Interview With Author Michelle Childress
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
’m a contemporary fiction author who writes emotionally driven stories about love, loss, and second chances. My work leans Southern in tone—small towns, long memories, and the kind of relationships that shape who we become. I’ve written across romance, fiction, and nonfiction, and I’m continuing to grow a catalog that explores connection in all its messy, beautiful forms.
I write for readers who want more than escape—they want to feel something real. To date I have written and published 14 books.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest novel is Her Heart Knows the Way to Paradise. It was inspired by the idea that healing rarely happens all at once. Sometimes it arrives quietly, through place, people, and unexpected love. I wanted to write about grief without rushing past it—and about the courage it takes to begin again when the future looks nothing like the plan.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in emotional fragments before I write in structure. I’ll chase a feeling, a scene, or a line of dialogue long before I worry about where it fits in the story. I also tend to research deep rabbit holes—history, landscapes, small-town details—because setting is emotional architecture to me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m drawn to writers who balance emotional honesty with strong storytelling—authors like Kristin Hannah, Nicholas Sparks, and Robyn Carr. I admire books that sit with complicated feelings instead of smoothing them out. Stories that stay.
What are you working on now?
I’m continuing to explore emotionally layered contemporary fiction—stories centered on legacy, identity, and the tension between who we were and who we’re becoming. I’m also developing new projects that expand my romance catalog while keeping the emotional depth readers expect from my work.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Connection always works better than noise. My best promotion method is talking to readers directly—through my website, blog, and social spaces where I can share the story behind the story. Authentic engagement lasts longer than any algorithm.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the book you want to read, not the one you think the market expects. Readers can feel authenticity. Build craft, protect your voice, and don’t rush your growth. A writing career is a long game.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Finish the story.”
You can revise anything except a blank page.
What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m deep in writing mode, so most of what I’m reading is research and craft. I tend to read heavily between drafts. But I tend to read emotionally rich fiction and narrative nonfiction—books that study people as much as plot. I’m always chasing stories that feel lived in.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More stories that linger. I’m focused on expanding my body of work while deepening my voice—writing books that feel bigger emotionally and more precise on the page. I want each project to stretch me.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A sweeping emotional novel, a survival manual I’d pretend I’d read sooner, a book of poetry for perspective, and one comfort reread—the kind of story that reminds you why stories matter in the first place.
Author Websites and Profiles
Michelle Childress Amazon Profile
Michelle Childress’s Social Media Links
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