Please help me welcome, once again my fellow Ontario Chica, Michelle Rowen!

WLP: Welcome back to WLP Michelle, thanks for agreeing to be harassed again. I hope you’ve recovered.

MR: Thanks! Yes, the last bandages came off just last week so I’m ready for more!

WLP: Can you tell us about Something Wicked?

MR: Certainly. Something Wicked is the second book in my Living in Eden trilogy following The Demon in Me about a woman named Eden Riley who is possessed every night by a sexy demon named Darrak. She endeavors to help him break his curse that keeps him bound to her side and to her body. In Something Wicked, a demonic pal from Darrak’s past shows up to help out. But when a demon wants to help, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Chaos, inevitably, ensues. Also trouble is brewing in the Malleus, the organization that battles the monsters in the human world, when another previous love interest of Eden’s has signed up to help rid the world of its many monsters.

WLP: Why did you decide to write about a character possessed with a demon?

MR: An excellent question. I feel that I am in the midst of what I will one day refer to as my “demon period” just as Picasso had his “blue period.” I got a ton of ideas that involve demons — YA, PNR, you name it.

Oh, you want me to answer instead of avoid the question? I think I’m fascinated, for some strange reason, by the struggle between good and evil that everyone has inside of them. Is evil born in us or is it a choice? Can we choose to be good, even if we’re evil by definition and expectation? Or vice versa? This is the theme that shows up in a lot of my work. And who better to struggle with this issue than a literal demon? Plunk him in a paranormal romance and he has the choice of working for the man (Satan) or doing whatever he can to protect the woman he loves. It’s an interesting tug of war. Other than this, I remember my original story trigger was watching part of Rosemary’s Baby and thinking… y’know, this could totally be a paranormal romance if we just change a few things up a bit…

WLP: Something Wicked introduces us to some new characters; do you think we’ll see more of Lucas?

MR: Yes, Eden and Darrak’s new next door neighbor Lucas will be an important element in the third book, That Old Black Magic. If I say any more, it would be a total spoiler for anyone who hasn’t read Something Wicked. But yes, more Lucas indeed.

WLP: I am a huge Darrak fan, if you could see anyone celeb play Darrak, who would it be?

MR: Thanks! I’m rather fond of the demon, myself. He was a character who defied celebrity definition for a very long time. My inspiration for him was a little piece from here and there. But recently, thanks to a reader’s recommendation, my mental inspiration for Darrak is now Ian Somerhalder who has both the looks and the wicked sense of humor to perfectly portray my favorite demon hero.

WLP: What about Eden, who would play her in a movie?

MR: I haven’t one ideal actress in mind, but from the crop of A-listers that are out right now, I think…hmm. No idea. I’m open to suggestion, though!

WLP: Would you be as calm as Eden, if you were possessed?

MR: She is rather calm, but she doesn’t really have much choice other than freaking out 24/7 about her predicament, which wouldn’t be all that much fun to read about. Eden is a realist and she deals with the hand she’s dealt. But no, I wouldn’t be anywhere near that calm. Luckily, I don’t believe in demonic possession in Real Life.

(Juliana Stone, WLP, Tiffany Clare & Michelle Rowen on Nov 14)

WLP: What is 2011 looking like for you writing wise?

MR: I’m going to be very busy, that’s for sure! Right now I’m working on That Old Black Magic, but will be following that up with two new YA’s (that, yes, have a demon in them, among other supernatural creatures) for Harlequin Teen. And I’m currently finalizing a deal for a couple other adult books I can’t talk about quite yet, but I think my loyal readers will be very happy to hear about them.

WLP: I know you love to read, so what has been your favorite book of 2010 so far?

MR: I do love to read, although I am an extremely picky reader and don’t always finish books that I start. I have to give special mention to two series that I vastly enjoyed this year — the Downside Ghosts books by Stacia Kane and the Otherkin books by Eve Silver. Both had three back-to-back-to-back releases this year and are definitely worth the read, in my opinion. I might at one time have said Mockingjay, but the more I think about that book the less I like it, which is disappointing since I adored the first two.

WLP: What scary movie scares Michelle?

MR: Considering that I love writing about monsters, I am not a big fan of horror movies. I’m easily scared. I’m still freaked out about The Ring and I absolutely refuse to watch Paranormal Activity or its sequel. *shivers*

WLP: And a total random question to end the interview…what one word in the English language do you hate or get grossed out by?

MR: Slacks. Or Crotch. Both are just vastly unpleasant words.

Michelle is offering up a copy of Something Wicked to one lucky Canadian/US winner.

Tell us what word YOU hate.

Contest Ends: Monday November 22, 2010