Interview--LISA DALE 2

Bio: Author Lisa Dale grew up in rural Northwestern New Jersey before attending McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. She worked briefly in publishing before going back to school to get an MFA in fiction at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Other titles include: Simple Wishes. Lisa resides in New Jersey with her fiancé, Matt.

Thanks for being here again, Lisa. It’s a pleasure.

Thank you, Kelly!


#1- Tell us a little about yourself outside of your writing career…
Writing is the constant in my life, and I find my interests outside of writing tend to be sort of cyclical. Sometimes there’s nothing I want more than new music, sometimes I spend time on the treadmill pushing to see how far I can go at the gym, sometimes I’m into knitting, or shopping, or going out…etc. But how I feel about writing is constant. Always that.

#2- Your new book, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, is about two friends falling in love. That is a tough concept in romance that most don’t try anymore. What made you want to tackle that and what challenges did you face?

I think there’s two especially hard things about the friends-turned-lovers plot. First there’s the issue of chemistry (if the characters in question are meant for each other, why haven’t they gone crazy and torn each other’s clothes off already? Are they dumb?) The second issue is transitioning the characters emotionally from the place where they’re just friends to the place where they can become more. I really loved the challenge of finding a way to get around those two issues!


#3- As you know, I reviewed both your titles for Bookpleasures and loved them. But how do you handle the negative reviews and critiques you receive?
Lately, it hasn’t been a problem at all! To tell you the truth, the reviews for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT have been overwhelmingly positive (as far as I know)! I’m so so pleased that readers are pleased. As for negative reviews, some book reviews are just wrong reader, wrong book, wrong time. Nothing to do about that.


#4- You write contemporary romance. Any plans to branch out into a different subgenre like historical, suspense, or paranormal?
Great question. At the moment, I’m really happy writing contemporary—I like my books to be romantic and emotionally messy. The present is good for that.

#5- Assuming you get any time to read, what authors do you like to read, and were there any books that stand out from your childhood as favorites?
I like Jodi Picoult for her grit, passion, and drama. When I was a kid I’d read anything I could get my hands on—which ended up meaning I read some weird things. I’d be reading the Sweet Valley High series, and between books, would pick up Tolstoy or Annie Sexton.

#6- Are there any upcoming releases we would like to know about, and could you give us your web site so readers can check it out?
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is so fresh of the press that it’s steaming, so no new releases I can speak of just yet! And my Web site is www.LisaDaleBooks.com.

I also blog once a week at www.LisaDaleBlog.com. It’s a great place to come talk books and maybe win some stuff. All bookworms are welcome!

#7- This about concludes it. Thank you again for joining us. Is there anything else you would like to share?

Thanks so much for having me!!