CQ Author Lisa Collicutt Interview!

Boy, does she have a story to tell:) Her first book by Curiosity Quills! I really enjoyed my interview with Lisa. She reminds me a lot of myself. You can feel the excitement bubbling off the page. She is from the lovely Nova Scotia. I forgot to ask her about Anne of Green Gables. I can't believe it! I am mad at myself. I loved Anne. The books, the movies, the characters and the "starry violet eyes."

 I am sure you will find Lisa's book enchanting. I know her interview is amazing! By the way, I was told by a little birdie this is Lisa's first interview so can we give her a round of applause? (((cheers)))

 We've got some balloons for you, Lisa.

*drum roll, please*

1. My first question is not *really* a question, technically. I want like to know about your journey to becoming a writer!

Different times throughout my life I wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t quite know how to go about it. I’ve always had a wild imagination that kept me amused during school and church, but I didn’t know how to free it from my mind and put it on paper.

Now here’s the part I swore to myself I would never tell another living soul – but you won’t tell anyone, right? I read a little novel called Twilight. Maybe you’ve heard of it? As I turned each page, I prepared myself to be scared out of my wits by an evil vampire that would jump out of the pages and drain my blood, well obviously that never happened. Instead, I found a tender tale of forbidden love, and I knew right away I wanted to write in a similar style. So I traveled to the dark and twisted corner of my mind – it wasn’t a difficult journey, and pulled out my first story. Once the vault was opened, the stories marched out like a parade. I haven’t found any vampires lurking there yet, and I’m not really looking, but I did come across some witches, angels, demons, and other magical beings, which I’m working on now. My official writing journey started about four years ago and hasn’t stopped yet!

2.  Did you send queries out to agents or other publishers before Curiosity Quills?

Yep. I compiled query after query, and I received rejection after rejection. But I never gave up, because I knew I had stories worth reading, and I was determined to pass the first phase of acceptance. I wanted this BADLY! So after endless amounts of gruelling query research, I finally came up with a couple that passed the test.

3. Tell me about the process of approaching Curiosity Quills. Were you nervous? How did you get the news they wanted to publish your work?

CQ and I sort of stumbled upon each other. Their acquisitions editor, *ehem* “loved” my book, (thank you surrounded by a big giant heart) and the rest is history in the making. The moment you get the email that says, “We are going to offer you a contract,” well, the feeling is really indescribable. You know then, the journey was worth the price of fuel. And in my case, the fuel was missed time with family - life in general.

Although I’m not as social around the water cooler yet as other CQ Authors, I sorta feel like family there already.

4. Can you tell us just a little about your hero and heroine?

Oh, I’d LOVE to! I mean, doesn’t every parent love talking about their children?

Brooke Day is 5’5, with long dark hair and hazel eyes that appear green when she cries. In Boston, she was a popular, fashion conscious teen, but since moving to the Village of Deadwich, and becoming the “new girl” she has more on her mind than matching her shoes with her eye shadow. Her worst fear is the dark. She’s suffered many nightmares, but none like the ones that attack her in Deadwich. She has a secret past or two she doesn’t even know about – yet. And just the sight of her new guy interest makes her melt inside.

Marcus Knight (did you connect the last names yet?) He’s taller than his twin brother, Evan. His dark hair flips at the collar, and his eyes turn from bitter to milk chocolate, depending on his mood. He smells as fresh as laundry hung outside on a cool day. And he’s as swoon-worthy as any hero. He’s a country boy who falls for a city girl, and he also has a past he has yet to discover.

5. Where did you get the inspiration for your story?

The Gathering Darkness was inspired by an old inn that once graced the coastal village where I work. The story sprung to life after glancing at a picture of the Hackmatack Inn in a book of old photos. I also drew inspiration from walking through the village each day on my way to the post office. Although Deadwich is a fictional place on the North Shore of Massachusetts, it’s a carbon copy of my own village on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.

Thank you, Lisa! 

photo courtesy of Flickr/Creative Commons