Today I’d like to welcome author Lori Titus to Juniper Grove! Lori is here to promote her book Hunting in Closed Spaces!
About the Author:
Lori Titus lives in California where she thrives on caffeine and daydreams.
She is the author of two novellas: Lazarus, and Hailey’s Shadow. There are two more completed stories in The Marradith Ryder Series waiting for publication, and a second novel in progress. She is currently working on a family drama/ ghost story tentatively titled Bell House, which will be available later this year.
Lori has graciously submitted to an author interview! Check it out below:
Without giving too much away, can you tell us what your book is about?
My latest book, Hunting in Closed Spaces, is about a girl named Marradith Ryder. She has remarkable powers, and is being pursued by a covert group called The Circle. One of its members in particular, a man named Leighton, has very specific plans in mind for her. Enter a man named Justin Granthem, who has been tasked to protect Marradith at any cost, and our story begins.
How long did it take you to write this book?
Hunting was adapted from a web serial that I started writing in 2009. I’d say the first book took about a year’s time. The second novel, The Art of Shadows, is almost complete. The plan is to make the series into a trilogy.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
You’ll get your fill of action, romance, plot twists, and characters who are always complex.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Probably the fact that I don’t necessarily write my stories in any given order. Sometimes I will imagine a middle or an ending first, and if that’s what I see, I write it down first. As the other pieces of the story reveal themselves, I shift things into the order I want to present them to the reader.
What do you think makes a good story?
There are a lot of things that contribute to a good story, but I think having interesting characters is probably the most important thing. The reader can love or hate them, relate or completely misunderstand a character’s motivations, but they must care about what these people will do next, and whether or not they will emerge unscathed. Voice, pacing, action, a way with words, and a good command of language, and a dedicated editor all help.
Is there anything that you find challenging in your writing?
Finding the time to fit all of my writing in is the biggest challenge. I have an ordinary day job, but I also am an editor for my own webzine. I do editing work as a contractor as well, and at any given time I am usually juggling the Marradith series with at least one other writing project. I do a radio show with Tonia Brown, and manage to squeeze in some marketing and promotion time. Meanwhile there are dishes to be washed, laundry to do and a cat to be fed.
Do any of your characters have qualities/characteristics that are similar to yourself?
Marradith has some of my patterns of speech, and similar habits, but that was done on purpose. She snaps at people when you don’t expect it, but sometimes appears to be docile, when really she is planning her next move. What I didn’t expect was that in creating Marradith’s family, bits and pieces of my friends and acquaintances tended to fall into place.
If you had to have one word or phrase written on your forehead for an entire week, what would it be?
Read Me!
What is the best advice anyone has ever given to you?
My sister advised me to stick with writing, because if I didn’t try, there would be no chance for success.
What is the last book you read?
Artificial Light by Crystal Connor.
What was the last movie you watched?
Do movies on cable television count? Last night I just saw The Others for the first time since it first came out.
Are you a Morning person or Night Owl?
I used to say that I was only a night owl, but there have been times lately when I get up in the wee hours of the morning. Not to work, specifically, but on some nights if I can’t sleep I’ll drift back to the computer. Usually I stay up very late, and look forward to the weekends because I don’t have to worry about being up past three in the morning. I always feel most creative at night.
Thank you Lori for that insightful interview!
Synopsis:
Marradith Ryder appears to be an ordinary teenager, living in a small Texas town with her parents and younger brother. Everything changes the night that she is abducted from her home. Can she trust the man that says he was sent to protect her? And what do the powerful members of The Circle want from her?
Thanks to Lori, one lucky reader will win a Print copy of Hunting in Closed Spaces!
Giveaway is available to the US and Canada Only!
Happy Reading,
Jaidis
