Thank you so much for having me on The Bookaholic, Pixie! Why yes, now that you mention it, I'd love to talk about myself!
I was born in a shack and had to walk five miles through the snow to school, uphill, both ways... Wait, no, that's a character, not me. Authors are supposed to live lives of torment and suffering, and draw their inspiration from their pain, right? Well, I'm sorry to say I've had a rather happy, peaceful life. I realized I needed to be a writer from the moment I learned how to write, and though it took me about 25 years from that epiphany to finally get published, I never stopped trying. I was a lot of things in the meantime, though – a social worker, a newspaper editor, a deputy sheriff. Now I write full time, or as full time as the mother of a four year old can.
I write a LOT, too, in a lot of different genres. A thousand words is a bad day for me; I shoot for 2000 at least. So once I figured out that 1) no publisher wants 365,000 words from one author in a year and 2) no publisher wants an author to jump from sweet fairy books to violent adult crime novels, I decided a few pseudonyms were in order. But they're not secrets.
Under my real name, Laura L. Sullivan, I write traditionally published books for children. Under the Green Hill (out now) and Guardian of the Green Hill (out this October) are about a group of children caught in the middle of a fairy war. They're both from Macmillan/Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. Then in 2012 I have two young adult historicals coming out from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt – the bawdy Restoration-era romp Ladies in Waiting; and Delusion, about stage magician sisters who discover a college of real magicians on the English WWII home front.
As Sullivan Lee, though, I draw on my years of experience as a deputy sheriff and write about criminals and cops. My first book under that name is Brightwing, a criminal love story. Next will be a romantic paranormal thriller called Flesh, the first in a series, I hope, about a jaded female deputy and a paranormal hottie (whose exact sort of paranormalcy is a secret at the moment – sorry!) who team up as a playful Nick-and-Nora type of couple to solve murders.
Then, in case I have any waking hours left (tons of ideas, not much time) I'll be writing short stories, novellas and maybe a sly adult comedy of manners under my nickname, LuLu Sullivan. My first short story under that name – Lana Halliday – will be out any day now.
In my free time I read, and for now that about covers my hobbies! Once the Little Guy heads to kindergarten next year, though, I'll be able to get back into my other loves – paleontology, hiking, gardening, and if my body can still take it after all these years away, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Thanks for giving me the chance to tell you a little bit about myself! If you'd like to know more, you can drop by my blog, The Omniscient Third Person – http://lauralsullivan.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Sullivan Lee, for being at The Bookaholic! So great to have had you here and I really enjoyed reading about you!
I have a wonderful surprise for you all. There's a giveaway, too! One lucky person will get a SIGNED copy of Brightwing!
If you haven't read my review of Brightwing yet, you can read it here.
- U.S./Canada only. Must be 17 and over (as it is an adult-themed novel, sorry!)
- Following my blog isn't required, but it will get you an extra entry!
- Tweeting about the giveaway will get you two extra entries. Following on Twitter isn't required but will get you an extra entry as well!
- Closes August 20th at Midnight (central time)
- Winner is chosen randomly. If winner doesn't respond to email within 48 hours, I will have another randomly picked.
Thanks!
