Over the next week, I'm pleased to announce that I'll be featuring three very talented writers. So be sure to pop in and see what's going on.
Up first we have L.A. Witt/Lauren Gallagher. She's got two releases coming up this month so check out what she has to say...
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What motivates L.A. Witt/Lauren Gallagher the author? Why do you write?
Honestly, I can’t not write. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s true. I’ve always been driven to write, and once I started doing it full time, the lid was off Pandora’s proverbial box. Now my characters keep me awake at night until I tell their stories. In other words, it’s mostly a drive to appease the voices in my head so they’ll shut up and let me go to sleep.
When did you know you were a writer? Was it always your destiny or did you stumble upon your craft by accident?
I’ve always known, I think. It took until I was in my late 20s to have the chance to pursue it like this, but I’ve always wanted to be a writer. When I moved to Japan in 2008, there weren’t any jobs available, so it was the golden opportunity to start being a serious writer.
How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?
Most days, I’m at my desk for at least 8 hours, sometimes up to 16. A typical day is about 10 hours. I usually get up, screw off online for a while, then start working. My daily word quota is 5,000 words, though sometimes I’ll aim for 7-10,000, and I keep working until I hit my quota or midnight, whichever comes first.
As for the mood striking, sometimes it doesn’t, but the writing has to get done. I can write pretty much anywhere and under any circumstances. Case in point: I’ve written in an emergency room with an IV hooked to my arm.
Do you have any words of inspiration to aspiring authors? What advice would you offer a writer trying to publish?
Be persistent and be professional. You will get rejected. You will get bad reviews. You will have books that don’t sell as well as others. Learn from constructive criticism, let nasty criticism roll off your back (easier said than done, I know, but it’s a learned skill just like anything in this business), and whatever you do, don’t stop writing.
Tell us about your current releases
I have two releases this month, one under each pseudonym. Disengaged by Lauren Gallagher will be out September 5th from Champagne Books, and Ex Equals by L. A. Witt will be out September 18th from Amber Allure.
DISENGAGED:
Why are the good ones always taken?
The last thing Amber wants to think about is engagement rings or anything related to engagement rings, but they’re kind of hard to avoid when she makes her living in a jewelry store. Between her job and her last relationship, she’s getting more than a little bit jaded about love and commitment. In fact, she’s ready to change everything in her life, and right now, a man is the last thing she wants.
When gorgeous bartender Jeremy wanders into her store, she’s willing to reconsider what she wants right now, but he’s off the menu: he’s here for an engagement ring.
But as Jeremy comes back again and again to look at the ring, Amber suspects it’s not just the price that keeps him from taking it home. She’d never dream of sabotaging someone’s relationship, but is Jeremy about to make a huge mistake?
EX EQUALS:
On the first day of his new career as a community college math teacher, Chris Reuben gets an unexpected—and most unwelcome—blast from the past: one of his students is his former shipmate…and ex-boyfriend.
Justin Hayes isn’t after a second chance when he signs up for an algebra class taught by his ex. All he wants besides a passing grade is a chance to make amends with the man he loved and hurt while they were deployed together three years ago.
Pain, guilt, and bitterness aren’t the only lingering feelings, though, and even if three years is enough to melt the ice between them, they’ve already risked their careers for each other once. Can Justin convince Chris that what they once had is worth putting careers and hearts on the line again?
Buy Link:
Do you have any upcoming projects in the works?
Always. I’m currently working on the third and final book in the Cover Me series, Search Me, which will deal with the aftermath of everything from the first two books and how they affect the central relationship from Cover Me (yes, fans of Nick and Andrew, this means them!). What’s next? Anyone’s guess. I’m relocating from Japan back to the States this fall, which will likely intrude on my writing schedule a bit, but have no fear: there will be plenty more books in 2012.
Where can readers connect with you?
Pretty much anywhere. My website is http://www.loriawitt.com, my professional blog is http://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com, and my personal blog is http://navywifeadventures.blogspot.com. I even have a webcomic, just for the heck of it: http://marginallyunhinged.blogspot.com On Twitter, I’m GallagherWitt.
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Thanks busy lady for taking the time to share with us!
Ella
Thanks for having me, Ella!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining me:)
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