Off Book with Michelle Eileen: Cowboy Romance, Romantic Suspense, and the Seven-Layer Dip of Reading
- genredpodcast
- 2 days ago
- 10 min read
Cowboy romance readers, bookstore dreamers, romantic suspense converts, and anyone whose childhood reading choices probably should have been supervised a little more closely, this episode is for you.
This week on Off Book, we’re joined by debut author Michelle Eileen, author of A Real Paige Turner, a cowboy romance with a mystery, a bookstore, strong female friendship, and exactly the kind of secretly-soft cowboy we would like to believe exists in real life.
We talk about Michelle’s unusual path to publication, why cowboys have always worked for her, the platonic soulmate relationship at the heart of the book, and how A Real Paige Turner somehow manages to feel both cozy and suspenseful at the same time.
But this conversation quickly becomes about much more than one book.
We get into the fantasy books that raised us, romance as a comfort genre, books we definitely read too young, literary fiction that changes how you think about writing, adaptation anxiety, audiobook Bluetooth hazards, and Michelle’s self-described “seven-layer dip” approach to reading.
As one does.
A Cowboy Romance With a Mystery on Top
Neither of us went into A Real Paige Turner expecting quite as many layers as we got.
Elyse was already sold on the bookstore setting and cowboy romance.
Katy discovered that apparently romantic suspense is her gateway into romance.
And then there was the mystery.
Michelle describes the book as a bit of a seven-layer dip, which honestly works extremely well as a description.
Romance.
Mystery.
Friendship.
A bookstore.
Cowboys.
Cozy vibes.
Just enough unease to make you keep turning pages.
It is a romance, so you know you are getting the happily ever after.
But you also need to know what happened.
Extremely satisfying.
Why Cowboys?
Michelle’s love of cowboys did not begin with BookTok.
Growing up, her dad got very into team roping, which meant Michelle spent a lot of time around rodeos. Add in classic Western movies constantly playing at home, and the capable cowboy with a secret soft side became permanently embedded in her brain.
Her ideal?
Capable.
Masculine.
Secret softie.
Are these men real?
Unclear.
Are they excellent book boyfriends?
Absolutely.
And Shane from A Real Paige Turner qualifies.
The Platonic Soulmate
One of Katy’s favorite parts of A Real Paige Turner was the female friendship running through the story.
There is history.
There are secrets.
There is family.
There is caretaking.
And the relationship matters independently of the romance.
Michelle says she has always been fascinated by the idea that your romantic partner does not necessarily have to be the only soulmate relationship in your life. Sometimes the person who understands you most deeply is a friend. The person who has been there through years of your life. The person you genuinely cannot imagine doing life without.
That idea of the platonic soulmate became a major emotional layer of the book.
And we would like more romances to remember that women have friends, thank you.
Michelle’s Very Unusual Publishing Journey
A Real Paige Turner took a slightly unconventional path into the world.
Michelle queried the book, received full manuscript requests, and eventually signed with an agent. Her agent spent about eight months trying to sell the book traditionally.
The feedback was generally positive. The problem? No one quite knew what to do with it.
Rather than let the manuscript sit indefinitely, Michelle decided to publish it herself.
Then, a few weeks later, the audiobook sold. So she ended up in a strange hybrid situation.
Part indie.
Part traditional.
A little bit of everything.
Which, considering the seven-layer-dip theme of this entire episode, feels appropriate.
Michelle also talks about the less glamorous part of independent publishing: suddenly needing to become responsible for marketing, promotion, logistics, and approximately seventeen jobs that have nothing to do with actually writing the book.
Very relaxing.
The Audiobook Voice in Her Head
The audiobook of A Real Paige Turner is narrated by Laura Horowitz.
Michelle says Laura’s performance felt almost exactly like hearing the character voice she had imagined while writing.
And because apparently publishing one book was not keeping her busy enough, Michelle is already editing another story set in the same world.
We support this behavior.
The Seven-Layer Dip of Reading
When we ask Michelle her favorite genre, we immediately learn that choosing one thing is not really her brand.
She is a mood reader.
She reads everything.
And there is, naturally, a seven-layer dip to her reading life too.
Romance is comfort.
Fantasy is escape.
Mysteries and thrillers scratch the need-to-know itch.
Literary fiction gives her the language and writing she wants to sit with.
And depending on the day, any one of those could win.
A very Genre’d answer.
Romance Is the Comfort Read
Michelle grew up reading romance because that was what her mom read.
After making her way through approximately the entire Baby-Sitters Club series, she needed something else.
So she moved on.
Probably earlier than intended.
Again, recurring theme.
Romance became a touchstone because she grew up surrounded by it, and it remains the genre she reaches for when she wants comfort. Which is also why the guaranteed happy ending matters.
Sometimes you want a book to emotionally torment you.
Sometimes you would simply like everyone to be okay.
The Fantasy Books That Raised Us
This episode briefly turns into a support group for people shaped by 90s and early-2000s fantasy.
Michelle and Elyse discover a shared love of Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels books.
Which is a very specific kind of reader recognition.
The immediate response:
Wait.
YOU read those too?
From there, the floodgates open.
Tamora Pierce.
Garth Nix.
Sherwood Smith.
Maximum Ride.
Books involving necromancers, magical teenagers, strange power dynamics, and things we somehow processed entirely by ourselves at age thirteen.
Perfectly normal childhood reading.
Tamora Pierce Found Her People
Michelle and Elyse also bond over Tamora Pierce, particularly the books that shaped their early fantasy reading.
Elyse talks about loving Daine from The Immortals and the Circle of Magic books, while Michelle realizes she now has even more old fantasy to revisit.
Then Elyse casually reveals that she once met Tamora Pierce at a bookstore event.
Katy’s response is essentially:
Excuse me?
Because apparently Elyse has been holding out on us.
Books We Read With Absolutely No Supervision
The deeper we get into formative reading, the clearer one thing becomes:
Nobody was checking what any of us were reading.
Michelle talks about being grateful that her mom never restricted her books.
But she also admits that if her own child brought home some of the same books now, the reaction might be more along the lines of:
Sure.
You can read it.
But we are going to discuss this afterward.
Because reading The Black Jewels alone at thirteen with no internet community and no one to process it with was apparently a personal development exercise.
Blood and Chocolate Deserves Justice
Michelle’s go-to recommendation for someone dipping into supernatural YA is Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause.
Werewolves.
A human love interest.
An alpha.
A choice.
Very important research.
Michelle read the book repeatedly growing up and was therefore especially betrayed by the movie adaptation.
The ending was changed.
The adaptation did not work.
Justice was not served.
Her official request:
Remake it.
We second the motion.
From YA Supernatural to Why Choose
Michelle also brings up Laurel K. Hamilton, whose books eventually take a sharp turn into extremely enthusiastic why-choose territory.
The earlier books combine paranormal fantasy, crime-solving, necromancy, vampires, werewolves, and mystery.
Then things evolve.
A lot.
There is truly a pipeline here.
YA supernatural reader.
Dark fantasy reader.
Paranormal romance reader.
Why choose.
Nature is healing.
The Book That Changed How Michelle Read
One of Michelle’s most important literary touchstones is Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat.
She describes it as the book that made her realize she could read for more than plot.
The language itself mattered.
The words could change how she thought.
A book could be a story, but it could also be art.
That opened the door to a deeper appreciation of literary fiction.
And eventually Sally Rooney.
Sally Rooney as Literary Fiction Gateway Drug
Michelle loves Sally Rooney because her writing feels conversational and accessible. You feel like you are participating in the book rather than simply observing it.
Which makes Rooney a good recommendation for someone who mainly reads romance or fantasy but wants to try literary fiction without feeling like they have accidentally enrolled in a graduate seminar.
Michelle also loves White Oleander.
Which both she and Katy realize they read alarmingly young.
Of course they did.
If You Want Literary Fiction to Hurt You
Michelle also recommends Betty by Tiffany McDaniel.
Her pitch is essentially:
Beautiful.
Dark.
Devastating.
You will sob.
Not for the lighthearted.
Sometimes you want a comfort romance.
Sometimes you apparently want your reading experience to emotionally flatten you.
Seven-layer dip.
Jane Austen Never Actually Leaves
Michelle talks about discovering Jane Austen through an aunt who was a theater professor and would essentially narrate stories to her. Her family also watched the Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice adaptation repeatedly on a VHS tape.
Occasionally interrupted by whatever had accidentally been recorded underneath it. A very specific millennial cultural experience.
Michelle still returns to Pride and Prejudice as both a comfort read and comfort watch.
And while Jane Austen periodically seems to have a “revival,” we agree that she never actually goes anywhere.
She simply waits for everyone else to remember.
Do We Actually Want Every Book Adapted?
Books are very much having a screen adaptation moment.
Which sounds exciting.
Until someone announces an adaptation of a book you deeply love.
Then suddenly it becomes:
Actually, perhaps no one should touch this.
Some adaptations make a story feel fresh and wonderful.
Others alter the one thing you cared most about and make you wonder why anyone was allowed near the source material.
Michelle has already been hurt by Blood and Chocolate.
She understands.
Stop Deciding Entire Genres Are Bad
One of the larger themes of the conversation is how easily readers dismiss entire genres.
Romance is unserious.
Fantasy is weird.
Literary fiction is pretentious.
YA is for teenagers.
Thrillers are formulaic.
Everyone has a stereotype ready.
But Michelle’s reading habits are basically the argument against that mindset.
She reads based on mood, not category loyalty.
Different books do different jobs.
Sometimes you need fantasy.
Sometimes romance.
Sometimes literary fiction.
Sometimes a thriller that keeps you up until 2 a.m.
Genres contain multitudes.
Why YA Still Works When You Are Not a YA
We also talk about why YA can remain so effective for adult readers.
There is something about adolescence where every feeling is operating at maximum volume.
First love.
Friendship.
Fear.
Identity.
Everything matters enormously.
As adults, we may know we are safely on the other side of it.
But reading YA can instantly drop us back into that emotional intensity. Katy also argues that YA sometimes handles romance in a way she prefers because it leaves room for imagination. Not everything needs to be explicit.
Sometimes yearning can do the work.
We have been saying this.
If Michelle Could Only Read One Genre Forever
After spending nearly an hour establishing that Michelle does not choose one thing, we force her to choose one thing.
Fantasy wins.
Mostly because fantasy can contain everything.
Romance.
Mystery.
Adventure.
Drama.
World-building.
Escape.
Dragons.
But Michelle immediately admits she would cheat on fantasy with contemporary romance and literary fiction.
Naturally.
Her final philosophy is basically:
She loves a dragon.
But sometimes she does not need a dragon.
Fair.
Books and Authors Mentioned
A Real Paige Turner by Michelle Eileen
The Baby-Sitters Club
Anne Bishop
The Black Jewels
Tamora Pierce
The Immortals
Circle of Magic
The Will of the Empress
Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith
Maximum Ride by James Patterson
Garth Nix
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause
Laurel K. Hamilton
Anne Rice
George R.R. Martin
Patrick Rothfuss
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
Sally Rooney
Normal People
Intermezzo
White Oleander
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
John Green
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
Fear of Flying by Erica Jong
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Fast Facts
Guest: Michelle Eileen
Debut novel: A Real Paige Turner
Genre: Cowboy romance / romantic suspense
Important microtrope: Bookstore
Book boyfriend energy: Capable cowboy who is secretly a softie
Favorite genre: Technically impossible to choose
Comfort genre: Romance
If forced to choose one forever: Fantasy
Reading style: Extremely committed mood reader
Formative reading: Fantasy, romance, YA supernatural, and apparently anything available in the house
Important philosophy: Sometimes you love a dragon. Sometimes you do not need a dragon.
Final Thoughts
We love an Off Book episode that starts with a debut cowboy romance and somehow ends with Tamora Pierce, necromancer cops, literary fiction, Jane Austen VHS tapes, traumatic book adaptations, audiobook Bluetooth emergencies, and whether fantasy could sustain someone for the rest of their life.
Michelle’s reading life also gets at the entire reason Genre’d exists.
You do not have to pick one lane.
A romance can be comforting.
A mystery can keep you up all night.
Fantasy can let you disappear into another world.
Literary fiction can change the way you think about language.
And sometimes the best reading life is simply the seven-layer dip.
Read widely.
Judge freely.
Mini FAQs
Who is Michelle Eileen?
Michelle Eileen is the author of A Real Paige Turner, a debut cowboy romance that blends romance, mystery, bookstore vibes, and a strong female friendship.
What is A Real Paige Turner about?
The novel is a cowboy romance with elements of romantic suspense and mystery. It also features a bookstore setting and an important platonic relationship alongside the central romance.
What genre does Michelle Eileen read?
Michelle describes herself as a mood reader who reads across genres. Romance is a comfort genre for her, while fantasy is one of her biggest lifelong reading touchstones.
What book does Michelle recommend for supernatural YA readers?
Michelle recommends Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause, a YA werewolf story she read repeatedly growing up.
What book changed the way Michelle thought about reading?
Michelle cites Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat as a book that changed how she understood language and helped her see books as art, not only stories.
What genre would Michelle choose if she could only read one forever?
Fantasy, although she immediately admits she would probably cheat with contemporary romance and literary fiction.
Where to Find Michelle Eileen and A Real Paige Turner
You can find Michelle Eileen on Instagram at @micheileenwrites.
A Real Paige Turner is available now in print, ebook, and audiobook.
If you like cowboy romance, romantic suspense, bookstores, cozy fall reading, strong female friendship, and a little mystery mixed into your happily ever after, this one belongs on your list.
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