I have a fantastic author here on the blog today and I think you will really enjoy this interview - she has a great new book out, Assumed Identity - you will want to check this author out!
About the Author:
Lila Munro pens contemporary erotic romance and currently resides on the coast of North Carolina. She is a military wife and takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around for the past fifteen years. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches.
Her works include The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bound By Trust, Destiny’s Fire, A Slower Lower Love, A Slower Lower Life, Salvation, Force Recon: Beacon Bayou, Force Recon: Somalia, True Identity and Identity Crisis. Currently she’s working on sequels to several series to be released throughout 2011-2012. She’s a member in good standing with the RWA and Passionate Ink. Ms. Munro is also the Vice President of Business Affairs at Rebel Ink Press.She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted via her website http://lilamunro.weebly.com or through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro. You can also contact her via email at lilasromance@gmail.com For more information about Rebel Ink Press please visit their website at www.rebelinkpress.com.
Author Interview:
1. What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?
The ability to pigeon hole problems and fence in stress before it becomes too great to corral pop to the forefront of that list. This life can be quite overwhelming and a writer’s responsibilities far outreach the actual writing process to embody marketing, public relations, sometimes referee… You never know, but the ability to put it all in perspective and at the end of the day leave it on the desk is paramount, otherwise you’d never sleep and never eat.
2. Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book or movie?
As far as other works, not really. However, I think it’s hard not to put myself in my own characters’ shoes. I know in my own writing there’s a bit of me in everything I write be it a habit, a mannerism, or the way someone speaks. So in that sense, yes, I see myself in my stories regularly, particularly my military romances which embody everything I’ve learned kicking it around as a Marine Corps wife for some fifteen years now.
3. What do you find to be the biggest challenge when writing?
Containing my muse to working hours. When I first started this little journey I let my muse be a free range influence and she would wake me at all hours and demand this, that, or the other and I would allow her to have her way. My health became a priority in recent months and zero sleep and poor eating habits had to go, so my muse has had to learn that when the office is closed sign goes up at five it means the office is closed. However, she is persistent and a couple times a week I have to remind her to take notes and we’ll deal with whatever issue a character is having when the begin work buzzer sounds the next day.
4. Do you enjoy giving interviews?
Yes, I do. Part of being a good writer is paying attention to your readers and what better way than opening up and allowing them to come into your world and learn more about you? I encourage questions, so please if you’re a reader here today and there is something we’re not covering but you’re dying to know, ask. I’ll be by a few times today and I love to chat!
5. How much impact does your childhood have on your writing?
Funny you should ask, I just finished a blog post for Suzzana Ryan on influential teachers in my life, so I would have to say that my childhood impacts my writing on an impressive level. As I mentioned, there’s a bit of me in all my characters and things I’ve seen, ways I’ve been influenced, people I’ve known—all those things tend to find themselves woven in the tapestry of my stories at some point. Most of my books are set here in North Carolina, but Three for Keeps was actually set in my home state of Missouri and embodied the personalities of several childhood friends. The characters were neither one person or other, but a conglomeration of individuals and circumstances.
6. What was the greatest thing you learned in school?
How to take rejection with a grain of salt and keep going. Actually I’m not sure that lesson stuck until much later. The lesson was there I’m just not certain I could do it effectively then, but it’s the one thing I remember having to deal with a lot. I had the self-esteem of a rock back then and spent a lot of time dwelling on my shortcomings. There’s not time for self-suffering in this industry otherwise writers would lie in a puddle of pity goo all day and never get anything done. Today criticism and rejection is seen as a challenge and accepted. I look at the circumstances and decide if it’s worth the amount of time it takes to dwell on it, learn the lesson, and move on.
7. Do you admire your own work?
I’m not sure admire is the appropriate term. I’m my own worst critic and never satisfied, even with the published work. I wait months in some cases to read my own work once it’s out there and then I find things I wish I’d done differently and find myself wanting just one more chance at another self-edit. Do I think I am a good story teller and that my stories convey a deeper meaning that the surface value? Yes.
8. Who else’s work do you admire?
I have a lengthy list that includes Kitty Thomas, Maya Banks, Loralei James, KA Mitchell, Eden Bradley…the list goes on and on, but those are some current faves and insta-downloads.
9. What do you think is the sole purpose of books?
It depends on the book. Some are meant for learning, some entertainment.
10. How would you convince a young person to pursue writing?
Oh gosh. I’m not sure I’d try to convince anyone to pursue this. First they’d have to show some promise of talent and then I’d be completely honest in just how hard this industry really is. I’m not a sugar coater, much to a lot of people’s chagrin. I would want anyone, young or old, to come into this with both eyes open and a steel resolve.
11. What inspired you to write your first book?
I’d been writing my entire life and always putting things on the back burner for various reasons, the most of which was to raise my family and follow my Marine around the world for a few years. Then one day I looked up and the nest was empty and I was finally at a point in my life I didn’t have to work. My husband was my greatest encouragement and with his prompting I took up the position at the keyboard and dusted off the idea pile. The Executive Officer’s Wife was born of that effort and is still very close to my heart.
12. Do you have a specific writing style?
I made up my own term for my writing style. I call it realmantica. I know that romance is all about the fantasy but for me it’s about the fantasy that we can believe in. The fantasy that we could actually see coming true for us. And since I spend a lot of time writing military romances, it’s important for me to use my knowledge and present this life in as real a light as possible…I also dash in a healthy amount of erotic heat. And there you have it…realmantica.
13. How did you come up with the title?
My latest release Assumed Identity is actually book three in the Identity series, so that takes care of the Identity portion. I’d have to say the blurb sums up best where the assumed part comes from…Julie is an identity confused mess and tends to hide who she really is:
Innocent childhood games of dress-up and pretend…
Julie Stevens is as straight as they come. Or so she tries to convince herself. But it isn’t easy believing that little white lie when she has the two most sexually eccentric best friends on the planet. One is a bi-sexual Domme who believes if it looks fun, try it. The other is a gay man in the role of slave to his very sexy Master whom Julie often wishes wasn’t gay. Dante’s commanding presence makes her want to do things that set her on fire with need and embarrassment. Given her boring vanilla life, how exactly does she fit into their world? Would they like to have a shinier third wheel?
Are a completely different animal for grownups…
After one wild evening and a bit too much liquid encouragement, Julie discovers a side of herself she’s always tried to ignore. The realization she’s a sub not only scares her, it excites her and she yearns for more. But the process of finding the right man to teach her becomes a real issue, until Mason comes along. He’s everything Julie imagines a Dom should be. Armed with her masque and Renaissance costume, Julie is thrown for a loop when the handsome Master draws more willingness out of her than she ever thought possible. Is it possible she’s more than a submissive? And will the assumptions he’s made about her identity end up tearing them apart?
Thanks so much for having me over today! I’ve had a great time and look forward to answering questions and chatting with your audience throughout the day…~~Lila
Thanks so much for having me by today, Lindsay!
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