Guest Blog and Giveaway with Chrissy Munder

Good morning, Roxanne and the Fang-tastic Book Fans! Thank you for letting me be a part of your month-long, Michigan Authors Celebration. I'm Chrissy Munder, a GLBT author currently writing m/m romance and living in this great state.

“Pure Michigan” is the new advertising slogan for the state’s tourism industry, and it’s a good one. There’s something unique and purely Michigan; something compelling and timeless, and once it gets a hold of you doesn’t let go.

I’m a good example of this. Born and raised in Southeastern Michigan, I left the state early on in search of adventure. Work had me traveling across the United States for years after that. At last count I’ve called seventeen states as home.

But here I am, back in Michigan.

While barely scratching the surface of story and plot line possibilities, Michigan’s bright sunny beaches and Great Lakes have become the background for many of my stories. Including the building of the Mackinac Bridge, and the awesomeness of the Michigan pastie in the short story, Bridge of Dreams. Asparagus farms on the west side of the state were highlighted in the novella, Start From the Beginning, and the Bayview Mackinac Boat Race held annually on Lake Huron was used in the novella, Fair Winds.



But there’s another side to this amazing state, a darker side. Just visit this website, The Shadowlands, for an alphabetized listing of Michigan happenings both chilling and supernatural. Take a look at the city where you live – you may be surprised at what’s going on in your backyard.

Michigan’s lighthouses have always been a romantic source of speculation and mystery. To discover more about them you can visit The Michigan Lighthouse Alliance, and get lost in learning about the more than 115 lighthouses that dot the Michigan coastline. I couldn’t resist using the idea as a backdrop for my paranormal story, After the Storm where, angry and frustrated with his chronic illness, Vincent Poulsen moves into an old lighthouse to live out the few days he has left. After a dangerous collapse, he meets the ghostly Captain Cason, who shares stories of his distant past. In the process, Vincent stumbles over the tragedy that binds the captain to the lighthouse and his haunted memories. Then fate offers them in death a chance to make right what they couldn't in life....


A childhood trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, miles of isolated forest and the eerie sight of a burned-down motel, isolated and surrounded by mist served as the inspiration for my June paranormal release, The Scenic Route, where it’s the first time Ed Baldwin has ever taken his boyfriend Joe Sutton home to meet his parents, and nervous, he keeps trying to pick a fight with Joe to relieve his stress while they drive. When Joe’s had enough, they pull over in a very small town where the choice in motels only adds to Ed’s anxiety. A series of strange happenings puts them back on the road sooner than expected, and it’s at an all-night diner that they find out why the Easy Rest Motel didn’t live up to its name. That’s what Ed gets for letting Joe take the scenic route.

Luckily for me, the possibilities of what to write next are never-ending, and Purely Michigan.

So how about you? Would you like to read more about the dark side of Michigan, or do you prefer the light?

How many of you have left the state only to return?

Leave a comment and let me know. Be sure to put your email in your comment as everyone who replies before 11:00pm EST (Michigan time!) will be entered in a random drawing for a free pdf copy of my novella, After the Storm.

To learn more about me you can visit my website, my blog, friend me at Facebook, or stop by my page at the GLBT bookshelf for even more links on where you can find and follow me across the web.

*Whew* that's a lot. But wait - There's more! (Yes, there’s nothing like late night television commercials.)

You can view my backlist and purchase my work here at Dreamspinner Press. But you can also find me at Amazon.com, Fictionwise, All Romance eBooks, Rainbow eBooks, and other fine booksellers across the web. Hopefully, at one of your favorites.