Coastal Magic 2025 Featured Author Spotlight & Giveaway - - Tere Michaels

Coastal Magic Convention Featured Author Tere Michaels is in our spotlight today. Tere’s specialties are snark, angst, and happily ever afters, set in the big city. It might take some time to get there but no worries - she believes in love conquering all! She has written eighteen books including her popular Faith, Love & Devotion series, the superhero saga The Vigilante, and "Broadway or Bust." Her most recent series has kicked off with Whisk-y Business, of The Love Broker series.

Welcome to The Romance Dish, Tere!  It’s a pleasure to have you visit with us today. 

Thank you so much for having me! 

For those readers who have yet to discover you, please share what they should expect when they read Whisk-y Business, book one of your The Love Broker series (which I thoroughly enjoyed - so much fun!).  

Sarcasm, Idiots to Lovers, Magical Weirdness, and sort of a reverse Hallmark Holiday Movie. 

I'm sitting here laughing out loud at that perfect description of this book! 

I love the food Annalee makes at the bakery and especially the bond with her late grandmother that it represents. Are you a baker? If so, who taught you and what’s your favorite item to bake? If not, which items catch your eye and tempt your taste buds when you walk into a bakery? 

I am not a great baker, but my mom used to make cream puffs ALL the time - like every family anything, she’d be required to bring them. Since she passed, I’ve tried to make them every Christmas. When I go to a bakery, you can usually tempt me with something that has baked apples in it, or crumb cake. (But only if it’s real NJ crumb cake, which means a huge stack of crumbs on a tiny sliver of cake. lol) 

Oh and the pastina soup she dreams about is something my Nan (grandmother) would make. I make it for myself when I need a little warmth.

I looked up the recipe for pastina soup. I will definitely be adding that to my winter soup menu!

I did not see that twist coming in the second epilogue of this book. What fun (no spoilers)! Do you already know how everything will play out over the course of the series? How many books will there be? Will the rest of them be set in Pine Lake or will you be taking readers back to the “big city?” 

Ooo, I love that. I have a pretty solid idea for the next few books. When this came together for me, I had a list of pun titles that jumped into my head so I have up to Book 5 already worked out! And I’ll keep writing them until I run out of words. Honestly, I love this world and all the chaos these folks are causing. 

I’m already beyond excited for book two. When can we expect its release? Are you able to tell us anything about it?  

The Man Date, which is Book 2, should already be out. I had it up for pre-order (uploaded with an old draft to be replaced), then it got released before it was supposed to so I took it down. Drama! Then I decided to rewrite the last third of the book. LOL I am MUCH happier with it now so…yeah. I’m a menace to myself. 

This book is a gay romance featuring two seemingly different men who find what they have in common brings them together. We also spend some time with a character who very briefly showed up in Book 1 and is going to blaze across the series, particularly Book 4. Oh. and matchmaking Malamutes, because why not? These guys were delightful to write, and I also enjoyed delving into friendship - what happens if your two best friends hook up? How does the third wheel react? I also added a bit more of the lore around Trudye’s tree, which was FUN. I hope everyone enjoys the book. 

I've already downloaded The Man Date and am looking forward to returning to Pine Lake. 

Let’s wrap things up with a few rapid-fire questions. 

What are your passions (aside from writing)?

Reading. I always have a book going and will sometimes spend most of my weekend reading. I also like to run (no, really!). 

What would readers be surprised to learn about you? 

What an introvert I am. LOL 

What are you currently reading or looking forward to reading? 

I’m currently reading Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis. My jam lately has been magical worlds with romance. I am waiting for SO many books in the new year. The new Ali Hazelwood, the next in the Assistant to the Villain series, the next Emily Wilde’s Fairy book series…I can keep going. Oh and the next book in the Fourth Wing series. I loved it. 

Where can readers find you online? 

I’m mostly on Threads, Bluesky, and occasionally Facebook and Instagram. I also have a Substack that’s primarily about the process of writing. My business partner is going to be handling all our media stuff because she is young and I am old. lol 

Thank you, Tere! Would you like to add anything or ask a question of the readers? 

Oooo…let’s see. First off, I love you all. Thanks for reading my books, and being so sweet throughout the year. I can’t wait to see everyone at Coastal.

My question, I suppose, is about The Love Broker series. What sort of tropes do you want to see me write? Not promising anything but I’d love to hear your ideas. 

Thank you so much for allowing me to visit!

Readers, let's help Tere out. What are your favorite contemporary romance tropes to read?

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, January 2 will receive a Kindle copy of Whisk-y Business. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

*U.S. only

*Must be 18