Michelle Monkou | Inviting Classic Romance Characters To A Reunion

My 25th high school reunion came and went. Out of all the reunions, I’ve only attended one. It was great to see people who had been a major part of my growth as a young adult. I have to be honest. There were those who caused me to inwardly cringe because they were the loud mouths, bullies, or obnoxious jerks to a large school population.

Thankfully for the most part, I had a chance to connect with many who were my friends. Would love to say that we kept in touch, but that never happened after high school, and it didn’t happen after the reunion.

Reality hit hard, though, with the deaths of several people I knew. One particular friend passed after the high school reunion where we both promised to stay connected. Her diagnosis of colon cancer came within a few short months of her passing. And the feeling of invincibility was made vulnerable.

Yet, I’m still glad that there are a hearty bunch of volunteers who put together these high school reunions. No one expected that I would be a romance writer. I had aspirations to be a Broadway dancer and choreographer. From the time that I was seven years old, I danced and trained and dreamed. But as a hobby, I was an avid reader. And if there is an extreme form of being a bookaholic, I had it.

I curled up with many books, falling in love with the characters. I literally grew up with these books from the early ‘80s to the present. Stories stayed in my heart to the last page and beyond, in my imagination. Before there was the trend of sequels and series, I created my own continuation of those stories and characters. These were the keepers.

If you could schedule a reunion, of sorts, which characters (or books) would you invite to see where they are now?

Michelle Monkou

http://michellemonkou.com/

Celebrate my 10th Book

Gamble On Love; Kimani Romance; Oct. ‘08

Michelle Monkou | Sauntering Down Memory Lane

A friend recently celebrated her wedding on the beach of Cayman Islands. The bright blue sky, turquoise water, and white sandy beach provided a romantic setting for the couple in love. The photos from her wedding remind me of my April release – No One But You – that beautifully highlights a bride standing on a beach ready and waiting for her perfect match.

No One But You, Harlequin Kimani Romance, introduces the first in the Ladies of Distinction series about sorority sisters who pledged together and now face life after university. Basically after college, Jackson Thomas chose his family business over Sarafina Lovell. Now Jackson is back, and Sara plans to give him one sultry goodbye kiss to prove she’s moved on. His sizzling kiss awakens memories of passion too hot to ignore.…

I am happy to have Essence Bestseller Francis Ray share her thoughts about my book: No One But You . . . is romance at its best - fun, sexy, memorable.

Although I write romances, I am an avid romance reader. From 13 or 14 years old, I read romances that had lush settings in Australia, Argentina, English countryside, and so on. Yes, I could have easily enjoyed reading my book in a quiet corner, but I derived great pleasure in discussing the book.

In high school, way before there was such a thing as bookclubs, my friends and I read the book and then conducted major discussions. At first, it was only my friend and me. Then as others heard about our lively conversation, they wanted to join. We didn’t have rules. However, if a person wasn’t an avid reader and, heaven forbid, not an avid romance reader, then she wouldn’t be a good fit with the group. We read almost a book a day and probably two or three books over a weekend. Granted we didn’t have video games and the multitude of TV channels to tempt us.

This connection between romance books and friends has not diminished over time. Being a member of Romance Writers of America places a person in the middle of active, supportive writers, but more importantly readers, of romance. I’m convinced that a writer cannot be a good writer if she does not read.

I won’t pretend that our discussions were always intellectual and thought provoking. Sometimes it simply was sharing common appreciation like when we talked about heroes -- their motivations and conflicts -- never gets dull. And yes, a full discourse about which celebrities match the hero would make the discussion complete. At 15 years old, sharing page numbers of fabulous bodies described in Johanna Lindsey’s books reduced us to a group of giggling girls. Now several decades later, I can still enjoy a few minutes of frivolity with my girlfriends over a romantic, sensual, handsome hero.

I am grateful for the ties between romance books and friendships. Each served to strengthen the enjoyment of the other. I look forward to continuing my deep relish of the latest romance books and the new friends that will come my way.

Introduce a friend to a romance book.

Michelle Monkou
http://www.michellemonkou.com/