Author Interview with Liv Rancourt and Giveaway

The Book

13438160

Author Interview Questions

1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was in about the fourth grade, I tried to re-write Little House on the Prairie. I’m not sure how successful I was, but my mother grabbed onto the idea that I was going to be a writer. She encouraged me, and so did a couple high school teachers, so I kind of figured I’d be a writer, too. Some day. Then when I was in college I took a creative writing class and the instructor didn’t like the main character in my big final project. And just like that, I decided I wouldn’t be a writer. Because when you’re twenty, you’re kind of crazy. Like that.

Then a couple years ago it dawned on me that, while I’d always thought I would grow up to be a writer, I was running out of time. I’m going to be fifty on my next birthday, so it was pretty much ‘now or never’. I bought a thumb drive to save my stories on and got to it. And here I am.

How long does it take you to write a book?

It depends. I try for about five thousand words a week, and many times I meet that goal. It took me about two months to write the first draft of A Vampire’s Deadly Delight, and it’s just over forty thousand words long. On the other hand, I have another piece that’s about twice as long and I’ve been working on it since January of 2010. Don’t know when that one will be done, because I have to learn more about writing to get it to where it needs to be. I’m better at writing short stories, because out of necessity you have to tighten the plot and narrow your focus. I can crank out a short story in a week to ten days, unless real life gets in the way.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Writing quirk? Hmm… The dialogue I write is often a pretty accurate reflection of the internal monologue that’s going through my head, although I’d NEVER say the stuff out loud. It’s pretty kooky in here, guys, and writing’s the best way I know to let some of the crazy bits out in a socially acceptable way.

How do you come up with the idea for A Vampire’s Deadly Delight?

I read a lot of paranormal fiction, and found myself frustrated with vampire characters who are such sexual superheros that any mortal woman they meet basically drops and spreads her legs without putting up a fight. I got to thinking about what would happen if there was a character that vampires found irresistible, but who could destroy them the same way they destroy mortal women. And thus, Jai was born. She’s the alter-ego of my main character Kristen, and she takes over whenever Kristen smells vampire. It’s sort of a Buffy meets Spiderman kind of thing.

Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

Okay, that’s the toughest question I’ve ever been asked. Just one? Can I tell you about three? I like Octavia Butler because she never let the language get in the way of telling a good story. I like Charlaine Harris because she can sketch a living breathing character in twenty five words or less. Okay, maybe fifty words, but you get the idea. And right now I’m lovin’ Richard Kadrey, because his Sandman Slim character is such a baaddd boy.

Are you working on something right now? If so, what?

Absolutely! I just finished editing a short story, “Tangled Dreams” that will appear in an anthology, Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires edited by Rayne Hall, and I’m editing another short story, “Temptation’s Touch”, that will appear this March in an anothology for Still Moments Publishing. I’ve written the synopsis for another short story that has an end of February deadline, and I have the first three chapters drafted of a novel (novella?). I’m researching this last piece, doing character sketches and working on the outline of the plot. I’m not real rigid about the groundwork, but I like to have some idea where I’m going before I really get into the work of writing.

Author Bio

Liv Rancourt is a writer of speculative fiction and romance. She lives in Seattle with her husband, two teenagers, two cats and one wayward puppy. Writing stories that have happy endings is a good way to balance her work in the neonatal intensive care unit, and she is thrilled to be publishing her first novella with Black Opal Books. Liv can be found on-line at her website, her blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

Giveaway

Author Liv Rancourt agreed to give away one eBook copy of A Vampire’s Deadly Delight on I Heart Reading.

She’s also giving away a copy of the cover art to one lucky winner at the end of the tour. Please visit her website to find out more.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour

This blog post is part of a book tour organized by Bookish Snob Promotions.
The next tour stop is on February 8th, on The Wormyhole.

Speak Your Mind

*