Welcome to the Tied blog tour!
Have you seen this gorgeous cover and read this most awesome blurb?
Normal people don't believe their nightmares stalk them. They don’t fall in love with boys who don’t exist, either.Seventeen-year-old Layla Labelle, though, is far from normal. Her delusions walk the earth. Her hallucinations hunt her, and her skin heats to a burn every time her anger flares.Or is that all in her head?Layla doesn't know what to believe any more because if none of that’s true, Max MacLarnon must be an illusion, and her heart must still be broken.No matter how much she wants to believe Max is real, doing so would mean everything else is, too. How, then, is that possible?The answers lie in an age-old legend the supernatural aren’t prepared to reveal, and with a curse that could tear Layla and Max apart forever—if it doesn’t kill them both first.In TIED, book one in the Fire Born trilogy, learning the truth will mean fighting an arsenal of demons, and being with Max will put Layla on a path toward her own destruction.Just how far will Laylago to protect the one she loves?The answer may never be far enough ... away.
For The Cover Contessa's tour stop, Laney has answered some of my most burning questions! So let's hear what she has to say!
TCC: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else?
LM: Writing is something I've always done, but being a published author—that was the dream I thought of now and then, but never really took seriously. I wrote my poems and my stories, shoved them in a drawer, and never showed them to anyone, or talked about them. TIED changed that. It spoke to me, and at some point I knew I had to face my fear, and let someone read it.
TCC: How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?
LM: Too long. I'm working on that. Trying to speed up the process. Writing the first draft takes me a few months. Three or four, maybe. But then I pick at it. And I move stuff around—have a lot of 'aha!' moments, and then the editing starts. Another few months for that. TIED took a long time. TORN has been much faster. Thankfully.
TCC: How do you come up with themes for your stories?
LM: The story themes really come to me. I don't sit and think, "Hm ... what will the underlying idea of my next story be?" The next story is the one saying, "You will write about ME, now!" ;)
TCC: Do you have a schedule of when you write?
LM: I try to write twice a day. Mid morning and late afternoon/evening. It doesn't always work out that way, though. I've been known to be on a writing roll at midnight more than once.
TCC: How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?
LM: That is something I'm still trying to master. Balance. I think it takes a while to strike an even chord with everything from writing, to social media, to making dinner. Some days are still a bit chaotic.
TCC: What elements do you think make a great story line?
LM: I'm a fantasy/mythology/paranormal fan, and a reader before a writer. So for me, I see that question through my reader's eyes. I'm not exactly sure what draws me into, say, one fantasy story over another. Maybe it's the author's voice, or the setting—maybe it's an idea that's so far out there it makes me think—maybe it pulls at my heart. It depends. But without a doubt, the books that really hold me, are the original one's. Those are the stories I read over, and over again. And I do that a lot.
TCC: What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
LM: For me it would be shutting down my continuosly moving imagination. I have so many ideas. Too many. I have to narrow them down and attempt to keep it simple. Very tough for me some days. I question everything.
TCC: How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite?
LM: TIED is my first book to go to publication, and TORN (the 2nd in the series) is almost completed. I've written, and tried to write, others over the years, but none that I've done anything with, and a few I never would've showed to anyone. My favorite at this point is TORN.
TCC: Do you have a favorite character?
LM: Max is definitely my favorite. I love Benny, too. And Tristan.
TCC: Where do you write?
LM: I move around my house. At my desk, in the dining room, outside on the deck. I get bored with my surroundings after a while, so I change it up.
TCC: When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took?
LM: Publication wasn't my original goal. That possibility came a few months after TIED had been written. I thought of traditional publishing first. At the time it was still the main option. I considered self-publishing for a long while after that when it became clear is was also a viable option. Ultimately I decided to go on submission with a few indie publishers, and see what happened. I liked the idea of having a smaller publisher with more one on one interaction, and I thought I could use the support as an unknown writer. Lucky enough, my manuscript was well received, and the rest is history. ;)
TCC: Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?
LM: Only two people have read the book so far. They're very supportive. My whole family has been.
TCC: What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?
LM: I run. I read. I go to the beach. Listen to music more than is probably healthy. I'm also a chef, so I like to cook.
TCC: What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?
LM: Write. Let the story come to you. Write some more. Don't force it. Write for the love of creating. Be passionate about what you have to say, because if you're not, it will show. Write some more. What I've learned most is that you have to want to do this. Really want it.
TCC: What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write?
LM: No way I could ever pick only one book as my favorite. Anne Rice was/is an instrumental author for me. I love her books. Her settings are beautiful and haunting. She has a way of retelling history that yanks you out of your seat and places you in a different time. The Witching Hour is one of my favorite books by her. Taltos and Lasher, also. And her Vampire Chronicles.
TCC: Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such?
LM: Absolutely. I have beta readers who are willing victims readers of my crazy imagination. I depend on them tremendously. So thankful.
TCC: Are you working on anything now?
LM: I'm finishing up the second book in the Fire Born series, TORN.
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Laney! It's been so great having yo here!
With a passion for the supernatural and all things magical, Laney developed a voracious appetite for reading fantasy at a young age. A vivid imagination helped set the stage for creating her own worlds and placed her onto the writing path.
By the time she reached her teens, she'd accumulated notebooks full of poems, which led to short stories and finally novels. Young adult dark fantasy, paranormal romance, and mythology are among her favorite genres.
A former classical dancer and chef, she grew up in sultry Florida where she still resides with her family.
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LINKS:
Updates on The Fire Born Novels at my Facebook Author Page
You can also contact me by email at: laneymcmannyaauthor(at)gmail(dot)com
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