Please welcome Lisa to my blog today. She’s talking about her newly published novel and what she may have been if she wasn’t a writer!
What is your name and where do you live now?
Lisa Poston Murphy. Hendersonville, Tennessee.
First off, how has your week been?
Amazing! Not only have I successfully published my first novel, but I got a full request for my second one today . . . and it’s summer time!
Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
No, I wanted to be a Mafia Princess when I was little. I know, weird. High School Latin brought forth dreams of becoming a surgeon, and falling in love in college made me realize a nursing degree was more easily achieved. I’ve dabbled with the idea of opening a tea room, going to culinary school to become a chef . . . you get the picture. I’ve got too many personalities to settle into a career, but writing allows me to be any of those things.
Where did you come up with the idea to write your book?
I’ve been vacationing on Sanibel Island at least once a year since infancy. Last summer I looked for a romance novel that took place on the island, but there wasn’t anything like it out there. Instead of choosing something else, I decided to write what I wanted to read. Honestly, I had no intention of turning it into a book—it was just my way of relaxing. 85,000-words later—I had something I was proud of and wanted to share.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
I’d say most of the book is “imaginative reality.” I’ve always been a dreamer, preferred living in fiction, and tend to exaggerate. All of the memories with Nana are true. Lighthouse Point is a real place—my favorite. However, most everything else in the story is fictitious.
What was your favourite chapter to write and why?
The crime scene. It surprised me how thrilling it was to research and interview specialists about the details.
Do you have plans for a new book?
’m in the editing process of TORN, and have begun writing CRUEL. These two books are starkly different from LIGHTHOUSE POINT—darker with a higher level of heat.
How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
Movie credits! It’s how we chose our children’s names, too. We have always stayed for all of the credits, searching for our own names. Now I find myself jotting down future character names.
Can you describe the feeling you had when you saw your published book for the first time?
Tears, goose bumps, shaking . . . it was the equivalent of a 5-hour energy drink mixed with overwhelming emotion. My kids watched with wide eyes as I did my own version of a freak-out!
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The toughest criticism is an unworthy compliment. The best compliment I’ve gotten is blunt, sometimes cruel, honesty. “Tear out this chapter and redo it.” or “Your sex scenes are dull . . . drink two glasses of wine and try again.” I really prefer constructive criticism as I want to put my best work out there. Although compliments are necessary for motivation, a great critique partner/editor/friend will tell you the truth and help you fix it.
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Lighthouse Point is a sweet, tension-filled island romance novel. Here is the blurb on the back of the book:
Twenty-four-year-old Emma Peroni has never been a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl, traveling fourteen hours away from her neatly organized life to an island that promises sanctuary and a fresh start . . . until today.
With the weight of the world on her shoulders, and no family to catch her when she crumbles, Emma finds solace on Sanibel Island.
Falling into the arms of Sheldon Barringer, a handsome local real estate investor, was not part of the plan. Emma manages to resist his charms for a time and focus on the reason she came here—to be alone and escape the night terrors. However Sheldon’s intoxicating sense of humor and easy personality eventually captivate Emma, sweeping her into the delightful experience of falling in love for the first time.
As Emma and Sheldon begin to plan a future together, trouble lurks in the shadows, waiting and watching.
You can look inside of the book, and purchase on Amazon. For more information, please check out the links below.
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