Interview with Judy Serrano!!

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Hello lovelies!! Are you ready for another splendiferous guest on The Lindsay Show? Today I have the fantabulous Judy Serrano with me to talk about her latest romantic suspense. Grab your coffee or tea (I think I'll go with pumpkin spice tea today) and let's gets started!!

Interview

First of all, thank you so much for joining me, Judy! I love romantic suspense almost as much as paranormal romance so I can't wait to hear more about your book, Memoirs of a Mobster!!

Thank you Lindsay, for inviting me to visit with you on your blog today. I look forward to being able to share with you and your readers some information about my latest novel in my romantic suspense series, Memoirs of a Mobster.

Let me start by saying, I love your title :) So, when did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I have wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl. As a matter of fact, my mother recently found a book I wrote when I was 12 years old titled, “I am an author.” Although that specific piece of literature starred many of my elementary school friends as superheroes and dragon slayers, it was interesting to see that my imagination was still a little crazy, even back then.

Oh, wow! That must've been so much fun to discover and flip through! What has been the most difficult part about being a writer?
Certainly finding time to sit down and type is the most difficult part about being a writer for me. I have four children (all boys) and their schedules keep me hopping. They are very good about leaving me alone if they find me hiding behind my MacBook but I am often on the go.

Yeesh, with four boys I don't know how you ever find the time to sit down! You must have them very well trained :) Who are your favorite authors?
I would say that I mostly have favorite books, rather than favorite authors. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Beautiful Disaster, by Jamie McGuire, and The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris are of my favorite reads so far. However, that being said, anything by Stephanie Tyler or Maya Banks is a guaranteed enjoyable read for me.

I adored The Hunger Games and love Stephanie Tyler and Maya Banks! I'll need to check out those other authors :) What authors inspire you?
Nora Roberts and Stephanie Tyler probably inspired me the most as far as genre types. My first book, Easter’s Lilly, is a romantic suspense but not in the traditional sense. I love Nora’s tasteful love scenes and Stephanie’s powerful action-packed suspense, and I think I have managed to come up with a style somewhere in the middle. Of course the author’s that I mentioned above, gave me hope because they all write in the first person, which I do as well. Jamie McGuire, who began as a self-published author, inspired me to continue on my path.

That's awesome. I think Nora inspired me in a way because I've always loved her books and had read more of her books than anyone else's. Do you like to plan your scenes out or do you just wing it?
I wish I could outline my books, sit down and follow the outline, but that is simply not the case. My characters drive me to their own destination. I will often be sound asleep and find myself haunted by dreams of storylines. Often I have to get up and start typing.

That's exactly what it's like for me. I just can't seem to plan, yet if you put me in front of my computer and start typing, it magically happens. What type of books do you like to read?
I prefer books told in the first person. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s just a more personal read. At least it is for me. I love a good romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. For me the most important element in a book is the alpha male and his relationship to the main character. I love strong male characters.

Nothing wrong with first person, although I personally prefer third person. Completely agree about loving alpha male characters. What do you like to do in your free time?
Free time… what’s that? Actually, all kidding aside, I play guitar and sing and do that for our church from time to time. I love to jog and play sports with my family. Of course I love to read whenever I can and spend a little time on my social media playing word games. Yes, I know… I never get tired of creating words.

Haha I know, right? There's just never enough free time in the day! Where is your favorite place to vacation?

My family and I often go to a nearby lake and stay in a cabin for a few days. My oldest son enjoys fishing and the rest of us enjoy playing some board games and sitting around a camp fire, eating smores. Sometimes just getting away from the daily grind is all we need.

Oh, that sounds lovely. It must be so peaceful and quiet! Do you have any special holiday traditions?

Tradition is my middle name. Christmas is certainly my favorite holiday. We cut down our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, put out the stocking Christmas Eve and open the presents Christmas morning. I always prepare a spread of Hors d’oeuvres and we eat a bit before opening their gifts. It is quite a day.

Wow, that sounds fantastic! Can I come over lol? Why did you choose to write romantic suspense?

I love romance, but for me, they have to be exciting. I love suspense, but I need the romantic storyline. So, I simply combined the two. It was an accident really. If I had to choose a genre for Lilly it would be love in the afternoon. I have been told that my Easter’s Lilly Series is very “soapy.”

That's exactly how I am. I love my suspense, but it must have that romantic storyline for it to satisfy me. What has been the most fun about working on your books?
There are so many things, I don’t know where to begin. I love meeting new authors and learning about their journeys. I love meeting my readers. There is nothing more satisfying than someone telling you that they never used to read until they read your books. I must say that creating new characters and escaping into their lives for a brief moment in time has certainly been a huge part of the excitement.

OMG that must feel so good to know that you've helped someone discover the joys of reading!! I'm so happy for you! What has been the hardest scene for you to write?
Without giving too much away, I’m going to say a death scene. I grow very attached to my characters and killing even one of them off is very painful for me. I have made myself cry while writing them on occasion. I know… silly.

Aww, I don't think that's silly at all. Characters become members of the family in a way, and it must be so hard to kill one of them in your story. I will have to write a death scene and I already know I'm probably going to be sobbing through it lol. It helps convey the emotions I think. Do you have any favorite characters?
I have to admit that I was routing for Hector in the love triangle that he was involved in. Like I said before, I don’t tell my characters who to choose, they tell me. I even have a T-shirt with the cover of the first book on it that says, “Team Hector.” Yes, I do.

Lol that's awesome. I think I've seen a pic of that t-shirt actually because it sounds familiar. How did you come up with the premise for your books?
Usually I will have a dream of a new book idea and then when I start to write, it takes on a life of its own. But my latest idea came to me when I was out for a run. I looked over and saw someone in a yard as I was passing and an idea sprung into my mind. Hmmm… a traditional romance novel? I may just give it a try.

Love it! Dreams can be such a wealth of inspiration. Tell me more about your upcoming release, Memoirs of a Mobster.
Memoirs of a Mobster is told from the point of view of Lilly’s oldest son, Diego Montiago Jr. He shed light on what happened when Relatively Close left you hanging by a thread. He tells the story of his and his mother’s life as the organization that he has been groomed to run, engulfs him and his family. It has love, sex, crime and deceit. You won’t want to miss it.

Is this a continuation of your series featuring Easter’s Lilly, Brother Number Three, and Relatively Close? If not, is it the start of a new series?

Yes, it is book 4 of the series. There is a young adult spin-off of the series waiting in the wings, also told from Diego Jr,’s perspective but as a teenager. I have the book after that halfway written and at least one more after that. I haven’t decided when to close the door on her or even if I will for quite a while.

Awesome!! Now I have four new books to add to my TBR pile! After everything you've said, I cannot wait to get started on your books!! What's next for you?

I am getting ready to publish an urban fantasy novel called, Ivy Vines, Visions. It is about a girl who gets psychic powers from playing with a Ouija board. She finds out that her greater purpose is to help stop the antichrist and finds herself in love with a very powerful man. It promises to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Oh, that sounds so great!! I'll definitely be checking that out when it's released. Anything else you want your readers to know?
Yes. Thank you so much to those of you who have supported me and have been reading my series. Of course, without you, there would be no story to tell.

I also write parenting articles and book reviews with author interviews for Examiner.com.

You can find my books at

 www.JudySerrano.com

Amazon.com

Barnesandnoble.com

Blog

Facebook

Thank you so much for stopping by today, Judy! I've loved getting to know you better and finding some fantastic books to read :)

 Memoirs of a Mobster...Buy it Now!

 Diego Montiago Jr. was groomed to run the largest criminal organization in both the United States and Mexico by the kingpin of the syndicate himself, who also happens to be his uncle. With no conscience or remorse he becomes a true killer with a reputation that keeps most people at a distance. The betrayal of his high school sweetheart sends Diego into a tailspin, which causes him never to expect love to be a feasible addition to his world. During a lavish birthday party for his mother, his best friend and cousin decides to collect on an overdue debt. Little does he know that this exchange will change him forever.   In book four of the series Diego Jr. continues to protect his family and fill the shoes of the former Mexican Godfather, Diego Montiago Sr. His real father, who is the kingpin of the rival organization, begins his deceitful attack, causing Diego to choose his allegiance. The organization engulfs his life and the lives of those around him as the siblings begin to realize that things are not even close to what they appear to be. Will love find Diego Montiago after all? Only time will tell.