Send to KindleOur interview today is with Lillian Duncan. Thank you Lillian for being here today and for agreeing to do this interview.
Answer: I didn’t start writing until I was 40 so I’d been reading for 35 years at that time. Though, I read all types of books, mystery and suspense is by far my favorite. No matter what I try to write, it always turns into a mystery or suspense so I guess that’s what I was meant to write.
Question: Tell us a little about your “real” (Non-writing) life — family, job, church life. Does it give you inspiration for your writing? Does it get in the way of your writing, or are there times when you get help, from people or circumstances?
Answer: I was a speech pathologist for schools for 34 years. I was semi-retired for several years, but now am completely retired which allows me to focus on my writing career. I’m married with two adult step-sons. My husband and I live in a small town with two dogs and three parrots.
For the most part, my fiction is pure fiction. I’ve never been involved in any real life murder investigations, but if you know me well enough, you’d be able to pick out people and events that are similar to my real life.
Interestingly enough, I recently got a contract for a new novella series that features a crime-fighting speech pathologist. This book definitely is inspired by my real life. At least the speechy parts—not the murder part!
Question: Tell us about things you enjoy — what you do for fun or personal satisfaction?
Answer: Of course, I love to read! That’s no big surprise. Along with that, my husband and I go camping several times each year. And by camping I mean in a camper with air conditioning and all the amenities I like! I do some crafty things, including some painting. I love to make greeting cards and then send them out to people.
Question: Tell us about your newest book. Make us want to read it.
Answer: I have a new book being released in January 2014. BETRAYED is the second in my SISTERS by CHOICE series. The series focuses on strong women who form strong bonds as they go the extra mile to help someone in trouble. The first in the series, DECEPTION, is about a pair of estranged twin sisters. BETRAYED is about another character that the reader meets in DECEPTION. And just this week, I sent in the edits for the third story, REDEMPTION.
Here’s the blurb:
Witness Protection Program claims they can keep anyone safe if only they follow the rules so Maria follows the rules–every rule. She’s given up everything–her friends, her family, her past, even her name to ensure her daughter has a future.
Reborn as Veronica Minor in the sleepy little town of Sunberry, Ohio, she struggles to rebuild their life amid the beauty of her flower shop. A life where her daughter can have a happy normal childhood. A life where her daughter will never know that her father was a monster.
When a child disappears, Maria prays it has nothing to do with her past, but what if she’s wrong? Not knowing who to trust, she trusts no one…and that’s her first mistake
Question: What is the “message” of your writing? (For example, is your purpose to encourage old-fashioned values, encourage romance, or do you have different purposes in different books?)
Answer: I like to say I write suspense with a touch of romance that demonstrates God’s amazing love for his children.
Question: What’s the worst trouble you ever had with getting a book written (plots, finding needed information, getting a cover done)?
Answer: Interestingly enough, it’s BETRAYED. I’ve never had a serious writer’s block, but I did on this one. I’ve had little blocks before but nothing like this one. When I do get a mini-block, I go back to the start and revise. Usually, I’ve discover the spot where the story needs to be “fixed” and when I get to the mini-block, the story starts to flow again.
Not so for BETRAYED. I just couldn’t figure out what was going to happen next, no matter what I did. This went on through several rewrites and several months. Then one day, the light bulb came on. I was stuck just like the character was stuck. She had to let go of the traumatic event and move on with her life. Once I had her do that, I wrote the rest of the story in less than a week and more than 20,000 words.
Question: What’s your next project? Tell us so we can’t wait for it to come out!
Answer: REDEMPTION should be released sometime next year. Here’s the blurb:
Others may think Jamie Jakowski is a hero, but she knows differently. Haunted by her past, she searches for redemption by helping others in spite of the danger to herself. However after almost orphaning her daughter, Jamie opts to retire.
When a friend needs her, she agrees to one last undercover operation. Jamie is determined to reunite a heartbroken mother with her kidnapped son.
Used to working alone, Jamie’s not happy when she’s assigned a partner. And after a failed operation and a failed romance, Enrique Rodriguez is the last person she wants to work with—ever.
To succeed, Jamie must confront her past as well as the people who want her dead.
DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS should also be released next year. Here’s the blurb:
Improving communication skills is never easy; in this case it could be murder!
Maven Morris is a speech-language pathologist on medical leave or as she likes to say she’s been put out to pasture. When she’s offered a lucrative position by one of the community’s most powerful men to help his traumatic-brain-injured daughter improve her communication skills, she discovers secrets behind the iron gates of their mansion.
Now, she must find the courage to seek justice for her client, no matter who gets hurt—even if it’s her.
Question: How many books do you have out?
Answer: At the moment, I have six books published. PURSUED, DECEPTION, and THE CHRISTMAS STALKING, are all published by the Pelican Book Group. Then I have two older books that I released as e-books earlier this year. They are GEESE MATE FOR LIFE and SERENITY SPRINGS, OHIO. Then, DARK ALLEYS is a book I published independently. All of them are filled with fast-paced suspense and mystery and a touch or two of romance.
Question: What is your writing style?
Answer: I write by the seat of my pants, also known as a pantser. Being a pantser, I don’t do any outlining or plotting of my story. I sit down and I write. I never know what’s going to happen before it happens. That means I’m as surprised as the reader as my story takes its twists and turns. It’s what makes writing so much fun!
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