When vampire and single mother Phoebe Allen allows lust to override her common sense, she finds herself mated to sexy half-demon Connor Ballard. Now she’s helping him search for an ancient talisman, fighting off his evil stepmother and her demon minions, and protecting Broken Heart from an underworld take-over.
4.5 Stars! "Oh, the tangled webs Bardsley weaves in her newest addictive romp. Vampire heroine Phoebe has enough on her plate even before she collides with secretive and sexy Connor. Phoebe, who narrates her tale in the first person, is funny but able to kick butt when it counts, like all Bardsley heroines, so the action and humor are bountiful. Tremendous fun as always!" — Romantic Times BOOKreviews
5 Gravestones! In Come Hell or High Water "it takes little more than a page or two to suck the reader back in and remind them why Broken Heart is one of their favorite places to visit. … Kudos and copious amounts of chocolate to Ms. Bardsley for another completely satisfying" read. — Bitten by Books
Nationally bestselling author Michele Bardsley is multi-published in several genres, but she is best known for her vampire mom series set in the fictional town of Broken Heart, Oklahoma. The adventures of her paranormal PTA parents have garnered excellent reviews and numerous kudos. Over My Dead Body was nominated for a 2009 RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance, an honor that Because Your Vampire Said So won in 2008. Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home received both a Top Pick from RT BOOKReviews and a P.E.A.R.L. Honorable Mention for Best Vampire Romance.
Michele received her first publishing contract in 1998 from pioneer electronic publisher, Hard Shell Word Factory, for her romantic comedy, Daddy In Training. She’s had numerous short stories, novellas, and novels published by electronic, independent, and traditional publishers. She’s also written articles for national magazines such as Writer’s Digest, RT BOOKReviews, and Byline.
Over the years, her work has earned awards and recognition from many organizations and publications. In 2003, her short story, “A Mother Scorned,” won the Grand Prize in the 72nd Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Her romantic comedy Wild Women received OWFI’s coveted trophy award for Best Book of Fiction and FWA’s Royal Palm Award for Best Romance Novel. In 2007, her short story, A Demon is a Girl’s Best Friend, was awarded Crème de la Crème from the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation, Inc.
Michele has given workshops about inspiration, self-editing techniques, romance heroes, vampire fiction, electronic publishing, humor in fiction, selling erotica, winning contests, Internet promotion, and many other topics. She has presented workshops, spoke at luncheons, and participated in panels at events and meetings across the United States, including the annual conferences of Romantic Times, OWFI, Florida Writers Association, Tulsa Night Writers, EPICon, and Celebrate Romance.
Michele currently writes paranormal fiction for New American Library under their Signet Eclipse imprint. She lives in Texas with her son and their pets.
An Interview with Michele Bardsley
By Holly Hewson for The Romance Studio
HH: Michele, thank you for talking with us at TRS. Please tell us about your latest release, Come Hell or High Water.
MB: It's the story of Phoebe, a single mother, who is also a demon-hunting vampire. While her four-year-old son is off on a visit with his human father, Phoebe mistakenly gets bound to a half-demon, the very hot Scotsman, Connor.
HH: This is the sixth book in your Broken Heart, Oklahoma series. Where did the idea for the series originally come from?
MB: I really wanted to write vampire novels, but I knew that with so many different vampire novels in the market, I'd have to come up with an interesting spin. Then I read an article that Charlaine Harris wrote about how she came up with the idea of the Southern Vampire series ... she asked herself, "What do I know?" So, I did the same thing. My answer: I know motherhood, small towns, and Oklahoma. Then I thought, "What if a single mother became a vampire? And what if she and bunch of her PTA friends lived in an itty bitty town in Oklahoma and they found themselves in a whole new lifestyle while still trying to raise their human children?"
HH: What can you tell us about the first five award-winning books in this series?
MB: Just that they were a lot of fun to write. In my vampire mythology, there are seven (well, eight) vampire Families who have the typical vampire perks like speed, strength, and glamour, and then depending on which Family they're part of, they get additional powers, such as controlling water or manipulating fire elements. Each novel has a hero or heroine part of a different Family, so readers can find out more about those particular powers while also reading how the two main protagonists fall in love.
HH: How does Come Hell or High Water continue the series? Will there be more?
MB: Phoebe Allen is from the Family Durga, which means her abilities center on controlling demons. She can tap into demon powers, so that makes her a little more dangerous than other vampires. She tends to be the clean-up girl around Broken Heart, sending beaten demons back to hell, so she's never really tapped the full potential of her own abilities. In addition, she's now hooked up with an actual demon, okay half-demon, and she's finding it really difficult to remember that's a bad thing. LOL.
Yes, there will be more Broken Heart novels. Book 7 is called CROSS YOUR HEART, and it will hit shelves in September 2010. The story is about vampire socialite Elizabeth Bretton and a sexy were-jaguar Tez Jones. Together, they have to solve 150-year-old mystery about the Broken Heart curse, which is currently affecting all the residents in town.
I'm pleased to announce that NAL has picked up another two novels in the series, and Books 8 and 9 will explore the world and mythos of the lycanthropes, which will begin with Damian, the crown prince of the lycans and right now, the head of Broken Heart security.
HH: Which was your personal favorite story in this series and why?
MB: I always get asked this question, and it's hard to answer. I suppose my favorite would have to be the first story, I'M THE VAMPIRE, THAT'S WHY, because I fell so in love with Jessica and Patrick.
HH: What else do you have in store for lucky readers?
MB: NAL also bought two books in a new series. The first story, tentatively titled NEVER AGAIN, is set in Nevermore, Texas, situated in the Piney Woods area. Imagine a world in which magic is real, but the only way to get it is to be born with abilities. Witches and wizards live side-by-side with humans, and everyone born with magic has different powers. Most belong to certain Houses---sorta like belonging to fraternities. There's a whole different governing situation set up for magical beings, and it co-exists uneasily with human governments. It's a little darker, more suspenseful than the Broken Heart books, and I'm having so much fun playing in this new world.
HH: What's a typical day like for you?
MB: On week days, I drag my ass outta bed every morning and then cajole my son into the shower. Then I walk my dogs, and gulp down a cup of coffee. Then I cajole my son outta of the shower ... eventually, we make it to the car, and I take him to school. After that, I clean whatever needs cleaning, drink more coffee, and sit down to write. That lasts until around noon or so when the dogs require more walking, and by now, I've given in the temptation of turning on the DIY network, so there's no point in staring at the manuscript. So I answer email, Twitter, and so forth ... unless I decide Starbuck's is a must (and it usually is). I usually a write a little more in the evenings, after feeding the boy, and walking the dogs (again!). I'm really addicted to the DIY channel, which is stupid because I'm not the type of girl who will DIY anything. But I know what thin set, cement board, and a staple gun are. LOL.
I know. It's so not the glamorous writing life, but I love it. I feel very blessed that I have a job where I can sit on my couch in my pajamas and live in a made-up world for most of the day.
HH: What do you consider a really satisfying writing day?
MB: When I actually write. LOLOL. Unfortunately, I tend to write in spurts. I do try to write every day, but some days I'll manage a paragraph, and other days I'll do 20 pages.
HH: What do you personally enjoy reading?
MB: I love paranormal fiction and urban fantasy. I also love anything by Suzan Elizabeth Phillips, and, of course, all books written by my League peeps: http://www.reluctantadults.com
HH: What would you most like to accomplish this year?
MB: I have three books to write, so I'd like to make my deadlines. Also, if my next book could hit the USA Today and/or New York Times, I'd be thrilled to death. But mostly, I want to make my deadlines.
