Lo-arna is an Australian author who believes in happily ever after (most of the time) and some of the time participates in reality.
Thank s for dropping by today. It is indeed a pleasure to have you here.
Can you
tell us a bit about you as an author?
I’m a mixed bag. Truly. I write mainly
romance but I love to go darker with my short stories. This year I gained a
highly commended award with Stringybark Publishing and was published in their
2015 Short Story Award anthology that was published in May. That was a huge honour,
there was some seriously talented authors in that bunch.
What are
the hardest part of being an author?
When
the words play on the edges of your mind, not writers block as such…just they
won’t play the game.
What do
you enjoy most about being an author?
Finishing and believing in it. I used to
throw my work out when I was done. I purely wrote to empty my head. I didn’t
want to share. It took me a while to come to that point.
What
authors/books have had an influence on your writing?
I adore
Amy Harmon. Her books always sucker punch me.
Do you
ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there
is such a thing?
Of
course! I spend more time than I would like to admit just staring at a word
document, or the wall. Or one word on the word document, convinced it isn’t
even a word.
Do you
have a particular place that you like to write?
Sometimes
my best writing comes when I am out and about with my kids. That’s when I let
them go nuts playing and I write on the notes app on my phone. A session doing
this sometimes sees me reaching 3000 words.
Do you
have a favourite time of day to write?
Usually just when the kids are at
school.
How do
you like to reach your readers?
I’ve
found readers on Twitter just by being my (nutty) self on there. Not to mention
other writers who have become friends. I learnt pretty quickly it is much
better to just interact in a real way rather than to flood people with promo
images or posts. Facebook is much harder to reach people successfully day in
and out because of audience reach. I do have a blog and I try to post weekly. I
tried vlogging once and I just ended up swearing at the camera. I will try
again one of these days.
Can you
tell us about your latest book?
All The Games
is the third book in my series. They are all NA romance. The first book had a
heavy colour theme, I basically used the colours as metaphors for emotions and
vibes. All The Games doesn’t play with colours as much, it is more light
hearted though.
How long
did it take you to write the book?
6 months. I really struggled with it. The
first two only took a few weeks. It took me a while to figure out why I found
it so challenging. It didn’t go deep enough. I need a decent amount of
heartache with the sunshine for my writing.
Do you
have a favourite character/topic in your work?
A few readers have pointed out
all of my characters are strong females. I didn’t even realise until it was
pointed out.
What was
your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline
flow? Do you write in chronological
order?
I’m a total pantser and I write in all kinds of areas of the story and
then thread together.
Do you
have plans for further instalments?
I have one more planned for the series and
a possible “tie-up” novella down the track. There are a few things from the
first book that didn’t really have a resolution.
Do you
have a plan for your next book?
My next release is called Paper Dreams and it
is a historical romance. I’m really in love with it. There is a really
sentimental element in it so I think it will be my favourite forever.
Ebooks
vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?
Ebook for convenience
but they don’t smell like physical ones. I prefer library books.
Self-publishing
vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the
industry is changing?
Definitely self-publishing. I don’t know if I could hack
the restrictions of traditional publishing. There is obviously pros and cons to
both.
And
finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Don’t
give up. You will never please everyone so write from the heart and stay true
to you.
Thank you so much Lo-arna for dropping in today. How can readers find you?
Website:
www.lo-arnagreen.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/loarnagreen
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/loarnagreen
Amazon
Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B016YKZP0Y
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Keep Writing!
Amanda
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