Authors of the romantic comedy, Dear Pink series
Today, I am thrilled to be chatting to the writing duo Michelle Gaunt and Angelle Gremillion, who write behind the pen name Michelle Angelle.
Helen: Welcome Michelle and Angelle. Tell us a little about the latest book in your romantic comedy series.
Michelle Angelle: Dear Roomie is another standalone novel in the Dear Pink series, teaming with forced proximity and forbidden love. We had a great time writing it and revisiting old friends.
Ghita Russo’s dating history is dire. Men kick her cat, demand full frontal photos, and can’t let her win at a simple game of mini golf. Determined to protect her heart, Ghita lives by a strict set of dating rules. Rule Number One: Never date your best friend’s brother, no matter how insanely hot he is. But some rules are meant to be broken.
When Ghita needs to save money and her bestie suggests renting a room to her brother, she finds herself dancing dangerously close to the edge of disaster.
Logan Scott, recently free from a toxic relationship, moves to Dallas for his dream job. After meeting his insanely brilliant roomie, he can’t deny his attraction, especially as the chemistry ratchets up between them.
Helen: Now, that does sound like a fun premise. Plenty of opportuinty for mayhem and mishaps! What were your thoughts behind your cover?
Michelle Angelle: Ghita is an intense and ambitious business woman, so she uses puzzles to unwind and calm her brain. When Logan moves in, he finds puzzling equally relaxing. Soon, the sexual chemistry igniting between them makes it impossible for Ghita to concentrate on anything other than Logan. Logan is against her rules, but he might just be her perfect match.
Helen: What a great connection to the story. The cover makes even more sense now! How did you decide on the title?
Michell Angelle: Dear Roomie is part of our Dear Pink series, so some of the titles will have a play on “Dear…” In Dear Pink, we introduce the loud, fun, supportive Russo family. Gabe Russo gets the girl in Dear Pink, but the rest of his six sisters have their own love story to tell. Dear Roomie is Ghita Russo’s story. We also wrote a holiday romance featuring Gloria Russo, Until Next Year. We purposefully didn’t choose “Dear” in the title to set it apart from the others as a special holiday edition that features a new year in every chapter..
Helen: Nice, and that title works beautifully. What made you write this particular book?
MIchelle Angelle: Readers often ask us how we dream up our stories. We are inspired by everyday life and have a running list of ideas. For Dear Roomie, the idea occurred to both of us at the exact same time…like kismet.
A friend of ours told us about this utopian coffee place, La La Land Kind Cafe, where they mentor foster youth aging out of the system. There, kindness is the priority. We visited and were not disappointed by the sunshiny joy that filled the space.
As we were sipping their signature lavender bloom matcha latte, two college-aged girls sat at the table next to us. Pink sweater said, “I’m dying. I’m in love with Jeremy.” Plaid shirt said, “So? What’s the problem?” Pink sweater answered with the three words that would launch the plot of this book: “He’s my roommate.”
Yes, we are “people watchers” and “coffee shop eavesdroppers.” Don’t judge, we can’t help ourselves!
We won’t recount the rest of their conversation because that’s private. But we knew immediately how to complicate this already complicated love story. It’s all thanks to La La Land Kind Cafe and those great drinks for the inspiration.
Helen: That is such a great way to find new book ideas. I hope you dropped off a copy at the cafe once you finished it! Now Dear Roomie is out what are you working on next?
Michelle Angelle: Our next project is a trilogy featuring a strong female protagonist who knows what she wants but discovers more than she bargained for after meeting three very different men.
Helen: When did you realise you had a passion for writing?
Michelle Angelle: Twenty years ago, we started a book club and fell in love with the contemporary romance novels our group read. Inspired to write, and wanting to work together, we immediately started dreaming up characters. Unlike traditional rom-coms on the market, we wanted side characters that had agency and strong voices. Together, we imagined scenarios involving two lost loves forced together in impossible situations. We all have a “WHAT IF” person from our past, and it’s fun to fantasize about various scenarios. We started a running document of story ideas to dip into for our future books. Luckily, we both have a lot of ideas and quickly the pen name Michelle Angelle was born.
Helen: How do you plan when to write? Co-ordinating yourselves must be quite difficult.
Michelle Angelle: Between juggling kids, husbands, and part-time jobs, the writing time happens amidst the chaos. Our biggest challenge is trying to do it all. Luckily, we have each other on speed dial and can dive into work the moment we answer the phone. Since we write together, we share docs and emails constantly. Because we don’t have a consistent writing schedule, our superb mind-reading powers come in handy.
Helen: What advice would you give to new writers?
Michelle Angelle: We often get asked questions from new writers. Our advice is to read a lot and write constantly. You can’t sell a book if you haven’t written one, and the best place to find writing inspiration is in a book.
Helen: Great advice! What have you found has been the most challening part about the writing and publishing process?
Michelle Angelle: Being a writer is inviting strangers to judge you. Every book has a piece of you in it, and when a reader doesn’t like your book, it can feel personal. Writers need to be vulnerable and take risks, but they also need to prepare for some hurt feelings and rejections. It’s a great exercise in letting go of the ego.
Helen: It’s been a pleasure chatting to you both. Thak you so much for spending time with me today. Just to finish, every writer experiences self-doubt. How do you overcome the fear and the little voice in your head to keep writing?
Michelle Angelle: Writing together is our favorite part of the writing process! Many authors describe their writing process as solitary, but we are lucky to have each other. When we write, we inhabit a separate plane of reality where only our story and characters exist. It’s our happy place. We love our work.
About the Authors
Michelle Angelle
Michelle Angelle is the pen name of two good friends. Our love of clever romances, great breakfast diners, and late-night wine tastings led to many sassy stories. One day, we started writing them down.
Contact Michelle Angelle via their Website or on social:
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Also available in Kindle Unlimited at time of posting.
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If you enjoy fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather, or my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
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