We have with us today Wren Michaels, a Wisconsin-born writer who quickly found her way to the warm sunshine of Texas. She's published eleven works of fiction, and all of them have made readers swoon with their tales of romance. Some of her most popular works include The Fox and the Hound, Vexed, and Unbearable. You can view her complete list of published novels here. 

Bubblelife: When did you discover that you had a passion for romance writing? 

Michaels: I started writing in about 2009-2010. It was kind of a therapeutic outlet for me. I would get lost reading books and so sad when they had to end. So I thought, I'll write my own "world" that I don't have to leave. And it kind of snowballed from there.

Bubblelife: Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym? 

Michaels: Wren Michaels is my pseudonym. I'm currently writing a children's books with my daughter, so I wanted to keep my romance books under a pen name and keep the children's book under a different name. 

Bubblelife: Do you ever listen to music while you write? If so, what do you listen to? 

Michaels: I pretty much have to listen to music while I write, it fuels the scene and builds a deeper, richer experience in my mind to have a score to it, especially in action-packed scenes. I mainly listen to gaming soundtracks/instrumentals because songs with lyrics I find myself distracted by listening to them.

Bubblelife: Did you always know you wanted to publish a novel? 

Michaels: Not initially. I started out for my own need to write a story, create characters I had in my head. It was a good therapy to spend some time escaping from reality a bit. But a friend of mine read it one day and told me I should look into publishing. My husband has been a huge supporter of my writing since day one. He also pushed me to publish, and 7 books later, here I am, about to launch my 8th. 

Bubblelife: Which of your novels did you most enjoy writing? 

Michaels: Probably my most recent one, Friend Zoned. I started out writing paranormal romance, and Friend Zoned was my first attempt at a contemporary romance. It has a diverse cast of characters in it, from my partially deaf heroine to my Indian Hero. It's a bit of a romantic comedy as well, and the characters have some really good banter. It was fun to write them trying to one-up each other and building the underlying romance under it. But it also made me do a lot of research for each character on disabilities and on cultural differences.

Bubblelife: Do you believe in writer's block? 

Michaels: Yes. It mainly, for me, comes when I am feeling stubborn about a project. But I've learned if I just sit down and start typing, even if it's the most insane thing to start, it usually unlocks the floodgates and gets things moving.

Bubblelife: How long does it usually take for you to write one book? 

Michaels: It varies by project. I wrote one book, about 70,000 words, in three weeks. Other times it can take me 4-6 months to finish a novel. It all depends on time, subject matter, research, life stuff that happens. I'm normally draft pretty fast. It's the editing and revisions that take time.

Bubblelife: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? 

Michaels: A ton. Lots of plot bunnies. Some make it to fruition, others are still collecting dust. Sometimes it just depends on the market if they can be sold or not. Other times it is just an idea I can't shake until I put it on paper and then the moment passes and it's out of my system, but never really needed to be a real book.

Bubblelife: Name one underrated book you think everyone should read.  

Michaels: Reading is such a subjective process, it's hard to tell someone else what you think they should read. It's like music, we're not all going to like the same songs or artist. But there's a wealth of wonderful Texas talent in this very state that people should check out, like Anne Conley, LeTeisha Newton, Barbara Blue Johnson, Skye Warren, Sierra Cartwright...all wonderful authors.

Bubblelife: What's your favorite part about living and writing in Texas?

Michaels: Warmth! I'm from Wisconsin, so I enjoy the warmer winters and spring weather. I love having the windows open and listening to nature or sitting outside with my laptop. It's good for the soul. Texas has also allowed me to meet many other authors in the state and lead to many wonderful opportunities. It's a wealth of talent!

To learn more about Wren Michaels and her novels, visit www.wrenmichaels.com.