INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LIZZIE T LEAF

Welcome everyone, it’s good to see you all back here for this interview and giveaway. This week, our special guest author is Lizzie T Leaf.  In case you don’t know, Lizzie’s BEYOND MAGIC was awarded the Colorado RWA of Excellence 2012 for Best Paranormal. Also, her MAKING CHRISTMAS has won the Love Romances Best Historical Book 2011. But don’t think this is all she has won, check out her website for more award winning reads at : http://www.lizzietleaf.com/index.html

Prior to the interview, Lizzie and I sat down for a chat to get to know each other. This is what she has to say….

Lizzie: In addition to writing, I love to hang with my family and travel with my husband.  Seeing other cultures and meeting terrific people are at the top of my LOVE to do list.

My first print novel, Stuck by Lightning won the 2007 Beacon Award in 2 categories, and now that the rights have reverted back to me is being expanded and re-edited for Indy Publishing.

Making Christmas, a Christmas Historical Novella won the 2011 Love Romances Café for Best Historical.

Beyond Magic, the first book in the Magical Love series, won the 2012 Award of Excellence for Best Paranormal/Fantasy/Sy-fi.

Currently, Musa Publishing is re-releasing all of the books in the DEAD series, my take on life as a vampire and the friends they make.  DEAD Awake (formerly Waking Up Dead) has been re-edited and is scheduled to release July 20th to kick off the re-releases over the next several weeks.  Needless to say, since I wrote it there’s not a lot of blood & gore in the series, but the publisher loves it and I’ve contracted to write additional books.

BBL: So as a new author, I’m sure a lot of our readers would like a little bit background of how you came to be an author. When did you start your writing career?

Lizzie: Like lots of other authors the writing bug bit me in childhood.  To me it was an easy way to earn a big fat A, so loved the semesters in English with Fiction as the focus.  Now for term papers not so much.  A lot of my teachers didn’t appreciate my literary twist on history and other dry subject matters.

No idea as to my first story…long term memory loss here since that was a lot of years ago.  As to the one that started to road to publication, that is a novella about the phone sex industry.  I do have the rights back on it and am trying to decide if I want to self-publish it and several other books I’ve not contracted for re-release

BBL: Where do you get your ideas on what you write and what about it that fascinated you?

Lizze: Any and everywhere.  A song, a TV show, a snippet of overheard conversation, something on the news…they all offer ideas.  And then I also am blessed with friends who go, “You need to write a book about…..”  There suggestions are always fun to listen to even if it is something that doesn’t fall into a genre I think I could work with.

BBL: Have you ever been so engrossed in writing a book that you have gone out in public wearing your PJs?

Lizzie: Nope.  But I do get so engrossed I miss appointments, forget to start dinner and when a great roll, totally ignore the phone or even the doorbell.

BBL: What has been the toughest criticism/best compliment given to you as an author?

Lizzie:Toughest criticism, a one word comment by someone on a site several years ago…  “Yuk!”  That was it, no reason as to why the book that went on to win awards gave them such a strong negative response.  Guess it is all a matter of taste.

Best compliment…anytime a reader tells me how much they loved one of my books.  Lately, I’ve had several people say, “I can’t understand why you aren’t at the top of the bestseller list.  I love your work.” 

BBL:We all know that erotic romance is on the rise due to the explicit content, do you have any personal quirks that help you write the intimate scenes?

Lizzie:Lots of wine!  Amazing how relaxed one becomes…*g*

BBL: As an author, what is your least/most favorite moments in the books?

Lizzie: Least favorite…At times it can be writing the sex scene.  How in hell can I make this different from the past several, etc?

My favorite moments are creating the story.  I love developing characters, even when they go off in their own quirky direction and resist my ideas.

BBL: Have you ever written a book that even you’d blushed a little bit?

Lizzie: My first erotic book did make me squirm a little, especially since I basically wrote it on a dare.  Some members of my critique group at that time had branched into erotic romance and didn’t think I could do it…they said I was tooooo nice.  My response…”Watch me!”

BBL: What’s your favorite position for writing?

Lizzie: My idea of a little bit of heaven is sitting in a lounge chair on the beach under an umbrella with a rum drink in easy reach and a book on my lap.

Oh, that wasn’t the position you were asking about…well, aren’t we a bit nosey…LOL.  Okay, as for the other ‘position’ any that achieves the objective!!!

BBL: *laughs* And here’s another fun question for you so you don’t get quite bored with us, body shots or straight from the glass?

Lizzie: *giggles* How about some of both?

BBL: Nice, I prefer both ways myself *laughs* Well, as much as we love having you and wanting to keep you with us, we know you have to get back to writing  those amazing  books. But before we let you go, is there anything you’d like to say to our readers?

Lizzie: Thank you to everyone who has read my books and contacted me to share their impressions.  I love hearing from readers and anytime I’m doing ‘in person’ signings or attending a conference, I love it when readers come over to chat.

***And there you have it ladies and gents. And in case you guys do want to look over author Lizzie T Leaf books, you can find her as directed from the links below.

DEAD Awake available at Musa Publishing July 20th.  http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_39&products_id=335

Will also be available at Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and All Romance eBooks shortly after the Musa release.

Connect with Lizzie at:

Website: www.lizzietleaf.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lizzie.t.leaf?ref=tn_tnmn

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizzietleaf

And keep up with her happenings on her blog: http://lizzietleaf.blogspot.com/

Contest:

To enter the drawing for a $10 Musa Gift Certificate (available for Kindle, B&N, PDF & and other readers), all you need to do is make a comment here!  Plus, author swag from Lizzie & a few of her author friends will be mailed to the winner. Be sure to check you are a follower of BBL to qualify for this giveaway. Two winners will be selected on Saturday 07/21. Good luck everyone and thank you for making Lizzie feels so welcome at our humble abode.  OPEN TO BOTH US AND INTERNATIONAL READERS!!!!