1.
How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day
and create characters that capture the imagination?
Since
before middle school I've wanted to be a writer. I did create characters back
in high school when I wrote a skit for a speech class. I misunderstood the
directions from the teacher and thought we had to write an original piece. I
remember sitting in a study carrel in the library working on the skit and
feeling the dialogue flowing effortlessly. To me, that was such a heady feeling
and I guess that would be called a writer's high.
2. How
long did it take for your first book to get published?
That
depends upon if you consider a now defunct e-publishing company to be my first
publisher. If so, then it took a decade.
3.
What does your writing day look like?
Every
day is a writing day. I go with the flow when it comes to writing, as I can't
organize myself into blocks of time. I can even write in the morning if I have
to. Being flexible is important to me.
4. How
do you handle family and your writing career? Is your family understanding of
the time that you have to give your career? Is it sometimes difficult for you?
How did they react to fact that you’re an author?
I
receive support and that's what matters. Writing isn't a 9 to 5 job that you
forget about at 5:01. There are many obstacles along the path to getting your
book from your Word document [or whatever program you use] to an online and/or
offline bookstore.
5.
Do you feel each of your characters lives with you as you write? Do their lives
sometimes take over a part of your life?
Yes,
the characters and the stories they inhabit can affect me. With Notes from Nadir, I chose to write it in
two parts but was later able to join them into a full-length novel because
that's exactly what this book was envisioned as.
Lisa, thanks so much for answering my questions. Here's a little more about Notes From Nadir.
Notes from Nadir
by Lisa
Maliga
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
A
Los Angeles-based writer returns to her Midwestern home due to financial
difficulties. Moving back in with Mom, she lands a job at an online auction
site. From encountering wacky characters to dealing with unsympathetic
relatives, to her mother's health issues, the narrator struggles with being in
Nadir--the place and the state of mind.
EXCERPT:
From Chapter 19 ~ The Boss of Bakery Bleu
I met Gordon, a tall auburn haired man bordering on
pudginess. He wore a navy polo shirt with the golden-brown Bakery Bleu logo [a
pair of crossed breadsticks] above one of his manboobs. He shook my hand and
sat down across from me so he could see both me and all the baked goodies to
the north.
"Do tell me about yourself," he said in a hearty
voice. His accent wasn't local, that's for sure. He sounded English. Of course,
I didn't think he wanted to know about my personal history but about how
valuable I'd be as a minimum wage slave, I mean, employee. I smiled, and for
once, I wasn't unhappy about sitting across from the man even though he could
only offer a part time job. I pulled out a pale blue resume and handed it to
him. He nodded and looked at it. I knew he was probably surprised when he saw
the word Dreamweaver on the bottom where I listed a few web related things.
"You had your own business," he studied that piece
of paper atop the black table. "You lived in Los Angeles…what're you doing
here?"
Much as I want to, I couldn't avoid that question. The man
was scrutinizing me now. I looked at his dark eyes, then down at the darker
table. "Cheap rent. I live with my mom."
He had a genuine, hearty laugh. It sounded so wonderful
after not hearing much of it that year. And I laughed out loud myself. It was
true, that cliché about laughter being healthy.
"I did too when I first moved here from London."
"Not London, Kentucky?"
He smiled broadly and I was feeling more comfortable with this
man I had just met. "England." He replied, though I knew the answer
and he knew I knew that he was from across the pond.
"The people are so boring here," I said. Oops, not
the kind of thing to say in a job interview, especially as I was applying for a
job where I'd be waiting on those boring people. But somehow this didn't really
feel like one. "I didn't say that," I said.
He leaned forward a bit, covered his ears, and replied,
"I didn't hear that!"
God, we were like teenagers on a first date.
Lisa will be awarding a PDF copy of Notes
From Nadir plus their choice of one of the following ebooks: Sweet Dreams,
Diary of a Hollywood Nobody, The Wilkes House Haunting, North of Sunset, South
of Sunset or Out of the Blue to one randomly drawn commenter at each stop
during the tour, and a Grand Prize of a Print Copy (US ONLY) of Notes From
Nadir will be awarded to one randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour. Follow her tour and comment often.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Lisa Maliga
has been writing ever since she learned how to put crayon to paper back in kindergarten.
Since then, she has learned to type and uses a laptop, citing it as way more
convenient. She still makes and uses her own soapy creations. You'll find more
about her work at:
http://www.lisamaliga.com
http://lisamaliga.wordpress.com
http://pinterest.com/lisamaliga
https://twitter.com/LisaMaliga
http://www.goodreads.com/LisaMaliga
http://www.everythingsheacreates.com
NOTES FROM
NADIR – Book Links
Amazon Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Notes-from-Nadir-ebook/dp/B00486UDJA/
Amazon Kindle
UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Notes-from-Nadir-ebook/dp/B00486UDJA/
Amazon
paperback http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Nadir-Lisa-Maliga/dp/1493519077/
Amazon
paperback UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Notes-Nadir-Lisa-Maliga/dp/1493519077/
B&N NOOK
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/notes-from-nadir-lisa-maliga/1100144163?ean=2940012697790
Kobo
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/notes-from-nadir
Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35983
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting, Elaine!
ReplyDeleteVery nice interview
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com