Author on the Couch: Lily Vega


Today I’m conducting a session with…Lily Vega!

GIVEAWAY!
*Leave a comment for Lily and share this post to be eligible to win a paperback containing the first three stories of the Devil May Care series.

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Enter to #WIN a paperback containing the first three stories of the Devil May Care series by @LV_Writer Click To Tweet Submitting writing to a critique partner, to a contest, or to an agent, or to an editor is an act of courage. @LV_Writer Click To Tweet The best thing about writing for me is discovering the story and learning about the characters. @LV_Writer #AmWriting Click To Tweet The only way we can become better writers is send our stories out into the world. @LV_Writer Click To Tweet

Me: Tell me about an experience that had a profound impact on your life.

Lily:  Watching a beloved family member battle Alzheimer’s disease was a lesson in courage and gratitude.  It was a sobering reminder of the many tangible and intangible things that can easily be taken for granted.  Hospice caregivers are truly earthbound angels.

 

Me: I couldn’t agree more about hospice caregivers. It takes a truly special person to be able to do the job they do with grace and love.
What personality trait of yours helps you most as an author?

Lily: Per the Meyer’s Briggs Personality Inventory, I am a feeler, which enables me to connect deeply with my characters. Sometimes being a feeler can seem like a negative thing, especially when writing sad scenes.

 

Me: I’m a feeler too!

What personality trait of yours hinders you most as an author?

LilyIntroversion is a big one. The whole marketing and promotion part of being an author can be extremely uncomfortable for an introvert. At events, making an effort to mingle and meet new people, while always rewarding, puts me out of my comfort zone. 

The marketing and promotion part of being an author can be extremely uncomfortable for an introvert. @LV_Writer Click To Tweet

Me: So many of us authors are introverts! You’re not alone!
What was your high point as a writer?

Lily: My husband and I were having breakfast at a resSanta's Reject (Yule Tied)taurant and I decided to check my email while we waited for the check. The day before I had submitted a novella, Devil Inside, to Changeling Press after receiving a request at a Savvy Authors pitch event.

My inbox contained an email from the publisher, Margaret Riley, expressing interest in publishing Devil Inside and the other stories in the planned trilogy. I burst into happy tears, terrifying our server. My husband graciously read the email on my phone and confirmed that I hadn’t misread the message. Changeling has been incredibly supportive of my writing career. The Devil May Care trilogy turned into five stories. The final tale, Impishly Yours, was released last year. I am currently working on my tenth story with Changeling, Emotional Rescue, which is part of their Set In Stone multi-author series.

 

Me: The first time a publisher wants your books is always special. It’s a validation of everything you’ve worked for! And Wow–I didn’t realize you had so many books out!
What was your low point as a writer—a time when you questioned your path?Devil in a Blue Dress (Devil May Care 3)

Lily:  I entered the opening pages of Devil Inside into a contest and while I received a score in the mid-eighties, another judge gave my entry a twenty out of a hundred possible points, the lowest possible score. The written feedback that accompanied the low score was equally harsh.

While devastated, I forced myself to keep submitting. I have come to realize that our reactions to fictional works is subjective. Just like I don’t love every book I read, my writing style doesn’t resonate with everyone and that is okay.

Submitting writing to a critique partner, to a contest, or to an agent, or to an editor is an act of courage. The only way we can become better writers is send our stories out into the world. 

 

Me: Amen Sista! It certainly does take courage! I too have had a similar experience with a contest judge. And I’ve always wondered if judges like that know how devastating their comments are? I can forgive ignorance, but I can’t forgive maliciousness.
What causes stress in your writing life? Why?

Lily: My internal editor (i.e. my self-doubt) constantly Breathe Me In (Crescent City 1)causes me stress. Many days getting words on the page is a struggle. Sometimes I find myself poking at words I have written instead of writing new ones. I continue to explore ways to suppress my desire to edit as I write. The best thing about writing for me is discovering the story and learning about the characters.

 

Me: I share your struggle. I edit as I go too. I’ve tried to just keep writing, to just get a draft down, but I can’t. I’ll stall out and stare and stare at a blank page, but be unable to write a word. Unfortunately, editing as I go is the only way I can keep forward momentum… Which sounds weird, but is true.

If you could be any character in any book for a day who would you be? Why?

Lily: Stepping into the shoes of Xanthe, from Devil in a Blue Dress, would be a wild ride. Being a lust demon, she has two love interests, True, a loving beta hero, and Ray, a bad boy alpha. Xanthe operates solely on the pleasure principle. Being Xanthe for a day would definitely be a unique experience.

 

Me: If you could have dinner with any famous author who would it be? Why?

Falling For Her (Devil May Care 4)

Lily: Stephen King is a personal hero of mine. I have loved his writing since discovering him in high school. His storytelling always blows me away. His writing craft book/memoir On Writing candidly disclosed his struggles with addiction. The hard part would be to actually eat dinner and not fangirl too much. If you haven’t read King in a while, check out his Bill Hodges trilogy. The final book, End of Watch, was recently released. All three books in the trilogy stand alone, but tie together perfectly.

 

Me: Uhm… Can I come too?
Tell me about your spicy paranormal romance,  Impishly Yours (Devil May Care #5).Impishly Yours (Devil May Care 5)

Lily:

An imp, granted twenty-four hours in human form, plans to hunt down his stripper dream girl to make his perverted fantasies a reality. Before he begins his strip club bender, his spellbinding witch chaperone alters his plans. Elle is tempted to engage in a romp with the sexelicious faux human, but she’s pledged to auction off her virginity to help her coven rebound from bankruptcy. While the clock ticks down, she must decide who deserves the whipped cream with her cherry on top — HornyHenry, the current high bidder, or the imp who stole her heart.

 

Me: Share with us a favorite paragraph or two from your newest release, Impishly Yours.

Lily:

Killian cringed at the besotted expression on the face of the drop-dead delectable Elf. The gorgeous female would be an unwelcome distraction without Eros’s twisted magic. But one locked and loaded with fiery love was nothing short of apocalyptic.

“Good to see you, old friend.” Eros wiped the crimson smudge on the tip of his golden arrow with the black fabric swatch he had removed from the prisoner’s eyes.

“If you were my friend you wouldn’t have used your love mojo on me.” Killian forced himself to unclench his fists. Certain Eros had engineered events to make him the object of Beryl’s desires, Killian allowed the poison of the accusation to burn on his tongue before swallowing the bitter words. While he wasn’t without his own considerable powers, punching a deity would make matters worse. Even one who’d brought him a beautifully packaged nuclear bomb with the countdown clock ticking.

My Christmas Elves stories give me an opportunity to play. I love Killian’s horror at his reaction to the lovestruck Elf. The paragraph is special to me because Killian and Beryl are both vulnerable and the friendship between Killian and Eros is tested.

 

 

Buy Links:

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You can find Lily here:

GOODREADS | TWITTER | WEBSITE


Abbie Roads writes dark emotional novels featuring damaged characters, but always gives her hero and heroine a happy ending… after torturing them for three hundred pages. RACE THE DARKNESS and HUNT THE DAWN are available now! SAVING MERCY Book 1 in the Fatal Truth Series is now available for pre-order.

About the author: abbieroads