Author Interview with Lisa Beth Darling

3c2printcoversmallHow long have you been writing?

Nearly 46 years, I started writing when I was in the 4th grade.

What is your favorite genre to write?

I don’t really have one, all of my stories center on a close relationship of some kind be it in a contemporary romance or a paranormal/mythological based book, there’s even a family drama, which we’ll discuss here in a moment. I like writing about people more than places or things.

Which genre have you never tried before, but would you like to try out?

I’d probably like to try my hand at something historical from the Victorian Era a romantic mystery.

Please tell us about your book.

My latest novel, “Prodigal Son” is the fourth and final installment in the Sister Christian series. Here, Hannah Rice is well on her way to having her guardianship lifted and of course, her brother, Richard Mason, isn’t all that keen on the idea as he’s come to respect and love his sister and doesn’t want to let her go. However, letting her fly free into the arms of Nick Jackson is inevitable and Mason eventually comes around to that fact. If it weren’t for the shadowy figure stalking Hannah all would be well.

Which character was your favorite, and why? Which character was your least favorite, and why?

Within the Sister Christian series, my favorite character is Hannah Rice. She’s had a very hard life, but she’s sweet and vulnerable and nothing ever gets her down for too long. My least favorite is a character that hardly has any lines or makes much of an appearance at all because he’s dead at the start of the series, his name is James Rice, he’s the father of Hannah and Richard Mason. He was a very dastardly fellow with no redeeming qualities at all.

What was the hardest part about writing your book?

Although this is not a “Christian” or “religious” series, Hannah, despite all of her trials and tribulations, is still a devout Christian and her brother is a staunch atheist. I did my best to keep the focus on the characters in hopes that it wouldn’t come out preachy or cliché in some manner. It was a fine line to walk through four books.

What is your writing routine? Are there things you absolutely need to start writing?

I used to have a strict writing routine but then my husband moved away for work and only comes home in the weekends. I’m still getting used to this change. When I do write, I have to have my iTunes, a hot drink, a cold drink (potent, please), my cigs and my candles burning.

How long did it take you to write your book from start to finish?
“Prodigal Son” took about a year as do most of my novels.

Can you tell us about your editing process?

Once upon a time, I wrote with pen and paper and just flew through whatever story I was writing. Then I moved to a typewriter and did the same thing. Then the computer came along and brought me all these green and red squiggly lines. They’re maddening! I find myself adjusting/editing everything as I write rather than just forgetting about that and concentrating on the story itself. Editing is for when the story is done it’s not an as you go process. Yet, I can’t help it and it often gets me stuck in Editing Mode when I should be in Writing Mode. Once I do get to The End, I go back and read it, edit it, and then send it off to my lovely beta readers who will edit it more. They send it back, I drop in their edits and finally the book is done.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Don’t give up on yourself, don’t let fear and self-doubt get in the way of telling your story. Once it’s done, rewrite, edit, submit, and don’t let the rejection slips get you down. It’s not a reflection on you or your story.

Why should everyone read your book?

Unlike most of my other novels, which are dark and full of sex and violence, the Sister Christian series is rather heartwarming and inspirational. It has its twists, turns, and dark family secrets, but in the end, with any luck at all, the reader will walk away from each installment feeling as though there’s some hope left in the world.

If you could meet three authors, dead or alive, which authors would you choose?

Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, and VC Andrews.

What inspired you to write your book?

The Muse, all stories come from the Cosmos to pick their writers.

Are you working on something at the moment? If so, can you tell us more about it?

Not yet, although I’ve been working off-and-on and several stories none of them have stuck just yet, I’m not the kind of person who can write more than one story at a time. After “Prodigal Son” is out in the world I believe we’ll be getting back to one of my favorite characters, Ares God of War, but with something outside of my OF WAR series.

Author Bio

Lisa Beth Darling is 49 years-old, lives in her hometown of New London, CT with her husband of 30 years, Roy and is mother to their two daughters.  She is the author of more than fifteen novels along with several short stories and non-fiction books. When she’s not writing she likes to garden and is an avid movie buff.

Author links:

Website: http://www.lisabethdarling.com

Blog: http://lbdarling.wordpress.com

Twitter: @lb_darling

Facebook: http://facebook.com/lbdarling

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1577311.Lisa_Beth_Darling

Purchase Links:

Amazon/Kindle: http://amazon.com/author/lisadarling

Nook: http://barnesandnoble.com/c/lisa-beth-darling

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lisa-beth-darling/id411650358?mt=11

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lisadarling

Prodigal Son-Sister Christian Finale

About the Book

When the Hour is Darkest Love and Faith Can Conquer All.

In the final installment of the Sister Christian Series, the Court has demanded a hearing regarding Hannah’s capacity. Hannah and Nick are falling deeper and deeper in love. Looking forward to a bright future together they begin planning their life together. A shadowy stranger from the past has set his sights on Hannah and her 3.5 million dollar trust fund. Is he really Rick MacNeill, the son Hannah thought died in the terrible fire at Saint Anne’s? Is he someone sinister? The last of the family secrets come to light in this roller coaster ride of suspense, love, betrayal, and faith.

Short Excerpt:
“Oh, what am I doing?” She asked her reflection but it had no answers. “He’s so much better than I am. Just like Rick.”

The woman in the mirror just stared at her with a mixture of fear and bewilderment.

“This is crazy!”

Still her reflection only mimicked her.

Somewhere she heard a voice so real that it made her turn around then throw open the bathroom door to peer into the bedroom and the hallway to the living room.

Love is Crazy, it’s not sane, Hannah, it’s not logical. But it is real.

“Mama?” Hannah whimpered as she gazed into the empty living room, “Mama?” Holding tight to the gold locket around her neck she hurriedly ran her thumb over it. A week before her tenth birthday, she’d been sewing a quilt with her mother and asked her how she’d know when she was in love. Mama had said that love was crazy, it wasn’t sane, it wasn’t logical, but it was real and

You’ll know it when your heart beats faster than a hummingbird’s wings.

Every time she saw Nick or talked to him on the phone, even when she sent him emails on her vacation and then waited for his reply, her heart beat so rapidly she thought it would burst in her chest. That was at least as fast as hummingbird’s wings. “I think I love him, Mama,” she whispered to no one, “how do I know if he loves me?”

To that, there was no ghostly answer as it wasn’t a topic they’d discussed that day as they sat quilting outside, under the big oak tree, in the bright sunshine.

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