Interview with Lisa Emme
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a newly published author. My first book Dead and Kicking was released on October 2nd. I’ve always been an avid reader and especially enjoy fantasy and paranormal romance. I think I have been drawn to these genres because I like to step out of reality and I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a supernatural power or to meet a supernatural being. I’m a single mom and I work full time as a systems analyst. Daily life can be full of drama so it’s relaxing to step away from reality and immerse myself in a different world.
Tell us about your most recent book.
Dead and Kicking is about Angharad ‘Harry’ Russo, a twenty-something witch, and what happens when her out of the ordinary gift gets her tangled up in the darker side of the supernatural underworld. The story itself is standalone, but there is a romantic story arc that occurs over the course of the three books. All three books are written, by the way, and books two and three will be released in the 2016.
To you, how important is a good antagonist?
I think a good antagonist is essential. What kind of story would there be without conflict? There has to be something that the protagonist has to overcome, that challenges him or her. If there is no struggle, there’s no progress or character growth. I know we all often wish our lives could be easier but without the hardships, we wouldn’t be who we are. It might be okay in reality to keep the status quo but when you are reading a book, I can’t think of anything more boring than a character that doesn’t grow and evolve. Besides, a good antagonist makes it even better to cheer for the protagonist because you want to see the bad guy taken down.
What kind of antagonist is your favorite?
Definitely one you love to hate. I can remember in some of the earlier Hollows series by Kim Harrison, the demon Al was definitely the antagonist to Rachel’s protagonist and he was a delight. He was so gleeful when he was being evil. The better the bad guy, the better the good guy (or gal) has to be, which in turn makes for a strong story.
Who is one of your favorite fictional antiheroes?
I love the character of Chess in Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts series. Chess is no stereotypical, cookie-cutter protagonist. Instead, she is an extremely flawed young woman who makes bad decisions and then has to get herself out of the resulting mess. Chess is a hard main character to like at first, but she is a very compelling character, flaws and all. The emotional wringer she puts herself through is painful to witness as she sinks further into the mire and muck of her own sordid world, but at the same time you can see that she has begun to question the whys of what she is doing and doesn’t like the answers.
What is one of your favorite paranormal creatures and why?
Vampires have always intrigued me. Their portrayal in literature and movies covers such a wide spectrum from the creepy to the suave and sexy, but I’m definitely more interested in the sexy type. Who isn’t fascinated by the thought of immortality? The idea of living forever has its perks. Imagine the wealth that a person could amass in that amount of time and the luxury that such wealth can afford them, not to mention the history you would get to witness first hand. It just brings the lure to another level entirely.
Dead and Kicking – The Harry Russo Diaries, volume 1
By Lisa Emme
Release date: October 2, 2015
What’s a girl to do when her date is D.O.A?
Angharad ‘Harry’ Russo is just your ordinary twenty-something, with one exception – she’s a witch with an out of the ordinary gift. When her blind date goes sideways and she ends up face to face with a dead body, her life starts to go sideways too.
Harry soon finds herself right in the middle of the mayhem, dealing with Cian Nash, a homicide detective that is as aggravating as he is sexy; the biggest, baddest vampire in town; and a parcel of pesky zombies that keep popping up everywhere. It’s all connected to her date’s unfortunate demise, or is there more to it than meets the eye?
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Excerpt from Dead and Kicking by Lisa Emme
…I crept as quietly as I could, but it was pretty much a given that I couldn’t hide from a vampire’s amped up hearing or sense of smell. When I reached the end of the wall dividing the hall and the kitchen, I started to peek around the corner only to be abruptly grabbed and thrown against the wall.
“Gaak!” I said. Hey, you try talking when a six foot goon with the strength of a vampire has his arm cross your windpipe.
Tomas had pinned my knife hand as well as my throat. He grinned at me smugly. I could see Salvador lounging unconcerned across the room. My vision began to blur from the lack of oxygen as I let my knees give out a little, shifting more of my weight onto his arm. Surprised, he loosened his grip enough that I was able to take a rasping breath. I quickly brought my knee up to his groin as hard as I could. It was satisfying to know that whatever he was, he still felt it when he got one in the ‘nads. Tomas let go of my arm and I slid down the wall. Unwilling to hope that a shot to the junk was enough to keep him down, I followed through with a quick punch to his throat. He fell to one knee and I sprang away…
About Lisa Emme:
Lisa has been a storyteller from practically the day she was born. Known to have told a tall tale or two as a child, she has always had an active imagination. A voracious reader, Lisa has been preparing for this adventure in writing since she first became hooked on Fantasy novels at the age of ten. After reading hundreds, if not thousands of books, she finally felt it was time to put her thoughts on paper. The Harry Russo Diaries is one of the first ideas to battle its way out of the deep dark crevices of her mind.
Visit Lisa Emme on social media:
www.facebook.com/LisaEmmeBooks
Thank you for being a guest!
Thanks for hosting me!