Ask the Author: Lisa Towles
Answered Questions (12)
Lisa Towles
Hi Seth, Thank you! I think Terror Bay, my latest. Let me know what you think! 🙏📚🌟
Lisa Towles
My sister joined me on a trip to research this book in southern California, which was a special treat and a wonderful memory. My last book took 7 months, the book before that 2 months, and the book before that took only 5 weeks (!). So it really all depends on the book, the research needed, and what else is going on in my life while I'm finding time to write. Thank you for the question! :)
Lisa Towles
Goodness so many - just a few: Augusta Hawke by G.M.Malliet, Murder at the Port de Versailles by Cara Black, Mindhunter by John Douglas, A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett, The Royal Secret by Marwood and Lovett, Trigger Point by Tony Roth, Girl Island by Kate Castle
Lisa Towles
Sometimes I need space, solitude and silence for ideas to emerge, but other times I get ideas in a crowded coffeehouse. Either way, my job is to be open and tuned in so I can hear what’s coming up.
Lisa Towles
I love this question! ❤️ Thinking…
Lisa Towles
What a wonderful question :) The first thing that comes to mind is something very current for me - a dental-related mystery LOL! I went in for a cleaning, and the dentist said I had a little bit of decay around my three fillings and they wanted to take care of those on my next visit. The thing is...I've never had any fillings, ever, I've never had novacaine, and I have no memory of ever being told that I had a cavity or any memory of cavities being filled. (So where did they come from??)
Lisa Towles
Great question. I think the best thing about being a writer is getting to create stories from scratch, getting strange ideas and then building them into a world a reader would want to travel through. Thank you for asking!
Lisa Towles
I got the idea for my forthcoming thriller, Ninety-Five, at a Tommy Hilfiger store :) Thanks for asking!
Lisa Towles
Wow, hard question. I've had plenty of it in my life, and there are times when I've tried to push through the doldrums and keep writing for the sake of continuity and consistency. But too often the quality of what I write during those times is poor, with content lacking in substance and devoid of inspiration. So, sometimes it's a waiting game and requires both faith and patience. I do think there are times when your well is filling back up, and that imagery feels less painful to the writer's heart than just not having anything to say. It's an emotional topic and ubiquitous among all writers, at least at one time or another.
Lisa Towles
Just start doing it. Buy a nice new journal and a nice pen (Waterman pens are my favs) and start writing and don't worry about how it sounds or whether it's good or not. It's like a faucet - it takes a little time before the water starts flowing fully and that's fine. Or type on a laptop in a busy coffeehouse, or use the Notes app on your phone. Your work is singular, and precious, and belongs entirely to you. If you have questions or need encouragement or cheerleading, reach out to me! lisamarietowles@gmail.com
Lisa Towles
I'm writing my first thriller series and currently halfway through Book #2. It's a series with two private investigators and takes place on the California coast.
Lisa Towles
Certainly 221B Baker Street in London at the time of Sherlock Holmes. I would find an opportunity to become friends with Mrs. Hudson, Holmes' dutiful housekeeper, so I could meet him and become part of his circle and, of course, observe his methods and...learn!
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