MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR L.M. HALLORAN!

 

 

What’s your name and what genre would you consider your books to be?

Hi! My pen name is L.M. Halloran, but you can call me Laura. I write contemporary romance and romantic suspense.

 

Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?

The Fall Before Flight is a stand-alone contemporary romance with a touch of taboo. A woman without hope meets a psychiatrist who’s determined to help her. As for how I came up with the idea, I love playing with tropes and the patient/therapist trope was one I hadn’t tackled before. I wanted to see if I could un-taboo the trope—that is, could I write a story that transcended the forbidden angle. I hope I’ve done that!

 

 

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre (historical novels, mysteries, sci-fi, children’s books, etc.)?

I went through a phase for a year or so when I read hundreds of romance novels. I fell in love with the genre in so many ways. It’s empowering, endlessly fresh and creative, and is one of the few genres that can embrace all others. Just add “Romance” to whatever you feel like reading—from Science Fiction to Dystopian to Historical. I just love it! One day, after reading all these books in a year, an old saying popped in my head: “Write the book you want to read.” So I did. And I keep doing it!

 

What kind of research did you do for this book?

For The Fall Before Flight, most of my research was done by interviewing people in the mental health field. The hardest research was on a rare condition (that I don’t want to say because it’s a spoiler). I read a bunch of case studies and tried to do it justice.

 

What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

A typical work day for me begins with dropping my daughter off at preschool. I come home, do some brief stretching/yoga, then get to work. I have a home office where I do most of my writing (it used to be my husband’s but I stole it!). Some authors have word count goals per day, but I have chapters or “scene” counts. If I can write three or more scenes (usually 3 chapters) a day, then I’m happy!

 

 

Do you have a new book in the making and if so, what’s the name of your upcoming book?

The Fall Before Flight is my last book of 2018, but I have another coming out early 2019. The title is The Art of Sin, and it’s a dark, romantic suspense. Though it can be read as a standalone, it’s a spinoff from my Vision Series (Double Vision and Perfect Vision).

 

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

When I started, I think I spent a lot more time choosing names. Now seven books in, as long as I like the name and feel it fits the character, I honestly don’t spend much time thinking about them.

 

Where do your ideas come from?

My twisted mind? Haha. Who knows! I get my best ideas simply by daydreaming and asking the question, What If?

 

 

 

Is there a genre that you’ve been wanting to experiment with?

I’m happy with contemporary romance and romantic suspense for the time being!

 

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

There are certainly things that make writing difficult sometimes — lack of time, inspiration, life events, etc — but at the end of the day, I enjoy the challenge of honing my craft. I love what I do!

 

What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?

They’re great! I’ve never done one but would consider it!

 

 

 

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Being the best mom I can be to my daughter. 🙂  

 

What’s the best thing about being an author?

Hands down, my readers. They are amazing!

 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Writing, traveling, being the parent of a teenager (yikes!)

 

 

Have you always liked to write?

Always. As long as I can remember, writing has been my #1 creative outlet. I’m a creative person in general, but found early on that I had zero drawing/painting skills. I started with poetry and journalling when I was in my early teens, then wrote my first (horrible) novel at 15. Fast-forward a lot of years and a LOT of writing, and here we are!

 

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

It’s a marathon not a sprint. The more you write, the more you should be reading.

 

If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?

Such a hard question. Graphic design, maybe?

 

 

Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?

I do read reviews, though not as much as I did when I started. I never, ever respond to bad reviews. Everyone deserves an opinion, you know? I have reached out to a few reviewers who loved a book and thanked them!

 

What is your least favourite part of the writing / publishing process?

Another hard question—I both love and struggle most with the social media/self-promotion aspect of things. It’s not that I’m not proud of my work or confident in my books, but I’m a very introverted person. It’s hard for me to reach out, especially to bigger authors, for advice or networking.

 

What are you working on now?

The third book in my dark, romantic suspense series. It’s… twisted! haha. I’m excited to wrap it up and am planning a release early next year.

 

 

 

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

From the Preface:

“It was dark in the hallway. Dark enough that I wasn’t sure he saw me round the corner and jerk to a stop at the brazen sight of them. Did he hear my breath catch in a gasp? My heel scrape as I almost stumbled? Did I only imagine his eyes on mine and the small curl of his lips?

That’s the problem, you see. Shocking moments, even when there’s no danger involved, sear themselves into the brain. They become entrenched in your subconscious like little fork-tongued imps. They have a party down there as they wait for the opportunity to fuck shit up.

And the kicker—when they’re ready to riot, you never see them coming.”

Copyright L.M. Halloran 2018

 

 

Why did you choose to write in your genre? If you write in more than one, how do you balance them?

I love everything about romance! It was a no-brainer.

 

Where did your love of books come from?

My dad. His library was my happy place growing up!

 

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

So many. Too many! I adore Jacqueline Carey and Neil Gaiman.

 

 

 

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favourite and why?

Probably Thea Sands, the heroine of my debut. She’s the most like me, which was both easy and terrifying to write.

  

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Both. When I’m inspired or in the “zone,” I’m energized. After a good writing session, I’m exhausted!

 

What is your writing Kryptonite?

My writing weakness? Hmm. Well, that’s what editors are for! haha. If you mean what can derail my writing, I’d say self-doubt. Happens to the best of us. 

 

 

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

A mixture of both, really. It’s fun playing with popular tropes, but in a way that makes them original. No matter what I write, I do it from the heart.

 

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I have an incredible network of author friends—way too many to name. They are my greatest cheerleaders but always give it to me straight. If something’s not working, they let me know.

 

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

Well, She Really was Something.

 

 

What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Gosh, I don’t know! There’s nothing that I’ve wanted to be asked and haven’t, but I have a funny story. An author friend of mine was asked in an interview if she’s ever acted out portions of her book while writing, like dialogue or facial expressions. She’d never considered it before but realized she does! So do I! I’m sure it’s normal, but for a reader, it’s probably entertaining to think about the author smirking, or glaring, or even something as mundane as shaking their head. 🙂

 

 

 

Where can your fans find you and follow??

I’m in all the places! I love chatting and connecting with readers!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lmhalloran

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lmhalloran

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lm.halloran

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/l-m-halloran

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/lmhalloran

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/lmhalloran

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lmhalloranauthor

Website: https://www.lmhalloran.com

 

 

Thank you for taking your time to do this interview ❤️