Interview with Lisa Desrochers

What kind of books do you read for fun ??

Anything and everything. Because I write for teens, most of my reading is YA, but I enjoy all kinds of things.

How did you get into writing ??

My daughter is an insatiable bookworm. In the summer of 2008, I got the crazy notion to write her a book for her birthday. Without telling a soul, I wrote her a 120K word romantic thriller. I never intended to write anything else, but I caught the writing bug and couldn’t stop.

Do you have another job besides writing ??

I have two, actually. My day job is running my physical therapy practice. My weekend job is teaching medical seminars all over the world and my night job is writing.

Chocolate or Vanilla ??

Chocolate, usually.

Ereader or Book ??

I just got an e-reader for Christmas, but I haven’t had much time to read, since I just finished up book three of the Personal Demons trilogy and have another WIP that’s calling to me, not to mention first pass pages for Original Sin. I downloaded a few books so I’m eager to try it out when I get the chance. For the last few months, I’ve only had time for audiobooks because I can listen to them in the car to and from work or shuttling the kids.

Barnes Noble or Indie book store ??

We have one tiny Indie where I live that is struggling to survive. She has a very limited selection, but when I can, I support her because she’s the only one in this entire area.

best experience with a fan ??

On Personal Demons release day, a Twitterer/blogger who goes by Momo came to see me when I was signing at the Modesto Barnes and Noble. She was totally sweet and has become one of Personal Demons biggest promoters. (Love my local bloggers :p)

Was it hard to get into the publishing world ??

Although I took the traditional path, my timeline isn’t anything resembling traditional. When I wrote Personal Demons in 2009, I had no idea what I was doing. I did a ton of research on line and figured out what I needed to do to submit to agents. I spend days on blogs like Nathan Bransford’s and read every successful query letter I could find. I drafted my query, then I did a ton of research on agents to be sure I was submitting to the right ones. In June and July I sent 21 queries. Twelve agents requested manuscripts and four offered representation. I spent September in revisions with my truly fabulous agent and we went on submission in October. Personal Demons sold at auction on December 21, 2009 and Macmillan crashed it into their September list.

Whats on your night stand ??

Liar Society (Sourcebooks 2011) by Lisa and Laura Roecker, and on my virtual nightstand (my computer hard drive) I have Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire #2/Katherine Tegen 2012) by Courtney Moulton, Luststruck (Little Brown 2011) by Kody Keplinger, A Touch Mortal (Harper Teen 2011) by Leah Clifford and False Memory (Hyperion 2012) by Dan Krokos which no one has heard of yet, but just wait. I’m halfway through all of them. O_O

Favorite color ??

At the moment, green…I think.

What do watch on TV ??

Nothing. Who has time?

writing and kids ? How do you do it

Sleep is overrated.

What are you working on right now ??

As I mentioned, I just handed off Personal Demons, book three to my fabulous critique partner, Andrea Cremer (Nightshade, Philomel 2010), so I’m immersed in a new WIP that I’m loving. It’s a YA urban fantasy, but that’s all I can say about it at the moment.

Bloggers and books ?? Do they help with book buzz ??

Absolutely! I just had a fun cover reveal on 12/1 for Original Sin where I had nine bloggers who have been ultra supportive of Personal Demons reveal the cover for me. I ran it in conjunction with a contest for an Original Sin ARC on my blog and sent readers to theirs to see the cover. Readers got points for leaving comments on each blogger’s posts, and I think they all got several new followers that day. :p

Music playlists ?? whats on yours ??

Oh, lots! I always include the two or three songs that shaped the book in acknowledgements. Right now, I’m into my Original Sin and book three playlists which both include The Fray, Breaking Benjamin, and Three Days Grace among others. One of the main songs from book three is Rewind by Pillar. Totally stuck in my head.

Does being in California or Northern California affect the story ??

Actually, no. I set Personal Demons in my old stomping grounds in the Boston suburbs. I have others that are set in California, but nothing that’s published yet =)

I read the book and did enjoy the story, but I passed the book along to my friend Brenda to enjoy. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.