This month, our featured author is Michelle Sutton, award-winning author of more than twenty books!

Welcome back to my humble virtual abode, Michelle. I’m always pleased to have you visit.

To start off, how long have you been a social worker?
I started working in the field of social work full-time during my senior year of college. That's when I worked at a homeless shelter and detox center. Then I worked with teens at risk of foster care placement for three years, and then I moved to Arizona to work for CPS and later for people who have developmental disabilities. So from 1987 to date makes what… 27+ years? Yikes! That's about right. I have spent a little over five of those 27 years as a supervisor of social workers.

How much of your writing has been inspired by your career?
A lot of it has come from situations I've been in and people I have known over the years. I have worked with so many different types of people with problems ranging from addiction to child abuse that it's not hard to come up with ideas resulting from real life.

Was Her Innocence born from your experiences in social work?
Yes, that, and I have a beautiful niece who has a developmental disability. I thought it would be interesting to write from the view point of someone trying to navigate through life with limited insight due to their intellectual challenges.

Michelle, please share with us about Her Innocence.
It is based on the story of a vulnerable 19 year old who looks like a typical attractive young women, yet once guys realize she is vulnerable due to her limited understanding of the dangers in life, she is taken advantage of. Mike is the hero and he meets her on the plane when they are both going to Tucson for different reasons. He tries to protect her innocence by being her boyfriend because he sees how vulnerable she is and sees her fierce loyalty to him as a way to keep her safe. Of course, they fall in love after spending time together, but I won't say more than that because there is plenty of internal and external conflict to keep you reading. I don't want to give away any spoilers.

Why did you choose to write about this type of character?
Because she is loveable, yet different. And very misunderstood by many. I thought it would be good for readers to see the world from the perspective of someone who has an IQ in the 60s.

The hero, Mike Johnson, is a wonderful, one-of-a-kind guy. Did you model him after anyone you know?
Nope, I just made him up as I went. He ends up being one of my favorite characters for many different reasons.

What can we expect from you next?
Working a little bit on a four part series that sort of mimics my life's challenges. But right now I am mainly editing other people's manuscripts.

Michelle, do you have anything else you’d like readers to know about you or your books?
If you have an e-reader, many range in price from 99 cents to $2.99. About half of my books can also be purchased in paperback format.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us. It’s always a pleasure to host you on my website, and I know your readers like to connect with you.

If you’d like to win a copy of Her Innocence, use my Contact page and type “drawing” in the comments box. The deadline to enter is January 24th.