What do you like about writing series books?
I like getting to know secondary characters who may have had only a minor role in a story and watching them come into their own. I guess at my heart I’m a matchmaker, so I like thinking about matches for all of these extras. Sometimes it’s frustrating because with a series, characters have a past that you can’t change. You can shed new light on it, present it from a different point of view and provide new information, but you can’t change the past. With a series, it’s important to know exactly what you said about characters or their backstories in previous books.
What is one of your favorite ways to learn about your characters?
When I am stuck, it’s usually because I’m trying to get a character to do something that he or she wouldn’t. Sometimes I’ll list options in a particular scene for each character. I like my female characters to take action and not passively wait for a rescuer, so if they are falling into a passive pattern, I think about what their options are or have them do something completely unexpected.
What is the most difficult thing about writing?
I find it difficult to write sex scenes. I would consider my books romance, not erotic romance. Even though there may be only two or three sex scenes, I want the scenes to be true to my characters, and I work hard to show the emotional connection without resorting to clichés. It can be a tough balance.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
Under His Protection is book two of the City Lights series. It focuses on Lee Thornton, the brother of the hero in the first book.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m trying to wind up the series with the final book, tentatively called Finding Lindsey.
Do you have an excerpt from your latest release you would like to share?
The setting below is lunch in a country club in Atlanta.
Elizabeth wove her way through the main dining area toward her father’s table, tucked between corner windows. He liked this club for its private tables spaced far apart and for its sweeping views of the Buckhead skyline.
From across the room, she saw the man who had impressed Kristin. At around the same age as Elizabeth, he certainly didn’t match most of her father’s usual colleagues. As she drew closer, she noted the designer suit paired with a silk collarless shirt in midnight black. Her father usually associated with the blue or white Oxford cloth types.
In a flash, she realized that her father had brought her another marriage candidate. Just what she needed. She had broken her engagement a year ago, and lately her father had started introducing her to men that he considered husband material.
“Dad, good to see you, as always.” Both men stood, and she greeted her father with her customary peck on his cheek.
“Elizabeth, I’m glad you could join us for lunch.” Even though he had lived in Atlanta for more than half his life, her father still spoke with a honeyed Charleston accent. It had won him many a juror back when he used to try cases, and if the rumors were true, many a mistress as well. “This is Lee Thornton. Lee, I’d like you to meet my pride and joy, Elizabeth Crowne.”
Her father’s guest turned, and for the first time she noticed his sandy brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She extended her hand in greeting, and at his warm clasp, her eyes widened. When he smiled, his cinnamon eyes captured her full attention.
“Mr. Thornton,” she said cordially, gathering her hand back.
“Lee, please. And may I call you Beth?”
“As in Beth the Bitch?” she laughed, referring to her nickname in certain court circles. “No, Elizabeth will be fine.”
“Elizabeth, that’s enough,” her father interrupted.
She cringed at her father’s disapproving tone and sat down. “Yes, I know, profanity doesn’t become a lady.”
“Thornton, you’ll have to excuse my daughter. She has been doing criminal law for so long she has forgotten how civilized people act.”
Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at the fact that he was laying the Charleston drawl on even thicker to impress Lee. She wondered what old, moneyed city he called home. She snapped her napkin open across her lap. “I’m sure Lee doesn’t want to hear the argument we’ve been having since I graduated from law school.”
Using her menu as a cover, Elizabeth studied her father’s new prospect for her marital bliss. He was certainly younger and better looking than previous candidates. Maybe her father had loosened his conservative stance on marriage. She never would have predicted he would match her to a man with such long, glorious hair. At least Lee’s jaw was firm and strong. The last man had been ten years her senior with a large jowl. His eyes scanned the room, and she had the impression that nothing got past him. She definitely wouldn’t mind getting to know him, but it was a pity, because she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
Her father had surprised her with his last marriage candidate in much the same way. After inviting her to dinner, he’d introduced her to an old family friend. She had gone on one mercy date, but after that, she had let him know she wasn’t interested in seeing him further.
“Before my father gets too wound up, let me make this clear. First, I am not in the market for a husband. Second, he seems to think that I need help finding people to date, and let me assure you …” Elizabeth trailed off at the bemused look on Lee’s face and her father’s horrified expression. Then it hit her that she had just made a horrible mistake. This wasn’t a set-up. It was something else entirely.
“Excuse me,” she said, making an escape to the ladies’ lounge.
Buy Links:
So far, books one and two are out in my City Light Series.
I recommend that they be read in order for continuity, but each one has its own ending.
Amazon:
No Strings Attached – Book One
Under His Protection – Book Two
If you prefer other formats, (iTunes, Nook, Kobo) you can find links on my website http://lilybishop.com/no-strings-attached/ and http://lilybishop.com/under-his-protection/
Would you tell us about yourself?
I’m a romance junkie, and I have people living in side my head. What else do you need to know? I grew up in Georgia, but I live in South Carolina with my husband and two children who are in middle school and who know everything, but the way. Our family owns over 500 board games, and we can be found playing every weekend as a family. I have been writing since I was in high school, when I completed my first novel, and I published for the first time in 2013.
What are your favorite genres to read and write?
I read a variety of romantic fiction, anything from romantic suspense to paranormal or science fiction romance. I’m not interested in books that make me cry, and I demand a happy ending. If I’m spending time reading your book, I want that uplifting feeling that can only come through a happy resolution. My favorite plot-line is an abduction plot.
I write contemporary romantic suspense, and I look for characters who are caught up in a plot bigger than they are. Sometimes my characters may do something completely wrong, but for the right reasons, and I try to help them recover from their mistakes and still find a happy ever ending.
Where can we visit you online?
I love to hear from readers. My on-line home is at lilybishop.com, and I blog at http://lilybishop.com/blog-posts-dont-call-me-sugar/. On my blog I recommend other writers on Wednesday, and I tend to blog about whatever is on my mind. Readers can connect with me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLilyBishop, or follow @BishopLily on Twitter. I send out a newsletter with new release information, and updates on current projects. I also give away prizes and send out free “extras”. You can join me here.
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