All Work and No Play by Lila Dupres & Interview


Today we have my friend Lila Dupres visiting with us. Her contemporary novella, ALL WORK AND NO PLAY, was released today from Ellora's Cave Torrid Tarot Series.

NN: Congratulations on the release of your new novella and thank you for being here! What a beautiful cover! Please tell us about ALL WORK AND NO PLAY.

LD: Julie Preston worked hard raising her younger sister Emily after their parents died, and creating a career. She gave up simple pleasures like love and relationships. So when a friend drags her to a singles bar, Julie’s ready for anything. She meets a gorgeous guy and they spend several passionate hours together. There’s real chemistry there, but Julie regretfully sticks to her promise: a one-night stand, no strings.

When Julie hires a tutor to help Emily pass English, she’s shocked to find he’s the man from the bar. Seeing him in her house makes it hard to keep her hands off him, but he isn't looking for a long-term relationship since he’s a singles bar patron. Right? How many miles can Julie jog before she gives in and jumps him?

NN: Sounds hot!! Please tell us how you use the Tarot in your writing.

LD: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY is a story in Ellora's Cave "Torrid Tarot" series. In my story, Julie's friend Tanya is a Tarot aficionado and constantly compares Tanya to various cards; most recently, the Eight of Pentacles. As the title suggests, this is the card of "all work and no play," and Tanya thinks Julie needs to loosen up and enjoy her life. Julie strives, throughout the story, to be more like the free-spirited High Priestess, who goes by her instincts instead of the "rules" of life.

I also sometimes use Tarot to develop characters, plot lines or scenes in my stories. If I want to get to know my main character, I draw a card for him or her to see what his or her major personality trait is. I then turn over a few more for other traits. I do something similar with plot lines, or sometimes will lay out an entire spread, such as the Celtic Cross spread or a yearly 12-card spread. Tarot can give you lots of interesting ideas you might not come up with on your own; at the least, it will get your imagination working.

NN: That's so intriguing! Maybe I need a Tarot deck. What element of this story was hardest for you?

LD: Writing a love scene between two people who had just met was tough. I wanted the scene to be romantic and tender, and believable. I wanted the reader to feel, "If I were in that situation, I would make that same decision." And naturally, I wanted the reader to fall in love with the hero, just like the heroine. ;-)

NN: Absolutely! And I'm sure they will. Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

LD: Perseverance is the most important trait of a writer who moves from unpublished to published. Never say die! Read everything you can get your hands on, not just for pleasure, but for ideas on what works and what doesn't. Study and improve your technical skills, i.e., grammar, spelling and punctuation. Work with a critique partner or group who can spot errors you might miss. And finally, perseverance. :-)

NN: Great advice! Do you have a question you'd like to ask blog readers?

LD: I'd love to know what are your favorite paranormal elements in paranormal romances you read. Do you like to read about ordinary characters with psychic abilities like reading Tarot, crystal ball, palms or crystals? How about people who can sense and communicate with ghosts or supernatural beings? Or do you prefer stories about supernatural beings themselves, i.e. vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches? Tell me what you'd like to read next!

NN: Thanks again for being here Lila! Everyone, please visit her site at: http://www.liladupres.com/

1 comment:

Carol Ericson said...

Hi Lila, thanks for stopping by. Your cover is hot, and your story sounds intriguing. Never got into Tarot Cards myself, but I used to love the Magic 8 Ball. LOL I'm not much of a paranormal romance reader, I confess. I actually like time travel stories, but I don't think those are popular anymore, are they? I loved this one book, Time and Again, by Jack Finney. Totally brought 19th C. New York alive for me.