Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book? When did it come out? Where can we get it?
My most recent novel is Sisters
of the Night, the second book in my Blood & Company Series. The story is about three beautiful,
enchanting hybrid-vampire women and the men they love. It’s filled with plenty of ups and downs,
family and friends, and relationship struggles—three love stories in one book.
Emaline, Juliana, and Gretchen are introduced in Book One, Old Town Nights. Although Sisters can be read as a stand-alone novel, readers would get more
out of the story if they read Old Town
Nights first.
Sisters of the Night
came out last spring. Both novels in the
series are available as Kindle books on Amazon.
Great! Is there anything specific that
inspired you to write Sisters?
Yes. The first book
dealt primarily with the issues male hybrid-vampires (part human, part vampire)
experienced in their love lives. I
decided that their counterparts also deserved a chance. Plus, two of the three ladies had been in
love with two of the Slater men in Old
Town Nights before they were cast aside
for “regular women.” These female
characters badgered me to tell their side of the story!
LOL. If this book was made into a film, who would you cast in it?
To be honest, I don’t know.
It’s also something I’ll never have to worry about!
I'm not sure I agree, Linda. Having read the first book, Old Town Nights, I think it would make a great movie series. :)
But, let's tackle some general questions.
When reading, do you prefer traditional printed books or ebooks? And why?
When reading, do you prefer traditional printed books or ebooks? And why?
I love my Kindle. It
contains countless volumes of books in a small device that’s easy to carry
around…and is kind to the hands. Anyone
with arthritis will confirm what a struggle it is to hold open books. Without an e-reader, I wouldn’t be doing much
reading these days…
So, what are you reading now?
Strictly for enjoyment: Nora Roberts’ novel, Dark Witch. I’m also beta reading for a few author
friends. I’m dying to catch up on a few
J.R. Ward novels as well.
I can attest to the talents of both authors as I follow their work. I have not read Dark Witch, however. I will have to grab that one!
Let's try another question.
When
you get an idea for a book, what comes first usually? Dialogue, the
characters, a specific scene? Or do you plot it out before you write?
When the idea strikes, characters begin forming in my
mind. As the story starts to take shape,
I type up an outline. For me, I need a
clear vision of how I’m going to get from Point A to Point Z. Yes, I’ll veer from the path now and then, as
my characters dictate—but for the most part, I will stick to the plot.
I write “dossiers” on all of the important characters. I need background information and basic
personality traits; otherwise, I won’t understand what motivates my fictional
people or how they will react in various situations. Insight is key to developing believable
characters.
It takes months of “mental prep” before I sit down to write
the first words. By then, the story is
ready to burst forth. If only the rest
of the writing came that effortlessly!
Oh, I hear you on that one! For myself, I am part pantser, part planner.
So, what do you have planned next, Linda? Or is that a secret?
Me? Keep a secret?
New England Nights,
the third book in my Blood & Company Series, will be available later this
month. I hope to have the fourth and
final installment, Brothers of the Night,
available by June 2015. After that I
have an idea for a “stand-alone” novel like my first book, Elsewhere. I also plan to
revise Elsewhere. It needs a good “housecleaning”!
LOL. Great! I am eager to find out more about what you're working on.
So, is there anything you'd like to add? Any advice for new writers?
I just have two suggestions for new writers—especially
Indies.
First, don’t rush
to self-publish. When I started out a few
years ago, the advice was: “Get as many books ‘out there’ as you can.” Well, take it from me…quantity does not equal
quality. Elsewhere is my first published book. Yes, the story is good; and yes, it’s
received a lot of positive reviews.
Still, it needs more editing and sprucing up, as I did with my
subsequent novels. I know this because I
have more experience now…
Second, don’t
neglect the technical aspects of your craft.
Brush up on grammar and punctuation; learn the parts of speech; study
syntax. Use beta readers for story
content. Good editors are expensive and
hard to find. If you learn how to write
well, you can trust your judgment 99% of the time. Even traditionally published authors with
editors can’t do better than that!
That's great advice. Thank you, Linda.
Readers, here is the blurb for Sisters of the Night.
Emaline Hoffbrau is a beautiful, confident vampire.
After losing the vampire man she loved, she doubts that her soul mate
exists. When the charming Garrett
Thompson comes along, he turns her world upside-down. Can Garrett accept what Emaline is? Or will he break her heart in a different
way?
Juliana Slater
is a gorgeous, manipulative vampire.
She’s married to Chad Browning, a “regular man.” Although Chad loves Juliana, he’s not sure he
wants to be her husband anymore. Will a
tragedy decide their fate? Or can the
two of them forgive each other and learn to trust again?
Sounds riveting! Here is an excerpt from the book.
Best fang
friends…
When Emaline returned to their table, Juliana grabbed
her arm. “Guess who I just saw?”
“Garrett,” she said as she sat down. “I have no idea what he’s doing here,
Hilliard. I told him I never wanted to
see him again.”
“He must want to see you, Emaline.”
“He doesn’t have the balls to come over, not with all
of us sitting at this table.”
Juliana arched a brow.
“Really? Well, if I’m not
mistaken, that’s him heading our way right now.”
Emaline looked, and sure enough, it was Garrett…long,
lean, and just as handsome as ever. Her
heart skipped several beats. As if right
on cue, Hilliard put his arm around her.
“Happy Saint Patrick’s Day,” Garrett said, grinning
like a leprechaun. His gaze drifted from
Emaline to the cake. “Are you getting
married, Gretchen?”
Everyone was smiling at him, except Hilliard and
Emaline.
Gretchen nodded.
“To this guy right here.”
“Hey, congratulations.”
Bert shook the hand he extended. He glanced around the table. “It’s nice to see you again, Juliana. Sorry, I don’t know the rest of you...”
Emaline’s rudeness forced Juliana to introduce Garrett
to everyone else. His hazel eyes
twinkled with alcohol and merriment as he watched her.
“Just wanted to say hi, Em. Now, you don’t have to be afraid you’ll run
into me.”
“Garrett, would you please just leave?” she said.
“Yeah, sure.
Have fun.” His smile faded as he
walked away.
Juliana stared at her.
“God, Emaline. You didn’t have to
be so mean to him.”
“Don’t you understand?
He views us as curiosities.”
Bert shrugged a shoulder. “We are curiosities.”
“I don’t care.
I still think he had a lot of nerve coming over here when he can see I’m
with someone else.”
Amused, Hilliard said, “I guess you shouldn’t have
slept with him, then…or bitten him.”
Emaline flushed.
“I told you that in confidence, Doctor.”
All the women laughed, Carly the loudest. “My, you are a busy girl, Emaline,” she
teased. “Seriously, it took a lot of
courage for Garrett to come over here.
Hilliard doesn’t give a damn, do you, Hilly?”
“I only give a damn if he’s harassing her. If not, then it’s Emaline’s call.”
“What is it you don’t like about him, honey?” Sonya
asked.
“Maybe he’s no good in bed. Most men aren’t,” Anke said, and she and Elsa
snickered and nudged each other. Bert
chuckled, shaking his head.
Gretchen observed her.
“You should apologize to Garrett.
You hurt his feelings.”
Juliana nodded.
“Yes, you should. Not that I
recommend taking up with a regular man.
Right now, I could drain Chad dry and leave his lifeless body in a heap
somewhere.”
Hilliard filled Juliana’s and his wine goblets. “You never know, Emaline. Garrett could be your heart’s true desire.”
“Oh, for God’s sake.
Now you sound like my poor, misguided mother.”
“Gretchen’s mother is misguided. Yours is sage and sweet-tempered,” Bert said.
Emaline frowned, sure that everyone and everything was
against her. She started to pass around
plates. “Juliana, cut the cake. Then maybe Bert will cut the crap.”
That brought a round of laughter. Gretchen gazed at her fiancé, her dark eyes
glittering almost as brightly as her three-carat diamond.
A sick knot formed in the pit of Emaline’s stomach.
Guest Blogger Bio
Linda Lee Williams writes “contemporary romance with a
paranormal twist.” After moving to
Denver from Chicago, she taught writing classes at Arapahoe Community College
and formed a writers’ group. Recently,
she teamed up with her husband Tim—the artist that illustrated her book
covers—to publish her novels on Amazon.
An outdoor enthusiast, Linda enjoys hiking, biking, and
birding. She loves critters of all
kinds, domestic or wild. During her
journeys, she’s called Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, and Colorado
home. Wherever she roams, she draws
inspiration from her surroundings.
Author Links:
Buy links for books:
Elsewhere: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CAUIIDY
Blood & Company Series
Old Town Nights, Book
One: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DZ106QO
Sisters of the Night,
Book Two: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J9241Z0
Linda's Books:
Thanks for interviewing me on your blog today, Marie. It's a pleasure to be featured!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! It's always great fun to have you here!
DeleteGreat post and good advice for indies, Linda. :)
ReplyDelete