FAQs about my books (and about me!)

May '08 Contest Winners

= bullet If you could have any of the really cool toys you write about in your books, which one would you want?

LL: "I'm really in love with Missi's special laptop in GUNS WILL KEEP US TOGETHER. Unfortunately, I barely understand the basics of the laptop I work on now. I'm assuming it's done with microscopic wizards who live inside running an elaborate system of levers and pulleys. That's it, right? I'd also love to have the gelatin bullets from the same book. I don't know what I'd use them for, but I'd be a hit on the gun range."

= bullet How do you decide on character names? Throw darts onto a map and wherever they land is the characters name?

LL: "I'm not allowed to throw darts, ever since that rather unfortunate incident with a sorority sister in college. (Julie - if you're out there - sorry! I hope your hip has healed.) Actually, I have a trained capuchin monkey in an Armani suit who throws the darts for me. He's much better at it. Okay...seriously - I just go through an atlas. I know. The monkey thing sounds better."

Thanks also to the readers who submitted these FAQs:

= bullet Do you have any assassins in your family tree?

LL: I just checked the tree outside and found no assassins – for which I am eternally grateful.  Wait, my husband tells me that you meant something else.  Well, as far as I know, none of my ancestors were assassins.  I do have a cabinet maker about 5 generations back who also made coffins, but I haven’t found any other suspicious activity.

= bullet How did you come up with the Bombay Family?

LL: I had a dream about a soccer mom/assassin who came from a family of assassins.  I was working on a Ben Franklin-time travel thing at the time but the Bombays wouldn’t leave me alone so I finally sat down and wrote as they dictated.  My critique group loved it and that’s how it all began.

= bullet Are you really a Girl Scout leader?  Did you have similar experiences or did you just make them up?

LL: I really am a G.S. Leader – for five years now.  And yes, most of those experiences are real – especially the part about the training.  I had a Boy Scout Leader tell me recently that after reading ‘SCUSE ME WHILE I KILL THIS GUY she developed a fear of my troop.  No, I haven’t taught them how to throw knives…yet.  I do have my own set of throwing knives so it’s just a matter of time.  I have taught them archery.  It made them cry.

= bullet When do you write; i.e. what is your daily schedule?

LL: Ideally, I like to write after the kids head to school in the morning and after I get back from the Y – which is about 9:30am.  I take a break for lunch and try to write or do marketing stuff until they get home.  This schedule doesn’t always happen because I have a) small children who sometimes get sick at school, b) other family in the area who sometimes need me and c) friends who like “liquid lunches” (if you know what I mean).  There are many, many instances where I write after the kids go to bed at 9pm.  It’s all a crapshoot but I manage, by some small miracle, to get it all done.

= bullet Is your husband really a bodyguard?

LL: Yes. 

= bullet Does he protect anyone famous?

LL: Yes.

= bullet I have a great idea for a book.  If you write it we can split the proceeds.

LL: Believe it or not, I get this question a lot.  And no, I won’t write your book.  You should write your book.  I have so many ideas backed up to write I don’t think I’ll get to them all in my lifetime…and I had three books published this year.  Honestly, you are the best person to write your story, not me.

= bullet Can you give me the phone number of your agent (or publisher)?

LL: No.

= bullet Have you considered contacting Bombay Gin for a sponsorship?

LL: You know, this has been suggested to me and I think it’s a good idea.  I have no idea how to go about it or what to do with it (and I’m more of a vodka person), but a good idea nonetheless.

= bullet Do you read the same stuff you write?

LL: Sometimes.  I love to read humor and mystery and romance – together and separately.  I read (more like devour) all of my fellow Killer Fiction writers; Gemma Halliday, Jana DeLeon, Bethany True, Christie Craig and Kathy Bacchus.  I’ve just gotten into Christopher Moore and I also love funny sci-fi like Terry Pratchett and Douglas Addams.  I LOVE Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series.   Actually, I’ll read just about anything except for what is called literary fiction.  It’s just too damned depressing.  (I don’t do depressing – it’s not healthy or even remotely interesting.)

= bullet How did you get published?

LL: Hard, hard work…networking…meeting the right people at the right time…perseverance…and hard work.  I wrote four novels before selling and I realized that the first three weren’t publishable.  I put my ego on a shelf and moved on until I got it right. My goal was to sell to a major publisher and I didn’t stop until that was the reality.   That’s really the secret as far as I’m concerned and it’s something few people want to hear. It’s rare that your first novel is good enough to sell, and yet that’s a huge mistake most newbies make. Insisting your first book is perfect can be delusional and a problem that keeps you from moving forward with your career.  Take the rejections, learn from them and keep going.   Learn the business, learn your craft, you’ll stand a much better chance than most. 

= bullet What is your goal now that you are published?

LL: Staying published.  It doesn’t get any easier once you’ve signed the contract.  You have to build an audience and keep that audience happy so they want to buy your books and your publisher wants to keep publishing you.  I think writing the second book was much scarier than writing my first.  But maybe that’s just me.

= bullet Can you really garrote someone with circular knitting needles?

LL: Yes.  The key is to buying the expensive ones that won’t break where the needles connect to the wire.  Um…at least, that’s what I think the key is since I’ve never actually garroted anyone with circular knitting needles.  Nope.  Never have.

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