Welcome back to Anjie's corner and the TTC Virtual Blog tour. This week we got the opportunity to sit down with a fellow author and ask them a few questions. When I found out that I would be getting to interview the sultry Laci Page, I was doing the happy dance. As an aspiring erotica romance author I couldn't wait to get the fat and skinny out of this author. So we sat down with a cup of joe and a pen and paper and as she dished, I wrote. So here goes, all you wanted to know about Laci Page and her writing.
Welcome Laci
1.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? Something that isn’t in
your bio below.
My first love is
the young adult paranormal romance genre. I’d never read anything erotic until
a few years ago, and once I did I realized it wasn’t as bad as I thought it
would be. I found I actually enjoyed it.
2.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Three short years
ago. I put the words to a page as a personal challenge and I found out that it
was something I enjoyed.
3.
What is
your life like when you are not writing?
I’m a wife and stay at home mother of two teens who
keep me busy running “mom’s taxi”.
4.
Are you
published? Did you go self publish or tradition and why?
Yes, I am published. My debut erotic novella, “Let’s
Keep On Truckin’” released a few short months ago. I chose to go with a small
press publisher, Decadent Publishing. Self publishing the way I would want to
(hiring cover artist and editors) would cost more than I could afford so I
opted against it.
5.
What was
one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
How my mind works amazes me. Once I got going, the
ideas and characters just came to life, and I never knew I had that in me. That
was my biggest surprise in all of this.
6.
Who are
some of your favorite Authors?
I don’t have favorites. I just enjoy the romance
genre in general.
7.
Laci Page
is known for erotic romance, how did you choose that genre?
I read an erotic novella that I won in a contest,
and loved it. After a couple of days of thinking about it, I said, “I think I
could write stories like that.” And I did.
8. Do you think you could
write other genres? And which ones?
Sure, I think I could.
Some not as well as others. Contemporary and Paranormal would be the two that
stick out in my mind, but I wouldn’t hold to just those. If my brain gets an
idea I am going with it.
9.
Laci Page
is a nom de plume, why did you choose to write behind a pen name?
I’ve also had a young adult story published under my
real name, and would not want my younger teenage fans to find the erotic
stories and read them.
10. What does it take to
make an erotic romance sizzle?
For me: It starts with
an enticing cover, a catchy blurb, good editing (errors remove you from the
scene), and a story that grabs you from the start. The characters should have
an undeniable chemistry in and out of the bedroom.
11. Did you write query
letters for your book? Is there any advice you could share on query letters for
aspiring authors?
No. I didn’t write query
letters. I actually contacted a publisher and sent an email for an open
submission. I explained I was new to the writing world and wanted someone to
take a look at my work to see if I was any good. After a couple of
rejections/suggestions they accepted one of my stories.
12. If you could pick a celebrity to play one character in the movie
version of your book, who would it be?
Unknowns. None of my
characters remind me of anyone on the big screen right now.
13. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
What has been the best compliment?
Any criticism is hard to swallow.
Whether it’s good or bad. When the editors send my first round of edits, it’s
always hard to swallow, but I keep telling myself I will improve over time.
When I hear the good, “Wow, that was good. I didn’t know you could write like
that.” I smile, but I’ve never been one to take compliments well. That’s just
who I am. The best compliment is when someone says they couldn’t put my story
down.
14. You work with a publisher, what is one of the toughest things to
face when working with a publisher and one of the best parts of working with a
publisher?
Everything is great working with my publisher. They
take care of “behind the scenes” while I work with my editors to polish my
stories. My publisher assigned a cover artist and I work with them to get a
great cover based on my suggestions, meanwhile they assign me three editors
(content, line and senior) who one by one go through my manuscript. They also
format my book to put it on dozens of purchase sites, and issue review copies
to reviewers. Decadent Publishing is a neat group of people who are always there
for each other. The support there is unbelievable. The draw backs to a
publisher is people need to get paid for their hard work, so I don’t get as
much of a percentage off sales as I would if I self published.
15. There are different
views to the topic that readers judge books on their covers. As an erotic
writer what are your views on how a cover influences someone to buy or not buy
a book.
Just from hanging around
on facebook the old saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover” is so far from
the truth when it comes to my genre. People LOVE cover art in the
erotic/erotica world. The sexier the better. It seems to pull people toward
certain books.
16. I am an erotica/romance
aspiring author, presently editing my first novel, a lesfic romance, but mostly
through my editing I keep telling myself that my writing is too boring, that no
one would actually want to read it. What is one piece of advice that you would
give me or any other aspiring author in my position with regard to my
self-doubt and fears?
It’s very normal to feel
that way. Even experienced long time authors have some self doubt sometimes. If
this is something you really want to do, stick to your guns and pursue it. I
would say to find a critique group or a few beta readers. Let them be the
judge, and don’t use friends who might be afraid to hurt your feelings to get
honest feedback. It’s scary to let people read your work, but isn’t that the
goal in the end?
Thank you so much for
hosting me today. You drafted up a great line of questions, and I enjoyed
answering them! Good luck on your future ventures and with your writing!
* * * * * *
Blurb from “Let’s
Keep On Truckin’” (By Laci Paige and Decadent Publishing, heat level 4).
Lily loves traveling on
her job since no one can do it better than her. Being out on the open road
gives her plenty of time to reflect and avoid unwanted attention, but somehow
it always finds her....
When she comes across Ryder, first at a grocery
store, then at a rest stop, sexual desire sparks and she knew she had to have
him. If only her ex hadn't shown up, igniting a fantasy she never thought
possible.
Seeing Alex in a whole new light, Lily realizes
second chances are in order, but will she have to choose between the two men?
Or could she be happy with both?
Excerpt:
In the candy aisle, I
felt someone looking at me. Turning my head, I gazed past a man standing near
me. A very nice looking man, but I ignored him, or at least I tried to. His
green eyes locked on mine. Warmth and tingles spread throughout my body causing
my knees to go weak. The man’s face held sharp features, and his sultry lips
rewarded me with a demure smile. I would’ve loved to feel them on mine. He
stepped closer to me. My heart rate spiked. Nodding to the shelf in front of
us, he focused in on something and reached for it. He stopped mid-reach, and
our gazes met again. His arm lowered. I knew I couldn’t look away, and I had a
feeling he couldn’t either. I bit my bottom lip, and I saw him take notice. He
leaned in close to me, mouth parted to speak.
“Excuse me,” a voice requested. We
stepped away from each other so the woman behind us could retrieve candy from
the shelf. She sure took her time. Separated by the woman, I kept glancing over
at the man. He, too, continued to gaze my way. There was something about him;
he made something stir inside me.
Author Bio:
When Laci’s not reading or writing she can be found spending time with her husband supporting their children. Laci enjoys camping, hiking, & photography. And she loves to chat with fans on Twitter and Facebook. Laci and her family currently reside in Hampton Roads, VA. You can contact Laci Page at any of the following links:
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