Introducing Elizabeth…

Elizabeth Loraine grew up in a small Northern Minnesota town, married her high school sweetheart and raised two children. In 1984 they moved their family to Florida where they still live today. She was a secretary and later a decorative painter.

Two years ago at the age of 52, with children settled she embarked on a new career, with a simple idea and a quest to write books where strong female characters were not waiting to be saved, but the ones doing the saving. With that simple idea Royal Blood Chronicles was born. Now with five books in the series and a new series launched – Phantom Lives – she is having the kind of career in writing she always wished for. When not writing she loves to spend time with her family, traveling, cooking and gardening. For more info, visit her website.

Let the conversation begin!

If you could only write one more book, what would it be about?

Vampires, I love them.

Do you begin with character or plot?

It depends. I usually have a simple idea that turns into a full blown fantasy world with a life of its own. But when writing a series it usually is about the character first, the world has already been built around them. 

Describe your perfect day.

A cool windswept day in Paradise Valley, MT. A long scenic drive to Yellowstone to look for wildlife. A walk into the mountains on a trail that pulls us towards the distant sounds of a hidden waterfall. Later a quiet dinner with my husband, the love of my life. Finally a blanket under the stars with a glass of wine. Sigh. 

What was the best thing that happened to you this weekend?

I think every day you wake up and have your health is a blessing. Life is too short not to cherish every moment and those you love. 

Who inspires you and how are you a bit like them?

My parents were always my greatest inspiration. I learned to work hard, demand respect, and give it, and not take myself too seriously. 

Where do you get your ideas?

From real life, my curiosity about things. History is a great inspiration as well and my favorite. 

What advice would you give young writers?

Write about what you love. Study those authors that you really like and then write. Stay at it, don’t give up. 

What was the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?

I am not very adventurous. I have eaten snails, and buffalo. In Africa we ate ostrich and goat. I thought ostrich would taste like a big turkey but it tasted like beef. 

What do you consider to the most valuable thing you own?

My computer.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Write every day, do your research and take it seriously. 

What one word describes you? Why?

Artistic. I love to write, draw and decorate. 

What would you like your life to look like in ten years?

Just like it is today, doing what I love with a great healthy, happy family around me. 

What’s the first item on your bucket list?

Another thing I learned from my parents was not to wait to do the things you want to do. Find a way to do them now. That’s what we’ve always done. I would to go to the premier of a movie made from one of my books. 

What do you do to recharge your creative batteries?

Gardening. Physical things like that let me relax and solve all the world’s problems. 

What book was the easiest to write?

My first one. Hardest? The first one. I just sat down with a simple idea and started to write. I had no idea where it would lead. 

Do you let anyone read your work-in-progress?

Rarely with the Chronicles. With Phantom Lives I did post a chapter and used someone to see if I was on the right path. 

Outliner or seat-of-the-pantser?

Pantser. I just start to write it leads me where it wants to go from that simple starting idea. 

What element would you add to your writing space if money wasn’t an issue?

Illustrations in color. That would be fun. Fantastically expensive software to do everything. A computer that I could talk to and it would write everything down for me.  

How long do you take to write a book?

I write every day with a word count in mind. About three months. 

Easier to write before or after you were published?

I have no problem writing, it’s all the other things that go along with it that take the most time. Most people have no idea how much time marketing takes and published, or self-published, the marketing is your responsibility for the most part. 

What’s one rule you’re dying to break?

I’d love to sneak out onto a pro-football field during a game and call a couple of plays. 

If this was your last day on Earth, what would you do?

Fix my family a big dinner with all their favorites and recall all our happy memories. 

What initially drew you to writing?

I was frustrated by the lack of strong young female characters in fantasy writing so I decided I would do it myself. 

If you could spend a vacation with three authors, who would they be?

Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling. 

Daily word count?

2000 words.