Ask the Author: Elizabeth Lennox
Answered Questions (19)
Elizabeth Lennox
Hi there!
I think you're trying to find a book from another author. I haven't written this plot but I think it is a fabulous idea! I don't like the amnesia idea, but I'm sure I could weave something different into the storyline!
Good luck!
Elizabeth
I think you're trying to find a book from another author. I haven't written this plot but I think it is a fabulous idea! I don't like the amnesia idea, but I'm sure I could weave something different into the storyline!
Good luck!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Lennox
Slamming down the phone, Ella dropped her face into her hands, trying to find patience. But when none was forthcoming, she whipped open the desk drawer beside her and…no chocolate!
Elizabeth Lennox
Do you think that I give enough background on that? Or should I add more? I'm always eager for feedback. Thanks!
Elizabeth Lennox
Quick question - what is NRN? Sorry - I'm trying to learn all of the acronyms my kids use as well, but there's a lot out there.
Elizabeth Lennox
Good morning Jo,
First, let me apologize for not answering your question quickly. These questions got lost in my notifications inbox but I've fixed that now (hopefully).
Yes, my stories are about 5-10k words shorter than other writers' stories, but I refuse to add in all the superfluous "fluff" or what I consider pointless ruminations that other authors use to bulk up their stories. My plots are fast paced and I try very hard to stick to the point, to have the characters interact as much as possible. When reading a story, I become very impatient when I have to read through tedious mental debates over and over again.
So yes, my stories are shorter, but they are more fun (at least that's my hope).
Also, I try to release a book every month - a solid, fun book and not just junk.
Thanks Jo - and again, so sorry for the delayed response.
First, let me apologize for not answering your question quickly. These questions got lost in my notifications inbox but I've fixed that now (hopefully).
Yes, my stories are about 5-10k words shorter than other writers' stories, but I refuse to add in all the superfluous "fluff" or what I consider pointless ruminations that other authors use to bulk up their stories. My plots are fast paced and I try very hard to stick to the point, to have the characters interact as much as possible. When reading a story, I become very impatient when I have to read through tedious mental debates over and over again.
So yes, my stories are shorter, but they are more fun (at least that's my hope).
Also, I try to release a book every month - a solid, fun book and not just junk.
Thanks Jo - and again, so sorry for the delayed response.
Elizabeth Lennox
Hi Ankita!
You're absolutely right that virginity doesn't equate to purity. My female characters are virgins and all of the men in my stories have never been in love. It is a psychological "initiation" that I give to my characters to give them equality in a way.
Thanks for the question!
You're absolutely right that virginity doesn't equate to purity. My female characters are virgins and all of the men in my stories have never been in love. It is a psychological "initiation" that I give to my characters to give them equality in a way.
Thanks for the question!
Elizabeth Lennox
Hi Shivalika - thanks for your question and your kind words about the Boarding School Series! I did start to write Jiran and Ava's story, but decided instead to focus on the children and their interactions. I may release Jiran and Ava's story later, we'll see. Write me at elizabeth@elizabethlennox.com after book one comes out and let me know what you think. :)
Elizabeth Lennox
Hi Anisha - thanks for your question! I'm actually planning a blog post on this, so I'll have a lot more then, but my main advice is just to let your pen (or keyboard) flow! I think many people are put off of writing by trying to come up with the perfect full book plot and don't start. I keep notebooks where I write down ideas for everything from a character to a scene to a potential plot idea or even the beginning of a story. When inspiration hits, it's important to capture those ideas. You may end up not using everything, or you may go back to an idea later and flesh it into a whole story - who knows? I'm also definitely an advocate of self-publishing. I spent many years trying to get traditionally published, and while I don't regret it (there wasn't really an alternative then, plus I was still writing and creating books that I would later self-publish), it was certainly frustrating and disheartening. There are also great sites like WattPad where you can publish ideas anonymously and get feedback. Those are useful for aspiring writers to test out things and gain confidence.
Good luck!
Elizabeth
Good luck!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Lennox
Hi Anisha - thanks for writing me! Just to be clear, my novellas are usually shorter stories that I release for free. The Hart Sisters Trilogy didn't have any novellas in it. My new series - The War, Love, & Harmony series - began with two free novellas: Fighting with the Infuriating Prince and Dancing with the Dangerous Prince. You can download them from my website or your favorite e-book retailer (see http://www.elizabethlennox.com/the-wa... for more info).
I hadn't thought of doing more Hart Sisters stories - I am already on to books that will be released in the fall and winter! :) But never say never - the Hart Sisters were some of my most popular new releases. Was there a character you would like to read more about?
Take care-
Elizabeth
I hadn't thought of doing more Hart Sisters stories - I am already on to books that will be released in the fall and winter! :) But never say never - the Hart Sisters were some of my most popular new releases. Was there a character you would like to read more about?
Take care-
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Lennox
Hi Chana - thanks for your question! Do you mean on Goodreads itself, on on vendor sites? If you start with the book's page on my website, it has all of the vendor links: http://www.elizabethlennox.com/book/t.... As for Goodreads, I'll see what I can do about making that a part of my book list.
Elizabeth Lennox
Enjoy writing the most? Every one! Haha - sorry to sound like a cop out, but I love every story as I'm writing it (at least the ones that made it to completion). Hardest to write? There are some that I have tried to write and just couldn't figure out. My computer hard drive is littered with partial stories that I wasn't able to finish because I just couldn't figure out how to make the story work. So the answer there is that you've never seen one that I thought was **really** difficult. There have been a few that I've finished that I had to rewrite many times (Angelo's story - The Tycoon's Defiant Southern Belle took 11 rewrites to get the beginning right!), but even those memories fade when I figure it out and get it completed. By that time, the sense of accomplishment of completing the story probably makes it feel like one of my favorites again! :-) Actually, rewriting the beginning 2 or even 3 times is pretty typical for me, although there are a few that fly out in a single session. I think 14,000 words is my all time single day high - that was with The Sheik's Dangerous Lover.
Elizabeth Lennox
Responding to this is like trying to tell someone which of your children is your favorite. ;-) For one thing, the answer changes from day to day, and for another - you always feel guilty not having picked one of the others! I love sheik stories myself (as a reader), so many of those might come to the top. And the Thorpe Brothers books really came together for me as a series in terms of the characters' inter-relationships. But others appeal to me strongly because of the main characters' stories or particular plot points. So I'm not sure I can really name a single one...
Elizabeth Lennox
Hi Lillie - thanks for your question - did you happen to see this existing answer? :) https://www.goodreads.com/questions/1...
Haha - I think I have writer's firehose! I have to work hard to finish stories (especially doing the editing - blech!) because I love the initial writing part so much and I have so many stories itching to come out!
Haha - I think I have writer's firehose! I have to work hard to finish stories (especially doing the editing - blech!) because I love the initial writing part so much and I have so many stories itching to come out!
Elizabeth Lennox
Knock on wood, my problem is most often the opposite: How do you stop writing? Or: How do you focus on one story when others keep coming to mind? But there are times when – as I mentioned in another answer – I have to stop on a story when it isn’t coming together for me. I’ve learned not to force it. I just start on something else and if the first story comes back to me, I’ll go back to it. I also make a point of taking a lot of notes about my ideas so that if I can’t pursue them when I think of them, I can go back at some point. That way, if something isn’t working, I have a backlog of other things to try.
Elizabeth Lennox
There are so many wonderful things about being a writer that it would be hard to narrow it down to just one. First of all, I feel like I am retired because I am living my dream. I go into my home office every day and write the things that flit through my mind. But also, I can carry my laptop outside and sit in the sunshine which is amazing! I also get to be in the house when my children leave for school and I am here when they get home. I generally start writing around six o’clock in the morning and sometimes don’t stop until 9:30 or 10 at night, but I have a lot of flexibility during the day to help them or just be with them.
The downside to being a writer is that I constantly have these stories going through my mind so I can’t really volunteer for anything long term. I might not have the concentration to meet an organization’s deadline when I’m working on a story.
Oh and the anxiety of wondering if a story will go over well – and the reviews if people don’t like it are sometimes hard to read. I have amazing readers and, so far, they’ve given me extremely kind and encouraging feedback. But every once in a while, I get a message from a reader who is just mean and cruel. I love the constructive feedback. For instance, I recently messed up on a pregnancy date – saying that Jemma got pregnant and gave birth, all within four months. Not good! Many readers were very kind in sending me messages about the error, even laughing with me about it. But being a writer means that you have to take the cruel criticism as well, and some readers sent messages that were painfully harsh.
But in the end, I love all of it. I think I have the best job in the entire world. On rainy days, I am more focused and plow through the writing until my fingers are numb. On sunny days, I can sit and enjoy the weather while writing. But every day, I get to fantasize about romance all day long. It’s amazing!
The downside to being a writer is that I constantly have these stories going through my mind so I can’t really volunteer for anything long term. I might not have the concentration to meet an organization’s deadline when I’m working on a story.
Oh and the anxiety of wondering if a story will go over well – and the reviews if people don’t like it are sometimes hard to read. I have amazing readers and, so far, they’ve given me extremely kind and encouraging feedback. But every once in a while, I get a message from a reader who is just mean and cruel. I love the constructive feedback. For instance, I recently messed up on a pregnancy date – saying that Jemma got pregnant and gave birth, all within four months. Not good! Many readers were very kind in sending me messages about the error, even laughing with me about it. But being a writer means that you have to take the cruel criticism as well, and some readers sent messages that were painfully harsh.
But in the end, I love all of it. I think I have the best job in the entire world. On rainy days, I am more focused and plow through the writing until my fingers are numb. On sunny days, I can sit and enjoy the weather while writing. But every day, I get to fantasize about romance all day long. It’s amazing!
Elizabeth Lennox
I have several hopeful writers who have contacted me over the past few years and my advice is always to just write. So many people want to write, but they don’t make the time for it. If you want to be a writer, the best thing to do is to just sit down and do it. It can be on paper or on a computer, but lose yourself in the characters, in the plot and build on it.
If you find that you can’t stop writing, I know that you will eventually become a successful writer. Just believe in yourself.
Another piece of advice, don’t push a bad story. Every once in a while, I get bogged down in a plot and I’m not sure where it might go. Or even if it is a good plot. If this happens, put the book aside and start another story. If the first book is good, you’ll come back to it. The plot and the characters will nag in your brain and force you to finish it. But if it is a bad story (and I’ve started many of those!) it will drift away and the new plot will take over.
The only thing an aspiring writer should not do is give up. Just keep on writing. Try different genres, different kinds of characters, different plots. Eventually, one of your attempts will germinate and become your obsession.
If you find that you can’t stop writing, I know that you will eventually become a successful writer. Just believe in yourself.
Another piece of advice, don’t push a bad story. Every once in a while, I get bogged down in a plot and I’m not sure where it might go. Or even if it is a good plot. If this happens, put the book aside and start another story. If the first book is good, you’ll come back to it. The plot and the characters will nag in your brain and force you to finish it. But if it is a bad story (and I’ve started many of those!) it will drift away and the new plot will take over.
The only thing an aspiring writer should not do is give up. Just keep on writing. Try different genres, different kinds of characters, different plots. Eventually, one of your attempts will germinate and become your obsession.
Elizabeth Lennox
Last summer, I wrote a novella about Jemma and Damien Alfieri called “The Italian’s Passionate Return”. It was only intended to be a short story but as I finished the last chapter, the two kids in the story stuck with me. So I decided to write their stories, as well as the younger brothers that came after the marriage between Jemma and Damien. So I’m writing a five book series that, just last night, turned into a six book series because I was inspired to write about one of the other characters – a completely tangential person to the family but it is going to be very funny and sexy. So when you read about Dylan and Georgette and run into Charles, then the answer is yes, I am writing a story with Charles as the lead.
These stories will be released over the next several months, the first one coming out on September 19, 2014 and another each month through February.
Oh, and I’ve also started a series of sheik books! Goodness, I love writing those! So keep a look out for news on when they will be released! I think they’ll be out June, July and August.
These stories will be released over the next several months, the first one coming out on September 19, 2014 and another each month through February.
Oh, and I’ve also started a series of sheik books! Goodness, I love writing those! So keep a look out for news on when they will be released! I think they’ll be out June, July and August.
Elizabeth Lennox
My family would say that I actually need inspiration to stop writing. I fall asleep at night thinking of the next scene in my book. I wake up in the morning thinking of new dialogue or a better controversy between my characters. While I’m exercising, I develop dance scenes between the characters. When I’m walking around the neighborhood, I carry a piece of paper and pen so I can jot down my next idea.
There really isn’t a time when I’m not inspired to write. Thankfully, I have a wonderful family that seems to understand me. So when I’m quiet during dinner or staring into space during an activity, they just know that I’m developing something for my story in my mind.
When I need inspiration to push through a plot (this is really weird), I find a quiet space in my house and lay on my back, just staring up at the ceiling. I know it sounds odd, but it genuinely works for me. I simply relax my brain and come up with the most ridiculous idea, then toss it around in my head until I can make it all work out. I then pop up and race to my computer to get it all down before I forget the idea.
There really isn’t a time when I’m not inspired to write. Thankfully, I have a wonderful family that seems to understand me. So when I’m quiet during dinner or staring into space during an activity, they just know that I’m developing something for my story in my mind.
When I need inspiration to push through a plot (this is really weird), I find a quiet space in my house and lay on my back, just staring up at the ceiling. I know it sounds odd, but it genuinely works for me. I simply relax my brain and come up with the most ridiculous idea, then toss it around in my head until I can make it all work out. I then pop up and race to my computer to get it all down before I forget the idea.
Elizabeth Lennox
Honestly, I’m never really sure how my ideas come into my head. I suppose that I want to write a story about a specific kind of male or female and my mind sort of plays around with the idea for a while. Once I have the “kind” of person, a story seems to develop. My mind creates a dialogue between the two main characters, then I picture them in various settings and, voila, the story has come to life in my mind. So my ideas don’t come from a specific inspiration normally. They sort of coalesce in my mind.
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