Be sure to enter for a chance to win a KINDLE – preloaded with books from all the Crossroads Tour authors! (Details at the end of this post)
Karen: Welcome to For What It’s Worth Christine! You write a little bit of everything, fiction, non fiction spanning several genres; gothic romance, psychological thrillers and urban fantasy, YA & adult. Do you have a favorite genre?Christine: I really don’t think about genre, fiction or nonfiction, or whatever. I just focus on the story/information that wants to be told. That and my deadlines (LOL!). I have loved writing the self-help books for kids, the Gothic romance and the thrillers. I even am toying with something completely new – a younger YA book that has humor in it (shocking, I know).
I will admit, though, writing Transcend was thrilling for me. So much so that I have other psychological thrillers plotted and ready to write.
Karen: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Christine: I fantasized when I was a teen and college student about writing the “great American novel”, living in NYC and having publishing lunches. LOL – pretty humorous, right?
As I grew-up, and my need to be independent and “responsible” took over, I married and quickly got into other fields, stowing away that creative aspect of myself. Until I hit my 40s. I’m not sure what it was, but turning 40 was pretty enlightening. I started giving myself permission to listen to the voices in my head (lol!) and write down their stories. In 2010, just after my 44th birthday my first book came out. It’s been a fun ride ever since.
I still have my day-job, and huge responsibilities regarding college tuition for them, etc. But at least I no longer ignore my creative passions as I did through my mid-twenties and thirties.
Karen: Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Christine: My first, not-for-publication story was a short story written in 1st grade – my attempt at writing a myth. I remember it distinctly! My first for-publication attempt was a parallel universe story that is being reworked.
Karen: I'll end this with a Halloween season question! Which scary (imaginary) creature would you least like to bump into in a dark alley?
Christine: Least like to…definitely a mindless demon—a fallen angel, maybe…but not a mindless demon.
Author links: website | Facebook | Goodreads | Books
Karen: What inspired you to write your first book?
Lucienne: Actually, my first "book" was written in fifth grade in response to a class assignment. It was supposed to be a short story. It came out at over 100 pages. I've been writing ever since, though not with the regularity that I do now.
Karen: Do you have anything in common with your characters from either your Vamped or Latter-Day Olympians series?Lucienne: You know, in some ways I think it helps as a writer to be a mass of contradictions <g>. Like Gina in the Vamped series, I love Project Runway. I love to be fashionable, though I could never pull it off with her flare. But like Tori (Latter-Day Olympians), I couldn't tell one designer from another if they tapped me on the shoulder, and for the most part, I find perfection (or even near perfection) too much work to even attempt. Sadly, I don't have any superpowers. I haven't been Vamped (yet, anyway). My family line, so far as I'm aware, doesn't trace back to a drunken liaison with the god Pan and one of the immortal gorgons, so there's no demi-god in me. I could probably kick butt if cornered, but that would be about it.
I love both heroines, because they're both very true to themselves, and they're both snarky and tough in their own ways. I think that's where we all come together.
Karen: You've written about vampires and God's, is there something else or another genre you would like to give a try?Lucienne: I'm working on a dark, mainstream/suspense young adult novel in my "spare" time. I'm looking forward to finishing that up after my current Latter-Day Olympians book and seeing how that flies. It's more difficult than anything I've done before, because I naturally default to humor, and there are some situations in which my natural tone is far too flippant. There are days that I'm sure I can't pull it off and others when I enjoy the challenge. Mostly, though, it was an idea I'd had for some time that one day decided that it had to be written, like NOW.
Karen: What is the last great book you've read that you would tell others to read RIGHT NOW?
Lucienne: That's tough to say, because in addition to being an author, I'm also an agent, and the last books I read are all in manuscript form and won't be out on the market for a year or more! How about this: Rosemary Clement-Moore's Maggie Quinn books were my gateway into reading young adult fiction. Delacorte has just brought out an omnibus of her first two books called Brimstone. I highly recommend everyone running out to buy it. Or any of Rosemary's work. I think she's awesome.
Karen: Thank you Lucienne!
Author links: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Grand Prize and How the Crossroads Tour works:
Each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour.
Answers are to be emailed to tour host, Judith Graves by October 28th at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on OCTOBER 31st – HALLOWEEN.
The GRAND PRIZE you’re vying for? A brand new KINDLE, preloaded with a title from each of the participating Crossroads Blog Tour Authors. That’s right folks, a free KINDLE preloaded with 13 free titles from the participating authors!
Twitter chat hosted by Mundie Moms on Monday 1/29 from 8-9 CST/ 9-10 EST
Excellent--loved hearing about these books. Congrats to the authors!!!!
ReplyDeleteNice interviews! I always enjoy learning more about these great authors. Thanks for sharing!
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