Monday, June 15, 2015

A CHAT WITH AUTHOR LISA M. COLLINS

Today, THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE chats with author Lisa M. Collins about her new book: the Kindle release of The House Bast Made, available at  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZEDG0G6/
But first, who IS Lisa M. Collins?
Lisa M. Collins
LISA M. COLLINS: I've been pretty busy of late. I've been published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. I've done copy editing and research for Understanding Global Slavery by University of California Press. I'm currently an editor for Metahuman Press, a member of the Pen and Cape Society, and having stories coming up from Pro Se Productions and Mechanoid Press.

TFCE: So, what is The House Bast Made all about?
LISA: The novel is an adventure where a young archaeologist learns myths need not be fairy tales. The story finds our adventurer, REID CANNON, on an archeology dig near the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Reid and his crew discover friendship and doing the right thing is more important than professional gain. A prequel story is (tentatively) scheduled for inclusion in an anthology this fall, and I'm at work on Reid's next adventure, where he will be traveling to South America!

TFCE: So, it seems like your work currently resides in the genre of speculative fiction?
LISA: Yes, because in this genre I can write a love story, a mystery, a court drama, or anything really, and then add all the futuristic and fantastical elements that excite my imagination. The main thing I like about that freedom is my stories do not have to be bound to what society calls real life. I can be as audacious or daring as I want!

TFCE: What inspires you to write?
LISA: There are tons of books out there about real life or some snazzier version of real life. I read books, watch movies, and play video games to escape reality. I want to see new worlds, meet new types of people, to “boldly go where no one has gone before!” I want adventure and excitement, not day-to-day fiction based on everyday life. I know that there are other readers out there who feel the same way I do. I write for them. I write so that maybe for a few hours out of the day my readers can relax and feel the wonders of the universe—to see something new that sparks joy in their soul.

TFCE: Over time, have you noticed any influences on your writing style and technique?
LISA: I have been lucky as a writer to know many authors both indie and traditionally published. The advice and classes I’ve taken from these authors have helped me develop a style using action and succinctness. I’m not one to have filler to pad my word count. I would rather write a novella or short story with meaning and action than a novel full of pages people skim.

TFCE: What would be your dream project?
LISA: To receive a multi-book deal from TOR for my science fiction, because they are renowned world over as the most successful science fiction and fantasy publisher. For the last 20 years they have dominated Locus Awards as best SF publisher—to be published by TOR means a writer has reached the pinnacle of the genre.

TFCE: Where do you see yourself within the next few years?
LISA: In the next five years I plan to move from a part time writer to a full time author. I have a mission statement:
To take the reader on a thought provoking journey to new and distant worlds through my stories.
To improve my craft with each story. Books come first!
To create a large body of work that reaches a substantial percentage of readers.
To encourage other writers I meet along my path.

I was very fortunate to win a Sally A. Williams Writing Grant from the Arkansas Arts Council, which in turn led to my short story “The Tree of Life” being published in the fourth issue of Foothold magazine's 2013-2014 anthology. I hope to give back to the genre I love not only creatively, but supportively as well.

TFCE: I know what your contribution to Mechanoid Press is, for that anthology should be out by this fall. So, if you were a superhero, what would your superpower(s) be and why?
LISA: I would want teleportation akin to Marvel Comics' Nightcrawler. Why? No doorway or physical place would be off limits to me.

TFCE: Are there any other projects on the horizon you would like to promote?
LISA: I am a foodie… not a food snob… but I like the vittles. My favorite thing right now is roast chicken, which I make in a slow cooker. I have a great selection of recipes and directions on how to slow cook a whole chicken in my second cookbook. It is called Five Slow Cooker Recipes Every Southern Cook Should Master, and it is available on Amazon for Kindle along with books 1 & 3. http://www.amazon.com/Lisa-M.-Collins/e/B00PPV5QYO/ 

TFCE: Well, I'm afraid we're reaching the bottom of this post. It's been fun chatting with you Lisa.
LISA: Before I go, I would just like to take the opportunity to thank The Free Choice E-zine and Lee Houston Jr. for the opportunity to be on site today. I enjoyed hanging out with your readers and hope they will drop by my website or Amazon for a copy of THE HOUSE BAST MADE. I hope you all enjoy the story as much as I had fun writing Reid Cannon into existence.

Lisa M. Collins is all over the Internet. Amongst her links are:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Lisa-M.-Collins/e/B00PPV5QYO/
Twitter http://twitter.com/coolvstar650 
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/lisaauthor 
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisacollins
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/coolvstar650/ 
Google+ http://google.com/+LisaMCollins/posts Instagram http://instagram.com/coolvstar650
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/lisa-matthews-collins 
Pen and Cape Society: http://penandcapesociety.com/lisa-m-collins/ 
For exclusive content and specials check out her newsletter: http://wordpress.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=278e3f25f955d9e98afa61a9e&id=05f57a9e09
Wookiees for Cookies Racing Team https://wookieesforcookies.wordpress.com/ 
For Deep Fried Dixie Goodness follow Lisa as Tea and Cornbread https://twitter.com/teaandcornbread https://www.facebook.com/teaandcornbread 
And at the Tea and Cornbread blog http://teaandcornbread.wordpress.com/

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