Today I have the pleasure of welcoming author Lucy Francis to the blog. She willing went through an interview with me. Make sure to comment for a chance to win a gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Did you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?
Yes, from the time I wrote my first story at the age of six. For a while, as a teen, I leaned toward writing for film, but books are my first love.
Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?
They do, and I love hearing from them! My contemporary romances tend to deal with some pretty serious, real-life issues. I hear from readers expressing their gratitude that someone gets what they’ve gone through, which is incredibly humbling. Others simply want to say thanks for a good read and for creating characters that felt real to them. Of course, I have plenty of reviews with opposing views, so I really cherish the reader letters I receive.
For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?
How do you balance writing with your life?
Balance? Not sure I understand that concept, LOL. In all seriousness, family comes first in my hectic world. I’m blessed that my primary ‘job’ is that of wife and mom. My youngest kidlet is 16, so I have a very flexible schedule, one that lends itself well to spending a few hours here and there playing with words.
Where do your ideas come from?
Sometimes a fragment of a conversation I overhear or some random thing that happens to a friend in real life will spark a whole story, but most often, I dream a scene that gets the ball rolling. I think I dream so strongly because I get by on so little sleep. My REM sessions are fierce!
Do you have a writing quirk?
I hate the first draft. If I could magically poof the first draft of each book into existence, ready to pick apart and rewrite…oh, bliss. First drafts are evil. I much prefer the editing stage.
Yes, from the time I wrote my first story at the age of six. For a while, as a teen, I leaned toward writing for film, but books are my first love.
Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?
They do, and I love hearing from them! My contemporary romances tend to deal with some pretty serious, real-life issues. I hear from readers expressing their gratitude that someone gets what they’ve gone through, which is incredibly humbling. Others simply want to say thanks for a good read and for creating characters that felt real to them. Of course, I have plenty of reviews with opposing views, so I really cherish the reader letters I receive.
For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?
- Write what moves you. There’s an audience for everything, so don’t try to play to the market. Write what you enjoy.
- Finish the book. I’m amazed at how many people start a book, or many books, and never finish.
- Don’t fear rewrites. That’s where the best magic happens.
How do you balance writing with your life?
Balance? Not sure I understand that concept, LOL. In all seriousness, family comes first in my hectic world. I’m blessed that my primary ‘job’ is that of wife and mom. My youngest kidlet is 16, so I have a very flexible schedule, one that lends itself well to spending a few hours here and there playing with words.
Where do your ideas come from?
Sometimes a fragment of a conversation I overhear or some random thing that happens to a friend in real life will spark a whole story, but most often, I dream a scene that gets the ball rolling. I think I dream so strongly because I get by on so little sleep. My REM sessions are fierce!
Do you have a writing quirk?
I hate the first draft. If I could magically poof the first draft of each book into existence, ready to pick apart and rewrite…oh, bliss. First drafts are evil. I much prefer the editing stage.
Coke vs Pepsi?
Coke. Well, Diet Coke. From the fountain or the can, because it doesn’t taste right from the little plastic bottles.
Chocolate vs Vanilla?
Chocolate!
Cake vs Ice Cream?
Ice Cream
Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color?
What an interesting question! I occasionally realize I’m dreaming while it’s happening, and those have all been in vivid color. So, I’ll go with ‘we dream in color’.
What's your favorite food?
Sushi. I’m never NOT in the mood for sushi.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)?
Coke. Well, Diet Coke. From the fountain or the can, because it doesn’t taste right from the little plastic bottles.
Chocolate vs Vanilla?
Chocolate!
Cake vs Ice Cream?
Ice Cream
Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color?
What an interesting question! I occasionally realize I’m dreaming while it’s happening, and those have all been in vivid color. So, I’ll go with ‘we dream in color’.
What's your favorite food?
Sushi. I’m never NOT in the mood for sushi.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)?
- My hubby…alone on a desert island? Oh my. Can you imagine the possibilities?
- My kindle, which has an electronic To Be Read mountain range that I’ll never be able to plow through.
- A satellite phone. Because eventually I might want to leave.
- One of those nifty mini solar panels the military uses, to power the phone and the kindle.
GRAB A BOOK OR TWO:
| She was the first woman to turn him down. CEO-turned-rancher Curran Shaw is no stranger to hard work, but women have never required much effort. When a mysterious brunette at a resort-town Halloween party sparks his interest and then vanishes, he vows to finish what she started. It’s finding her that’s going to be the hard part. He was her fantasy, and that’s all he could ever be. Victoria Linden has reconstructed her life and soul from the devastation wrought by an abusive ex and her own failures. She desperately wants to be loved, but what man will agree to the control and limitations she needs in order to hold herself together? Especially a man like Curran, who’s used to getting whatever he wants. Walking away from him after a searing kiss is her only option. When serendipity brings them together in the snowy mountains of Utah, will Victoria and Curran be able to mend the fences in their hearts, or will discovery and heartbreak tear them apart? | Travis Holt’s life is steadily pulling him under, and he’s fighting it. He’s running his family’s construction company, trying to save his addict brother from self-destruction, and dealing with the constant reminder of his personal failures, including the one that shattered his family. When a woman with a mythical name and a soul-warming smile throws him a lifeline, can he dare let himself take hold? Or will he just end up failing her, too? Andromeda Miller has escaped Phoenix and come to Utah to sort out the mess her life has become. She needs a new start: new home, new job, new friends. When she meets a man whose heart is genuine and whose touch makes her crave him, will she let him into the new life she’s creating? Or will his personal demons hit too close to home and doom her to the same kind of consuming pain that destroyed her father? Will these two damaged souls find refuge, or be swept away by their heartaches? |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: (borrowed from her website)
Hi, I’m Lucy.
I wrote my first story, a fantasy about a talking cat named Serafina, when I was six. The school bus seat made a good desk, if I sat on the floor, and I slaved over every word in those three paragraphs. Over the years, I found better desks and my stories grew significantly longer.
While trying to figure out how to make a living as a writer, I paid for groceries and car payments with various jobs, including fast food, sewing, bookkeeping, various IT and support positions and network engineering.
I’ve spent the last 25 years writing nonfiction, from articles on insurance to ghostwritten books about ferrets and belly dancing. I eventually gave up my newspaper beats and magazine copyediting to return to my first love, fiction. Specifically romance, from contemporary to fantasy. If it is a love story, I’m so there.
I’m married to my towering Helvetican Hero, who, bless his heart, lets me wear the toolbelt in the family. Together, we’ve raised five late-stage teenagers. I’m a slightly out of control animal lover…our pet list once rose to 29 critters living in the house with the humans: cats, dogs, bunnies, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, leopard geckos, anoles, and assorted fish. Currently, nine species of wild birds hang out in the urban forest I planted in my front yard. I’m a lifelong horse lover, a fly fisher, landscaper, voracious reader, and house painter. I love Doctor Who, all things vintage, and am a reformed World of Warcraft addict.
I read the encyclopedia for fun as a child. Now I research subjects on the internet just because I can.
And, in case you’re wondering, Lucy Francis is a pseudonym, because my real name is incredibly hard to spell and way too long to fit comfortably on a book cover.
Hi, I’m Lucy.
I wrote my first story, a fantasy about a talking cat named Serafina, when I was six. The school bus seat made a good desk, if I sat on the floor, and I slaved over every word in those three paragraphs. Over the years, I found better desks and my stories grew significantly longer.
While trying to figure out how to make a living as a writer, I paid for groceries and car payments with various jobs, including fast food, sewing, bookkeeping, various IT and support positions and network engineering.
I’ve spent the last 25 years writing nonfiction, from articles on insurance to ghostwritten books about ferrets and belly dancing. I eventually gave up my newspaper beats and magazine copyediting to return to my first love, fiction. Specifically romance, from contemporary to fantasy. If it is a love story, I’m so there.
I’m married to my towering Helvetican Hero, who, bless his heart, lets me wear the toolbelt in the family. Together, we’ve raised five late-stage teenagers. I’m a slightly out of control animal lover…our pet list once rose to 29 critters living in the house with the humans: cats, dogs, bunnies, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, leopard geckos, anoles, and assorted fish. Currently, nine species of wild birds hang out in the urban forest I planted in my front yard. I’m a lifelong horse lover, a fly fisher, landscaper, voracious reader, and house painter. I love Doctor Who, all things vintage, and am a reformed World of Warcraft addict.
I read the encyclopedia for fun as a child. Now I research subjects on the internet just because I can.
And, in case you’re wondering, Lucy Francis is a pseudonym, because my real name is incredibly hard to spell and way too long to fit comfortably on a book cover.
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