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Lacey Weatherford Interview 3/22/2010 8:10:24 PM
Debut author shares in her works and adventures in writing! LTS: If you’re a fan of the paranormal genre, then today’s guest blogger promises a fascinating look into her world of writing. I’d like to introduce you to Lacey Weatherford, author of the novel ‘Of Witches and Warlocks: The Trouble with Spells’.
Let’s begin by having you share a little information about yourself with our readers. You are a mother, a former firefighter and worked in emergency medicine. What else can you tell us and have any of these experiences influenced your decision to write?
LMW: I always like to introduce myself as 38-year-old mother of six, wife of one. Most people quit hearing what I am saying after they hear I have six kids though. All joking aside, I feel that being a mom/wife is one of my greatest accomplishments in life! My family has brought me so much joy and laughter over the years. I feel very blessed to be a part of such a wonderful group of people. They are truly my best friends!
I did work in emergency medicine for several years. It was a great job with horrible hours! Seriously though, I have had many life changing experiences with the career. It is a little bit awe inspiring when you realize that an individual out there is in desperate need of help and they are calling on you to fulfill that requirement. I have shed many a tear over things which I witnessed during my time in the emergency services, and a few happy occasions as well, when dealing with births or saving someone who was in cardiac arrest. These experiences definitely influenced me in my writing. I drew heavily on them in one scene in particular in 'Of Witches and Warlocks: The Trouble with Spells', and there is influence from it which will thread its way through the books to follow.
LTS: Has writing stories always been a part of your life and becoming a published author a life long dream?
LMW: I started dabbling with writing around the age of eight when I became interested in the Nancy Drew book series. I loved those stories and thought it would be so much fun to do something like that. I began writing short little mystery stories that featured my cousin Natalie and myself. I actually have a few of them lying around still somewhere, as my mom thought they were cute and saved them all. I can’t even read them now without blushing or laughing over them! They are so silly. As I got older, I dabbled a little bit in some poetry, and when I got into high school I started writing romance stories in notebooks about my best friends and their current love interests, which started getting passed around the school. I quit doing that when I started getting other girls coming up to me to ask me to write stories about them. I didn’t have enough time! In the back of my mind I always hoped I would be able to come up with an idea for a novel, so several years later I had some inspiration and after months of contemplating I decided to start writing. It took me fourteen years to finish that book because I hated sitting all day at a desktop computer, so when I finally purchased a laptop, I finished the book! I was happy that my dream was fulfilled and was passing the book around for my friends and family to read when I came up with idea for ‘Of Witches and Warlocks’. I finished the first book for it in a month and a half. My friends and family loved it immediately and encourage me to pursue having it published, which I did with much fear and trepidation since I had no idea what I was doing!
LTS: Is it a fair assessment to say your novel ‘Of Witches and Warlocks: The Trouble with Spells’ is a paranormal romance in the vein of the Twilight series (excuse the pun), but minus the vampires?
LW: I think that would probably be a fair assessment. I tried really hard not to be influenced by Twilight at all, since I wanted my work to be my own. I am a huge fan of romance though and there is definitely that strong spark between the lead characters in this book, as there is in Twilight, but I would say the similarities of the stories probably end there. I purposely tried to stay away from vampires, werewolves, and the like just because the market is so flooded with them right now, so this story is set in a world which revolves around witches, warlocks and demons. I will say I have noticed that I have a lot of Twilight fans following me who seem to really be favoring the book and I take that as a huge compliment as Twilight fans are usually very die hard in their devotion.
LTS: What is the inspiration behind this story and can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist Portia Mullins and her connection with Vance Mangum?
LMW: My oldest daughter, Kamery, was the original inspiration for this book. It actually sparked off of some jokes which were made when she dramatically changed her hair color one day. One of those comments stuck in my mind and I kept dwelling on it and the story emerged from there.
When I came up with the concept for Portia Mullins I wanted her to be a normal teenager who was working her way through life just like the next person. She has this dramatic turn of events in her life which suddenly causes her to question her own reality, and as the story develops she sees that she must become a strong individual, who is secure in herself, even though she has to deal with things she really knows nothing about.
Vance Mangum is the handsome bad boy, who has often been misunderstood. He is definitely an Alpha-male character, strong, good looking, and bold, though circumstances in his life have tended to place him in the role of tortured individual. He and Portia have an instant connection and are swept up in this all consuming romance, which is threatened by outside forces that they have no control over. It makes both of them have to grow up quickly as they bond strongly together against the oppositions they face.
LTS: Without giving away too much, can you reveal what’s in store for the reader when they crack open ‘Of Witches and Warlocks’?
LMW: Lots of kissing! No seriously, this is a story of a romance between two young individuals who are fortunate enough to find real love on their first try, and even recognize it as such. They are suddenly surrounded by magic and mayhem as everything around them gets tipped upside down, threatening to destroy their relationship completely with the probable outcome. It truly becomes a story of love trying to conquer all, as both Vance and Portia struggle to protect one another from outside forces bent on vanquishing them.
LTS: The road to publication is difficult at the best of times. Was it difficult for you to land an agent? Do you have any advice you’d like to share with the author struggling to find representation?
LMW: I actually don’t have an agent. When I began querying I sent out letters to agents and publishing houses. I really had no clue what I was doing and ended up accepting the first offer I received! I often wonder how it might have worked out if I had waited a little longer, as I had agents still asking for additional manuscript clear up to the week when the book was released. I had to turn all of those down since I had already signed a contract. Who knows what would have happened? I sent out about twenty query letters and probably fifteen of those had favorable responses and the ones who didn’t respond in the positive were very kind.
My advice to others looking to get published would be to really do your research on the people you query to. I have learned that there are definitely sharks out there in the publishing world that are more than willing to prey on unsuspecting authors so make sure you are well informed before making any big decisions.
LTS: Excellent advice, Lacey! Now, becoming a published author is truly a difficult road to travel, so we’re always pleased when a fellow writer is plucked from relative obscurity to land a book deal. Can you share that moment when your agent told you he/she sold your story to PublishAmerica?
LMW: I received “the call” from one of PublishAmerica’s agents. He was a very nice man and he probably thought I was a complete idiot because I was so dumbfounded I could hardly speak! I was very surprised and politely told him thank you for calling and I would get back with him. I hung up the phone and stood there for a second as it all began to sink in, then I started jumping up and down like a silly teenager and shouted out to my husband who was in the other room, “Someone wants to print my book!” I couldn’t stop grinning all day!
LTS: I’m curious about your writing style. Are you one of those disciplined writers who must dedicate a certain time each day to producing so many words, or are you more relaxed and tend to write when it strikes your fancy?
LMW: I am probably one of the most undisciplined people I know. I am definitely a “roll with the tide” kind of individual. I will say that when I get a storyline in my head it becomes all consuming to me, to the point of even forgetting to eat at times because I get so wrapped up in focusing on the plot. I am one of those people who will sit down and write and then wonder suddenly when it became night time. The hours pass quickly for me as I get sucked into my own little alternate universe. It is usually the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing on my mind when I go to bed. When I am in a good productive mode I don’t like to stop, wanting to keep the creative juices flowing. It has led to many a late night followed by an early morning.
LTS: Still on the subject of writing styles, are you a plotter or pantser? The readers would like to know if you tend to plot out your story line in great detail or if your writing is more organic with the characters and events unfolding as you write.
LMW: I would have to say that I usually jot down a few standard plot points to sort of give me some general direction to go in when I first start writing a story. On several occasions my writing has drifted away from something I had planned into a new direction which I liked better, so I really enjoy letting things unfold as I write. Whenever ideas come to me I write them down on a list. If I end up using an idea I go back and highlight that idea in red so I can see what I have used and what I haven’t. Sometimes an idea that didn’t work out in one place may suddenly seem perfect for something different. I tend to see my stories in my head like a movie, so I write them the way I see them unfold on the theater screen in my mind.
LTS: Some authors meditate, others need to fuel up on coffee or listen to music. Do you have any rituals, ones that can be shared with the readers, that you must do before you hunker down for a writing session?
LMW: A bottle of water and my iTunes are pretty much all I require when I sit down to write. I listen to music which is inspiring to whatever scene I may be writing. It kind of helps me get into the mood. I actually have playlists which are named after my books I have written, kind of a soundtrack of sorts for each one that I used to help me along.
LTS: That is so cool! I think I’ll have to come up with my own playlist. Now, at one time or another, most writers hit the wall and their work stalls because of the dreaded writer’s block. What do you do to get around or over this mental wall to resume writing?
LMW: I have three things I do to try to overcome this. The first one is just to keep writing and see if some sort of idea will emerge from my ramblings. If that doesn’t work, I usually find myself in my Photoshop program editing some type of picture to go with the story. It keeps my head in the game, but pulls me into a different media which helps my brain to relax enough so that it is open to new ideas. If both of those fail, I find myself crying on my husband’s shoulder and we talk out the plot woes together until I come up with a solution. My husband has been very instrumental in helping me overcome some of the big blocks I have had. Having an outside perspective is always a good thing!
LTS: Who is your favourite author and how has he/she inspired you to write or influenced your writing style or choice of genre?
LMW: Wow! It is really hard for me to pick a favourite as I like a lot of different styles of writing that are out there. I am very partial to things in the historical genres. I am also a huge fan of anything which has a romantic bent to it, and I have always had a love of anything paranormal for as long as I could remember.
I found that my desire to write a book seemed to really come to the forefront after reading L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series and Chronicles of Avonlea. She had a really delightful way of describing things in a fresh, witty way that kept me laughing with her humor and the situations her characters would find themselves in. As far as what kind of influence she may have had on my writing, I would say she was very good at describing things so the reader felt like they could see and feel the environment around them. I hope that is something that has translated over into my work.
LTS: What is the most profound discovery you’ve made in terms of your writing and how it has touched the lives of others?
LMW: (LOL) I never realized how much other people would fall in love with my characters. I knew I loved them, but I wrote them. It is always amazing to me to hear other people talking about the book and how it made them feel. They have shared moments where they have laughed, and others where they have cried. Probably one of the greatest compliments that I have received, on several separate occasions, is that the reader felt as though they were a participant in the story rather than a bystander. It is exciting to me to know that my writing has the capability to do that for someone. To have people say it is one of the best stories they have ever read is just so inspiring to me. I get comments from people every day asking for more. It is actually a very humbling experience for me to hear people talking that way about my work.
LTS: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned on the road to publication?
LMW: Ask questions and listen to those who have gone on before you. They can be very helpful. Listen to your own mind, and how you feel too. If you have a dream to do something, then go for it. The worst failure you could ever possibly have is knowing that you never tried.
LTS: What are you reading now, and how did this particular book make it onto your to-read list?
LMW: The book currently sitting on my nightstand is called ‘A Great and Terrible Beauty’ by Libba Bray. I haven’t cracked the cover yet, and I don’t even know what it is about! My daughter just read it and brought it in for me to read, but I haven’t had the time to get around to it yet! I hope it is good. The last book I read before that was a sexy vampire romance novel called ‘First Drop of Crimson’ by Jeaniene Frost, and a ghost story called ‘The Fragrance of Her Name’ by Marcia Lynn McClure which was fun story that someone had recommended to me. There was a part in it which made me laugh so hard that I actually cried!
LTS: What do you foresee in your future over the next five years and do you hope to branch out from YA Paranormal into other genres? Can your fans expect a sequel to ‘Of Witches and Warlocks: The Trouble with Spells’ in the near future?
LMW: Well I have discovered that I really enjoy writing so I do plan to keep doing it. I have had a couple of ideas for stories, one perhaps dealing with emergency medicine and another which is a ghost story. I have been loosely pondering plot options for those in my head. As far as a sequel…most definitely…YES! ‘Of Witches and Warlocks’ is actually the series title, ‘The Trouble with Spells’ being the actual title of book one. There will be four books in the series. ‘Book two, The Demon Kiss’, should be released around May sometime if there aren’t any unforeseen holdups. It will be followed by ‘The Awakening’ and ‘Redemption’. I am busy doing edits and rewrites on these books right now, so I probably won’t start on a new project until that is done. I also have the first book which I wrote that I may go back and revamp a bit to see if I can get it published. It is a young adult fantasy novel. So I am keeping busy for the time being. That is probably five years worth of work right there!
LTS: Your growing legion of fans will be happy to hear Book Two will be published soon! And you are a busy, busy lady so thank you so much for taking the time to share in your adventures in writing and talking about your paranormal series. In the meantime, I think I’ll recommend ‘Of Witches and Warlocks’ to my daughter. It sounds like her type of book!
For more information about Lacey and her novel, check out:
Website: www.ofwitchesandwarlocks.com
Follow on Twitter: .LMWeatherford
Where to buy the book: Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, PublishAmerica.net, or order through your preferred book supplier.
