Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Lisa Mondella to the blog today.
1. Can you please share with us a little about yourself?
Lisa: I’m the author of 13 published novels. I’ve written for small presses as well as Avalon Books and most recently, Harlequin Love Inspired. I love music, movies and books. (Everyone has a passion, right? Mine’s all three!)
2. Have you always wanted to be an author?
Lisa: I always say that I never chose to be an author. Writing chose me somewhere along the line. I’d always written short stories. But I didn’t write my first novel until the year before I was married. I credit getting my first PC for giving me the courage to try. I don’t think I would have ever taken the leap to novel writing on a typewriter. Carbon paper? White out? Not the way I write! Of course, PCs back then were nothing like they are now. My first PC had a floppy drive that held a total of 33 pages on it! Yeah, we’ve come a long way in 20 years.
3. Can you share with us your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have while writing?
Lisa: I need to have a cup of coffee on my desk. My husband can’t understand this because my coffee goes cold. I rarely ever finish a cup while it’s still hot. But I have to have it handy. My best writing time is 11AM – 2PM and then again at 11PM – 2AM. Don’t ask me why. I think it has to do with nap and bedtime when the kids were small and then school time when the kids got older. I know I’ll have a chunk of time when I won’t be interrupted. But when I’m on deadline, all bets are off. I write when I can, as much as I can until the book is done.
4. Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
Lisa: The most challenging thing is writing about something you have no knowledge of. It’s also the best thing. I love learning new things. But it’s a little nerve wracking trying to weave details into a story, making it sound authentic and compelling while getting all the details right.
5. Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Lisa: Mandy Morgan swore she’d never step foot in Texas again after Beau Gentry left her for life on the rodeo circuit eight years before. But now her uncle s heart is failing and she has to convince him that surgery will save his life. She never dreamed the first thing she’d see when she stepped off the plane would be her biggest nightmare…the one man she’d never stopped loving. Beau Gentry had the fever for two things: the rodeo and Mandy Morgan. But for Beau, loving Mandy was complicated by his father s vendetta against her uncle. This led him to make the hardest decision of his life and he can still see the bitterness and hurt on Mandy s face. All these years it has killed him to think Mandy had forgotten him and moved as far away as possible from him. But now they’re back in Texas, and he’s going to do all he can to win back her love.
6. How did you come with the idea for this story?
Lisa: Her Heart for the Asking was the book that was never going to be written. I’d written a blurb of the story as an example for an article on pitching to editors at conferences. A reader read the pitch and asked me when the book was going to be published. So I quickly wrote a few chapters and sent them off to Avalon Books. They bought the story a few months later. I’ve just released the ebook of the story. I’m thrilled that a new set of readers are being introduced to my Texas Hearts series.
7. Can you share with us your current work in progress?
Lisa: I’m currently working on a screenplay with a producer and revising a romantic thriller called, Material Witness. Material Witness is the story of crime author, Cassie Alvarez who goes from writing about crime to being in the middle of danger when she’s the only witness to an organized crime murder in Providence while researching her latest novel. Officer Jake Santos was a target that night and he knows he needs to keep Cassie alive to testify or the killer will go free. It will be released in June 2012.
8. Who are some of your favorite authors?
Lisa: Honestly, there are way too many to name and I’d be afraid of leaving one out. I have some auto-buy authors that I know I’ll enjoy. It all depends on what I’m in the mood to read.
9. Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
Lisa: When I’m deep into writing, I don’t read the same type of romance I’m writing. For instance, I won’t read romantic suspense if I’m writing it. I’ll read fantasy or shorter category books. That way the writing voice doesn’t bleed into my own.
10. What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Lisa: Under the Moon by Natalie Damschroder is high on my list as well as Miracle Under the Mistletoe by Tracy Madison. I’m still getting through a C.L. Wilson series.
Want to learn more about Lisa?
Check her out here:
Twitter: @LisaMondello
Lisa is giving away an e-copy of NOTHING BUT TROUBLE.
Melanie Summers, a feisty zoologist with big dreams, must spend a month in the Wyoming wilderness in order to satisfy a deal made with her father.
Stoney Buxton is a hard-driving cowboy with simple values who needs to raise quick money to save the family ranch. Re-entering the rodeo circuit seems like the best way to get the money he needs until Melanie Summers shows up at his ranch flashing easy money. To everyone else, her offer seems like the answer to all his prayers. But one look at her long legs and pouting lips and Stoney know this high society gal is going to be nothing but trouble for his cowboy heart
To enter: Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
I read All I Want For Christmas and it was such a sweet book. Totally enjoyed it. Gonna read Nothing But Trouble next.
Keep writing!
Thank you for the compliment! I hope you enjoy Nothing But Trouble, too!
Great interview. Can't wait to read Material Witness. Sounds awesome. Thanks for the giveaway.
Joanne B
e.balinski(at)att(dot)net
Thanks for the giveaway. I can't wait read your books. Tore923@aol.com
Great interview, i enjoyed it. You are new author for me, so i haven't read your books, but this series make me intrique. I would love to win your book!!
Great interview and book! Thank you so much for sharing and giving us a chance to win a copy 🙂
~Ava~
dragonlady 029 @ aol.com
Apparently I have been hiding under a rock because I haven't read any of your books, Lisa – I'm so sorry. I really enjoyed the interview and learning about your work. I can't wait to check out your website and add some new books to my tottering TBR.
k(dot)cherub2011(at)gmail(dot)com
I enjoyed getting Lisa's background in the interview. I've read 'All I Want for Christmas' and some of these others look really good.
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
Thank you all for stopping by! It's so great to meet you all. Thanks for reading All I Want for Christmas is You Sophia. I hope you enjoyed it.
Karen it's okay if you never heard of me before. It's good to meet you now!
JoAnne, I cannot wait for the release of Material Witness. I love romantic suspense and this book was really fun to write!
Ha ha cold coffee doesn't bother me either! Can't wait to check these books out. Loved the covers, very beautiful.
andieleah78@gmail.com
I have what may be a silly question. How do you make a decision on what names to use for characters? It seems just like baby names there seems to be a cycle to which names are used in books. Do you research or do they come from the same place the stories do?
Just wondering.
musicalfrog at comcast.net
I enjoyed the interview and finding out more about the inspiration for the book. The book sounds good.