Getting Steamy With Michelle Betham

Today I welcome to the blog my good friend and fellow Indie writer, Michelle Betham. To quote from Michelle's blog:

"I write books for the beach - pure escapism, total fantasy; mainly sexy, but sometimes humorous, contemporary romance. And sometimes with more than a nod to my northern English roots."

Her latest novel is the first in the 'Striker' trilogy where the world of football is combined with glamour, romance and saucy sex!  Let's get comfy with Michelle and find out a little more about what makes her tick.

  

You tend to write novels on the steamy side.  Do you ever get days where you can write other scenes but the sex just isn't happening?  A 'headache day'!?

Yes! Definitely! In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m having one such day!

I know your husband is very supportive of your writing and helps with all the technical stuff but has he read any of your work and, if so, what does he think?

To my knowledge I don’t think he has read any of my work, even though he has copies of all my books on his computer, so if he wanted to he could read them without me actually knowing. They’re not really his kind of thing, though, which makes me slightly relieved in a way! He does, however, recommend me to his customers. Which is nice.

Where do you see yourself (in your dreams!) in five years time?

I’d like to see me still writing, still enjoying it, and still with lots more ideas and stories left to tell. In my dreams, I’d like to see me on the sofa opposite Lorraine Kelly telling everybody about my latest bestseller that’s just about to be made into a movie… starring Bradley Cooper…  Well, you did say “in your dreams…”

As your Striker trilogy is football related, have you ever had the desire to be a WAG?

God, no! I’d be the world’s worst WAG! I’m useless at shopping, have no desire to have a massive chandelier hanging from my hallway, and I can’t even walk in a pair of heels so I’ve failed before I’ve even begun! I’ll take the extraordinary amount of holidays they seem to go on, though…

I know I’m generalising a bit there, and I’m sure not all WAGs are quite so stereotypical as the high-profile ones we’re used to seeing, but watching ‘Footballers Wives’ really did put me off ever wanting to be one, believe me. I could never marry a footballer. Mind you, I did have a bit of a crush on Gary Lineker when he played for Everton back in the 80s, so I suppose if he’d asked me then I’d have been quite happy to be his WAG. Maybe… not so sure now…

I'm coming to your house for dinner and a gossip.  What will you cook me? 

Oh, now, let me see… I’d probably cook you something like salmon with garlic, chilli and ginger, some noodles and vegetables on the side, and a nice bottle (or two!) of something white and sparkling. I’m no Nigel Slater (I’m far prettier than he is, but his kitchen's nicer than mine!) but I think I could knock up a pretty decent dinner for us. But, if it all went wrong, and I have been known to have disasters in the kitchen, the Chinese take-away down the road is very good.

Money is no object.  What's your ideal day/night out?

Ooh, this is actually quite a hard one. I’ll have to think about this… I know! If money was no object I would love to fly over to Ibiza, hit the old town for the morning, and check out the shops and the market. Then it would be lunch by the beach and an afternoon lying by a poolside somewhere before pre-dinner drinks at Café del Mar watching the sun go down over the Mediterranean – that in particular is something I’ve always wanted to do. It would be the perfect end to a chilled-out day. I’d have to give clubbing a miss, though. Getting way too old for all that!

Tell me a really embarrassing story - one that makes you cringe to this day!

Falling on Simon le Bon. It was back in the early 80s when I was a teenage Duran Duran fan with a massive crush on Mr. le Bon, so when we heard he was coming to the North East for the opening of band mate Andy Taylor’s bar ‘Rios’ in Whitley Bay, we were there! I was front of the barriers (I was a very determined fan!) but when he and the other band members who’d turned up were walking up to the bar’s entrance I was pushed forward and just happened to fall on him, grabbing a handful of his hair in the process! He was very nice about it, and I got a lovely smile from him, but at the time I was mortified! I could have thought of much better ways to get me hands on my-then idol… Every time I see him now I still remember that night, and cringe just a little bit.

If you weren't a writer, what would your dream job be?

An actress. No doubt about it. It’s something I have always wanted to be, but never had the nerve to do. Even when I was on my Performing Arts course I chose to concentrate on working behind the scenes rather than out there on the stage or in front of the cameras because I’m just so shy! Believe it or not… 

Thanks for popping by, Michelle.  It's always good to chat to you - although on the phone we do tend to go on a bit!

'Striker' - Amazon link.

'Striker' - Kobo link.

 

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