Former WWE Diva Mickie James was interviewed by Fanhouse.com this week and spoke about her music career, her WWE release and whether she'd work for TNA Wrestling again.

Here are some highlights of what she said about:

Her WWE Release: "It definitely was heartbreaking and it was out of the blue for me. It totally blindsided me and I didn't see it coming. But, you know, hindsight is 20-20. Perhaps if I wasn't so passionate ... I don't know, it's one of those things that I think I would've never cut out on my own because I did love my job and I loved WWE and I loved my fans so much that I would've given anything. And I intended to be able to do both, to still wrestle 250 days out of the year and, in the meantime, if we're in Savannah, Georgia, do the show that night and then maybe go to a bar and even if it's like a little acoustic set, do a mini-acoustic set afterward and then hit the radio stations the next morning ... I had this whole plan. So it kind of totally hit me out of left field, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise because now I can really concentrate on the music, and kind of cherry-pick when I'm gonna wrestle and what I'm gonna do and rebuild my plan of what I want to do and where I want to go."

Her Music Career Being Her Top Priority: "Here's the deal -- I think that I've made my mark in the industry and I've made a legacy in the business, and granted there's a lot more that I wanted to do, but it kind of fell short. So now it's just a moving forward thing. I don't think that anything that I could do in the industry right now on this level, in the wrestling industry, would ever compare to wrestling in front of 90,000 people. Unless it's right and it's the perfect thing, my focus is on the music. My heart and soul, that's where I'm at right now, all my focus is on that."

Mickie's first country music single is now online and can be heard here.

Working For TNA: "Well certainly I've entertained the thought and it's one of those things ... there has to be this beautiful marriage between the two. Obviously my music right now is in the forefront, and if there's a way to be able to do it and still ... you know, because TNA's schedule is certainly less demanding, maybe what, 100 dates out of the year? Obviously it would give me a lot more time, but it would also give me that platform to be able to be there for my wrestling fans and hope that they would support me with my music."
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Former WWE Women's Champion Mickie James weighed in on a number of topics in an interview with The Baltimore Sun including her recent departure from World Wrestling Entertainment, the Piggy James storyline, her music career, and more.

James says she hasn't watching wrestling on television since being released in April, noting it's much too difficult.

"I didn't watch wrestling. I still haven't seen a wrestling show and it's been three months," James said. "The only show I've watched was right after I was released and they were chanting, 'We want Mickie, we want Mickie.' And I started bawling. It just really broke me, so I didn't know what I wanted to do. So, I started doing some dates. It's definitely a different feel. Once you've wrestled in front of 90,000 people, where do you go from there?"

Regarding her release, she feels the company wanted to go in a different direction with the women's division. She also says she didn't understand their decision at the time, but now recognizes the writing on the wall.

"I just think it was the different direction of the Divas. No one can give 100 percent all the time and they can surely try. Looking back, if I take myself from the picture, there was writing on the wall and if I wasn't so indulged in the business, I would have seen it," James said. "I never would have shut that chapter on my own. I never would have cut that string on my own, so maybe they had to shut that door on me for to fully focus on my music, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise."

On the topic of the Piggy James storyline, she noted being more upset with its conclusion than the angle itself. She also remains unsure whether company officials were poking fun at her weight.

"I don't know where it came from. Were they ribbing me or just poking fun? I sat back and prayed about it. There's still not one female that can go out there and get a reaction I can," James said. "And maybe they were trying to pull the fanbase away from me, but I got the championship, then they took it away. After six months of embarrassment and ridicule, that's the payoff? I had to swallow my pride."

James also discusses her music career and notes plans for a second album and road tour. To view the video interview, go to http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/wrestling/blog/