The Literary Vixen presents…
Joining us today is Lisa Edmonds! Author of the Alice Worth series. Her next release, Heart of Vengeance will release in October 2020!
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was a writer starting at age four! I wrote a one-page story on a sheet of Big Chief tablet paper (with illustrations) about a flower and a rainbow who were friends. My mom still has it somewhere in a box. Both of my parents were librarians and I grew up loving stories of all kinds. I can’t imagine not writing. It’s like breathing for me.
Describe your writing space.
I wrote several books that hopefully stay buried (LOL) before I started working on Heart of Malice (Alice Worth Book 1) in 2015. I’ve published five full-length novels and three novellas since 2017, and my sixth book, Heart of Vengeance, will be out in October 2020. I think it’s my favorite because it’s kind of a buddy road-trip comedy-drama, featuring Alice and her ghost sidekick Malcolm, plus a very motley group of supernatural allies. The cover is also fabulous. Thank you so much to my cover artist and my publisher, City Owl Press, for such great covers.
Describe yourself in three words.
Creative, traveler, true crime addict (that counts as one!)
What are you reading now?
I’m a bit behind on new releases because I’ve been trying to write as much as possible this summer, but I just finished Magic Touch by Luna Joya and I’m about to dive into American Demon by Kim Harrison and then finally Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs. (I told you I was behind!)
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
This has always been a tough question for me to answer. I think Natalie Dormer (with dark hair) would make a perfect Alice. She’s got that sarcastic smile and perfect RBF.
Do you find it more challenging to write the first book in a series or to write the subsequent novels?
Each has their own challenges. The first book has to establish your world, the magic system, the protagonist, the main antagonist, and hook your readers so well that they want to take this journey with you all the way to the end. Each book builds on those before it, and by book 7 (which I’m working on now), I have a dozen running threads, hundreds of characters, and so much to keep track of—not to mention continuing to develop characters in realistic and dynamic ways so they change, evolve, and grow all the way to the end.
Do you hear from your readers? Have you experienced a weird fan girl moment?
I LOVE to hear from readers! I get DMs on Twitter, comments and messages on Facebook, and on Instagram. It’s so amazing that people enjoy my books and want to talk about them—what they loved, WHO they love, and how much they wish the next book was out! It’s always surreal when someone gushes about a scene or a character, or a book as a whole. I just always wanted to write stories people enjoyed, and I love that this series seems to be doing that.
What advice would you give to other authors?
Your stories are important. You have tons of fans out there you don’t know about who love and read your books, but don’t blow up your social media about it. Your story meant something very important to people you don’t know. That’s magical. Also, at this moment, almost everyone I know is struggling to express themselves creatively. Writers, artists, designers, musicians…we’re all struggling. If you are struggling to create right now, you are not alone, and it is not a failure on your part. Don’t be hard on yourself if the words aren’t happening for you during difficult times. Do what you can when you can, and forgive yourself when you fall short of your goals. Be kind to yourself.
What is the one thing you want people to know about you and your books?
Alice’s journey is about healing and dealing with the trauma of her past. When I first developed the idea of Alice, one central aspect of her character was I wanted her to be real, not so perfect and over-powered that readers can’t identify with her. I wanted her to make mistakes and learn from them. I’ve read hundreds of urban fantasy books and one thing that bugs me to no end is main characters who go through all kinds of violence, trauma, and loss, both in the past and present, and move on as if nothing happened. We all love those strong heroines, but being strong doesn’t mean you’re impervious when bad things happen. Alice is haunted by her past, and by the things she sees and experiences in these books. What happens at the end of Heart of Malice, for example, (no spoilers!) affects her greatly and very nearly derails both her relationships and the career she loves. Her healing process from that, and from all she endured while a prisoner of her grandfather, is the true emotional heart of the series. A number of readers have contacted me to let me know that this representation of trauma and healing is consistent with their own. That’s lovely to hear, because that was as or more important to me than anything else about this series.
Thank you Lisa Edmonds for chatting with me! I will include her information down below. Check out Heart of Malice today!
~Synopsis~
Meet Alice. Private Investigator of the Supernatural.
The first time Moses Murphy’s granddaughter killed on his orders, she was six years old.
For twenty years, she was a prisoner of an organized crime syndicate, forced to use her magic to make Moses the most powerful and feared man on the East Coast. To escape his cruelty, she faked her own death and started a new life as Alice Worth. As a private investigator specializing in cases involving the supernatural, Alice walks a precarious line between atoning for the sins of her grandfather’s cabal and keeping her true identity hidden.
Hired to investigate the disappearance of a mysterious object of power, Alice enlists the help of Malcolm, a ghost running from a past as nightmarish as her own. It soon becomes clear the missing object was taken by someone with a dangerous secret and an unknown agenda. When her client is kidnapped, Alice must find her and the object of power before a vengeful killer destroys the city and slaughters thousands—starting with Alice.
Lisa Edmonds was born and raised in Kansas, and studied English and forensic criminology at Wichita State University. After acquiring her Bachelor’s degree, she considered a career in law enforcement as a behavioral analyst before earning a Master’s from Wichita State and then a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University.
She is currently an associate professor of English at a college in Texas and teaches both writing and literature courses. When not in the classroom, she shares a quiet country home with her husband Bill D’Amico and their cats, and enjoys writing, reading, traveling, spoiling her nephew, and singing karaoke.
Looking for news and updates on the Alice Worth series? Follow Lisa on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter @Edmonds411. Join her reader community on FB or at http://www.LisaEdmonds.com.
The Literary Vixen 