Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Author Spotlight/Interview with Lisa Poston Murphy

 Please welcome my guest, author Lisa Poston Murphy.


What is your favorite thing about being a writer?Escaping reality and traveling all over the world in my imagination. I must have multiple personalities as I can’t settle. I can see myself living on the beach with bare feet, residing on the hillside of Tuscany picking olives, and raising bees in the country. Growing up I wanted to be a Mafia Princess, surgeon, R.N. (did that!), own a tea shop, be a gourmet chef . . . the list goes on. Being a writer allows me to experience all of these things through research and imagination!


What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Self-doubt. I know I’m not the only one who experiences this, but each word written is personal. I worry about each sentence—was that the best sentence I could come up with? Was my dialogue interesting enough. I actually eavesdropped a couple on a date for help! Hey—I’ve been married almost twenty years, it’s been a long time since I’ve dated.


How much time did it take from writing your first book to having it published?
One year almost to the date!



Has your life changed significantly since becoming a published writer?
Yes! My house is a wreck and I’ve developed insomnia. I wake in the middle of the night jotting things down (that don’t make sense the next morning). Now that I’m published, my cheek muscles are forever stuck in wide-grin position. They’re starting to ache, but it feels so good to be this happy!



Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.
  • I am terrified of cats—not kittens, but cats.
  • I am even more terrified of worms. I can take a spider out with my bare hand, but a worm will make me squeal like a little girl.
  • I’ve been traveling to Sanibel Island at least once a year since I was an infant.
  • I love CrossFit—it has changed my life. I am healthier at age 41 than I was in my 30’s.
  • I named my runner’s cramp “Steve.” So if you see me hunched over, grabbing my side, and cursing Steve . . . you now know what’s going on.
   
Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.

If you’re looking for a summer beach read, check out Lighthouse Point, a tension-filled island romance novel. Here is the blurb on back of book:

Twenty-four-year-old Emma Peroni has never been a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl, traveling fourteen hours away from her neatly organized life to an island that promises sanctuary and a fresh start . . . until today.
With the weight of the world on her shoulders, and no family to catch her when she crumbles, Emma finds solace on Sanibel Island.
Falling into the arms of Sheldon Barringer, a handsome local real estate investor, was not part of the plan. Emma manages to resist his charms for a time and focus on the reason she came here—to be alone and escape the night terrors. However Sheldon’s intoxicating sense of humor and easy personality eventually captivate Emma, sweeping her into the delightful experience of falling in love for the first time.
As Emma and Sheldon begin to plan a future together, trouble lurks in the shadows, waiting and watching.
Here is an excerpt from Lighthouse Point:
Sheldon held my hand as we walked across the white powdery sand beside the turquoise water. I could feel the heat traveling through my hand and making its way into my chest. I realized I was walking down the beach with the most gorgeous man I had ever met and I secretly wished there were more people around to witness.
I squatted down to find an orange conch shell amongst a pile of bleached shells. While I was picking it up I saw several lettered olives and realized I was in shelling heaven. Sheldon was patient while I found all kinds of treasures and slipped them into the net bag that I brought with me.
 “I usually find some pretty great shells just off the shoreline, and I brought two sets of snorkel gear. Would you like to join me?” he asked as he held up the masks and breathing tubes.
“Yeah, sounds like fun. Do I need to worry about sharks?” Suddenly I was nervous at the thought.
“No, this area isn’t known for sharks. Too many dolphins around. Remember, I told you¾
I rolled my eyes and interrupted him, “Yes, I remember . . . if dolphins are around, you can be sure sharks are not. I’m still not sure I buy it, I might have to look that up when I get home.” I laughed and bumped my hip into his side. I grabbed the snorkel and tightened the mask over my eyes and nose. “I’ll just follow you.” My words came out muffled like I was plugging my nose and I wondered if I looked as funny as he did in the gear. I tried to smile but my mask was smashing down on my top lip. Sheldon looked at me and laughed so hard he had to remove his mask, and eventually I was removing mine too as we were rendered breathless with laughter.
We snorkeled for about an hour and found some really great shells. I found an alphabet cone, two lettered olives, a fighting conch, and one whelk that was still alive, so I gently placed it back after showing it to Sheldon. Sheldon had found four fighting conchs, a few small lettered olives, two shark eyes, and three turkey wings. He also showed me a live crab that he just picked up, and I screamed and tried to walk on water to get away from it.

You can find it on Amazon, Kindle, Nook, and Sanibel Island bookstores.



My second book, Torn, is in the revisions process. The cover is not complete, but here’s a taste of what I think the main characters are like.

A blurb about Torn:

     When Katie Harrington becomes engaged to Branson Stone she believes her life is right on track for all her dreams to come true.
     However, flashes of a life she never lived haunt her—leading her to discover a past that has been purposely erased from her memory in order to protect her from horrible truths.
     The look on her fiancés face as she retells everything she remembers about being a victim of human trafficking will forever be etched in her mind. Instead of catching and comforting her, he lets her go.
     Retreating to the family’s cottage in the Outer Banks for the summer, Katie’s heart begins to heal. She succumbs to the allure of a dangerously handsome local, Aidan Romero. But as soon as Katie begins to let go and move on with Aidan . . . Branson finds her.
     Now Katie is torn between two lives—facing her painful past with Branson, or moving on with Aidan and keeping the secrets safely buried forever.


***I’ve also started a new book called Cruel. ***



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