Meet YA Author M. M. Roethig

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes fellow Colorado author M. M. (Michelle) Roethig. She writes for YA.

First, a bit about Michelle:

I’m a 'happily-ever-after' author whose guilty pleasure is a swoon-worthy romance. Growing up, I spent my youth on various Air Force bases in many different states, which I credit with fueling my imagination and love of make-believe stories with each new city, scenery, and situation. Finally settling in Idaho, I finished my schooling years and eventually started a family. Two years ago, our family made the move to Northern Colorado, which we’ve quickly embraced as our home.

My debut novel Raine was a result of a short story competition held by Creative Prose Publishing. Elemental Princess was awarded second place in the competition and published in their Beginnings Anthology. Raine is the sequel, which subsequently was in the works for five years before Elemental Princess was written.




Why did you pick to write books for Young Adults?

Raine was written over a five year stretch when I was reading several YA books with my girls. I originally wanted to write something they would be proud to read as young women. They are much older now; however, I continue to enjoy writing books young people can read and embrace.

What types of books do you like to read?

I love reading all genres, but my guilty pleasure is a swoon-worthy romance. Not erotica, but the sweet romance that gives you the first time butterflies in your stomach and makes you feel lighter. I also love a happy-ever-after ending.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

I love spending time with my family and friends. Activities we enjoy include Frisbee golf, BBQs, going to the zoo or aquarium, visiting new eateries, going for walks or bikes rides, or attending movies. I LOVE movies, sometimes going by myself.

Tell us about Raine and how the story came to be.

Raine came to me while cleaning my yard after a large thunderstorm rolled through. The area was a mess, especially the fire-pit on the patio. I was sifting through the water to find a way to drain it when an image of a young girl controlling the water filtered through my brain.

Here a peek at Raine:

Starting her senior year of high school, Raine Patterson is content with being invisible. That is, until the mysteriously handsome Kaden transfers in and turns her world upside down. Drawn to him in ways she can’t understand, Raine finds herself falling for him, regardless of his harsh stares and mixed signals. When she discovers a hidden ability to control the elements, she finds herself the target of a madman, and Kaden is the only one who can help her. Can she trust him?



Kaden Williams has hated Elementals from the time he lost his father to them as a young boy. Chosen to protect Elementals, Kaden turned his back on his duty, swearing to rid the world of them instead. Meeting Raine was no accident, but his feelings for her throw him into turmoil and threaten to change the way he feels about Elementals. When Raine becomes the target of an unknown aggressor, Kaden is forced to decide which path he will follow. 


As the struggle for knowledge unfolds and the beginning of a pending war looms closer, Raine and Kaden must lean on each other to discover the truth and survive.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

My other published works consist of short stories.
•    Elemental Princess is the prequel to Raine and was written for my niece Kaesen. Her mother was battling breast cancer at the time. Being so far away, I couldn’t help the family physically, so I wrote her a story to bring a little cheer to her life. Elemental Princess took second place in a writing contest, and was published in 2014
•    Reflections is a short story about a young girl Meredith who loves to hear the story of how her parent’s met. While Meredith listens intently, she is unaware of the struggle her parents face as her mother battles cancer. This story was also a writing contest winner and was published in February 2014.
•    Perfect Proposal is published in Summer Dreams Anthology. Anne is looking forward to a wonderful night with Jason, but simple misunderstanding might tear their world apart.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

Dangerous Obsession is my current work-in-progress which is set to publish later this year. The story follows Chloe, a dancer with the LA Lakers, who becomes the obsession of a stalker, and Eric, a recently divorce, wounded soldier whose sworn off women for good.  The more time they spend together, the harder it is to resist their growing attraction, all the while trying to keep Chloe safe from her unknown stalker

I am also working on Autumn, the sequel to Raine.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Keep writing. There will be moments that you want to give up, moments when frustration overwhelms you, but keep writing. You have a story the world needs to hear, and only you can tell it.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I love vanilla ice-cream!

Where can readers find you and your books?

Website * Facebook  * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest *  Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Intera * Scribd