Please give a warm welcome to author Lisette Brodey
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Tell us a bit about yourself.
Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Helle.
I’m originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia. After high school, I lived in New York City for ten years where I worked in the radio industry for quite a while. It’s a long story, but I first moved out to Los Angeles many years ago where I worked for a couple of studios as an assistant. I then moved back East, where I worked as a freelance writer and resume specialist, and have now been back in Los Angeles for nine years.
These days, once in a while, I work as a SAG background actor. Oh, and I write books. And that’s the very short version of my life story.
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Have you always wanted to become an author?
I started writing as soon as I learned the difference between the lead point and the eraser on a pencil. But I wasn’t always sure what I wanted to write. For a while, I thought I wanted to be a playwright, then a screenwriter. But after writing nine books, I know that writing fiction in the form of a book is by far what suits me best.
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What was your inspiration for your current book/series?
My current book, Hotel Obscure, is a book of seventeen themed short stories that take place in a run-down hotel in an unnamed city. I really love writing literary fiction and I wanted to work with an eclectic cast of characters and story lines all within the space of one book. It presented unique challenges, but was very stimulating and rewarding at the same time.
One of the challenges, for example, was to make sure that the stories appear in the right order, as some reference events in other stories. Also, I needed to be certain that I didn’t write details in one story that contradicted what I wrote in another. One of the rewards in writing Hotel Obscure was that some of the same characters appeared in multiple stories and I was able to continue seemingly finished stories in surprising ways. And yes, many of those ways surprised me!
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What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m editing a romantic comedy and preparing to give it to my editor soon. This is my second RomCom and it takes pace in the same town as my first romantic comedy, Molly Hacker Is Too Picky! That said, this book is neither a sequel nor a series. What is a bit different, however, and definitely great fun, was that I used characters from Molly in supporting roles. But I made very sure that I didn’t give away the ending of Molly.
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Do you have any quirks while writing?
I don’t know if I’d classify anything as a quirk, but unlike some writers, I can’t write with music playing. I have to have quiet so I can hear the words. I also find that I do a better job when I’m awake. Being asleep, however, has its perks: I’ve dreamed many a plot twist and important elements for my current work in progress.
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What are your hopes for the future?
I hope to find inspiration for many more stories, and like most authors I know, I’d like to have a growing and appreciative readership. In terms of my writing life, I’m more focused on the immediate future. I find it too stressful when I think that far ahead. But on a much larger scale, my writing aside, I hope the world will become a better place.
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Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?
First and foremost: don’t rush a book to publication because you’re eager to see it out there and to call yourself a published author. Take care to get the best cover you can and have your book professionally edited. I know that it is a financial impossibility for some (not easy for me), but there are ways to work around these hurdles. I know some authors who are able to self-edit very well, but even they have help in some areas to check their work. Do your best. It will almost definitely be a longer process than you expect, but you won’t regret getting it right the first time.
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Do you have anything to say to your readers?
First, I’d like to say that I appreciate each and every person who gives my books a chance. I know there is no book, movie, song, artist, place, food, person etc. etc. that will appeal to everyone. Taste is subjective.
Second, readers looking at my books will notice that I write in several genres, from romantic comedies to YA Paranormal to women’s fiction to literary fiction. Sure, those genres are quite different and the books are too. But at the same time, I have writing styles that are present in every single book. I write character-driven stories and I always have multiple story arcs of some kind. I also like revealing secrets and giving readers satisfying endings.
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Oh, and one more thing: my 1970s coming-of-age novel, Squalor, New Mexico, has absolutely nothing to do with New Mexico.
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It’s been fun. Thanks, Helle!
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Buy link
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon AU
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Author links
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