Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Mechele Armstrong aka Lany of Melany Logen

Thanks for joining me for another exciting author interview - and today, we have a slightly schizophrenic one (just kidding). She writes alone as Mechele Armstrong and collaboratively as Melany Logen. Intrigued? Read on...

Thanks for being here today! So, when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I've written most of my life from the time I was a child. What really got me serious was a moment at the beach when my youngest was tiny. I read four romance novels in a weekend after having not read them for a long time. I thought, "I can do this." Came home and wrote a romance novel, which will need lots of tweaking before it ever sees the light of day. That was a defining moment that got me serious about writing.

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Learn your craft. Don't give up. Give yourself permission to write badly. You can always go back and fix things later. The only thing you can't tweak is a blank page.

I stand by that advice, myself. What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I love to read almost anything. My favorites are paranormal and erotic romance, followed by romantic suspense, thrillers, and horror. I have several favorite authors, LOL, too many to list here. Some authors with books on my keeper shelf are Robin Schone, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Karen Marie Moning, and Lynn Kurland.

What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

The most difficult thing is promotion. I'm a shy person, and it's hard for me to talk about myself. I've had to get over. I've had to get over my shyness and approach people for things. The most exciting and rewarding things for me are when a person loves my book. I've had my books and keeper shelf mentioned. It's a wonderful thing to hear.

How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?

It is a constant juggling act. I juggle hubby, kids, friends, pets, and the house and hope I don't drop anything. The house is probably what suffers the most.

I can't imagine you ever suffer from writer's block, since you're writing under two names...but do you ever get stuck? If so, what do you do about it?

A hot bubble bath usually helps me get back on track. If I'm really stuck, pushing ahead or writing on something else will sometimes jog lose the stuck portion of my brain.

Describe your writing space for us...

Hee. I have a fairly new wooden desk that I sit at to write on my laptop. It sits in an inset of a room, which we just painted a mellow shade of green. A picture of New York City (with the TradeTowers) hangs in front of it. A signed poster of Kinley MacGregor's Sword of Darkness hands to the wall to the right. Across a doorway, on the far left wall hangs a poster my hubby did for me of my covers to date. It's beautiful. I also have one Snoopy statue and one snowglobe of him writing on top of his doghouse sitting on top of boxes that hold address labels, cards, and such to the left. The words, "It was a dark and stormy night." are etched on the doghouse. A lamp rests on the desk to the right with a tray for "stuff" to the left. The cat generally lays on the desk to the right beside the laptop fan as I tickety type. It's very inspiring. I love my desk.

Oh, it sounds lovely! What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book(s)?

That the novel isn't done once you type the end. It takes lots of tweaking from me and rounds of edits before it's truly "finished."

When you write, do you use the computer or compose by hand, oral dictation, or some other method?

I'm a computer writer. My handwriting is horrible especially when my brain pushed on ahead. It's bad when you can't read your own handwriting. Plus, I tweak as I write so would end up scribbling out things and writing in the margins. I'm much happier writing at the keyboard.

Mechele, thanks so much for being here today! Readers, make sure to stop by and visit Mechele's website or Melany's website - and have a great day!