Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

About T.L.
Born and raised in Eastern Kentucky, T.L. Haddix is very proud of her Appalachian roots. Taught to read at a very early age by her grandmother, Ada, who was very much a mountain ‘granny’, T.L.’s love of the written word has only grown stronger over the years. “She would sit me in her lap every day, and for hours and hours we would read,” T.L. says. “She taught me with the typical children’s books of the day, Little Golden Books, and with the Children’s Treasury anthology, which had classics like ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ and ‘Rapunzel’. I could sit down today and read that again. It’s my favorite book of all time, and not just because of the sentimental value.” After moving to Indiana in 1999, T.L. went through several ‘career’ changes, starting with a four-day stint at Blimpie’s serving sandwiches, and ending with close to three years in medical transcription. “I was going along, perfectly happy to be transcribing, and then the economy took a nosedive. Overnight, I was out of a job, unable to buy a new one and wondering what in the world to do with myself. The stack of bills kept getting higher, and I decided to grab the bull by the horns.” With the full support of her husband and their three cat children, T.L. started working on her first novel, “Secrets in the Shadows,” and before too long, it was apparent that this was the path she was destined to go down.

Website
http://tlhaddix.com/content/

Books


Giveaway
TL will be giving away two copies of her book, Under The Moon's Shadow. One print copy to a member in the US and an ebook copy to an international member

Welcome TL, it's a pleasure to have you with us!

I hope you enjoy your time with our members; and good luck to you all!

GUIDELINES FOR AUTHOR AND PARTICIPANTS: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3419...

Members, if you can please write the questions in bold; it would be easier for her to know that you have asked a questions and less chance that it will be missed. Thanks!

Dee, thanks so much for inviting me over to do this. I really appreciate the opportunity, and I'm looking forward to meeting the participants. I'm also looking forward to learning more about how Goodreads works - I'm something of a technopeasant, to borrow a term.

I'll be glad to answer questions, whether they're about writing, self-publishing, books in general or my books in specific. It's taken me a while to get to the point in my life where I've allowed my inner writer to emerge, and I want to share that optimism and joy with others.

I can hardly wait to get started. Thanks again for giving me the opportunity, and let's have some fun!

Hi TL. What inspired you to write your first book? Secrets in the Shadows and Under the Moon’s Shadow look like kind of scary stories. Where did you get the ideas for the books?

Hi, Kami! What inspired you to write your first book? Very simply, the biggest inspiration was being unemployed. I'd worked for a few years doing medical transcription, and in late 2008 my job went overseas. Due to some chronic health issues, I'm not really able to work outside the home, so my options were limited. I started exploring those options, and the time was just right to sit down and start on that book I'd been thinking about for years. So, that's exactly what I did. I went into it completely blind, had absolutely no clue what I was doing, which was a good thing. If I had known, I might have been too scared to finish. Too unsure of myself.

Where did you get the ideas for the books? I honestly don't know where the ideas come from - they're just there. For a long time, though, the words weren't, even though the basic story ideas were. The chronic health issues, which are too tedious to go into, basically had locked the words inside me. I couldn't figure out how to let them out. It was incredibly frustrating, because I wanted to write. I just didn't have the words.

When I first started writing, the second book is the one I wanted to do first. However, Lauren's story, Secrets In The Shadows, kept hollering at me to tell it. I hadn't written anything in a long time - nearly 15 years - and so I sat down to write pretty much unprepared. I thought "I'll just sit down and write a book." Um, it doesn't work that way. Not for me. I got started, then realized I couldn't keep track of who was related to whom, what this person did for a living, etc. I have been into genealogy as a pretty serious hobby for a number of years, and I never expected that would be a skill I would use to help me with the writing. However, when I needed to figure out who did what with whom, I sat down and drew up family trees for all the characters in the town. One of these days, I'll probably throw the genealogy up on my website as a bonus feature. In any event, by the time I had everyone figured out, I realized that Beth's story, Under The Moon's Shadow, was just going to have to wait. Lauren had to be heard first.

While I was writing the first book, I started getting ideas about what I then thought would be the third book. As I got to know the characters in Leroy, I realized that certain people needed their own stories. Being naturally very curious, I started wondering what those stories would be. By the time I'd finished book two, however, I knew that the planned third book was going to have to be pushed back. Right now, it's slated to be the fifth book. That could change. So, I guess the simple answer to your question is that by getting to know the characters, I get ideas from their lives about the other books.

Do your characters every act in a way that surprises you? Which of your characters is your favorite?

Do you have characters based on yourself?
Or a character you would love to be?

Hi!! Thanks for joining us!!

How to you develop your characters?
Do you have a notebook that you jot notes about their personalities down in, find people with similar characteristics and cut out their pictures? Have songs that remind you of them?

Good questions, everyone. I'm going to answer Dee's question first, because the others kind of lead off of hers. How do you develop your characters? I have a questionnaire that I use, the Gotham Writer's Workshop character development sheet, which you can find at http://www.writingclasses.com/Informa.... I also added several questions to that which are relevant to my series. I use a program called "The Journal" to keep track of things, but I start with pen and paper. I'll then transcribe the pertinent info to The Journal. I'm still a very tactile writer, though, so I have a thick stack of notes and several three-ring binders that I'm going to have to figure out what to do with one of these days.

I have developed a somewhat annoying habit of 'casting' for my characters. Hubby and I will watch TV or a movie, and I'm constantly on the lookout for actors to play the roles in my books. I've found quite a few so far, but I don't want to share those because I don't want to influence anyone who hasn't read the books. I think readers can connect to the characters a little easier without some other person's impression of said character in their mind.

The characters definitely have their own songs/soundtracks. KT Tunstall's "Eye to the Telescope" and "Drastic Fantastic" were pretty much all I listened to when writing book two, along with Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now".

Do your characters ever act in a way that surprises you? Which of your characters is your favorite?

Yes and yes. Beth and Charlie are the perfect examples. When I first sat down and said "time to write a book," Beth was going to end up with Charlie (from Secrets). When I got to know those characters, and when I got to see them interact with one another, it was readily apparent that they were not meant to be. Not even close. I think they definitely ended up with the people they need to be with, though.

My favorite character? I have to say Ethan. As much as I love the other characters, Ethan is just special to me.

Renee, hi! You asked Do you have characters based on yourself? Or a character you would love to be? Yes and no. There are elements of me in all the characters, regardless of their sex, age, etc. The youngest Hudson sister, Joely, knits. I do, as well. Lauren loves to cook and bake - ditto for me. Charlie loves to read - yep, got me there, too. And I will freely admit that I do live vicariously through Beth - she gets to be a journalist, which is something I often thought about growing up. But would I want to be any of my characters? No. It's taken me a while to get to where I am comfortable with myself in life, but I don't think I'd make that choice were I given it. :)

Is there another goal that you would like to achieve in life before you die? Do you have a bucket list?

Is there another goal that you would like to achieve in life before you die? Do you have a bucket list?

There are a lot of small goals, all things considered. Nothing really huge, no jumping out of airplanes or getting a tattoo. I'd like to travel to various places around the world. I'd like to see the west coast of the United States, travel to Alaska and see the aurora borealis.

I'd like to write several more books, including a non-fiction history of my genealogy. There are several mysteries in that area I'd like to solve.

I want to lose weight, and regain some of my physical health and stamina. As crazy as it sounds, I also want to only own one house - right now we own three. We have a hard time selling houses outright once we own them, lol.

What type of books do you like?
And what books would you say inspired you in your writing?

Hi, Renee. Thanks for asking these questions.

What type of books do you like? I mainly read historical (1800 forward) romance, romantic suspense and a few straight suspense/mystery authors. Some of my favorite authors are Sarah Addison Allen, Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Lowell, Loretta Chase, Mary Balogh, Kay Hooper, Tami Hoag, Sue Grafton (a fellow Kentuckian!), J.A. Jance, Linda Howard, Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick... the list goes on, but those are the top authors. I don't do much paranormal, but have read a little - the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

I cut my teeth on Diana Palmer, Johanna Lindsey, Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich, Patricia Cornwell. While I will still read their books and those authors will always have a special place in my heart, they aren't my favorites anymore.

What books would you say inspired you in your writing? Probably Nora Roberts, Tami Hoag and Elizabeth Lowell would be the three who inspired me the most. I like the way Nora Roberts builds families in her books, particularly her older stuff. Tami Hoag tells a mean story - great mystery, ties all the loose ends up. She also has a great sense of timing, meaning she reveals things when she should and not before/after. Elizabeth Lowell - I love her heroes and heroines. Strong, believable, flawed people. They aren't perfect, and therefore, more believable, at least in my humble opinion.

I'm really enjoying answering these questions, and I hope you all are enjoying the responses as much.

I was going to ask if you read your reviews but then I noticed that you had some posted on your website. Do you let your reviews influence your writing? Then when I was reading one of the reviews I was noticing words like evil and secrets. Then I was thinking about how much stories draw me in and how I become emotionally involved with the characters. I care about them and I don't want to see them in scary situations. I remember an interview once with Stephen King asking why he killed off the boy in Cujo and he said that he didn't kill him, that the boy died while he was writing the story. Is it hard for you to put your creations in peril, situations that you have to write them out of?

Do you let your reviews influence your writing? Yes and no. I have thus far avoided a negative or lower-starred review. I know it's coming - it's inevitable. I'd love, actually, to just get it over with. That being said, I'll cry when it happens. :)

I tend to look at the reviews as a great opportunity for constructive criticism. Some reviews are obviously better at that than others, and just because some aren't so suited to that, it doesn't make them a bad review. If someone says they loved my book and can't wait for more, I'm thrilled. If that is all the review says - literally - that's fine.

If I see something negative in a review - for instance, one of my four-stars said something about how I integrated information into the story - not negative, but definitely something I needed to work on. So I did. In the next two books, I've tried very hard to not do that sort of thing, while keeping my writing voice true to itself. If people continually comment on the same thing, that is also a flag to me. Good or bad, love it or hate it, that thing they're commenting on stood out to them. Hopefully it's good, but sometimes it isn't.

I've had several people who've made comments to me about one of the characters in the first book. They don't like her, and it's a very visceral-type response for them, this dislike. Since that's exactly what I was going for, it's definitely positive reinforcement. The same is true for a character in the second book. I'll just say that the more traditionally romance-genre readers, versus romantic suspense, don't seem to care for this one person. I could take that as a negativity, but since I didn't make this person cuddly on first impression, the comments are actually right on track.

Is it hard for you to put your creations in peril, situations that you have to write them out of?
Yes, it is. I faced a decision in this third book (which is at the editor's now) that was very difficult for me to make. I debated on whether or not to do it, and in the end, decided to continue forth.

When I first set out to write these books, I wanted them to be more of a slice of life, Nicholas Sparks kind of books. I didn't want to write Romantic Suspense. It wasn't my goal at all. Sure, there were going to be adversities for my characters to overcome, but the primary focus of the books was not going to be the mysteries, the investigation. To a large degree, it still isn't - I'd classify all three as 50% romance, 50% suspense. I'm not entirely sure the series won't go more heavily into suspense at some point, though. Anyhow, when the first book turned into RS, I was shocked. That's not what I meant to do. It didn't take me long to get over it, though, because I realized I didn't want to write a book that was sweet, that was all tied up in a neat little bow. I wanted a gritty but poignant look at the lives of these people. Things go wrong - people fight, finances might take a plunge, family members die, diseases are suffered through. As sappy as this may sound, I also wanted to send a message to people out there in the world who might be suffering through something similar as to what my characters are - that they're not alone, and that there are no guarantees in life but to keep going is the key. So when I decided to do what happens in book three, it was hard. I wondered if the character deserved what happens, and in the end I realized that the whole premise for me was that sometimes, life just sucks. No way around it, it just does. We have to deal with it, pick up the pieces and move on as best we can. If I want Leroy's Sins (the series) to be the books I envision them to be, I didn't have a choice about doing what I did to this character.

Now, that sounds grim and gruesome, and while it certainly isn't a pleasant thing that happens, it isn't something people can't recover from. I try to not make the books too graphic, too gory, because I think the *biggest, baddest, scariest* monster out there is the one suggested in our minds. We get a hint of what the monster does, sometimes a very blatant hint, but the imagining is the scary part.

Kami, I'm not sure I answered that question well. Please let me know if you would like further clarification, and I'll be glad to do it. :)

That does answer my question. I just sometimes wonder if is as hard for a writer to write their characters in dire situations as it is for me as a reader to read them.

Who are some of your favorite authors, and what are a few books in you to be read pile?

What do you turn to when looking for inspiration?

Keisha asks Who are some of your favorite authors, and what are a few books in you to be read pile? I mainly read historical (1800 forward) romance, romantic suspense and a few straight suspense/mystery authors. Some of my favorite authors are Sarah Addison Allen (who isn't an historical fiction author but contemporary), Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Lowell, Loretta Chase, Mary Balogh, Kay Hooper, Tami Hoag, Sue Grafton (a fellow Kentuckian!), J.A. Jance, Linda Howard, Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick... the list goes on, but those are the top authors. I don't do much paranormal, but have read a little - the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

I cut my teeth on Diana Palmer, Johanna Lindsey, Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich, Patricia Cornwell. While I will still read their books and those authors will always have a special place in my heart, they aren't my favorites anymore.

Renee says What do you turn to when looking for inspiration? Life, and the world around me. It's things as mundane as seeing someone whose car has broken down by the side of the road, to hearing a person I know tell a funny story about something their pet did. I also watch a lot of television in the background, mostly non-fiction things, and sometimes I'll see something there that just grabs me. It sparks my imagination, and off I go.

T.L., thank you so much for spending time with us and answering our members questions!

Rossy, I had a blast. I really appreciate you all letting me stop by and chat.

Now, the winners of the books.

Keisha - congratulations! I'll send out one copy of Under The Moon's Shadow to you, the physical book. If Rossy or Dee can tell me how we go about doing that - do we just exchange addresses? I'll try and get it in the mail tomorrow.

Kami - ding ding ding! You are the now the owner of one copy of Under The Moon's Shadow, E-book. Just let me know where to email that - you can PM me, if you'd like - and tell me which format you prefer.

Everyone, thanks again so much. You all had really great questions, and were so nice... :)

Thanks TL! I'll have Keisha pm you with her address

Wooo hooo! Yeah.

Kami, just go play the lottery already!LOL

Ha, yeah. I'll go buy a ticket today. But Jim has won a lot too, right?

Kami - just make sure you send us some cash when you win!

Ditto Dee!

Congratulations!

Hey, everyone. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be in touch tomorrow to get information/send books. Today was a bit busy, and I'm just now getting a chance to get on here. I promise I've not forgotten or abandoned you. :)