Interview with Author Michelle Alstead

Thank you Michelle Alstead for stopping by and talking with us today. 

Please describe your book in one sentence.

 If you’ve ever been in love with the wrong guy and wished with all your heart that he could be the right guy, this is the novel for you.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I’m a is a single, divorced mom of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, who tries to promote autism awareness and advocate for gender equality while raising Sheldon Cooper and searching for some semblance of a love life. I have a BA in English and a Masters in Education. Writing is what keeps me sane.

State a random fact about yourself that would surprise your readers.

I’m a first-degree brown belt. I’ve been told to look at me you wouldn’t think that I was.

If you wouldn’t be a writer, what you would be?

A plumber. That’s where the real money is.

How long did it taken you to write your current book?

It took approximately three months.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

I put a lot of myself into Zoe. I share some of her fears and her bad luck with men.

 What inspired you to write, you took any ideas from other books, movies etc.?

My inspiration to write this novel came from the kind of break up that rocks your soul and leaves you wondering how you didn’t see the train coming before it hit you. That relationship ended with a two-sentence text message that left me confused, heart-broken, and very much alone. After a couple of years passed and I realized that my former significant other was never going to give me that one last conversation that answered all of my questions, I decided to write a fictional novel where the characters get to have the conversation I never had. It gave me a profound sense of closure and peace. 

Did you know the title before you started writing?

I did know the title before I started writing. The book had to start with After because this novel is part of the After series, which are stories about second chances with first loves.

What was your favorite scene?

My favorite scene is when Zoe reads Brad’s letter on the pier where they had their first date. It makes me cry every time I read it.

Thank you Michelle! Readers, After Love Leaves is only $.99 or FREE with your KU subscription!

When Brad Sorenson crossed paths with Zoe O’Loughlin at a high school graduation party, the connection was undeniable. He noticed her when no one else did; she inspired him to want more out of life. But it would be years before they’d meet again…and in the most unlikely of places. Brad was looking for a good time online, not love. But Zoe was so sweet, so kind. Everything about her was perfect—until she fell in love with him. Zoe doesn’t know why Brad left her standing in an airport; he won’t return her calls or texts. With her self-esteem and dreams shattered, she can’t imagine ever loving anyone else. A single phone call changes Brad’s life forever. Now he wants just one thing: to make amends with the only woman that’s ever mattered.

Buy it on Amazon or read for FREE with KU

Michelle Alstead is a single, divorced mom of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, who tries to promote autism awareness and advocate for gender equality while raising Sheldon Cooper and searching for some semblance of a love life. Michelle has experienced a wide-range of reasons for being dumped by the opposite sex (her favorite reason of all time - "she wasn't crazy enough and crazy girls are so much fun"). She maintains that she is both Irish and Spanish and can bring the "crazy" just as good as the next woman. This author copes with the difficulties of raising her challenging child and failing at love, by eating copious amounts of chocolate, binge watching Netflix late at night, and writing novels about characters who find happy endings. Every great story has a grain of truth. Truth inspires freedom. Michelle has decided to free herself by acknowledging that life can be ugly, brutal, and wickedly unfair. Her stories aren't the typical romances or the standard young adult fare. She seeks to be honest in her storytelling rather than playing it safe. Blending in wasn't much fun anyway.

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