Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?
For me, it’s very simple and can be explained with a line from an Emily Dickenson poem, “If I can ease one life the aching…” My goal when I write something is to transport a reader elsewhere, even if only for a short time. I also love to make people laugh, so when I see reviews or receive e-mails from readers and they say they laughed so hard…I love it. Makes my day/week/year/life.
Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?
My book, Imperfect Chemistry, is a New Adult Romantic Comedy.
Lucy London puts the word genius to shame. Having obtained her PhD in microbiology by the age of twenty, she's amassed a wealth of knowledge, but one subject still eludes her: people. The pendulum of passions experienced by those around her both confuses and intrigues her, so when she’s offered a grant to study emotion as a pathogen, she jumps on the opportunity.
When her attempts to come up with an actual experiment quickly drop from lackluster to nonexistent, she’s given a choice: figure out how to conduct a groundbreaking study on passion, or lose both the grant and her position at the university. Put on leave until she can crack the perfect proposal, she finds there’s only one way she can study emotions: by experiencing them herself.
Enter Jensen Walker, Lucy's neighbor and the one person on the planet she finds strangely and maddeningly appealing. Jensen's life is the stuff of campus legend, messy, emotional, complicated—in short, the perfect starting point for Lucy's study. When her tenaciousness wears him down and he consents to help her, sparks fly. To her surprise, Lucy finds herself battling with her own emotions, as foreign as they are intense. With the clock ticking on her deadline, Lucy must decide what's more important: analyzing her passions...or giving in to them?
I wrote this book because I love to make people laugh! I also wanted to bring something different to the romance genre, and reverse some of those clichés we’ve become accustomed to. I’ve read quite a few New Adult novels, and most of the popular ones involve bad boys who are kinda slutty, good girls who try and fix them, and they’re generally a bit dark and depressing. I wanted a strong, smart, female lead, and a guy who’s good, if slightly troubled. Good guys need more play!
If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask?
I know I should probably say something like Ghandi or a president, but the first person that comes to mind is my grandmother, Pauline Humphrey. She was like Snow White and Mother Theresa all wrapped into one. She had a great laugh. She never cursed, when she had road rage, she say, “You jackrabbit!”
How often do you write? And when do you write?
Since I have a full time job and a family, I have to squeeze in writing whenever I can. During the week, I write early in the morning before I have to wake up my kids for school. On the weekend, it depends on what we have going on, but I write whenever I can, most of the time in the morning while I’m drinking my coffee. I also have a notepad app on my phone, which I use to make notes to myself if something strikes me and I’m out and about.
Have you met any people in the industry who have really helped you?
Yes! I have been so lucky to know a ton of talented, wonderful writers. I belong to a group of writers call the goat posse. They have been immensely helpful in supporting and shaping my writing career.
In addition, I have quite a few beta readers. One of them is Jenn Marie Thorne. Her contemporary YA novel, The Wrong Side of Right, will be available Spring 2015 from Penguin/Dial Press and is available now for pre-order! Jenn and I have been exchanging work for quite a few years. It’s been great seeing her growth as a writer, and her input on my novel was AMAZING and wonderful. Her feedback is like crack, I can’t get enough of it.
What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?
I try to sprinkle little tidbits of knowledge and theme throughout my novels without beating people over the head with theme. Every book is a little bit different. In Imperfect Chemistry, the main theme is Wabi Sabi. Wabi Sabi is a Japanese principle based on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. It’s about appreciating the beauty in our naturally imperfect world. I love imperfections in people and in my surroundings. It’s what makes life interesting!
Besides that, when I write I want to pull readers into a story and keep them there. And to make them laugh!
How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?
I love social media. But, I also stay away from the negative and ignore the drama. I never post negative things, and when I see it, I avoid it. My only issue is with my Facebook author page. I never know what to post! I stink at self-promotion and don’t post often because I hate to be annoying to anyone following me.
What’s your next project?
I am currently working on the sequel to Imperfect Chemistry, entitled Imperfectly Legal. It is told from the POV of a side character from book one, and can stand on its own even though the novels are related.
After that, I have a few ideas I’m bandying about. One is a bunch of intertwining love stories that all happen in the same night in the same town—sort of like Love Actually or Can’t Hardly Wait—but in book form.
The other I’m toying with is a rocker love story, except the rocker is a chick who’s dealing with addiction and depression. It’s much darker than what I’ve done so far, so I think it will be fun. I have a few other ideas up my sleeve, but I have yet to decide what to do!
What’s the reason for your life? Have you figured out your reason for being here yet?
Honestly, it probably sound lame and cheese-ball, but I believe we are all here for one reason: to be happy and to spread the love. Seriously, can you imagine if everyone on the planet worked to make each other happy? We would all be very happy people.
This is one of the main reasons I write. I want to make people happy.
How do you feel about self-publishing?
Since I am a self-published writer, I really love it! I think both traditional and indie publishing have their pros and cons, and in the end, it comes down to what the writer wants. Both paths are difficult and satisfying in their own way. I chose self-publishing because I have a full time career and family, and I like the control and self-pacing involved in indie publishing. Also, my novel is New Adult, and that’s an area that has been forged by indie authors.
Lucy London puts the word genius to shame. Having obtained her PhD in microbiology by the age of twenty, she's amassed a wealth of knowledge, but one subject still eludes her—people. The pendulum of passions experienced by those around her both confuses and intrigues her, so when she’s offered a grant to study emotion as a pathogen, she jumps on the opportunity.
When her attempts to come up with an actual experiment quickly drop from lackluster to nonexistent, she’s given a choice: figure out how to conduct a groundbreaking study on passion, or lose both the grant and her position at the university. Put on leave until she can crack the perfect proposal, she finds there’s only one way she can study emotions: by experiencing them herself.
Enter Jensen Walker, Lucy's neighbor and the one person on the planet she finds strangely and maddeningly appealing. Jensen's life is the stuff of campus legend, messy, emotional, complicated—in short, the perfect starting point for Lucy's study. When her tenaciousness wears him down and he consents to help her, sparks fly. To her surprise, Lucy finds herself battling with her own emotions, as foreign as they are intense. With the clock ticking on her deadline, Lucy must decide what's more important: analyzing her passions...or giving in to them?
When her attempts to come up with an actual experiment quickly drop from lackluster to nonexistent, she’s given a choice: figure out how to conduct a groundbreaking study on passion, or lose both the grant and her position at the university. Put on leave until she can crack the perfect proposal, she finds there’s only one way she can study emotions: by experiencing them herself.
Enter Jensen Walker, Lucy's neighbor and the one person on the planet she finds strangely and maddeningly appealing. Jensen's life is the stuff of campus legend, messy, emotional, complicated—in short, the perfect starting point for Lucy's study. When her tenaciousness wears him down and he consents to help her, sparks fly. To her surprise, Lucy finds herself battling with her own emotions, as foreign as they are intense. With the clock ticking on her deadline, Lucy must decide what's more important: analyzing her passions...or giving in to them?
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Genre - Romantic Comedy
Rating – PG-13
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