INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Sarah Alderson - Hunting Lila

 

SARAH ALDERSON

Author of

HUNTING LILA

Today on the blog I have the absolute pleasure of interviewing Sarah Alderson, author of Hunting Lila (her debut novel).  

 

Welcome Sarah and thank you so much for taking time out of your sun drenched, massage fuelled busy schedule!!!! 

Sarah currently resides in one of the most beautiful places in the world…..Bali, Indonesia.  It is a place of dreams – and Sarah is living the dream!!! 

1.      Was there a certain something that inspired the writing of Hunting Lila?

My husband and I quit our jobs in London in 2009 and packed our bags and princess-obsessed, tutu wearing toddler and took off on a round the world trip looking for a new place to live. I didn't have any skills so to speak of and was wondering what I would do to earn a living and one day whilst puzzling on this I thought 'I know, I'll write a book. Stephenie Meyer wrote a book about vampires and look at her - she's a gazillionaire.'

And that is how Hunting Lila was born. Literally that day. Five minutes after that thought, I had the kernel of an idea. By the next day I had a list of Demos's crew and a description of Lila and Alex. The day after I started writing. And I never looked back. That was just over two years ago and I'm just finishing up my sixth book.

Ok, and also Alex Skarsgard. He inspired the character of Alex. If you haven't seen Generation Kill you should watch it. Marines with their shirts off, sweaty and grimy. And Alex Skarsgard. Say no more. 

2.     I’ve read on numerous web haunts that you have a “thing” for Demos (the “villain” in Hunting Lila)…. What exactly about him has you interested?

 

Demos' power is so interesting - he can stop people from thinking or feeling and even from moving.

When he was younger he abused this power and learned a hard lesson as a result. Actually he still occasionally abuses this power! But really I like to think he's a deeply misunderstood man who is acting from outside the law but who has his reasons for doing so. He has a strong moral code and he commands great loyalty and respect from those around him.  He's flawed and he's the anti-hero and I always like the anti-hero as they make far more interesting characters. They're more the everyman in life - the ones who make the mistakes most of us would make so it's easier to empathise and easier for us then to put ourselves into their shoes.

I guess too that my heart aches for Demos. In Losing Lila we get to know him more and discover more of his back story - there's a scene - one of the final ones in the book - that made me cry when I wrote it and still makes me cry just remembering it.

One day when they make the film (fingers crossed!) I can't wait to sit on the casting couch for Demos. Because in a way I think he's the heart of the book. Becasue the book is all about the things we do for love. 

   

3.     Who do you feel has the most awesome super power in Hunting Lila (and why?)….

  I like how Lila's power (she can move things with her mind) develops in Losing Lila. In Hunting Lila she doesn't have it under control and it scares her, though towards the end we glimpse just how strong she really is.

In Losing Lila we stop seeing Lila as vulnerable and insecure and start to see her growing in confidence and in her power. This is shown through the choices she makes - instead of reacting she starts making more careful choices and thinking things through - she's still impulsive at times but her actions are surer. Lila's bravery was never in question and she was never the damsel in distress but in Losing Lila she really comes into her own - by having to face even greater challenges and learning to trust herself and those around her.

I think partly she is able to gain this control because her relationship with Alex provides her with some stability. They are very much a partnership in Losing Lila (the opening scenes are reminiscent of the Bourne Supremacy but with two Bournes not one) and it's interesting to see how this partnership between them develops over the course of the book. Alex has been alpha male saving her quite frequently in Hunting Lila and suddenly the power balance is shifting. 

This journey of Lila's was always one I plotted over two or more books. It's a lot to ask someone to go through what she's gone through and then transition into the archetypal heroine, overcoming all her challenges and self-doubt within just one book. She needed time to grow into who she is and in Losing Lila she really does.

 She kicks ass.

4.     What are some of your writing distractions and how do you overcome them?

  Social media. Without a doubt. I'm addicted to it. And to Goodreads though I'm trying to step away from the refresh button and not go there. Hunting Lila has had such amazing love from reviewers but every time you check your reviews your heart is in your mouth. It's not good for the soul. 

Other distractions include a five year old, a liver-eating puppy, the need to dance regularly, the school run and watching Sons of Anarchy, True Blood and Game of Thrones.

I overcome these by writing whilst my daughter at school, employing someone to cook the liver, dancing ecstatically every Friday night (normally imagining I'm dancing with one or more of my characters), using the school run to plot out dialogue in my head and not thinking of watching TV as a distraction but rather as RESEARCH.

  

5.     Have you enjoyed the road to being published?  Worst and best occasions.

  Of course! It's been amazing. Though it's also very, very SLOOOOOOW. I was very lucky in that Hunting Lila was my first ever manuscript. I wrote it in less than five months and had an agent within six weeks of submitting it and a deal two months after that. That's fast. Some people struggle for years. I only had to wait a year until the publication date which again is considered fast. 

From the moment I sent off my manuscript to agents through to the publication day  it felt like slow and agonising torture with occasional moments of bliss - the day I got my deal - the day I saw the cover - the day I opened the box with all my author copies in it - the day I got an offer on the film rights! 

Without a doubt the worst occasion was when I was waiting for publishers to come back to my agent with a yes or a no. I didn't eat for three weeks because I felt so completely sick with nerves.

Best occasion? Wow, probably my book launch. It was so overwhelming to have so many people from so many different parts of my life come along to support me - from my oldest friend through to my blog readers and even the producer of the King's Speech. It was epic. Like getting married. And I bought myself the most incredible Vivienne Westwood dress and shoes to celebrate.

6.     What style of writer are you?  Do you plan it all out on a story board or maybe you just run with what happens when you start typing?

  I used to plan a lot more but I've never story-boarded. I would jot down notes and dialogue and plan out chapters and swim for hours trying to figure out where the plot was going. Now I'm on my sixth book I just sit and write and have faith that it's all going to work out. I have a start point and I have a vague but fairly certain idea of where I want the book to end but that's all. And so far, so good! I have a huge belief in the universe providing me with all the ideas I need exactly when I need them. In fact, I have that quote written above my desk. It's a good thing to remember.

7.     So glad to read that music plays a huge part during your writing.  The soundtrack you have posted is fantastic!  With artists that include Muse, Sia, Little Boots and La Roux – what song or artist of your playlist was the most powerful and for what scene did it help to mould?

 

Music is essential to me! I can't live without music and all my playlists are on spotify and open to the public. You can also see them on my website (http://www.sarahalderson.com/)  

For Lila I guess the song that really became the anthem I wrote the book to was La Roux, Cover my eyes. I used to listen to it on repeat endlessly whilst I wrote - particularly the chapters when Lila goes on the run right up to the point in San Jacinto national park. It seemed to evoke every emotion Lila felt about Alex in such a poignant, heartfelt way, and the loss she felt at having to leave him. Whenever I hear that song I feel Lila's heart breaking inside my chest.

Also Midlake's 'Acts of Man' - that track evokes for me the final scene in Joshua Tree. If you listen to it you'll know what it's about. 

8.     Do you have any tips for those wanting to achieve “the dream” of being a full time writer?

  HA! Move to Bali. Because 99.9% of writers don't earn enough I'm afraid to live on, unless you live somewhere with very low living costs. Or you luck out and are in the 0.01% of authors who actually become bestsellers. And even if that did happen I'd still say come live in Bali because not only is it beautiful but it's also full of some completely bizarre people  - many of whom are going to end up in books that I write. It opens the mind and furnishes the imagination living here!

  

9.     You have written another novel, “Fated” – can you please give an insight into this story and is it a stand alone or part of a series?

Fated is about a girl called Evie who finds out she's a Hunter - a demon slayer - and that she's being hunted down by a group of demons called the Brotherhood who are trying to stop her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy. One of the Brotherhood - a boy called Lucas, who is trying to avenge his parents' death at the hands of Hunters, is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her.

It has a lot of action, a very passionate love story and a lot of great characters. 

I wanted to explore this idea of whether Fate has a hand in our lives and who we meet - whether we have freedom in choosing who we are.  I believe that people come into our lives for a reason but I also think we have control over our lives and the choices we make.  

It does stand alone but I've written two more in that series because I just had to and wanted to follow my heart even though I was only contracted for the first one. 

 My personal all time favourite character is called Cyrus and he's in the sequel to Fated. He's awesome - the most fun character I've had the chance to write, so I hope people get to meet him one day. There is a fourth book in the Fated series but I haven't written it yet. I've moved onto a new book!

Thanks again Sarah for taking the time to answer my questions.  I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Hunting Lila and look forward to it’s sequel Losing Lila (but have to wait!!).  I’ll also be getting my hands on “Fated” real soon.

  

Enjoy Bali, your beautiful family and your wonderful life!  Cheers, Marissa

  Thank you for having me on the blog!

GIVEAWAY TIME! - NOW CLOSED

 Thanks to Simon & Schuster (thanks Caroline!) 

we have three (3) copies of 

Hunting Lila to giveaway - YAY!

Entry is simple:

1. Follow Novels On The Run (GFC)

2. Leave a comment below with email contact 

 Competition closes midnight (AEST) 

15th October 2011

Oh yeah.....entry is open international!!

Winners are determined by random.org 

psst....... keep your eyes on the blog as we will have some awesome SIGNED Hunting Lila items (A4 prints and bookmarks) to giveaway at a later date!!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW & SIGNED GIVEAWAY - KATE BENNETT

KATE BENNETT

AUTHOR OF

INEVITABLE

Hi Everyone!  A little while ago I had the pleasure of reading Inevitable by Kate Bennett.  The book is her debut published novel and is getting well received around the blogging world. Kate is currently embarking on her book signing tour in the States. Check out her blog for dates and venues. 

Hi Kate and welcome to Novels On The Run.

Congratulations on your debut novel Inevitable.  Thank you so much for sending me a copy to read (and lucky me got a signed one!! YAY!).

So now for the questions…….

  

1.      How was the journey into being an indie published author?  And….if you knew how it would be(good or bad)…..would you do it again if you were a debut author?

The truth is that I didn’t even know the route I had gone was considered “Indie”!  I am a wimp, first and foremost, and had gone two full years from the time I finished the last word of Inevitable until I finally submitted it to a publisher.  I came in contact with Amira Rock Publishing because one of their authors was doing a book signing at my local Borders.  The author there gave me her publisher’s email address and I emailed a few chapters of Inevitable that day. 

After reading the first couple of chapters, Tessa LaRock asked for the whole book.  Before I would send the rest of the book, I made Tessa call me.  I asked her a bunch of questions, but the bottom line was this:  I did not want to pay to have my book published. She assured me that they weren’t going to charge me for publishing.  I sent the rest of Inevitable and about a week later, I had a contract in my hand! 

The only bad thing about my experience is this:  I have to basically do my own marketing.  That, I do not like.  Otherwise, it’s been good.  I’ve met some awesome and supportive people and do not regret doing taking the leap.

2.    Is there a little bit of you in a particular character? If so, what trait and/or which character?   

I believe that each of the characters in any of my books has a piece of me in them.  In Inevitable, I definitely share a lot of personality traits with the two protagonists, Carina and Jared. 

Those closest to me would say that Carina’s boldness in the first chapter is very me; I am brazen and flirtatious in the right setting.  Being single again for the first time in 8 years has proven to me that while I didn’t realize it at the time I was writing it, I would’ve done exactly what Carina did in the first chapter.  

Then, there’s my other personality (Yes, I have two.  I’m a Gemini after all).  To the core, I am a romantic and at times can be considered codependent, like Jared, ha-ha! 

A side character that has a little of me in her is Jem.  Three words for you:  THAT’S SO PENNSYLVANIA!  I would definitely say that.  

  

3.    I read in an interview you did recently that Inevitable ended where you felt it should and there is no planned sequel.  Not Happy Jan!!! (Aussie saying!) You cliff hangered me right when my enjoyment in the story was at an all time high!!!  I had gone through lovers anguish, cried like a baby and then you cut me off right when there was some amazing hope!!! Any chance that you could change this or is it a done deal with the ending?

Sorry, Marissa, but it’s a done deal!!   I can’t expand on the end.  I feel it is very important to allow the reader to make their own conclusion on this one.  If anyone wants to email me after reading to get my thoughts, I’ll be happy to tell you how I would want the story to end, but I won’t publish it!

4.    Loads of writers have music as their muse…..what is your motivation when you write?  If it is mostly music…..do you have a “most influential” artist that inspires you?

(I checked out your playlist on the blog and have to admit-----YAY! For Chris Isaak ).

I love to listen to music while writing.  The Inevitable playlist is a good sampling of the music I like to listen to while writing.  I would say that The Fray and Matchbox Twenty are two of my favorites for writing. 

5.    In terms of marketing for Inevitable…..how much do you have to do yourself and is it daunting to self promote your work or do you find it quite easy to “sell” something that you are so passionate about?

I touched on this a little bit above.  I have to do A LOT of self promotion and it’s absolutely daunting.  I did my first book signing last Friday and that was very, very difficult.  I think most writers would agree that we like to express ourselves through pen or keyboard and not sit there and say, “Hey, check out my book.  It’s fantastic and I’m confident that you will love it!”   I do feel passionate about Inevitable and even though I’ve  received a lot of positive feedback, it’s still hard to sell it.  That’s why I need people like you to help! THANK YOU!

6.    On your blog your bio states you are now working on your next book…….can you let us know a bit about what we can look forward to?

 This is not entirely accurate.  I have the next book written.  What I should be doing is editing my next book… but I’ve been lazy!  I am the worst editor in the history of the world.  I am okay with my creative writing, but my technical writing is severely lacking. 

The next book I will be looking to get published is called “Lucky Livie” and it is book 1 in a 3 book series called The Westwood Series.  It’s about a girl that moves from New York to L.A. to attend UCLA.  On the plane, she meets a boy that she deems to be very attractive, but he’s not very nice to her.  But they keep bumping into each other and it turns out that he’s very famous and assumes on the plane that she knows who he is.  How could she not recognize him?  I guess you’ll have to read to find out!

I came up with that idea because I was having a conversation with my little sister about how I could be sitting next to Daniel Ratcliffe on an airplane and have no clue that it was him.  I’m serious… I’d probably just think, “This kid looks familiar.”  And NO, the main guy in this book is NOT based on Daniel Ratcliffe.  Is that even how you spell his name?

7.    Have you ever personally had a complete “fan moment” when you have met someone famous?  (Who, when and did you shamefully do the girly excited thing??)

 No, only in my dreams!  

8.   Can you give us a brief rundown of an average day in the life of Kate Bennett – Author?

 6:00 AM – hit the snooze button and curse under my breath wishing that I could sleep until at least ten o’clock

6:18 AM – finally get up, very begrudgingly

Oh wait, this could get lengthy.  Basically, Monday – Friday, I work a day job as a Licensed Insurance Sales Assistant.  I love my bosses to death and enjoy my work environment very much.  But I’m not going to lie; I wish I were a millionaire and I didn’t HAVE to go into work… haha

After work, I have to do the mommy-thing with my 5 year old daughter.  That includes anything from homework, to going to the park, to grocery shopping.

I am newly single this past year and have been having a lot of fun going out with friends and even a few dates.   I don’t have a lot of time to sit at home and write, but that’s okay because the experiences that I’m having now will help to shape my next novel. 

Any spare time that I have after all that is dedicated to some form of promotion for Inevitable.

Thank you Kate for taking time out of your hectic schedule to chat and answer a few questions for everyone.

Thank you, Marissa!!!

SO NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY.......

 Kate has graciously signed a copy of Inevitable for us to giveaway.

For your chance to win

1. Fill out THIS FORM

2. Be a Novels On The Run GFC follower
3. Tweet the comp for an extra entry

4. Cross your fingers!!!

Entry is open INTERNATIONAL - Yee haaa!!

Entries close Midnight 21st May 2011 (EST Australia)

INTERVIEW: AIMEE CARTER (The Goddess Test)

AIMEE CARTER

After reading The Goddess Test, I had the opportunity to interview with the books lovely author, Aimee Carter.

I also opened up the questions to our blog followers and we had some great questions. Thanks to all those who emailed or commented their questions. Unfortunately I couldnt include all of them...but I did choose a few.

I'd like to welcome to our blog........

AIMEE CARTER!

MARISSA      

  If you were to be a greek god (male or female) who would most represent your personality?

AIMEE

 Athena, definitely, though I have a hint of Artemis in me too. Among other things, Athena is the goddess of wisdom, strategy, justice, and crafts, and that's right up my alley. As for Artemis, I'm a bit of a daddy's girl. And I love animals.

MARISSA

Masked, your next trilogy, is possibly set for release in 2013, making it about 5 years after it was written.   How challenging was it to swap writing from The Goddess Test…to Masked and then back to Goddess Interrupted? With The Goddess Test and Masked sounding worlds apart. 

AIMEE

It was a challenge for sure! I'm used to switching worlds from one book to the next, especially since when I began Masked, it was under the impression that The Goddess Test wouldn't sell. However, lo and behold, it did, and by that time I was done with Masked. The hardest part about it was reentering Kate's world and continuing with the sequel - and it was even harder to do for the third book, since I'd written new material outside of that world in between as well. If I had to do it over, I would almost definitely want to write each one back to back, just to keep the flow going. But on the other hand, writing other stuff between gave me a chance to step back and really see the story with fresh eyes. I saw possibilities I hadn't noticed before, and it gave me an opportunity to work in myths that wouldn't have otherwise made it into the story.

But The Goddess Test and Masked are quite possibly two of the most different books I've ever written, and that definitely made things interesting. If anything, in the end, it forced me to learn and grow even more as a writer, and hopefully the subsequent books will be better for it.

MARISSA

Without giving anything away (!!), the ending to The Goddess Test left me running scenes and scenarios through my head for a while – I love it when a book does that!  I just love the fact that we could possibly be picking sides in Goddess Interrupted. So……..any slight chance you can give us a sneak peak/snippet/awesome quote from Goddess Interrupted? (my fingers are tightly crossed!)

AIMEE

Oh, thank you so much!! I'm so thrilled you enjoyed it. It always makes my day to hear that. :) I would LOVE to hear what you think is going to happen in the next book! As much as I'd like to give you a sneak peek into Goddess Interrupted, I think my publisher might string me up by my toes if I did so. However, I will say that the sequel, like the first book, starts with a prologue. There are three characters present - one familiar, two new, and it definitely sets up the rest of the series. In a lot of ways, the sequel differs from the first book, since Kate's struggle with the tests is resolved, and her goal throughout the second is different from the first.

 

MARISSA

For those that are heading into the world of writing and being published…….can you enlighten us as to the process you went through and how emotional (or not) the journey was for you to get to where you are today?

AIMEE

I've been working toward publication since I was fifteen, and it has definitely been a rocky journey. I attended several writing conferences and workshops when I was younger, meeting with agents and editors and attending sessions specifically designed to teach you about the business. Most of this information is available in writing books, for those who want to save on the cost, but there is nothing like attending a conference. The atmosphere, the people - it's fantastic, and I would highly recommend it.

When I was eighteen, I was lucky enough to be signed by an agent, but unfortunately something happened that was out of her control, and the deal fell through. At the time, given the circumstances, it was extremely scarring, and I wound up not querying agents for several years. Finally, however, in my early twenties, I wrote The Goddess Test and queried agents. Funny story there - I sent out two rounds of query letters with nothing changed between them except the title. The first had Persephone as the working title, while the second had The Goddess Test. The first batch, I received zero requests. The second, I had over seventy percent of the agents request additional material. So when someone tells you that the title doesn't matter, it might not always, but sometimes it makes a huge difference. Thankfully my agent, the magical Rosemary Stimola, was part of the second batch, and less than a month after I sent out the initial query letters, she offered representation.

After that, The Goddess Test was on submission for close to a year before Harlequin Teen bought it. Let me tell you, querying agents was hard, but submitting to editors was beyond emotional. At one point I was sure it would never sell and wrote Masked instead, intending on that being my debut novel, and I feel extremely fortunate that Harlequin Teen came across The Goddess Test and decided it was worth a try. I wound up rewriting a very large portion of it after it sold, and I think it's head and shoulders above where it was when I first began to query agents.

The publication process is different for everyone, and it really is so emotionally difficult. The rejection is hard, and you need a thick skin to get through it. It isn't personal for the agents and editors saying thanks but no thanks, but it feels personal, and that makes it tough to deal with no matter how experienced a writer you are.

With the great amount hype and interest in the blogging world surrounding The Goddess Test, I gave our followers the opportunity to contribute to this interview.  After answering the questions, I would love it if you could please pick the best fan question from below.  The winner receives a special handmade The Goddess Test bookmark by our dear friend Suzi (it will be absolutely gorgeous). 

So here goes………

Cass (Words on Paper) asks:

I'm always wondering with authors who have written series, especially with their debuts: Why did you decide to write a series?  

AIMEE

Strangely enough, The Goddess Test was originally supposed to be a standalone novel. And it works as one too, I think. But once I finished it, I realized there was more story to tell, so I outlined the next few books and discovered I wanted to write a trilogy. Out of two dozen stories I've written, this was only the second that lent itself to becoming a trilogy, so it's definitely not typical for me, despite Masked being the first in a trilogy as well. This was also one of the first non-contemporary stories I'd written, so I have a feeling that had a lot to do with it as well. Fantasy and paranormal, purely through the mechanisms of the genres, have a tendency to wind up as more than one book.

Siobhan Stratton asks: 

What gave you the inspiration to write The Goddess Test? -

AIMEE

I've always loved Greek mythology, especially the myth of Hades and Persephone. The basic idea of The Goddess Test has been rattling around my brain for many, many years, since I first began to write original stories, and I very much wanted to show Hades' side of the myth. It took a while before I realized that I wanted to do a sequel to the original myth as opposed to a retelling, which allowed me a lot more room creatively, and once I came up with the idea for Kate's character and the struggles she faced, I wanted to write it badly. It was the kind of book I wanted to read, and therefore part of me hoped that maybe someone else would want to read it too.

Dayse Dantas asks:

Lately, the internet has been on and on about the YA Mafia. What are your thoughts on THAT? -

AIMEE

I haven't really been keeping up with the chatter about it, so I'm only semi-informed about what's going on. I believe it's the idea that there are a group of YA writers out there who will break your career if you don't enjoy their work? Writers are so busy writing and promoting their books though that I can't imagine one having the time to follow a prospective writer's career because of a single negative review, let alone try to tear it down. I would never, ever do that no matter the circumstances, and I have flat-out never heard of another author doing that either. Besides, I have very little control over my own career (other than write the best books I can), let alone someone else's.

The Story Queen asks:

With all of the negativity surrounding Hades in general, did you intentionally create a more sympathetic character?

AIMEE

In traditional Greek mythology, Hades is actually not a villain, or even a negative character. He's very much neutral. If anything, Hera, Zeus' wife, is the villain in more myths than not, and it's a very modern idea, linking Hades to Satan. As it happens, Hades mostly kept out of the other gods' business, tending to his duties in the Underworld and not bothering with their affairs all too often. He was isolated and quite lonely, but he took his job very seriously and certainly wasn't evil at all. He gets a bad reputation for what happened with Persephone, though he is one of the few gods who remained mostly faithful (not including an incident or two with nymphs), and he did love his wife. It was a different time back then, when women didn't get to choose their husbands, and I'm sure the way we view that particular myth is very different from the way the ancient Greeks did.

In short, Hades was never a bad guy, and part of what I wanted to do when writing The Goddess Test was to show that. It's always bugged me that Hades has been depicted in pop culture as the equivalent of Satan when really, he just wound up with the short straw when he and his brother drew lots for which realm to rule.

The Story Queen also asks!:
I've read that you were writing consistently throughout high school. Do you have any advice for teen writers on how to balance school work and writing? 

AIMEE

School work first, then writing, as tempting as writing might be. School work is going to lead to the career that will support your writing habit, and most writers actually do have a day job. When I was in high school, school work came easily to me, so I wrote all the time - during meals, before bed, whenever I had a chance. It helped that I type very fast, but I also had to sacrifice a lot of social time to make it happen. It was definitely something I was willing to do, but you'll have the rest of your life to write. Give yourself a chance to live as well.

Mostly though, don't follow anyone else's rules. I wrote every day, but that doesn't mean you have to. Do what feels right. There is no secret formula except for hard work and a willingness to grow, and while there is no guaranteed path to success, if you stop trying, you are guaranteed to fail. Just keep trying, and you'll give yourself the best chance you possibly can to get there.

Thanks so much for having me! And as for the best question, I couldn't possibly pick, so a random number generator has chosen The Story Queen's.

CONGRATULATIONS THE STORY QUEEN. You have won a beautiful bookmark of The Goddess Test made by Suzi.  I will be in touch with you shortly.

 On behalf of Novels On The Run, I would like to thank Aimee for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions.  And I wish you all the best with the launch of The Goddess Test - I know it will be a big hit!  (I'll now go off and write down my suspicions for Goddess Interrupted!!!).

ENJOY!

MARISSA

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: LISA SANCHEZ

PLEASURES UNTOLD

by

LISA SANCHEZ

BLOG TOUR

Hi Everyone.....

What a jam packed event we have for you all.  We have the pleasure of sharing with you our reviews of Pleasures Untold by Lisa Sanchez ...... an interview with Lisa Sanchez...... and courtesy of Omnific Publishing 2 sets of  ebook giveaways of Eve of Samhain plus Pleasures Untold , the first 2 books in The Hanaford Park Series.

So without further ramblings...... we would like to present to you all our interview with author Lisa Sanchez..........

Hey, girls! Thanks so much for participating in my blog tour! Here are the answers to the questions you sent me. Take care! Mwah!

Michelle's questions:
1. I had such a great time reading 'Pleasures Untold'. You brought a bit of everything to this book.  I loved the fun, witty,  smexi dialogue and the twists and POW's ( They are the scenes where you didn't even see it coming).  I think most readers/writers have a recipe of ingredients they like to read in a book.  Can you tell us what your writing recipe is?

Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed Martha and Xan! I truly had a blast writing their story. As far as my own personal writing recipe? Hmmm...well, that's a great question. My stories tend to have very obsessive villains. They fixate on the heroine, stalk her or her loved ones and leave a path of death and destruction in their wake. My leading ladies all tend to have insecurities (appearance, self confidence issues) but rise to the occasion and show strength regardless of those faults. And well...my heroes, heh heh...they've all got pasts they're trying to overcome. I can't help it, I love me a wounded man. Drool!

2. The 3 , "Girlpower"  characters, Martha, Taylor and Jess, I really enjoyed their close friendship, I 'felt' , the love. Will you bring the "Girlpower" over into any of the other books in , 'The Hanaford Park ' , series?

The relationship between a girl/woman and her close friends is a special bond. Often times these close friendships will outlast a relationship with a significant other. I wanted to portray a tight friendship between the roomies, and I'm so glad it came across on the page! Yes, I hope to continue to show the bond between the girls throughout the books.  When all is said and done, guy or no guy, those girls have each other's backs!

3. Something I noticed with your writing is you have a lot of fun with it. You use slang, quick wit, sarcasm very well, you had me laughing alot. I enjoy your uber smexi dialogue , but, have you ever thought of writing a YA series as your snappy/punchy wit is very relatable to that age bracket?.

*Blushes* I'm so glad you enjoy my style of writing. My abundant use of slang can take some getting used to, I'm sure! To answer your question, YES! I've had an idea for a YA story swimming about in my head for a while now. It involves cheerleaders (surprise, surprise!) and will most likely be paranormal. Once I wrap up book three, I'll start jotting my ideas down onto paper. I'm a panster by nature, so while I have the gist of what will happen, most of it will come as I write.

4. I love the magic of J K Rowling, Cassandra Clare and of course Karen Marie Moning ( who is a Goddess). Can you name 5 authors you enjoy reading. ( In no particular order)

You bet!  J.R Ward, Karen Marie Moning, Diana Gabaldon, Kerralyn Sparks, Sherrilyn Kenyon. Those ladies are the bomb diggety!

5. I think as busy mums we all have to slide reading time in, somewhere. For me it is often at nighttime until the wee hours.  J K Rowling influenced me , got me reading, then Stephenie Meyer got me back on track years later, once all the kidlets had popped out. What author/book was your greatest influence in getting you reading?

Wow! My greatest influence? Hmmm...I've got three, so I'll share them all! I've always enjoyed reading (it's my escape) however, there was a short period when I was first married and my oldest was just a wee babe, where I didn't have the time to read. Once my baby got a little older and didn't rely on me for everything, I hopped online and did a search on Amazon. I knew I liked time travel romance (Jude Deveraux's Knight in Shining Armor is a fav) so I did a search and found Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Holy smokes! I was hooked from the first page. James Fraser became my favorite hero, and I went on to read that series over, and over and over again. What can I say? I've got a thing for Scottish hotties in kilts :)  A few years ago my bestie, called me up on the phone and told me about this hot new YA series she'd just read and couldn't stop thinking about. I had no idea while listening to her talk about Twilight and Edward Cullen, that I'd fall as hard as I did when I read the books myself. I fell in love with Edward right along with Bella and was swept away by their story. Craving all things vampire at that point, I hopped onto Amazon again and did another search for vampire romance novels and found J.R. Ward. While I love the Outlander series and the Twilight Saga, I think the Black Dagger Brotherhood books tip the scales for me as far as which series is my favorite. Lord, I can't help myself! Those brothers are hot, and so well written. The Warden is amazing and I'm in complete awe of her.

6. When preparing to write a book are you the storyboard type of writer who writes out slips of paper and moves it around your board to get it how you want or a ' Red Bull",  type of writer who will write and write and write and let it pour out, then edit and edit and edit afterwards or do you have another preparation skill?

I'm a panster. I know who my main characters are (names, appearance etc.) and the three main events that take place in the story. Everything else comes to me as I write. It's a very organic process. I've found sticky notes are helpful, though, to help me remember important details. It's no fun scrolling back fifty pages to see what eye color you've given your secondary character.

Marissa's questions:

7.  Was there a scene you enjoyed writing or just really liked, that had to be cut?  i.e. any great outtakes?? We obviously don't want you to give the storyline away... so maybe a direction in the story that you didnt up going with?

That's a great question! Originally, there was a prologue including Martha's thoughts about a certain event (I'm not saying anything as it will spoil the book!) and then she addressed the reader. While it showcased her voice, I ended up taking it out as it wasn't essential to the story.

8.  Other than Taylor and Gabriel, were there other characters that you introduced us to that will show up in their own book for The Hanaford Park Series or possibly another series?

Taylor and Gabriel are the only new characters that will have a book of their own. So far, at least! My original goal, which I've been sticking with, is to have a book for each of the four girlfriends. You've seen Ryann, and now Martha. Taylor will have book three, and Jessica book four. Book three is very different from the first two setting wise, so we won't see many recurring characters. Darn it! I've just given you a spoiler! That's it! I'm zipping my lips now!

9.  Carrying on from the previous question......... We interviewed you after the release of your first Hanaford Park book "Eve of Samhain" (which is lurved!!). In the interview you mentioned you were doing four books in The Hanaford Park Series. As you bring a new sub-character into each book which then leads on to their own book - would you consider extending the Hanaford Park Series?

At this point I don't plan to write more than four books. Of course, things could change, but at the moment, my vision hasn't changed. Jessica's book will be the last. I've got some other stories floating around in my head that are dying to get out!

10. We all love to have a "next book" title to hang on to in great anticipation of its release!   For those that will no doubt read and love Pleasures Untold..... what is the title of book three?  

Book three is tentatively title The Witching Hour.

11. I really love your book covers. Particularly, Pleasures Untold.  Can you tell us the process for choosing them and how much input you had?

Thank you! I'm in love with them myself! I can't take any credit for my covers. Their magnificence is all due to the wonderful people at Omnific. They've done a fabulous job of capturing the essence of the books with the right covers, and I couldn't be more pleased.

12.  You've shown us in your book trailer the model you have chosen that is your vision of Martha.......and well done on finding her!  If Pleasures Untold were to be made into a movie...... who would you choose that visually portrays your main characters from your mind to the screen?

Great question! And a toughie! So far, I haven't really found an actress who I think is the perfect Martha. I wrote a blog post about this a while back and featured a gal from 90210 because she had the right hair type. The more I think on it, if I had to choose an actress right now, I'd probably go with Lucy Hale. She portrays the character Aria on Pretty Little Liars (my oldest loves that show.) As far as Xan, I previously chose Taylor Kinney. No, he isn't Latin, but he's hot! After a bit of research, I did come across a Latin hottie who I wouldn't mind imagining as I read: Joe Manganiello. He's the shmexy boy from True Blood. I'd go with the clean shaven version of him. Hubba hubba! 

Thanks so much Lisa for letting us into your world of The Hanaford Park series.  We are both really enjoying the series.  

Thanks so much for interviewing me. I'm so glad you enjoyed the books! Mwah!

Cheers

Lisa Sanchez

http://www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com
http://www.calicheermom.com/