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Lori Foster Interview
With Maxi Michaels
Lori
Foster first published with Harlequin in January 1996. Her
second book launched Temptation Blaze and her 25th book launched
Temptation Heat. Since those early days, Lori has routinely had
6 to 10 releases a year. She's a Waldenbooks, USA Today,
Publisher's Weekly and New York Times bestselling author with
over 50 titles published through a variety of houses, including
Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martins, Harlequin and Silhouette.
Lori has a
very active message board linked to her
website
Lori, I’ve known you a few years now and I’ve
learned some things about you... your husband and three grown
sons always come first... you’re now a grandma... you’re an
animal lover who supports an animal shelter... you love movies.
What else can you tell us about Lori Foster, the person?
Hmmm… You Do know
me! Well, let’s see. I’m artsy. I love to paint and draw, and
I’m a habitual doodler. If I’m sitting anywhere near a pen and
paper, I’ll be doodling something.
I like KORN and
Kid Rock, but I also love a few country songs and some oldie
rock.
I love being near
the water, but I’m afraid to be in it. LOL.
Please tell us a little about your early
years of writing, and how you first got published?
I wrote my first
few books longhand, and the first book I sold was written on a
typewriter. When I started writing, I didn’t really plan to sell
any of my books because I didn’t know how. Then my stepmother
saw a local writers conference advertised in the newspaper, and
I got the information I needed. That group is OVRWA (Ohio Valley
Romance Writers) and I’m still so grateful to them!
What is a typical work day for you?
I don’t really
have typical days. Sometimes I write all day, sometimes only for
a few hours, sometimes not at all. I don’t have a pattern or a
definite schedule. I write the same way I plot – by the seat of
my pants.
Do you set daily or weekly page goals? And do
you usually reach those goals?
I only set daily
and weekly goals when a deadline is looming and I’m not yet
done. And then yes, barring any major problems with the family
or life in general, I always meet my goals. I have a strict rule
about being late on a book. The rule: Never be late.
There have been
occasions when I’ve asked if there was extra time to be had, and
sometimes there is, and I use it.
J
But if the publisher has a deadline to meet, then I meet that
deadline too.
After writing so many books do you ever get
writers block?
No. Sometimes I
write myself into a corner, so I’ll walk away from the computer
to do laundry or see a movie or call my friend Dianne Castell.
That sort of jogs the creativity and helps me to figure out
where I made a wrong turn. But I don’t really believe in
writer’s block. More often than not, if you get stalled, it just
means you forced the characters into a situation that wasn’t
right for them, and you need to figure it out. The creative part
of writing is a more important part than the actual typing, so I
don’t think it’s a “block” of any kind.
Do you use outlines, notebooks, character
sketches etc?
As I write, I jot
down things – town name, time of year, day of the week, type of
car, hair color, etc… A lot of my books turn into series –
whether I want them to or not. So I have to keep track of the
details as I use them. But I always start a book free and clear
of preconceived notions. I know my hero and heroine, and I know
that first scene. The characters take over after that.
How do you sell your next project? Do you
pitch ideas to your editor or write a partial?
These days I get
a contract for 2 or 3 or however many books. My advance is
broken up into 4 parts. I get paid for signing the contract,
paid again when I send in a proposal, but my proposals are now a
paragraph, and in some cases, a quick conversation with the
editor. I get paid for the full manuscript upon acceptance, and
then again when the book is published.
Do you still get rejection letters?
A few weeks ago I
could have said no. But now that I’ve ventured into a new genre,
I can say YES. I recently sold a series of very different ideas.
I call them horror, but my publisher says they’re more urban
fantasy – whatever that means. They’re blood and gore and slash
and dash stories, related by a stand-alone female character.
Publishers were
interested, but they all wanted my stand-alone character to have
a larger peer group… sort of like the vampires or witches do. I
said no, because that’s not how I envision her. She’s very much
alone in the world and in her ability. There will be some
romance, but it’s not the focus of the series, and won’t be
“finalized” until the last book of the series, which I think
will be book 5. (Then I’ll move on to a new horror-ish idea that
I have.) Berkley, bless them, trusted me to make it work and
bought the series. After writing 60+ books, it’s nice to be
trusted.
J
I’ll be finishing
the first horror after my next romance, and then I’ll be
rotating them, writing a romance, a horror, a romance, a horror,
etc… We expect the first horror to be out in early to mid 08,
and they’ll be written under L.L. Foster.
What advice would you give people seeking
publication?
Don’t try to
target the market. Write the books that are demanding to be
written, because the only thing original, the only thing catchy
enough to make it in this business, is your voice. Create your
own niche, your own trend. Or write what’s already being
written, but do it YOUR way.
Also, avoid
critique groups. I know that everyone in a critique group will
swear by theirs and insist on staying. :::shrug::: But my advice
is to get out. Group by committee, no matter how subtle the
committee might be, is still a watering hole for your voice.
What do you think are new trends in romance
publishing?
I don’t pay much
attention to trends, or even to business in general. I write
because I love writing, and if I worried too much about the #s
or trends or fluctuations in the market, all the fun would be
sucked away.
Having said that,
I’d avoid trends because they tend to be short lived. Too many
authors have a great career going then BAM – it comes to a
screeching halt. Not because their talent waned, but because a
trend ended.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever
received?
Hmmm… Well, the
one I remember most is that you should never start a book that
you don’t HAVE to finish. Too many newer authors get caught up
in writing one proposal after another, because their proposals
are being rejected. The thing is, finished books are almost
always different from a proposal. If you find your editor
dissatisfied with your proposals, send her only finished books
instead. Yeah, yeah, I know. Some will say they don’t want to
“waste time writing books that won’t sell.” I say that finishing
a book is never a waste. You learn from each book, and refine
your talent and hone your voice. And at some point in your
career, those finished books probably will sell!
What’s next for Lori Foster?
I’m having a ball
with my “Fighter series.” I’m a huge fan of the UFC (Ultimate
Fighting Championship) and PRIDE (Japanese version). So
currently my books are using the sport as a backdrop. They
aren’t about fights, but more about how that career has helped
to mold the heroes. I’m calling my fight organization the SBC
because while I love the UFC and I know a lot about it, I’m sure
there’s a lot I don’t know and I would never want to err and
insult any fighter with my ignorance.
The research has
been a blast, and I’ve even gotten to talk with some fighters
via email. (Watch for an interview that’ll appear on my
website.) Recently, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre (from Canada) won
the welterweight championship belt, and thanks to a
reader-friend in CA, I have a photo of him holding one of my
books! How cool is that?
February 07 will
be “Causing Havoc” from Berkley, and then in August 07 will be
“Simon Says.” In between those will be several reissues from
Harlequin, and in Oct 07 I’ll have a new novella out with
Kensington, called “I’m Your Santa.”
Maxi Michaels first single title
romantic comedy and Clendon finalist entry “Talking Sex” was
also a finalist in Lori’s erotic contest some years ago.
Maxi Michaels is the pen name for Maxine Sullivan, who
also writes under her own name for Silhouette Desire.
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