12/3/2008
Interview with Novelist Lillie Ammann
Today it is my pleasure to present my interview with author Lillie Ammann about her recently published novel, Dream or Destiny. Thank you, Lillie, for sharing your thoughts on your book’s theme and the craft of writing. For me, your words of wisdom are just about as fascinating as the book itself!
As the chemistry between Marilee and David builds, both remain fully committed to a chaste relationship. Do readers comment that the characters are “old fashioned”? How would you respond to that comment?
No one has mentioned this to me, perhaps because many of the people who have commented on Dream or Destiny consider it a Christian novel. The book wasn’t written specifically for the Christian market, but David and Marilee are Christians, and their “old fashioned” behavior is in keeping with their belief system. The book does fit the criteria for a “sweet” romance, in which the emphasis is on the emotional rather than the physical relationship, and many readers prefer this.
Regarding the structure of your book, I notice the chapters are of roughly even length. Sometimes a chapter represents a clear break in the action; other times it does not. As a writer, I’m curious about why you broke the chapters where you did.
In general, I tried to break at a point that would make the reader want to keep reading. I’ve heard that you should never end a chapter with the character going to bed—the reader will think that sounds like a good idea and do the same thing. You want to end the chapter in a place where the reader just can’t stop reading even though she promised herself she would quit when she got to the end of the chapter. Just as a writer should begin the story with a hook, she should end each chapter with a hook.
There’s nothing wrong with having chapters of varying lengths, but I tend to prefer chapters to be about equal. So I look for a hook within about a five-page range to break the chapter.
The way you combine a traditional romance with psychologically complex and, frankly, disturbing characters is powerful. Why did you make many of your characters so damaged? I get the feeling there was more to it than shock value.
I didn’t set out to create damaged characters. When I started writing, all I knew was that Marilee had a dream about a murder that really happened. I had no idea any of the characters would have problems, but they introduced themselves to me and told me their stories. I just portrayed them in the book as they presented themselves to me.
Where do you find inspiration for your characters?
Marilee was inspired by a real person. I saw a TV documentary about a woman who uses her psychic dreams to help the police solve crimes. She doesn’t dream about the actual crimes—she dreams about where a body is buried or where a suspect is hiding. But when I watched that show, I wondered, What if she dreamed about the crime itself? Marilee was born from that wondering.
All of the other characters just appeared on the scene of their own accord. None of them came from anything or anyone in my own experience. One reviewer, who is also an attorney and an advocate for domestic violence victims, asked me if I had personal experience with domestic violence. She was surprised when I answered that I hadn’t—she said David’s psychological reactions were so true-to-life that she was convinced only someone who had been abused herself or who was very close to a victim of abuse could have written the story.
I had no idea there would be any domestic violence in the book when I started writing. People who aren’t writers probably think this is really weird, but I know many other authors have similar experiences where the characters take over and tell their own story. I did do research on domestic violence after David showed up. I read a lot of first-person stories, and that is probably why I captured the psychological reactions as well as I did.
All of the other characters came to me in a similar way—appearing in the story and telling me their background.
People are often surprised to hear I didn’t learn who the murderer was until it was about time for him to be unveiled, but I didn’t.
Who are some of your favorite authors? What are you reading right now?
I always have a couple of books going at one time—one in the Kindle and one in the eBookWise reader. I read the Kindle in bright light and the eBookWise in low light. Right now, I’m reading Murder Takes the Cake by Gayle Trent in the eBookWise, with a collection of Mark Twain short stories next. In the Kindle, I’m reading Mike Huckabee’s Do the Right Thing; Laughs from Corn Country by Ron Berry is next in line.
Because poor vision makes it difficult for me to read print, I read e-books almost exclusively, though the book I just finished was a hardback that had text large enough for me to read. I’m reviewing that book, Santa’s Angels by Janet Kaderli, on my blog today, as a matter of fact.
Some of my favorite well-known authors are Debbie Macomber, Francine Rivers, Nora Roberts, and Tess Gerritsen. My clients, including David Bowles, Grace Anne Schaefer, Patricia Eytcheson Taylor & James Taylor, and James Michael Doughty, are all among my favorites. I always do a small sample edit before taking on a new client and won’t edit a book I don’t like.
I just finished reading A Village Shattered by Jean Henry Mead, and I’m interviewing one of the characters from the book next week on my blog. Some of my favorite e-book authors are Betty Sullivan LaPierre and Vickie Britton & Loretta Jackson. Of course, as a mystery lover, I’m an Agatha Christie fan, and as a Christian, I’m a C.S. Lewis fan.
OK, I’m going to stop now though I haven’t named everyone I love.
Your novel is infused with a positive Christian message. Yet, at the same time, you had the courage to depict the worst possible perversion of Christianity imaginable. How has that creative choice been received by your Christian and non-Christian readers?
Everyone has been very encouraging. In fact, Father Jerry Sherbourne, who was my priest before he joined the Army as a chaplain, called me after reading the book. He said it should be in every Christian book store in the country. He’s a big C.S. Lewis fan, and he has a favorite quote that I’m paraphrasing because I don’t have the exact wording in front of me: What the world needs is not more Christian books but more books of all kinds written by Christians.
Your negative portrayal of the media rings true in these days of rampant sensationalism and what I call financial pornography. Do you think you will apply your online experiences in future novels to show how social media can combat such things? I was really hoping Marilee and David would blog and Twitter their way out of trouble!
I didn’t set out to portray the media badly, and I know all journalists aren’t sensationalists. In fact, one of my clients is a TV reporter who is remarkably caring and sensitive. But he and his counterparts didn’t show up to tell me they were part of my story. Instead Delia Elgin and her ilk made their presence known.
The first draft of Dream or Destiny was actually written about ten years ago, before I ever heard of social media. I had to make some revisions in the story to account for changes in technology and society in the intervening years, but I didn’t add social media or anything else completely new to the story.
My next two books will be about Bonita and Tess. I don’t intend to take ten years to get them published, so I’m sure the media will be more current. I may even have to try Twitter to be able to write about it intelligently! I’ll see where the characters lead me.
A number of Word Sell readers are fiction writers and aspiring novelists. What advice would you offer them?
Never give up. Keep working to improve your craft and keep submitting your work. As I said, it took ten years and many re-writes before Dream or Destiny was published.
One study of first-time published romance writers a few years ago showed that on average the authors had been writing for seven years and had completed seven manuscripts before making their first sale. Publishing has become even more competitive since then—the number of books published each year increases exponentially because writers have so many more options today.
Some authors may want to consider the alternatives—if you can’t get in the door of the big New York publishers, look at regional small presses, e-publishers, even self-publishing. These options aren’t right for everyone, and unfortunately too many writers choose them out of desperation rather than a careful evaluation of the pros and cons.
If you choose a small press or e-publisher, be sure the publishing company is reputable and produces quality books. If you decide to self-publish, invest in professional editing and cover design. Too many authors self-publish because they don’t want anyone telling them what to do, and the books they produce do not meet acceptable quality standards.
Each author has to decide for himself if these alternatives are appropriate for him and his book.
Most of all, the author has to believe in himself and in his story.
__________________
Lillie, again, thank you. It was a real pleasure reading your book.
Thank you, Brad. I’m so glad you enjoyed the book. I’ve had fun with this interview, and I’ll check back during the day to answer questions and respond to comments.
_______________________________________________________
Lillie Ammann always dreamed of writing “someday.” A devastating stroke made her realize she didn’t know how many “somedays” she had. As soon as she was physically able, she started writing. In 1996, she sold her interior landscape company to a large national corporation and started her new career as a freelance writer and editor. Dream or Destiny is her second novel; her first, Stroke of Luck, is available as an e-book from GASLight Publishing. Lillie lives in San Antonio, Texas with Jack, her husband of more than four decades. She blogs at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye.
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31 Responses to Interview with Novelist Lillie Ammann
Lillie,
Wow! Ten years working on your book – I bet you had a wonderful feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment to see it finally published.
Andrews last blog post..Why firms should pay bills on time
Brad,
Thanks for inviting me to Word Sell. You asked some thought-provoking questions. I look forward to answering questions and responding to comments.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Review: Santa’s Angels by Janet Kaderli
Andrew,
Yes, it is a thrill to see Dream or Destiny in print after the long journey. You see why my advice to aspiring writers is to persevere and to believe in themselves and their work!
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Review: Santa’s Angels by Janet Kaderli
Good early morning, Lillie – Once again I’d like to recommend your book to readers who enjoy a suspense-filled mystery!
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Interview with Novelist Lillie Ammann
Pingback: Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell : Lillie Ammann, Writer & Editor
A tip o’ the hat to ya, Lillie! I’m proud to know ya!
I’m so glad your 10-year (gasp!) journey to get this book published has been successful. It does sound like an interesting tale.
Oh, and congratulations, Brad – this is one of the very few “interview with an author” posts I’ve read all the way through! Must be some kinda record…
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..Guest Post: The Year I Learned There Really Is A Santa
Hi Robert, Why, thank you. My secret is to find interesting people to interview!
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Interview with Novelist Lillie Ammann
Robert,
Thanks for the tip o’ the hat. As for that 10-year journey, well … I like to think of myself as persistent, but most people just call me stubborn.
Brad,
I appreciate being called interesting, but you have to get credit for asking questions that people want to know.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Review: Santa’s Angels by Janet Kaderli
Lillie,
thanks for the Interview! For me it was very interesting to read that you read mostly e-books. What do you think about the Kindle? I heard about it here in Germany, but I don’t think it is already sold here (but I will check amazon.de).
Ulla Hennigs last blog post..The Color Blue
Ulla,
I love the Kindle though there are a few things I’d like to see changed. The e-ink technology is wonderful, very crisp and easy to read, and the font can be made quite large. The downside is that it is not backlit so I can’t use it in low light. I keep my eBookWise reader and use it in low light and the Kindle in bright light. Also, the button configuration could be improved to make it easy to hold and navigate.
When Dream or Destiny came out in the Kindle edition, I wrote a review of the Kindle on my blog. If you want a more extensive description of what I like and what I don’t, you may want to read the review: http://lillieammann.com/2008/10/25/kindle/
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell
Hi,
I am a lurker here b and found the inteerview intereestingg.
I am a great fan of kindle and have solved the lighting problem by buying a slick product from http://www.pperisccopelight.com.
I hope you can raead this becaue the leteters are not coming out right here. sorry.
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gl hoffman,
The link to the light for the Kindle doesn’t work. Whatever is causing the extra/repeated letters in your text also caused the same problem in the link. It should be http://www.periscopelight.com
I had looked at this recently but hesitated to order it for two reasons:
1) I’m not sure I want to read with the Kindle in a case. I like holding it with one hand—I usually read when I’m eating, and I need the other hand for the fork.
Can you hold the device in the case with the light in one hand? Especially in an arthritic hand?
2) It’s pretty expensive at $50, and I want to be sure I’ll use it before spending that kind of money.
It just doesn’t look comfortable to hold, but maybe I’m wrong.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell
Wonderful interview, Lillie and Brad. Lillie’s book just arrived from Amazon.com and I can’t wait to read it. Thanks for mentioning my recent release, A Village Shattered, Lillie. It came out last week is already #1 on the Fictionwise-ePress sales chart, due, I’m sure to my blog tour now in progress. I’m looking forward to the print version later this month.
Jean,
Thanks for following me on my tour and for buying Dream or Destiny.
Your tireless promotion is certainly contributing to the success of your book. You’re everywhere leaving comments and reminding people of your tour. I’m glad it’s doing well and I look forward to hosting you next week.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell
Joining twitter sounds like a wonderful idea! I have written a lot about twitter. Here are a couple posts that give a little more info and hopefully encourage you to try it out.
http://luke.gedeon.name/what-is-twitter-anyway.html
http://luke.gedeon.name/ask-luke-on-twitter-memes-rss-and-building-community.html
Luke Gedeons last blog post..Barack Obama is a media machine
Luke,
I’ve really been resistant to Twitter for some reason. I’ll have to read your posts and learn more about it. I keep thinking it’s a big time waster, and I waste plenty of time already! But I know a lot of people use it productively so maybe I could too.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell
Hi Lillie – another great interview. One thing I find quite difficult is getting characters so much in my head that I have to think like them. I find that quite depressing sometimes – especially when they have real problems. Do you have that problem too? Writing about murder must be quite difficult.
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Twitter is a lot like discussions around the water cooler, greeting a friend on the street or any other quick informal conversation in a public place. It is common courtesy to reply if someone talks directly to you. Otherwise you just join the conversations that are going on at the time you stop by. Or start a new one. There is no need to go back and catch up with all that was said an hour ago. As a matter of fact if you do reply to a general comment (one not directed at you) made more than an hour ago I may not know what you are talking about.
The key to enjoying twitter is finding the right water-cooler (i.e. the right people to follow). You have it easy since a lot of “the tribe” are already on twitter. Follow them and then when they start talking to someone you are not already following, look at their history and see if you want to add them. Only follow people you find interesting.
Twitter can be great or it can be a time sink, depending entirely on who you choose to talk to.
Luke Gedeons last blog post..Barack Obama is a media machine
Brad and Lillie,
What a wonderful interview! Brad, you’ve asked very unique and insightful questions which really brought this interview to life for your readers. And Lillie, as always, you’ve provided very wise and informative responses.
Many thanks to you both for an interview that presents a great deal of new and intriguing information–despite the three weeks of book tour stops (from Lillie’s earlier tour) that preceded it! (I just love when an interviewer approaches an interview from a unique angle, exploring the “less-usual” aspects of a topic and asking creative questions that haven’t been covered by everyone else!)
Bravo!
Jeanne
Wow, it’s great to see such a wide ranging discussion! It’d be great to see Lillie on Twitter … imagine if she could add social media into the mix for her next novel.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Interview with Novelist Lillie Ammann
Cath,
Yes, if you’re really involved in the story, you do feel what the characters feel. It can get you down or you can want to solve the characters’ problems. I had to keep writing to find out who the murderer was. My characters were so determined to tell their story that it wasn’t an option not to tell it.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell
Luke,
Thanks for that explanation of Twitter. It’s a great description and helps me understand it better.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell
Jeanne,
Brad did a great job of coming up with a different angle. I thought every possible question had been asked on the earlier tour—you asked so many great ones yourself that I wasn’t sure there was anything else to say. But Brad did get me thinking again.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell
Brad,
If my characters use social media to solve the next crime, the credit will go to you and the tribe.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell
Brad,
Thanks for inviting me to visit Word Sell, for your thought-provoking questions, and for being such a gracious host.
Thanks to all “the tribe” and everyone who stopped by to say hello. I appreciate the suggestions, questions, and encouragement. You may see me on Twitter one of these days.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at Word Sell
Pingback: Sunday Snippets 2008-12-7 - Luke Gedeon
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Alena
http://www.smallbusinessavenues.com
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Alena,
I agree that Brad has a great blog, and I too enjoy reading it. I’m honored that you would leave your first comment here on my interview!
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Christmas Giving
Hi Alena, Thanks for reading Word Sell! There are many blogs I enjoy reading but don’t know what to say in a comment, so I know how you feel. Anyway, good to hear from you.
Lillie, Your interview got a lot of people talking and thinking. Much fun.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Troublesome Words Explained by Bill Bryson
Hi,
thanks for the information.
Cv interview questions
Stone,
I think you’re promoting questions for a different kind of interview–a job interview, not an author interview. Hope you enjoyed the post anyway.
Lillie Ammanns last blog post..500 Posts … Now What?