Lisa Beth Darling
Describe your books in 3 words?
Dark. Adult. Fierce.
Dark. Adult. Fierce.
If you could be any character from
one of your books who would it be?
I actually am a character in the “OF WAR” series but I bet you don’t know which one it is. No, it’s not ‘Alena’ or any major character but she is someone that most people who read the series tend to like very much. No, she’s not a Goddess or magickal in the slightest.
I actually am a character in the “OF WAR” series but I bet you don’t know which one it is. No, it’s not ‘Alena’ or any major character but she is someone that most people who read the series tend to like very much. No, she’s not a Goddess or magickal in the slightest.
Give
up? It’s ‘Onya’.
What is your greatest fear about
being an author/publishing your book(s)?
I've been at this so long I don’t have any fears regarding writing or publishing any longer. They’ve all fallen by the wayside. If someone likes something I write that’s awesome and if they don’t, oh well, no biggie.
I've been at this so long I don’t have any fears regarding writing or publishing any longer. They’ve all fallen by the wayside. If someone likes something I write that’s awesome and if they don’t, oh well, no biggie.
Would the 10 year-old version of
yourself kick your butt or praise you for what you've accomplished in life?
I think she’d be very happy with the way we’ve turned out. We’ve stuck to our guns throughout our entire life and done it all our way.
I think she’d be very happy with the way we’ve turned out. We’ve stuck to our guns throughout our entire life and done it all our way.
What do you do when you finish your
book and turn it in to the editor?
Pop a cork, have a hot bath, and wait on pins and needles until I get it back.
Pop a cork, have a hot bath, and wait on pins and needles until I get it back.
What is your favorite Genre and why?
Gritty. I know that’s not a Genre but it’s my favorite way to write; fearlessly. There’s so much YA and NA stuff out there—I don’t want to live in a PG-13 world. We spend ¾ of our lives as adults, not children or teenagers, and we get so much more interesting as we get older and shed the trappings of youth for wisdom and experience. I enjoy writing stories for mature adults who understand and can handle the world in which we live.
Gritty. I know that’s not a Genre but it’s my favorite way to write; fearlessly. There’s so much YA and NA stuff out there—I don’t want to live in a PG-13 world. We spend ¾ of our lives as adults, not children or teenagers, and we get so much more interesting as we get older and shed the trappings of youth for wisdom and experience. I enjoy writing stories for mature adults who understand and can handle the world in which we live.
What is one thing that would
surprise us to know about you?
I was adopted at the age of 13 months and found my birthparents at the age of 27. Buy me a drink one day and I’ll tell you the rest of that story.
I was adopted at the age of 13 months and found my birthparents at the age of 27. Buy me a drink one day and I’ll tell you the rest of that story.
Was there an Author who inspired you
to write?
I started writing in 4th grade and from that point on knew without a doubt I would write, in one form or another, for the rest of my life. I grew up reading a lot of different authors, my mother was very heavy into Adult Romance (“Looking for Mr. Goodbar”, “The Money Changers”, “Dreams Die First”, “Once is Not Enough”, “The Thornbirds”, “Flowers in the Attic”…all the classics) so I picked up them at a very young age. It wasn’t until I started reading Stephen King in Jr. High that I realized I wanted to write like him. I melded his style and themes with the styles and themes of the above writers and never looked back.
I started writing in 4th grade and from that point on knew without a doubt I would write, in one form or another, for the rest of my life. I grew up reading a lot of different authors, my mother was very heavy into Adult Romance (“Looking for Mr. Goodbar”, “The Money Changers”, “Dreams Die First”, “Once is Not Enough”, “The Thornbirds”, “Flowers in the Attic”…all the classics) so I picked up them at a very young age. It wasn’t until I started reading Stephen King in Jr. High that I realized I wanted to write like him. I melded his style and themes with the styles and themes of the above writers and never looked back.
How did you come up with the
characters in your books?
I don’t create them they come to me from the Cosmos. I help shape them and give them voice but they’re their own entities.
I don’t create them they come to me from the Cosmos. I help shape them and give them voice but they’re their own entities.
Do you prefer to write alone or do
you like to collaborate with other authors?
Every book is a collaboration between me and The Muse. I’ve never had the urge to write a story with anyone else.
Every book is a collaboration between me and The Muse. I’ve never had the urge to write a story with anyone else.
Everyone uses computers, tablets,
phones and no one uses handwritten form or typewriters, what do you prefer to
use?
I do know several people who either write their books long hand or switch to long hand whenever they have writer’s block. There’s just something about the physical act of putting pen to paper that’s very helpful in that respect. My handwriting is so atrocious that not even I can read it when I get going so that’s not generally an option for me. Once I learned to type I took to a typewriter like a fish to water because my fingers could finally keep up with my brain then I went to a word processor and finally to a computer. Phones are far too small to write on, my tablet is a stupid iPad that isn’t good for anything but games and playtime. But, it was a gift so, I can’t complain about it too much.
I do know several people who either write their books long hand or switch to long hand whenever they have writer’s block. There’s just something about the physical act of putting pen to paper that’s very helpful in that respect. My handwriting is so atrocious that not even I can read it when I get going so that’s not generally an option for me. Once I learned to type I took to a typewriter like a fish to water because my fingers could finally keep up with my brain then I went to a word processor and finally to a computer. Phones are far too small to write on, my tablet is a stupid iPad that isn’t good for anything but games and playtime. But, it was a gift so, I can’t complain about it too much.
Is there a ritual you do before you
begin your book?
There are several things I have to have at hand whenever I write; cup of coffee, my cigs (well, e-cigs now, I switched several months ago), my iTunes, a bit of Old Toby, and maybe a small nip of Cherry Southern Comfort—straight up please, no ice. Let’s not forget the amber incense and three candles; red, blue, and white. No, I’m not that patriotic. Red is for Ares, my Muse in all of his masculine fiery glory, blue is for Eros, and white is for Aphrodite. I summon all three of them when I write.
There are several things I have to have at hand whenever I write; cup of coffee, my cigs (well, e-cigs now, I switched several months ago), my iTunes, a bit of Old Toby, and maybe a small nip of Cherry Southern Comfort—straight up please, no ice. Let’s not forget the amber incense and three candles; red, blue, and white. No, I’m not that patriotic. Red is for Ares, my Muse in all of his masculine fiery glory, blue is for Eros, and white is for Aphrodite. I summon all three of them when I write.
Fast Fairy Questions
Apple or Windows?--Windows
Dog or Cat?--Cat
Pepsi or Coke?--Coke
Facebook or Twitter?--Facebook
Summer or Winter?--Fall
Fairies or Angels?--Fairies
Dark or Light Fae?--Light
Vampires or Werewolves?--Neither
Amazon or Barnes and Noble?--Amazon
Funny or Serious?--Serious
Print or E-book?--Print
Eyes or Smile?--Eyes
Dean or Sam (Supernatural)?--Dean
Dream spot to visit?--Greece
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AWESOME SWAG or
YOUR CHOICE of Lisa Beth Darling's
e-book from Amazon
can't wait for the final book in the of war series, so excited, but at the same time sad it is ending. oh well i can always re-read it over n over again. lol. thanks for the interview, and the chance to win :)
ReplyDeletepatricia crews
adamsgirl4602@yahoo.com
As always, this looks wonderful! Thank you so much, Carrie. If anyone out there has any questions for me we'll use this space for Ask Me Anything. Step on up and ask whatever you like of me or any of the characters I write about. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat made u decide to go with the Greek gods?
DeleteI fell in love with Greek Mythology in high school and, even though there isn't a lick of Greek in me, instantly felt as though I'd 'come home' in some way. Even though I'm a 'peace lovin' hippie' I'd always been drawn to Ares feeling he wasn't as bad as he was being portrayed. Years later a little TV show called "Hercules The Legendary Journeys" caught my eye followed swiftly by "Xena Warrior Princess". That's when Kevin Smith burst on the scene and blew up my world with his portrayal of Ares God of War. He's been my Muse ever since.
ReplyDeleteWell I am grateful for those moments it brought you to us and brought us this spectacular series!!
DeleteAres is the perfect muse if I say so myself! Bravo girl!
I discovered my love of mythology (of many types) in elementary school. This love continues to this day. Thanks for sharing with us. michelle_willms at yahoo dot com.
ReplyDeleteYou know, what an awesome way to look at life: gritty. Brave and resolved. Sounds like a mantra.
ReplyDeleteannaoj (dot)mortes (at) gmail (dot) com