Michelle M. Pillow

Hey there! I'm Michelle M. Pillow, and I've been living in imaginary worlds since before I could hold a pen. (My poor parents had to deal with me telling elaborate stories about why the cookies were actually missing—spoiler alert: it wasn't fairies.) I'm a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author who loves nothing more than mixing genres until they create something totally unique and probably a little crazy.

Writing wasn't my original plan, believe it or not. I started out studying history and anthropology in college, which probably explains why I can't write a simple romance without weaving in complex world-building and cultural elements. Those degrees might not have led to a traditional career, but they've sure come in handy creating detailed alternate realities and sci-fi universes!

I broke into publishing back in 2004, and somehow I'm still here, causing trouble and making my characters' lives delightfully complicated. My stories tend to dance on the wild side of romance—we're talking alpha males who aren't afraid to cross a few lines, strong women who don't need saving (but might enjoy the company), and worlds where anything is possible. Science fiction romance is my playground, but I never met a genre I didn't want to experiment with.

Take "Fighting Lady Jayne," for example. When I started writing about Ronen of Firewall, I knew I wanted to create something that would turn traditional arranged marriage tropes on their head. I mean, who doesn't love a strong-willed hero who thinks he's got everything under control until the right woman comes along and throws his whole world into chaos? (I might enjoy tormenting my characters a little too much, but hey, they get their happily ever after... eventually.)

My writing style? Think "controlled chaos" with a side of snark. I love building complex worlds where the rules of reality don't quite apply, but the emotions and connections feel real enough to knock you off your feet. There's usually some humor mixed in with the steam and suspense—because let's face it, even in the darkest times, people still crack jokes. Sometimes inappropriate ones. Usually inappropriate ones, if I'm being honest.

When I'm not torturing characters (professionally, of course), I'm probably reading, binge-watching sci-fi shows, or trying to convince my family that yes, talking to myself is a totally normal part of the creative process. I work from home with two attention-demanding cats who believe they're my supervisors. (They're not wrong.)

What can you expect from my books? Adventure. Romance that'll make your kindle steam up. Characters who feel like friends (or enemies you love to hate). World-building that'll make you want to pack your bags and move to another planet. And probably some moments that'll make you laugh right before I hit you with ALL the feels.

I believe in giving my readers an escape that feels real enough to get lost in, but fantastic enough to help them forget about real-world problems for a while. My stories aren't just about the romance—they're about finding your place in the universe, even if that place happens to be on a spaceship with a sexy alien who has questionable communication skills.

To my readers: you're the reason I keep creating these worlds. Your messages, reviews, and support mean everything to me. I love hearing from you and finding out which characters you've fallen in love with (or want to throw things at—that's valid too). You can find me on social media, where I probably spend too much time sharing memes and chatting about books when I should be writing.

Fair warning: once you step into one of my worlds, you might not want to leave. But that's okay—I'm always working on the next story, and there's plenty of room in this universe I've created. Just watch out for the cats. They run this show.