021 - Murder, Mystery, & Literary Escapism

Ready for a new book series to devour? Then, dive into the smoky dance halls of 1930’s Chicago with Henrietta & Inspector Howard. I'm happy to welcome to the podcast the award-winning author, Michelle Cox. I’m currently reading the fifth book in her series, A Child Lost, and loving it! I literally have to tear myself away from it to get other things done. 

Michelle also writes a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago’s forgotten residents, “Novel Notes of Local Lore.” Her books have won over 40 international awards and have received raving reviews from Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and more. 

What You Hear/Learn/Discover

[0:24] Guest introduction

[2:50]  Mag and Michelle talk about the lure of historical fiction and reading as an escape. 

[08:19] Michelle talks about her book series and where she sees her characters going from here. 

[11:33] Michelle debates whether to end her current series or start a new one. 

[16:33] Mag explains how she outsources her PR work so she can stay focused on writing.  

[19:13] Mag and Michelle discuss scheduling time into their days for writing. 

[22:41]  Michelle talks about outlining and structure in her writing versus divine inspiration. 

[27:37]  Mag and Michelle compare hybrid, traditional, and self-publishing. 

[35:54]  Michelle reveals that she would love to see her series adapted for film. 

Quotes

On why people love reading about different worlds:

“I think it's because people just like to escape their reality and go into some other world...In sci-fi or fantasy, that's putting yourself in a completely different reality. And then other people prefer historical fiction because they can sort of go back in time and just live in that reality for a little while.”

“But I think that’s the fun, that sort of beauty or the divine sort of spark...I'm writing along, and then something will come to me which just fits so perfectly. And so I weave that in or layer that in. [When you’re writing], I do think there's something that you're channeling, and it comes out whether you're just freeform or you're applying it to an outline.”

Resources

A Girl Like You (A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel Book 1)

A Ring of Truth (A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel Book 2)

A Promise Given (A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Series Book 3)

A Veil Removed (A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel Book 4)

A Child Lost (A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel B