published in 2016.
Libby, welcome to the blog! Have a latte and a cookie while we talk about your books.
Thank you, Susan. Sounds good.
You're such busy lady. How many books have you
written?
I've written four books,
published three and am editing the fourth for publication in 2016.
Give a short synop of
your most recently published book.
Some people make a difference by
simply being who they are. They provide a spiritual haven for others. Lydia
Nelson is such a person. When people are with her, they have a clearer sense of
themselves. In Lydia, Book Two of the Haverford Trilogy, the problems of
a family in a small town mirror the stress—and danger—of modern life.
Sounds intriguing.
Do you travel to do
research or for inspiration? Can you share some special places with us.
I did not have to travel to
write Book One and Two of my trilogy, as my memories of the countryside in
Virginia where I lived for over forty years served me well. I lived in a rural
environment until we moved to California when I was forty-one. For my mystery, Desert
Soliloquy, I traveled to Durango, Colorado and visited the beautiful mesas
where the Anasazi once lived. I used the ghost town, Calico, in the high desert
of California, as a template for my fictional setting of Odessa in the novel
and visited the town often. On one visit, I collected epitaphs from the old
tombstones in the graveyard there. I sat in the shade of one of the tall
tombstones, typing, when I realized someone was standing beside me. A woman
looked down and asked, “Are you from L.A.?” I guess if you are leaning against
a tombstone in the desert, at high noon, typing on a laptop, you must be from L.A. (We live forty
miles south of L.A. in Claremont.)
What do you think is the
greatest lesson you’ve learned about writing so far and what advice can you give
new writers?
What I've learned over the
years is to just enjoy writing. It is a gift, as well as a welcome distraction
at times. My advice to new writers is to write from the heart. Don't concern
yourself about what is presently trending, as it probably won't be by the time
you finish your book. Learn about marketing but don't focus on it until you
have a good, clean, well-written novel. Join critique groups that are helpful,
not critical. I have advice about that on my website. Most importantly, learn
the craft of writing before you publish your work.
Good advice, Libby.
We all know how important
promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?
I promote my novels on
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Goodreads. I write a weekly blog and mention
them whenever I can. I attend book fairs in Southern California. I belong to
the Inland Empire Branch of the California
Writers Club and encourage fellow members to write reviews for me.
Can you tell us your
future writing goals/projects?
I am editing the third book
in my trilogy, True Abundance, and hope to publish it in January 2016. I
still have some research to do. I've written around 30,000 words on a new
novel, The End is the Beginning, and will continue writing on it after
editing Book Three of the trilogy.
Where can folks learn
more about your books and events?
My published novels can be
found on Amazon at http://ow.ly/HXHE3 and my
published articles on my website, http://www.libbygrandy.com.
It's been nice to meet you, Libby. I wish you continued success with your writing.
