Interview with Author L. Anne Carrington

My guest today is L. Anne Carrington.  Hello!  Welcome back to Writing in the Modern Age!  It’s wonderful to see you here again. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for having me, Marie!

 

 

 

 

My pleasure! 

 

Our approach to this interview today is a little different. Let's take a look at your current book out right now, L. Anne. Readers, this sports fiction novel with a touch of romance released back in December. 

 

 

Here is the blurb.

Quinn Talmadge is about to realize his dream of following in his father's footsteps as captain of the Pittsburgh Rebels.

Off the ice, Quinn's future is far less certain. He faced many struggles throughout most of his life: surviving a premature birth, being dumped by his first love on junior prom night, and wondering if he’ll establish a separate identity from his family.

When classmate April Stephens rescues him from choking following their high school’s homecoming football game, her heroic action prompts Quinn to reevaluate his own life and need to achieve true success.

Here is an excerpt.

 

Quinn Parker Talmadge was born a precious gift to his parents. While Troy enjoyed his role as Anna's doting stepfather, he and Alex yearned for a family of their own. They welcomed their first child together two weeks after Anna's third birthday, albeit with an unsettling beginning.

Alex fell ill while she and Troy visited his family in Nova Scotia. She was only 30 weeks into gestation when paramedics rushed her to Yarmouth Regional Hospital with toxemia and high blood pressure, no one sure if she or the baby would survive.

Doctors delivered Quinn via emergency C-section and he barely weighed three pounds at birth. Alex never saw such a tiny infant; he appeared fragile and too small to handle. 

A delivery room nurse informed Troy and his family that Quinn had little chance of survival. They refused to believe the news; Troy insisted everything possible be done to save his son, no matter what cost or length of time it took.

The baby pulled through, beating incredible odds. Quinn weighed five pounds after spending little over three weeks in an incubator, and his parents could finally take him home. Quinn brought joy to them and Anna immediately adored her new half-brother.

Following his rocky beginning – including a bout with colic – Quinn Talmadge thrived. He transitioned from a fragile baby into an adorable toddler, resembling Troy with one exception: he had Alex’s distinctive violet eyes, complete with long, perfectly fanned lashes.

Both children were quick to turn over, sit, crawl, and talk, but Quinn still made no attempt to walk at eighteen months. Alex’s in-laws and friends assured her each child matured at their own rate, and Quinn being a boy may have weighed in on the delay.

Alex took him to the pediatrician and insisted on a full battery of tests, convinced something was wrong with her son’s legs.

“Quinn's tests revealed nothing abnormal,” the doctor informed her. “He’s doing well for a child born premature.

“He hasn’t made any attempts to walk. Are you sure his legs are all right? My daughter-"

“Some children clear hurdles without difficulty while others struggle and bounce back most of the time. Quinn will walk when he's ready. Life isn’t a race, Mrs. Talmadge; it’s not supposed to be a race. You’ll be surprised what your son achieves if you don't rush him. My only suggestion is to take Quinn home and let him progress at his own pace."

 

Interesting! 

 

Let's learn a little more about our author here.

 

L. Anne, what inspired you to write? When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

I did a lot of writing for fun when I was a child. My first published work appeared in a local newspaper when I was 18. I was on my high school's newspaper staff and literary journal club. You could say the writing bug bit early, but I didn't take an actual shot at it until 2009.

Well, it's never too late, in my opinion. ;)

Do you write novels full time or, as a lot of writers have these days, do you also have another job?

Aside from occasional freelance work, I write novels full time, aiming to get out a new book once every six months or year.

Wow! Sounds like a plan.

 

 

So, how do you come up with your book ideas? Are you the kind of writer who plans everything out in advance or do you just let the story develop naturally?

Sometimes things pop into my head and I think, “This would make a good book!” Other times I’m inspired by actual life events. Depending on what I’m writing at the time, story lines can either be planned out or naturally go its own way. For the Power Play Series, I kept notebooks full of ideas.

Whatever works for you!

 

 

Let's try something else.

 

Name three quick words that describe you.

 

Quirky, creative, driven.

 

 

All right.

 

I know it's hard to choose, but tell us if you can. Who is your favorite character out of all your books? 

 

At present, it’s Alex Galloway Talmadge from the first two Power Play books. She appears crass at times, but a tough woman who doesn’t give up easily. She has an independent streak, proves she’s tough in the sport of hockey as her male counterparts, yet also loving and devoted to her spouse and children.

 

Sounds like a cool character!

 

Paint a picture for us, a day in the life of you as an author when you're focused on writing a book. What tasks do you tackle first, middle and last?

 

Coffee before everything (Laughs.)! I’ll usually go back and re-read what was written the previous day and make any changes and/or correct any errors I’ve spotted. In a perfect writing world, first drafts would suffice before being sent to the publisher; unfortunately, that’s not the case in reality. Even fourth or fifth drafts need additional revisions. Once I’ve tweaked things to my satisfaction, the next few hours - with occasional breaks or unexpected interruptions - are spent writing new chapters, pondering additional ideas, or doing research if needed.

 

Oh, yes, I hear you. It seems we can never get our work perfect enough. 

 

So, I see you write sports fiction, or sometimes sports romance. Do you find that challenging, or does it come naturally to you?

 

It’s come naturally to me since it’s mainly what I write aside from the occasional nonfiction work.

 

Great!

 

Is the third book the last book of the Power Play Series, or will there be more in the future?

 

I haven’t yet decided whether to end the series or write another book. I should have a definite answer by the time The O’Freels is released.

 

Let's have a brief glimpse of that book as well.

 

 

Here is the blurb.

 

The O'Freels: Power Play Book 3

(Scheduled for Release in 2017)

Drafted 62nd overall and in the second round by the Newark Fire at age twenty-two, Marty O’Freel enjoyed a respectable American Hockey Conference success for over a decade, including later stints with the Pittsburgh Rebels and San Diego Pacific. Marty made playoff appearances during his entire career before capturing a long-eluded Princeton Trophy championship with the Pacific.

Despite his lack of 'elite player’ status and possessing below average looks, Marty had little trouble attracting considerably younger women for one-night stands, casual flings, and an occasional short-term relationship, yet each left him unfulfilled.

A career-ending injury forces Marty to explore new career paths, find someone to share his life, and start a family. Smitten from the first time he laid eyes on Harper Finnegan, Marty knew she was the girl he wanted to marry.

Harper never followed sports and had no idea who Marty O’Freel was when they met at a football-watching party hosted by her boss, San Diego mayor Philip Bisson. Initially bemused by Marty’s doting attention, Harper eventually returns the gregarious and kind former AHC defenseman’s ardor.

The couple relocate to Pittsburgh after Marty is hired as an associate coach for the Rebels, but will their relationship - and subsequent marriage - withstand living in a new city and shouldering additional responsibilities?

 

Here's an excerpt.

 

Three minutes remained in the final period with the San Diego Pacific, only one goal behind the Newark Fire. Marty “The Irish Warrior” O’Freel possessed the puck on the point line passed to him by defense partner Brad Baldwin, ready to aim for a goal. If he equalized, the game would possibly be sent into overtime.

“YEAHHHH!” Marty shouted as the puck soared into back of the net. He skated to the Pacific's bench and fist bumped his fellow teammates.

“Great shot, Warrior!” Brad Baldwin praised as he and two other Pacific players grabbed Marty in a celebratory hug.

“Thanks, bro. Way to move there; nice pass, good snap. Heavy...heavy.”

“Always aiming to help my fellow men,” Brad lightheartedly replied.

Marty skated back to the bench and took a seat beside Shawn Goode during a shift change. “What’s up, dude?”

“Same shit, different night,” Shawn replied. “Hell of a goal you made.”

“Thanks, not something I often get to do. Now we need to prevent the other guys from hitting an empty netter.”

“Doesn't it ever feel odd playing against one of your old teams?” Shawn asked.

“Sometimes,” Marty said with a grin, “but considering Newark hasn't beaten the Pacific since 2005, I have no regrets.”

“Bet us losing to the Rebels in the Princeton Trophy final had to sting, though.”

Marty shrugged. “Yeah, and then I moved forward. The trophy's going to be ours this year, Shawn. I can feel it.”

“I hear you, man! Lord knows it's time for us to get at least one. Fuck the Rebels' four championships.”

“Hey, no disrespecting those guys. I still have friends in Pittsburgh.”

“Speaking of which, doesn't your recent ex live there?”

Marty glared at Shawn. “For the love of Christ, don't ever again bring up Dani. She's the only part of my years in Pittsburgh I'd rather forget.”

“That bad, huh?” 

“To say the least.”

 

Intriguing! We look forward to seeing it come out.

 

So, I have some more questions for you...

 

Please list a few of your favorite authors and a top book title for each, so our readers here can check them out too!

 

John Scott - A Guy Like Me

 

Ann Rule - The Stranger Beside Me

 

Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Kathryn Stockett - The Help

 

Thanks!

 

Besides writing, give us a random talent or hobby you have.

 

I did a bit of acting back in the 90's; a couple local theater plays, some work as a film extra, and appeared on one episode of a local late night dating show.

 

Impressive!

 

Can you provide some of the obstacles you had to overcome in order to get published? Do you have any advice you'd like to offer your fellow writers to encourage them on their journeys? 

 

Genre fiction (which sports fiction falls into) isn’t always at the top of publishers’ priorities, so I had a difficult time breaking in at first. Once a [now defunct] small press gave me a shot, everything sort of went uphill from there. 

As for fellow authors making similar journeys, I say to always believe in yourself and your projects, work hard, ignore negative vibes and people, and keep sending queries. Obstacles can be overcome if you’re willing to make an effort to turn something negative into a positive.

 

Very true! 

 

So, I'm sure readers are curious about your next project. Can you tell us what you've got cooking up now, or is that a secret?

 

Right now I’m focused on completing The O’Freels, which is being released in 2017. If not out in late spring, chances are good it will be on sale around start of the 2017-18 NHL season.

 

Great to hear!

 

Thank you so much for stopping by Writing in the Modern Age!  It was such a pleasure to have you! :)

 

Thanks for letting me visit!

 

Of course!

 

Readers, don't forget to get a copy of On Ice, the second book in the Power Play Series!

 

 

Purchase Links:

 

Amazon Universal link:  https://bookgoodies.com/a/B01NBHHZGU

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-ice-l-anne-carrington/1125308431/1124857195

BAM:  http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Ice/L-Anne-Carrington/9781680730739

CreateSpace:  https://www.createspace.com/6613221

Author Bio

 

L. Anne Carrington is a sports fiction bestselling author and freelance writer/journalist whose previous work covered topics from fiction to news stories, human interest features, and entertainment reviews. She wrote The Wrestling Babe Internet column for seven years, was a former music reviewer for Indie Music Stop, former book reviewer for Free Press (an imprint of Simon and Schuster), and pens several other works which appear in both print and Web media.

One of her freelance articles, An Overview of Causes of Hearing Loss and Deafness, was bought by Internet Broadcasting Systems, a company that co-produced NBCOlympics.com for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics in addition to being the leading provider of Web sites, content and advertising revenue solutions to the largest and most successful media companies.

Her acclaimed work in both fiction and nonfiction include The Cruiserweight series, Billy Kidman: The Shooting Star, and number one hockey best seller Power Play.

She resides in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

 

Author Links:

 

Website:  www.lannecarrington.com

Facebook:  facebook.com/theloric2  

facebook.com/authorlannecarrington

Twitter:  twitter.com/lacarrington1
Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/L.-Anne-Carrington/e/B0055STQL6/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4191972.L_Anne_CarringtonWilliams

Instagram: instagram.com/lannecarrington

 

 

L. Anne's Books: