July 14, 2011

Author Spotlight: Interview with Lor Mandela Series Author L. Carroll

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Today, I have been lucky enough to interview the L.Carroll the Author of the Lor Madela: Destruction From Twins, and Four Hundred Days. You can check out my review here.

Lor Mandela - Destruction from Twins


Now on to the interview:


Since I love twitter, I think it would be fun to see how you would describe your book Four Hundred Days Twitter-style. How would you describe it in 140 characters or less?
*Deep Breath* Here goes... A tyrant is destroying Earth, bit by bit. Can the 17 year old heiress to the Lor Mandelan throne stop him without losing everyone she loves?


When did you know you wanted to become a writer or have you always known?
I never reall imagined myself as a writer, but about eight years ago, following a really cool dream, I began to wonder if I could actually write a book. The dream was about something magical happening in the midst of an epic battle, and I thought it would be a great scene for a movie or a chapter for a book. I decided to give it a go, (the book, not the movie), and the rest is--as they say-- history. (By the way, my dream is now Chapter 16, "Journal of Kahlie", in "Destruction from Twins".)



What was the hardest part of writing the book?
The hardest part of both "Destruction from Twins" and "Four Hundred Days" was making sure that the time-line was accurate. In these books, time on Earth passes thirteen times faster than time on Lor Mandela. It was a challenge just making sure that everyone was the right age, and that the events happened in the correct order! I can't tell you how many times I've cursed at myself for doing that!


I love the world building of Lor Mandela, what inspired the concept behind the book and the world that you built?
Well Thank You!

As I mentioned, it was that dream that started it all. As far as the actual world of Lor Mandela, (since all I really saw in the dream was the inside of one part of a castle), it was sort of a collaborative effort between me and my daughter. We both tend to have pretty vivid imaginations, and when you put us together, it gets dangerous! I'd bounce an idea off of her, she'd elaborate, and throw it back to me, I'd elaborate a little more, etc.,etc., etc....More than one of the places on Lor Mandela evolved this way.



I loved all of the characters in your book, which one did you find yourself relating to the most?


Wow! Thanks again! I'm glad you liked them!

I think I relate most to Ultara-- not that I'm a powerful, intimidating sorceress--it's just, when I was writng the scenes in which she was involved, I imagined myself in her place How would I act? What would I say? if this were me, what would I do? I dunno, maybe part of me wants to be that powerful, intimidating sorceress! :)

Can you tell us a little bit about your writing environment and/or and rituals you go through before sitting down to write?
I have this wonderful office in my garage. Our house is a former model home so realtors' offices were in the garage; when they sold the house, they left one of them intact. It's a great place for me to go and perform rituals, which are a little odd, I warn you.

I usually start out by reading the last chapter that I wrote, and then I get up and act out the next one. I know it sounds weird, but it helps me to make sure that my story has at least some grounding in reality. Plus, it helps the words flow more freely, as I've already "seen" how the chapter will play out. then I write. Occassionally, I'll jump up mid-chapter and re-perform scenes. It's nothing to see me dancing by myself, dueling with an invisible foe, or carrying on a conversation with the wall. (I guess that's why my kids call me "The Crazy Lady" when I'm writing!)

Do you listen to music while you write, if so what’s on your playlist?

I prefer total silence when I'm doing actual writing, but when I'm acting out or thinking about a scene, music definitely helps! Normally, I like a lot of different music genres, but I've found that songs with lyrics are distracting when I'm in the writing zone. Visit my blog and you'll see what I tend to listen to while creating my stories. There's a lot of Hans Zimmer, some Henry Gregson-Williams, some James Newton Howard…epic movie scores are THE BEST! They set the perfect mood!


If there was one thought or feeling you would want readers to take away from reading Lor Mandela Destruction of Twins, what would it be?
While there's no real moral or hidden message in the Lor Mandela books, I know that whenever I read this type of book, or watch this type of movie, I always go away feeling empowered somehow. It seems to be a recurring theme in fantasy novels that seemingly ordinary people can do extraordinary things. I hope that readers feel that whey they finish reading.

Also, I hope that both "Destruction from Twins" and "Four Hundred Days" leave them wanting more...after all, there is a third book on the way!


Thank you Ms. Carroll for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by.


You can find the books at these locations:

Amazon, Barnes and Nobles

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