She loves to read and write M/M romance but believes everyone deserves a love story. She currently has several releases out, Chasing Matt, a M/M novella co-authored with Eileen Griffin, Christmas with Caden, a M/F romance novella from Cobblestone Press, “Waking up Wolf”, a M/M shifter romance in Evernight Publishing’s Alpha’s Claim: Manlove Edition anthology, and Room Service and Lip Service the M/M short stories from Cobblestone Press’ Blue line. Mile High Service, the Prequel to Room Service & Lip Service releases from Cobblestone Press on July 15. She also has an M/M anthology story, His Assistant in Evernight Publishing’s forthcoming Executive Assistant: Manlove Edition Anthology. Nikka is currently at work with her co-author on a M/M foodie romance series including In the Raw releasing in October and In the Fire in November 2014 from Carina Press.

Connect with Nikka:
Website and Blog: http://www.nikkamichaels.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nikkamichaels

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/Nikka.Michaels

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/nikkamichaelsauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7231273.Nikka_Michaels

Cobblestone Press: http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/author/nikkamichaels.htm

Evernight Publishing: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/nikka-michaels/

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/author/nikkamichaels

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