Author Interview with L.G. O’Connor + Giveaway!

I’m a big believer that there are no coincidences, but honestly,
six years ago, if anyone would’ve told me that I’d write a novel someday, much
less five (some aren’t published yet), I would’ve told them they needed a
psychiatric evaluation J I
have an MBA, not an MFA. In high school, I chose Calculus over English, because
that’s how much I disliked writing. Then again, it’s been the things I’ve
fought against most that have sucked me in kicking and screaming, and have
formed the base for my life’s success. I guess this is just another one of
those things.

Other random things: I was a competitive figure skater in high
school; I practice Reiki healing; I collect antiques; I’ve read thousands of
books over my lifetime; I have two four-legged children, my whippets Chloe and
Nevada. Chloe stars as my heroine’s canine companion in the series.

My characters come alive! I love them all, good and bad. When
they take over and start driving, that’s when my writing is at its best. They
constantly surprise me. 

At the time I started writing the series (2009), there wasn’t as
much out with angels, at least in the adult category. I’m a voracious reader of
paranormal and urban fantasy, and mostly everything I was reading at the time
was vampires in both YA & adult. I guess I’m drawn more to the light even
though I don’t avoid the darkness in my series. Also, I wanted to create a
story based on real biblical lore and use it as a springboard for my world
building. Plus, I’ve always been fascinated by angels. Giving them the added
burden of making them human creates an interesting internal conflict. 

Thanks! Derek Murphy of CreativIndie. He’s awesome, and quite
the busy guy lately! I’ve worked with him for several years now, and he
designed the covers for my unreleased series as well. He’s also done some of
Joanna Penn’s covers, and is used by many indies.

Originally, I wrote this series for the young adults who have
aged out of Happy Potter, Twilight, and the rest of the hot young adult series
over the last five years. The themes are similar with older characters in the
new adult phase of life. I released the YA adaptation specifically to capture a
new younger audience (13+) who can grow with the series (there are a total of 5
books), as well as adults who like YA because it is relatively free from
explicit love scenes. I also went out of my way to remove the profanity that’s in
the adult version of the series. This way, as the audience ages or their
preferences change, they can choose which version to read—new adult or young
adult.

In the first draft of Trinity Stones, there was a love triangle
that emerged on the page between Cara and Brett. Their chemistry was red hot
and I couldn’t ignore it, so I let it go and he was part of the cast for the
whole second half of the book. My editor basically made me rip him out. Big
pout. Brett stayed in one scene, but his story was pushed to book 2. He actually
opens The Wanderer’s Children vs. Cara. I have to say, my editor was right. It
detracted from Cara’s romance with Simon. Rewriting the series without that was
hard (I had already started writing the next book which had to undergo a major
rewrite because of it), but I couldn’t avoid some attraction in book 2 – but it’s
there now for a different reason.

Ah! Yes. First off, there is nothing sexier to me than a man who
can cook – and I don’t just mean cook, I mean cook. Even better when it comes in an unexpected package. Simon, my
hero, has a soft side that I love, and he gives himself to people through his
food. Painting is his other passion. In his heart of hearts, he’d love to open
a restaurant, but that doesn’t fit well with his mission to help Cara save
mankind. When he was at his lowest, he left the Guardianship to escape for a
while. That’s when he pursued his love of food. I love a beta hero with the
right amount of alpha. Simon makes cooking masculine and alpha, yet it gives
him a sensitive touch.

My favorite quote is the tagline: “There are no coincidences,
only destinies to be fulfilled”
But my favorite scene, is toward the end of the book after Cara
has an emotional confrontation with Simon, and ends up on the roof deck with
Zeke—a young and irreverent Guardian who gives her some unexpected relationship
advice. That scene is not only pivotal for Cara, but has some fabulous dialogue
that gives us other revelations and this great sense of Zeke who is while Cara
takes a hard look at herself. 

I didn’t know enough to be afraid 🙂

Two things: genetics, since this series has a blended sci-fi
(light, not hard core) and urban fantasy theme; and biblical angel lore. I
found some great research sites on angels in addition to books already in my
personal library, in addition to the translated Books of Enoch online.
 I had to refresh all my genetics research for the prequel
novella, Hope’s Prelude, which launches in May. That had a much heavier
genetics focus than the initial book, since the main character is the scientist
who started it all.

I’m in the middle of a few books, and starting a few more. Some
for my blog, and other’s for pleasure. Here are the books I’m currently
reading:
On the slow burn reading
list:The Fiery Cross (Diana
Gabaldon) – Historical Time TravelThe Pact (Karina Halle)
– New AdultThe King (J.R. Ward) –
Paranormal Romance Reading with the intent
to finish fast:As White as Snow (Salla
Simukka) – YA NoirMidnight Betrayal
(Melinda Leigh) – Romantic Suspense Next up: A Vampire’s
Soul (Carla Susan Smith) and Red Carpet Day Job, my writer friend, Tasha
Cotter’s debut novel.

A story that won’t let me stop writing it

I have a full-time job, so I write at nights and on weekends.
So, I’m usually eating at least one meal or having a cup of coffee as I’m
writing.

I wish I had a super secret thing!

It would have to be book to TV series, and that is Outlander –
by far 🙂

In YA, it would be Tris and Four in the Divergent Trilogy, and
in adult fiction, Claire and Jamie Fraser in the Outlander series.

Harry Potter 🙂