Author Interview ~ Lisa Lane

Today on the couch we are so happy to have Lisa Lane join us. Welcome to The Menagerie, Lisa. So glad you’re here. Let’s get started: When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing as a young child, around eight or nine years old. The thought of creating a work that might offer others the same fulfillment I felt when I read my favorite authors’ books inspired me to write my first short story. I do not recall much about the work beyond the fact that it was about good witch and her cat, and I’m sure it lacked the structure and story development I would later learn was necessary for a good read, but it was mine and I was proud of it. I bound the twelve-page behemoth with a cardboard cover, complete with crayon drawings. I’ve been writing ever since.

LOL, love it. That would be a great keepsake if you could find it. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

All of my novels have one or more messages in them, and I try to make them clear with use of theme and other literary elements. I do also have a common theme throughout my works. I love to make statements about human nature, judgment, control, and beliefs, but I won’t spoil the fun for any potential readers by disclosing any more. I will say that I write even my most non-literary works with potential critical analysis in mind.

Well, guess that just means we’ll have to read them. :-D Do you see writing as a career?

Yes and no. I am a writer. No matter what else I might be doing at any given time, be it managing at a pet store or finishing my degree, I am a writer. With that said, it would be a dream come true to be able to write—and only write—for a living. Writing is not work for me, even when I have insane deadlines or I have to make edits I don’t want to make, it is a pleasure. It is my purpose in life, and I’ll do it until the day I die. God willing, I’ll entertain and enrich a few lives in the process.

That’s a great philosophy to have. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I want to thank those who have taken the time to read my books, especially those who have offered their feedback and/or support. I am very excited about my upcoming projects, and I hope to be able to share more with you soon. Thank you for helping me to grow as a writer. You have not seen anything yet.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Depending on how hard the muses drive me, it can take me anywhere from one to three months to write a 50,000-60,000 word novel.

Wow, I don’t think it matters how hard my muse drives me… it just takes time. Good for you! Now for our “absolutely nothing to do with writing” questions: Do you hate how you look in pictures? Why or why not?

I do not like the way I look in most pictures, but I don’t hate how I look in them. I cannot for the life of me smile naturally for the camera, and I generally look goofy in candid shots. I’m just not photogenic. Such is life.

LOL, ah, well at least everyone will remember you in the pictures! Do you have any strange handwriting habits, like capitalizing all your “r”s or dotting your “I”s with heart (or anything like that)?

I am right-handed, but I write with the paper turned 90 degrees, my arm wrapped around the paper, like people who write left-handed.

Oh, I’ll bet that gives you a kink in your neck! You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

I wouldn’t erase any of them. They molded me into who I am today, and I say that with the utmost of honesty. I have been through much in this life, including surviving an abusive relationship and spending a year in bed, due to a serious illness, but I appreciate every little positive in my life. I’m not spoiled, and I think I’m a better person for it.

That’s the way we all should look at it. Great answer! Have you ever made a crank phone call? If yes, explain what you did.

I am ashamed to admit that I made numerous crank calls when I was a kid, before Caller ID was commonplace. The calls varied depending on who I was with, but my antics were typical: “Is John there?” Wait for the likely “I’m sorry but there’s no John here,” and then reply, “Then where do you ****?”

Somehow… I’m not surprised. Are you a morning person or a night person?

I’m definitely a night person. I have been for most of my life. It is not by choice, but I do enjoy the quiet calm of the late night/early morning hours.

I can certainly relate to the ‘not by choice’ part of that. If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?

I would wish that life were not so fleeting. I’ve found that our lives move in chapters, each with good and bad, neither everlasting. There is so much in this world I would love to experience, so much I would love to learn and do, but I find far too often that life to gets in the way, so to speak. Time is precious; I wish there were more of it.

Great wish! I agree. Well, that’s the end of our interview. Thank you so much for hanging out with us today, Lisa. Don’t be a stranger, we loved having you here.

Lisa Lane lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their two cats. She has written over a dozen novels and screenplays, as well as numerous short stories and essays, and she prides herself in her ability to move between different genres and formats. Her literary influences include Olaf Stapledon, Kurt Vonnegut, and Anne Rice. Lisa likes to keep busy, often working on multiple projects at once, and recently finished a screen adaptation for a Hugo award-winning novelette.

You can keep up with Lisa on the web here at her site.

The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness by Lisa Lane

Karen learns quickly that being both a mother and a vampire is no easy task, especially since her children, fraternal twins Anna and Andy, are not typical kids. Anna, although seemingly human, has the unique ability to not only travel the Astral, but also manipulate objects and people between planes. Andy also appears to be a normal human boy, but appearances prove disastrously deceiving.

With the help of her blood donor and lover, Jason, Karen does her best to offer the twins a "normal" suburban life. Despite them, Anna and Andy come into their own, exploring their family's past . . . and the very different beings they are both slowly becoming. In the process, the author takes us on a wild ride that breaks beyond the boundaries of time and reality, sexual exploration, love and sacrifice... and back to the vampire commune.

Author note: Although this book stands alone well, it is best read after the first two installments.