Rock F*ck Club ~ My Interview with Author Michelle Mankin (@MichelleMankin)

Hey Michelle, I appreciate you taking the time to answer some questions I had immediately upon finishing Rock F*ck Club. 

BB: This is quite a premise. Did anything in particular inspire it?

MM: A number of events inspired it. The sexual empowerment for a woman theme in Rock F*ck Club came after I read a very thought provoking article by Lexxie Lin from Unconventional Book Views about romance being more than just Mommy Porn. (An aside: that term sets me off.) The Navajo details were inspired after a trip to Phoenix in November. The two best friends road trip aspect came after talking to two girls outside a club in Dallas. They were there early like me in order to be closest to the stage to see their favorite band.

BB: Was the mention of past drug use on Raven't part to establish something about her character? 

MM: She is flawed by strong and resilient? Yes, for sure. She acted out in order to get attention from her dad. As the story unfolds she learns with a certain someone's help to handle that particular issue more maturely.

BB: Raven's close friendship with Marsha and Lucky's closeness with Sky and his bandmates added depth to the characters and story. Do you feel as they do in that family and friends are integral to a happy life? 

MM: Friendships enrich life. There might be a quote about that in the story. It's something I truly believe. 

BB: There was a certain irony to the circumstances Raven found herself in once RFC took off. Are you making a statement there? Or do you feel Raven proved/made her point even if she didn't have all the control? 

MM: 0-0  Yes about our perspective being colored by the filter we view the world through. It's too spoilery to give the quote I want to, but if you do a word search for perception you'll find it.

BB: I was delighted with the inclusion of all the bands I've previously met in your books. Did you have fun with that element?

MM: Yes. I. Did. Once I owned up to the story I wanted to tell. At one time I considered a pseudonym for this story. But in the end I decided I had to be bold and brave like my heroine in the story.

BB: I enjoyed the Navajo/Native American element you wove into the story. Was it a starting point or did it come about while you were writing? 

MM: It was a starting point. After talking to Aunt Eve who lives in Phoenix I knew I had to have a spiritual symbolic place in that region.

BB: The travel aspect - visiting all the locales with Raven and Marsha was fun. Have you been to all the stops along Raven's RFC tour? 

MM: Hmm. Great question. Dallas check. NYC  check. Boston check. Chicago check. Detroit(No) Nola check. Atlanta check. Phoenix check. Kansas City check. LA check

BB: Will we see more from this set of characters? Please????

MM: Definitely. RFC will continue. More seasons. More power for women. More rock stars. I have ideas for novellas with some of Raven's ten guys and I even left myself some wiggle room to tell more with her and a certain someone.


Thanks so much for allowing me to interview you, Michelle!

If y'all haven't snagged Rock F*ck Club yet, you can read my review here and then go one-click it here! :D