A little bit about Lillian...
Lillian
Duncan is a multi-published author who writes the type of books she
loves to read—suspense and mystery with a touch of romance. Her releases
include, The Christmas Stalking, Dark Alleys, Deception, and Pursued.
How to connect with Lillian...
To learn more about Lillian and her books, you may visit her at
www.lillianduncan.net or connect with her on a variety of social media sites. Her blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes can be viewed at
www.tiarasandtennisshoes.com. She also has a devotional blog at
www.PowerUpWithGod.com.
Author Interview | Lillian Duncan
You & Writing
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I guess you could call it a mid-life crisis. I didn’t start
writing until I was 40, but by the end of the first manuscript, I’d caught the
writing bug. It took me another 16 years to receive a traditional contract, but
I did publish three books before that independently.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve
written? If so, why?
...My favorite book is always the one I’m working on at the
moment. I always love my characters and their story.
What was the hardest thing about
publishing? The easiest?
...The hardest thing about publishing is NOT KNOWING. Not
knowing if you’re talented enough. Not knowing if you’re writing is good
enough. Not knowing if you’ll ever get published even if you are talented
enough and your writing is good enough. Not knowing when that day will come.
...The easiest thing—there is no easy thing! Just kidding—for me the easiest thing is the
writing itself. I love to sit down and create stories. It’s as much fun for me
as I hope it is for my readers to read them.
Your Writing
Tell us a little bit about your book or what you’re working
on currently? Why are you/did you write it?
...SERENITY SPRINGS, OHIO is actually an older book that I’ve
revamped and released as an e-book. When it was released in 2005, e-books
weren’t around. The interesting thing as I edited it and modernized it was just
how much technology has changed our lives in less than a decade.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...Aunt Emily is my favorite. She has Lupus, but refuses to
give into it. I based the character on my sister who has Lupus. Unfortunately,
my younger sister was also diagnosed with Lupus as well.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers
identify with?
...That doing good for others is not an old-fashioned ideal.
There’s a scene where Matthew’s fiancé makes fun of them because Matthew and
his sister believe in helping others even when it’s not convenient. If more of
us (and I include myself) did that, the world would be a nicer place.
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your
story/characters? Are they based on real
life or pure imagination or both?
...A mixture of both. Usually, my main characters are pure
imagination while my secondary characters are often a composite of interesting
characters from my own life. The writing “experts” say it’s not a good thing to
base your characters on people you know because you won’t want to put them in
difficult situations. But I have no trouble doing that at all! My characters
are always having problems—little ones, big ones, and even bigger ones!
When you write, what is your overall intention with your
stories?
...My first goal in writing is to entertain my readers and the
second goal is to make them laugh, cry, and root for the good guys. Of course,
I want the stories to touch their hearts in some way, but entertaining is the
ultimate goal.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing
and/or publishing?
...Never, never, never give up!
As long as you keep improving your writing craft and you don’t give up,
you will get published sooner or later.
Hopefully sooner!
You
What is one thing you like to do to relax when you aren’t
writing?
...I love to play with my animals. We have 2 dogs and 3 birds,
and that means it’s never quiet or boring around our house.
What is one thing you are looking forward to for the Summer?
...I was diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors a year ago in
May. I’ve spent this past year dealing with treatments and side effects from
the tumors and the treatment. In September, I will start the process over for
the second tumor. So what I’m looking forward to is spending time with my
wonderful husband and having a good time with him.
...I always knew he was a great husband. He’s the biggest
supporter of my writing. But this year has shown me what an amazing man he is.
_______________
Thank
you so much for sharing with us Lillian! I love how you talking about
basing your secondary characters on people you know. I didn't realize
that until now, but I think I do the same thing :) For me it's easier to
create characters with certain traits that way if I'm thinking of
someone I know. I'm sorry to hear about the health issues you're facing
but I'm happy to hear you aren't letting that get your writing down!
Readers, make sure you check out Lilian's book
Serenity Springs, Ohio. Here's a little blurb to wet your appetite:
An
abandoned bird; an ailing aunt; and an unhappy fiancé. What else could
happen? Oh, yeah—a murder! Chief of Police, Matthew Travis moved home
to avoid the violence of being a big city police officer, but murder
shatters the peace and tranquility of his hometown.
It appears
to be an open and shut case. A troubled teenager at the scene covered in
blood with the murder weapon in his hand is arrested. Unfortunately, as
Matthew ties up loose ends, his once open and shut case unravels.
And the danger escalates!
