Interview with Michele Ashman Bell

www.micheleashmanbell.com

First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

:) (Jen, you are such a kook! Love the waitress joke.)

I was a writer before I knew I wanted to be an author. I’ve always loved books and reading. In 3rd grade my teacher read the book, MY FATHER'S DRAGON to our class and it was magical! I felt as though I could see the book in my head, like a movie, and I was transported into the story. After that I always had my nose in a book. In high school I used to hide my novels inside my textbooks during class and get in so much trouble when I got caught. (I am not recommending you kids do this!) Anyway, in 8th grade I started keeping a journal and immediately discovered how therapeutic and fulfilling it was to write my feelings down. It was then that I discovered how powerful words are. (I highly recommend that you do THIS!)

Making this connection of putting my thoughts and emotions on paper was the beginning of becoming a writer. That and the fact that I was a daydreamer and have always had a vivid imagination. (This also got me in trouble in school. Pay attention in school or you’ll get labeled, like me! I’m talking about you Mrs. Boyack. Yes. Me, the “Daydreamer.”)

Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?

That road was long, bumpy, twisty, filled with potholes, dead ends and a lot of detours. It took me TEN YEARS to get my first book published. And I kept every stinking rejection letter I ever received and put them in a scrapbook. (I’ve counted them and there are 67) I knew that one day I would look back and see them as proof of all the hard work and all the barriers I had to break through to reach my goal. Ten years is a long time to try and fail at something, but I believed in myself, sometimes when nobody else did. And that’s what kept me going. In my heart, I knew I could do it, as long as I didn’t give up. Hard work and persistence are more powerful than natural talent and ability. I believe that with all my heart. And that doesn’t just apply to writing.

Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?

My book, SUMMER IN PARIS, is a riches to rags story about a girl who has everything and loses it all when her father declares bankruptcy and her parents tell her they are getting separated. She is sent to live with relatives in the small town of Paris, Idaho, and during her summer she learns that in the end what really matters is family and being true to yourself. When you have these things, nothing else really matters.

What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?

I get inspiration from the weirdest places. For SUMMER IN PARIS the inspiration came when our family went on a vacation to Bear Lake which is right by Paris, Idaho. I was floored when I learned of a town on the Utah/Idaho border called Paris. Of course, the sequel to SUMMER IN PARIS is going to take place in Paris, France. This may require a vacat . . . I mean, a research trip to Paris, don’t you think?

As far as the main character in the story, I drew upon my experience not only with my own teenage daughter but her friends and the young adults I associate with. Fitting in, being part of the “in crowd,” is important, and sometimes it comes with the cost of compromising what is important to you personally. Staying true to oneself, holding on to your own core values, isn’t easy, but it is important to getting through those difficult teen years. I wanted to write a story about this theme. It may sound all fluffy and sweet but it is a powerful message that can empower a person.

Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!

I have four wonderful children and an amazing daughter-in-law and a granddaughter who is my greatest joy in life. My oldest, a son, is married and lives with his wife and daughter twenty minutes away. My oldest daughter just graduated from college and moved to New York City where my third child, also a daughter, already lives. She (my third child) is a junior in high school and studies ballet at the School of American Ballet, which just happens to be where the main character in SUMMER IN PARIS happens to want to go to pursue her ballet training. My daughter definitely helped me with my research for the book. Finally, I have an 11-year-old daughter at home. There is a sixteen year difference between my oldest and my youngest and it’s awesome.

Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?

This may sound trite, but mostly it’s chocolate. I keep a hidden stash in our house so I always have it available. White chocolate is my favorite. White chocolate Reeses are my weakness. I also love, love, love French fries, with lots of ketchup.

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?

What a great question! Since I teach aerobics (1) (Zumba and step classes) five mornings a week, the first thing I do is work out. Then, once I get everyone off to work and school, I catch up on email (2) and then I write (3) for a little while. Not very exciting but it works for me.

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?

That I am a freaking pack rat! But there is a good reason for it, I promise. I was scarred in my childhood and my mother is to blame. You see, when I was 21 years old, I went to Germany to live for a year and a half. When I came home my mother had THROWN AWAY all my stuff! I’m talking cheerleader outfits, all my keepsakes from dances and school functions, prom dresses, memorabilia from trips and special occasions . . . ALL GONE! I looked at my mom and said, “Did you not think I was going to come home?” Seriously, I was traumatized by this and consequently, I don’t like to throw anything out, especially when it comes to my kids stuff because I never want them to come up to me one day and say, “How could you throw away all my Ninja Turtles? Those were my favorite toys in the world!” I probably need therapy. But, in my defense, it’s all neatly stored in little bins stacked to the ceiling.

Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?

I have never heard the question about the tree. What has that got to do with anything???? Anyway, if I had to be a color I would be red! Red’s the best. It’s vibrant and powerful and exciting!

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. I love his optimistic outlook on life and how stinking funny he is. The show cracks me up.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Oh my gosh, where did you come up with these questions? Growing up, the cartoons I watched were Bugs Bunny, Roadrunner, and Mickey Mouse and of course, all the Disney princess cartoons. I want to say I’m like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, because she loves books and she’s kind, but I’m probably more like Mrs. Potts because I’m bossy and in charge.

If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?

This is so hard. I want to go so many places and visit so many different eras. Right now, today, I would like to be beamed to Paris since seriously I’m dying to go there and I could pack my bags in a split-second. But as far as different time in history I would not want to go backwards, I would want to go ahead into the future – but that’s not history is it? Well, then I choose to go back to 1969 and go to the moon with Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11.

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

My favorite group of all time is Earth, Wind and Fire. They are the best ever! Music from my era, the 70’s and 80’s is such great stuff. Michael Jackson definitely. Right now I really love some of the current stuff too though. I’ve got Train, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Mika, and Coldplay on my iPod. I also listen to a lot of Latin music because of Zumba. There are some incredible Latino artists. I cannot listen to music when I write. I get too distracted by the music (refer to the daydream comment earlier).

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

Favorite show right now is iCarly. The character Spencer on that show kills me. I love that show. I’m also an Office fan and Modern Family. I don’t watch much TV but I make time for these shows. I LOVE movies! I own every Doris Day movie ever made, so I love classics. I could watch Pillow Talk a million times and never get sick of it. Last movie I saw at the theater was The Blind Side. I am anxious to see Iron Man 2. I love action movies!

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?

It’s the advice that I’ve proven over and over again to myself. If you want something badly enough and you are willing to work hard enough, you can make your dreams come true. It is so, so, so true! Don’t let anything stand in your way. I’ve taught my kids this and they are living their dreams.

One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?

The sequel to SUMMER IN PARIS is definitely going to be next on my list. Like I said, it will take place in Paris, France and the romance will get amped up a bit in the sequel. There’s also some mystery surrounding the hero of the story, Adam White. I’ve got some ideas for some fun fantasy stories, so stay tuned!

Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!

It has been a blast! I love connecting with fans and especially writing for teens. Thanks for having me. I hope I didn’t embarrass my children.