Interview with LaVerne Clark!!

Good morning my lovelies!! It's time for another exciting interview on the Lindsay Show!! Today I have the amazing LaVerne Clark with me! I'm a bit slap happy on lack of sleep, so forgive me if I am a bit weirder than usual today ;) Grab your coffee, tea, or in my case, your IV infusion of caffeine and let's get started!

Stick around after the interview for a special excerpt from LaVerne's book, Affinity!!

Interview

Good morning LaVerne! I'm so glad you could join me today :) When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Even as a young girl, I’ve been a dreamer.  From primary age, I had the most wonderful of teachers who praised my stories and gave me the courage to believe in myself. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but it wasn’t until my early twenties I believed I could.

That's so wonderful that you had that encouragement! I've always been a dreamer too, but most of my teachers never gave me the kinds of fun assignments that would've let me explore my more creative side. What has been the most difficult part about being a writer?

Finding the time J I have two children, one just turned four, so time is the biggest stumbling block at the moment.

Oh boy, I know exactly what you mean! We MUST find a way to freeze time lol. Who are your favorite authors?

Since being published, I have found some wonderful new authors who I know are going to make an impact. Two of my favorites relative newbie’s would have to be Vonnie Davis (she writes ALL romantic genres with a wonderful touch of humor) and Laura Kaye. Both these ladies started with my publisher and have huge careers in front of them.

My other favorites are: Phillipa Gregory, Tess Gerritsen, Linda Howard, Diana Gabaldon and Judith McNaught.

Yes, that's the one thing about meeting so many new authors! My TBR pile grew exponentially haha. What authors inspire you?

I admire the energy and drive Laura Kaye has. On top of writing at least two books a year, she writes informative articles on the writing industry, has a great social media presence AND has two children to care for. Whew!! I’m exhausted just thinking about it! J

Ooo, I'll def be checking her out! So tell me, do you like to plan your scenes out or do you just wing it?

I’m a terrible pantser! I’ll have the general story idea in my head, the beginning, the hero and heroine, their conflict and where I’d like the story to go. Note: I said like. The rest is very organic which is half the fun for me J

That's exactly how I am haha. What type of books do you like to read?

Can’t beat a good thriller or romantic suspense.

Next to paranormal romance, romantic suspense is my favorite genre :) What do you like to do in your free time?

I play social netball, take the dog for a run on the beach (she runs, I watch) with the rest of the family, meet girlfriends for coffee, cook and bake, walk up the mountains and dance around the house with my daughter.

LOL love your description of taking the dog for a run ;) That's totally how I would do it! Where is your favorite place to vacation?

Ireland and the South of France. I’ve only been to both places once, but I fell in love with both countries during that short acquaintance. I’m pretty partial to Tahiti too…sigh…

OMG ok now I'm jealous. You do realize I'm going to be demanding pics from you, right?! Do you have any special holiday traditions?

Our Christmas is in the middle of summer, so our feasts are always spent outside around a barbeque and with a beverage in hand. My family and I fly up to the city where my parents and brothers live and have the most wonderful, loud, raucous time. Lots of reminiscing and laughter. My parents own and run a motel, so there is always room at the inn for us!

That kind of boggles my mind, having Christmas in summer lol. I know it's common for half the world but still, feels weird ;) Why did you choose to write paranormal romance?

The paranormal aspect happened by accident J. I thought I was a straight suspense kind of girl, but now, I’m hooked and seem to be adding a touch of the paranormal to every story I work on.

That's so awesome. Paranormal is so much fun to write! What has been the most fun about working on your books?

I love learning about my characters as I go along. Sometimes they shock me, sometimes they infuriate me, but they always entertain me.

I feel much the same way :) What has been the hardest scene for you to write?

Oh! The end. Always the ending. I have to concentrate on making the scene when the baddie finally gets his comeuppance last the distance. It’s always so tempting to get it over with so the hero and heroine can enjoy their long awaited happy ending, so I need to remind myself it will be more rewarding for them if they have to work that little bit harder for it.

OMG I know! That's the exact situation I just had to deal with in my book. I never thought it'd be so hard haha. Do you have any favorite characters? 

The current book I’m writing features an Aunty of the heroine. She is a Maori woman who is knowledgeable in the way of her culture’s beliefs and heritage but just the littlest bit eccentric and a whole lot sassy J. Gotta love a woman like that.

Ok, now I'm really intrigued. I really want to read your books, especially now that I've got a smidgeon of free time haha. How did you come up with the premise for Affinity?

I originally wrote this story for a superhero anthology Samhain Publishing was calling for. My husband and I brainstormed some really cool abilities that weren’t quite the norm, and came up with Jenna’s affinity with living creatures. The next was how. I’ve always been both drawn and horrified by the awfulness that was the bombing of Hiroshima and the idea of it changing people’s DNA in unforeseen ways just fit. It was an absolute pleasure to write.

I'm not kidding when I say that's such a creative premise. I'm dying to read it :) Tell us more Jenna’s abilities.

The abnormality in Jenna’s DNA code had remained dormant until a childhood accident where she breaks her arm. The subsequent x-ray sets off the abnormality, bringing her gifts to the fore. She sees them as a curse. But having the ability to call animals to do her bidding and to take on the attributes of a creature at will does have its perks J

Come on people, you know you want to read this book and read more about Jenna don't you? Will Affinity be part of a series?

That had never occurred to me until the first reviews started rolling in. It seems the readers want to know more and they don’t want to leave that world quite so soon. So, yes. After the two novels I’ve got on the go are finished (both are at the finishing stages) I will be working on a series. I can’t wait!

SQUEEEEEE! So excited!! I love when books turn into a series. My book was originally going to be standalone and morphed into a trilogy. The truly can take on a life of their own can't they? What's next for you?

I’m working on preparing a story I really believe in for submission to my publisher. If they accept it, it would be my first paper book story – a dream I’ve held in my heart forever.

Thank you so much for joining me today LaVerne!! We are out of time but before you go. is there anything else you want your readers to know?

If you’ve read either of my two novellas, you’ll no doubt notice a greyhound plays an important character in each story. This is because I own an ex-racing greyhound and have fallen completely and utterly under her spell. If you’re looking at bringing home a new pet, I urge you to think about adopting from a shelter and giving a throwaway animal the loving home they deserve. I promise you won’t regret it! J

Thanks for having me Lindsay. That was super fun! All the very best with your own writing! Your enthusiasm is infectious!

Aww you made me blush. Thank you so much and I cannot wait to get my grubby little hands on your books!! Lovelies, you all need to run out and get them too!!

Affinity...Buy it Now

In the wrong hands, Jenna Thomas’s legacy could be a curse—in her mind it already is.

As a child, a routine x-ray awakened an abnormality in Jenna’s DNA giving her the ability to “call” creatures and take on their attributes. Labeled a freak since then, Jenna’s learned to keep everyone at a distance. But all that changes the day she saves a young boy from drowning, and the story goes viral.

Nick Hawke, an off-duty policeman, witnesses part of the drama. Captivated by Jenna’s exotic beauty, he decides to investigate, not sure what to believe. Jenna puts his cynicism to the test—even as the attraction between them grows.

As word of her extraordinary rescue spreads, a dangerous man who will stop at nothing to control Jenna’s abilities draws near. With her feelings for Nick putting him in danger too, can Jenna risk everything to protect them both?

 Excerpt:

“Back off everyone, give us room,” boomed Nick with authority. Everyone took a step back. An attractive woman holding a microphone stepped into the created space. Her phony smile flashed teeth like a shark. Circling, she came in for the kill, her cameraman capturing the moment.

“Are you the lady who jumped in to save the boy? What made you do something so heroic? Witnesses say you were under for over ten minutes. How is this possible?”

The questions fired at her like a volley of bullets. Jenna flinched as each one hit its mark. She couldn’t answer honestly without sounding like a freak. So she said nothing, burying her head into Nick’s chest. His arms tightened around her. The subtle turning of his body shielded her from all those eyes.

He pitched his voice to address the crowd. “It’s been a traumatic event for everyone involved, and as you can imagine, it’s not over for us yet. We’ve no comment to make at this stage, so please, give us some time to come to terms with what’s happened. Thank you.”

“Could you at least give me a little snippet, Sergeant Hawke?” pouted the reporter, pushing her chest out and fluttering her lashes.

Jenna’s spine went rigid. A sick feeling of dread settled in the pit of her belly.

Police. Nick is a policeman. Dear God, I’m in trouble.

 Her head pounded and her hands shook. His arm tightened when she tried to pull away, holding her firmly in place. Any other person she could have fobbed off. Now she understood his aura of authority, his all-seeing gaze and concern at the thought of a child left alone in her car. He would be relentless uncovering the truth. 

Buy it now:

• Barnes and Noble
• Amazon
• The Wild Rose Press

Meet LaVerne Clark!

Like the heroines in my stories, I married my own gorgeous hero and have been blessed with both a son and daughter. I'm involved with the charitable organization, "Greyhounds as Pets" after falling in love and adopting my own ex-racing greyhound. Perhaps, in the back of my mind was the old adage of owners looking like their dogs; but sadly, my legs don't seem to have got any longer and my waist hasn't shrunk to minuscule proportions. But on a good note, at least my nose isn’t any longer! I'm a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand and live in the beautiful coastal town of Nelson at the top of the South Island, the sun capital of the country.

Connect with LaVerne:

• Novel Natterings (Blog)
• Facebook
• Twitter