5 ratings | 1 review | avg rating:4.40

Heather Lloyd’s Followers (109)

Heather’s Bookshelves

to-read (1)
currently-reading (1)
read (4)

Heather’s Friends (435)

Dena Dyer

2,328 books | 689 friends

T.H.

82 books | 2,103 friends

Jessica

950 books | 132 friends

Susy Flory

321 books | 1,485 friends

Katherine Pershey

3,249 books | 482 friends

Holly

1,262 books | 482 friends

Lindsey

3,836 books | 131 friends

Susan Mathis

271 books | 2,170 friends

More friends…

Heather Lloyd

Goodreads Author

Born

in New Brunswick, NJ, The United States

Website

http://www.Heather-Lloyd.com

Genre

Fiction, Memoir, Spirituality

Member Since

June 2017

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/heatherlloyd

edit data

A bit about me. I’ve worked as an editor for more than twenty years and have authored, or collaborated on, a bunch of non-fiction books (under my married name). Venus is my first novel and I’m working on a second. Fiction is my new love and I may never write a “true” book again!
My husband and I have four adult children who live in Oregon, and one who is gone but still near in spirit (we miss you, Noah). Three years ago, Dave and I moved from Colorado to New York City, which was quite a culture shock, not the least of which has been the size of our apartment. Think postage stamp. But we love it here. We enjoy walking or riding bikes around Central Park. We like to do dinner and an Indie movie with friends, the occasional play, and on those h A bit about me. I’ve worked as an editor for more than twenty years and have authored, or collaborated on, a bunch of non-fiction books (under my married name). Venus is my first novel and I’m working on a second. Fiction is my new love and I may never write a “true” book again!
My husband and I have four adult children who live in Oregon, and one who is gone but still near in spirit (we miss you, Noah). Three years ago, Dave and I moved from Colorado to New York City, which was quite a culture shock, not the least of which has been the size of our apartment. Think postage stamp. But we love it here. We enjoy walking or riding bikes around Central Park. We like to do dinner and an Indie movie with friends, the occasional play, and on those hot and humid evenings of summer, head down to the truck vendor at the corner for soft ice cream. I love reading novels, of course, and meeting friends over coffee, and the bad habit I love most is watching dumb TV to help me wind down before bed.
I kind of, sort of, like walking my dog, Henri–except in winter when he hides under the couch as soon as I grab the leash. Problem is, he’s pretty sure I’ll make him wear his cute little coat in front of all the other dogs in Midtown (so embarrassing!). Why can’t he see they’re all wearing silly coats, too.
A bit about how Venus came to be. One morning I heard a girl’s voice in my head. She sounded really scared. And really angry. She had places to go, people to see–and I soon realized, a crime to commit. Clearly, she expected me to follow her around, listen to her talk, get it all down, and most importantly, get it right.
Like so many novelists, my characters often felt more real than conjured, like they already existed and knew exactly what they wanted to say or do next. In this way, they led me around tight corners in the plot and generously confided what they were thinking. In such moments, the writing process felt mysterious, even magical. (Other times, it was just damn hard!).
I do share some things in common with Venus. I grew up in Everett, Washington, when it was still mostly a mill town (lumber, paper) and before it was a bedroom community for high tech companies in Seattle. Like Venus, I was often angry and mouthy as a teen, and I had a volatile relationship with my stepdad. Fortunately, we worked things through before he passed, and (thanks be to God) without help from a gun.
Losing our son a couple years ago was the hardest thing I’ll ever experience, I’m sure. But his full-on enthusiasm for an early version of this novel sustained me as I wrote. And so did the story and the character themselves. Strange, how that happens. Wonderful, too. It probably explains why I was never tempted to abandon Venus (like she’d ever let me!). Even when I lost my way in the writing, it felt like I was participating in some kind of small, messy miracle. Of course, it also helped that I kept falling for these flawed, but mostly lovable, characters.
I hope you’ll fall for them too.
(and leave a review!) ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Heather Lloyd questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Heather Lloyd’s books

Average rating: 4.04 · 2,797 ratings · 663 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

My Name Is Venus Black

4.04 avg rating — 2,797 ratings — published 2018 — 10 editions

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

0 posts
Heather Lloyd's Blog

Heather Lloyd hasn't written any blog posts yet.

Heather is Currently Reading

Heather Lloyd is currently reading

My Name Is Venus Black

by Heather Lloyd (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Apr 12, 2018 08:12AM

Quotes by Heather Lloyd (?)

“What I can’t figure out is why good memories hurt as much as bad ones. Maybe it’s because you’re not on guard against them, so they hit full force, like a slap from a wave.”
― Heather Lloyd, My Name Is Venus Black

0 likes

“Never assume you can take back anything. Never assume you have time to face facts later. And never underestimate the power of a parent’s betrayal.”
― Heather Lloyd, My Name Is Venus Black

0 likes

Polls

*Please only vote if you intend on reading the book with us.

Which of these books would you prefer to read as the June's book club selection?

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

3 votes, 50.0%

My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd

2 votes, 33.3%

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

1 vote, 16.7%

6 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Crazy Challenge C...: 2018 How Many Pages?	284	184	Feb 01, 2019 08:04PM
Crazy Challenge C...: 2018 Namedroppers	116	136	Mar 15, 2019 09:12AM
Crazy Challenge C...: Spring 2018 Spell Challenge: Umbrellas	174	108	May 19, 2019 12:17PM
Game Night: 2019 Phase 10: Team 6 - Violet Femmes	853	61	Jul 03, 2019 05:48PM