Friday, March 23, 2012

TBR welcomes Lorrie Unites-Struiff

TBR: Welcome to TBR, Lorrie. Will you share a little bit about yourself?
Lorrie: Sure I will since you asked so nicely. I live near Pittsburgh, PA. I’ve been writing now for a little over ten years and have several stories and a novella with varying publishers. Mind you, I have no college education.
What surprised me the most, I guess, is I’m a person who loves to learn. I’ve always been an avid reader and honestly,*laughs* it did look soooo easy to do. Wow, easy my fanny!
I had a lot to learn, so the first few years were all about learning the process and then learning to use it.
Bless all of you authors out there. Now I know how much time and hard work goes into putting out a story. And shame on you for making it look so easy when I read all your wonderful books. I shall never take you for granted again.
I also find that I love dabbling in different genres and just writing a story that I feel readers will enjoy.

TBR: Tell us about your latest release and where it's available.
Lorrie: My latest are really two short stories while I await the release of my next novel later this year. Wild Blackberries and The Last Dance

TBR: Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
Lorrie:
Wild Blackberries
Morgan is researching on an Indian reservation in Prescott, Arizona, for her new paranormal novel. She doesn’t believe in the paranormal, but writes it for the trend and the nice royalties. That is until her soon to be divorced husband tries to kill her, and she survives by her wits and a little “strange” help.
Buy site

The Last Dance
Bren is in love with a troubled boy named Rip, and she hopes he asks her to his senior prom. The most popular girl in school, Jean, plays on Rip’s tortured soul. Does Bren get her revenge?
Buy site

TBR: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Lorrie: Definitely a panster. I start with rolling a story around in my head for a week or so, then sit down and start writing. Of course, I run into major plot holes, but my main characters always manage to find a way out. Believe me, no easy feat with all that burning of my brain cells.

TBR: How do you develop your characters?
Lorrie: I never base them on people I know. They come right from my imagination, and the characters build themselves. I like to put odd characters together and have fun seeing how the story will turn out. The one novel due out his year is a western/ romance/action/humor. I wondered how a sheriff who is afraid of critters would get along with a ringtail monkey that decides to adopt him. Would the critter interfere with his love life? Better yet, let’s make the monkey a thief and
boil the pot a little. I had a lot of fun writing it.

TBR: Did any music inspire your book? Do you have a playlist?
Lorrie: I like absolute quiet when I write. I love music. I once was a gold medalist ballroom dance teacher and manager of a famous name studio. If I turned music on while I’m writing, I’d probably end up listening to the music and not writing. So give me silence.

TBR: Which of your characters would you most/least like to invite to dinner, and why?
Lorrie: Matt Boulet from Gypsy Crystal. He is intelligent, witty, and knows what he wants. Ah, did I forget to mention he’s a hunk?

TBR: While creating your books, what was one of the most surprising things you learned?
Lorrie: *Laughs.* How much hard work it is. How much time it takes to write. How much a fantastic critique group can help the story. How many rewrites then touch-ups you have to do. But the most wonderful thing I have learned is how many authors out there are willing to help you on your journey.

TBR: Tease us with one little thing about your fictional world that makes it different from others.
Lorrie: I’d say the weird characters I mix together. A gypsy with a vampire. A sheriff with a monkey. An elderly woman who speaks to the dead before they are buried and her buddy Fat Phil.

TBR: What's next for you?
Lorrie: “A Heap of Trouble” from Muse will be released this fall.
I’m working on the last in a five short story series of Winnie and the COD (Call on the Dead) Club. Winnie is quite the character. I haven’t submitted them as yet.

TBR: Any other published works?
Lorrie:Instead of listing them, I think it would be easier to check out my website at http://struiff.wordpress.com/

TBR: What’s the most challenging aspect of writing? Most rewarding?
Lorrie: The most challenging for me, and don’t laugh, is punctuation and hyphenated words. The most rewarding is when readers like my stories. It gives me so much satisfaction.

TBR: What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?
Lorrie: “How can you think up so many stories and different characters?”

TBR: Who are some of your favorite authors and books? What are you reading now?
Lorrie: Wow, that is a loaded question. There are too many to name. As I write in different genres, I also read in different genres.
I love Nelson DeMille, Nora Roberts, David Baldacci, Peter David, etc, etc.

TBR: Where can readers find you on the web?
Lorrie: My website again is http://struiff.wordpress.com/ Also on Face Book, appearances on several blogs and the bookstores on Amazon and B&N. Probably more places but I can’t think of them off the top of my head.

TBR: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Lorrie: Yes. What is the first thing, other than your preferred genre, do you look for in a book?

TBR: Readers, Lorrie will give away a PDF of either short story to one lucky commenter (winner’s choice). She'll pick a winner next week and announce the winner here. Be sure to leave your email address so s/he can contact you.
Thanks for visiting TBR, Lorrie. Best of luck to you.

23 comments:

  1. Both books sound great Lorrie, thanks TBR for hosting Lorrie!

    CarolynBrown-Books

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  2. Yay, glad you could make it, Lorrie! :) Hope you'll come back to TBR when you have your next release too.
    Cate

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  3. Good morning TBR. *yawns* Just out of bed at 9:30 a.m. EST.
    It looks like I'm late. *laughs*

    Thank you for letting me ramble today about my work.

    I would definitively love a return invitation when "A Heap of Trouble" is released.

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  4. I agree with you Lorrie, writing is damn hard work lol great post. The thing I look for most in a book is a hook at the beginning. There is nothing more tedious than a whole chaoter of narration and not a sign of the plot.

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    1. Yep, you should know Margaret. You have written many great books and I have enjoyed every one of them.

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  5. Yes, it is hard work. But I've never met a Struiff story I didn't like. I'm glad you keep at it!

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    1. Oh, what a nice thing to say Liz. Thank you.

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  6. Hi Lorrie,
    Well you know i love your books. Great interview. And yes, writing is definitely hard work. Good luck with your new release...Tabs

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    1. Thanks Tabs. And good luck with both of your wonderful series.

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  7. Great interview Lorrie. I love your work, and a ballroom dance teacher huh? Either that didn't strike me before like it did now or I missed it or you are just now mentioning it lol. Very cool. Writing is hard work and I totally agree with you there. I would say that a cover is what I look for first. If it has a great cover then I'm inclined to turn it over to find out more no matter the genre. :)

    Keep on keepin' on!

    BK

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    1. Hi BK, I've mentioned the dancing before but not often. It's a past chapter in my life. Yes, covers are the eyecatchers.

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    3. Paso Doble. I really loved the way you weaved the dance with the, er, how do I say it, the hot, steamy sex parts. LOL

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  8. I'm a lucky ducky (no, really, I'm from Oregon) that's had the pleasure of reading most of Lorrie's works. My favorite character is Winnie Krapski. Now THAT'S who I'll like to come to dinner. No smoking, please.

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  9. Hey, hey, Marva. Hope you noticed the punctuation comment. Will you let Winnie smoke out on the porch? Pray I get Winnie's five stories out there soon.

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    1. Loved what you wrote. I have started reading your stories and love them. Keep writing.

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    2. I'd have to agree with Marva here. Winnie Krapski is by far your funniest character. (Her and the other Winnie from 'Splat'.) Though I'd like to go out to dinner, see what trouble she'd get herself into.
      But then again, we could bring Rita (Moldova) with us to keep us out of the slammer. haha

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  10. Fun interview, Lorrie. Have to say I agree with Liz. Never have met up with a Lorrie Struiff story I didn't like.

    How about we invite Matt the Hunk with Winnie and then have Lorrie invent a few more characters to round out the guest list? Oh, and we must have Beggar come as well. What a hoot.

    As one of the all-time rewriters, Lorrie knows what she's talking about when she lauds the value of a dedicated cadre of critters.

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  11. Lorrie. I loved reading this blog. I didn't know you had so many books/stories out and published. Your blog style is fun to read and I learned a lot from your comments.

    Cathy

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  12. This was a really fun blog. To answer your question, the first thing I look for in a book is suspense. Then I read the first page, not the last-that's cheating. Mix in some romance and humor and it's mine.

    And I agree, reading is much easier than writing. Or shall I say rewriting. It's very time consuming especially for those of us who have busy lives. And lets face it, that's probably every one of us. Coming up with ideas is easy for me-I dream A LOT! Getting it on paper is an entirely different story...ooh, that could be an idea for the another novel. haha (But first, I need to finished my first one.)

    Congratulations Lorrie! Can't wait until the Winnie's are released.

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  13. Thank you all for stopping by and the wonderful comments. I'm sorry I couldn't answer them all.
    My phone line and internet went off at five yesterday and by the time a tech came to my house, it was noon today.

    I'm so angry I could scream. But since I'm a writer, ha, a very nasty letter will go inside my next phone bill. That'll show them. Arrrrrgh!

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