Saturday, June 23, 2012

Choices: An Interview with Guardian Trilogy Author Liz Schulte

Hearts break. Loved ones are lost. Life keeps moving.

Liz Schulte, Author of the Guardian Trilogy, is still going strong on her book tour with Choices, the second book of her Guardian Trilogy. Please welcome Liz!

I for one am interested in knowing a bit about you and what appear to be fascinating books. Tell us-- did you plan to be a writer or did it just happen?

I didn’t plan on being a writer. It was something with my family’s encouragement and my tendency to do everything I fell into. I find writing suits be better than any other occupation I have had because through my characters I can be anything imaginable.

What is your favorite non-writing pastime?

Definitely traveling. I love to be on the go and in new places experiencing different cities, atmospheres, and cultures. I think it would be awesome to be able to travel as much as I wanted. Maybe someday I will write a guide book.

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer? Have you been able to overcome it?

My greatest challenge is definitely self-doubt. I struggle with it with each book I write. I always go through a phase when I loathe the book and think it is unsalvageable. But normally if I step back from the project I can either clear my head or see where I went wrong.

Do you have a favorite character in Choices? Who and why?

Holden is almost always my favorite character to write. I enjoy getting into his head. He is so controlled, but he also really just doesn’t care about most anything. He is just as likely to walk away from someone speaking to him as he is to reply. I think it is that element of being free of any societal constraints that appeals to me. However, Baker comes in a close second. I adore writing his 20’s jargon. 

Without giving it all away, please tell us a little something about how Olivia is going to get through her greatest challenge.

Well she will have to start thinking for herself and not allow herself to be led by what she is told. She will have to find her footing in this new and strange world.

What is your favorite scene in Choices?

Hmm that is a hard one. I think my favorite scene is either when Olivia and Femi meet or when Holden and Baker meet. Both of these secondary characters throw the main characters off just enough to lend perspective into their personalities. They also both call it like it is and sometimes Olivia and Holden need someone to see through their carefully managed facades.

Which character in Choices will be the most difficult to part with?

You know they are all hard to part with. I love each of the characters and I have gotten to know them so well they almost feel like friends. With writing the third book I am having a lot of moments when I think about how much I will miss writing about them.

I feel the same way about my characters. Do you have to be alone or have quiet to write?

It depends on the character. To write Holden I need quiet. Olivia is good with some nice mellow, girl music (Regina Spektor, Brandi Carlile, Sarah Bareilles, etc). Quintus comes out better with a little classical on in the background.

As a multi-genre author, how do you juggle going back and forth between the different genres? Do you have a preferred genre?

It really isn’t that hard writing wise. I love both mysteries and urban fantasy/paranormal romance so I find it is pretty easy to switch back and forth. Different preparation goes into writing the different genre’s. Mysteries require more planning and layering, but PNR requires more of an emotional connection to the characters.

What type of hero do you like best?

I like the tortured anti-hero the very best. Even when you aren’t supposed to choose them I always have as a reader. I sometimes even like the bad guys best.

What type of heroine do you like best?

Strong. I am not a fan of damsels in distress or women who think they will die without a man. I like women who know what they want and aren’t afraid to break the rules to get it.

Is there any place and time in the world and in history that you would like to visit?

I would love to visit Jane Austen’s time. I am such a fan and I love the way that society worked. It is all so fascinating to me. All of their interactions are almost like a carefully choreographed dance. 

What do you have in store next for your readers?

I have the last book in the Guardian Trilogy, Consequences, coming out in September. Then in October I hope to have a new mystery novel called Dark Passing, then in December I will start a new trilogy called Easy Bake Coven. (You've piqued my interest with a title like that!)


Guardian Trilogy Book One: Secrets

While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the abyss gazed back at her. She discovers mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved. Olivia is about to find out there is a lot she doesn't know and sometimes what you don't know can kill you.



Liz would love to hear from you! Please stop by and visit at any of the below mentioned networks:




   

June 4 - Meet & Greet at VBT Cafe' Blog 
June 6 - Interviewed at Unnecessary Musings 
June 8 - Book Spotlight at MK McClintock's Blog 
June 12 - Guest Blogging at AZ Publishing Services 
June 14 - Guest Blogging with Ami Blackwelder 
June 14 - Interviewed at Incredible Indie Books 
June 18 - Choices Review at Ereading on the Cheap 
June 20 - Secrets & Choices Reviewed at Words I Write Crazy 
June 22 - Interview & Books I & II Reviewed at A Case of Reading Insomnia 
June 23 - Interviewed at MK McClintock's Blog
June 24th - Character Interview at MK McClintock's Blog
June 26 - Interview & Books I & II Reviewed at Waiting on Sunday to Drown 
June 28 - Interview & Books I & II Reviewed at My Reading Addiction 
July 2 - Review & Interview at B00k R3vi3wS 
July 5 - Character Interview & Books I & II Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books 
July 7 - Guest Blogging at Margaret West's Blog 
July 9 - Interviewed at Reviews & Interviews 
July 11 - Character Interview at Cait Lavender's Blog
 July 13 - Character Interview & Review at Ramblings of a Bibliophiliac 
July 17 - Guest Blogging at Froggarita's Bookcase 
July 19 - Interviewed at Kimberly Lewis Novels 
July 23 - Guest Blogging & Books I & II Reviewed at Kindred Dreamheart 
July 25 - Guest Blogging at Wise Words

2 comments:

  1. It's great having you back with us Liz. The book sounds like it has a lot of great levels. Was there any particularly difficult scene to write or did it flow pretty well for you?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for having me MK. Honestly the book flowed pretty well. Quintus' point of view was a little harder to write than Holden and Olivia.

    ReplyDelete

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