Nationally bestselling author Michele Bardsley is multi-published in several genres, but she is best known for her vampire mom series set in the fictional town of Broken Heart, Oklahoma. The adventures of her paranormal PTA parents have garnered excellent reviews and numerous kudos. BECAUSE YOUR VAMPIRE SAID SO won the 2008 RT Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance. And WAIT TILL YOUR VAMPIRE GETS HOME received both a Top Pick from RT BOOKReviews and a P.E.A.R.L. Honorable Mention for Best Vampire Romance.

Michele received her first publishing contract in 1998 from pioneer electronic publisher, Hard Shell Word Factory. The romantic comedy, titled DADDY IN TRAINING, is still available as an e-book. She's had numerous short stories, novellas, and novels published by electronic, independent, and traditional publishers. She's also written articles for national magazines such as Writer's Digest, RT BOOKReviews, and Byline.

Over the years, her work has earned awards and recognition from many organizations and publications. In 2003, her short story, A Mother Scorned, won the Grand Prize in the 72nd Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Her romantic comedy WILD WOMEN received OWFI's coveted trophy award for Best Book of Fiction and FWA's Royal Palm Award for Best Romance Novel. In 2007, her short story, A Demon is a Girl's Best Friend, was awarded Creme de la Creme from the Oklahoma Writer's Federation, Inc.

Michele has given workshops about inspiration, self-editing techniques, romance heroes, vampire fiction, electronic publishing, humor in fiction, selling erotica, winning contests, Internet promotion, and many other topics. She has presented workshops, spoke at luncheons, and participated in panels at events and meetings across the United States, including the annual conferences of Romantic Times, OWFI, Florida Writers Association, Tulsa Night Writers, EPICon, and Celebrate Romance.

Michele currently writes paranormal fiction for the Penguin Group (USA) imprints New American Library and Signet Eclipse. She lives in Texas with her children and their pets.

My passion is ...

writing ... and chocolate.

I know too much about ...

nothing. I never know enough.

My parents always told me ...

don't cross the street without looking both ways.

My childhood ambition ...

to be a published author.

My favorite memory ...

too many to pare to just one.

Why I write ...

because it's what I love to do.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

all things supernatural.

My first job ...

taking orders at Burger King.

My best moment ...

the births of my children.

My inspiration ...

my grandmother.

Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Learning to write

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Writing a good ending to a novel involves more than the author collapsing on top of the finished manuscript and muttering a prayer of thanks. In fact, a novel's ending must accomplish three tasks:

* Neatly tie up all plot threads.
* Reward the protagonists.
* Satisfy the reader.

NEATLY TIE UP ALL THE PLOT THREADS. The ending must answer all questions posed throughout the story. Unless the book is a series (or it has a sequel), all mysteries must be solved. Don't leave the reader scratching her head and asking, "But what happened to the heroine's best friend? She went out for ice...

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