Meet Lisa Mondello... G!vaway

Today I have author Lisa Mondello here talking about her Texas Hearts Series. Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win an eBook copy Her Heart for the Asking.

 What motivates Lisa Mondello the author? Why do you write?

  I have no idea.  Truly.  I just write.  I’m fascinated by stories.  I think I must have been a storyteller in a past life! 

What is your favorite genre to write and why?

I love romantic suspense.  Being able to weave in danger and romance is a challenge, but the payoff is wonderful!  I love stories with twists and turns and those moments when something totally unexpected happens and you say, “Wow, I never saw that coming!”  And yet when you think back on the story it was there all the time!

Is there a particular genre you haven't tried but what like to? What is it and why?

   I’m working on a Young Adult Fantasy.  Fantasy isn’t something I’ve written before this so it’s been really fun to create a “world”.  The name of the story is Random Soldiers: The Lords of Dudleytown and it is set in the real Dudleytown in Connecticut.  It’s been so much fun research the folklore surrounding Dudleytown and weaving that into a story. 

How did you get into eBook publishing?

     My first sales were to small presses who did trade paperback and ebooks.  This was back in the late 90s and early 2000 when there weren’t a lot of ebooks being released.  So I was part of that early ebook revolution.

How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?

I like to do my writing during the day when the house is supposed to be quiet.  But with two kids who are seniors in high school, life is crazy.  So I write in the morning and then again at night when everyone is in bed.  When everyone is away, I’m on the clock as mom.  So there are too many distractions for me to do anything but promo.  My best hours to write around 10AM to 2PM for some reason.  No routine really.  And I can write just about anywhere.  I just always want a cup of coffee by my side while I write.

Is there a certain aspect of the story you begin with? Do you create the characters first or do you come up with the plot?

I usually get a scene stuck in my head.  From there I begin thinking of how these characters got to that place.  If more scenes come to me, I try to flesh it out a bit to see if I can come up with a workable plot.  But I need to know about the characters more to give the plot meat.  If I can’t get that from writing random scenes, I write a letter in the point of view of the character.  You’d be amazed what comes out once you get past all the boring history stuff about color of eyes, hair color and where they were born.  Once I get into it I can easily write pages and pages.  From there I can get motivation and unique character traits.  I’m a puzzle write though.  I’m used to writing out of order.  I know that bothers some writers who have to start on page 1 and then keep writing until they get to the end.  I can’t do that.  That’d be the fastest way to writer’s block for me.

What did you do when you found out your first book had been contracted?

I danced in the driveway.  My neighbor was outside and heard my scream of excitement.  So when I went outside she thought something was wrong until she saw me dancing the Snoopy dance.  Then she knew it was good news.

Has there been a person or influence in your life that has helped you reach your writing goals?

I have many.  Really, there are too many to mention.  I’m very lucky in that I have an amazing support system.  My husband, Tom, is my biggest champion.  But my entire family has been incredibly supportive of me in this journey.

Do you have any words of inspiration to aspiring authors? What advice would you offer a writer trying to publish?

Don’t give up.  It’s too easy to stop writing after you get a rejection or when someone gives you negative feedback on your work.  You can’t let that stop you.  I’ve seen many writers quit because they can’t take rejection.  It’s part of this business.  Just like an actor auditioning for part after part before getting a big role, a writer has to write and keep submitting their work or they’ll never become published.

Tell us about your current release.

Her Heart for the Asking is the first book in my Texas Hearts series.  In all, there will be 3 ebooks released in this series.  Book 2 is His Heart for the Trusting, which is already available online.  Book 3, The More I See, will be released in April. 

Blurb: Her Heart for the Asking

Mandy Morgan swore she’d never step foot in Texas again after Beau Gentry left her for life on the rodeo circuit eight years before. But now her uncle’s heart is failing and she has to convince him that surgery will save his life. She never dreamed the first thing she’d see when she stepped off the plane would be her biggest nightmare...the one man she’d never stopped loving.

Beau Gentry had the fever for two things: the rodeo and Mandy Morgan. But for Beau, loving Mandy was complicated by his father’s vendetta against her uncle. This led him to make the hardest decision of his life and he can still see the bitterness and hurt on Mandy’s face. All these years it has killed him to think Mandy had forgotten him and moved as far away as possible from him. But now they’re back in Texas, and he’s going to do all he can to win back her love.

Buy Link:

Amazon - http://amzn.com/B0077EGDAI

Barnes and Noble http://ow.ly/8WReM
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/130776 SONY http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/lisa-mondello/her-heart-for-the-asking-book-1-texas-hearts/_/R-400000000000000645619
KOBO http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Her-Heart-Asking-Book-TEXAS/book-f7LLuXZc3U6Rus63d-oY5A/page1.html

Book Two

 Do you have any upcoming projects in the works?

 I’m getting ready to release three books in the next few months. In a few days, THE MORE I SEE, book 3 of Texas Hearts will be released. Then a young adult book I wrote with my daughter. That will come sometime in May. Lastly, I have my first single title Romantic Suspense under my L.A. Mondello name, called Material Witness that will be released in June.

Where can readers connect with you?

http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com

On Twitter: @LisaMondello

Email: LisaMondello@aol.com

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Thanks so much for joining us today. Good Luck with your series:)

Remember to leave Lisa some love and you'll be entered for a chance to win an eBook copy of Book One in the series.