Best of Family & Relationships
Best of Family & Relationships
"So Many Books, So Little Time!"
Exclusive Interview with
Michelle (M. E.) Lange
When did you start writing?
When I was four? But seriously, I was always a good writer and enjoyed it in school. I have an engineering degree (I know, boring, right?) but I became a technical writer right out of college. After that I did marketing for high-tech, which was mostly writing. But the FUN writing--the creative stuff--which I'm sure you're asking about, didn't start until 2023. I just felt I had to write a book. So many conflicting thoughts about the world and my life were swirling around in my head, and I just blurted them onto a page. I knew nothing about creative (novel) writing, but I wrote a book in a few months. It's called Arc, and it was my first novel. It's a fantastic story I'm still working on.
What makes writing your passion?
Something about it fulfills me in a way that I've never needed before. It's like I hit a certain age, and I felt this void. I mean, my life had everything, but I felt this little empty spot inside, and writing has somehow filled it. Maybe it's what they say, once you realize you're mortal and staring down the downhill slide of life, you wonder what your legacy will be. You want to leave something. I'm hoping my writing will be that.
How long have you been writing?
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
Triumph! And then let down. It's not easy to write a book. So, completing such a project made me feel victorious in a way. But then you realize that it's more work to get people to read it. That was inciteful--and frustrating. I spent my career marketing and selling stuff. I didn't want to do that anymore. I just wanted to enjoy the process of creating the product. But I know now that the part I enjoy is part of a double-edged sword. Once it's done, you have to really push it to get it out there. Not my favorite part of the process. My head is too busy thinking about the next project. I don't want to be bothered to finish up the messiness of sales for the current project.
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
In Pause... and Effect, my heroine, Lyndsey, evolved from my own frustrations with menopause. She's educated but caught unaware--like I was. It was shocking to me as it is to her in the story. I wanted to tell the story of a regular person whose life is upended by it. I wanted the audience to learn through the fiction. But I also wanted to spin a great story. Lyndsey is like me in that she works in high-tech (male dominated), doesn't have a lot of female friends, has a daughter (I have four), and likes to travel. She starts off in Oregon (where I'm from) and ends up in St. Thomas (where I spend winters). I know those things and those places, so I chose to work them into the character and story. Everything else is pure fiction.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
Promoting the book when I'm done. Oh, and of course, the rejection, which comes with the territory.
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
Honestly, I've never had it. But hey, there's time, right? So, for me, it's not been a problem. My biggest problem is finding time to get all my ideas down on paper — well, actually, notes on my iPhone. I probably have 25 notes in my phone, all involving ideas for writing. I've written large portions of my novels from notes on my phone. It's finding the time to get it into a proper manuscript that's my biggest stumbling block. Not writer's block.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
I love it. It fills me. If you feel the same, just do it. Do it for yourself.
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
I realize now I could have done anything I put my mind to. I've always been cautious and taken the secure path. I've always doubted myself. Why??? I don't know. My character, Lyndsey, has this annoying little voice in her head that's always trying to trip her up. I'm familiar with that. For much of my life, I let it speak loudly to me. Now, I just ignore it. I wish I would have when I was younger.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
Have you been on social media lately? I mean, there are some nasty people out there. Some folks just feel better about themselves by hurting others. I don't understand it. The fact alone pains me, just as each bad review or rejection pains me. Each one is like a small stab wound, but I do my best to read it and see if there's any validity to the criticism. If so, I try to learn and not take it personally. It not, I file it away in the "I don't give a sh*t" pile. Easier said than done sometimes. But I try.
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
Joy. Mission accomplished.
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
Oh yeah. All the time. For example, I was in a motorcycle accident in college. A similar incident takes place in the story. The story fictionalizes it, but the near-death experience was real. It changed my life and woke me up to us as spiritual beings. It was profound, so I worked that notion into Lyndsey's life too.
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
I've already talked about Lyndsey as a character. She's her own being, she's not me, but her inner voice, her insecurities, her love for her daughter, some of her experiences definitely have bits of me in there.
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
Not quite. But it is the doorway to your story. You want to invite people into your story's world. A good cover can do that.
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
A chat is great. No better way to hear how your writing affected someone than by talking to them.
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
Validated. I hate to say it. It sounds vain, perhaps. But writing is very personal, even when it's fiction. You pour yourself in, and oftentimes, all you get is rejection. Rejection stings. Recognition heals and feeds the creative engine. So yeah, I like recognition :)
Who is your favorite author? Why?
Jodi Picoult. Her stories stay with me. They bother me. They refuse to leave. So, I'd say they dive deep down in me and stir up the complexity of the human condition. I love that I get to experience that without having to go through it personally. And her books make me a more understanding and critical thinker. She's always showing unseen sides of the story. They make me go "Wow, I hadn't thought of that aspect." She's good. If you haven't read her, do it now!
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
Elin Hilderbrand. Elin was actually the inspiration behind the character of E. J. Monroe in Pause... and Effect. Total fiction, of course. I don't know her age or what she looks like or anything about her except that I love her books. They are such fun beach reads. And she visits the Virgin Islands and writes wonderful stories there. I thought of her in terms of her stories (like the Trouble in Paradise series) as I wrote that character. Or Jodi Picoult. Haha. You asked me to dream.
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
Yes, in fact, I'm going to rewrite my first novel, Arc. It's a fantastic story, but knowing what I know now, I could do a much better job in telling it. In fact, I've taken to screenwriting because I wanted to try my hand at rewriting Arc for the screen. The learning process has shown me how to better tell the story. I actually wrote my first screenplay, The Release, about 18 months ago, and that process was so insightful in terms of how to effectively tell a story that I immediately wrote it in novel form afterward. It's being edited now, but watch for my next novel, The Release, coming out later this summer. Oh, and I will rewrite Arc . Watch for it in 2027. It'll be such a major rewrite that I may rename it. Haven't decided yet.
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
I'm not sure I'd switch places with anyone, but I'd sure like --for just a day or two--to step inside the heads of Jodi Picoult, or Elin Hilderbrand, oh, and Kristin Hannah. I forgot to mention her. I love Kristin Hannah, too. So maybe a short-term switch with one of those women. But I love my life, so nothing permanent. Haha!
What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.
If you get pleasure from hurting others, there's something very wrong with you. Seek help.
What would you say to your readers?
Thanks! I know reading any novel is a time commitment and I truly hope you enjoy mine.
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
I'm married. Husband number three (three's a charm!). Been together for coming up on 25 years. He's very supportive. We live in Beaverton, Oregon, for part of the year and St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, during the rainy Oregon winters. Besides that, we travel a lot! I have two daughters and two stepdaughters. I almost named my oldest daughter Lyndsey (I loved the Bionic Woman — who remembers that??!). I almost named my youngest daughter Hailey. So, I gave life to those names in other ways.
What is your day job if you have one?
I'm mostly retired but still do a little bit of high-tech marketing consulting. Airborne Electronic Hardware and Software Certification. That's a mouthful, right? I help out my friend and colleague (I guess she's sort of my boss), who owns two companies: Airworthiness Certification Services and Patmos Engineering Services. But that's very part-time. Mostly, I write.
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
Gardening! Traveling! Walking! My husband and I took up guitar about 10 years ago. Somewhere along the way I started to sing. Now we volunteer/perform at the Meals on Wheels lunches held at our local community center. Once upon a time, I danced. Too old now. I used to snowboard, but that, too, is hard on an aging body. Whatever free time is left, I spend with my parents (both still alive and very healthy), my kids, and my grandson.
Did you have a happy childhood?
Yes! I literally had a pony, and I thought I was going to be a ballerina when I grew up. Doesn't get any better than that.
Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?
My frustrations about life. The uncertainty I was feeling about the world, and the uncertainty I was feeling about my own body. Both combined to make me very restless. I eased this restlessness by writing.
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
Yes! My next novel, The Release, is coming out later this summer. Here's the spiel:
The Release is an allegorical tale that speaks to the fragility of our society and hard-won freedoms, especially for women. At dawn on her 50th birthday, Lily’s life is shattered when she experiences first-hand what can happen in a society ruled by iron fisted, corrupt old men. Barely escaping with her life, the entire fabric of Lily’s life and belief system is ripped apart. But as she stumbles into the arms of a strange man and a whole new world she never knew existed, Lily pieces together the truth about what’s been happening in her town, forcing her to decide whether to stay or risk her life to save her daughters and granddaughters from the tragedy that is The Release.
Also, I'm writing a memoir/biography/history book for my dad. It's called In the Eagle's Talons, and it's the story of how he grew up first during WW2 in Germany (as a young German boy) and then under Communist rule in East Germany, before he escaped to America. I'm putting his stories to historical fact. I'm learning a lot and finding the process fascinating!
What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?
Life skills. Time management. Money management. GOVERNMENT!
If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?
To put my mature mind in a 20-year-old body.
To go back in time and take more chances.
World peace. Feed the poor. Etc.
What is your favorite music?
Pop/rock. I'm a product of the 80s, so I love that music. I've also come to love music from the 60s. That's what we play at the Senior Center because that's what the 80-year-olds want to hear. And I've really bonded. The year of my birth, 1967, I think has some of the best music ever written.
Share a secret with us 🙂