With intriguing storylines and lovable characters, Michelle Monkou has been added to my list of favorite romance writers.

Did you set out to write sequels or did some of your characters later dictate an additional story?
I did not set out to write sequels, despite the popularity of such stories. However, readers' tastes, editors' wishes, and my multi-charactered stories helped to dictate the change in my story-telling.

How do you decide on the settings for your novels?
The settings of my novels are shaped by my characters. The setting is treated as a character in the plotting process that can shape the hero's or heroine's development. My settings that have involved Maryland suburbia, Texas ranch life, Bahamas should be a sensory connection for the reader.

Do you find it difficult to balance your home life with writing?
Sometimes balancing work and home life is difficult. Instead of making it a battle, though, I focus on my priorities - my home life, and then focus on my writing. As a result, I will use my freetime, late evenings or weekends to complete writing projects. Balancing the two components require lots of discipline.

Why did you chose to write romance?
I'm an avid reader of most genres. However, I have been reading romances since I was a young teen and discovered Mills and Boons, Barbara Cartland, and Harlequins. The romantic journey of the hero and heroine, ending with the realization of their mutual attraction, feeds the hopeful optimist in me.

What is your latest release about?
My latest release Here and Now, released in January '07, is the follow up to Sweet Surrender (released in September '06). Laura Masterson is determined not to let her handsome boss, Chase Dillard, distract her from attaining her personal best as a physical therapist. Especially because her new employer is the same world-class athlete who broke her heart back in the day. He put their relationship on hold to fulfill his Olympic potential, but soon realized that his victories were hollow without the woman he loved by his side. Chase definitely has some ground to make up if he wants to win Laura back.

Stay tuned for the third story: Straight To The Heart - coming in September '07.

To learn more about Michelle Monkou, visit her website: http://michellemonkou.com/

Interview by Shelia M Goss, an entertainment writer and author of My Invisible Husband and Roses are thorns, Violets are true. For more information, visit www.sheliagoss.com.