Author Spotlight- Lisa Mondello

Lisa Mondello

Books By Author:

His Heart for the Trusting (Book 2 - Texas Hearts)

The Knight and Maggie's Baby (Book 3 Fate with a Helping Hand)

The Marriage Contract (Book 2 Fate with a Helping Hand)

Biography

Lisa Mondello is the best selling author of 13 published books. Her first published book, the award winning ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU, was recently reissued as an ebook and has had over 350,000 downloads worldwide. In addition to publishing her Fate with a Helping Hand series, which includes ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU, THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT and THE KNIGHT AND MAGGIE’S BABY, she is releasing her popular Texas Hearts series as ebooks in February 2012. Texas Hearts is HER HEART FOR THE ASKING, HIS HEART FOR THE TRUSTING and THE MORE I SEE. She currently writes for Harlequin Books and is collaborating with a film producer/screenwriter on a screenplay.

Book Review (Coming Soon)

Links

HER HEART FOR THE ASKING 

Available at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

SONY

KOBO 

Interview 

1.      Please tell the readers a bit more about you.

I am the author of 13 romance novels, with 2 more original books being published this year.  I have done a variety of things in my life including managing a Boston rock band, selling kitchen tools and teaching grade 1 and 2 kids to read and write.  I live in Western Massachusetts with my husband of 21 years and am currently co-writing a screenplay with a  producer.

2.     What types of books do you write?

Romance of any kind.  I love all types of romance.  And while I’ll read any type of book, romance or not, every story I write has a romance thread in it.  So you will see books by Lisa Mondello that are contemporary romance, inspirational romance, young adult, young adult fantasy, paranormal, romantic suspense, etc.  Just about the only thing I don’t write is historical.

3.     Who's your main audience?

I always say my audience is anyone who is looking to be entertained by a book.  I never like to say that only one type of reader will be drawn to my books.  I had a male reader email me last year explaining how he’d been bored because he was laid off work so he picked up one of the books his wife was always reading.  It just happened to be my inspirational romance suspense, Yuletide Protector.  After explaining that he’s an outdoorsy guy and that he loves sports, etc, and he’d never read a romance novel before in his life, he said he loved my book.  That’s why I say that anyone who is looking for a few hours entertainment through reader is part of my audience.  I let the reader decide.

4.     When it comes to writing- what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?

It’s hard to critique yourself, so this is a hard one to answer.  I’ve been told that my stories are heartwarming.  I’ve also been told that they surprise and have twists that aren’t expected.  I like that.  My biggest weakness as a writer is that I write out of order.  I have come to work through that, but it drives me crazy wondering if I can piece the story together and have it all be cohesive until the story is actually done.

5.     What do you think of this term- Writer's Block? How do you overcome it?

I do housework.  Something about folding laundry or cleaning the bathroom opens up the creative mind.  (And I’m pretty sure it’s not the PineSol that does it!)  I call it no-mind work.  When I’m physical and don’t have to think about what I’m doing, my creative mind wanders.  If after doing housework I’m still stuck, it’s because I’m being stubborn.  There’s a scene that isn’t working and I’m avoiding cutting it.  Once I cut it and start again, I’m usually fine.

6.     How many books have you written?

Written? I’ve lost count.  I believe I’ve completed 19 full manuscripts. 

7.     How many are published?

Of the 19 manuscripts I’ve written, 13 are published.  I’m working my way through my older manuscripts and they may end up being self-published at some point.

8.    Are you self-published or traditionally published?

Both.  I’ve written for small presses, Avalon Books and Harlequin Books.  I’ve recently started self-publishing the backlist for books that I now have the rights back on.

9.     What's the hardest part of the writing process for you?

Having enough time to write.  Truly.  I’m lucky in that I am a full time writer.  But I still have a busy family.  A lot of that will change next year when all of my kids will either be on their own or at college.

10.What type of books do you enjoy reading?

Everything.  If it’s a good story and someone recommends it to me, I put it on my TBR list.  But I do gravitate to suspense and intrigue.  I love edge of your seat stuff. 

11.  Who's your favorite Author?

I’m wimping out on this.  I really couldn’t even begin to say.  There are way too many authors on my keeper’s shelf to name one.

12. What's your all-time favorite book?

These are such hard questions!!  I don’t have a favorite.  I can say that The Last True Cowboy by Kathleen Eagle is one of my favorites.  And I will never get rid of my copy of Montana Sky by Nora Roberts.  True Devotion by Dee Henderson is another favorite.  I could be here all day.

13. How long does it take you to write a book?

It depends on how much research is involved and how long the book is.  I wrote Her Heart for the Asking in 2 months.  But it took 8 months to write The More I See because of all the research involved in learning about cutting horses and guide dogs.  In general it takes about 4-6 months.

14. Out of all of your characters, which is your favorite? Why?

Hard to say.  On a different day it’ll be a different character.  I love Mitch Broader, the hero in His Heart for the Trusting.  He’s such a strong but gentle soul and the perfect partner for Sara, the heroine who needs to overcome the emotional abuse she lived through in her first marriage while coming to terms with why she left her home on the reservation and what she did to win her life back.

15. What is one of the most surprising things you've learned as a writer?

This may sound odd, but the most surprising thing to me all the time is that people actually read my stories and keep asking me for more.  Writing is such a solitary thing.  We spend much of our time alone with our imaginary friends…ur, characters that it’s easy to forget that at some point one of our stories is going out into the world and someone is enjoying it.  I love getting emails from readers.  Sometimes it’s a simple email saying they enjoyed the story.  Sometimes it’s more personal.  One time a reader emailed me to thank me for helping her get through the night.  Her husband was dying of cancer and naturally she wouldn’t leave his side.  She said reading my story helped her forget, at least for a few hours, everything that was happening.  I love emails like that because it’s easy to forget the power that storytelling has on people.

16. What does your family think of your writing?

I’m very lucky that my entire family has always been very supportive of my writing.  My husband is my biggest champion.

17. What does your writing schedule look like?

I write every day, but always at odd times because I’m busy with family.  Once all the kids are in college and they all have driver’s licenses, it’ll slow down and I can write during my favorite time of the day, between 11AM and 2PM.  These days I’m doing the 11PM-2AM shift!

18. Do you manage to write every day?

Yes.  It may not be a lot.  But I write something every day.  And I’m always working on multiple projects at the same time.  So I can give myself a break on one project for a day or two and then get back to it later in the week with fresh eyes on it.

19. What's the latest news you'd like to share?

This month I will be releasing book 3 of my Texas Hearts series, The More I See.  In June I will be releasing my first single title romantic suspense called Material Witness using my L.A. Mondello pen name.

20. Do you have any advice for new writers?

Keep writing and keep perfecting your craft.  It sounds so simple, but you wouldn’t believe how many writers stop writing because they receive a critique or a rejection.  That’s part of the business.  So you can’t allow it to keep you from doing what you love…writing stories!